Ultimate Work At Home Dads &#187; Charlie Seymour Jr

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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and personal-touch marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.

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093 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Passion

092 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships

Charlie Seymour Jr — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:55:36 +0000

The Seventh Key: Magic Words

We each have our list of magic words that propel us in life, business, our family… hey, everywhere.

Here is my list of those important words:

Thank You

It's amazing to me how many times people forget these two words – like forgetting to signal when they turn left or right in their car: they know they SHOULD do it, but sometimes they forget… and when they forget, they get out of the habit and eventually stop doing it.

A Thank You can go a long way: here's an example that touches my heart every time I think about it.

When my younger daughter, Liz, has been in the hospital (she inherited her dad's penchant for trips to the emergency room: kidney stones and appendicitis), she always thanks the nurses. After getting her temperature taken: Thank You. After a shot: Thank You. After giving blood: Thank You.

She's not thanking for the PAIN or the inconvenience… but for the personal care that will lead to her getting well.

It hurts me to see her in the hospital. I've had SIX kidney stones, an appendicitis, a gangrenous gallbladder so I know what the inside of an emergency room likes like. It pains me to see my daughter in the hospital.

But it warms my heart to hear her say Thank You so freely. Hey, she's a great young woman… and I love her very much.

Use it: it goes a LONG way!

You're Welcome

Wait… we have to thank people for thanking us? Isn't that really what You're Welcome is?

Sort of…

But it's more than that. At the heart of things, it shows people that you care. You did something for them that elicited a Thank You and now you are showing (again) that you care.

"Oh, it was nothing…" really puts down the person saying Thank You… as if to say "there's no reason to thank me." But hey: LET them be grateful for your help and then acknowledge them for saying Thank You.

If nothing else, you will encourage them to keep saying Thank You: and what a nicer world this will be!

It's Great To See You

Have you ever greeted a friend who gave you a bear hug and showed clearly how thrilled s/he was to see you?

THAT'S what It's Great To See You can do (verbally) if it comes from your heart. Just starting off you made it clear to the person you are speaking with that s/he really means something to you… and don't we all feel better knowing that we mean something to the person we're about to spend some time with (even if it's only a few minutes in a chat)?

I have a few friends who make me feel great every time I see them. They are warm, caring, listen to me, share their ideas, are slow to ask for my help because they spend so much time sharing in my ideas and thoughts.

When you start every conversation by showing you really care about the person you're meeting with, each conversation will go better than you could have imagined.

Try it…

What Can I Do To Help You

Have you ever heard the expression "we all listen to the same radio station in our minds… not matter WHERE we are in the world, we all listen to that same station: WIIFM (What's In It For Me)."

MOST people don't really care that you didn't sleep well, the toast was burned, or the guy in front of you cut you off today as you raced to work.

MOST people care about THEMSELVES… so turn that to your advantage and ask about THEM!

Working with clients I always say, "My job is to find out what YOU want and then help you to get it." I do NOT say, as many people say (whether they know it or not), "Here's what I have to sell and you should want to buy it."

Before every Dan Kennedy – Bill Glazer local chapter meeting (GKIC-Philly), I stop at a local pizza shop. I take some work but since it's known that I will be there, friends often stop before the meeting. Maybe it's just to chat… but maybe they are working on a project and want another set of eyes. Maybe they want to chat about a marketing campaign they've started. Maybe they are wondering what new business to get into and want a sounding board.

I remember one meeting when a friend, Dan, and I were chatting with another friend, Jay. Jay brought in a sales handout he planned to use the next day at a huge conference.

The material wasn't very well-written. It was hard to figure out what he wanted people to do. We had many suggestions that piqued Jay's interest.

Jay didn't make our GKIC-Philly meeting – he went home, edited his material, and had a successful conference.

So what did I get out of that?

I helped another human being who asked for it. I sharpened my own skills by seeing Jay's work. I shared camaraderie with Jay and Dan. And in many ways, I felt like I was the biggest winner there, though it was Jay's work that improved.

When you ASK what you can do to help someone and then you DO… life's pretty great!

I'm Great

Whoa, there… maybe this needs to be explained.

This is a response after someone asks, "Hey, Charlie: how are you?" This is NOT a statement that I am better than someone else.

Here again, people don't really want to learn about what went wrong in my day… they generally ask this question because they feel it's the polite thing to do.

But when I answer "I am GREAT" they seem to come up to my level of enthusiasm (and I'm nothing if not a very enthusiastic person).

People often want to know WHY things are great. And again I think that has less to do with ME and more to do with how THEY can be at a level of GREAT too.

People are looking to be led. Some have gone as far as to say that people are walking about with their umbilical cords in their hands looking for a place to plug in: yep… they really do miss the care their mommies gave them and they want someone to help them and protect them.

These Are Some Of Mine… What Are Yours?

So… what do YOU think? What words are special to YOU?

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

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Fallacies of Marketing

092 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Magic Words

088 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:02:58 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Get To It

When you produce marketing materials, don’t “bury the lead.” Here’s what I mean.

Don’t wait to tell your prospects/clients/customers/patients why they should work with you. Say it early and make it clear.

And always phrase it from THEIR perspective.

Remember: people really don’t care about YOU… they care about themselves. They want to know how YOU and help THEM; why YOU are the best person to help THEM; why what YOU have is exactly what THEY need.

Delay in explaining it to them, hold out and make them read, study, hunt for what you do that is perfect for them and you’ll lose them.

And their business.

So… get to it: tell them clearly, and do it from THEIR perspective.

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Fallacies of Marketing

088 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-Get To It

087 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:06:27 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Communicating Your Special Expertise

Little did I know when I started this blog (with the intent that I’d finish with a complete book of my own) that Dr. Marc Kossmann and I would begin PersonalSuccess Marketing together (PersonalSuccessMarketing.com).

Dr. Marc is a psychologist from NYU and Widener by training and I’m an MBA marketer from Tufts and Wharton by training. He’s a clinical psychologist with patients and Adjunct Professor in Psychology and I’m a video-producing, audio-creating blogger and marketing consultant with clients and products of my own to market.

So What Is Our Connection AND What’s The Connection To This Topic?

Marc and I both love the psychology of marketing, why people buy, how they need to market, and we love telling stories to showcase our examples.

He was buying, fixing up, and selling houses for “fun” and additional income and I was a pro photographer.

But we both love marketing, how to do it best, and want to share our knowledge with others so they don’t have to go through what WE went through to learn all of it.

We met in a small business development group. We got to know each other over many months and learned how the other functioned. We liked each others’ sense of humor and dedication to getting the job done with no excuses for late or poor service.

OK… so he rides a motorcycle and I drive a small SUV, but we’re so alike in lots of ways.

Dr. Marc and Charlie Plan Their New Business

One of the first things Dr. Marc and I did was to write our own Legends. Before the next meeting, we had to put on at least FIVE sheets of paper what we’ve been doing with our lives and what really excites us.

I think Dr. Marc had 7 pages in a small font (all told in a narrative… and WELL told) and I had 11 (in a more chronological, list form). It was interesting to see HOW we each approached this assignment – we both had the task, both knew what was expected, yet our end results were created very differently.

But what we had when we finished was a detailed list of all of our skills and past activities.

Now we can use this information to marketing to various specialists who need what we have to offer. (We’re showing mid-life and mid-career professionals that they can get off the plateau in their business and in their life, create some true value in their businesses, and provide for themselves passive income that will keep flowing money to them well after they sell their businesses and retire.)

And since one of our goals is to show that we are “one of THEM” (whatever group we’re going to), knowing our backgrounds will let us show people how much we are like them.

People like to work with people they like. People like people who are like themselves.

We’re on the road creating marketing lessons and marketing plans to show people how we can help them. And with all the apparent expertise we have, we can show several niches of people that we are “just like them.”

Have YOU taken an assessment of what YOU have done over the years? You may be missing lots of opportunities until you do!

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Fallacies of Marketing

087 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-The Apparent Expertise Of One Specialist

086 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:07:28 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Communicating Your Special Expertise

When I sold investment real estate (along the East Coast of the USA) I specialized in major office towers, large apartment complexes, and life care centers.

Not shopping centers or malls, not doctors’ offices or hospitals, not ocean resorts or hotels.

And I sold $247,368,657.97 worth of it (plus managed the marketing for about a billion more).

When I started my photography business, I specialized in family portraits, bat and bar mitzvahs, and weddings. All ON location (not in a cold, eerily-familiar studio). Every image was unique. The environs were unique to the family involved. And I came up with the phrase that I was “creating the heirlooms of tomorrow, today.”

Think about that for a moment – photographs of you on the beach as a kid or at an early birthday party seemed so ordinary when created but with the passage of time, they are all now special treasures.

And I knew all of mine would be as well.

Do you see how specializing helped me earn high fees?

In fact, there are photographers in my market who get half what I get paid for photography yet people walk past them to come to me.

Why?

Because I’m a specialist.

And I TELL people I’m a specialist (and then prove it with the type and quality of my work).

You Cannot Be All Things To All People

Many people believe that if they specialize (or as many of us in marketing say, “niche”), they will cut down the number of prospects and reduce their income.

That’s backwards (well, up to a point – I’ll explain that in a moment).

I always advise my consulting clients that their business should be “an inch wide and 20 miles deep.”

Here’s what I mean:

You should specialize and then do everything you can in that specialty.

To earn the highest fees, a doctor should be a specialist and know EVERYTHING about, say, the heart, the lungs, or the kidneys. She should be the go-to person when anyone ever needs that specialist. She should be the top-of-mind person when the need arises, so people naturally think of her when they need that specialist.

For my photography (I’m doing less and less with photography because my marketing business has increased so much) I have separate websites for each of my specialties. Let’s face it: a bride doesn’t want the best Bar Mitzvah photographer for her wedding. She wants to know that I understand the pressures she’s under, the joys she wants captured, special moments to look for, and how to work congenially with her family (and her NEW family).

So for ME, one website wouldn’t do that.

Charles Seymour Jr, Photographer is NOT the website that will convince that bride that I know what I’m doing (and give her the reason to pay me 47% more than she might pay someone else) but WeddingPhotographySecretsRevealed.com IS.

There’s a story I love (and it makes this point about “specialty” even clearer):

For years a local company went to a printer for their stationery. The owner did a great job for them in quality, timing, and price. And when they added a new employee and needed more stationery quickly, the printer was always quick to respond, showing great customer service to this client.

One day the client walked into the printer to order some more stationery and showed the printer her new business card, printed at another print shop.

“Why didn’t you ask ME to do that?” asked the printer.

“Oh, I thought you just did stationery. This printer told me he specialized in business cards, so I went there.”

So… while I always suggest people specialize and then make clear what that specialty is, you might specialize in SEVERAL things, and you want to be sure that you tell your prospects and clients what you do.

Just as I do. The last wedding I photographed was for the sister of a young man for whom I was the Bar Mitzvah photographer. The family loved my work, learned about my wedding photography from me after they were thrilled with the Bar Mitzvah album, and then asked me to present how I photograph a wedding.

And I got that business with NO new client, NO new marketing, and NO learning curve for the family – they knew they could trust me and the wedding went GREAT.

So… find your specialty and be sure to market it clearly!

Oh, yes… I promised to tell you why that was backwards: If you are a generalist and sell yourself like you can handle EVERYONE’S problems, no one will “see” you as the right person to help them.

Sure… you might FEEL like everyone is your prospect, but none of them will feel you are their solution to their problem.

But if someone would say to me, “Hey: 5’8”, bald, hazel-eyed, mustachioed men outside of Philadelphia, PA USA: I have something for YOU!” I would HAVE to pay attention.

See what I mean?

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Fallacies of Marketing

086 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-Communicating Your Special Expertise

085 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:10:01 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Words

For years I’ve been comfortable with words: speaking, writing, broadcasting, even singing.

But not everyone is.

Have you ever received an email from some one and wondered what the sender’s first language was?

I have.

And usually the native language has been English – American English.

Yet many of our children (and our adults) really have trouble putting a clear, complete sentence together.

It doesn’t help that terms like LOL, BRB, and BFF are now part of our language (Laughing Out Loud, Be Right Back, Best Friend Forever).

So what are people to do?

If you have computer problems, you get an expert to fix it for you. If your car needs work, you probably go to someone who knows what he’s doing. If you need good writing, get a writer to do it (not the person who happens to have some free time or wants to earn some money).

How do I do it?

I write most of my own posts, like this one. But even I call in some experts when I have lots of writing to do.

Sometimes I will “talk” my article into a recorder. Not dictate it… just talk out loud about what I want the article to say.

Some people can dictate well… I used to do it a LOT when I worked in corporate America… but I find not that my THINKING is halting as I compose a sentence in my mind before dictating it.

And sometimes I do a rough draft and send it to a writer-friend who listens to my basic description (I usually send an MP3 recording along with my draft) and sees what I’ve written. She then reworks what I’ve done and then I polish what she submits to me.

Why do I go to such lengths to get my writing in the shape I want it? Because even with the explosion of video and MP3 on the Internet, words are still King!

So… when YOU have something important to say, make sure it is said well. If YOU are good at writing, great. If not, get some help!

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Fallacies of Marketing

085 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-Words

084 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:03:39 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – You Only THINK You’re Being Clear

“So… was that clear?”

“Oh yes,” says the prospect, not wanting to admit she had NO idea what was just said. And even when she DID know what was just said, the salesman asking “was that clear” really only gets a reply that says “what I understood was clear to me the way I heard it… but maybe not the way YOU said it!”

When I coach people about their presentations and sit through them, some people have been highly trained to check in every few paragraphs. “Don’t you agree” or “Do you see what I mean?”

Clearly the prospect sitting there can only reply as to the way SHE heard it, so the salesperson has to think of a different question to ask.

Have you ever “barked” at your dog after he’s done something wrong. Have you found, as I have, that the WORDS mean nothing because the dog only understands (as much as a dog CAN understand) what your emotion-level was.

“Good Dog” in an upbeat tone means the same as “Bad Dog” said with the same inflection.

And whether you know it or not, that’s how your clients often hear you.

Her mind is on getting home for dinner, racing for some errands, or playing back what her boss said to her earlier in the day.

Self-talk is often MUCH louder than the volume of people talking AT us.

My daughter, Liz, once told me what Oprah has said about how she talks with Stedman, her man for many years.

“I need you to hear me,” Liz would say, using her right hand to gesture to me.

I’ve always known that when I fully concentrate, time and noises zoom by me and I am oblivious to them. I’m focused on what I am doing.

So if my wife, Pam, says something to me (and then later says “I told you about that!”) and she didn’t get my attention first, more than likely, I missed what she said.

Have you ever had a chat with a prospect, felt things went really well, but didn’t get the assignment when you really thought you had it?

There can be MANY reasons why things didn’t work out, of course… but, communication is usually a big part of it.

Avoid the jargon, use concrete metaphors to relate what you will do for your client, and ask LOTS of questions.

Questions let you know what’s really going on in your prospect’s mind… and never take the replies as a problem when your client gives you an objection: only people with some interest give you some objections – those who agree with you fully probably aren’t interested at all.

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Keep this with this article, please:

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Fallacies of Marketing

084 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-You Only THINK You’re Being Clear

083 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:00:43 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – The Power of Clarity

Have you ever had a chat with someone and walked away and said, “HUH?!!”

If that were your client walking away, you just missed a sale.

Often when I’d photograph Young People’s Theatre Workshop and hear my younger daughter, Liz, talk to the young kids in her classes, I’d think “Wow, she makes that so clear to them.”

How did she do it?

She used age- and skill-appropriate metaphors.

She explained what she needed them to do in terms of something else they already knew.

“I need you to walk down to the edge of the stage as if you were a duck waddling in thick, sticky mud.” (Who couldn’t understand THAT! Can’t you just see a 6-year old doing exactly that?)

And notice that Liz’s explanation wasn’t filled with philosophical ideas or vague descriptions that her students wouldn’t understand.

We need to talk with our clients the same way.

And let’s face it: you can be the BEST at what you do but if you can’t tell others about it, you’ll never make a sale.

Let people join you in your enthusiastic ideas and they’ll line up to buy from you!

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Keep this with this article, please:

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Fallacies of Marketing

083 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise-The Power of Clarity

Charlie Seymour Jr's 10 Tips for Marketing Success

Charlie Seymour Jr — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:40:32 +0000

If You're Like Me, You Like To Save Time By Learning From Others

I've been in the marketing business my whole life, or so it seems. I've had a lot of successes along the way and my share of failures.

In those 35 years since college, I've learned what works and what doesn't in the areas where I specialize. Some things I studied and tried on my own, some I had to learn the hard way, and some things were pointed out to me.

If you’re like me, you like to save time by learning from others who have “already been there.” Why reinvent the wheel when it’s already been invented.

Here are some ideas that can help you save time and make more money.

1. One Small Step Can Change Your Life

The number one thing I've learned in all my years as a marketer is that one small step can work wonders. It's all about learning a new habit, a new way of being.

You've got to ease into any new behavior gradually and then keep at it.

I knew a woman who wanted to quit smoking. She'd tried many times but failed. She just couldn't get up in the morning without having a cigarette with her morning coffee, it was that deeply ingrained in her.

She couldn't do it on her own, so she took a program at a local hospital. She was taught, over the course of eight weeks, to gradually wean the cigarettes from her life.

The first morning, she had a whole cigarette with coffee, the next week, she only smoked ¾, the week after that, she had ½ a cigarette at breakfast.

She followed this regime, and at the end of eight weeks, she didn't want to smoke at breakfast. She had quit smoking with no withdrawals, no cravings, no hair pulling.

It wasn’t easy, but she did it.

Ease into your new behaviors gradually, in increments that you can handle easily.

Don't start contacting 100 people on the first day. Start off with 10. Move up to 20 the second week, 30 the third week and so on.

Before you know it, you'll have developed a new, constructive habit that will help you grow your business to amazing heights.

2. Nothing Substitutes For Experience

Nothing beats experience. And the only way to get experience is to get out there and DO IT.

You can only read so much about maximizing profits, driving more traffic to your site, and having successful affiliate programs. At some point you've got to experience it for yourself, see what it's like to set up you own site, and start the ball rolling.

Just get out there and go for it.

Remember: I'll always be here to help you through the tough spots.

Think of this site as an oasis of support. Come back here with your questions (and believe me, you'll have questions) and I'll get you the answer as soon as possible.

Leave comments here on my blog – I read them all and comment back. Let the community know how you're doing. Tell us about your successes as well as the things you'd do differently next time.

And if you find you want MORE help, maybe you’re ready for my next website with Dr. Marc Kossmann: PersonalSuccessMarketing.com – Click Here To Learn More!

3. Copy Successful Businesses

Is there a website that you admire? One that seems to be successful, one that provides a valuable service, one that you'd like to imitate?

Well, why not model your business after it? Find out what makes it tick, who's behind the scenes, and why it's as successful as it is.

Contact that person, make a new friend, see how you two can make things better for both of you.

There's nothing wrong with copying a successful business (NOT the specific WORDS, of course, but the ideas about how a business thrives). Many have done it before you and there's no reason you shouldn't take advantage of a tried-and-true practice.

4. Re-Purpose Existing Content

How many ways can you use the materials you create?

Let’s say you've produced a great article on the value of affiliate relationships.

How can you change the wording a bit, rework the format, and produce a press release? Or, turn it into a script and use it for the voice-over on a video. Shorten it up, condense the message, and use it as a blog post or tweet.

See how creative you can get repurposing your existing content?

It's fun and, if you're paying to have content written for your site, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck.

5. Keywords Are Key

Find out what prospective clients are looking for and let them have it.

An easy way (and it's free) to see what people are looking for is to search in Google or Bing “top internet searches.”

Research the results to see if you can write some content based on your findings. Why waste time creating something that no one is looking for? Create content based on search needs that already exist.

And when you do that, people will flock to your website to get your answers. And who knows, they may click on one of your ads or purchase one of your products.

Sounds like a good idea, right?

6. Be In-The-Know

Make sure you always keep up-to-date with the latest technological advances.

Keep current on new web developments, like Social Networking and Web 2.0.

Make sure you're aware of any new applications that are lurking behind the scenes and get to know how they work and how they can benefit you and your clients.

And when you learn something new from a website like this one or others, be sure to tell people through Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. It’s great to know new information, but it only helps others when you tell them.

Be the person that everybody goes to when something new hits the web.

Now THAT is a great way to build more traffic to your website!

7. Don't Get Suckered Into Fads

There is no magic formula for a successful internet business. And there are many different ways to create one.

You have to work hard at it every day. Don’t be sidetracked by those offering a miracle in the guise of a trendy new product.

Your business will grow like magic if you perform certain tasks every day, like promoting your business, creating content, and connecting with 100 people.

Sure, it would be nice to open a bright, shiny box and pull out a fix-all widget that you can plug into your existing website. But it just isn't going to happen.

Put your nose to the grindstone and make the magic happen on your own.

And be sure to study those who can tell you HOW to do what you need to do.

Working hard at the wrong thing heads you quickly into a dead end. Learn from websites like this one or my PersonalSuccessMarketing.com – be sure you’re headed in the right direction!

8. Focus On High Traffic Websites

To paraphrase the Pareto Principle, 80% of your results are produced by 20% of your actions.

In other words, 80% of your passive income is coming from 20% of your affiliates. Make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck by focusing on the high traffic websites.

A good way to find out which sites are high traffic is to check out Alexa.com. You can get some information for free, but more is only available if you pay. Check it out and see if it feels like it could help you in some way.

9. Promote Your Business Daily

Make a habit out of getting your name in the public eye. Find 5 or 10 areas, such as blogging, press releases, and Facebook, where you can promote your business every day.

Make this part of your daily routine. Soon you'll have created a habit and promoting will become second nature to you.

Now, some people tell me that they are shy and don’t want to be pushy. Let me help you with that.

Are you in business to HELP people? Is it fair if you know how to help them but you don’t tell them about it? Don’t you want to help as many people as you can?

If YOU don't let people know what you can do and how you can help them, how can they improve their lives?

There are people out there who need help that only YOU can provide. Share your fabulousness with the world! Promote, promote, promote.

It’s not pushy, it’s not forcing people to work with you, it’s not putting a gun to their heads. But if YOU don’t tell them about how you can help them, who will!??

10. Use Affiliates And Joint Ventures Judiciously

Invest a portion of your day developing affiliate and joint venture relationships. These can be very beneficial and lucrative to both parties involved. It's worth your continued effort to develop these income streams.

When you do form relationships, make sure your partner's product is something you're proud of and want your name attached to.

Don't pimp yourself just for the sake of having a little passive income each month.

We leave this life with our family’s love and our reputations and little else. Make sure ALL you do maintains yours to the highest standard.

Remember – It All Begins With The First Step

I hope these tips will help you in your business.

If you have any thoughts on this article, be sure to post your comments here. Let's get some good discussions going and support each other at the same time.

That’s how I started – people helped me and I helped them right back. It really does work that way!

And be sure to leave us a comment below – tell us what you think about this article and add your own information too!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and success-marketing coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and personal-touch marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, Facebook, and Twitter applications. Visit his blog at Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog to learn more about his successes.

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Marketing Suggestions – Charlie Seymour Jr's 10 Tips for Marketing Success

082The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – 4. Apparent Expertise

Charlie Seymour Jr — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:07:43 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Apparent Expertise

I have a long family history in theater: I know what it takes to "play the part."

Have you ever seen a politician on TV delivering some really sad news but he seems to be smiling? YIKES… what mixed signals that delivers!

We must be careful in our businesses to deliver a consistent message in everything we do… and then we must "look the part."

We must have the real expertise AND the appearance of the expertise.

For example,

A very overweight person might look like a great chef, but perhaps not the dietitian.
A young woman with bright orange hair and a pierced eyebrow might be a terrific rock singer, but she'd have a tough time convincing middle-aged woman that she will deliver a decent haircut.
A doctor can dress in a sportshirt on a TV show, but studies have shown that most of us have more confidence in our doctors when they dress in their white lab coats (with their names embroidered on them).

Silly?

Perhaps.

But the expression, "You can't tell a book by its cover" came about because that is exactly what people DO.

We all make judgments all the time. And when the physical look equals what we expect, we feel more confident in the person delivering the service to us.

Keep that in mind next time you meet a client. Do you look the part?

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Fallacies of Marketing

082The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Apparent Expertise

081The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – 3. Speed

Charlie Seymour Jr — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:04:45 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – Speed

Speed kills – on the highway, anyway. And put a bit of ice on the road, and it doesn't even have to be all that fast.

But in business, sometimes speed is needed.

You know: when a client wants an order right away… or a proposal… or a referral.

In today's Internet world, people often expect things at the speed of light.

So when someone sends you a fax or an email, they often want the answer immediately.

Whoa – Set Proper Expectations

How Available Are You To Clients?

Clients learn from me very quickly that they cannot "get to me" at a moment's notice. Some of my friends are horrified at that, but once my clients understand that if I allowed everyone with a whim to interrupt me, then they'd see that I wouldn't be able to get THEIR work done.

Phone calls are scheduled.

Email is answered twice a day.

I don't give out my cell phone except to clients with paid agreements (who must know how to contact me in case an appointment or meeting out of the office is changed) and to my family. Others can leave messages on my main number (610.572.2581) or email me (Charlie @ 'CharlesSeymourJr.com)

It used to be when people could first send a fax that they'd press the "send" button and then begin to wonder why I hadn't called with the answer. It didn't matter that I was out of the office and never saw the fax, they wanted their answer.

Email and texting has made that even more complicated.

Here's My Advice In The 21st Century Of Communication

Set expectations.

Tell your clients WHEN they can contact you and WHEN they can expect a reply.

Teach them to respect your time – if your work is excellent AND they understand the ground rules, they will quickly learn how to comply.

Oh, sure: perhaps the old saying "Under Promise and Over Deliver" is still good. But be sure to set expectations so that you can deliver on what you promise.

Forget that faxes and email and texting are immediate; forget that FedEx and UPS can deliver over night.

Decide how you want YOUR business to act, and then live up to that.

Set your guidelines, communicate them well, and stick to them. You'll have loyal clients when you do.

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Keep this with this article, please:

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Fallacies of Marketing

081The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – Speed

080 The Invisible Touch – The Eight Keys to Lasting Relationships – 2. Trust

Charlie Seymour Jr — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:07:10 +0000

The Fourth Key: Relationships – What Produces Trust? Protectiveness

Everything that happens between you and a client must remain just between the two of you.

Think of it like the doctor-patient confidentiality. (Do I REALLY want all the neighbors to know what prescriptions I'm taking? No way…)

If a client is to be happy with you and trust that what he says remains between the two of you, he will open up and tell you what you need (so you can do the best job to help him) when he completely trusts that you will protect that information and not give it to anyone else.

However, if he does NOT feel that confident in you, he will hold back and you won't be able to do your best work.

Think of THIS too – when you tell details about some of your other clients, you can be assured that your client is thinking "If he will tell me about his other client, who is he going to tell about ME?!"

You NEED for your clients to be open with you, so treat everything they say as confidential, and you'll be safe!

And so will they!

And now – leave me a comment here to tell me what YOU feel about this!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
For The Index, Click Here!

PS: You can find me here:

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.