Tuesday, 7:35pm
Reno, NV
“No no, no, no no no noooo no, no, no, no, no no no no!” (The Human Beinz, Nobody But Me, circa 1968)

Howdy…

Well, that was a nice virtual brawl in the comments section, wasn’t it.

We do have a winner, whom I shall reveal in a bit here.

First, though, let’s get straight on the answer to the Quiz question:  What is the “Magic Word” that can work wonders for your productivity?

There were a lot of great answers.  Quite a few answers that totally sucked.  And a bunch of awesome critical thinking on the subject, which of course was the goal of the quiz.  I think Lisa Wagner wins the “Most Creative Answer” category, hands down, with her “strong coffee” response.

Damn hard to argue against strong coffee being an productivity enhancer.  But that wasn’t the correct answer.

Those of you who perused the comment threads already know there were a couple of flurries down the “focus”, “clarity” and “movement” rabbit holes.  These are not bad guesses.

But they miss an important rule of being productive:  How does your theory play out in real life?

I have a personal vendetta against success-oriented theories that are, when put to the test, complete bullshit.  This includes a lot of the “spooky” stuff out there that claims you can mind-meld your way to the Big Bucks by just concentrating on forcing the universe to give in.

Now, I’m all for using the universe’s mysterious powers for personal advancement.  I’ve seen it happen too often to ignore.  And my own career was built on a foundation of written goals, visualized in detail, and constantly fussed over so my brain was clear on what I wanted.

Which, when I added movement — specifically, planning out the attainment of my goals and going after each step with disciplined dedication — it nudged the universe to reward me with opportunities I would otherwise have never noticed.

However, there are important distinctions here.

Distinction #1. None of the elements will work alone.  You need everything in place — goals that you’ve spent time crafting, visualization of what your life will look like once you get moving… and then, of course, movement itself.

Distinction #2. If you’re a rookie at setting goals, your first attempts will often be very, very bad.  If you have a burning desire for something concrete, great.  But I’ll tell ya — when you’re a raw rookie at goal setting, the whole concept of being able to want something, plan for getting it, and then put that plan into action…

… is like being shoved into the cockpit of an F-15 tactical fighter jet.  You might need a little time to figure out how to even start the beast.

Distinction #3. Eventually, if you stay with it (and get a little veteran guidance), you’ll get the hang of good goal setting.  Zoom zoom.

But it DOES require some effort.  And that pisses many people off.  They want voodoo, and they want it now… and they do NOT want to work at it.  Not even a little tiny bit.

And there just happens to be an endless mob of folks out there willing to sell you the “big damn no-sweat secret” of attaining your goals… you know, that special mysterious mind-over-matter secret that requires no effort, no planning, no movement, no nothin’ except a little snuggling up with your dreamy desires.

And it’s just total crap.  Books don’t get written magically, products don’t get produced with fairy dust, and businesses don’t grow from wishful thinking.

The universe will help you out… but you gotta do your part first.

And that means you gotta take goal-setting seriously.  And if you need help putting your plan together, you GET that help… and if you get hung up over moving forward, you get help for that, too.

Being productive is a function of a lot of things.  Like, for example: (a) knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing… (b) being proactive in overcoming obstacles… and (c) steadily increasing your savvy and understanding of the process.

So, yes… many of the answers to the quiz were not wildly off-base.

But they tended to be elements of the theory of being productive.  And I tried to show how people can get hung up on things like “focus”, and actually BE really, really freaking focused…

… and still not get anything done.  (I know a great many folks who can laser-focus on stuff, but can’t finish even the simplest project.)  (Same with motivation, setting deadlines, using timers, all of it.  Your brain is a GENIUS at finding ways around the best-laid schemes to force your lazy ass into being productive.)

So, the answer to the quiz is about the foundation of your attitude, when it’s time to BE productive.

The Magic Word is…

“No.”

Learning to use this word the right way is how you set yourself up for success.  This word will allow you to finally use all the other words — focus, motivation, discipline, work, gallons of coffee — to dig into your goal-oriented projects…

… protected from all the evil crap out there that yearns to destroy your productivity.

Why “no”?

Because few people recognize the power of the word, or the best way to use it.  Humans tend to be either spineless about it, or raving sociopaths.

We’ll discuss the sicko’s at some other point (and you DO need to be aware of them, and know how to deal with them, if you’re gonna be successful in biz).

Right now, however, I’m concerned with entrepreneurs and business owners who have a dysfunctional relationship with the word “no”.

Here’s the thing with “no”:  You do not have to be an asshole to use it.

In fact, especially in business (and affairs of the heart), you are an asshole if you DON’T use it.

Saying “yes” to something you have no intention of doing… because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, or appear to be a “negative person”… is just cruel and selfish.  You actually goose the coming heartache to higher levels…

… and in business, you can cause irreparable damage.

There are consequences to saying “yes”.  You enter into a verbal contract front-loaded with social and financial obligations… plus all the required energy and time commitment to follow through.

I came up with something I call “The Professional’s Code” long ago.  I will not work with you if you cannot honor it:  You will be where you said you’d be…

… when you said you’d be there…

… having done what you said you’d do.

This applies to meeting your deadlines, as well as honoring your agreements at every level.  Yes, even the small shit.

Hard core?  To the average slacker, hell yes it’s hard core.  How dare anyone demand that you be responsible for your words, actions and promises?

That’s… that’s… that’s just MEAN.

Well, lemme tell you why it’s actually not mean:  I’ve seen businesses go belly-up because of promises breached.  Partnerships shattered.  Projects sunk, and futures mangled.

You wanna talk about being mean?  Watching a good person’s livelihood get crushed, because some bozo didn’t follow through on his promises… now THAT’S mean.

Screw the bozo’s feelings.  This is the adult world, folks.  Money is on the line, payrolls gotta be met, and debts paid, and profits secured.

And you know what?

While all that may sound like scary, un-fun stuff to the non-entrepreneur…

… the fact is, if you have what it takes to start your own biz…

… all this hard-core pro-active “get ‘er done” attitude stuff IS fun.  Once you get a handle on it, and put it into action…

… you quickly discover there is no other way to live your life. Being responsible, following through, and meeting your obligations transforms you, almost immediately, into a person of real power, mojo and respect.

And THAT’S the kind of dude or dudette the universe LOVES to help out.  Get your real-world act together, and the spooky stuff will swamp you with rewards.

And “no” is a big part of the game.

There are 3 elements to using the word correctly:

Element #1. Know when to use it.  Never use it casually.  Take a moment (or longer), when asked to give a yes-or-no answer on something, to consider the consequences of agreeing or not agreeing.

When you have your goals straightened out, this becomes easy.  For example, if you’re an entrepreneur, finally creating your own biz and headed toward clear goals, step by step…

… and someone appears and offers you a J-O-B for big bucks somewhere…

… it won’t matter how nice the benefits package looks, or how sweet the view from the corner office is, or how much your spouse wants that steady paycheck.  Because, once you get a taste of working for yourself, going back to working for The Man would be like drinking sewage.  Screw the easy way out — you’re going after a clear goal as a entrepreneur.

(On the other hand… if that offered job lights up your heart and makes you sleep easier, then that might be a sign you need to readjust your goals.  There’s no shame in taking a job.  There is only shame in making a wrong decision because you didn’t take the time to get clear on your goals.)

You’ve heard the phrase “your word is your bond.”  For most folks, that’s all it is — a phrase.  It’s not taken seriously, and the average person believes they are entitled to interpret words like “yes” and “no” as they see fit.

Success junkies know better.  Words like “yes” and “no” are, for true professionals, gateways to fresh paths in life.  ”Yes, I’ll do it,” means you’ll do it.  ”No,” means no, you choose not to do it.  Two different paths follow.  And the pro chooses, and commits, and gets moving.

Element #2: Know how to use it.

Again, you do not have to feel like a negative or mean person.  Just realize that it is a very potent word, with implications for future actions, and loaded with emotional vibrations that will set other people off in batshit ways.

You can sheath your “no” with appropriate nice thoughts, and even use variations of the word… as long as you’re being honest and direct.  ”Bob, I understand you want me to drop everything, and dive into your problem here.  No shame in asking.  No.”

Do not leave room for negotiation.  Don’t say “but I just can’t do it”… because that implies you would do it, if only the situation could be fixed.  It’s a weak position that invites an argument:  ”Well, why not?  What’s keeping you from agreeing with me here?  C’mon, man, I’m just asking for one tiny little special favor… please, please, please, pretty please?”

For most of the world, “no” is just the beginning of the process.

For the pro, it’s the end.

Element #3: Make it stick.

Once your reputation is solid as a person who means what you say, “no” will mean “no”.  Until that rep kicks in, however, you’ll have to log some time building it.

Once you’ve said “no”… after doing your due diligence of considering your answer carefully… all further discussion is over.  (If you’ve been using “no” to mean “let me think about it”, then stop — and start saying “let me think about it” when that’s what you mean.)

Don’t get mad.  Don’t berate people.  NEVER say “what part of ‘no’ do you not understand?”  That’s sarcastic… and you’re being a prick.  This isn’t a game, and you’re aren’t trying to “win” anything.

You’re just setting up boundaries on your time, energy and commitments. You can actually SMILE when saying “no” each of the many times you may need to repeat it.  You’re not arguing, and you’re not taking the bait of entering further discussion.

“No, Bob.  What else is on your mind today?”  And you move on.

All the productivity tricks in the world won’t help you if you can’t master the art of saying “no” when you need to.

And you know who MOST needs to hear “no” from you?

You.

You need to be able to tell yourself “no” when it’s time to sit down and get to work.  No to checking email first, no to answering the phone, no to surfing the web just for a few minutes…

… no to everything but the task you need to get into.

You are one stubborn beast, too.  You don’t want to hear “no”, especially from yourself.

But that’s how you get shit done.  The “no’s” set up the internal and external space to finally sit down and get busy.

Make sense?

Okay…

… the winner, remember, was the 7th person to get the right answer.  And the answer, as I framed it, included giving your reasons why.  A lot of folks skipped that part.  Shame on you for skimming the quiz.  Bad habit, skimming.  It’ll get you in trouble, and screw with your ability to win these quizes.

So.  The winner is…

… drumroll, please…

Kelly Exeter, from down under.  Answer number 96.  And she almost blew it, in answer number 95, by not explaining her reasoning.  There were a lot of folks who just posted “no”, without explanation.  That wasn’t the rule.  So, no, you slackers didn’t win.

Congratulations, Kelly (and nice save).  My personal assistant, Diane, will be contacting you to get a mailing address for your signed copy of “Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel”.  Could life get any better?

Let’s do another quiz soon, what d’ya say?

Stay frosty,

John

P.S. We’re down to the short-hours leading to the Action Seminar.  It’s February 25-27, down in beautiful San Diego… and we’ve got a stunning crew of marketing wizards and top copywriters and killer “behind the scenes” experts prowling the event…

… eager to meet you, answer questions, brainstorm and help you get moving on making 2011 your best year ever.

I can’t even begin to understand why you’d miss this.  I have zero plans to ever host something like this again.  We did it last year, and it was the seminar of the year, and we’re set to top that mark this time out.  (I’ve been fielding calls all day from insiders and experts who cannot WAIT for the seminar to start.  The anticipation is palpable…)

Get details on the Action Seminar here.

I’ll see you there.

Thursday, 8:54pm
Reno, NV
“I’m worth a million in prizes… yeah, I’m through sleeping on the sidewalk…” (Iggy Pop, Lust For Life)

Howdy…

Let’s do a quiz, what d’ya say?

Winner gets a prize.

Here’s the lead-in to the question: Over the past week, I’ve done a number of sizzling teleseminars with such luminous marketing stars as Rich Schefren, Melanie Benson-Strick, Christina Hills, and Lisa Wagner (with another one hosted by Gary Halbert’s sons coming up in a few days)…

… all focused on the “solve your biggest business problem right freakin’ NOW” attitude that saturates the upcoming Action Seminar we’re hosting.  (San Diego, February 25-26, click here for info.)

To get the ball rolling in these teleseminars, everyone emailed their list and requested folks to send in the BIG problems that keep them up at night.

So, you know, we could fix those problems, right then and there on the call.

Speed Hot Seats, we call it.  You bring the mess, we bring the mojo to make it right (and get you back in the saddle, in the right groove to get you moving toward your goals again).

These teleseminars rocked.  Totally awesome, and I hope you had a chance to hear at least one of them.

It’s always a blast to witness how fast, and how thoroughly the toughest problems you believe are holding you back… can quickly be deconstructed, clarified, de-mystified, and solved (with specific actionable steps that can be taken right away).  No theory.  Just hard-core business savvy, applied to the wound directly.

What’s this got to do with our quiz?

Well, I’ll tell you.

All told, there were over a hundred emails sent in for consideration during these teleseminars.  A deluge of nightmares, pitfalls, blind alleys, squirrel holes and “how do I even get started” frustrations.

And yet they all tended to fall into just a few very precise categories.  (We’ll be covering ALL of those categories at the Action Seminar, in depth, and we’ll perform real-time Hot Seats and copy critiques with attendees throughout the event.)  (This is hard-core problem-solving and “finally get moving on your goals” planning at the most get-it-done level imaginable.  I sure hope you’re coming to the event, so you don’t miss all the hands-on interaction with me and the Murderer’s Row of experts I corralled to help us out…)

And one of the most common (and most urgent) questions brought up… was about being productive.

As in not wasting time, getting busy with what’s important, and implementing the steps required to unleash the bounty of wealth, fame and wonderfulness that entrepreneurs seek (but few find).  (Because they’re frozen in place with problems.)

In fact, we’ve found that “productivity” ranks unusually high in most of the surveys know about.

And guess what?

While there are a multitude of courses out there, coaching programs and books and advice galore…

… there is still just a SINGLE word I’ve been using for decades that will do more for your productivity than any other tactic, secret or gimmick you will ever find.

One word.

If you’ve been following my rantings and ravings over the years, you should know exactly what this one word is.  You should, in fact, be using it regularly in your daily life.

I call it “The Magic Word“.

So here’s the quiz: What is this magic word that can work such wonders for your productivity?

What single word can wield such power, that you can transform almost immediately into someone who gets more done?

Slam your answer (and your reason why you believe you got it right) into the comments section here as fast as you can.

And, because I know there are a few ringers in the audience who have this nailed, let’s rig the game just a bit:  The winner will be the 7th person to give the correct answer.

What do you win?  How about a fresh copy of “Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel” (the course touted by so many top marketers as the breakthrough program that finally got them headed toward raw, seething success).

Personally signed by me.  (It won’t make it more valuable, but you’ll have a great story to tease the grandkids with.  ”Sure, I knew Carlton.  Look, he signed this book for me…”)

That’s it.  That’s the quiz.

Your real victory is in forcing your brain to think deep about this subject, of course.  Productivity is such a bugaboo with so many people… that an entire publishing industry has sprung up to feed the need for salvation.  The sheer volume of tricks, shortcuts, advice, gimmicks and secrets ladled out to solve the heartbreak of not getting shit done is staggering.  Whole sections of Barnes & Noble bloom with titles on it.

I’m sure it’s all great stuff, too.

I just prefer the more direct solutions, minus the bullshit garnish and smokescreen fluff.

I’ve been shockingly productive my entire career.  And the key has been this little magic word.  It has freed me from the time-devouring nonsense that murders other people’s effort to be productive.

Okay, enough hints.

Your turn.

Game on!

I’ll reveal the answer — and the winner — next week.

Stay frosty,

John

P.S. Even if you’re the type who never goes to seminars, check out the Action Seminar.  It’s totally freakin’ unique, and is geared to goose real, substantial breakthroughs in your life.

That you can put into action immediately, without waiting for something else to happen first.  This is get-it-done heaven.

We’re talking about launching the adventure of your life, finally and with some real power behind you.

Click here for details.  And hurry…

Monday, 8:34pm
Reno, NV
“The horror… the horror…” (Brando, “Apocalypse Now”)

Howdy…

Let’s do another quiz, what d’ya say?

With TWO prizes.

This one is very simple.  Or not, depending on how much you’ve been paying attention.

Let’s start with the good stuff. 

Here’s what the winners will get: A twin package of Extreme Special Reports that have only been available as bonuses before…

Extreme Report #1. The super-potent (and much sought-after) “Power Words” collection…

Extreme Report #2. And the mind-altering “11 Quick Marketing Fixes” checklist.

These are easily among the most valuable reports a marketer could ever get your hands on.

Though they come as bonuses with our larger packages (there is no other way to get them)… these little treasures are often cited as “major game changers” when past customers tell me which piece of advice or tactic fundamentally impacted their life.

The first report is a thick compendium crammed with specific words and phrases I’ve plucked from successful ads I’ve penned over the years.

These words and phrases are the building blocks of explosive hooks and “drive ‘em to tears” emotionally-compelling writing…

… the stuff that can turn a lame-ass, boring ad…

… into a shockingly-persuasive Blitzkrieg winner.

Words matter.  Often, a single word change in a headline can affect results so dramatically, it defies belief.  (And really, results are what it’s all about in this biz.)

The second report consists of the actual checklist I used throughout my 25-year career when consulting with new clients…

… especially when they were mired in doubt, or rushing off a cliff with brutally-bad marketing plans.

These 11 “fixes” are simple… easily applied… and yet hidden to most marketers.

This kind of basic insight is what separates the gun-slingers from the clueless canon-fodder in direct response advertising.

So, yeah… if you don’t have these twin-dynamo reports yet…

… you want them in your tool kit.  (Many of the best online wizards you know about keep their dog-eared copies of these reports close by whenever they create new marketing.)

Now… who wins these reports?

Here’s who: The first person to post the correct answer in the comments section below…

… and the eleventh person to post the correct answer.

Two glory-drenched winners, separated by a small mob of “Nice Try But No Cigar” almost-winners.

I’m doing this because — last time — the Usual Suspect Smart-Asses descended on Quiz #7 like sharp-talking stalkers waiting in a dark alley…

… and nailed the answer early.

Okay, they weren’t smart-asses.  They just happened to be up late when I posted, or on the other side of the globe (all bright-eyed and sipping coffee, while the rest of the blog readers were slumbering peacefully).

So, we’re gonna make this Quiz a fair fight, dammit.

I counted up all the smart-asses… and there are approximately ten of you out there.  (You’re actually among my favorite folks to banter with, and I deeply appreciate your faithful readership of the blog… but you keep gobbling up these Quiz prizes too easily.)

Thus… there is now an opportunity for someone outside the Rant’s inner circle to grab at least the second prize…

… as Correct Answer #11.

Okay?

Okay.

Here’s the question:

Fill in the rest of this statement:  “Writer’s block is…”

And… go.  The Quiz has started.

What do you think writer’s block is?

Please bear in mind that there were over 600 attempts to win the last Quiz…

… so get busy.

There are no “wrong” answers… as in, you can’t lose when you engage your brain in critical thinking like this.

But there’s only ONE right answer.

And here’s a hint: It probably isn’t what you think it is.

“Writer’s block” gets a lot of discussion in the culture.  Everybody’s got an opinion or theory.

Books have been written about it.  Famous fiction writers have reportedly suffered from it.  Almost everyone who’s ever stared at a blank page believes they know what it is.

And I’ll tell you this:  They’re all dead wrong.

And that’s all I’m gonna say right now.

The Quiz is on.

I’ll check in over the next few days…

… and announce the winner…

… on Friday.

Go get ‘em, tiger.

Stay frosty,

John

P.S. One more rule… which is necessary only because the Usual Suspect Smart-Asses are already considering ways to get around being “fair”:

You can post as often as you like… but you cannot post the same answer more than once.

Ha!

See, I know some of you were already gonna post what you thought was the correct answer eleven times in a row, copying and pasting real fast… in a bid to win BOTH prizes in an outrageous sweep of cleverness and evil manipulation of everything that is sacred about good sportsmanship.

Hey — it’s what I would have done.

How do you think I stay ahead of you guys?

So — we have a Fairness Doctrine here.

Please respect it.

Now… go crush the competition.  Bragging rights are important in this biz…

P.P.S Friday Note: Hey… I know I’m late with the “answer post” here…

… just got delayed a bit by something unexpected.

I’ll get the new post up tomorrow…

And yes, there are winners…