Monday, December 31, 2007

I am going to get so drunk tonight...

Um, not really. In fact, not at all but rather the complete opposite.

Alexis and I are going to a little, quiet resort in Palm Springs this New Year's Eve. No big parties, no drunken fools...just peace and quiet. Whew...I really need it.

While there, I am going to create my gratitude list (I actually started it in one of my blog postings) and then I am going to write down my specific goals for 2008. I've already done some of this but I'm going to get very specific. And then, I am going to relax...really relax.

2007 has been the most difficult year of my life. But I learned a lot about myself. Some good things and some things that need work.

I want to thank everyone who not only hung in their with me but encouraged me. One of the most touching days of my business life was when I announced that I was getting divorced. The outpouring of support for me from my customers and subscribers was truly overwhelming. The blog posts, gifts that were mailed to me and notes of encouragement, really touched my heart. (If you sent me something or posted something THANK YOU. It meant a lot to me.)

As I look forward to 2008, of course, I want to grow my business and make more "dee-nero" but my main goal is to become a better man. Remember, as Jim Rohn says, "The greatest gift that you can give to someone else is your own self-development."

Happy New Year, my friend.


Dave Dee
www.davedee.com

Friday, December 28, 2007

Time management made simple...

I had a GREAT "date" with my eight year old daughter, Gina,last night. She got all dressed up, I bought her a rose and we went out for a nice dinner. Then it was off to a hotel, where we swam in the pool, watched a movie and talked.

What a night!

I make sure I have plenty of time to do these things, the*really* important things in life. But in order to do that,I need to manage my time. Here is how I do it:

I always take 10-15 minutes in the morning to plan my day.

I simply write down the six most important things I need to do that day. Writing down just six things forces me to focus on what is truly important. I used to make a huge list of"to dos" but would then do the easy stuff so I could get the satisfaction of crossing things off my list. Many times, the important or "hard" stuff would never be gotten to.

After I determine what I'm going to do, I write down how much time I'm going to devote to that activity and block off that time on my calendar.

Now, this is where discipline comes in. Not only do I have to work on the projects at their scheduled times, I must stop working on them when the time for each project is up.I'm not very good at this! I get into a project and don't want to stop! The problem is, if I don't stop working on one thing, I can't get to the other important things!

Try this very simple time management system for the next few days and you'll see how powerful it is and how much your productivity goes up.

Kick butt, make mucho "dee-nero!"

~Dave Dee

P.S. Oh, one of the things I always put on my daily list is"lead generation." Dan Kennedy teaches that every day you should do a *least* one thing to generate new clients. he's right on the money. Of course, this is easy if you already have a complete lead generation system in place. I just so happen to have the BEST system on the planet, it's darn cheap and I put my money where my mouth is like no one else dares to do. Check it out pronto by going to:
http://www.davedee.com/box

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Your #1 2008 Goal Should Be...

Your #1 2008 goal should be to acquire more customers/clients.

Yep, that should be your goal no matter how successful or busy you already are.

You need to keep the lead generation pipeline full and have ea system for converting those leads into sales. This is mission critical.

Businesses that aren't bringing in "fresh blood" on a continuous basis will find themselves stagnating and eventually dying.

In addition to obvious reasons for acquiring new customers(increased profits) there are also other important benefits. You are in a "power" position when there is demand for you than there is of you. You get to charge higher fees, dictate how you do business and you get a heck of a lot of respect.

So, write down your #1 goal on a piece of paper and put it on your bathroom mirror where you can see it every day. Then get to work and make it happen.

Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!

~Dave Dee

PS. What's the simplest way to generate leads? Follow a proven system. With my "Your Marketing Department In A Box" not only do you get a lead generation system laid out for you on a silver platter but you get the actual marketing documents you need to implement the system. Why reinvent the wheel when the car has already been built for you. Go to:
http://www.davedee.com/box

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

An after Christmas gift for you

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year.

To show my appreciation for being a loyal subscriber, I'm going to give you an important recording I did earlier this year that was sent to my Inner Circle Members.

You don't need to opt in and there is nothing to buy. It's really free.

If you want to get a head start on your success in 2008, download the Mp3 and listen to my presention now.

To download, right click on the on the link below and then select Save Target As.

Enjoy!
Dave Dee

Monday, December 24, 2007

The most important secret to happiness

Merry Christmas, my friend.

The truth is, I am rather melancholy this Christmas eve because it will be the first one I have ever spent alone. My children will be with my ex-wife and my family is miles away in Massachusetts.

But this is not supposed to be depressing but rather an essay on the biggest secret to happiness. It comes down to a single word: Gratitude.

Focusing on what we are already grateful opens the floodgates to receiving more. But that is not the goal of being grateful. Living with an attitude of gratitude makes you feel good and centers you.

My gratitude list (and yours) is so long it would be impossible to list everything but here is my top eleven (in no particular order).

1. My children: They are the greatest joy in my life and I am blessed to have them in my life.


2. My health: Is there anything more important than this?

3. My girlfriend: Alexis challenges me, makes me laugh, loves me and makes me very happy.

4. My parents: I teasingly cause them Ward and June (of "Leave It To Beaver" fame) but their caring, love and support (especially this past year) is a true blessing.

5. Tracey, my ex-wife and the mother of my children: This was an extremely tough year for both of us. But through it all she remained a great mother and my kids are lucky to have her.

6. Living in the United States of America: No disrespect for my international readers but my honest belief is I live in the greatest, most generous, compassionate and wonderful nation on earth.

7. My sisters: Amy and Sue were so supportive, caring and showed me unconditional love this past year.

8. The music, books, movies, seminars, and DVDs that enrich me and add immeasurable joy to my life.

9. My shelter, food and clothing: Things I take for granted but that other people long for.

10. My friends. Randy, who not only owns the best customer service company on the planet but who is also is a dear, caring friend. Gino, my best friend since I was seven years old who would do anything for me and who is always there when I need him the most.

11. My customers and clients. This is not pandering but truth. Without you, I could not live life exactly as I want to. Thank you for all of your support.

Have a wonderful and grateful Christmas season.

Warmly,
Dave Dee

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

From my private journel

I was flipping through one of my old journels the other day and came across some notes I took while listening to a Dan Kennedy (www.dankennedywebsite.com) tape program.

Here is what Dan had to say about the difference between winners and losers:

Winners: Goal Directed
Losers: Refuse to plan

Winners: Creative
Losers: Defensive (don't like other people's ideas.)

Winners: Productive
Losers: Active but don't get anything productive done.

Winners: Responsible
Losers: Make excuses

Winners: Invest in themselves (buy books, CDs, go to seminars, etc.)
Losers: Refuse to do so.

Winners: Action oriented
Losers: Trapped by stress and worry.

Winners: Use universal laws that govern all business
Losers: Refuse to do so.

Winners: Make decisions quickly
Losers: Slow to decide

Winners: Enthusiastic
Losers: Caught by routine

Do you have all the characteristics of a winner? If so, congratulations? If not, don't fret. Just work on making the necessary changes.

Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!

Dave Dee

PS. Wanna guarantee you're a winner in 2008 who makes more dee-nero, reaches their goals, has more free time and more fun in their business. Rush over to http://www.davedee.com/profitplan

Time to dig deep...

I must be dumber than a sack of hammers. I went from very chilly California to FREEZING Massachusetts.


Actually, my kids and I are visiting my parents before the holidays. The kids are excited about the snow. Me, not so much!


A couple days ago, I was having a brief conversation with a woman who offers a very valuable service when people need it the most. To my shock, she was only charging $450. Believe me, what she does for her clients is worth WAY more than that. My advice to her was to raise her price to $2,500.


Her first reaction was, "No one will pay that!." Alexis and I immediately said we would pay that without blinking an eye. This brings up two important lessons:


First, there are always people looking for the lowest, cheapest price but, conversely, there are always people who will pay premium prices for premium services. You are far better off marketing to the premium people.


The second and bigger lesson, is that before this woman raises her prices she must believe that her service is worth more than the price she is charging. Believe me, $2,500 is chump change compared to what she does for people but it doesn't matter if she doesn't believe it. She must emotionally associate to the tremendous benefits her clients receive by using her services.


You need to do the same. Don't just think about what you do, think about how it impacts your clients lives in a positive way. Value yourself and what you do at a higher level. You are worth it.


Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!


Dave Dee


PS: "Dee" sale continues on my best selling, "Your Marketing Department In A Box." For less than one hundred smackers you can have a copywriter, marketing strategist and Internet expert working for you. If you are one of the few subscribers that don't have this yet, now is the time to get it. Go to: http://www.davedee.com/box

Majors and minors...muy importante

I'm sitting in my girlfriend, Alexis' house, in FREEZING Southern California. (What's up with the cold? Sure doesn't feel like "global warming" to me. Of course, I'm sure that some folks will find a way to blame the cold weather on President Bush!)



Anyhoo, I was talking to Alexis about major and minor benefits. It's important that you make the major benefits major and the minor benefits minor in your marketing. Let me give you a real life example.



Alexis' sister Courtney has a boyfriend who is really into the "green movement." He wants to be a green consultant to teach business owners how to "green their business." (Impact the environment as little as possible.) Because he believes so strongly in this movement, he thinks the major benefit is doing something good for the environment.



Wrong Bucko!



For most business owners that is a minor benefit. Major benefits would be, "By greening your business you will get great PR, reduce your costs and increase your profits." Now you have the business owners attention. Then, and only then you can talk about how greening the business is good for the environment. Here is an important distinction:



The business owner might tell his friends that the reason he is greening his business to help the environment because it makes him look good BUT the reason he is spending the money to do it , is to increase his profits. THAT is what will sell him on the idea.



Notice I did NOT say that the minor benefit wasn't important. It is. However, to making the minor benefit the focus of your marketing will bring you minor results.



Read this post again and then examine what you're doing. It's important.



~Dave Dee

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Don't wait to do this...

Almost everyone waits until January 1st to make their New Year's Resolutions. This is dumb for two reasons:

First, because the resolutions are made on a whim and are really nothing but weak dreams.

Second, because making resolutions at the beginning of the New Year is too late!

You want to set your goals for 2008 NOW, BEFORE the new year begins. If you wait, you're already behind.

Notice I said, set "goals" not "resolutions." The truth is that you need to not only set goals but create an action plan for achieving the goal. This is what I call "success planning." Sure, it's more difficult to do than just making a long list of goals BUT it will also help you achieve your goals.

I'm thinking about doing an absolutely free "success planning" teleseminar next week if there is enough interest. During the call, we would set your goals and start to create your action plans right on the phone. This way, you are ahead of the game.

If you're interested, just make a quick post to the blog saying, "I want the teleseminar." That's all you need to do. It doesn't matter to me if I do the free call or not. I'm going to do my "success planning" for 2008 with or without ya!

Lemme know if you want to join me.

Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!

Dave Dee

Monday, December 10, 2007

Do you believe this about people?

Oh woe is me. My beloved Miami Dolphins are 0-14 and look like they'll lose every game. On the flip side of the coin, the dreaded New England Patriots are 14-0 and look like they"ll win every game this season.



Okay, enough about my angst. Let's get down to "bidness"...



On Saturday, I sent out an email with a special promotion for my "Underground Power Marketing DVDs". (It's reprinted at the end of this post.) In it, I made an incredible offer: A 30 day free trial that was really free with free shipping. I did not collect a single penny. .



My customer service god and trusted advisor, Randy Shieff thought I was nuts for not validating the credit card. (And we have sold a boatload of these DVDs. The orders are literally pouring in.) I told him that all would be be fine because...



My heartfelt belief is that most people are inherently honest and do the right thing. Sure, there will be a few boneheads who will rip me off but the vast majority of people will not. In fact, I am 100% positive about that. So why not give all my customers the benefit of the doubt?



Isn't it a better way to live believing that most people are not out to rip you off? To believe in the goodness of people. Some people will call me naiive. I don't believe I am.



Now, I am NOT saying you shouldn't have contracts when you make a deal with someone or you shouldn't protect yourself. Not at all. But many people go around with the belief that everyone is out to screw them. If you offer a quality product or service, this simply will not be the case.



Am I saying you should offer your clients a free 30 day trail or some variation thereof? Not necessarily but it might be a damn good idea. What I'm saying is trust in the goodness and honesty of the majority of people you meet.



Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!



Dave Dee



PS: Here is the original email:


Secret Weekend DVD Sale Is On Now...

I know you're busy so I'm going to make this quick and to the point with no fanfare.

In November of this of year, I conducted an amazing bootcampi n Atlanta. Here is a sample of what I revealed during my presentations:

* Napoleon Hill's five key elements of thinking and growing rich
* The most important key to your success...it is NOT what you think.
* The three part test ALL of your marketing must past...if it doesn't you are wasting your money!
* The power of having a "UBS" (Note: This NOT a "Unique Selling Proposition"...plus the fill in the blank formula that makes it creating it as easy as pie.
* How to attract your IDEAL client - the "BIG 7" questions that once answered, will make your ideal clients flock to you like ducks to water.
* The five fundamentals of effective lead generation...I'd betcha dollars to donuts you are not doing one of these fundamentals and that it's costing you thousands of dollars in lost leads.
* The perfect lead generation direct mail template...just fill in the blank and you're off to the races!
* The ULTIMATE lead generation system that will increase your results by at LEAST 800%...at LEAST.
* The three big lies you are being told about Internet marketing - your business and your pocket book are suffering because you believe them.
* A step by step blueprint for using Google to drive massive amounts of traffic to your website and have your best prospects calling you on the phone to make appointments.(Follow this blueprint and you're competitors will be wondering if you sold your soul to the devil because of all the new business you are getting!)
* The anatomy of the perfect website. You want to have the PERFECT model for your own website? This one presentation is worth the entire price of admission.
* Play WAY more...

My presentations during the boot camp were recorded with broadcast quality cameras and are being put on two, jammed packed DVD's. When I say "packed", I mean overflowing with dynamic content. You will eagerly watch these dvds over again because each time you do, you will discover more strategies that will make you truckloads of cashola.

Because I want as many business owners as possible to be able to benefit from this "Underground Power Marketing"program, I've decided to price it at only $97. This low price and payment plan includes FREE PRIORITY PACKING,SHIPPING, AND HANDLING anywhere in the U.S.! (If you live outside the U.S., a small additional shipping and handling charge will be applied at checkout, depending on your country). And this comes with my better-than-money-back"I'll take all the risk"-Guarantee:

Don't Decide Now...Try My "Underground Power Marketing"Program Out For Yourself FREE For 30 Days

I know this program is going to change your business life forever.

I know that it's going to help you increase your profits by at least three, four, five times or more.
And I'm so convinced of that fact that I'd like to send you a copy of this program to try for FREE. That's right, NO MONEY.

Here's what I'm going to do for you:

I'm going to send you a copy of my "Underground Power Marketing" program at MY RISK.

If you like it, keep it. You'll be billed automatically.

If you don't like it, just send it back within 30 days, and you won't be charged (Don't worry, if the mail takes too long, and I get it back 31 days later and you've been charged, I'll give you a full refund).

Can it get any better?

Of course it can...

If you order right now, I'll also include the Power Point slides I used during my presentations. This will give you a"Cliff Notes" version of my presentations you can refer to whenever you need a quick shot of moneymaking power.

I could not POSSIBLY make it any more easy or low risk for you.

When you click on a button below, you'll be taken to a secure order page where you can order your program (just use a valid credit or debit card for your order).

Go through this program from beginning to end. You will see INSTANT RESULTS.

Use the materials all you want for up to 30 days at MY RISK.

If you decide that it's not for you - for ANY REASON - just send it back and you pay NOTHING.
If you'd like to keep it (and I'm betting that you will),you don't have to do anything. You'll be billed automatically.

I truly want to help you generate more business and increase your profit. I get emails daily from business owners who are using my materials to improve their success I want to help you too.

Go to: https://davedee.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nifuihnat and place your order now:

Kick butt, make mucho "dee-nero!"
~Dave Dee

P.S. This program will give you the tools to quickly create all the new business you want. You'll be amazed at just how quickly you start attracting new clients... and immediately increasing your cash flow. Don't hesitate... get this program now. You won't be disappointed.
https://davedee.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nifuihnat

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

One and one thing only...

A big mistake that business owners make is trying to have their marketing pieces do too much.

Let's talk about lead generation as a way of example. This type ad, email, radio commercial - whatever - should have one purpose only: Getting people to raise their hand and show that their interested in your product or service. The "hand raising" can take the form of the prospect calling a free recorded message, calling into the business directly, having the prospect visit a website, etc.

Many business owners screw-up because they try to make their lead generation ad do more than getting interested prospects to take a single action.

Remember, you are not selling your product or service in your lead generation marketing, you are selling people on requesting more information about your product or service. It's a subtle but powerful distinction.

So remember, figure out what each step in your marketing campaign is supposed to do and put your energy into make that one thing happen. Do this an your profits will soar.

Kick butt, make mucho "dee-nero!"

Dave Dee

P.S. How would you like to hire an entire marketing department that would write ads, letters, emails and websites for you, for literally pennies on the dollar? Discover how you can do it by going to http://www.davedee.com/box

Monday, December 3, 2007

An immense power at your disposal

We've been working 'round the clock on updating all of our websites and moving them to another hosting company. Whew!

Because we're so busy, I called on one of my first mentors, Dan Kennedy to talk about an immense power you have that is called upon can dramtically increase your profits AND respect from your peers.

Enjoy!

Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!

Dave Dee

P.S. Be one of the smart 25 people who attends my New Year's "Profit Plan Workshop" and I'll personally help you design your complete marketing calendar and campaigns for 2008. If you want to make more money and have more free time, go to: http://www.davedee.com/profitplan

-------------------------------------------------
The Power Of Mastery
By Dan Kennedy
-------------------------------------------------

I am about to tell you how to add $25,000.00, $50,000.00, maybe $100,00.00 a year to your yearly income — without spending even a penny more on advertising or marketing.

Anyway, one of our featured guest speakers was Michael Vance, who worked side-by-side with Walt Disney for a number of years. As I was listening to Mike, I made a mental note to start talking about a Walt Disney quote about marketing that I used to use a lot. This quote directly responds to what Michael asked me to write about this month: why you should master the "art" of doing the Printing Audit.

What Walt Disney said about Marketing is:"Do what you do so well — and so uniquely — that people can't resist telling others about you."

In every field, there are "masters". People just so darned good at what they do that people are compelled to tell others about them. Mike Vance is that kind of speaker, and there are darned few in that category. Actors like Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro. The salesman I buy my cars from, Bill Glazner, at Sanderson Ford here in Pheonix — he puts every other car guy I've ever seen to shame.

There are a couple chiropractors I know who put on such a great "report of findings" (their equivalent of the Printing Audit) that they enjoy 100% conversions and can easily sell large dollar "pre-pays." There's a shoe-shine guy at the Atlanta Airport who still rubs wax in by hand, snaps the towel with authority, slaps the leather, makes the brush sing. And this is important: these people are "master performers." They are not just masters at whatever technical thing they do, they are masters at presentation.

So, here's a very simple, very practical question: after you finish a client's first job, do they — without any prodding from you - rush to the phone, call an associate, and tell them about the amazing print job they just had done? Are the first words out of their mouth to the next person they see about you? Is your presentation that good?

If it is, here's the economic impact: your need to invest money in acquiring new customers will diminish over time as your business converts to being 100% referral driven. This means you can take all the money you now spend on advertising, direct mail, telemarketing, etc. and put it into your pocket instead. This means you will have more people calling and waiting in line for you than you have time, because each client will multiply.

"Mastery of Presentation" can quite easily be worth an extra $50,000.00 to $200,000.00 or even more to you each year you remain in this business. (Bank it all at even modest interest and in just five years you can retire a cash millionaire.)

To get that good, you must dedicate yourself to doing so: I've always been impressed with the late Yul Brenner, who performed the "King and I" a record number of times on Broadway - and still rehearsed his lines, gestures and facial expressions everyday, before every performance, right up until his last one.

How many times have you written out your own,c omplete first on-site visit script word for word? Recorded it and listened to it on CD? Role-played it with family or mastermind group members? Practiced in front of a mirror? Ever? This month? (Well, who has the time to do all that, for crissakes? I've got a business to run here. And by the time I get home at day's end, I'm too exhausted to do anything like that.)

Get this: I can predict your future bank balances if I know what you read, what you listen to, what educational functions you attend, who you hang out with and what you work on (practice) regularly. Oh, and years ago, Joe Karbo wrote this wonderful ad headline: are you too busy making a living to make this a priority?
-----