Why Your Time-Line Is Key to Riches, Success and Profitable Results from Copywriting

Over the weekend, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told The World Economic Forum that the Internet will revolutionize television within the next five years.

According to Reuters, Gates told business leaders and politicians in Davos, Switzerland: "I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had."

Is it any wonder that the world's richest man is author of a book called "The Road Ahead?"

I don't think so.  Especially when you look at the way the world's second richest man, Warren Buffett, also thinks about business.

If we were to sum up his strategy in a few words - paraphrasing - it would be:

"I buy companies, and I plan never to sell them."

Long-term thinking.  If it's good enough for number one and number two, isn't it good enough for me and you?

One of my favorite books is called "All The Time You Need," by Robert R. Updegraff.  It's out of print but well worth hunting down.

In it, he talks about a conversation with an airline pilot, who told him:

"If every motorist would take up flying, he would be a much safer automobile driver because he would learn to drive farther ahead.

"You see, in an airplane you are obliged to watch and plan way ahead because you can't suddenly put on the brakes and come to a stop.

"If you drive a car with as much concern over what is happening down the block, or within the next quarter mile, as if you could not suddenly put on the brakes, you will seldom get in a tight fix and have to jam on the brakes."

Slightly antiquated language, but totally sound advice.

Updegraff goes on to say himself:

Since I began my study of time-use I have been shocked at how many otherwise able and intelligent people throw away hours and days, and even weeks, of their time because they do not plan ahead.

Indeed.

But what about marketers?  Entrepreneurs?  Copywriters?

We of the "Ready... Fire!... Aim" school of life -- and I confess I fall prey to the sweet siren song of this school more often than would serve me best -- we seldom plan the next steps after the current object of focus nearly as much as we should.

My friend Harlan Kilstein tells of a sneak peak he had inside the Florida home of John Reese, a universally acclaimed top strategic thinker of entrepreneurial Internet marketing.  Reese has a "war room" where he has plans for the next 18 months whiteboarded up on special wallpaper you can write on with markers.

The next 18 months.  Not just the next 18 minutes!

In case you've been wondering where I'm going with this, here it is:

Today my friend Ben Mack is launching a book with the extraordinarily relevant title of "Think Two Products Ahead."  His premise is that financial freedom, and indeed great wealth, come from planning a residual income stream from each sale you make.

That is... thinking about the next sale... and the sale after that... before you make your initial sale.

Long-term thinking.  Of the entrepreneurial kind.

One of those simple, "duh" ideas that could be worth millions of dollars to you.  So,

I'd like to recommend the book to you... check it out on Amazon at ...

http://tinyurl.com/yvftzz

And if you'd like to see the very clever Amazon promotion Ben's doing to make the book a bestseller, go to

http://tinyurl.com/2nvn9o

(You can also get a couple of neat bonuses from that link after you buy the book from Amazon, and submit your receipt number.)

It was shaving maven King Gillette who coined the concept of giving the razor away for free, and selling the customer blades... how long... forever?

If you're not doing that in your business, either plan to keep working for a long, long time... or, take a peek at what Ben has to say.

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter

Comments

[Ronda Del Boccio]

This is a great book and I'm glad I purchased it. #8 overall and #1 in business books on Amazon as I write this.

I am a business development mentor as well as an author and yes, a copywriter too, and I have learned so much about branding and creating a completely consistent message from Ben. I am so grateful that we have crossed paths.

Anyone in business - and also anyone who is an author and plans to stick around for more than one book - needs to buy this book and work with Ben.

Ronda Del Boccio
Storyate the life you dream to live - free audio and journal compl you into action.
http://www.Unleashyourcreativity.com

[Warren Whitlock]

Great post David.

I liked the way you avoided the big SPIN going on the promo.

Fact is, the book is worth it's weight in gold without any promo.

I told my readers to buy the book.. then told them to get on the mailing list anyway.. to get marketed to by the best.

Ben's stuff can be a bit weird (ok.. a lot weird at times).. but it's well worth the effort.

Warren Whitlock
http://BestSellerAuthors.com
(book promoter disclosing that I'm not getting paid to say this)

[Michael A. Stelzner]

Hi David;

You grabbed me with the future of TV.

So where does Gates think it is going?

Mike

[David Garfinkel]

Hey Mike,

Good question. Click on the link and you'll see the Reuters report.

The gist of what he's saying is: The greater ability to time-shift and pinpoint select what you're watching on the computer will migrate to TV-on-Internet over the next several years.

So you can watch the State of the Union Message without all the windbag before and after, if that's your thing; you can watch the segment of The Daily Show which has your favorite guest on it without watching the rest; etc.

Convergence theory.

David

[Brendan]

Couldn't agree more with you, David. The Internet marketing craze is way short-term oriented and hardly anyone, including most gurus (John Reese aside :) are thinking strategically.

Personally, I think back-ends and upselling these days is just the beginning. There's already a wave of online business purchases going on, which already starts with embodying certain strategic planning aspects. However, we're still far from the point when at least a noticeable proportion of businessmen and -women will come to realize that long-term success relies on strategic planning and execution, not just an overnight stand.