Lies Lies Lies!!

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I’m in the mood for a good rant today…

Tell Me Lies, tell me sweet little lies
~Tell Me Lies, Tell me tell me lies~
Oh no no, you can’t disguise
~You can’t disguise, no you can’t disguise~
Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies

It’s a song by Fleetwood Mac called “Tell Me Lies”. Maybe you’ve heard it? Catchy tune. (if you know it, bet you’re singing it in your head!)

So what does it have to do with anything?

I’m fed up with the lies, the pure garbage that is being fed to people and unscrupulous marketing.

… let me tell you a story…

I stepped into the world of touch screen phones. Yep, I got tired of waiting for Blackberry to come out with a new phone for T-Mobile and upgraded into the new HTC Sensation. It’s a touch screen, big display, 4G, has all the bells and whistles, android, easy to use – I love it and so does my wife. My kids love “Angry Birds” – wow what an addictive waste of time that game is eh?!!

I get my first bill and trying to be a good steward I review it to make sure there are no surprises.

Wrong.

2 bogus charges. Ugh. That means I’ve gotta call customer service. Fortunately T-Mobile has great customer service. I usually get a cheery, delightful person who is happy to help. Today was no exception. I got Jessica, a pure delight. She reviewed the charges in question with me.

The first was for insurance. When I got the phone, the sales guy pushed this hard on me. I declined several times and he persisted like a battering ram taking out a castle door. He said “it’s free for 30 days” so I relented and said ok.

Guess what? … it wasn’t free. Not only that, the T-Mobile rep said they have no authority to do that.

My Blood Starts To Boil

The second bogus charge: there’s a monthly charge of $9.99 to allow us to download ringtones from a 3rd party. Neither me or my wife signed up for it. Some cheesy 3rd party company bogussly (is that a word?!!) spammed us some cryptic texts. Irritated, we replied for them to stop.

Well, I guess they didn’t and instead they signed us up for their service and we got dinged for it. Purely unethical in my books. I’m sure they make a tidy profit, afterall how many people have cell phones and how many times do people check their phone bills? The T-Mobile rep said that this kind of stuff unfortunately happens a lot. And to cancel this bogus service, we have to contact the 3rd party and have them remove it. You can be sure I’ll check my bill next month!!

Happy Ending to This Story

Jessica “Your Friendly Neighborhood T-Mobile Rep” to the rescue!! – she reversed both charges and got us all squared away. She made it such a pleasant experience. And I’m grateful for her.

Thank you Jessica.

What Does This Have To Do With Marketing?

I have clients come to me time and time again looking for advice. I get contacted out of the blue by clients, some have gone months without reaching out to me and suddenly they want advice on a variety of topics – internet marketing, SEO, Social Media, Facebook, website design, landing pages, USP’s, the list goes on.

Why do they contact me?

Just like the garbage I had to deal with on my phone bill, there’s so much crap being thrown around out there about marketing. There are a lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

YOU MUST KNOW THIS AND BEWARE

I’ve had clients Adwords accounts turned off because they were seduced, I’ve had clients waste THOUSANDS of dollars changing their site to appease someone jibber-jabbing about SEO (I’ve got a great story about a test we did where we got multiple listings on the first page of Google for a term that has over 4,100,000,000 – yes, you read that right, multiple first page listing out of OVER 4 BILLION SEARCHES!! – there were some radically strange things going on that we uncovered but I’ll save that story one for another day.)

I’ve had clients come to me that have wasted tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on “guru’s” and other consultants. And within the first few minutes we could identify the problem.

Bottom line: you must be able to decipher fact from fiction and the truth from fantasy and seduction. If you can’t you’re doomed and will waste money, and even worse, massive amounts of time.

With the exhaustive expansion of online media and ways of getting traffic, if you can’t decipher this on your own, then I suggest you have a trusted adviser you can turn to. The bible says there’s safety in a multitude of counselors. Whether you read the bible or not, this is good common sense. Who are your trusted advisers?

And with all the seduction and wolves in sheep’s clothing out there, sometimes messages like this get missed.

A problem I have is I don’t have a bright shiny object I pitch.

What I do have is:

  • time tested and proven, yet cutting edge and radically different methods for increasing sales
  • what’s working now
  • and straight answers for today’s problems

I guess that’s why people keep coming back to me for advice and allow me to help.

In your business, your clients and prospects are getting pitched garbage and B.S. too. If you help them decipher what’s real and what’s fantasy, they will keep coming back and refer more business to you.

Blessings,

P.S. Amazing how a good rant can improve your mood!

 

The Biggest Threat To Businessowners Who Want To Increase Revenue

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As a marketing and internet marketing consultant I see a lot of stuff, and this is one that really makes my skin crawl.

I don’t know of one businessowner that doesn’t want more business. We all do.

Some are getting businesses off the ground. Some are doing well. Others are getting by. And others are just plain getting their butts kicked.

For the businessowners that are looking to grow business and revenues, I’m talking to you.

You’ve got a problem on your hands.

No, I don’t mean your problem is not having enough business, we all face that at some time. Your problem is knowing what voices you should listen to and what ones you should avoid like the bubonic plague.

As you look for ways to get more leads, prospects, transactions and customers, you get bombarded with a plethora of ways to market your business.

… Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, SEO, Adwords, SEM, Video, YouTube, Direct Mail, buying email lists, buying mailing lists, magazines, val pak, autoresponders, newsletters, tv, radio, social bookmarking… hey, I get pitched the same stuff you do!

… and this is only a partial list!

If you’re stuck struggling to market your business and trying to discern what to do, then pay close attention.

The ones to avoid are the ones that scream “Big Easy Money”.

Proverbs tells us of two women clamoring for our attention: Woman Wisdom, and Woman Folly.

Here is what it says about Woman Wisdom:

The Way of Wisdom

“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,”Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says,”Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

Contrast that to what it says about Woman Folly:

The Way of Folly

“The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”

This comes from the book of Proverbs in the bible. Proverbs was written by King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived. Proverbs is a compilation of principles and skills for better living. Whether you read the bible or not, Proverbs has great advice that we can all use.

It’s interesting reading about Woman Wisdom and Folly. Folly is loud, brash, seductive and leaves her victims for dead. In marketing and internet marketing, this equates to the get rich quick, dominate the internet, make $1,000,000 overnight stuff. “Everybody is on Facebook, you should too!” or “97% of all business is found online”

… Shocking stat: According to LocalSearchAssociation.org (note the irony) the two top resources used by consumers in choosing local businesses are: search engines and the Yellow Pages, neck ‘n neck. In a given month, 67% have used online search engines and 62% have used the printed Yellow Pages books for this purpose.

How many times have you heard someone say “no one uses the Yellow Pages anymore!” They say that to set you up to take your money. If you are going to invest in marketing and advertising, you should RESEARCH what is best for you.

I’m sick and fed up with people being pitched over-hyped B.S. with no hard factual information or methodical testing. Frankly it pisses me off seeing how many people are being taken out there.

I am METICULOUS in differentiating between facts and fiction. It probably stems from my days as an engineer. Engineers hate hype. You need to be equally meticulous about discerning what is right and what is intended to separate you from your hard earned money for the sake of a slick talking snake oil salesman.

Clients routinely come limping to me when they start working with me, telling me stories of how they have lost thousands, or tens of thousands of dollar or more to Woman Folly. It takes some time to get them seeing right and when they do, they feel a renewed sense of vigor, confidence and excitement. They are also keenly aware of the work involved to get them to where they want to go.

I know that’s not as sexy as the lure of fast money now. I wish the “Big Money Easy” illusion were real and truth to be told, I need to watch myself and protect myself from being seduced by it.

You should too.

Because it will leave your business (or bank account) dead.

Follow Woman Wisdom instead. It may not be as attractive short term, but she’s a whole lot prettier in the long run.

Love to hear your comments or stories.

Blessings,

What I Learned From My 2 Day Old Son

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First of all I feel blessed and honoured to be the proud daddy of baby #4 – my son Ryden James Goegan.

Baby Ryden James Goegan, 7 lbs 12 oz and very cute!!! (I'm a very biased daddy!)

What a cute little guy eh? That rounds it out to 2 boys and 2 girls. So we have an even balance of testosterone and estrogen in our house. (even though I know the estrogen always wins – us wise ones let them!! Lol. :)

Both baby and mom are home and doing fine. My wife enjoyed her full 3 Day, 2 Night vacation getaway at the hospital. She LOVED getting served 3 meals a day, for which she didn’t have to go shopping, and having it cleaned up for her. And having someone check on her and see if she needed anything. What a great service eh?!! … I said if they threw in a pedicure and manicure we might never get her back! … I’m glad to have them back home.

When they were in the hospital I learned, (or re-learned) a lesson when he was 2 days old.

… I took a few days off from my busy schedule and was playing Mr. Mom with the other 3 kiddos. I had a bunch of things bouncing around in my head and was feeling a little guilty about taking time off from work. Afterall, I have goals, deadlines, client commitments, and objectives I’m striving after. And the thought running through my mind was “How can I afford to take time off? I’ve got too much to do!”

Sad but true. I get caught up in my busy little world and unfortunately the pace in my head sometimes is too ridiculously fast. Ever have a problem with an overactive mind and have challenges slowing down? I do.

So what did I learn?

I learned to slow down again. My son sleeps. He slowly wakes and adjusts to the world around him. He opens his eyes ever so casually. He eats and pauses. Then eats some more. He burps and plays. Then he sleeps. Everything happens at such a relaxed pace. I strayed from that and forgot what that was like.

I think I will remind myself to be more relaxed.

… and maybe burp and play more?!! :)

Happy Easter.

Blessings,

What’s The Deal With Getting Hot Website Traffic Anyways?!!

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That’s a common question that I will debunk right here for you.

There are so many traffic options available it’s mind boggling – Facebook, Twitter, Social Media, Youtube, SEO, SEM, Adwords, PPC, CPM, Affiliates, Re-targeting, e-blasts, direct mail, etc.. I recommend you have several traffic sources working for you. The problem I see is that most business owners are so busy being successful that they don’t have the time to invest or don’t have limitless funds. It can be overwhelming. So with all the options available how do you know what one you should start with? How do you know what ones are right for you?

Did you know that not all of them are right for everyone? Did you know that there is one type that is best for you?

And why does it seem so hard to get a good answer to this question?

Look, everyone is pitching their stuff and most of it sounds so stinking good doesn’t it?!! Ever hear anything like this: “Buy my stuff and you will have instant overnight success!!”? I read something recently about how someone added something like 15,000 people to their list by sending out something to 12 people that sent it to 47 people that sent it to 27 people. Wow!! Can you imagine!!! … sounds like a good MLM pitch doesn’t it?!!

… by the way, I wish it were that easy!! Because then I could be sitting on the beach sipping Pina Colada’s and Mai-Tai’s!! Heck, WE ALL COULD!!! (but wait, who would serve us drinks and wash our Lamborghini’s?)

Ok, so if you’re into La-La-Land fantasies, you’re in the wrong spot because you won’t get that here. I’m typing this wishing insanely I could be out playing with my wife and kids. Fact is I’m working today because I didn’t get the work done that I wanted to in order to hit some of my milestones.

Now I hope you see a common word in the paragraph above – “work”. And that is precisely the dividing line with the type of traffic you should focus on getting.

What do I mean?

There are 2 basic ways to get traffic to your website:

  1. One way requires a lot of ongoing manual labour
  2. The other involves setting up systems that will then deliver ongoing traffic automatically

So what one is BEST for you?

Depends – do you like ongoing manual labour or do you like setting up systems?

For me, I am what I call “ambitiously lazy”. Which means I like to do the work and set systems up, and then sit back and watch them deliver an ongoing, continuous, scalable stream of results. For my personality, this is the best option. Because I have no desire to tweet and post daily. Who knows, maybe that will change over time. For now, I prefer to have systems do the work for me.

For you, ask yourself the same question – do you like ongoing manual labour or do you like having systems deliver ongoing results.

If you like manual labour – then social media is excellent for you. Tweet, post, tweet some more, post some more. Be constantly adding followers, friends and likes. This option requires less work over the short haul and much more work over the long haul.

If you prefer to have systems do all the hard work for you. Then Adwords, PPC, SEO, SEM, etc. are the best options for you. This option requires more work initially to research and set your systems up. It also requires less work over the long haul. One last point, putting systems to work for you will deliver scalable results (picture a volume control knob on your stereo – the more traffic you want, the more you turn the knob up).

Most entrepreneurs and small business owners I work with are so busy being successful that they don’t have a lot of time to invest. So make sure you have an idea of what type of person you are before jumping on any traffic bandwagon. There is no right or wrong answer. Only the one that is right for you.

And when you do decide, whatever direction you choose, attack it with focus, wisdom and determination.

Hope this help.

Blessings,

Like a duck on the water…

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In the last few weeks you may be wondering why you have not received as many messages from me as you used to.

Here’s why …

Have you ever seen a duck swimming on the water? It looks calm and relaxed on top of the water, but underneath it’s legs are paddling at a hundred miles an hour. That’s what its been like for me.

I have been inundated with so many opportunities and directions to grow my business in. And so many of them looked good. That was the problem. And being an entrepreneur at heart, I wanted to jump on them all. Seemed like all I heard myself saying was “c’mon Chris, it won’t take that much time, you can do this one…”

And low and behold, I found myself doing too much and stretched too thin. Sometimes you have to do that, other times you don’t. This is one of those times that I didn’t.

Feeling stressed, I pulled back and analyzed what I was doing and compared that to my vision. Part of my vision is to equip entrepreneurs and small business owners with the tools they need to succeed and encourage them to use them. And God willing, I hope to be able to positively impact a bunch of people.

So I pared back on what I was doing and took on less projects so I could go after my goals with focus and determination. That’s the same way I was able to do my Ironman before, with focus and determination and I believe that’s the only way to be successful today, especially if you do anything online.

So, thank you to all of you that asked me about my posts and rest assured that you will receive them regularly. I gotta warn you though, I’ve got a lot more focused programs I’ve developed and tested that I will be launching ALL WITH THE INTENT OF HELPING YOU CONFIDENTLY GROW YOU BUSINESS!

Ok, now back to the brief message from Seth Godin. It’s a real short post and I do hope you take the 2-3 minutes it takes to read this. Click Here to Learn “The Simple Two-Step Process”

Blessings,

The Simple Two-Step Process

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Talking with a client, we were exploring opportunities for him to grow his business. He was already successful and felt that there was more out there for him. So we started the brainstorming process, actually “brain dumping” was more like it.

We relentlessly explored opportunity after opportunity. And while we were doing this, I was pointed to a Seth Godin’s blog where I saw this little gem.

The simple two-step process

Step one: Open all doors. Learn a little about a lot. Consider as many options as possible, then add more.

Step two: Relentlessly dismiss, prune and eliminate. Choose. Ship.

The problem most people run into is that they mix the steps and confuse them. During step one, they aren’t open enough, aren’t willing enough to consider the impossible. And then, in step two, fear of shipping kicks in and they stay open too long, hold on to too many options and hesitate.

Simple doesn’t always mean easy.

How true that is eh?

There’s a sticking point for not doing each one – if you don’t do step 1, you almost always miss opportunities to make small bounds or quantum leaps. That’s a common problem today where people are too busy being successful that they don’t have time to open their eyes.

The problem with not doing step 2, is you carry too much junk with you for too long. I had this happen to me where I found myself on too many lists and was getting peddled the same “Whamo! Blamo! Instant Cure-all Magic Pill” and getting blasted 16x per day by the latest and greatest launch. This will destroy all productivity. I can’t tell you how many lists I unsubscribed from. Do yourself a favour and do the same. Keep only those that you get value from.

Look, you’re either growing or your dying. There are resting points but there is no standing still for too long. You will get crushed. So do yourself a favour, when looking at growth, consider this simple two-step process.

Blessings,

The Real Meaning of Christmas – A Completely Different Take

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Christmas is here. Trees are up. Presents underneath. Stockings hung by the fireplace. Joy fills the air as family and friends gather.

And sure you know that Christmas is the season we celebrate the birth of Christ. We all know the story of how there was no room at the Inn, He was born in a manger and the 3 Wise Men followed a star and brought him gifts.

… that’s all  good and true

… but I bet you have never thought about it in this perspective.

Watch this video now. It will open your eyes and put things in perspective. (it’s not even a religious video, it’s a little over 4 minutes and will amaze you)

Ok, how does this relate to Christmas?

After watching this video, you have to admit we are pretty small in the grand scheme of things. And there is something much bigger than us.

The Bible says that God holds the universe in the “span of His hand”. That’s a pretty big God. And yet, the bible says that He knows you and me intimately, He knows our every thought, He knew us before we were formed in the womb and He knows all the hairs on our head. Very Big, and yet very intimate.

He holds the universe in the span of His hand – He is big and powerful beyond imagination and yet He chose to come down in the form of a little baby because He wanted to give us peace.

Think about that. Dwell on that thought for a while. Hopefully it will impact you as it has me. My biggest problems seem petty and are brought in the right perspective.

… I don’t know your situation, but odds are you’re facing something.

Know that there is something bigger than you can ever imagine working in your life. And trust that whatever is happening is for a higher purpose. You don’t have to understand, just trust. (so hard to do)

I don’t know if this brings comfort or not, hopefully it does, and hopefully it will put things in perspective.

Wishing you and your family a Very Merry Christmas filled with much peace, love, joy and grace.

Blessings,

To Buy, Or Not to Buy…

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To paraphrase Shakespeare:

To Buy, Or Not to Buy: That is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in your business to buy a list and suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous spam laws,
Or to take arms against a sea of spam troubles
And by opposing, end them. To rent: to sleep
And by a sleep to say: “We will not face massive fines and risk having our site blacklisted”

… Ok, what’s up with the Shakespeare you say? (in case you didn’t pick that up it is from Hamlet) My kids have been studying Shakespeare and for some odd reason I remembered that soliloquy from high school and thought it might fit here.

You might be saying, “Thanks for the Shakespeare Chris, but what the heck are you talking about?!!”

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about buying email lists that you can blast to. As you know I’m a big believer in email marketing and blasts ONLY if they are done right. Done right, you get a surge in traffic and sales. Done wrong, it’s a waste of everybody’s time.

One of the biggest questions I get from clients is “Should I buy or rent an email list?”

Certainly buying a list looks more attractive BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PICTURE BEFORE YOU DECIDE WHAT TO DO.  You could be facing grave penalties.

Let me explain…

Renting a list: When you rent the list, the company that owns the list blasts it out for you. They make their money by keeping a high integrity list of confirmed email lists where most (if not all) of the people have opted in to receive information. They will continue to refresh, update and rent the list. This is the bread and butter of their business. Advantages are high deliverability with no risk of spam. Downside is it’s more expensive as you pay per blast. Many good list brokers will limit your risk by only charging for emails that were confirmed delivered to the recipient’s inbox.

Buying a list – you own it. No idea how the emails were harvested. Purchased lists have high bounce and spam rates. Purchased lists can also be very old with poor deliverability, they could have been developed by a sweatshop of people in India scanning websites for email addresses and adding them to their list, or even to an extreme where someone could have stolen a list and are trying to pawn it off on some poor unsuspecting person. If you buy a list, no software provider will do the blast for you. Reputable off-the-shelf email blast companies like Constant Contact, Aweber, and Infusionsoft (the one I use), clearly state in their terms and conditions that you agree NOT to blast a purchased list; they will revoke your software license if you do.

If you buy a list, you have to search very hard to find a 3rd party that will blast it for you. They are very few and they defer all legal responsibility to you. Fines are $16,000 per spam blast, plus, you run the risk of getting your website blacklisted from the internet. Very severe stuff. If you buy a list, there is no way to effectively blast it without serious implications. A lot of companies that sell lists will paint a nice sales picture but they don’t tell you how to send it. They paint a nice rosy picture and that’s about it. Advantage to buying a list is you own the list and can sleep with a false sense of security that you have something great (you don’t). Downside is you can’t blast it, and if you do you run the risk of serious fines and getting kicked off the internet.

After going through this with clients they decided not to buy lists. By the way, this question comes up all the time. There are many people that will try to sell you lists. My advice – RUN!!

Bottom line: Renting an email list is the only way to go.

Bottom line #2: Renting an email list is a great way to get business, if (and this is a big IF) you have a powerful lead generation magnet to drive the opt-in. (I covered this topic in a free mini-course “5 Days to Success With Internet Marketing“)

Hope this helps.

Blessings,

Flanders Field Poem

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"Lest We Forget"

“In Flanders Fields” is one of the most notable poems written during World War I.

This poem is most often read on Remembrance Day – November 11th. Remembrance Day, as we called it in Canada, is important because it signified the official end of World War I on that date in 1918. The major hostilities of World War I were formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. November 11th, at 11am.

Growing up in Canada we had a special ceremony every November 11th to celebrate “Remembrance Day”. As part of the ceremony, we would pause and take a minute of silence to remember all those that have served and especially those that gave the ultimate sacrifice allowing us to have the freedoms we enjoy.

It’s a tradition I still carry with me today.

Flanders Field has been called “the most popular poem” produced during that period and written by Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. It is believed to have been written on 3 May 1915 after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, 22 years old, the day before. The poem was first published on 8 December of that year in the London-based magazine Punch.

Will you join me in a minute of silence to thank all those that have served and then read the poem below?

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)m Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Flanders Field Original Poem

Copy of Flanders Field Original Poem Signed

Blessings,

In the spirit of Halloween… BOO!

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Plenty to be scared of, isn’t there? … real estate crash, double dip recession a possibility, money being printed with reckless abandon, national debt bomb ticking, capital exiting the country… this is scary stuff!

Want to see something even scarier?

Boo! This is only $25,000!! – now that’s SCARY!!

Yup. This beauty of a foosball table can be yours for only $25,000.

(You may not know I’m an avid foosball player. In college I had a running 4-year series that with Pike fraternity brother Dave “Axel” Foley. I think I won 758 games to his 756. Or maybe it was the other way around. I dunno.) I think the table I played on was worth $50 bucks.

But seriously, $25,000 for this foosball table! That’s SCARY!!

So the moral of the story is: don’t say people aren’t spending money because they are. If they’re not buying from you, time to figure out where the opportunities lay in your business, get creative and give people something to get excited about. For example, our firm just took on a challenge that netted a 2000% ROI in 20 days. (Need help finding opportunities to get excited about?… Click Here)

Here are some points about people and their buying behaviors:

  • they are irrational
  • they buy on emotion
  • they use logic to back up their purchase
  • they will ALWAYS buy what they want, even if they can’t afford it

The trick or treat of the month: how can you craft a $25,000 Barbie Foosball table in your business?

Blessings,

P.S. I will be keeping with the long standing “Goegan Tradition” of going through my kids Halloween candy and cherry picking the best chocolate bars for me – Snickers yum! (O Henry’s and Crispy Crunch are my favs but can’t find them too much south of Canada)

P.P.S. Trivia to make you look smarter – The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even (“evening”), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. Up through the early 20th century, the spelling “Hallowe’en” was frequently used, eliding the “v” and shortening the word (from Wikipedia)