The Impossible Dream
A reader recently sent me an e-mail in which he griped about his “impossible situation.” I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder, because to me it appeared that his was an impossible situation with a lot of possibilities. So what, exactly, is an “impossible situation”? More specifically,…
READ MOREBurn Carbs Not Fat!
What’s the best way to get rid of ugly belly fat? If you say “Long, slow cardio to burn as much fat as you can during your workout,” you’ve got it wrong. I’ve written before in ETR about the futility of cardio. But there’s another argument to consider. It’s well…
READ MOREKnow What You’re Doing
When “Winston” asked me to help him promote one of his products, I agreed to mention it in my e-mail newsletter. I told him that all he needed to do was give me a coded link for his landing page. If you’re at all involved in marketing on the Internet,…
READ MOREWhy You Must Master Direct Marketing for Real Estate Investing Success
When you think about real estate investing, my guess is that you don’t immediately think “direct marketing” as well. But direct-marketing skills are essential to almost every aspect of real estate investing… from finding motivated sellers… to buying a property… to finding your ideal buyer… and more. In fact, mastering…
READ MOREImitation: The Secret to Stronger Sales Copy
I had an old friend – no longer with us – who used to say, “If writers write, copywriters copy. Isn’t that how it works?” I wince to hear it put that way, given the many times I’ve sat there staring at a blinking cursor and trying to come up…
READ MOREThe Most Valuable Thing That Money Can Buy
Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle of it. On the left side of the page, under a column marked “Things I Enjoy,” make a list – maybe something like this: Time with family and friends Reading My hobbies (List them.) My house My…
READ MORENavigating the New Market
Since the first day I started working in the stock and bond business, the old timers – the guys I have always sought out as a great source of advice – have said almost without exception, “The markets don’t change.” This mantra was in response to those in the business…
READ MOREQuestion Marks in Copy
Now some folks will tell you that beginning sales copy with a question is bad form. After all – any question you ask could be answered in a way that is not helpful to your objectives. And your sales letter could wind up in the trash.
READ MOREHow to Zap Fatigue Within Seconds
It’s amazing but true. Most people get up tired and go to bed tired. Going to bed tired makes some sense – but waking up tired is inexcusable.
How can you be tired when you wake up? You haven’t done anything yet, right?
READ MOREThe Dangers of Throwing Your Recommendation Around
A few months ago, a former neighbor asked me if there were any job openings in ETR’s editorial department. If so, she wanted her daughter “Gwen” – a young woman I’d known for years – to apply for a position.
READ MOREThe Banks Are Back… or Are They?
Their profits are up. Their write-downs are lower. The government is riding shotgun for them. And the worst is over. The banks are back, right? Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and even Citigroup all reported profits for the first quarter of 2009. But a closer look under the hood reveals some “creative accounting”…
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