Transparence refers to that which is obvious – such as a sexy woman, with a Playboy body, in an outrageously sexy dress – “spritzing” samples of a new men’s fragrance in an upscale department store. There is no secret to the marketing tactic in place. It’s obvious. It goes without saying that a man is more likely to respond to a “spritz shark” when she is a very sexy woman in very sexy attire.

Translucence is less obvious. It basically refers to marketing in the periphery. It’s what’s in your view, but not necessarily acknowledged by your conscious mind. Some folks refer to Translucence as Subliminal Marketing, but that is not accurate. Subliminal Marketing attempts to hide a persuasive component within the conscious sensory of one’s surroundings. Translucent Marketing isn’t hidden. It’s just not always blatantly apparent.

For instance, if we refer back to our sexy spritzer, an example of a Translucent tactic would include having the sexy spritzer wear a scent that serves as a succelerant in terms of a desired male response. In other words, there are certain scents that, when combined with the chemistry of a female’s skin, create an incredible, sometimes overwhelming physiological response in a man. I am not just talking about attraction (Pheromones). A Translucent tactical approach would go way beyond mere attraction. It would actually take a man to a “different” place (mentally-speaking).

Translucent Marketing is both science and art. As I stated, its focus is the periphery. Its role is a “supporting actor” in a marketing campaign. In a restaurant, its the “things” that you see around you…but that you really don’t see. It’s not the food, but it could be the plate. In a doctor’s office, it’s NOT the degrees on the walls, nor the furniture in the reception area. Simply stated, it’s NOT just the environment, and it’s NOT just about staging (although it does incorporate both). In essence, it’s about Translucent Succelerants.

Translucent Marketing is an arm of Strategic Communication. It is a form of non-verbal communication that analyzes your surroundings (with respect to a business and/or a bachelor pad – LOL), and asks you to consider your periphery like individual degrees on a compass.

Translucent Marketing is a component of our upcoming ADVANCED STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION program. It will teach you how to effectively take two crucial action steps:

1). Remove communication obstacles

2). Install communication succelerants

The impact of optimally-effective Translucent Marketing, will take you to NEW and HIGHER levels of success in communicating your message. The information is exciting and transformational.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

In reality, what someone WANTS to do – usually wins over what they should do. When someone begins a new venture, they want it to be a reflection of themselves, and only a reflection of themselves. The WANT is very personal, and as such – is built on a platform of pure emotion. Unfortunately, the fallout from that kind of UNstrategy becomes more and more apparent with each passing week, month, and year.

Where  people have the greatest difficulty is when the WANT is – in every way, shape, and form, light years apart from what WORKS.

EXAMPLE:

A few years back, a small marketing firm brought me in to help one of their clients who we will simply refer to as Judy. Judy liked the color taupe. Correction: Judy LOVED the color taupe. As a result, she decided to paint the walls of her brand new business her favorite color. Judy asked me what I thought about her selection. I told her that her color selection for her particular business was entirely incorrect. Without even taking a breath, Judy responded by telling me how WRONG I was and how much her friends agreed with her selection.

MANY of Judy’s selections were inappropriate for her particular business, but as I have said many times over, you cannot tell someone who is ALWAYS RIGHT that he or she is wrong. Jump ahead to present day, and let’s just say that Judy’s business isn’t doing so great.

I am not going to tell you that all of her difficulties were and are related to the implementation of Judy’s WANTS. What I will say is this; it stands to reason that ALL factors are important in business. So even if the procedures and processes are on point, everything else being off point DOES impact the results.

Judy never acknowledged to me that she was wrong. Instead, she hired a firm that hired a competitor of mine – who did help her, but not to the degree that she needed to be truly successful.

Like anything else in life, you don’t realize how wrong your WANTS were until you actually experience what WORKS. Unfortunately, most folks never get to the point where they are able to enjoy that realization. In fact, most people DON’T WANT to get to that point of realization. That’s too painful a pill to swallow.

If you are an artist, then you should paint what you WANT for the simple reason that art is completely personal expression. On the other hand, if you are going into a business that sells a product or service, and that product or service is not art (real art), then my advice is simple; research what WORKS - and then do exactly that.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

What’s interesting is that – given the number of people who have heard that saying, it is surprising to see the number of people who don’t understand what that saying really means.

A Recent Experience:

Over the winter, I did an Advanced Persuasive Communication talk for a fantastic group of folks in Chicago. During that talk, we discussed the ability of a photo to “say” far more than could ever be stated in words.

To start off that topic, I showed the audience a photo of Brit – a female client who owns a company that focuses on personal training for women who want to model swimsuits or compete in fitness/figure competitions. The market for this type of training is significant – and larger than most would imagine.

While Brit does very well in that area, her desire (why she contacted me) was to expand her business and operate group classes for reasonably fit women who had a desire to bump things up. Brit’s not talking about aerobic or Zumba classes. Rather, group workouts that are quite intense.

When Brit and I first met, she told me that she had already spent a lot of money (about $85,000) with another marketing company and didn’t have very good results. They had built her a website, created beautiful brochures, shot two videos, etc., etc., etc. Still, the results were lack-luster at best.

At our second meeting, I sat down with Brit and did a thorough review of her current marketing plan (including a complete review of the aforementioned materials). There were a few things that jumped right out in terms of mistakes, the most obvious being the copy (the actual text).

The text sounded good when you read it, but the choice of wording was a nightmare. Lousy writing from professional writers is more common than air travel delays.

The bigger mistakes, however, were less obvious (to Brit and her former marketing company), and yet – were very obvious to yours truly. The photos on her website, and in her marketing materials, were all wrong. When I say “wrong,” I mean WAY WRONG.

The photos were professionally shot. The lighting was perfect, nice composition, etc. It wasn’t the photography itself that was the issue, rather – it was the inherent design of the images. It was the selection of images, and…it was BRIT.

Brit was the problem!

Here’s what I mean:

Whether it was Brit’s company website, her brochures, or her other materials, all the images featured Brit wearing competition swimwear, body oil and glitter. In other words, in every shot, Brit is looking cut, tan, wearing a thong or g-string, and high heels. Brit has a butt and a set of calves that would leave you speechless. In short, she looked fantastic. Even women couldn’t help but stare in awe.

The problem was that Brit looked TOO GOOD for her intended audience. Brit’s target market are females 18-55, who want to ROCK the beach sporting a bikini body that will make men stop in their tracks. And while that target market is already in better shape than your typical suburban mom (soft, muffin top, needs to lose 20-50 pounds, etc.), the fact is that the women looking for the “better” bikini body are not even close to the level of those women who are preparing for a fitness or figure competition. Not even a little.

To put things in a clearer light, Brit’s marketing materials (especially the photos) had set the bar well beyond the reach of her target market. The photos of Brit set a bar that was PERCEIVED to be well beyond the reach of even those women who were not fitness models, but were still in better than decent shape. Brit’s photos overpowered the text. The photos painted a picture (an undesired picture) that was inconsistent with the purpose of Brit’s marketing campaign. Add the photo issue to the poor copywriting in her marketing materials, and what you had on your hands was a very expensive, and very unfortunate marketing lesson.

Jump ahead a month after our meeting, and the first thing we did was reshoot all the photos. The new photos showed Brit in attire that was less “modelesque.” Instead of wearing a competition bikini, Brit was wearing a normal bikini. Instead of looking so glittery and oiled-up, Brit toned things down a little so that she was closer on the spectrum to a California bikini beach body (although still a step above) than she was a competition figure model.

Next, we re-wrote all the copy (text). The way Brit’s materials had been written in her original marketing campaign, you might have thought you were purchasing a Rolls Royce . In other words, the words were too showy for her intended audience.

The end result was a NEW marketing campaign that was customized for Brit’s target market – one that convinced her clients that getting the ULTIMATE bikini body wasn’t out of reach.

The POINT:

Make sure that your images are conveying
the right message for your intended audience.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team 

I am often amazed at how people lack the ability to match the “tool” to the application – regardless of whether we’re talking about the business side of life or the personal side of life. Here’s what I’m talking about (using a business example):

Let’s say that you’re opening a new casual restaurant that is geared toward adults, but still welcomes children. The “feel” of this restaurant is very much like a ski chalet. It says, “Come on in, take your shoes off, grab a beverage and just kick back.” Given what I just told you about the decor, what types of choices would you put on the menu? A better way of asking that question would be, “Where could you GO with that menu?” What type of staff would you be looking to hire? What type of uniform would be MOST appropriate for the servers?

If I told you that this new restaurant decided to have their servers in white dress shirts and black ties, would you think that the BEST decision for that kind of restaurant OR would you slam your foot down on the brake? If I told you that the kids menu offered hotdogs, what would be your response?

In my travels, I find business professionals (i.e. restaurant owners, financial advisors, luxury automotive sales, dentists, chiropractors, etc.) using the equivalent of coarse sandpaper to polish antique furniture. And when presented with just how WRONG they are in their approach, what I often get in response to my observations is nothing less than a temper tantrum. Their egos are so over-inflated that they can’t fathom the possibility that the tool isn’t even close to matched up to the application.

Let’s look at the personal side of the equation:

My friend Treva desperately wants to be a model. Treva is in her early 20′s, very attractive, and without question – looks like she could be on the cover of Vogue. Actually, the word “attractive” does not do her justice. Treva is also very shy and quite resistant to learning how to become “sexy” for the camera. She understands her issue, but refuses to learn new behavior. As a result, she is not getting work. She understands that there are lots of pretty faces out there, but unless you know how to “work it,” things aren’t going to happen for you if you want to be a model.

Treva wants to become a model on her own terms, even though she is very much aware of what’s required to succeed in her desired profession. In essence, she is the equivalent of coarse sandpaper (with the modeling industry being the equivalent of fine antique furniture).

Unfortunately, what many people lack is the ability to determine the best “tool” for the job, and of course – how to put that tool to the best use as a means of achieving their goal. They become their own variation of coarse sandpaper. Inevitably, their lack of strategy becomes self-destructive.

To get ahead, you need to clearly determine that which is needed to get you from A to Z. If you are not prepared for journey, then why even start the trip?

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

Many folks start the new year by focusing on losing weight. Most of those folks do not succeed. One of the problems is that the weight-loss solution only focuses on one aspect of what’s REALLY involved in a long-term weight regulation solution. It might be the nutritional aspect or it might be the exercise aspect. It might even be both, but neither touch on a long-term solution for the real “cure” – an overall healthy lifestyle.

I recently ran into an old friend who had attempted to start a new business with a marketing plan that he believed was a “sure thing.” The plan involved the distribution of FREE reports that covered a variety of topics connecting back to the business. The FREE reports were well written and looked very professional.

Want to know how many customers
were acquired via the FREE reports?

Zero.

What happened?

In short, the FREE reports were not actionable. Yes – they included a call-to-action, but a call-to-action is NOT an actionable plan. A call-to-action is like a rapid response card or a limited-time offer, but neither constitute an actionable plan that generates customers.

An actionable plan is – in my world, one in which the goal is fully realized. With regard to the FREE reports, the question my friend should have asked himself was, “Will these FREE reports actually translate into new customers OR are they just very nice reports?”

Whether it’s the personal or professional side of life, a plan that is NOT actionable is a plan that will inevitably fail. Sure, there may be small “samples” of success IS NOT the same as a successful plan. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about raising kids, doing a school project, exploring a new career, starting a new business, planning a wedding or anything else in life that has meaning and value; your plan MUST go beyond just sounding good. It MUST be actionable.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

We arrived at our office on Wednesday morning, only to be greeted with a gift planted in front of our door. The gift was a small holiday card and a small box – about the size of a small bar of soap that you typically would find next to the mini shampoo and conditioner at a three-star hotel.

On the front of the box was the image of a decorated Christmas tree, and inside the box was a mini Christmas ornament. The attached letter was from a candidate running for office. In her note, she talked about health care and returning jobs back to the USA. Here’s the kicker: On the back of the box, in bright red, were the following three words: Made In China. How ironic that someone who makes a point about returning jobs back to the USA, would distribute a Christmas ornament that was…made in China.

Now I realize that many of you who celebrate Christmas find nothing really WRONG with this politician’s little gift. I get it. That’s because most folks are caught up in a “Santa Rally” mindset that I discussed in our most recent Mind Virus E-Zine (the holiday spirit and all of that rubbish).

This politician made three major mistakes:

(1). She assumed that we celebrate Christmas

(2). She assumed that we were in the same political family

(3). She didn’t link her message with her “gift”

I do not celebrate Christmas. Having said that, I should say that I am fairly non-religious, and will often be found celebrating any holiday that offers food, drinks, and good times. I am all about the party. If I was easily offended, I might not care for the fact that this candidate ASSumed that I celebrate Christmas. That sends a message of ignorance. She would have lost my vote.

I am politically independent. I don’t really care for any political party, and if I had my way, would vote myself as Dictator of The United States of America. That would mean that I would get to make all the decisions without having to deal with Congress and/or compromise. If I was considering a switch to a certain party, then receiving this “gift” would certainly make me think twice. Even though this little promotional item was from an individual candidate, the fact is that it could be perceived as making a statement about the party. In other words, if I were a sensitive person (and I am NOT), I might read into her gift as saying, “We assume that you are of a certain faith.” I might also determine that her political party is all about appearances, especially since the Made In China contradicts the comments in her holiday card about bringing jobs back to America (LOL).

And the Made In China thing, well, that speaks for itself. If you are a candidate running for political office in the United States, then I don’t care HOW HARD you have to search, you had better make sure that NOTHING that comes out of your campaign is stamped with anything other than Made In The USA!

OKAY…

What I want you to focus on is not necessarily the mistakes that this political candidate made, rather – the mistakes that YOU might make in your personal life and/or in business.

YOU do not get excused from making stupid mistakes – even around the holidays. For example, I don’t like being wished a Merry Christmas – even if the well-wishes weren’t meant to be religious. A “Happy Holidays!” is nice and covers all the bases. But to ASSume that I celebrate YOUR holiday, just wreaks of pure ignorance.

There are other lessons to be learned from this politician’s mistake…

Make sure you know your audience.

Hey, don’t get me wrong – I like receiving gifts as much as the next guy, but a gift without thought is called an INSULT. Tisk, tisk, tisk. Now look what that politician has done – she has insulted the Dark Lord. Bad move. The natural response is for me to tell EVERYONE what a ___ she is. Oh sure, she might have a solid political message, but NOW, that’s like putting perfume on a giant turd.

When you give a gift, make sure
it’s congruent with your message.

If you are talking about jobs here in the USA, NEVER give anything other than a product made here in…the USA. Simple concept. If you are a health care practitioner, never give a gift that contains bad ingredients. You get the idea. Like it or not, people DO NOT (and should not) overlook that sort of thing. It’s natural for folks to look for a lack of congruency and consistency, so don’t blame people for being…people.

When you give a gift,
make sure it’s A GIFT.

I understand that the politician had intended her Christmas ornament to be perceived as a nice gesture, but let me tell you something, this ornament wouldn’t be big enough for a Smurf’s Christmas tree. Small? Oh yeah – REAL small. So rather than give something, do nothing. In other words, something isn’t always better than nothing – especially when what you are giving is a piece of imported junk. If she really felt the need to do something, then a nice holiday card would have done the trick.

I apologize for making sense.

From all of us here, we would like
to wish you a VERY Happy Holiday!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

As December creeps around the corner, many people begin to think about New Year’s resolutions. From that conversation sprouts other conversations that follow the topic of short-term and long-term goals. When someone describes their long-term goal, I ask them two questions:

(1) Is the goal ATTAINABLE?

(2) Do you have a REAL means of getting there?

By answering my long list of rather difficult questions, most folks I talk to quickly come to realize that their goals are not unattainable. In essence, I become the destroyer of dreams. When I serve up a dose of vivid reality, the response goes something like…

“Dr. Marc, I know I can achieve _________! I know it in my heart! Anything is achievable if you believe it! If I believe I will achieve my goal, then the Law of Attraction will deliver it to me. I hate people like you – people who are sooooooo negative. Most leaders tell us to never give up on our dreams – to keep going after what we want. You suck Dr. Marc!”

OKAY…

Most leaders who tell you to “never give up on your dreams” ASSume that you have a plan that will bring your dream(s) or goal(s) to fruition. They ASSume that you have a way to get there.

More often than not, there is a dream, but no plan. And when someone comes along and opens the blinds, the intensity of the light streaming through the window often causes some to wince (aka react).

People don’t like to be told that their goal is not attainable, and believe me – I do not enjoy delivering the bad news. On the other hand, I would rather see someone step back from investing their effort in pursuing something that is unrealistic and unattainable than I would watch someone go over the cliff.

Before you pursue a goal, you need to ask if it’s attainable. In other words, if you announce your goal to be something like, “I plan on being a millionaire by the time I’m 40!” – but you are going to continue doing what you’re currently doing, then it stands to reason that you are not going to attain that goal. Upon hearing this, I have two choices:

(1) Give the guy an “Attaboy…you go for it man!”

(2) Pull him aside and help him expose his own reality.

I vote for #2

Not all goals and dreams are attainable simply because they pop out of your head. What you WANT vs. what you can ACHIEVE are two different stories. And if you are like most people, there is a very good chance that many of your goals and dreams will be miles beyond what’s realistically achievable.

Avoid falling short in achieving your goals, and then holding a party for all of your efforts. In my world, you don’t deserve a party or any credit for “trying” when, in reality, the attempt had no chance of succeeding. Make sure that what you want to achieve, is truly…ATTAINABLE.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc  & The Mind Virus Team

It’s simple.

When a person or a business cannot describe themselves or their organization with COMPLETE CLARITY, then what you have on your hands is instability. Where there is instability, there is failure. And when I say “failure,” what I am referring to is a person who will never have their sh*t together, and/or a business or organization that will always lack cohesiveness.

Have you ever heard a person
describe themselves as an onion?

Have you ever heard a person
describe themselves as complex wine?

I have.

In fact, I have heard MANY individuals describe  him or herself as an onion (you know, many layers that require SOMEONE ELSE to peel them back) or like a complex wine (full of “unique flavors”). Whether they actually claim to be like an onion/wine, or simply suggest that they are complex – with many layers, I am here to tell you that in most cases, you are dealing with someone who is 11 eggs short of a dozen.

It’s true.

As it turns out, there are a lot of single folks who like to think of THEMSELVES as being complex…quirky…eccentric, full of layers that are just waiting to be pulled back, like an onion – but without the stink (most of the time). So, in this Pre-Thanksgiving 2011 blog post, the Dark Lord (that’s me) is here to help you get your head out of your butt.

You are not given permission by anyone to be complex or “quirky.” Sorry. That’s the way of the world, and I am the messenger who is here to bring you that bad news.

DON’T MAKE ANYONE WORK HARD
TO FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE!

Life is too short to waste time. Thus, it is YOUR OBLIGATION to strip back the layers of the onion for the world, thus allowing the world to see who you are without having to jump through hoops. It gets you where you want to be much faster, and it helps others invest their time enjoying you – rather than figuring you out.

BUSINESS Or ORGANIZATION

For those of you who are involved in a business or an organization, here is my Pre-Thanksgiving gift to you:

If your business or organization is fragmented (all over the place), then find the right people who CAN ABSOLUTELY package you up nice and neat and can EFFECTIVELY present you to the public or to your target market. Don’t call on the most popular individuals, rather, the folks who can get the job done.

In other words, like an individual, the business needs to peel back the layers, rather than making the customers, clients, or patients figure out who you are, what you do, where you stand, what you’re selling, etc.

TELL THEM!

DON’T MAKE THEM WORK!

If your business is not doing well, then it’s either because the business sucks (i.e. you don’t have a good product or service), the employees suck, YOU suck, or the business is not being marketed correctly. In other words, THE MESSAGE ISN’T CLEAR!

The lack of REAL SUCCESS could also be a combination of factors. The finger usually points to the economy, but that’s typically not the case. Most of the population is employed, and most of the folks who are employed did not get salary reductions. They might not have not gotten a raise in recent years, but it isn’t likely that they received a reduction. Therefore, if they are spending on new iPhones and new iPads, and they are NOT spending with your business, then the problem is ?????.

Sorry.

The same goes for an organization.

I know one organization that is attempting to get ONE MILLION individuals to sign a petition of support for certain “changes” in their profession. As of mid-November 2011, they have just over 10,000 signatures. That sucks. The “campaign” is faulty on many levels, but discussing the faults is typically met with “We’re doing this, that, and the other thing. Stop complaining and jump on the bandwagon!”

If the challenge this organization is facing is apathy (as seems to be the case), then one must conclude that the message is not compelling. After all, everyone will get off their ass for something. You just need to find what that “something” is. If there is no action taken by those to whom you are attempting to motivate, then the message sucks.

Right?

RIGHT!

When egos are involved, the message always stays the same. I deal with egos day in and day out. And guess what? It’s usually the folks with the biggest egos who complain about everyone else having an ego problem (LOL). I have an ego specific to what I am great at. When it comes to everything else, I’ll hand the mic to someone else. WHEN I know what I am talking about, I never take a backseat to anyone.

If the message sucks, then it’s because the message is COMPLEX…err…like an onion…or like a complex wine. A compelling message has to be as crystal clear, without complexities and without layers.

Don’t forget to come back here on Thanksgiving
for a very special blog post!

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

Consider the following dialogue…

BERTHA: “I am sooo excited! I am going to be starting my new business in just 3 months and I can’t wait! I am going to rock this world! YES! YES! YES!”

DR. MARC: “Congratulations! What have you done to prepare for success?”

BERTHA: “What do you mean by that? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I took two whole business classes and have shadowed a number of successful individuals in my field! So there!!!”

DR.MARC: “Shadowing other folks is sort of smart, but what you are really doing is making certain ‘translational’ assumptions.”

BERTHA: “Whaa…whaa….what is a ‘translational’ assumption?”

DR. MARC: “Uh oh – that’s not a good sign. A translational assumption is one in which the end-user, which is you Bertha, ASSumes that you can extrapolate what you’ve seen in the businesses that you’ve shadowed, to your business. In other words, you are being GIVEN fish instead of LEARNING how to select the correct fishing rod, learning how to select the appropriate bait, learning how to select the right fishing spot, and of course, learning how to fish.”

BERTHA: “You’re a big jerk Dr. Marc!”

DR. MARC: “Yes, I knew you would say that. I’m not saying you’re wrong Bertha. To some folks, I do come off as a jerk. That’s par for the course when you are dealing with unoptimized individuals. I don’t expect to hear anything less from someone who is inherently weak. Nevertheless, the fact remains that you are lacking a mindset that can navigate…circumstances. There are many variables that impact the success of a new business, and for that matter, impact your marriage, how you raise your children, and how you live (and get the most out of) your life. If your mind is NOT prepared to navigate life, then you will fall flat on your face and quickly point the finger of blame in MANY directions. You’ll see (LOL)”

BERTHA: “But I spent two years working for X, Y, and Z – and I now know how to deal with any and all situations.”

DR. MARC: “Uhh…NO. You know how to deal with CERTAIN situations in a CERTAIN environment. Like I said, you appear to lack the ability to properly diagnose circumstances. If you haven’t been taught how to process life’s situations and circumstances, then your ship is already sinking – even though it hasn’t left the dock.”

An acquaintance of a friend went to open a new restaurant. The acquaintance, who we’ll simply refer to as Steve, had managed a number of restaurants in his 20 years of being in the industry. In early 2010, Steve put all of his money into opening his dream restaurant. By February 2011, the restaurant was closed. Steve had worked for the best of the best, but Steve lacked the proper knowledge that transforms a “manager mindset” into an “owner mindset.” Lest you think that a certain mindset is some type of “genetic gift” (i.e. the ability to draw), allow me to be the first one to set you straight: A PREPARED MIND is a byproduct of proper instruction, not luck. It’s learned.

If your mind is not prepared for success (i.e. a great marriage, a great career), then not even the best guru, coach or mentor can help you. It’s really like sprinkling the finest grass seed on a field of concrete; nothing is going to happen.

The best investment you can make in your future has very little to do with desired end result. The VERY BEST investment you can make in your future is preparing the mind to navigate and rapidly course correct – if needed.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team

EFFORT:  An earnest or strenuous attempt.

EFFORT:  A conscious exertion of effort.

I’m not a big fan of the word EFFORT – especially unguided EFFORT. It’s sort of similar to the word TRY. Most folks don’t use the word EFFORT in a sentenece or a paragraph unless they’ve not reached their desired goal. Naturally, the word EFFORT – like the word FAILURE, has been placed high up on a pedestal as if to suggest that it should be rewarded.

When someone fails at an attempt, what’s the first thing they do? That’s right – they tell you about all the famous people (celebrities) who – at first, FAILED. They follow that up with a statement about the famous person to whom they are making reference, that goes something like, “Look where it got them!” In other words, if celebrity X had not failed at such and such, they would not have achieved this, that, and the other thing. It’s actually a pretty bogus argument, especially when you consider that, had they not failed, they could have done something even BETTER.

Sadly, that’s not a popular argument.

The most popular argument today is, “It’s okay to fail…many times over if necessary.” It’s almost as if the recipe for success has the first three steps listed as:

Step #1: Fail
Step #2: Fail Again
Step #3: Fail One More Time

Here’s a BIG TASTE OF REALITY:

For every big celebrity success you hear about that rises from the ashes of failure (or story on television, in a business magazine, etc.), there are hundreds of thousands of FAILURES that end right then and there. In other words, the stories that you don’t hear about or read about, are the ones that fail and stay failed (LOL).

The SOLUTION: Instead of patting ourselves on the back for our effort, how about we properly and effectively train our kids to prepare for success? What do you say? Instead of saying, “Give it your best effort, and if you fail, at least you know you tried,” how about something like, “I want you to prepare…and prepare…and prepare to succeed…SO THAT YOU DON’T FAIL.”

Still, failure can happen – even with excellent preparation. But the correction that comes out of that kind of failure will typically be less intense than going into something with a mindset of “I’ll give it my best!”

I talk with folks from all walks of life who have gone into things with a mindset that I couldn’t relate to on my worst day. When they FAIL, they blame the other person…the other businesses…the economy…everyone…anyone. That’s when I tell them to shut the hell up and answer a quick few questions:

1). What kind of research did you do specific to ____?

2). How did you plan for ____?

3). What about if X, Y, or Z happened?

In most cases, people are unable to answer all three questions. Okay, so maybe they have an answer, but in nearly all cases, their answers are completely nonsensical. Pathetic. Ridiculous. This is especially the case when it comes to new business ventures, and of course – relationships.

The keys to REAL success escape most people – especially those who come across as “having it all going on.” These folks lack the tools, and they will FAIL…badly…horribly…disastrously. They will stay FAILED. I’m not wishing them any ill will. I’m just telling you that I can listen to a plan, and within a few moments KNOW who is going to FAIL, and how badly they will go down in flames. No – I don’t have some special POWAAAH. It’s more about detecting the cracks in the structure than anything else.

The REAL keys to success have nothing to do with luck, wishing, hoping, or expecting. I present the tools that are needed to achieve success at my Headspace 2012 seminar, but convincing people that they should invest $1500.00 to learn HOW to do it right vs. blowing $15,000, $150,000, or even $1,500,000, is like pulling teeth. At the very least, I do the right thing by pointing out the cracks. When they REACT to this information, I simply go to my kitchen, pop a batch of organic popcorn seasoned with organic garlic olive oil and a light dusting of sea salt (mmmm), and watch the show. If you can’t watch them succeed, and you’ve given them sufficient warning (i.e. they shouldn’t put their hand on the burning hot stove), then the least you can do is kick back and enjoy watching their boat sink.

EFFORT is nice.

PLANNING is BETTER.

If you want to learn HOW to do it right,
sign up for HEADSPACE 2012!

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team