Why you’re (still) struggling to get clients…

Why you’re (still) struggling to get clients…

It’s painful… I feel like I have this conversation over and over and over again. And yet, at the same time, I keep hearing from people who clearly need to hear it all over again. If you’re selling something that people don’t want to buy, you will fail.  You won’t get...
Victims, dreamers, and people who actually do s–t…

Victims, dreamers, and people who actually do s–t…

I’ve deleted two versions of this essay so far, and now have 30 minutes to finish it for you… Sometimes, that’s how I roll. Because I’m not going to send you crap wrapped up in cellophane, and think it’s somehow doing you good. Here’s what I really want to write about...
What does “good” email marketing look like?

What does “good” email marketing look like?

It’s Monday, and I hope you’ve made it a great one. You can wake up, on a Monday, and dread the day — and the week.  I imagine it’s dreadful if you’re going to a dead-end job where you’re in it for the weekend, and just to get a paycheck. But I actually like my work. ...
Success is simple…  And hard…

Success is simple… And hard…

Anybody that tells you success is easy is lying to you…  And anybody that tells you success is complicated has something to sell you… Success isn’t easy.  It’s hard. But it’s not complicated.  It’s simple. An analogy… Imagine that we rewound the clock by 200 years. ...
Why the “in-service” attitude will keep you broke…

Why the “in-service” attitude will keep you broke…

Most people who sell their services have completely the wrong mindset about dealing with clients… Here’s the thing. When most of us got started in our careers, was working for somebody else. It was their business, their rules, and our role was to serve them. Our...
How NOT to approach clients…

How NOT to approach clients…

Happy Monday from snowy Nebraska! There’s a blizzard of snow swirling outside, but I’m keeping warm in my home office.  And since my mailbox is digital, I don’t even have to put my boots on to check it. So let’s dive into Mailbox Monday. But I will warn you… This is a...
What’s your word of the year?

What’s your word of the year?

Do you have a word of the year for 2018? Applying this concept in 2017 was a critical part of moving my business one huge leap forward in 2017, with the launch of BTMSinsiders… And over the coming year, I expect to achieve even bigger things… In today’s Video Friday,...
Closing cold leads: the ultimate growth strategy

Closing cold leads: the ultimate growth strategy

There are two fundamentally different paths to success in a service business… The first is to find and close all the hot leads… The second is to sell to everyone else… Closing hot leads: The lazy copywriter’s way to riches? Again, copywriters make great punching...
You need a SYSTEM for getting clients…

You need a SYSTEM for getting clients…

Most people are freaking lazy… Including me.  We just want an easy button.  We don’t want to have to do the work.  We want the result, and we want it now.  And when it doesn’t happen that way, we’ll invest more energy into whining and complaining about how the world...
How to use LinkedIn to get clients…

How to use LinkedIn to get clients…

Nearly 100% of the time I’ve been approached on LinkedIn, they do it wrong… I frequently get approached by people on LinkedIn, who want me to hire them.  For a whole mix of things.  Mostly business services (like writing), and sometimes even as a contractor/employee....
Two areas of focus to achieve your biggest goals…

Two areas of focus to achieve your biggest goals…

Today’s Video Friday is all about achieving your goals. Not, specifically, about the kind of New Years Resolutions goals that everybody just put out there.  But how to make a huge impact on the world. I share with you the two areas that most people don’t focus on...
Why brands are BS and personalities win…

Why brands are BS and personalities win…

People don’t buy brands… Well, that’s not totally true.  In a market where it’s one big faceless brand fighting against the next, you might develop a brand preference. For example, the cars market. Most major automakers — with one exception — are faceless brands. A...