By Michael Port

And, it’s not your job to promote me.

Note: this post is dedicated to David Meerman Scott and Scott Stratten. They’ll know why and smile.

We promote each other when we:

a) Like each other
b) Respect each other
c) Believe in each other’s work.

But it’s not my job to do it for you. And it’s not your job to do it for me. Especially when we don’t know each other.

No doubt, our success is primarily based on our ability to inspire others to spread our messages. No doubt, we need each other. And, no doubt, many business are based on partner marketing.

Case in point: my just launched DailySuccessDeals.com. The initial success of the site is, in large part, due to our partners’ willingness to promote it. Over time, the success of the site will be, in large part, based on the customer base that we’ve earned. We’ll then be able to return the support to our partners.

Why are our partners willing to promote?

For some, it’s because they like us AND will make money by promoting the site. However, for all, it’s because of the relationship we’ve developed over time. We support each other. We believe in each other. We respect each other.

But, it’s not their job to promote me. And, it’s not my job to promote them. We do it because we want to.

Partner Telesummit Breakdown

I bring this up because I was asked to participate in a “telesummit” where, my participation in the event required that I promote it. And, this is not the first time. It’s maybe, like, oh, say…the 500th time.

Here’s what happened. Since I didn’t know the host of the event, I asked my assistant to relay the message that I would be happy to do the event (and bring my A game) but that I would not guarantee a promotion to my email newsletter subscribers. That I might send out a few tweets and/or mention it on Facebook but that I would not guarantee any email promotion. Here is the response she received:

Hi Jaimie,

I very much appreciate your prompt reply to my invitation for Michael to be featured in my Summit in May.

Unfortunately, if Michael is unable to guarantee a solo promotion, then I will need to invite someone else in that spot. It is one of the conditions for participation and I want to ensure consistency with all my guests. I do look forward to potentially working with Michael in the future, in some different capacity.

Thanks again, – please extend my thanks to Michael for even considering this opportunity.

Sincerely,

Name redacted

The email was very respectful in tone and I appreciate the initial request to participate in the event. And, I respect that the host has a way of doing business that works for them.

I am grateful for any and all invitation to share my work. I never take them for granted. In fact, I’m honored when I get these invitations so please keep sending them.

Sometimes I agree to participate because I think it’s going to be a well-attended, impressive event. Sometimes I agree to participate because I think the host is sincere and talented and I want to offer my name and time in support. And, sometimes, I agree to participate just because a friend is hosting the event.

And that’s the key. Rarely do any of these telesummits, “increase my exposure” – as the invitation usually promises.

I’m happy promote, support, endorse the work of budding business owners as well as seasoned vets but, in either case, it’s not my job.

I guess the video that Scott Stratten and I made called, “The Biggest Mistake People Make When Offering Telesummits,” didn’t get enough exposure. Maybe we should do a telesummit?

Final note. I say “yes,” to 90% of the invitations I get. And, often let the people I serve know that I’m participating in the event. I just respectfully request that you honestly tell me why you want me to participate up front and how it will help you. You don’t need to tell me why it will help me. Let me make that determination.

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By Michael Port

Thankfully, it was a dream. A very bad dream. A nightmare really. I can still see it with impecable detail. I was in my kitchen, which wasn’t actually my kitchen, as is typical in dreams, and I saw a short man with wild, curly, brown hair wearing a green army-like jacket walking with purpose up the front stairs.

The intention in his gait immediately made me nervous. Something didn’t feel right. I knew the front door was unlocked and quickly thought to run and lock it. But my feet were stuck. Glued to the floor. Also, even though I intuitively felt something was wrong with the situation, I was worried about making the man feel bad by locking him out. What if my instincts where flawed and he was a good man?

Turns out that I was correct. He walked directly through the door and pulled out a gun. A small .38 caliber snub-nosed pistol. Not a very threatening looking weapon but his confidence was menacing. I felt utterly feckless and helpless. The next thing I remember was calling the pizza place and ordering two slices. They delivered two large pies instead. What can I say? It was a dream.

I woke from the dream at 4:05AM and my first thought was that I needed to buy a handgun to protect myself. Maybe a 9mm? That should do it. I started having fantasies of protecting my son by hiding him in a closet and then, with righteous force, holding the intruder at bay. Making him get down on his knees while I searched him for weapons. Then ordering him to lie face-down on the ground with his arms and legs spread.

Here’s the thing. I’ve never wanted to own a gun. I’ve never wanted a gun in my house. The idea of keeping a gun in my house doesn’t make me feel safer but rather less safe. I have my reasons. For this post, they’re not important. This is not a post about gun control or gun rights.

What I’d like you to consider was how reactionary I was to the dream. It’s how we respond to many problems, concerns and even opportunities, isn’t it? Rather then thoughtfully and rationally responding to the situation we react based on fear.

Reactionary, rebellious, behavior is one of the most common causes of breakdown in business. If we want to do big things in the world it helps to respond to changes in our environment, situational stresses, and unexpected outcomes, with calm, collected, and thoughtful responses influenced by our principles and strategic vision.

If we throw out our plan every time something scares us or disregard our principles when faced with adversity, what do we have? We have nothing. Just a shell of a person without direction and purpose.

Think big. Stand for something. Stick with it. Don’t be derailed by the common currency of small thoughts.

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By Michael Port

Looking back on my life, there isn’t much I regret. I live by the saying, “The measure of  a man is not how well he starts, but how well he finishes.”

But, there is one thing. I regret not finishing my acting career. I threw up my hands and quit. I was so close. I was right on the cusp of big time success…and I quit.

In 1997, I was a 20-something earning a living as an actor. That put me in the top 1% of the Screen Actors Guild. I put everything into my acting career. I attended one of the best graduate schools in the country. I had a great agent. I was guest starring roles on most of the TV shows you know.

Nonetheless, I quit. I couldn’t take the rejection. I didn’t like waiting around or leaving my future in the hands of others. And, to be brutally honest, I had the idea in my head that people look down on actors. So, I gave up and quit.

I remember the day I told my agent. I heard a thunk (quite literally) when her jaw hit the floor. She knew how close I was. Far more so than I did, because I didn’t do that last little bit to go forward. I was right at the cusp of going from working actor to big time actor.

I tell you this story–and, it’s not one I often tell–because I don’t want you to look back on your life and have a shred of regret. I don’t want you to quit…whatever it is you’re doing…unless you have a more important dream. Then quit the worthless thing and pursue the worthwhile thing.

It takes far more fortitude to finish something than it does to start it.

Now, it’s likely you are feeling pressure in the business you started. You may feel stalled, waiting and just hoping for your big break to come. The economy is contracted. Lots of people are starting to feel tired. But, we cannot quit. We will not give up.

Sure, you might say, it’s easier for me because I’ve been doing this for some time and have a “brand” name in my field. But I, too, am working harder than I ever have before to find new way to innovate, build the business, extend my brand and be of service to you. I want to help you do the same.

You’ve heard that frightening statistic out there that more than 80% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. It’s true. However, the common perception is that these businesses fail because the marketplace is so competitive and success is like a blip over the horizon. But, I see it differently.

I think 80% of business owners fail in the first 5 years because they haven’t made a non-reversible, do whatever it takes, no holds barred, beyond a shadow of a doubt, absolutely no going back, stick to it like super glue commitment to finishing what they start–to make their business work.

Think bigger about what you want to start and finish in the world. Carry on. Get more clients. Make all the money you desire and deserve. I know you can do it. But, you’ve got to make a non-reversible commitment to yourself, your family and your business, right now. I love to serve and support you.

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By Michael Port

Your think big revolution starts today and tomorrow. It started yesterday. These 9 statements are your proclamation, call to action, inspiration, and catalyst. Start your day with them. Start your revolution.

I will stand for something.

I will identify what I stand for through a concerted process of self-questioning and exploration to discover my core, the what that is so me.

I will make public what I stand for. I will hold myself visibly accountable each day to its letter and spirit.

I will be independent

I will be comfortable with who I am right now and know that I am good enough.

I will use my innate talents and gifts to do big things in the world. I will not give up in the face of others’ fear or disbelief.

I will collaborate.

I will be a person others want to work with.

I will work with others without hidden or selfish intent to accomplish our mutual goals in the service of what each of us stands for.

I will be comfortable with discomfort.

I will not seek control.

I will make visible my purpose, make promises in its service, and take risks to fulfill my commitments.

I will make promises and fulfill them.

I will be an authentic person, one whom others can rely on.

I will make hard promises that push me to the best of my capacity.

I will not try to fulfill. I will.

I will submit to authority to be an authority.

I am here to learn.

I will deliberately seek out wise and true teachers and submit to the authority of the constraints they create in the service of our goals.

I will be in integrity.

I will be congruent in private and in public, in purpose and in action. I will act in the spirit, light, and service of what I stand for.

I will be strong.

I am a warrior.

I will train to be strong psychologically, intellectually, and physically, so that I may have the fortitude to do the big things I am capable of.

I will have fun.

I will embrace chaos and joy.

I will let go of the false notion of control and laugh at the inevitable absurdity of existence, mine above all.

I will do all of this now.

I will be now. I am now.

I will not wait for the other in the false security of excuses and procrastination.

I will do it now.

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By Michael Port

I recently wrote a post about how I increased email newsletter conversion by 76.5% on MichaelPort.com. Now I’ve increased email newsletter sign up by 167% on BookYourselfSolid.com. Yes, that’s 167%.

As you can see, I’ve been doing focused website optimizing and I’ll have even more examples to share over the coming weeks and months. Today, I’m going to describe exactly what I did to increase my opt-in results by 167% on BookYourselfSolid.com.

I am using a process called A/B split testing. As a reminder, A/B split testing gives you an opportunity to test one version of a web page against another version of a web page. “A” refers to the original or baseline version of your page and “B” refers to the alternative or challenger version.

A/B split tests can be conducted on individual page elements such as a call-to-action, an offer, or a headline. They can also be used to compare completely different versions of a web page. The simplest and most cost effective way to start testing your website pages, to increase opt-in conversions and sales, is to test individual or specific elements as I did in the following example.

How the Test Worked

I used Google Website Optimizer (free) to test two different variations of BookYourselfSolid.com.

BookYourselfSolid.com Variation A

Half of the visitors to the site were shown this page.

BookYourselfSolid.com Variation B

The other half of the visitors where shown this page.

After the visiter clicked on the “Click Here” botton they were shown this page.

Which Test Won?

If you guessed Variation B, you’d be right. Variation B demonstrated a marked improvement over Variation 1. In fact, Variation B was proven to have a 98.6% chance of outperforming Variation A with an increase in email opt-ins by 167%. Wow. Do you realize how many more newsletter subscribers I can earn over weeks, months, and years with this second variation?

You probably guessed that Variation B would be more effective because it gives the visitor fewer options. Here’s the thing, however, I don’t typically like what are commonly refereed to as “squeeze” pages because I want to give visitors the opportunity to choose where they’d like to go and what they’d like to do. But, you can’t deny the results.

I should note, however, that Variation B does give the visitor the option to go to the home page or the blog instead of opting-in to receive the two free chapters of Book Yourself Solid along with the newsletter.

I’ll continue to test various elements of my sites and bring you the results. The next one I’ll detail will be a “social proof” test on MichaelPort.com.

If you’ve run similar tests, tell me about them in the comments. If you haven’t yet run a split test, maybe you’d like to try one today?

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By Michael Port

Conversations that make things happen include people that: 

• Are willing and able to do the work being discussed.
• Clearly articulate, explain and agree upon specific deliverables.
• Openly negotiate, define, commit to, and document specific due dates and times.
• Eagerly discuss difficult issues with compassion and empathy.
• Keep their conversations short and focused on the above only.

When you look at what’s included in conversations that make things happen, it seems pretty simple. So, why do most of our conversations include people that:

• Don’t ask questions to define objectives and create clarity.
• Make loose or nonexistent commitments.
• Complain about what’s not working rather than working to find solutions.
• Feel the need to demonstrate that they’re working harder than others or know better than others.
• Won’t carry their weight and take risks.
• Aren’t willing to learn new skills.
• Waste time telling stories that make others out to be the bad guys getting in the way of making things work.

Are some people good and others bad? That’s the common consideration but I don’t think so. That would be quite cynical. Rather, I think these are learned behaviors. And, if they’re learned behaviors, they can be unlearned. 

Maybe you’ll consider sharing this with your team, the people you work with, and your friends who have big dreams. If you all print it out and tape it up wherever you have conversations about work. It may just help them (and you) make big things happen. 

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By Michael Port

When you own your own small business, you are faced with many problems to solve and decisions to make. Some are are strategic. Some are tactical. Some are work/life balance related.

Typically, at the beginning of the business, we face big strategic decisions. Which target market should I serve? How should I decide on my offering? How should I brand myself? And more.

As we grow, we often face further strategic and tactical decisions, of course, but also management, operations, and lifestyle issues.

I feel many of the issues we face or the problems that surface, are personal problems in disguise. I don’t, necessarily, mean, deep-seated, psychological issues, although, that may be the case.

Rather, more often than not, our personally, our style, or way of being has great impact on the way our business develops, the way it’s run and its potential for the future.

If different aspects of our personality, or way of being, don’t support the various business management and development requirements, of running a business, those areas of the business will suffer.

For example, I’m (generally) a strategic, futuristic thinker who communicates well. But, I’m also impatient, impulsive and behave in extreme ways. The strategic, futuristic thinker, who communicates well, can do big things. However, impatient, impulsive, and extreme behavior can derail even the best strategic planning, futuristic creative thinking and effective communication.

Does that mean I’m doomed? Of course not. Can I change my ways of being? Possibly, to a certain extent. But, my potentially disruptive personality traits are simply part of who I am.

How do I deal with them? I start by admitting that these personality traits get in my way, then work to understand them, manage them and constrain them so that I can exploit my strengths.

If I know my limitations and the personality traits that are not conducive to the kind of success I’ve determined is important to me—a balanced, steady and constantly maturing and evolving business—then I can manage against them. The best way, I’ve found, for managing and contraining these issues, is by working with, and collaborating with, people that don’t have these particular personality dynamics and also have complimentary strengths.

I don’t believe there are 3-easy-steps to overcoming every business problem since many of them are personal problems in disguise. But, I do think that self-reflection, and a willingness to deal with these issues, is the best first step. From there, we simply get up every day and graciously work to solve the problems we face. That includes both long-term strategic problems and short term tactical, managerial, and work/life balance problems.

That’s the job of a business owner. Solving problems, both personal and professional. Can you do it daily?

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By Michael Port

People often ask me what I would do if I were starting business today. My answer has always been, “Follow the steps I outlined in Book Yourself Solid.” Cheeky, I know. The follow up question usually goes something like this, “Yes, I know, Michael, but can you condense the 90,000 words into, like, a couple of things?” Well, here’s goes, nothing… 

If I was dropped by helicopter into a town where I knew no one, and no one knew me I would develop and market my offering by: 

1. Deciding who I will serve (target market).
2. Getting crystal clear on the big result I will provide.
3. Developing a process that will produce that big result for that market.
4. Creating a brand and packaging, for that process (and me).
5. Building a simple website that told the story of my offering and started a conversation with potential clients.
6. Identifying the 20 most influential people in that market and begin building relationships with them.
7. Choosing, either the speaking or writing strategy, to super-charge my marketing (for me it would be speaking), and finding the meeting planners or organizers, who could put me in front of my target audience, and begin reaching out to them

Within 6-months, I’d be booked solid. And, so can you. 

That’s a total of 7 things you can do to start your business today. It doesn’t mean you can get out of reading the book, though. 

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By Michael Port

Increasing sales is what you want. And you probably want easy tactics that let you generate more leads close more sales. You want to quickly and easily fill your business or practice with a never-ending stream of ideal clients, clients that energize and inspire you and, most importantly, allow you to do your best work.

Sales Resources

If you’re just getting started and your need more clients or you’ve been in business for years and you need improve your sales to close more business, this list of sales resources will ignite your passion and help you accomplish your dreams.

• Improve Email Opt-In Conversion by 167%. Here’s How…
• How to Sell More When You’ve Got the Skinny
• How to Use Free Sessions to Book 65% More Business
• Why People Buy – Anything and Everything
• Super Simple Selling (the Book Yourself Solid Way)
• The 8 Types of Buyers and How to Successfully Sell to Them
• How to Promote More Than One Product or Service at a Time
• The Difference: Low Price Point vs. High Price Point
• How to Create a Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle (plus audio)
• When (and How) to Raise Your Prices
• Bait and Switch Sales-Sky Radio Network and American Airlines
• Give Them More to Love
• How to Overcome Objections
• Save the Sale with Service

Continue to Close More Sales

These sales resources and articles about closing sales will help you no matter what stage of business you are in.

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By Michael Port

Getting more clients is what you want. And you probably want easy tactics that let you generate more leads and book more business. You want to quickly and easily fill your business or practice with a never-ending stream of ideal clients, clients that energize and inspire you and, most importantly, allow you to do your best work.

Lead Generation Resources

If you’re just getting started and you need more clients or you’ve been in business for years and you need to kick up your lead generation to grow your business with more clients, this list of lead generation resources will ignite your passion for booking yourself solid.

• 4 Simple Steps to Build Your Network and Get More Clients
• A Step-By-Step Process for Creating Information Products to get more clients.
• Want More Clients? It’s Not My Job to Promote You
• Of Course You Want More Clients, But No One Wants to Hear Your Elevator Speech
• The Only 7 Things You Need to Do If Starting Your Business Today to Get More Clients
• 4 Simple Steps to Building Your Network to Get Booked Solid
• The Better Way to Choose a Target Market If You Want More Clients Fast
• More Clients When You Know the Difference Between Target Market and Niche
• How to Talk About What You Do to Get More Clients Fast
• Two Reasons You Don’t Have As Many Clients As You Want
• How to Get More Clients with Michael Port, David Frey, and Meredith Liepelt
• When You Want More Clients You Need Know Who You Want To Know
• Choosing a Target Market is a Must for Getting More Clients
• Why Doesn’t Everyone Get Booked Solid with Ideal Clients?
• The Most Important Source of Referrals for More Clients
• How NOT to do Direct Outreach if You Want More Clients

Continue to Get More Clients

If you want to learn how to get more clients and stay inspired while continuing to market a small business keep coming back for more!

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