Goldmine Marketing

Category: Opinion

  • Lent me get comfortable

    Photo “O Cristo Redentor” by Jorge Láscar, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

    Today is the first day of Lent, the Christian observation of the 40 days before Jesus Christ’s resurrection, marked by Easter.

    The Catholic Lenten tradition* involves some sort of fast or abstinence from a pleasurable activity during these 40 days, as a minor attempt to understand the struggle of Jesus’ final days and to build our self-restraint in a world bent on pleasure and external happiness.

    *(I can’t speak towards other Christian traditions.)

    Looking around, it’s evident that most people shun the idea of self sacrifice as improvement.

    (more…)

  • Where should you sit?

    Business meetings are often held at a table or desk. One side of the negotiation (or argument) sits on one side of the table; the other side of the negotiation sits… on the other side. (amazing insight, I know)

    If business is war, then the negotiation table is the battle field.

    But good negotiations don’t have to be a battle. In reality, they should be a collaborative approach to problem solving.

    Here are a few tips to improve your influence… just based on where you sit.

    (more…)

  • How to Become a Rainmaker
    by Jeffrey J Fox

    Famous advertising man Claude Hopkins wrote in his book My Life in Advertising that his desire to go into sales was an effort to graduate from the debit class.

    In his administrative position, Hopkins recognized that he could only make so much money if he drew a company salary. To graduate from the debit class, Hopkins had to produce income for his employer.

    Hopkins became a very successful rainmaker, bringing in the magical rain —money— that allows a company to grow.

    Not all sales people are rainmakers… but they could be. You could be.

    Hoe to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients
    How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients

    Jeffrey J Fox’s book How to Become a Rainmaker details the rules to becoming this high-selling rainmaker in your company. (more…)

  • 3 Tips to Build New Habits

    Break and Fix.

    Jan 22

    Saint Paul, Minnesota

     

    Do you struggle to build new habits?

    You’re not alone.

    With the New Year, many people want to build a new habit… (more…)

  • Rules of Three

    The first two set the expectation…

    Think fast!

    A lawyer, a priest, and a dentist walk into a bar…

    Maybe you’ve heard this one before?

    The brain has this thing with events that come in 3’s.

     

    Photo “Three” by Julien Belli, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

    For example, we think bad luck comes in threes.

    We’re relieved when that third thing finally happens… and it wasn’t all so bad after all.

    This is one Rule of Three.

    There are more tho…

    Here’s a few. (more…)

  • Marketing Adventures with Drayton Bird
    (Persuasion Play Podcast 008)

    Today on the Persuasion Play Podcast, episode 008…

    I welcome a very special guest, Mr. Drayton Bird!

    Who is Drayton Bird?

    Drayton Bird is an old-school direct marketer and advertiser. He worked along side fellow greats such as Eugene Schwartz and David Ogilvy, who famously claimed that… (more…)

  • Program your Brain

    7:10am

    Saint Paul

     

    It’s snowing here in Saint Paul.

    I used to hate the snow, hate the winter.

    And I made sure everyone knew of my misery.

    See, I’m kinda always cold.

    And while I’m not exactly Mr. Universe, I get plenty of comments that I should add some fat to my bones.

    Poor advise from an old joke.

    My kids pulling one another in this Winter Wonderland!
    My kids pulling one another in this Winter Wonderland!

    What I did instead was change my mindset. (more…)

  • L e t    i t    b r e a t h e . . .

    Inner-Space.

    Saint Paul

    Image "Newspapers B&W (3)" by Jon S, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
    Image “Newspapers B&W (3)” by Jon S, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

    *|FNAME|*, when I first started my current full-time job…

    (not this copywriting gig I’m crushing on the side…)

    I was frustrated by a co-worker’s “Google Chat” methods.

    You see,

    instead of sending a complete thought,

    (more…)

  • Why I didn’t vote for my city’s most pressing issue: Trash Collection

    11:15pm Sunday

    Saint Paul, Minnesota

     

    Hey there,

    This weekend I took my two kids to the library. I was previously unaware, but there was early voting available for Tuesday’s November election.

    Photo "CL Society 218: Crossing arms" by Francisco Osorio, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
    Voting, like most decisions, is more about emotions than about facts on an unknown future. Photo “CL Society 218: Crossing arms” by
    Francisco Osorio, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

    “Are you here to vote today?” asked the voting attendant. (more…)

  • Operating at the Next Level

    No B.S. — this guy has been huge.

    6:14am
    Saint Paul

    I broke a rule and read some email this morning.

    (usually I try to skip the email, otherwise I get pulled into a rabbit hole)

    I immediately opened a letter from PRL Podcast guest Matt Rizvi.

    And what I read… was some sad news. (more…)