WHAT I LEARNED THIS YEAR

December 31, 2008

What a year Huh? Got a lot to say so you might want to either print this one or grab a pad and coffee. Ready?

First let me start by saying the obvious– This year SUCKED! But some actually had a good year. Actually staying even is probably considered a good year. Here’s what I learned this year.

1. I’ve got a great wife and two great kids. This year has been a challangeing one and if you don’t have a spouse and family who are supportive than you are in BIG TROUBLE! See its the bad times and challanges that really show you how strong ( or weak) your relationships are. Anyone can support you when you are doing well… In fact that’s usually the time that you find all of your friends coming out of the woodwork.

2. YOU CAN ONLY CHOOSE TO BE A VICTIM - There is so much going on right now that you need to stake your position and focus on the goals and going forward. While I am writing this I am looking at 3 stones I have had on my desk for the last 20 plus years and have always guided me well!

” WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN OR THINK YOU CAN’T — YOU ARE RIGHT”

“REAL LEADERS ARE ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH EXTRAORIDINARY DETERMINATION”

“SOME PEOPLE MAKE THINGS HAPPEN- SOME PEOPLE WATCH THINGS HAPPEN- SOME PEOPLE WONDER WHAT JUST HAPPENED”

You might want to re-read those and put them somewhere that is visible to you each day like I do!

3. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PARTNERS- You may know that I have multiple businesses , many exceeding several million dollars in gross receipts. Some I own , some I am partners in. They are in different fields and most have been grown with very little investment into HUGE BUSINESSES.

My wife pointed out to me that I have always worked best when I control my destiny. She’s right!  What about you? Have you asked yourself serious questions like that?

One of the businesses I sold a few years ago is now coming back to me! So you can never ever get tooooo comfortable– The one thing I know is that you should always expect the best to happen but be prepared for the worst to happen.. In other words always have a plan B. At some point you will need it.

5. I AM UNEMPLOYABLE this is another thing I know about myself. I don’t take orders or direction well from people I don’t respect. This is actually tied into BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TO! Only listen to positive people who are making more than you and have the qualities you aspire to.

One of my partners in one of my businesses that I always had a tremendous amount of respect for has shown me a very negative side. You just really never ever know so the  lesson here it to always know your exit before you enter– Good thing to keep in mind with your investments as well.

6. Things can go south quick and you need to be prepared! Enough said!

7. DON’T INVEST IN THINGS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT—This is actually what made Warren Buffet the richest man in the world. My childrens college funds have been crushed and my 401 k is now a  101k. The good news is that I wasn’t invested with Bernie Madoff- but it looks like the same devastation when I look at my statements…

I always invested with what I thought to be “smart” money managers. They tell me everyone has lost a ton of money and of course I know that’s true. But it is still insulting to not only lose money but pay someone for the privilege of losing money. Guess its still better than keeping it all in cash…?????

8.  I had ( in the process of still having ) a BIG MEDICAL SCARE… To be honest I haven’t lead the most healthy lifestyle. — a bit overweight- type triple A personality and a heavy smoker — and oh , did I mention I belong to gym but have only been there 3 times this past year.

Well I just got a BIG wake up call! and am finally aware of the fact that I am not as invincible as I thought. Guess some of that comes with age( mid -forties)  but if you are young you really do feel invincible.

9. ONE OF THE BIGGEST “AHA’s” OF THE YEAR for me as a marketer is that you need to provide value before you ask anyone for anything!

– So there are some of the things I learned — As you can see I have learned most of them the hard way. That’s always been the way I learn– from doing — not studying !

HERE’S WHAT 2009 LOOKS LIKE

– I have a target of losing 20 pounds and improving my health.

- I will be starting a community of serious originators and providing them with a “formulaic” way of generating income regardless of the market or the economy — more info at www.loanofficerformula.com

It’s actually a good site for anyone in any business…

- I will be getting out of some of those bad partnerships I mentioned

- I will continue studying and using the skills I feel are some of the most important to have if you want to be a success in anything ( business/personally)
They are salesmanship- persuasion- marketing- wealth creation and preservation

So what are you going to do ? Leave your comments below.

One of the rituals I perform every December 31st is to write out my plans ( goals) for the coming year. But I don’t stop there! I actually write down every specific of what it looks like having attained them. Then I go on to think about the resources I have and the resources I will need.

Finally I create an exact MAP of everything I need to do in order to get from where I am now to the written goal.

Try it! There is tremendous power in doing this. Then I review this overall plan daily and weekly to see how I ‘m doing. BY THE WAY– It’s totally ok to amend the route or even the plan. Sometimes you achieve a goal only to be let down that it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. That’s actually exactly how I am feeling in one of my partnerships.. It’s a goal thousands have and now that I have attained it I am actually very much let down to know this person’s public persona is not their real one…. Oh well - live and learn!

 

Now go ahead and let me know what your challanges and goals are…

OOOPS– I almost forgot — I have committed to reading a book or course a week on the topics I mentioned above– salesmanship- wealth creation- persuasion - marketing.

I’ll keep you posted on what I ‘ve been reading in case you want to grab a copy yourself.

Here’s to a healthy , happy and of course prosperous 2009.

Brian Sacks

PS– One of the best items you “should” get your hands on right now is THE PHENOMENON(tm)
It is a very formulaic strategy for acheiveing more in the next 12 months. Learning these proven tactics really “changes the game” It did for me and I know it will for you too..

www.brian.in12months.com

Of course you can calso check out the resources on the resources page above too.. Hope you enjoyed this post and I would love your feedback!

PPS– This thought really should (and probably will be its own post) but since this year was so crappy it’s worth mentioning in closing.
How you handle failures DETERMINES your success!!!!  Please re-read that!

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

December 22, 2008

From:  Brian Sacks

Subject:  The ‘Elephant’ in the Room…

 

 

What is the ‘elephant’ in the room?

 

The elephant is…the economy.

 

And more specifically, the dreaded ‘R’ word – recession.

 

What’s going on?

 

Foreclosures are at an all-time high. 

 

Banks with large portfolios of sub-prime mortgages are failing in record numbers.

 

Some of the biggest and most well-known brokerages and insurance companies are being either sold, taken over, or bailed out by the US government.

 

People are losing their jobs and struggling to pay skyrocketing gas and grocery prices.

 

With all of this confusion, Wall Street is reeling and investor confidence is shaken.  And if that’s not bad enough, many so called ‘experts’ on the economy say the ‘sky is falling’ and it’s only going to get worse.

 

Is the ‘elephant’ affecting YOU and your business?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

 

As a matter of fact there is a better way to fight the ‘elephant’ in the room and since you’re one of my online friends, I’m happy to let you in on a ‘secret’. 

 

DAN KENNEDY, the world’s #1 marketing consultant and best-selling author, has squashed his share of ‘elephants’ in the room over the past 30 years.

 

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The GOOD NEWS is that I’ve convinced Dan to give you $613.91 of his BEST Money-Making and Marketing Information for FREE…but his is NOT an open-ended offer.  Dan can only make this offer to a LIMITED number of people and once that limit is reached, the deal is history. 

 

         ======> FreeGiftFrom.com/briansacks     <======      

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But if you think the economy isn’t affecting your business, you might want to consider that your customers and prospects are being bombarded with ‘doom & gloom’ messages about how bad the economy is and the coming recession. 

 

They’re hearing these messages day after day after day.  And they’re probably having frequent conversations about the ‘elephant’ with their friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers too.  The ‘elephant’ is a constant topic of stories on television, on the radio, in newspapers & magazines. 

 

Surrounded by all this negativity, your prospects and customers can’t help but be affected.  It’s human nature to react with caution and cut back on spending…or at least be more careful about what they spend their money on.

 

No matter how hard you try, unless you’re hiding under a rock, you can’t escape the ‘elephant’ in the room.  So what do you do about it?

 

You could bury your head in the sand like an ostrich, ignore it, and hope you’re still standing when the dust settles…but hoping is NEVER a good strategy for success. 

 

Wouldn’t it be a better idea to be more proactive?  Isn’t there a better way to deal with the ‘elephant’ in the room before it squashes you? 

 

If you’re not familiar with Dan, let me give you the quick run-down.  As a marketing consultant, he has worked hands-on with clients in 136 different product, service, and business categories.

 

In the information publishing field, he has literally guided hundreds of start-ups to multi-million dollar annual sales.  And to be honest, studying Dan’s material has been largely responsible for my success.

 

He routinely commands fees of $19,000.00 per day for private consulting, $45,000.00 to as much as $75,000.00 plus royalties to write an ad campaign, series of sales letters or other marketing materials.  Over 80% of all clients who utilize his services once opting to do so repeatedly.  And he’s got people waiting in line begging to pay those fees because the value he delivers far exceeds the fees.

 

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So please don’t delay.  I strongly urge you to claim $613.91 of DAN KENNEDY’s best Money-Making & Marketing Information for FREE before it’s too late by visiting: FreeGiftFrom.com/briansacks before it’s too late.

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To Your Sales Success,

 

Brian Sacks

 

P.S.  The ‘elephant’ in the room is the economy.  Don’t let the ‘elephant’ squash you or your business.  And even if your business hasn’t been affected by the ‘elephant’ yet, wouldn’t it be wise to be proactive and be prepared BEFORE the situation changes?

 

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+   To Claim $613.91 of Dan Kennedy’s BEST Money-   +  +   Making & Marketing Information for FREE, visit       +                 +                                                                                          +

+           ====>      FreeGiftFrom.com/briansacks         <====     +

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DAN KENNEDY is the word’s #1 marketing strategist and a best-selling author.  Dan has seen (and defeated) his share of ‘elephants’ over the past 30 years.  Dan’s marketing strategies have worked for himself and his clients in some of the most demanding sales environments (like infomercials, insurance industry, and even recessions) with outstanding results…imagine what they’ll do for you!

 

Dan is giving away $613.91 of his BEST Money-Making & Marketing Information for FREE…but only to a LIMTED NUMBER of people so I urge you to ACT QUICKLY before it’s too late. 

 

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+         To see what all the excitement is about, visit:         
  FreeGiftFrom.com/briansacks  <====           

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PPPS– Have you checked out last weeks post — WHAT A MESS? check it out now and leave your feedback on how YOU Deal with it !

WHAT A MESS….

December 18, 2008

During this time of year when things usually slow down I often take some time to just clean things up.. .

The e-mails I meant to open but never got around to.

The books that are half read or still in the amazon box

The newsletters I just never finished digesting sitting in a pile..

Don’t get me wrong- I consume a ton of information on topics like salesmanship,marketing off line and on-line , persuasion etc.

CAN YOU RELATE?

Education is critical to growth which is critical to the bottom line of earnings !

I made a Resolution to myself this year to find a way of digesting only the “Good MEATY  THINGS I NEED TO KNOW” instead of all the time most articles,videos, courses waste  just getting to the point..

Sort of like just eating the food without spending the hours preparing and cleaning up. Guess what we want is efficiency and effectiveness..

You know — Just get to the point- Tell me what I need to know and let’s get started doing it..

I JUST FOUND A TOOL I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU !

I’ve been searching for a way to digest all of the important parts of books and beign able to skip all of the fluff….

GOOD NEWS– I found one   http://goBrevity.com/SmallBusiness/?x=1987771

Been thru 3 of their book summaries so far and I LOVE THEM !!!! They are exactly what I was looking for .. short- give me the meat– let’s move on to doing it.

Guess Amazon and several newsletter publishers won’t be too thrilled but I sure am. So no more mess for me in 2009…

Since this will be one of my last posts for the year I want to wish you and yours a happy- healthy and of course prosperous 2009!

Many of you have written in with nice comments of the benefits you have gotten from this blog– THANKS..

Others have wondered about some of the tools I use and where I learned some of the marketing tactics I use…

SO HERE IS A SHORT LIST>>>>>

1. Here is a tool I use ( really cheap) to add audio to my websites and marketing pieces - i also use this to allow my clients to call in testimonials.. think about it. You want testimonials but people hate to write– much easier to call in to a number and just leave it as a message.. PLUS — you can now have some transcribed and used as written testinonials and others can be played as audios giving you that multi- media effect.

http://www.loanofficerformula.com/ag

 

2. The secrets To achieving more in your next 12 months.. This is a program that has been viewed by over 37000 people worldwide. This is truly a tool to make 2009 your best year ever! Knowing these secrets has helped me immensly - actually changed my life and will for you too !

www.brian.in12months.com

3. A newsletter I always read– It’s like a mini marketing seminar each month with samples of what’s working. Plus there is a special gift just for saying maybe.

www.freegiftfrom.com/briansacks

4. The best source I have found if you have a website and need traffic to it that converts to what you are offering. In my opinion the guys a little nuts for offering at such a low price– but I guess he knows what he’s doing.. Either way- I’m not gonna tell him

This is like “ninja” kind of stuff– so it might not be right for you .. But I can tell you it works.. Go here if you want to check out yourself

http://www.trafficsecrets.com/brians/v3.html

5. Last is an on-line webinar I created especially for these tough times that shows you 11 FREE/LOW COST Ways To Generate New Business .. Instantly.

You can use them if you offer a service or a product. Gotta tell you … These are tested tactics that i use.. Now is NOT the time to stop marketing.. Quite the opposite.. You need to market harder now… My backround is as a mortgage banker and trainer- but these strategies work if you are a doctor , have a retail store, provide a service to consumers or business …

I know you won’t use all of them - But my hope is that you will try a few… because they can really change the game for you — especially during these challenging times.

http://profitandwealth.com/webinars/2008-10-14/

 

Guess that’s it for now… Happy Holidays- and here’s to a great 2009

Would love your comments– Tell me what you want to know the most about.. what do you think of the tools..????

Dedicated To Increasing Your Profits,

Brian Sacks

PS– IF you are a loan officer– watch your e-mail for a new program called

www.loanofficerformula.com that I putting the final touches on!

Want To Increase The POWER of Your Site or Marketing Pieces Online

December 13, 2008

Most web sites are text- But many people only respond when they can HEAR things. They are called AUDITORIES and they will only respond when they can ‘hear ” it. Here is an inexpensive yet highly effective tool you can use to add audio to your own site. You can even use this tool to send audio postcards or other messages to your clients and prospects.

BEST of all — you don’t need to be a “geek” to use it.. even I can!

Try It For FREE!

What Would You Do ? and Some Tools

December 13, 2008

One of my favorite shows is “EARL” which is a funny look at Karma and how what goes around comes around.

Well this morning I had one of those situations. I went for my regular Dunkin Donuts coffee and I gave the guy a $5.00 bill. He gave me change back for a $20.00.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?

Let me know by hitting the comments below- Here’s what I did. I gave it right back to him. No guessing.. No Thinking .. Nothing.
Yes ,even during the holiday season with all the bad economic news and everyone feeling it in the pocket ( where it really hurts) I never gave it a second thought.

See to me keeping that money is no different than walking in the store with a gun and helping myself to the cash in his register.

NOW ON TO SOME MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION

One of the most intriguing ideas/concepts for me is that of persuasion. How to get others to do what you want them to AND still have them feel good about it. I have posted some of the ideas here on the blog so go check them out if you haven’t already. BUt you will be hearing alot more from me on this topic so stay tuned.

For right now though let me share with you the IMPORTANT point that you must sell to people the way they WANT to buy,… Not the way YOU want to sell.

There are 3 ways people like to buy .

AUDIO/VISUALS — see things  KINESTHTETICS- need to touch and feel — AUDITORIES need to hear it.

One of the biggest reasons you might not be getting the results you want in your marketing — either off line or on-line is because you are only using one of those methods.

In fact— It is one of the mistakes I am making with this blog.. It is only for visuals.. So in the future I hope to some audios and some videos.

I found a really cool - easy to use- inexpensive tool that will allow you to easily add audio to your own sites. It ’s called audio generator and you can go check it out yourself.

http://www.loanofficerformula.com/ag

While we are on the topic of tools– One of the things you MUST have is a website.The problem - as I’m sure you know is that you need traffic to that site. There is one expert I turn to when I want the coolest and most up - to -date information on getting traffic- This guy actually does it — not just teaches it–

His name is John Reese and I persoanlly own every program he has ever created. He stays mostly under the radar– actually creating sites and makeing money- But he has come out with a new course recently..

This is like “ninja” kind of stuff– so it might not be right for you .. But I can tell you it works.. Go here if you want to check out yourself

http://www.trafficsecrets.com/brians/v3.html

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UPDATES

———————————————

As we wind down the year some are sayng things may get tougher? What do you think? Here’s what you should be doing– It’s what I do— Prepare for the worst and work at making it the best. I know it’s easier said than done ! But try it anyways !

– In 2009 I will be starting a new membership site for originators /realtors call www.theloanofficerformula.com  ( it’s not up yet but I will keep you posted — Think you’ll love it if you are a loanofficer- but you will also benefit from it regardless of what you sell.
BTW– One of the things successful people do is take what’s working in a different industry and apply it in their industry– this is one of the things I do all the time… with great success.

Back to 2009- I know most have cut their marketing budgets to the bone. Well - How do you expect to get business if no one knows about you ? A few months ago I decided to reveal 11 FREE/LOW COST WAYS TO GENERATE NEW BUSINESS >>> INSTANTLY

It sold out quickly but I recorded it — If this is something that interests you here’s the link:

http://profitandwealth.com/webinars/2008-10-14/

 

Comes with a NO -RISK GUARANTEE / A Cool bonus I think everyone should have . I do need to warn you though - this session has over 80 slides and goes for about 90 minutes - So it’s jampacked with info.

 

Happy Holidays,

Brian Sacks

PS– What would you like to see me cover here? Leave me a comment !

OOOOOPS ! - Sorry - I almost forgot. It ’s almost the end of the year and I often get asked “What Should I do to make next year  a good one? Especially now !”
There is a “formulaic ” way to make your next 12 months the best ever… Watch My story and you’ll see how I created a PHENOMENON experience and you can too.  Its a 3 minute clip right on the front page at the right of the page…

The Mindset- Do You Do This too??

December 3, 2008

My wife is finally getting her wish– She is getting a new kitchen. So for the past 3 weeks we have had workmen marching in and out of our house every day. Things are in a total state of disarray and all of our routines are a little screwed up.

THERE IS A BIG LESSON HERE

Every morning I get up really early and take my medicine /vitamins etc .. then take a shower and leave for work. But for the last few weeks my vitamins are upstairs, my medicine is downstairs in my office and other rooms are totally blocked off due to the construction.

This morning in the shower it dawned on me. I actually feel a little dumb admitting that because this is something you and I both know but this situation highlighted it for me.

READY? HERE IS A SUCCESS KEY…

If you have a habit that is holding you back from getting where you want to be than interrupt your routine. That is what has happened to me these past few weeks. I have been forced to break my routine…

So I have been forced to create a new routine. Let me give you some examples.

1. One of things I like to do each and every morning is read 3 papers and grab a dunkin donuts coffee. It wasn’t always my routine , but I believe the more you invest in your education ( time and money wise) the wealthier you will be.

For many years my routine was dictated by whatever i had on my plate and often courses I had bought and newspapers and magazines just piled up on my desk unread.. often unopened.

I wanted to change this — so I BROKE THE ROUTINE.

Instead of letting my day dictate what I do I now invest 1-2 hours each morning reading/listening/ watching — educating myself BEFORE anything else.

I love everything on persuasion - copywriting - salesmanship- marketing and on-line tools and tactics as well as general business and wealth creation.

If something is keeping you back– break your routine and change it

Brian Sacks

BTW- The one motto I have always lived by is ” If it’s going to be … it’s up to me”

PS- Would love your comments below– tell me what you think !

PPS- If you are interested in what I read and the places I get my information from go to the resources page above and also  check out www.whatiused.com and some of the books and guest experts on that resources page.

PPPS- I know some on this blog are mortgage originators — WELL SOME BIG NEWS COMING in late Decemeber or early Janruary so stay tuned.

In the inerim– see the resources I posted for you at www.profitin09.com I will be taking that page down very soon.. In fact whether you are a mortgage originator or not really doesn’t matter– what I am teaching there is applicable to anyone selling any service or product..

My whole life story is up there .. in great detail .. the good the bad the ugly * there was a lot of ugly*** in the report at the bottom…

go to www.profitin09.com

I really wanted to finish this post already — BUT — there is another lesson here.
One of the reasons you might want to check out the pages I just mentioned is that successful people in any industry take what’s working in one industry and apply it to their industry- * you might want to re-read that– it’s a BIG IDEA— ! Most are too narrow minded to see that But I already know you are smart . How? Well your one of my subscribers aren’t you ?

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