Volume IV • Number 7 • July 2016 • $97
A Packing List FOR THE FUTURE
Are You ResultsOriented? expert interview with
MAIL, MAIL, THE GANG’S ALL HERE
Parthiv Shah
Business Success Architect
July 2016
ABOUT STEVE
About the Publisher, Steve Sipress If you want to grow your business slowly – or just maintain it as is, you’ll have to do that all on your own. But if you want dramatic growth in your income and lifestyle, then Steve’s out-of-the-box and time-tested strategies and tactics could be the keys to your dreams. You can benefit from Steve’s coaching experience and expertise to revolutionize your business – yes, even in this challenging economy – at one of the many in-person entrepreneur events he hosts, OR from the comfort of your own home anywhere in the world. You can also learn basic and advanced direct response marketing strategies and tactics from 150+ hours of video instruction, plus use any or all of Steve’s multi-million-dollar, proven “done-for-you” marketing materials at SSSMarketingUniversity.com. That website has been called The Single Most Powerful Client Attraction Program Available Anywhere, and you could be using it to skyrocket your income anytime you want, 24/7, along with hundreds of other sharp, successful business leaders. If you’re just starting up your new business, you’ll want to take advantage of all of Steve’s training, guidance and resources at NewBusinessAcademy.org. Steve is a successful and award-winning serial entrepreneur, who has created and built nearly a dozen successful companies of his own, and he can help you do the same – more quickly and easily than you’ve ever imagined. In fact, you can immediately use plenty of his simple and powerful strategies and tactics that work especially well in this current frustrating economy. You can discover the basics of Steve’s powerful “The WOW! Strategy™: How To Solve All Of Your Marketing Problems” by watching a short video at www.SteveSipress.com. Steve is a celebrated author, speaker and business coach who has established profitable businesses and helped thousands of ambitious and aggressive business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and sales professionals all around the world. He has written numerous newsletters and articles on sales and marketing for a wide range of publications and has appeared on radio and television, helping millions of people along the way. For over five years, Steve was the #1 “Dan Kennedy Certified No B.S. Business Advisor,” and was Runner-Up out of 25,000 members for 2010 GKIC Marketer Of The Year. If you want the very best, hard-hitting, no-nonsense, caring advice and help you can get, then “Straight-Talk Steve” could be exactly what you and your business need most. Whether you’re a current or future business superstar, Steve can help you get exactly where you want to go as quickly, easily and powerfully as YOU want – with massive results both short-term and long-term.
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www.SteveSipress.com www.SSSMarketingUniversity.com www.NewBusinessAcademy.org www.Facebook.com/SmallBizHelp www.Twitter.com/SteveSipress
When we first started, I was terribly in debt and we were just a few months away from bankruptcy. We started seeing a boost right away in our business, we took what Steve’s given me and we just started implementing and implementing, and it’s just totally transformed my business. Steve has helped me with my laser focus, he helps me implement, he’s taken my business to a whole new level. We went from a half a million dollars to a million dollars in two years. It’s just an incredible experience to know that where you think you’re just dead and things are horrible, to now anything is possible. I can see taking this to a whole new three or four types of businesses -- it’s going to be huge. Steve is all business, he is an unbelievably smart, brilliant man. I can’t say enough about him. Everything he’s told me, I’ve made so much money it doesn’t matter what it costs. They don’t make enough money in this world that somebody could pay me so I would stop listening to Steve. Steve is the exact reason why I have a retirement fund now. It’s probably illegal how much fun I’m having!”
Jon Bockman
Owner, Bockman’s Auto Care Sycamore, Illinois
July 2016
Are You
Results-Oriented? By Steve Sipress As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we have a ton of responsibility to get a lot of things done. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that we do, in fact, get a lot of things done. The good news of owning your own business is that you’re your own boss. The bad news? You’re your own boss. That bad news means that “the buck stops here” – there’s no one to motivate or manage you to get everything done that you need to, so in order to succeed and own one of the relatively few businesses that survives past its beginning stages, or, even rarer, to be one of the very
few that grows and succeeds, you must be excellent at motivating and managing yourself. You must be (or become) a decisive, fast action-taker, someone who is focused on the end result and not the cost, someone who always asks “What do I have to do to make that happen?” whenever you are confronted with a challenge, instead of “But I didn’t mess it up to begin with, so it’s not my responsibility to fix it.” So how do you know if you or someone else is resultsoriented? First, here are a few non-results-oriented categories that most people fall into instead:
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ARE YOU RESULTS-ORIENTED?
Excuse-oriented
Procrastination-oriented
This is the person who, when presented with a challenge, immediately comes up with all kinds of reasons about why it can’t be done, such as, “That’s not the way it’s done in my industry” or “That’s too expensive” or “I tried that once, and it didn’t work” or “The only reason my business is failing is because the system is unfair and rigged.”
This person always has to think about it, or ask other people for their opinions or permission or blessing, and therefore often misses out on excellent opportunities. This procrastination is usually because of a lack of self-confidence, which also causes problems and hurts the growth of the business. Often, this person’s procrastination is not merely temporary – but permanent, so that “I have to think about it” is often simply an excuse for not taking action, and not getting things done.
Blame-oriented Similar to the above, this person never takes personal responsibility for the cause of any shortcoming or failure, but is always quick to point out someone else whose fault it is, such as, “My accountant says I shouldn’t run that ad” or “My profits are bad after seven years in charge because the previous owner of the business really messed it up.”
Process-oriented This person focuses on how something will get done, instead of adopting a “do whatever it takes” attitude, asking, “How are we going to do that?” instead of saying, “I’ll make that happen no matter what I have to do.”
Perfectionism-oriented This person delays taking action until everything is just right, which, of course, is a near-impossibility. Therefore, this person causes great harm to his or her business. This goes hand-in-hand with being excuseoriented, because “waiting until everything is just right” is really just a poor excuse for not taking action.
The bottom line is that a results-oriented person is focused on taking action and getting things done, while the non-resultsoriented person will look for any reason not to take action and not to get things done. *Bonus: Closely related to a results-oriented attitude is a competitive, winning-is-the-only-thing attitude. This is the person who believes about any endeavor that “If I lose, I will consider it a complete waste of time, energy and money.” Which person would you like next to you in a bunker if you had to go to war? Which person would you like running a business that you had your life savings invested in? Which person would you rather be? The choice is completely, 100% up to you.
To find out more about Steve Sipress and how he can help you have more fun and make more money with your business, see the Inside Cover Page. To get new money-making strategies and tips every weekday from Steve and other top business-building experts from around the world, go to: www.RhinoDaily.com
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*FACT: 95% of Small Business Owners work WAY
too hard, have WAY too much stress and make WAY too little money – then go out of business in their first five years.
Steve Sipress The WOW Strategy™ Creator
I help Small Business Owners who want A LOT more out of life systematically attract their ideal customers, clients or patients using The WOW! Strategy™, so they totally transform their income and lifestyle.
To request your personal, 1-on-1 The WOW! Strategy™ Session, go to:
Jon Bockman Sycamore, IL
“Steve is all business. He is an unbelievably smart, brilliant, brilliant man. I can't say enough about him. Steve has put probably more, I would say, thousands, and thousands, and thousands of dollars... I mean, I probably can't even put a true figure on it, because it keeps coming back, and keeps coming back, just more and more money all the time.”
“One suggestion that Steve gave me, well, without question, put $300,000 more in my bank account. And we are going to be using it forever. This is not a one-time deal. We’re going to be using this idea that Steve helped us with... and we’ll be using it until it doesn't keep working like it is. And so, the value over time could literally be way over even the $300,000 number.”
Mary Forte Bensenville, IL
Keith Lee Seattle, WA
“He's helped me learn how to market my business, and today I can say that we're more successful than we've ever been… I needed to learn how to market the business better to create more revenue, and that's what Steve has helped me with. The financial difference is considerable. We've probably close to doubled our revenues. We're on track now to do another close to $500,000 more than we did last year. So that's awesome. I do owe all of that to Steve.”
expert interview with
Parthiv SHAH Business Success
ARCHITECT
Steve Sipress: Parthiv Shah, pleasure to have you here on the Rhino Daily Podcast. Thanks for being here. Parthiv Shah: Hi, Steve. How are you? Thanks for having me here. Steve: I am doing fantastic, and I predict I’m about to be doing a lot better, because we’re about to be having a lot
of fun. I know that the listeners to the Rhino Daily Podcast are going to get a tremendous value out of this. First of all, you are one of the hardest working, most knowledgeable, most action-taking people that I know of in the entire world of direct response marketing. Where did you get your incredible work ethic from? Parthiv: Well, you can’t work hard
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if you don’t have work, Steve. When I started my business, it has been a journey: prospect, pitch, close, collect, and deliver. You work hard to make ends meet, and then, eventually, you reach a point where ends are met, but you can’t really just stop working or slow down, or stop. I just have more family members to feed, the company is growing, and I enjoy working. I enjoy taking care of
EXPERT INTERVIEW
I’m doing exactly what I want to do with exactly who I choose to work with. Life is amazing! I just find the right person to do business with.
my clients. I enjoy taking care of my business. Steve: It’s still working, because many people, as you know, that have successful businesses, don’t work nearly as hard as you do. Parthiv: I don’t know, Steve, maybe they do. Maybe I just show off [laughter]. Steve: Okay, well I’ll let you know that I do know, and they don’t. Some examples… Take Donald Trump, for instance. This guy makes billions of dollars, whatever, but he’s been gallivanting around the country for the last few months just flying around and having fun wherever he goes, selling his steaks and golf courses, and try to even run for president all at the same time.
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Steve. I spend about a third of my life, a third of my awake time, learning. I am always buying books, and buying info products. I’m on a plane, or I’m in a car driving, I’m traveling to sit in conference rooms, and read, study, listen, and mind-map. Because, Steve, I’m studying for not just me – I’m studying for all the clients who depend on my ability to know and understand, and keep myself abreast of the latest trends in the market, and the most appropriate tools.
Indian descent, and I don’t mean Chief Pocahontas, or whoever. And you just mentioned all the books and courses that you buy that you read, but you’re also producing. One of the books that you wrote, I love the title: The Business Kamasutra. People know that this Kamasutra is some Indian book about how to have great sex. So, Business Kamasutra – now are you saying that you’re teaching people how to have sex in the office? What’s this all about?
I don’t want to make myself obsolete, so I spend more money on education, on training myself, than most people spend on their college education. I’m not a know-it-all, Steve, I’m a “learn-itall.” I will always be, the rest of my life. I will learn. I will probably die with a book under my pillow.
Parthiv: [laughter] No. So, let’s just not talk about business for a minute, let’s talk about Kamasutra and sex, okay?
Steve: [laughter] Well, I can vouch for that. I know that you are. I have a saying – people know that I’m constantly saying – “Lifetime Learners Are Lifetime Earners.” You’re pretty much the very embodiment of a lifetime learner, as you say, and it does show in the continued growth of your company. So, if people can’t tell by your accent, you are of
Steve: That’s not what I tuned in for, but I’m all for it. Go.
Steve: Okay, but we might have to shift to a different podcast. Parthiv: This is fine.
Parthiv: Okay. So have you heard of the ancient book, Kamasutra? Steve: Everyone’s heard of it. Parthiv: Okay. Most people on this
But he’s not sitting there in his office all day doing work, or making phone calls to build buildings, or whatever. Richard Branson is hanging out on his island at least six months out of the year, just hanging out with people on his island. Sure, he’s having discussions, and he’s talking business or whatever, but he is not sitting in front of a computer or on a phone doing work. Parthiv: I agree. Steve: But you love what you’re doing, so I love the fact that your dedication is just amazing! Parthiv: Thank you. I do work hard,
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EXPERT INTERVIEW
You need to understand and identify yourself: Who you are, who you are for, who do you want to please. How do you want to please them? Do they want to be pleased that way? How do they want to be pleased?
Steve: Much better is now, when I don’t have to work, I can work where I want, when I want, with whom I want. I only have people that I work with that are the most fun, coolest people in the world. And you’re right, it’s just so much better for everybody. Parthiv: It is so much better. You are more productive, and you get to have more fun, you get to enjoy doing what you do, and you are far more productive. Steve: Yes. When I had clients that I wasn’t enjoying, or projects I wasn’t enjoying, it was much tougher just to get out of bed. I didn’t want to start the day, and it seemed like work – and you’re right – it would be like, “I can’t wait for my day off,” and stuff like that, which anyone – not likely listeners to this podcast, but 9-to-5 workers – are almost all like that; they all hate their boss, hate their job, can’t wait ‘til Friday. “Oh, it’s Friday. Thank God!”
podcast have heard of the book. Steve: [laughter] I would say everyone’s heard of it. Parthiv: It talks about how to add pleasure to sex. And if you look at it at the whole DNA level, if you just break it down to concepts, there are three main things: One, mate the right person, because when you mate the person that’s just not right for you, things will not go well. Number two, you cannot gain pleasure without giving pleasure, so focus on giving pleasure. And number three, you can neither gain pleasure nor give pleasure without establishing a certain level of trust in the relationship. So now, Steve: Shouldn’t business be done that way? Doesn’t it not work out if you’re doing business with the wrong
person? Doesn’t it make sense that you cannot gain pleasure in business without giving pleasure? And isn’t trust absolutely important in business? So, what can we learn… Steve: This is all good. I will say, if you do it right, it is. I read, there’s some kind of joke about that, about sex. Something like, “If you’re not enjoying it, you’re just not doing it right.” I think what you’re saying is very true of business, because I am the embodiment of doing it the wrong way. I, back in the day, would accept clients – especially during tough economic times – I would accept clients that I didn’t enjoy working with, or projects that I didn’t enjoy working on, and you’re right: It just wasn’t good for anybody. Parthiv: Exactly.
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To me, it’s like, “Oh, Friday. Bummer! There’s so much more I wanted to accomplish this week, and the whole thing is almost done now.” So, I do love what I’m doing, and I do notice the difference for myself and my clients is tremendous. So, I love that you’ve written this book, Business Kamasutra. Yeah, makes sense. Parthiv: Thank you. The whole pleasure thing, it is a secret of my ability to work as hard as I work. I am picky about who I work with, and I’m picky about what I’m willing to do. Therefore, when I’m working hard, I don’t mind working hard, because I’m doing exactly what I want to do, but I’m doing exactly what I want to do with exactly who I choose to work with. Life is amazing! I just find the right person to do business with. Steve: Right, of course. And they find you. Parthiv: And they find me, exactly. Steve: And you help your clients… Obviously, you wrote the book… You
EXPERT INTERVIEW
help your clients to do the same in their business, right? Parthiv: That’s true. That’s exactly right. So let’s see… Let’s talk about the core concept of Business Kamasutra, okay? I took the “business lifecycle,” and drawing parallels between how humans meet, date and mate, and how companies prospect, pitch and close, I brought it down to seven steps in the relationship. Step one is “Segmentation,” step two is “Approach,” step three is “Consent,” step four is “Trust,” step five is “Foreplay,” step six is “Mate,” and step seven is “Transformation of the relationship.” Well, if we have time on this call, we can possibly talk about the seven steps in detail, or I can talk about one or two steps, and perhaps we can meet tomorrow. How would you like to do it? Steve: Well, let’s do that. We’ve only got about a minute left in today’s episode, so let’s get started with step one, because I’m thinking that most business people, they skip right by this first step. They start with “Approach,” but they don’t do “Segmentation.” So, real quick, and then we’ll get into more detail tomorrow, what do you mean by the “Segmentation” that every business owner should do as the first step? Parthiv: See, Steve, there is a concept called low-hanging fruit, right? In business we all go for low-hanging fruit. What if that is not the right deal for you? You need to know who you are for. And that means you need to know who you are. You need to go through a process of soul searching. You need to understand and identify yourself: Who you are, who you are for, who do you want to please. How do you want to please them? Do they want to be pleased that way? How do they want to be pleased? Can you please your constituents in the way they want to be pleased? Are you going to be okay with the paycheck that comes by pleasing
them that way? This framework of understanding the basic matchmaking between your business and your prospect’s business will essentially establish the ground rules. So, for the rest of your life, you will know who you want to go after, and more important, who you don’t want to go after. Steve, my punch line is “When I’m not making money, I’m making friends. I need them both.” And that’s true. I will not turn anybody away. I love helping people. I can spend time with anybody who wants to spend time with me. I’m extremely generous with my time. But I will be very, very picky whose money I’m going to touch. That’s where my core segmentation kicks in. Is this the kind of company I want to work for? I’ll spend time with you, sure. We’re having fun, I’m making a friend. But if I take your
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money, it’s like, “Gee, I now have an obligation to feed this company. Am I the right guy? Can I make money for this company?” I’m not afraid of not getting hired. I’m afraid of getting fired. So I do my segmentation very, very carefully. I’m very picky about the battles I pick, because picking the right battle is the secret sauce of victory. Steve: Got it. So, step one, “Segmentation,” is picking the right battle, and finding out who you are, and who you are right for. At least that’s a good overview, and I’d love to get into more detail on it in tomorrow’s segment. Can we do that? Parthiv: You’ve got it. Tomorrow we will dive right into “Segmentation,” and how I go about segmenting leads from the large pool of leads that I get for e-Launchers.
Parthiv Shah is a serial entrepreneur, who has gone through many ups and downs, and is currently at the highest point in his career. He started his career in direct mail marketing in 1989, and has started, sold, and helped many companies since then to improve their lead generation and marketing results. He founded Elaunchers.com, a turnkey, done-for-you lead generation and marketing company that helps small and not-so-small businesses & organizations compete against rivals who have deep pockets and large marketing budgets. His team has developed a data-driven direct marketing process that integrates online and offline campaigns, helping established companies and start-ups alike to develop their value propositions and identify market segments most suitable to their strengths. Parthiv works on hundreds of different business models every year. He has mailed over a billion pieces of direct mail and brought in over $15,000,000 in business to his companies. To get Parthiv’s free Success Blueprint, go to: www.Elaunchers.com
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THE THREE Business Questions You Must Ask Everyday
The most important element in every business is the team that forms the organization. Your employees are the backbone of your business. If you do not have a great team, you cannot possibly have a great business. Yet many entrepreneurs do not take the time to really listen to their team. Many blame it on the widely growing virtual environment. There are more companies operating virtually now than ever before. And because of this, many entrepreneurs, business owners and middle management individuals have lost touch with the pluses of their company.
Because they are out of sight, they are out of mind. This is one of the most dangerous mistakes a company can make. When there is little to no communication a company cannot possibly grow, a company cannot possibly service their customers properly and a company cannot possibly be great. Everybody Talks, Everybody Talks . . . If you have virtual employees in your business, listen up. I’m going to share with you a big breakthrough that can make your team much more productive, confident and happy. And by doing this
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If you do not have a great team, you cannot possibly have a great business. By MaryEllen Tribby
one small process each day you will see your business evolve much faster. Often in our busy business lives it’s a challenge to keep track of how all your employees feel about their work. And equally important, whether they need any help from you in order to work to their full potential. The simple method I’m about to share with you can change all of that. I want you to give all of your employees three simple questions to answer EVERY DAY. They can then supply the answer to you by e-mail.
THE THREE BUSINESS QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK EVERYDAY
Now before you start shouting that you cannot possibly read everyone’s answers to these questions each day, know that I understand this. Here is how it works: everyone who has people directly reporting to them reads those answers. So if you have three people reporting to you directly, those are the answers you will read. And if your marketing director has four people directly reporting to him or her, those are the answers he or she will read. And if your editorial director has two people directly reporting to him or her, those are the ones he or she will read. And so on and so on . . . Easy As 1, 2, 3! Here are the questions you must ask every day: 1. What did you do today, and what were the results? 2. What were the problems and challenges?
Often in our busy business lives it’s a challenge to keep track of how all your employees feel about their work. And equally important, whether they need any help from you in order to work to their full potential. problem and alleviate their frustration. By removing frustration, you are on your way to making your employees happier. The third question invites them to ask questions. It might relate to tasks that day, they might have a general question about the direction you’re taking the business, or any number of topics. This can lead to ideas that
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could help your business grow. Most days they’ll have at least one question for you. Most importantly, they’ll feel empowered that they’re given this opportunity on a daily basis. The more empowered they feel, the more confident they will become. It’s imperative to take note of the feedback provided from the three questions. Read the data vigilantly. Then, either you or the direct supervisors provide a brief personal response that shows you’ve considered the comments carefully. Whatever you do, do not use this as an opportunity to criticize or reprimand. Remember you have asked for HONEST answers. If you criticize them, it will put your team members off and they will not provide honest feedback for you in the future. Please start using this process in your business today. You should see a noticeable difference within 30 days!
3. Do you have any questions for me? The first question helps your team member think about their achievements both today and in comparison to other days. For example, if they spent 2 hours on a task one day but that same takes 4 hours the next day, something is obviously wrong. Maybe they did not write a standard operating procedure (SOP). Or perhaps they were multitasking when they should have been focusing on this task with 100% of their attention. Regardless, you now know that something can be done to improve that situation and help that team member become more productive. The second question asks them what problems and challenges they faced. Notice that the question isn’t phrased ‘were there any challenges?’ because that would simply invite a ‘no’ response. This is a very valuable question because you can quickly take action with the team member to fix the
MaryEllen Tribby has helped thousands of people start a new business or grow their existing one. MaryEllen is the Founder and CEO of WorkingMomsOnly.com, the world’s leading newsletter and website for the empowerment of the working mom. Prior to founding WMO, MaryEllen was Publisher & CEO of Early to Rise and President of Weiss Research, where she added millions to their bottom lines in just a few months. She also ran divisions at Forbes, Times Mirror Magazines, and Crain’s New York Business. MaryEllen is the best-selling author of Reinventing the Entrepreneur: Turning Your Dream Business into a Reality and co-author (with Michael Masterson) of Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions For Your Business. Get your free copy of MaryEllen’s The Ultimate Success Code by going to:
www.MaryEllenTribby.com
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A PACKING LIST FOR THE FUTURE By Dan Sullivan
There will be some people in your life who challenge and excite you, who are going places you’d like to go, but there will also be the “batteries not included” kind who deplete your energy.
In my 10x Program workshops, I’ve been doing an exercise I call “The Quick Thinker.” You can do it in just five minutes, yet it’s proving to be a really helpful form of mental calisthenics that leads to some great insights. There are just three parts to this exercise: First, choose the future you want. Then, you decide what gets to come along from the past. And finally, given these other two factors, you figure out what you could be doing right now to maximize your progress. This deceptively simple exercise contains some important distinctions. The first is the difference between choosing and deciding. People use these words interchangeably, but this leads to confused thinking, because they actually mean very different things. Choosing is always related to the future. It comes from inside, from your imagination. You create a possibility out of your passion to experience a bigger and better future— usually in terms of having greater freedom with your time, money, relationships, and purpose. Deciding, on the other hand, is based on the past. Once you’ve chosen the particular future you want, defined it, described it, and written it down, it throws a light on your past, and in that light you can immediately see which parts of your past don’t qualify for your future and which parts would be useful there. What kinds of things are we talking about? It all falls into three categories: Things, people, and thoughts.
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For instance, in terms of things, there may be systems or practices you’ve been using in your business, products you’ve brought to market, or possessions you own that just don’t fit with where you’re headed. There’s no multiplier to them, so there’s no point in bringing them into the future simply because they were part of your past. Other things, however, might have a potential you haven’t explored yet. Likewise, there will be some people in your life who challenge and excite you, who are going places you’d like to go, but there will also be the “batteries not included” kind who deplete your energy and don’t contribute anything positive. Like the proverbial crabs in a pot, they feel compelled to pull down anyone who climbs too high. You can outgrow thoughts, too. Some ideas brought you to your current level of success, but cut off bigger possibilities. Many entrepreneurs succeed beyond the achievements of their parents, siblings, or peers and have to adjust their thinking to understand that success is only a good thing and not something to feel guilty for or ashamed of. Conversely, there are unique insights you had early on that may well serve you the rest of your life. The point of this exercise is simplicity. As you grow more and more successful, things from your past can accumulate around you, weighing you down and making your life complicated. By stopping to choose the future you want, then decide what from the past gets to come along, you vastly simplify what you have to think about in the present—and have the confidence of knowing exactly what you need to do now in order to get where you want to go.
Dan Sullivan is founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc. A visionary, an innovator, and a gifted conceptual thinker, Dan has over 35 years’ experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups. Dan’s strong belief in and commitment to the power of the entrepreneur is evident in all areas of Strategic Coach® and its successful coaching program, which works to help entrepreneurs reach their full potential in both their business and personal lives. He is author of over 30 publications, including The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, Creative Destruction, and How The Best Get Better®. He is co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth and The Advisor Century. Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto. To download your free copy of The 80% Approach digital book and audio, and to watch Dan’s presentation of The 80% Progression, go to:
www.StrategicCoach.com
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July 2016
MANNY’S BLOG
MAIL, MAIL, The Gang’s All Here I honestly don’t know how the world functions when I take a break from writing these advice columns, with everyone barking up the tree and running around in circles and such. But never fear – I’m back. Yes, it’s time once more to dip into the ol’ mailbag and dispense some pearls of wisdom. Dear Manny: I just can’t understand it. I no longer get a thrill out of howling at the moon. Can you explain this to me? – Auggie Dear Auggie: You are experiencing a common, recent malady. Poor old Pluto was downgraded from being a real planet, and now canines subconsciously fear that the moon will no longer be the moon. But my contacts at NASA assure me the satellite is safe. That’s one small step for dogs, one giant leap for keeping the neighborhood awake all night. Dear Manny: How can I patch things up with my master? He thinks I’m too much of a smart aleck. – Blackie Dear Blackie: The next time Mr. Anderson asks you to “shake,” just go with it. You don’t have to insist on having the agreement signed and notarized. Dear Manny: I need advice for wooing the love of my life. I’ve been crazy about Desdemona forever, but she doesn’t even know I’m alive. Help, please. – Barney Dear Barney: I’m glad you signed your name. As I recall, you dropped out of obedience school right after the teacher covered “Roll over and play dead.” I would suggest that you re-enroll and learn “Sit” or “Beg” or ANYTHING, before EVERYONE starts thinking the same thing as Desdemona.
Dear Manny: My master always complains because I drool so much. But she dumps such delicious fare out of the can into my bowl! What can I do? – Lefty Dear Lefty: Have you considered using an app such as Yelp for your food reviews? It might cut down on the saliva. Dear Manny: My master doesn’t know I’ve become a vegan. I need some way to break the news to him gently. – Kale Fan On Mulberry Street. Dear KFOMS: Try subtle hints. Instead of burying bones in the back yard, try burying a rancher. Dear Manny: I’ve been trapped into attending a stupid birthday party for the spoiled, pampered cat across the street. What can I get the cat who has everything? – Disgusted Dalmatian Dear Disgusted: How about an audit by the IRS? Dear Manny: My civic-mindedness has me freaking out. Little Tommy’s pet goldfish passed away recently and I caught the family ceremoniously flushing it down my water fountain! When it’s my turn to pass away, I’m afraid I’ll wreck the entire municipal water system! – Sparkles Dear Sparkles: The last time you ate someone’s homework, are you sure that was all loose-leaf notebook paper—or were there maybe some Zig-Zag papers in there? Calm down, dude. Gotta go. Keep those cards and letters (and unsuspecting novice mail carriers) coming, folks.
Manny (full name “Emanuel” or “Dog With Us”) is Steve and Michele Sipress’ crazy, rambunctious cocker spaniel. He has a weak leg (despite a mostly-successful back surgery), grey hair, is totally deaf and partially blind. But he still enjoys barking at the mailman and landscapers, pulling dead frogs out of nearby ponds and chasing after his beloved squeaker toy. He loves everyone (even the mailman and landscapers), and everyone loves him.
12 I RHINO MONTHLY I www.SteveSipress.com
PETER’S LAWS
July 2015
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I 13
RHINO MONTHLY www.SteveSipress.com/magazine
Volume IV Number 7 | July 2016
CONTENTS:
1
Are You Results-Oriented?
8
The Three Business Questions You Must Ask Everyday
By Steve Sipress
By MaryEllen Tribby
8
A Packing List For The Future By Dan Sullivan
Mail, 12 Mail, The Gang’s All Here Manny’s Blog
4 Parthiv Shah Business Success Architect INTERVIEW WITH
Publisher Steve Sipress Successful Selling Systems, Inc. 20701 N Scottsdale Rd Ste 107-509 Scottsdale AZ 85255 (p) 773-236-8134 (f ) 847-232-1535 Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
w w w.AskSteveSipress.com
Layout & Design Bobbie Miltcheva www.33graffics.com
Publisher’s Notice: Copyright 2016 Successful Selling Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Neither the author nor the publisher make any express or implied warranties concerning the legal or ethical appropriateness of any of the marketing documents, materials or instructions in or enclosed with the magazine and/or your use of the same. If in doubt about the appropriateness or legality of any materials or instructions, you should obtain competent guidance, just as you would with any marketing documents, materials or marketing plans you have develop ed or would develop on your own. In the interests of disclosure, we want to b e op en ab out how we may, from time to time, make money from this mag azine. Certain third-party links contained in this magazine may be affiliate links for which we get paid a commission if you buy the product or service through the affiliate link.