Ray Edwards Show (Internet Business)
Ray Edwards is a sought-after Copywriter, Author, Speaker, and Communications Strategist. His clients include Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Jeff Walker, Robert Allen, and more. On this show, Ray helps you start, run, and grow their Internet-based businesses. The show includes interviews with well-known experts like Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Dan Miller, Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Stelzner, Amy Porterfield, Don Miller, and many others.

How we define success is important, and the way most people define it is flawed at best.

I propose anyone can enjoy instant success, and still be engaged in growing, achieving, and serving, but more about that later…

Also coming up, how you can get MY new VIP Email Insiders Newsletter…FREE FOREVER!

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

I’ve been struggling with REST lately.

  • Too many opportunities.
  • Too much to do.
  • Plus neurological complications.

God says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

This week I’ll show you how to use rest as a weapon.

Tip Of The Week

Enhance your daily productivity and effectiveness with your personal Apple Mail assistant.

  • Message Templates – NEW- A brilliant way to save time. MailButler allows you to customize the formatting and text of emails, which include information that you frequently share with different recipients.
  • Tasks – NEW – Mark your emails as to-do items to never forget about important tasks again.
  • Snooze – NEW – By snoozing an email you will temporarily make it disappear out of your Inbox.
  • Tracking – Let you know if the recipient has actually opened your email.
  • Scheduling – Write now – send later…MailButler allows you to schedule an email to be sent at a specific date and time. Thus, you can fulfill lots of tasks beforehand by writing several emails at once and letting MailButler secure their scheduled delivery later.
  • Essential Features – FREE – Cloud Upload, Undo Send, Attachment Reminder, Direct Inbox, Emojis and many more.

Feature Segment: “How to Achieve Instant Success”

How to Achieve Instant Success

How do you achieve Instant Success? Change the way you define success!

But should we change it? Is that just a word game?

How we define success is important, and the way most people define it is flawed at best.

I propose anyone can enjoy instant success, and still be engaged in growing, achieving, and serving…. when you invoke the Four Keys to Instant Success revealed in this episode.

If you define success as a destination… you’ll never get there. It’s like that sign in the cafe that always reads “Free Coffee Tomorrow”.

As the great Earl Nightingale says, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal”.

If you define success THAT way, you can celebrate the milestones, not just the destination…you can literally be successful right now.

Special Announcement

Announcing my new VIP Email Insiders Newsletter!

All the details are inside this week’s episode, but here are some highlights:

  • IT’S FREE FOREVER!
  • You get a sneak peek at my raw thinking as it happens
  • Before it’s published on the blog.
  • Before it shows up in a product.
  • Before it becomes R&D’d (“Ripped Off and Duplicated “- thanks Dan Kennedy and/or Bill Glazier for the terminology)

Sign up now at rayedwards.com/vip

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript. 

Direct download: REP271.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

If you want to build an effective online presence, gain influence with an audience, ask people to join your cause or buy into your ideas…it all starts with a blog.

In my opinion, there’s nobody better qualified to teach us than my guest on today’s podcast, Leslie Samuel.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Do you believe it’s wrong, or at least tacky, to want to get rich? I’m not even talking about getting rich quick…just wanting to get rich in general. Does that bother you at all? Do you feel a little pang of guilt or fear you might be viewed as being a little cheesy?

As Dave Ramsey says, “There’s a dignity to wealth creation through honorable business that is unlike anything else on Earth.

In this episode I’ll share the real Secret of Wealth Creation…and one of the most important questions you can ask yourself.

Tip Of The Week

I have people ask me all the time about how I started my podcast, and how they should go about starting one the right way. I always tell them, “Cliff Ravenscraft is your guy.” If you’re serious about starting a podcast, then you need to check out Cliff’s Podcasting A to Z course.

This week I have a short talk with my friend Cliff and we go through more details of why Podcasting A to Z is so transformational…but here are some facts that should wet your whistle in the meantime:

  • The course has been going strong since March 2011, with over 600 students getting Cliff as their personal coach for 4 weeks.
  • You’ll know exactly what equipment to get…and why.
  • Have technical questions about how to dial-in your gear? No worries, Cliff has you covered.
  • You’ll clearly define your message and the perfect target market
  • During those four weeks, the students of Podcasting A to Z get Cliff’s full attention…you are the priority.
  • And check this out…Over 600 students have gone through this course, not one single person has ever requested a refund.

If you want to start a podcast, or if you have a podcast and you want to improve it and make it an excellent podcast, this is the way to do it.

Feature Segment: “How To Become A Blogger”

Yes, blogs are still alive. I believe they are still the best way to build a platform, and a business online. I am very excited to introduce you to my friend, Leslie Samuel.

Leslie is a former university professor turned full-time blogger. He is also the host of the “Learning with Leslie” podcast where he teaches about blogging, online business, and entrepreneurship.

Here are some snippets from our conversation about how to become a blogger:

  • The biology of blogging (12:06)
  • Are you experienced? (14:35)
  • Teach what you know (15:24)
  • It all started when… (17:07)
  • Tiny hinges swing big doors (18:41)
  • Learning as you go (21:19)
  • The Philosophy of Free (22:57)
  • Look below the surface (25:35)
  • It’s harder than it looks (27:44)
  • I thought we talked about this… (29:39)
  • If they can do it, so can you (30:47)
  • The three biggest mistakes bloggers make (34:49)
  • Leaders are readers (36:31)
  • The struggle is real (38:29)
  • The Piano Man (39:28)
  • Words to the Wise (40:30)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Direct download: REP270.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is about what specific apps, websites, sources, courses, and other tools we use to make stuff.

In this episode we’ll get geeky with you and dive deep into that exact subject.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

How do you respond when someone asks, “How are you today?”

If you’re like most people you respond with something like:

  • “Fine”
  • “Okay”
  • “I’m hangin' in there”

This may come as news to you, but you get to decide how you process your day.

In this episode I give you some reasons why you should carefully consider the instructions you give your brain, because what you say is often what you experience.

Selah.

Tip Of The Week

If one of your goals this year is to take a trip…enroll in course…get in better shape…or anything else you’re likely to not do when it’s no longer convenient…today’s tip is for you!

Most of us struggle to achieve our goals, that’s because there’s a big difference between having a goal and achieving a goal—stickK works by helping people eliminate this gap by using a Commitment Contract.

A Commitment Contract is a binding agreement you sign with yourself to ensure that you follow through with your intentions—and it does this by utilizing the psychological power of loss aversion and accountability to drive behavior change.

By asking users to sign Commitment Contracts, stickK helps users define their goal, acknowledge what it’ll take to accomplish it, and leverage the power of putting money on the line to turn that goal into a reality.

Feature Segment: “The Apps & Tools We Use to Make Stuff “

The Tools and Apps We Use To Make Stuff

This episode is a little different since it’s more like a giant resource guide. Everything we use is listed below, and if you want more insight into why we use what we use then join Sean and I on an entertaining romp through the good, and the not so good, items in the Ray Edwards toolbox.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Quote Worth Note

Seth Godin tells this story in “What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn”…

“Stephen King, one of the most beloved, famous and bestselling authors ever, often goes to writer’s conferences. After he talks for a little bit he says, ‘Any questions?’

Inevitably, someone raises their hand—I’m paraphrasing here—and says, ‘Mr. King, you are one of the most beloved, famous, and bestselling authors ever. What kind of pencil do you use to write your books?’ It’s almost as if knowing what kind of pencil Stephen King uses will help them be more like Stephen King.”

It’s not the pencil.

It’s not the computer.

It’s not the app.

Or as they say in music… “It’s not the gear, it’s the ear.”

Direct download: REP269.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Is it ethical, or even possible, to have a full-time job and also build a business on the side?

This is a big deal for a lot of people who want to pursue their own business without throwing their family into financial chaos by quitting their job. If you’ve wondered about how to honorably engage in a side hustle, then this episode is just for you.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Tip Of The Week

This week’s tip comes courtesy of Cliff Ravenscraft. Public speaking is hard, Ummo makes it easier. Whether you are practicing for a presentation or interested in improving your everyday communication, use Ummo to track your “Umm”s and “Uhh”s, pace, word power, clarity, and more.

Feature Segment: “The Ethical Side Hustle”

My guest this week is Mark Mason from the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast. I’m honored to call Mark my friend, and the more I get to know him, the more I respect him and the vital work he’s doing.

  • Here are some highlights from our interview:
  • Why Sean Edwards is like a human hand grenade (5:45)
  • The value of being a “Yuck Monkey” (6:30)
  • What exactly is Late Night Internet Marketing? (6:50)
  • The core belief of the side hustle (8:10)
  • Do you have to hate your job to have a side hustle? (9:10)
  • The best way to start a side hustle (11:05)
  • The epiphany that changed everything (15:15)
  • Running a side hustle requires some life hacks (17:25)
  • Stay away from the “fluff” (18:01)
  • The Free Content Formula (19:35)
  • How to succeed through the struggle (22:08)
  • Wisely navigating the waters between your day job and your side hustle (25:01)
  • Side hustling with a family (27:11)
  • Finding the time for your side hustle (28:52)
  • The Mother of all Jingles (30:29)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. PLEASE USE THE APPLE PODCAST APP!
Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript. 

Direct download: REP266.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Coming up this week…

  • Good reasons to get a “checkup from the neck up” and eliminate your “stinkin thinkin”.
  • How to avoid a common, heart breaking loss. It’s a shame so many people suffer this, when it’s so easy to avoid.
  • And … “Why I Won't Promote Your Product”

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

The single best way to eliminate your “stinkin thinkin”.

We know that we must guard our thoughts, but did you know this is not just a “positive thinking” idea – we find this same advice in the book of Proverbs. Plus in this episode we reveal what it really means to “Fear the Lord”. This may be the most important thing you hear all day!

Tip Of The Week

I was in the Apple Store getting my 7+, and I overheard this snippet of conversation, “She dropped the phone in the water and just wants her photos.”

People… use iCloud to back up your phone! PAY FOR IT. It’s 0.99 cents a month for Pete’s sake!

And by the way, check out iCloud Drive…it’s awesome!

Feature Segment: “Why I Won't Promote Your Product”

Let me start by saying that I like you, and I want you to succeed…but I won’t promote your stuff. That may sound harsh, but in this episode I expose the 7 Problems That Stop Me From Promoting Your Product.

But before you despair and give up all hope, I also have 7 Solutions to the 7 Problems.

Understanding this information could save you from a lifetime of fractured relationships with potential partners, and instead illuminate a profitable path forward with more friends (and sales) than you can shake a stick at.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Direct download: REP258.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Cutting your ad budget while increasing sales sounds totally counterintuitive, right? Au contraire, my intrepid listener. In this episode we’ll not only show you how to do exactly that, but also why you should start doing it right now.

Join us on another magic carpet ride as we take your marketing to a whole new world.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Should Christians Seek Money & Prosperity?

We want to be blessed and live the abundant life Jesus promised us – and that He died to purchase for us, but this is not an invitation to “get saved to get money”. God’s not an ATM—enter the right PIN code of faith, prayer, praise, worship, good works, and the ATM spits out your blessing.

But blessing and prosperity are more than money. In this episode we’ll introduce to a life filled complete, whole peace, and a simple path to unmerited favor…all you have to do is receive it.

Tip Of The Week

My Dad used to tell me that “my mouth was writing checks that my butt can’t cash”. We all have a tendency to say “Yes” to more things than we are actually capable of doing. The end result? A calendar that makes your head explode.

You have less time than you think because of an insidious time goblin called “Calendar Creep”. What do you do about it? You implement Ray’s 7-Step Calendar First Aid revealed in this episode.

Feature Segment: How to Cut Your Ad Budget and Increase Sales

The best way to cut your ad budget and increase sales do is with a product launch. As we mentioned last week, we’re so keen on launches due to:

– NO capital start up
– Self-Angelizing
– Cash on demand

So let's assume you are sold on doing your own launch…you’re going to need copy! Launches are important, but COPY is the lifeblood of any launch.

In this episode we’re going to give you 7 REASONS WHY YOU MUST MASTER LAUNCH-FOCUSED COPY. Just by changing the words, you change the revenue.

Need some social proof? Check this out… Justin Livingston just changed the copy in his launch and did over $1 million more than his previous launch…where there was very little copy.

Your sales problem is most likely just a COPY problem. Listen in this week as we show you how to solve that problem.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript. 

Direct download: REP255.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Think about your income…how much do you make every month? Now think about your annual income. What if you could earn your ANNUAL income… next month?

This is a typical occurrence for the people who use the technique I'm revealing in this week's episode.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

A work ethic is defined as a system for determining your values and morals around the subject of work. While this may seem like a high-minded concept, what we believe about work matters.

Keep in mind that work was not part of the curse, but instead was part of creation…remember, Abraham was both rich and righteous. In addition, the Apostle Paul also said that if you don’t work, you don’t eat. So how do we reconcile these things? Be sure to listen in as we reveal how work is not only ethical, but spiritual as well.

Tip Of The Week

I recently attended Jeff Walker’s LaunchCon conference where my friend Phil Sherwood remarked that you really need time to process everything you learn from a conference, seminar, or workshop. He’s right, and inside this edition of the tip of the week I reveal a surefire way to turn information into implementation.

Feature Segment: How To Make Your Annual Income In A Single Month

I know an entrepreneur whose sales averaged 50,000 per month, or $600,000 per year. This same entrepreneur, by using the technique discussed in this episode, made just over $600,000 in a single month.

Catch that. In March he makes $50,000… in April he makes $600,000. How is this possible? It is legal? Is is sustainable? I have good news for you…it IS legal, and it IS sustainable.

So… What IS the “secret”? It is the phenomena known as “The Product Launch.” These launches are wildly successful when done with intelligence, elegance, and work. In this episode I share the Seven Reasons You Must Do A Launch Now, and how to get started on your very own launch.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

 

Direct download: RE254.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

In this episode we show you how anyone can double their income by Christmas by following this time-tested formula.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Every day you make one choice that sets the tone for the success or failure of your day. Think of it as your daily Rosetta Stone, the one key that can either unlock your day’s potential, or confine you in a prison of your own making.

What is this one choice? Listen to this week's episode to find out.

Tip Of The Week

What is the ideal subject line length for your emails? Sounds like the ultimate geeky copywriter question, right? But here’s the thing…would you open your front door to a stranger and welcome them into your home if you couldn’t see them? If your subject line is too long, your message gets truncated in your prospect’s email viewer, your intention is lost, and even the best email in the world is left standing of your prospect’s digital front porch…lonely and unwanted.

Here’s the good news, it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode we’ll give you the ideal subject line length, and some ideas on how to turn these few precious characters into a standing invitation into your audience’s home.

Feature Segment: 3 Ways To Double Your Income Before Christmas

It really is possible to double your income before Christmas – because what we reveal in this week’s episode is exponential, not incremental.

Legendary marketer Jay Abraham is known for saying there are “only three ways to grow your business”. These three ways are the keys To doubling your business before the festive season is upon us. Here they are, spelled out for you in this week's episode:

  1. Increase the number of customers.
  2. Increase the average transaction of each customer.
  3. Increase the frequency of transactions.

Don’t be mislead by the simplicity of these keys. I know you’re tempted to say, “I already know that, Ray”, but be careful – those words are the rocks that have shipwrecked countless businesses. In this episode we're going to be the marketing lighthouse that guides you safely through these treacherous waters to the safe harbor of business success.

How To Help

Subscribe to the show through iTunes and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

We are also on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

Get The Transcript

Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

 

Direct download: REP253.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

I just completed a really fun and informative interview with one of the top email marketers working today.

Ben really knows what he's talking about when it comes to selling by email. What's remarkable about him is he is one of the very few “Internet Marketing teachers” who actually practices what he teaches. Ben’s blog is here, and his “Email Players Newsletter” is available here.

In this interview you will hear:

  • Why Ben does the exact opposite of what most “Internet Marketing” gurus teach.
  • Why mailing your list every day is a good thing.
  • Why it's not always bad to have a high unsubscribe rate.
  • The secret “autoresponder feature” that saves you money.
  • The simple little trick Ben does once a month that saves him money and makes more sales.
  • Why Ben laughs at what almost every other “email marketing course” teaches… and what you can learn from this.
  • How to generate an endless stream of ideas for email copy, effortlessly and quickly.
  • Why Ben doesn't own a membership site, doesn't do social media, and doesn't do marketing like most of the “Internet Marketing Gurus”.
  • How Ben makes his money easily every month by working about 3 hours! Not for everyone – but really fascinating!

Two Notes:

To hear the full “inner circle” version of this interview, get yourself over to this page and register for either the GOLD or PLATINUM levels of our Inner Circle.

If you're a copywriter who wants more customers, more often, for more money… you probably want to get on the VIP early-bird list about my upcoming print newsletter.

Direct download: ben-settle-blog-interview.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 3:13am PDT

Don't you think it's time you started getting the most out of life? Out of your business?

So do I. And today's podcast is about how to do just that!

Two main topics today:

  1. How to solve any marketing problem
  2. How to think bigger (for the right reasons)

Resources Mentioned In The Show

As always, if you have feedback or suggestions I'd really like to hear from you.

Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Get Ray Edwards in iTunes Podcast

Direct download: RES-SBM005.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 5:52am PDT

rei-sbmIt's another “On The Road” Edition of the show… recorded “live” in the Copywriting Motorhome somewhere in the hills of South Carolina.

Today we talk about the “BS Lies That Hold You Back”, “Loser's Limp”, and my favorite new internet gizmo.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

And once again, if you have feedback or suggestions I'd really like to hear from you.

You can call in your questions for next show at (509)624-2220 … just tell my receptionist you need to leave a VOICEMAIL message for Ray.

UPDATE: Call in your questions to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Get Ray Edwards in iTunes Podcast

Direct download: RES-SBM004.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 10:45am PDT

rei-sbmThis is the “On The Road” Edition of the show… recorded “live” in a coffee shop. Wow.

Hey it just goes to show you: imperfect action beats perfect contemplation, every time.

For those who are interested, here's the microphone I'm using – I wrongly said in the show it was a Logitech, but it's actually a Plantronics headset.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

And once again, if you have feedback or suggestions I'd really like to hear from you.

What would make the show something you would NOT miss? What would make it a MUST-LISTEN?

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Get Ray Edwards in iTunes Podcast

Direct download: REI-SBM003.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 5:01am PDT

teamMost of us work too hard to really get anything done.

There are many studies that demonstrate that multimillion dollar CEOs spend less than 30 minutes per day doing the work they're actually paid to do.

Why is this?

It's because the higher we go in our levels of responsibility (and this is especially salient for entrepreneurs) the more likely it is we will be interrupted throughout the day by concerns, people, and tasks that are urgent (needs attention from someone immediately) but not necessarily important (needs high-level attention from the entrepreneur, CEO, or manager).

This applies even if you are a freelance worker (or perhaps you started your own online business in your “spare time”).

The key to success on a massive scale is to focus on revenue-generating activities as much as possible.

Here's how you do that…

Focus on Revenue Generation

If you were to analyze your day, you would no doubt discover that less than 20% of your daily activity produces 80% or more of your total revenue.

Another way of looking at this is to realize that 80% of what you do doesn't really contribute to your income in a directly measurable way.

You may be familiar with this as Pareto's Law: “80% of the results typically come from only 20% of the activity”.

Instead of expending a lot of effort trying to change that 20% number to a higher percentage-save 50 or 60%-it might be more useful to consider simply eliminating the 80%.

Sound almost impossible? In fact, you already know how to do this…

Day Before Vacation Phenomena

Have you ever experienced “the day before vacation phenomena”?

You know what I'm talking about.

You're leaving for vacation on, let's say, a Thursday. Have you ever noticed how that Wednesday becomes the most efficient work day you've had in many weeks (perhaps months)?

Have you noticed how, on the day before vacation starts, you get 10 times the work done in a single day?

You've probably also noticed the wonderful euphoric feeling you experience when you walk out of the office on that day… how you feel that everything is in its place, each task is handled, each responsibility delegated to a team member, or at the very least deferred until you get back.

On those days, don't you feel more at peace, in control, and effortlessly productive then on 99% of the other days of the year?

So there it is: your proof that you're actually capable of eliminating the 80% of normal time-wasting, revenue-depressing, stress-inducing activity that makes up most of your days.

Dan, The “No Email Man”

I have a colleague named Dan who doesn't do e-mail.

I don't mean that he does “very little” e-mail… I mean he doesn't do e-mail at all. Doesn't have an e-mail address.

Dan also doesn't have a cell phone. If you want to talk to Dan, you have to call him at his office; his phone is answered by his assistant who deftly protects Dan from time-wasting phone calls and appointments.

In fact, Dan has very few appointments. Yet he is very productive, very receptive and open to talking with people, and runs a multimillion dollar business. He somehow manages to do it while living a sane, orderly, and peaceful life.

So what excuse do the rest of us have?

My 3-Month Experiment

Just a few weeks ago, I wrapped up a three-month experiment.

For three months, my wife and I traveled the United States in our motorhome.

We ran our business in our “spare time” from that motorhome-using laptops, WiFi Internet connections, and UPS stores.

While I will admit it was challenging at times, I can also tell you that on average for that three-month period, I worked about three hours a day (weekdays).

Normally, my work day is anywhere from 8-10 hours long.

It was startling to realize that I could maintain (actually not just maintain, but increase) my net income while working around one third fewer hours.

Now that I'm back in my “normal” environment, I am remaining very conscious of how much time I spend working-versus how much time I spend “being busy”, giving the APPEARANCE of work.

You see, I already know it's possible to maintain my income working only three hours a day.

I should be clear: some days are 12 hour days, and some days are zero-hour days.

It only averages out to three hours per day-it's never as neat as exactly 180 minutes each day. But that misses the point. The point is: what on earth have I been doing with those other 7-9 hours each day?

How bout you?

What could you do with an extra 7-9 hours of discretionary time every single day?

Think about that.

Going Cold Turkey

Last weekend I decided to experiment with my colleague Dan's lifestyle.

My wife and I got in our motorhome once again, and drove about six hours to a lake in Oregon. We visited a state park… where there is no Internet service, and no cell phone signal.

That meant I wasn't able to “sneak in” an e-mail scan, or send out “tweet” on Twitter.

Going cold turkey was interesting.

The first day I was a bit jittery. I experienced some “withdrawal” symptoms.

The second day I experienced a feeling of relaxation I haven't felt in a very long time.

By the third day, I was ready to continue the experiment for another two or three months-however, it was time to come back home!

These “free days”, as Dan Sullivan calls them – are days where you have absolutely no contact with anything work related (cell phone, voice mail, Internet, files, business reading, etc.).

In my experience, “free days” have almost magical powers to renew and revitalize your spirit, body and mind.

Since getting back from my three-day “cold Turkey” experiment, I've been more productive or energetic and more efficient than I have been for a long time.

So those “free days” are now on my calendar every single week; Friday through Sunday are work-free zones.

Having this space to let my mind unwind, to let my spirit relax, allows me to bring back more creativity, energy and enthusiasm to the work I do Monday through Thursday.

I benefit, my family benefits, my clients and their customers all benefit.

Try Your Own Experiment

So what does all this mean to you?

After all, you may or may not have the luxury of spending three months puttering around the USA in your motorhome (we were very blessed by God in being allowed such a privilege).

You may also find it seemingly impossible to take three days a week “off”.

But certainly you could take a single day, couldn't you?

After all, most of the major spiritual traditions of the world include some form of the “day of rest”. I think that is for a very important reason: we were designed to require such a day of rest each week.

So this week-just for this one week – take a single day that is totally free from any work.

For that 24-hour period put yourself on a diet or you don't take in any e-mails, Twitter messages, voice mails, cell phone calls, meetings or work of any kind.

You'll be forced to find other things to do.

Some suggestions that might help you:

  • Take a long walk with someone you love
  • Spend some time over coffee talking
  • Go see a play or movie, read a good (non-work related) book
  • Play a game
  • Go visit an old friend or loved one

While this kind of “slowing down” might be difficult for some of us, I believe the benefits are extraordinary.

But don't take my word for it.

Try it and see for yourself.

An Advanced Experiment

If you are “all in” for taking a single day off in the next week, perhaps you'd also like to try the advanced part of the experiment.

Two ways we fill that 80% of wasted time each week is in doing things that we either (a) don't like to do or (b) are not good at doing.

My suggested “advanced experiment” is to choose three of those things (things you either don't like to do, or that you are not good at) and find someone else to do them for you.

Your three items that you are going to “delegate” or “out-source” could be small and insignificant, or they could be large and important items.

They could be as simple as dusting the bookshelves, or as complex as creating the project plan for a major new initiative in your company. That's up to you.

I'm only asking you to follow some simple directions:

1. Pick something that you're either not good at, or that you don't like to do. And if you want extra credit pick something that fits both of those criteria.

2. Pick something that definitely falls in the “80 percentile group”; something that is not directly revenue-producing for your company or your business.

3. Pick three such “somethings”.

4. Select someone else to take care of these three tasks on your behalf. It can be someone you know personally, who does it simply as a favor to you; it can be someone on your staff to whom you assigned the task; or you can “outsource” the task to someone in another state (or even on another continent) using the Internet. It doesn't really matter who you get to take care of it, it simply matters that it isn't you.

Try your own experiment (as outlined above) – and let me know your thoughts below.

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Direct download: Ray-Edwards-Stop-Working-Hard.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 9:47am PDT

nosignal.jpgThe Story: It's a shame that so many copywriters struggle to get business, when it's so easy to do. (Not to mention the fact that it's not a great advertisement for your skill level. Would you go to a fat doctor for weight loss advice? Get your hair styled by a bald barber? Take financial advice from a broke person?)

The Point: Don't make getting clients harder than it is. Physician, heal thyself!

The Resource:

5 Ways To Get More Clients Now:

1. Send an email.
2. Call people on the phone.
3. Go fishing in the forums.
4. Release a white paper.
5. Do a teleseminar.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

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Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 2:23am PDT

The Question: What do I do if I have all the pieces in place, but I'm not making sales with my website?

The Answer: Improve the architecture of persuasion on your website: change the words!

How To Improve Your Sales With Better Copy:

1. Have your copy reviewed by a professional (NOTE: I no longer offer free consultations at this time – sorry!).

2. Make changes and measure the results.

3. Next step: start a rigorous testing regimen (more on how to do this next time!).

Click for the Podcast Audio:

When Marketing Doesn't Work

Get Ray Edwards in iTunes Podcast

Direct download: day06.mp3
Category:Internet Business -- posted at: 8:22am PDT