I Call “Buschwa!”

Exclusive Buy-Now Click Here Six-Figure Secrets to Unlock the Five Business Mistakes That Are Blocking Your Top Ten List-Building, SEO-Perfecting, One-Click Marketing Overnight Success VIP Teleseminars from Skyrocketing Into Infinity and Beyond Product Launch Social Media Make A Grillion Dollars In Just 3 Hours = BUSCHWA!

Are you as exhausted by internet marketing hype as I am?

Honestly – if I get one more email promising to show me how it’s so easy to get tons of traffic from Facebook or how to outfox Google or how to organize a three-day webinar that will brainwash attendees into buying everything that’s on offer….

I know we all need to make a living. Me, especially. And the good news is that while there is a lot of strained overselling going on, a lot of the information out there is terrific.

There are a lot of really wonderful, smart, good-hearted people sharing deeply valuable information – some for free, some charge, some charge a LOT.

But the fact of the matter is that building a business – any business – is dang hard work.

And being self-employed is a nonstop challenge with a near-vertical learning curve.

So let’s be fair but firm: if you want to learn how to grow your business, you should hook up with the right people and learn from them.

Everything I Know About Creating A Successful Business I Learned From Amy Ahlers

That’s not an overstatement. Amy’s been one of my closest friends and advisers for over 15 years, and she has blazed the trail for me this whole time. Seriously – she does stuff and then I just copy her.

Amy is offering a brand-new teleseminar that is dedicated to busting open the myths about internet marketing and telling YOU the TRUTH that you need to know. Amy’s hilarious and sunshine-y and smart, and she’s partnered with two of the savviest female entrepreneurs I’ve ever known, the dynamic Christine Arylo and the genius-nutty-professor of copy writing, Michelle P-W.

Don’t miss this event! Register here for free and get immediate access to three great videos DEBUNKING the myths and Big Fat Lies about internet marketing: http://bit.ly/iEoQve

Register and not only can you attend live or via streaming audio on the web, you will also get the recording PLUS you get immediate access to great new videos that break open three common misconceptions and pose really interesting questions for you to answer.

(And yes, of course I’m a Big Fan and an affiliate for this program – for heaven’s sake, the woman is one of my best friends! And you know Amy & I were promoting each other’s stuff way before either of us had ever heard of an affiliate program and I don’t imagine we’ll quit doing it any time soon.)

Here’s to your authentic success story!

P.S. Seriously – do yourself a favor and sign up for this free event so that you can break free of the Big Fat Lies about internet marketing and build a business based on the TRUTH: http://bit.ly/iEoQve – xoox Sam.

Take Compliments Seriously

People are saying nice things to you all the time.

But I’m guessing you let most of them slide right past you. And some of you even deflect them (“Oh, no, it’s not that great…”) or immediately turn them around (“No, no, YOU are the genius…”)

I’d like you to consider the possibility that you’re being a little rude whenever you refuse a compliment.

First of all, the person is stating a truth. It may not be true for you, but it’s true for them. If they think your story is the best one they’ve ever read or that your church solo moved them or that you look nice in that sweater, that’s their business, and they get to be right.

So acknowledge that they are right. And don’t go around inflicting your opinion on them.

Just because you know you were a bit flat on the last chorus or that this sweater isn’t quite what it used to be doesn’t mean you need to tell them all about it.

Retain your empathy: remember the last time someone did that to you? You tried to say something nice and the person just wafted it away? Felt kind of icky, huh?

Here’s the other reason to take compliments seriously: they offer you valuable market research.

If someone says they find you fun or thought-provoking or nice or smart as a whip or inspiring, then use that language in your next brochure/email/elevator speech.

Imagine you’re at a holiday punch bowl standing next to someone you’d really like to impress and they ask you the oft-dreaded question, “So, what do you do?”

You may answer, “How kind of you to ask.

I’m a singer. I sing at weddings and other church events, and I also sing with a group that visits retirement communities. Someone recently said my work was ‘uplifting’ – which made me feel great, because that’s really what I want to do – lift people’s spirits.”

Nice, huh? You not only described your work but also conveyed the flavor and tone of your work and some of the truth about who you are.

It’s not bragging if it’s true.

P.S. This same strategy applies to criticism. If someone says your work is overwrought or shallow or kinda pitchy, dawg, then thank them for sharing their thoughts with you and DO NOT argue with them. Yes, your ego will flare up a bit. So go punch a pillow. But then remember to incorporate the information into your spiel.

So your next email might say something like, “I’m teaching a new class that teaches sign language to 9-18 month-old children. Some people might find this work superfluous or overly precious, but research shows that offering young children additional means of communication increases SAT scores by over 30%.”

(I completely made up that last part, by the way.)

See how acknowledging the truth clarifies your message?

Keep a running list of all the compliments you get and see what the trends are. Use those words to communicate the truth of you.

Here’s a compliment to start your list: you are good and brave.

photo credit: DG Jones via photopin cc