From Retirement To Career Change

Managing Attention Before You Manage Your Time

One of the problems in our fast paced world is that there are so many distractions. Many of us feel we don't have enough time to accomplish all that we should be doing let alone all that we want to do. It may well be that your attention is broken and you're most likely doing or trying to do more than one task at the same time and neither gets done or gets done poorly.

Attention is a limited resource. It's a lot like time. You only have a limited amount of it and you can spend it wisely or fritter it away.

Attention is also self-reinforcing.  How many times have you started a project, really got into the project and gave it your intense concentration. When you pay attention to something that is positive in your life, you are more likely to be absorbed at the task at hand. You are in the flow as they say and you don't pay any attention to time. By the same token, you are wonderfully productive.

On the other hand, if you pay attention to something negative, like slicing your drives in golf, a vicious cycle may continue and you are likely to be down in the dumps before you get off the golf course.

It is fair to say that the more you pay attention to something, the more likely you'll achieve something, for good or for bad. It's up to you whether you want to concentrate on something negative or positive.  You're the captain of your ship so watch where you pay attention and cut the negative attention as soon as possible.

Above all, invest your attention on things in your business and in your life that give you the highest returns. For instance, eliminating unnecessary expenses is good for your business accounts but it's not enough. You also need to invest your money for high returns such as outsourcing the design of your new website or hiring someone with the skills who can record your meetings and teleseminar.

My most productive days are those when I am completely focused on what I am trying to achieve and am absorbed in the process of doing it.

Can you tell when your attention is displaced or fractured? Sometimes, I can take a pause and become refocused. What about you?

Love to hear what you do to maintain your attention. Scroll down to Comments and share your thoughts with us.  Thanks

To your success,

Ruthan Brodsky

How To Put Together A Swipe File For Your Writing

One of the best ways to become a good writer is to put together a good swipe file and then study it well so you will be able to use it when you write.

A swipe file sounds like what it is. It is a collection of good copywriting examples of letters, headlines, advertisements, sales letters, and first sentences in first paragraphs. These are not examples to be plagiarized but to be adapted to what you're doing.

You put together a swipe file by saving clips of articles and ads from magazines, from information products on the Internet and from ads you hear on different media. The National Inquirer, Cosmopolitan, and Men's health spend a lot of money making sure their headlines work. You don't have to test them when you're writing. Just turn them around to focus on what your topic may be.

You may also want to keep a file of good sales letter designs. Print them out and in color. Where is the white space? Do they use bullets with a list? How do they get your attention?

Writing good persuasive copy is a science and an art. You do have to work at it if you want to be good at it but you can also use a swipe file to help you out. The internet has lots of information about copywriting. The internet has lots of sales letters, good and bad. You will find outstanding writers and copywriters that give free tips, articles and ezines about how to write good sales copy. When you explore and find copy that appeals to you, print it out. Use them when you're writing and could use some inspiration.

Not every author has good writing credentials but they know the words that sell and which to use when you are trying to convince your prospect to purchase your product or service.

Other products to include in your swipe file are email messages, articles, blog titles, offers, guarantee statements and intros. Use a file folder or box to collect your good copy. Once a month go thru the copy and take our anything that's not current. Keep your swipe file up to date is important for your work.

You may even want to purchase someone else's swipe file and add it to your collection.

If you already have a swipe file, let me know when and how you use it. I could share your ideas with others. Scroll down to Comments and type your ideas.

To your success in business and in life,

Ruthan Brodsky

Writing Headlines for Your Target Market

A lot of people overlook the importance of their headline for their sales letter as well as for their other writings. Keep in mind that more people will read your headline as will read your content which ought to tell you just how important your headline is. If you don't have a good headline, those readers are gone.

Think about what you do when you read a magazine or browse on line. What catches your eye? What makes you go from the headline to the first paragraph? What makes you click on to the next message, the next page because you're not interested in this one?

A great headline is one that attracts your attention. It needs to be pointed to your target market so that it's appropriate for you, your service or your product. You almost pre-qualify somebody that way by saying if you're not in my target market, click on to the next.

A great headline shows benefits. It almost summarizes what you're going to read so people don't waste their time if they're not interested. It also is the most visually prominent piece of your sales letter copy or for that matter any copy.

There are many different types of questions. Some ask questions, some give testimonials, some have huge shock value to get your attention. Here's a sample of a headline that asks a question: Do you make these 10 top mistakes in your blog?

I like headlines that start with "how to" do something. You see a bunch of them that read like this: How to make millions of dollars…..

Headlines should also be written in the present tense. I think you have a better chance connecting with the reader when you write in the present tense rather than the future or the past tense.

A good place to check out great headlines is the magazines on the rack at the grocery store check out lines or at your local bookstore. Look for the verbs that are used. You can leave out the subject matter in the middle and apply those headlines to your topics.

When you find a great headline, use it. If you're willing to share that headline, let us know about it too. Scroll down to Comments and type that headline in the blank window.

More on copywriting from my posts this week. I'm on a roll!

Profitable Sales Letters Are Targeted

Writing to your target market is the most important strategy for your sales letter.

What is interesting is that I know you target your sales pitch to one market. I learned this while writing for my clients throughout the years. Yet I sometimes find it tough to adhere to when I'm writing sales copy for myself. I am reluctant to let go of possible multiple markets for one letter especially if the product is wanted and needed by more than one market. My strategy now to overcome that urge to reach out to several targets by writeing several sales letters for the same product, each with a single target. More work for me but if it works – and I'll let you know- it will mean more profit.

When you target to one market feel as if you are writing to one person. The target market for one of my clients, a jewelry store with three locations, was a female, 40 years old, successful business owner or professional, married or unmarried, who was interested enough in fine jewelry to buy it for herself. Granted, the target market wasn't very large but the sales campaign worked well.

Many of the coaches and consultants I work with have trouble finding a target market or a niche because they believe their target is everyone. That may be true but you can't talk to everyone at the same time.

In fact, I could break the target for the jewelry store into more narrow segments and probably have even greater success. One segment could be for divorced women who can afford fine jewelry. Another for single women who never married or who reach their special birthday whatever that number may be.

A good way to think about the possible segments of your market is to write your primary target at the top of a piece of paper. Write down a few possible segments under that target and keep that paper somewhere near you. Take it out a couple of times during the day for the next few days and keep adding possible segments even though they seem foolish. Give it a rest for a couple of days and then review that list and select your top 3 most broad markets and your 2 most narrow markets. Write sales letters for 3 of those markets and test which ones work best.

If you have problems targeting your market  and wouldn't mind being a learning example, let us know about your problem and we'll give you some suggestions and open it up for others also.

To your success in life and business.

Ruthan Brodsky

Writing Sales Letters 101

I have a lengthy background in writing. If you count the fact that I used to write a weekly column about our high school in a local newspaper, then my writing experience has been extraordinarily lengthy.

My business for the past 26 years has been as a freelance writer for small business and the health and medical field. As a freelancer I seldom refused a writing job even if it weren't for the same market or format. As a result I had many assignments that could be labeled as copywriting. I already had a good chunk of experience in copywriting as director of a development for a private school. I just applied what I learned at the school to other topics. Writing is always a variation on a formula for a target market.

Writing a sales page will probably be your first experience with copywriting. There are some who advocate for a short sales page. There are others who advocate for a long sales page. I believe both of them work depending upon the market and the purpose of the sales page and depending upon what you want to achieve with the sales page.

I like to have a sales page for each of my products, programs or services. Whether it's long or short, the sales page must be interesting or no one is going to read it.

Here are three things you SHOULD NOT do to have a successful sales page.

First, don't feel you have to entertain the reader such as an animated something or music. I find that very annoying. I came to your web site for information not to be entertained.

Secondly, don't load your web site or sales page with too many huge graphics that will slow down getting to your information. Most people are like me: not very patient.

Third: No pop-ups. I get enough of those unwanted graphics in my unwanted emails. Spare me.

More on how to write a good sales letter that sells in my next post.

If you have any questions about copywriting, ask them in the comment secion below so I can answer them in one of my posts.

To your success in life and business.

Ruthan Brodsky

Making Change

Most people do not like to make changes. I can understand that because change is difficult.

I'm one of those people who stall making a change because I may feel silly, I'm afraid I may fail, or I'm just very uncomfortable. Then I think of the very famous people who went through tremendous change in their lives and are multi billionaires. Steve Jobs, for example, got fired from Apple, became the CEO again and launched the iPod.

Alex Mandossian, internet marketer extraordinaire, recommends asking yourself these 5 questions when you want to make a change.

What is my pain?

Asking yourself what is the problem isn't strong enough but talking about pain can increase the adrenaline. What is it you want to move away from? If you're honest with yourself the answer will come.

What is the resolution?

Not your resolution but the resolution. You may know what your resolution is but you know there's an answer to your pain. Where do you need to go? Where do you need to focus? For example, if your pain is not having enough money you need to decide if you want a job or you want to work for yourself. If your pain is not having enough time, you need to resolve what are your priorities.

Why am I stuck?

Why are you stuck with your pain and you haven't found the resolution? Why are you feeling resistance? It may be that you are stuck because you have a myriad of ideas and are not staying with one, seeing it through, testing it to make sure it works and then moving on to the next idea.

What is the Process?

The process is what gets you unstuck from your pain and helps you find the resolution. The process is not the solution. It's the resolution process that others have gone through and eliminated a similar pain you had. Which is why people have mentors and others become an apprentice to find out about the process and how their mentors became unstuck.

The final question is What's my first step?

Your first step is a physical action to do something, then to take a second and a third action, one step at a time.

Ask yourself these 5 questions. I'm hoping they will give you some insight.

Do you think these 5 questions will help you make the changes you want to make in your life? I invite your comments

To your success in life and business.

Ruthan Brodsky

More Visibility with Twitter

If you are marketing a product or a service, think of Twitter as a traffic generating tool. The placement of links within profiles and conversations can direct visitors to your specific website.

Use your Twitter profile. It's set up just like any other website so treat it no differently from your own blog or newsletter. This means if you want to increase your Twitter subscriber base, you need to drive web traffic to your profile.

I overlooked this obvious tool when I started tweeting and often focused on how frequently I tweeted or what time of day I tweeted. I'm a firm believer now that how and when I tweet is not as important as putting up a better profile.

One of the steps I've taken is to include links to my profile in email signatures. I also talk about Twitter in my blogs and include a link to my Twitter profile:http://twitter.com/ruthanbrodsky

Other marketers have used Twitter as a tool for customer support and some have even organized a contest through their Twitter profiles.

Ask your friends to tweet about your website. They may also want to send out a link to your Twitter profile.

Make new friends on Twitter. It has a built-in function for you to track the messages of other users. It's an easy way for you to connect with people outside your usual circle.

Twitter can also be used for you to interact with other like-minded people such as people in your field or in the same industry. Search for your keywords related to your product or service and then follow those users.

Twitter is also a good vehicle for notifying your customers and clients when you are hosting an event or you have a new product. Your customers can subscribe on their cell phone or RSS feed for instant notification.

Hoping these tips are useful for you and that you use at least 2 or 3 in the next few weeks. I am certainly open to your list of tips on Twitter. Let us know how it works for you.

To your success

Ruthan Brodsky

Twitter for Marketers and Business Owners

I cannot figure out why so many middle age people and for sure those over 60 proclaim wild confusion over social networking and using twitter. My opinion is the problem is the vocabulary. Once you understand what the words mean and that you should expect a constant flow of more new words, the process of tweeting is just no big deal.

 

Twitter is defined as a micro blogging platform. It can be a private or a public publishing tool depending upon what you want. That is it allows you to publish short messages, less than 140 characters, through different mediums such as cell phones, the web, and IM. I prefer using http://budurl.com

 

It has a social element because it allows users to follow each others' messages and get updates about that they're doing. Twitter gives you fragmented communication of opinions, events, news, ideas and feedback simply because there's no room for text. You can easily follow hundreds even thousands of users and listen in and enter conversations conducted by multiple users at any point.

 

Twitter is also a tool that can push out a message you want to get attention. In other words it's a great tool for promotion – of yourself or a product you have or an event that you're giving. Think of it as another channel which connects your current and potential customers with your product or brand.

 

Twitter can be a traffic generator when links within your profile are posted or links posted within your 140 character conversation. If the links are long there are tools to use that shorten them so your website or opt in page can be linked in the  tweet. I prefer using

 

One of the best ways to use Twitter for your business is to think of it as a branding tool. You can build your personal brand as your tweets establish you as a social and business personality that is connected and approachable.  For example, if you want other opinions about how your website looks or what to do next for your business, tweet out a message asking for advice.  You'll receive replies from other users. This collective intelligence can be used for your own articles and projects.

 

More on twitter in my next post.

 

To your success regardless your age.

 

Ruthan Brodsky

One Size Stress Doesn't Fit All

 

Managing stress is complicated because there are different types of stress, each with its own characteristics, symptoms, treatments, and intensity.

 

Acute stress is the most common.  You recognize it when your computer goes blank and you are on deadline with a report. You relish it when a new client chooses you to be his coach rather than one of your competition. Or how about that time when your dog tried to jumped out of your moving car when he saw another dog in a car in the next lane.

 

Because it is short term, acute dress doesn't usually cause as much damage which chronic stress has.  Some of the more common symptoms are:

• Emotional distress or anxiety, depression.

Muscular problems such as back pain, pulled muscles,

• Stomach problems such as heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation.
• Elevated blood pressure, dizziness, and rapid heartbeat.

 

The other stress is chronic stress, the grinding stress that wears out people before they're ready to stop being productive. Chronic stress destroys bodies, minds and lives. It's the stress of families who are having trouble making ends meet. It's the stress you feel knowing you are buying lunch with a prospective client that you've been recruiting for 5 months.

 

The worst part of this stress is you get used to it and forget it is there. As a result you ignore it and don't get rid of the cause for the stress.

 

Keep in mind that stress does kill through suicide, heart attack, stroke and even cancer. Stress wears people down because physical and mental resource are deplete through long-term attrition.  

 

As you get older, stress plays even more havoc on your lifestyle and life because recovery takes longer. Besides, it may be one of your medical conditions that may be leading to your stress.

 

Your first step is recognizing when you are stressed. Understand the source of your stress. You may not be able to control that source but you may be able to manage your stress through exercise or meditation. More on stress management in my next post.

 

If technology in your internet business is causing you stress, I highly recommend you consider investing in one of Connie Ragen Green's courses. She has more patience than any 3 teachers I know and can teach the basics to people of all ages.  You can sign up for free teleseminars at Internet Business Building Guide.

To your success

 

Ruthan Brodsky

 

 

 

Recession Causing Unhealthy Stress

I have friends and colleagues who are skipping their doctor appointments, canceling their gym membership and delaying preventive care. I'm hoping that no one is scrimping on their medications but I know more folks are eating more low-cost fattening foods at fast food places to save money because they are worried about the recession.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently took a survey and stated that more patients are worried about paying their bills and more patients were showing up with stress symptoms than before the recession.

Many people are reporting that the economy has impacted their ability to take care of their health. The AHA also reported that close to 1/3 of patients are skipping appointments or stopped taking medication to save money.

Doctors have also noted a difference. More than half reported seeing fewer patients since January 2008 which is about when the recession begin. Three quarters of the doctors reported they are seeing more patients without medical insurance and two thirds reported a drop in patients with employer-sponsored health insurance.

The problem is that Americans are cutting down on their preventive health care in their attempt to save money, they are becoming more ill and their health ends up costing them even more money. Their businesses fail and they fail.

One way to deal with stress is to walk at least 30 minutes 5 days weeks. You may have dropped your gym membership but you can still walk and I'm guessing you'll find lots of company. You may also want to ride your bike, practice yoga or meditate.

I worry most about people not taking their medicines. I also worry when people aren't proactive about their health and haven't gotten around to regular screenings for a mammograms or colonoscopies. What's more the stress of these tough economic times is causing hundreds of thousands to loose sleep which isn't good because sleep decreases stress.

After all the time and money spent on educating the public about what is a healthy diet and the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, it's a shame that stress over money can bring the wellness direction of organizations and businesses down to its knees.

I urge you to maintain your plan of action for your own health and for the health of  your business.

To your success in life and business regardless of age,

Ruthan Brodsky