Posts by Early To Rise
How to Get the Most Out of ALL Your Employees
This is the four-step model I use to motivate my employees — everyone from the top on down — and maximize the productivity of the entire group: 1. Invest in your top performers. Spend time, money, and educational resources to locate, hire, train, and supply superstar employees. Don’t leave this to chance. 2. Don’t manage…
Read MoreChoose Your Friends and Business Associates Wisely
In a short article in Message #1045, I said this about the importance of the way you spend your time: “Remember, what you do most of in life is what you become — whether you like it or not.” And when Porter read that, it reminded him of the summer he spent as a kid…
Read MoreThe Secret of Transubstantiation, Part 1
“No idea is so outlandish that it should not be considered with a searching but at the same time a steady eye.” If you take the time to “get” the marketing secret I’m going to tell you about today — the way I got it years ago — it could make you a much more…
Read MoreMake Your Mission Statement Simple, Straightforward, And Easy To Understand
Does your company’s mission statement look something like this?: “We work toward harnessing niches and strategizing our effort-intensive infomediaries.” Or this?: “Our obligation is to work to revolutionize our solutions and tirelessly embrace synergies to enable us skillfully aggregate supply-chains.” These gobbledygook examples come to us courtesy of nonsense.sourceforge.net, the random-mission-statement generator program. Unfortunately, I’ve…
Read MoreSo You Want To Be Wealthy? How Wealthy?
I once heard wealth defined as “stored value.” That made sense to me. You are wealthy in something if you have a plentiful supply of it — enough to enjoy now and a sufficient reserve to take care of future needs. I like that definition because it emphasizes storage. Having the things you desire —…
Read MoreHow to Get the Most Out of Your “Apprentices”
I don’t have a TV set, but I have seen several episodes of “The Apprentice.” And that was enough for me to form some opinions. Here’s what I think: Bill, the guy Trump picked, was the hands-down winner in the leadership category. He wasn’t the brightest or most talented of the group, but he was…
Read MoreA Wealth-Building Idea for Smaller Investors
Smart investors don’t take long chances. They invest their money in probable situations — substantial businesses with futures that are all but guaranteed. Smart investors don’t shoot for the stars. Instead, they hope to beat the averages by hard work and common sense. But their objectives are realistic: getting 12% to 15% returns on stocks…
Read MoreWords of Wisdom from Donald Trump
While recently promoting his new book “How to Get Rich” in the New York Post, Donald Trump had these suggestions on how to get to the top in business — and stay there: 1. Dress for your culture. The way we dress says a lot about us — before we ever say a word. 2.…
Read MoreThe Secret to Motivating Your Employees
In 30 years of managing employees, I’ve tried just about every motivational trick in the book. Some of the ideas I had the greatest faith in turned out to be very ineffective. Other ideas that I originally spurned were extremely powerful. Overall, here’s what I’ve observed: Mugs, T-shirts, inspirational posters, etc.: A total waste of…
Read MoreWhat Drives You?
For most of my life, I’ve been blessed with an enormous surfeit of drive. On a typical morning, I’m brimming with energy and expectation. For the better part of my career, I’ve literally bounded out of bed — even when the challenges. I faced seemed insurmountable. Is that the way you feel? Or do you…
Read MoreHow Important Are Headlines Anyway?
Recently, I read a memo written by copywriting legend Gary Bencivenga to ETR’s own marketing expert Bob Bly. Here’s what he said: “As you know, you need strong copy to sell anything. But once I started writing my packages as magalogs and bookalogs (see “It’s Good to Know,” below), I found that a good rule…
Read MoreWhat NOT To Do If You Want Your Business To Grow
“Create a work culture that values efficiency. Don’t glorify those who work 24/7.” That very questionable advice comes from The Organized Executive, a newsletter that is normally full of sound and often very good ideas. As an example, the newsletter tells about Robert Green, CEO for Ipswich Inc., who refuses to praise employees who come…
Read More