The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

What is your most valuable business asset?

What about your: Inventory? Equipment? Cash? Real Estate? Special process?
A Patent or Trademark? Employees?

The above are the answers most given by owners and company executives. But if
you answered any of the above you are…

Wrong!

The number one asset in any business is–

YOUR CUSTOMERS!

You can survive the loss of any business asset except your customers. Every
asset you have but one can be replaced. You would be inconvenienced and
possibly lose a lot of money. But, with your customer list intact, overnight
you could start over again.

It’s truly amazing how few entrepreneurs fully appreciate the value of their
customer list. A relatively small percentage consistently act toward building
their database. And nurturing it.

It will cost you 5 to 10 times as much money to attract a new customer than to
sell to an existing one. Once fully understood, you can act towards
multiplying your success many-fold.

Here is the fastest ticket I know toward building a business that will provide
you great wealth…

Develop a strategy that will build a database of your best prospects. And, of
course, your customers. And contact them regularly.

Assuming those who have done business with you are pleased with their original
purchase, people who have bought something from you are your best prospects for
future purchases.

Your main business goal should be to create a customer list of happy customers.
Many of them will become raving fans who will recommend you to others. You
then can sell them a continuous flow of related products and experience
continuous growth and prosperity.

However, you have to start from scratch if you don’t have a database now. The
first major task of new businesses and/or new products which have new markets
is to find interested prospects.

Clearly, you need a large enough group of people who have expressed some
interest in what you have to offer. You can sell to them directly. Or
contact them to visit your place of business.

In this issue I will reveal some strategies that will help you build your
database whether or not you now have a single customer.

You can make it complicated. But, as with all great truths, creating and
mining your database is basically simple.

It’s shocking but true. Many–perhaps most–entrepreneurs have an incomplete,
sloppy, or even no database whatsoever of their customers and prospects.

Therefore, potential profit which is lost by not exploiting this opportunity
is truly staggering.

I view it this way. Whenever I think about new products or services in any
field, the customer database is my very first consideration. I want to be
very clear on how many people I have to whom I can send a regular flow of
sales messages.

Who are your key contacts?

For businesses with a limited number of prospective customers who can be
readily identified, here is the process. You simply create what I call
a ”key contact” list.

You then contact this database. I recommend at least once a month. I’ve found
unless you are in regular communication with your customers and prospects,
they tend to forget about you. And rather quickly. The old saying ”out of
sight, out of mind” is true.

You should ideally use a combination of personal contact formats. These can
include letters (through the post office or e-mail), postcards, telephone
contacts, and personal visits.

How do you create a prospect database when you are starting out?

Recently my son David, who is starting a new business, asked for my advice.
His proposed new product is a book he is writing. The audience is wannabe
musicians–music lovers who play an instrument and want to break into paid
”gigs” to make money.

I recommended that David prepare a special report which contains proven and
valuable information to the aspiring musician. It would be offered free,
mostly on the Internet and also on mailing lists of music instrument buyers
and students.

The Special Report title (which is very important) would be something like:

Famous professional musicians reveal…

The 7 Most Important Secrets Which Can
Take You From Jam Sessions In Your Basement
To Highly Paid Gigs!

Those who requested the Free Report would then be offered the book, of course
on a paid basis. The book would contain the advice David and several well-
known professional musicians have for aspiring musicians.

Think the chances are good for the success of such a project?

You bet!

Tip: One key component to many successful database (mailing list) building
programs is the use of a valuable free gift. A well-chosen gift. If the gift
is really valuable, as it should be, psychologically your client often feels a
special type of obligation to do business with you as a form of reciprocation.

Examples of clients with database goldmines

Internet information marketer: Joel Christopher is a young, successful
Internet marketer (website: www.MasterListBuilder.com).

His strategy is to help his clients fill the biggest challenge of every
successful Internet marketer–how to build an enthusiastic opt-in list. He
offers seminars, books and tapes which deal with this topic. In a little
over a year he built his mailing list to over 110,000 people.

Art Gallery: Here is a successful regional business with just 757 art-
collecting customers on its database. The business prospers by sending a
letter, postcard, or e-mail each month inviting its customers and prospects
to its gallery. New artists as well as ”art clearance” sales are featured.
When new prospects are brought as guests, they are asked to provide contact
information.

Restaurant: This highly successful Italian bistro invites each customer that
enters its door a free gift just for providing contact information. Gifts
successfully used are wine and brandy glasses, recipe books, and discount
vouchers. The mail list number is now over 20,000. Customers are invited
regularly to special ”invitation only” dinners which are always fully
booked. I helped this great chef create a special individual voice (very
important) for all his communications.

These techniques are simple to plan and implement. Yet, not one in 1,000
restaurants does anything resembling this type of marketing.

Department Store: This family-run store located in the United Kingdom is
thriving, racking up over $100,000,000 in sales.

Of course, one of the biggest challenges in every business is to differentiate
itself from competitors, to create its own Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

In this case we did it with: (a) a new ”voice”; (b) in the inimitable style
and vocabulary of the department store founder; and (c) fantastic customer
service and, most importantly, the use of free gifts to build its mailing
list. Every single customer is asked, ”Would you like to join our mailing
list and be the first to receive news about special sales and other
information?” The mailing list number is now over 250,000 customers.

The mailings, brochures, and offers from this company are producing truly
outstanding results–over 15% of sales.

Vitamin Supplements: This European company markets its products primarily
through direct consumer mailings. Formed in 1997 with zero capital, sales
currently exceed $50,000,000 and is highly profitable. The mailing list size
of customers and prospects is approximately 165,000. A website will soon be
added to help boost its database and revenues.

Equipment Supplier: This company sells high-priced specialized equipment, a
relatively small target market of just 357 existing and prospective customers.
Ninety percent of its sales arise from just 65 of its database. The marketing
strategy is relatively simple and inexpensive. Each month a postcard, letter,
e-mail, phone call or personal visit is made with each person on the list.
This strategy produces a steady and profitable stream of new business.

The above examples are but a few of the organizations I’ve worked with.

In each example, the result of regular contacts, each one containing an
interesting and informative sales message, generates a constant flow of new
business.

Most entrepreneurs do not contact customers often enough. I didn’t myself
for several years.

Why?

Frankly, I was so good at getting new customers by simply writing new ads and
mailings. Without realizing it I was practically ignoring existing customers.

In hindsight I left a lot of money on the table. But the biggest losers were
my customers who didn’t receive enough important information which could have
helped them more than I was able to do with a few contacts.

I used to be concerned about contacting my database too often. But this is a
fallacy. Don’t worry about offending customers with too many contacts. Indeed,
properly done your customers will love you for keeping them informed with
product and service information, special offers, as well as new developments
in your field.

Without a doubt, you will own a goldmine by building your own database that is
carefully developed and nurtured.

Kind regards,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

The secret to success, in life and in business, is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into something big. Bill Bonner
 
*** ”God is in the details”

Do you like simple ideas that can make you money?
Well, I’ve got some good news to share today.

I’m going to cover a very easy action that can
significantly increase your income.

Just use stamps on your mailings rather than
metered mail or bulk imprints.

Live stamps on outer envelopes outpull response
from bulk indicia as proven in all my sales letter
tests. This also applies to postcards as well.

Most direct mailers use bulk indicia. They are
obviously unaware how this simple action will
increase sales.

But, since you now have this little-known
actionable information, you can reap the benefits.

I’ve never used stamps versus bulk indicia without
a significant lift in response. However, I
recommend you prove it to yourself by conducting
a simple test. On your next mailing, test half using
stamps and half with bulk indicia. Measure the results.

I’d be very surprised if your stamped envelopes were
not the clear winner.

Tips:

1. If you mail first class, you can use regular issue
stamps. However, sometimes unique special issue
first-class stamps work even better. This too is
easy to test.

2. If you mail bulk rate, which is of course
considerably cheaper, use bulk-rate stamps.

It’s tough to tell first class mail from bulk mail
when it has a stamp on it.

A big bonus for you is this. Very often the post
office confuses live bulk rate stamps with first
class stamps and delivers as if it were first class.

I just returned to Switzerland from a delightful trip
to the U.S.

There were two major highlights of the trip. The
first was a beautiful voyage across the Atlantic on
the QE2, perhaps the most famous transatlantic cruise
ship in the world. What an experience! Both Bethany
and I have long dreamed of taking this journey ever
since we were children. But we never took the time
before to do it (it takes 6 days). We were delighted
with the whole thing–the people, activities, food,
cabin, plus several best-selling authors aboard.

Plus, we became acquainted with two delightful
entrepreneurs, Steve and Lori Leveen, the founders
of Levenger, a terrifically successful direct response
company you surely know.

Best of all, we didn’t gain an ounce of weight. The
fully equipped fitness center really helped too.

I highly recommend the QE2 or new QM2 as a journey
of dreams.

The other major highlight was conducting the most
unique seminar I’ve ever done, The Small Business
Success Summit in San Francisco, along with my co-
speaker Joel Christopher. For the first time ever,
both online and offline marketing strategies and
cutting-edge copy were presented. We even sold
online $33,898.00 worth of product in one day right
before the eyes of the attendees from 12 different
countries.

I was also delighted that my son David was an
attendee.

For years I encouraged him to attend my seminars
and study marketing.

But David’s previous interests were always primarily
in music (he’s a capable professional) and computer
science. He was not ready to really get into
marketing. Of course, this was fine by me as I
believe everyone has to find his or her own path.
And, as you know, no one can force you to learn
until and unless you are ready for it.

However, after attending a previous seminar at which
I spoke a few months ago, he really got turned onto
marketing. He now has his own web design company and
his first several clients. He’s really excited about
entrepreneurship and marketing. I’m proud of him.
As the saying goes, “When the student is ready,
the teacher appears.”

Best of all, every single concept, questions and
answers, of the seminar were professionally recorded
on video and audio.

If you are serious, study the information and employ
the very latest marketing principles. I highly
recommend these tapes. You truly can become part of
history and take your business to the next level.

Check www.smallbusinesssuccesssummit.com for details.

Sincerely,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

In my view, nearly all government statistics about
reasons for business failures are nonsense.

Undercapitalization, inexperience, or poor management
are usually blamed for all business disasters.

Of course, there can be one or several more causes
that result in a business going “belly up.”

However, from what I’ve seen, marketing mistakes are by
far the primary reason businesses do not survive. This
includes companies which consider themselves direct
marketers as well as those who do not.

Here are the seven most common marketing mistakes:

1. Management treats marketing as a business expense or
simply a department rather than a necessary business
investment.

Solution: Marketing should be treated as the driving
force of any company. It is the only function that
brings in cash. The other major functions in a company
are necessary. But they all spend cash. This includes
the primary business departments of finance, production
and research.

To market any product or service successfully, the
company must do two things:

A. Provide marketing with sufficient resources
B. Put marketing at the heart of its business strategy

The whole company should be focused on the needs and
wants of customers and be prepared to satisfy their
demands.

Marketing must be part of the philosophy of all
entrepreneurs and managers.

2. Management does not know specifically what it costs
to recruit a new customer. Plus, there are no accurate
statistics on the average customer lifetime value.

Without this knowledge, it is impossible to make sound
decisions. You cannot determine how much to invest in
marketing. If you spend more to gain a customer than
their lifetime value, ultimately you will go broke.
In the absence of this information, many businesses can
and often do fail. To make matters worse, few of the
casualties understand why they failed.

Solution: Before you invest large sums on marketing,
determine the average lifetime value of a customer.
An excellent book that I highly recommend on this topic
is The Loyalty Factor by Frederick Reicheld.

3. Management makes no attempt to build a customer
database. This is especially so with most retailers,
restaurateurs and department store owners. However,
I’ve seen this in many other businesses.

Solution: A company’s database of customers is
potentially its biggest asset. It’s much more valuable
than equipment, inventory, etc. This is not only true
of companies that utilize mail order or Internet marketing.
Every single company that wants to survive and prosper
needs to build a database.

4. The company does not communicate often enough with its
customers. The result is lower sales and profits than are
otherwise possible.

Solution: Contact your customers a minimum of once a month.
When I started my first business at age 21, I too made many
mistakes. The business somehow survived and became a chain
of retail confectionery stores called Peterson’s House of
Fudge. At first I sent my customers an offer every six
months. So I tried sending a sales letter every three
months. My business doubled. I then began mailing every
other month. My business again increased proportionately.

I wound up with the ideal and most profitable interval–
once a month.

At first I thought contacting customers every 30 days
might be too often and that customers would get turned
off.

But that didn’t happen. I got great feedback as well as
higher sales. Providing your customers like, or even love,
your product or service, as they should, they want to hear
from you frequently.

This, of course, is in the context of your sending
excellent offers, excellent copy and excellent information.

Indeed, if you are not in frequent contact, your customers
will quickly begin to forget about you. Many will start
buying from your competitors.

I urge you to contact your customers at least every
30 days (occasionally with special offers a week apart
is perfectly fine too).

Your form of contact can be an e-mail, postcard, catalog,
telephone call or personal visit. I’ve found the most
effective method of regular contact is with a well-written
sales letter.

Rarely do I find a company of any kind which systematically
mines the real gold in any business–the customer database.
Make sure you do not make this mistake.

Making offers to your customer database is often referred
to as the “back end” in direct marketing jargon. But every
business should cash in on the huge potential of existing
customers by simply making frequent offers to them and
giving them more opportunities to do business with you.

5. Management has no method of accurately measuring the
results from its advertising investments. This is
especially so with so-called image advertising.

Solution: The way this is done is to seek a direct
response in each promotion. This can be a coupon,
telephone call or store visit. Code each promotion.
Then when an order is received or a customer visits
your establishment, you can appropriately trace it to the
particular promotion.

The coding system can be numbers or letters. If you use
the telephone you can utilize separate telephone numbers
for each advertisement. Or you can simply ask the caller
which ad or letter they are responding to.

6. As many companies begin to enjoy some early success,
many develop a disease that I call “Big-Company-Itis.”
They start having endless, non-productive meetings.
They become bureaucratic. They move as slow as molasses.

Instead of continuing to insist upon a high level of employee
performance and keeping a close watch and control over costs,
management takes its foot off the brake. Costs can spiral out
of control. Employee morale can suffer. Soon the company is
in deep trouble.

Solution: The secret is to think big but operate much like
a small business. Well-managed, large organizations that
are highly successful are run more like a small
entrepreneurial business. Managers have profit center
responsibility. Their job is to help increase revenue or
reduce costs, or both. They are held accountable. They
maintain the financial controls and quick response of a lean
and mean small business.

7. Management has no systemized upselling procedure in
place to upgrade both new and existing customers to a larger
sale. Result? Lower sales volume and lower profits than
otherwise could be obtained.

Surprisingly, companies I’ve observed that market direct to
consumers, such as mail-order businesses, tend to be
incredibly poor at telephone communications and upselling.

Well-managed and properly trained customer service people
can add 30%-60% in added sales volume without any
increase in marketing or administrative costs. Your only
cost is the cost of goods sold. Best of all, your customers
are the beneficiaries of more value and variety for their
money. Everyone wins.

But here is where it becomes really interesting. Your gross
sales will be much higher. But your net profit will
increase by a huge multiple. I’ve helped companies achieve
huge increases in their net profit just by learning effective
and professional telephone techniques. It’s not unusual to
increase profits as much as 5 or even 10 times!

Effective telephone communications and upselling are the
main reasons for the huge success of my own companies.
My clients for whom I conduct training of their customer
service representatives have experienced similar results.

Solution: Develop a strategy which includes the following:

A. Create an incentive compensation plan for your
customer service representatives (CSR’s) based on
added sales. Depending on your profit margins, this
can be for example 5% to 10% of additional sales.

B. Run a daily special offered as an “add on” that
provides great value for the customer. For example,
you can offer a new product at half price.

C. Prepare a verbatim script on how to present the
special.

Tip: The selling price. Your special offer should not
exceed 30% of your average order. This makes the
decision to accept the special an easy one.

D. Provide your CSR’s with some basic telephone
training. This should include the principles of active
listening, voice pitch, pacing, learning to present things
in a hearable way, and some gentle closing-the-sale
techniques. A big factor is learning the secrets of
boosting the sales without any pressure whatsoever.

Yours truly,

Ted Nicholas

P.S. Professional and effective telephone selling techniques
where customers are treated with dignity and respect are
simply not taught by anyone to my knowledge. Yet, these
techniques can make the difference between a breakeven or
modestly profitable business and a cash cow. By popular
request, I’ve decided to add this exciting new section
to my private seminars beginning with my next one.
While there are still a few seats available, reserve your
space now at my upcoming October 10-12 event,
Small Business Success Summit in San Francisco.
This valuable information and training alone will return
your modest seminar investment a hundred times over!
Click here for details:

http://www.smallbusinesssuccessseminar.com/

P.P.S. “The secret to success, in life and in
business, is to work hard at the margin.
Relentlessly. It’s as powerful as compound
interest, the eighth wonder of the world.
Those little marginal extra efforts will
inevitably grow into something big.”
– Bill Bonner

Little things mean a lot

“God is in the details”

Copyright 2003 Nicholas Direct, Inc.

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

The secret to success, in life and in business, is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into something big. Bill Bonner
 
*** ”God is in the details”

No successful marketer I’ve observed, even those who
should know better, take all the actions discussed in this
issue. By acting on this information, you will markedly
increase your success.

Here are 12 action tips that increase response and can
give your sales letters that all-important success margin.

1. Typefaces. Use either Courier (not New Courier) or
Times Roman. All my tests have confirmed these are
the most profitable. Courier in nearly every case
outpulls any other typeface.

2. Spacing. Indent five spaces for each paragraph.
Double space between each paragraph.

3. Margin notes. Handwritten notes in the left margin
of your letters create a personal feeling and will help
draw attention to important copy points. Use short words
and phrases. Examples:

“Special”
“Please note”
“Save”
“Free gift”
“Sale prices”

Note: Do not overuse margin notes. Do not exceed one or
two per page.

4. Cross out prices. When you are offering a discount off a
“regular” price, crossing out the old price and handwriting
the new discounted price can really draw attention to it.

5. Liberal use of subheads. Subheads help break up large
blocks of copy. Use at least two or three subheads per page.

6. Break sentences. Never end any page of copy with a
period, as do most people. Break the sentence and
continue it on the next page. This tends to keep your
prospect reading, which is the whole idea.

7. Page numbers. Make sure each page is numbered,
preferably at the top of the page, and always in the
middle of the page.

8. Reading instructions. At the end of each page, on
the bottom right in parentheses use the following:

On odd numbered pages: (Over please)
On even numbered pages: (Please go to page 3) –
or 5, 7, etc.

9. Caption photos. Never run a photo, even if it’s you,
without a caption, assuming the reader will figure it
out. Many won’t. Always include a caption describing
the subject of the picture.

10. Testimonials. If you are doing an outstanding job in
satisfying your customers with products and services,
many people will send you favorable comments. These
can be among your strongest marketing tools. However,
most marketers do not get anywhere near the potential
sales power from testimonials. To get maximum impact
from testimonials:

A. Request written permission to use the testimonial in
whole or in part.

B. Request a photo. Customers will provide this about
90% of the time.

C. Use full name of testimonial sender. Include city and
state. Most people use initials, which have little or no
credibility, and omit city and state.

D. Use the testimonial verbatim as written. This captures
the exact words and tone of the sender. Many people
rewrite testimonials, which is a big mistake.

11. Consistent handwriting. Make sure the signer of the
letter also writes the margin notes and cross-outs. The
same handwriting helps maintain consistency and thus
credibility.

12. Signature. Use a felt tip pen for the signature, margin
notes and cross-outs. Make sure signature is always
reprinted in process blue. Not black. Brown. Red.
Green, etc. Process blue works best (your printer will
know what it is if you don’t).

I and other marketers, such as The Wall Street Journal,
have proven the power of a blue signature in live tests.

Another important point that is often ignored is the
boldness of the signature. Most signatures on letters look
shaky and weak. This communicates an apologetic feeling,
the opposite of what you want. The person signing the letter
should practice their signature so that it is bold and strong.

In any mailing, what you are asking a prospect to do
psychologically is suspend belief for a few moments.
While people may realize they are receiving a mass
mailing, the above tips will help give your communication
a personal feeling.

Here’s to more success in all your written communications.

Yours truly,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

Every entrepreneur and direct marketer is missing
a huge opportunity unless they produce catalogs
that generate outstanding revenues and huge
profits.

Properly prepared, a catalog can become a major
ongoing part of your marketing and advertising.

A powerful catalog can become a “cash cow” for
you. And, you can publish several times a year.
An effective schedule I favor is every six weeks.

As great as a catalog can be, surprisingly few
catalogs make money. I find this true in the
U.S., Europe and Asia.

Indeed, before they start to work with me, major
clients, including some of the biggest names in
direct marketing, tend to lose a small fortune
every time they produce one. And it’s no
wonder. Most are poorly planned and executed.

Instead of being a major profit center, perhaps
more money is lost via catalogs than any other
form of direct marketing.

Today I’m going to cover the biggest mistakes.
Then I’ll give you action tips that turn losing
catalog concepts into profitable winners.

First, who should produce a catalog?

If you market more than four or more products
or services, you definitely should be giving your
customers the opportunity to purchase them in a
smartly prepared catalog.

(In direct marketing, catalogs are often trans-
formed into what is called a magalog, which is a
combination magazine/catalog. In addition to
photos and product description, pertinent
editorial content is included, as well as an order
device.)

** Secrets of Successful Catalogs **

As with all forms of direct marketing, copy is
king. Do not try to have copy created on the
cheap. You, or the best copywriter you can
afford, should write the copy.

The most expensive mistake you can ever
make in marketing and advertising is to try
to save money on creative, especially the copy.

Indeed, by the time you factor in graphics,
printing, postage and mailing cost, copy
preparation even by a world-class copywriter
is perhaps the best investment you will ever make.

But keep in mind you don’t necessarily need to
hire an outside copywriter. Very often you will
be your own best copywriter. Perhaps no one
can understand and have the passion for your
products as you do.

If you do not currently write copy, please note.
Nothing will pay you, the entrepreneur, more than
the ability to create copy. Studying copywriting
can be the best investment you’ve ever made.

Contrary to popular belief, learning to write great
copy is not inborn. It can be learned.

(Information will soon be available on my new
home-study course on copywriting entitled
“Million Dollar Copywriting Bootcamp.” Stay
tuned to these pages for the details.)

Now I’m going to give you recommendations on
each major part of a catalog. These tips followed
religiously will hereinafter provide you The
Success Margin every time you produce a catalog.

Size: 8 ½ inches by 11 ½ inches
Layout: Do not exceed 7 inches by 10 inches
coverage. Leave a border of at least 1 inch
with no copy or graphics.
Number of pages: Eight to unlimited
Paper: Use glossy coated stock
Colors: Use full color; do not use reverse type
Typefaces: Use Times Roman (serif) for body copy
Headlines: Use Times Roman or Arial
Columns: Use a three-column layout; justified
left margin; ragged right margin. Indent each
paragraph three spaces with a line space between
each paragraph.
Size of typeface: Do not go below 10 point
Photos: Feature photos mostly of happy people
making eye contact with reader. De-emphasize
photos of your product. Always caption photos.
Everyone in the photos doesn’t have to be beautiful
or handsome. Ordinary-looking people help build
credibility.

Cover (Front)
Common mistakes:
– Company logo featured
– No product benefits included
– No headline

Tips:
– On upper part of page use a powerful photo.
– Underneath photo, lead with a powerful and
dominant headline. This should convey the
unifying theme of all your products. For example,
for a publisher of “how to” materials:
6 Ways to Beat the System
– Under headline, prepare at least six to 12 sub
headlines as bullets. These should be intriguing
and compelling and include a catalog page number.
– Make the front of your catalog look and feel
similar to a good magazine.
– Include a price on the front, such as $6.95.
– Do not include company logo (a “me” message)
on front cover.

Cover (Back)
Common mistake:
– Little or no benefit copy. Many people read
back cover before the front.

Tips:
– Use 6-12 bulleted sub headlines, each referring
to a page number inside. These should be prepared
as intriguing benefit-driven headlines, 17 words
or less.
– Use lower portion for your return address,
leaving room for an address label and mail indicia.

Inside Front Cover
Common mistake:
– Beginning directly with product information.

Tips:
– Inside front cover include a personal welcoming
message from the President along with a signed
letter in process blue ink.
– Keep letter personal, warm and exciting.
Short sentences, no more than 17 words. Short
paragraphs no more than five sentences. Avoid
like the plague long, boring, stilted language.

Order Form
Common mistakes:
– Complicated, confusing offer
– No benefits
– Ugly, boring order form

Tips:
– Keep it as simple and easy to complete as
possible.
– Make it a pretty as possible.
– Use a stock certificate border.
– Include photo(s) of product.
– Include two to three benefits of your product.
– Never use words “order” or “form.” Instead,
use one of these headings:
Free Examination Certificate
30-Day Free Trial Request
Fully Guaranteed Products
Your products will be shipped to you within 24
hours
– Include phone, fax, e-mail and mail ordering
options.
– Repeat biggest benefit of your products in
opening sentence.
– Prepare copy in the voice of the customer.
– If not using a separate order form, place
order form next to last page on the right-hand
side.

Important marketing and copy tips throughout
the catalog:
– Test all headlines and copy in solo offers via
direct mail and space ads before inclusion in the
catalog. Use the best copy from your “controls.”
This is crucially important. Many of my clients
had previously prepared catalog using untested
copy. When they changed procedures based on
my urging, their sales skyrocketed as much as
800%!
– Never send a catalog to a prospective customer
who has never bought from you before. A catalog
is a great way to develop “back-end” sales. But
send catalog only to people on your database who
know you, trust you and love you.

The best way to sell new customers is via solo
offers. Catalogs offering more than one product
tend to confuse people who have never done
business with you.

– Sequence of products within the catalog is
crucial. Position your hottest products on right-
hand pages. Start with biggest sellers, beginning
with page 3.

Use your contact information at the bottom of
every other page.

– Include one to three customer testimonials on
every page beginning on page 3. Include full
name, city or town and photo whenever possible.

– Make sure all copy is in the same voice.

– Use larger photos of people and smaller photos
of your product.

– Use attractive free gifts with a fixed cutoff
date, e.g. 60 days from receipt of catalog, as
a great way to induce rapid sales decisions.

– Use “discount certificates,” which give the
customer a great inducement to buy now. These
should also have a cutoff date, e.g. 60 days from
receipt.

– The catalog can be mailed by itself or you can
insert very effectively in outgoing shipments.

It’s amazing what can happen when you follow
the foregoing business model. Here are just a
couple of examples from my clients.

The largest personal development marketer in
America at first didn’t quite believe the power
of my recommendations. At my urging they
prepared one catalog the old way and one my
way. The difference in results more than double
astonished them. Now they have a seven-figure
catalog business using the steps I’ve outlined.

Another client sold only by direct mail. They
didn’t believe in catalogs. After three years of
my urging they finally produced one catalog.
They now are doing over $20,000,000 on their
highly profitable catalog sales program.

The beauty of direct marketing using the above
techniques has two other “hidden” benefits:

1. Your catalog is kept by many prospects for a
longer period of time than, for example, sales
letters. Thus, the sales cycle is much longer.

2. You avoid the tough task of getting someone
to open an envelope. Almost everyone will at
least open the catalog and look inside.

Use the above catalog tips without deviation.
I know you will earn greater profits and become
a far more successful marketer.

Your correspondent,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

The secret to success, in life and in business, is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into something big. Bill Bonner
 
*** ”God is in the details”

Here is an easy-to-accomplish technique that will
boost your response rate in brochures, direct mail
and on your website.

The technique is to simply use yellow highlighter to
enhance your key words and phrases.

It’s so easy. Yet it’s surprisingly underused.

Done correctly, the key points you wish to highlight
really stand out. Plus, you make the copy far more
reader friendly.

Another big advantage is customers with short attention
spans can scan the copy and quickly pick out key
points. If the copy is well written, they will be
encouraged to read all the copy more carefully.

Why light yellow highlighter? The contrast between
black body copy (which is the only color you should
use for body copy) and yellow copy is greater than
with any other color combination. This makes what
you want highlighted stand out.

I also like how this technique increases the personal
“feeling” this gives the copy. The copy comes across
as though somebody actually sat down and highlighted
the key parts. And of course they have!

You can also boost readership in e-mail by highlighting
major points when you send the letter as an attachment.
But please be aware that not everyone can receive it in
that form.

Tip: Don’t go crazy and overuse the highlighter.
That is the biggest mistake people make who try it.
Just highlight key words and underline here and there.
For example, highlight no more than 5% of the copy.
Reason? When you highlight everything, the emphasis
is lost. That means in a 1000 word message do not
highlight more than approximately 50 words.

Talk with your printer, who can help you create the
“hand-done” effect. On your website you can create
the highlighter using many standard software programs.
In reality it is quite easy to do. If you need assistance,
ask your software vendor, who is often a great help.

To greater success in all that you do,

Yours truly,

Ted Nicholas
www.tednicholas.com

Copyright 2003 Nicholas Direct, Inc

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

Abstract: Once understood, it can propel you to an unprecedented level of happiness and success. You are the master–the author–of every single thought, giving you absolute control over your emotional state. Imagine for a moment how the power and control you would have in life if you could actually ”fool” your subconscious at any time into the feeling you most desire! The experts tell us each and every moment the typical human being uses approximately 1,000 words in their ”self talk.” Imagine what this can do to your emotional state if the majority of the words and thoughts are negative. Certain words can quickly catapult you from poverty to great wealth. Well-chosen words can persuade, lead, impress or attract people. Words have the absolute power to control your entire life as well as to make it meaningful and happy under any circumstances.

Full Article: The secret to success, in life and in business, is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into something big.

All thinking people know that every form of outer communication, including
writing, speaking and body language, is crucially important.

However, this issue deals with a topic far more important. It is about a
little known ”secret.” You cannot be a successful communicator without
this skill. Once understood, it can propel you to an unprecedented level
of happiness and success.

As we think in words, the real key to success and happiness lies within
the words you choose for your “self talk.”

The implications of this personal dialogue are enormous.

Why?

You are the master–the author–of every single thought, giving you absolute
control over your emotional state.

Imagine for a moment how the power and control you would have in life if you
could actually ”fool” your subconscious at any time into the feeling you
most desire! This discovery changed my life. And, if you take it to heart,
it will also change yours.

Once you master the art of positive ”self talk” it will no longer be
important what happens to you in life. What counts far more are the words
you choose to ”frame” the event in your mind.

Most ”self talk” is extremely negative. Indeed, it’s rare to find a
person who is positive most of the time, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

The impact of this negative ”self talk” will, of course, severely hamper
or sabotage what you achieve in the business world.

A typical sales message that I create, such as an ad or sales letter, usually
contains at least 1,000 words. Contrast this with the number of words which
go through our minds during our inner dialogue.

The experts tell us each and every moment the typical human being uses
approximately 1,000 words in their ”self talk.” Imagine what this can do
to your emotional state if the majority of the words and thoughts are negative.

Certain words can quickly catapult you from poverty to great wealth. Well-
chosen words can persuade, lead, impress or attract people. However, other
words can turn people off, sometimes forever.

I’ve been thinking recently of examples of what words can actually do in and
to your life.

Here is a short list of them.

Depending on the words you choose, you can:

 · Criticize or support your mate
 · Discourage or inspire a child
 · Be invisible to others or have others eager to talk with you
 · Pass judgment or accept a friend
 · Take for granted or recognize a valued employee
 · Feel the depths of despair or unlimited joy
 · Facilitate loneliness or passionate romantic love
 · Appeal to one’s intellect or touch someone’s heart
 · Make an enemy or a friend
 · Feel blue or joyous on a rainy day
 · Quit trying or never give up on motivating yourself to greatness
 · Accept someone’s erroneous judgment or ask for their love and support
 · See yourself as a hopeless failure or an outstanding success
 · Dream small or dream big and achieve either one you choose
 · Live in poverty or acquire anything you want in life
 · Feel constantly tired or full of energy
 · View yourself as a weak, unattractive person or as a handsome
or beautiful, healthy human being, and be absolutely right either way
 · Picture yourself helpless and defeated or as a successful entrepreneur
that cannot be denied
 · Persuade others to go to war or march for peace

In this newsletter and in my books, tapes and live seminars, I will do all
I can to provide you the actual Magic Words and phrases you need to
experience positive results.

Think of these Magic Words as a new language of success. They are not theory.
They have been tested and proven all around the world. Use them consistently
and you are virtually assured you’ll get what you want nearly all the time.

You have an unlimited future. Choose the words you use, especially with
yourself, carefully and wisely.

Remember, it’s not as important what happens to you as the words you use to
describe events to yourself. You can be in a mansion or even confined in
a prison and still be happy. You may remember this poem: ”Two men looked
through prison bars. One saw the night and one saw the stars.”

Again, it depends on what you choose to focus as you ”speak” to yourself.

Words have the absolute power to control your entire life as well as to make
it meaningful and happy under any circumstances.

Kind regards,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

What is your most valuable business asset?

Why should you bother to spend your valuable
time learning the fine art of copywriting?

Here’s why.

Entrepreneurs can multiply their income by 10, 15,
or even 100 times when they can write sales copy.

Plus, you can make big money as a freelancer. The
business world desperately needs copywriters. And
that goes for all media, including magazines, news-
papers, direct mail and the Internet.

There are at least a dozen good reasons to learn the
secrets of writing great copy.

** What Learning How to Write Copy
Can Do For You **

1. Earn unlimited active and passive income from
upfront fees and royalties on sales. Many of my
readers and protégés routinely earn from $150,000
to over $500,000 per year. Some superstars earn
over $1,000,000 per year.

2. Become a far more successful executive or
entrepreneur. Your leadership skills will be much
stronger as you discover how to “walk in someone
else’s shoes.”

3. Become able to successfully market virtually
any product or service. You can market yourself
or your own business. Or service outside clients.
Or both.

4. Improve your ability to create a powerful
Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P.) for any company
product or service. You’ll discover how to
differentiate your company or yourself, which will
result in a higher level of success.

5. Discover no less than 7 psychological “hot
buttons” that cause people to buy. Most marketers
have no clue as to more than one or two of them.
You then will increase your success by becoming
better able to predict human behavior.

6. Live a lifestyle of which others only dream.
Enjoy more personal freedom to live and work
anywhere in the world. You can write successful
sales copy from a beautiful island, a great city, a
small town, or in any country in the world that
suits you best.

7. By becoming more articulate, you will
automatically improve your negotiating skills.
This enormously valuable trait will help you in
your business and your life.

8. Improved communication skills can result in
your being able to produce a wide variety of
income-producing products. These include
books, newsletters, e-zines, articles and special
reports. You’ll find it’s rewarding in many ways
to earn money while you sleep.

9. As you sharpen your communication skills,
you can become a far better public speaker, a
terrific asset in any job or business. And as a
highly paid consultant.

10. Become more appealing to others. As a
copywriter, by necessity you will discover that
rare quality of being able to change places with
others. This makes you a more sensitive, likable
person.

11. To succeed in business, you must learn to
sell effectively and without pressure. You will
master the dying art of effective salesmanship.
Successful copy is salesmanship in print.

12. You’ll become a far better judge of other
copywriters you may wish to hire or be
responsible to manage.

** Writers are made, not born **

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to
be a born writer. I certainly was not.

Effective copywriting can be learned by any
diligent person with average skills. Everything
I discovered about copywriting I found through
the time-consuming and expensive process of
trial and error. It took me 33 years.

Are there any shortcuts to learning copywriting
in a short time? You bet.

Your correspondent,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

The secret to success, in life and in business,
is to work hard at the margin. Relentlessly. Those
little marginal extra efforts will inevitably grow into
something big. Bill Bonner

”God is in the details”

My experience is successful entrepreneurs are great at
growing, creating and running their business. They have
to be to survive and prosper.

But entrepreneurs are really bad in handling what is perhaps
the most important financial matter of their entire lives.
Selling their business.

Many businesses are sold for too low a price. Or with little
or no money up front. Or to the wrong buyer.

When you think in depth about the matter, the reasons for the
poor results can become more understandable.

Three big reasons for the many horror stories of entrepreneurs
who sell out are:

1. Entrepreneurs have no experience at selling a business.
They are “babes in the woods.”

2. Entrepreneurs are far too emotionally involved with
their enterprise. It’s difficult to be objective about
your “baby.”

3. There is no really good information of which I’m
aware on selling a business from the entrepreneur’s
standpoint (that’s the underlying reason for this article).

When I sold one of my early companies, I made nearly
every mistake you can possibly imagine. And I suffered
the consequences. These included too low a price, not
enough cash up front and the wrong, poorly chosen buyers.

But, as with all big mistakes, it became a great learning
experience I was determined not to repeat.

My biggest audience of readers and customers are
entrepreneurs. I know you are the “unsung heroes” of the
world. When you decide to one day sell, you deserve the
very highest check of your life. And lots of other
benefits too.

I’m going to reveal here how to avoid the pitfalls and earn
more money for your years of effort when you decide to
cash out.

**What about timing?**

When should you plan to sell out?

The very day you start your company!

Too many entrepreneurs have no “bail out” plan in place.
This is a huge mistake in my view.

No business is forever. All have cycles. Successful
businesses have a beginning, a big growth period which
tends eventually to level off or even decline.

Approximately two years before you want to sell out, I
recommend you begin the process.

Why two years?

My experience is to do it right, a completed company sale
usually takes from 16-24 months.

Here are the recommended do’s and don’ts I recommend.

Do’s

1. Get the accounting records in top shape. Retain a
CPA with a good reputation. Ideally you should
have available a certified audit done for the last
three years.

2. Find a reputable lawyer who has experience with
company sales, mergers and acquisitions, as well
as the tax aspects involved to represent you in the sale.

3. Interview at least three investment banking firms who
specialize in selling companies of your size to
represent you in the sale. Previous company sales
in your type of business is a plus. Pick the one with
whom you feel most comfortable. Discuss fees. A
typical fee structure is a 5% commission of the first
million; 4% of the second million; 3% of the third
million; 2% of the 4th million and 1% of each million
thereafter. Or the fee structure can also be the reverse,
with the higher % charged on the higher sales price.

There are also many other fee structures, some of which
charge a monthly retainer which can be deducted from
the final commission.

4. Insist that all potential buyers sign confidentiality
agreements before they can examine your books
and records.

5. The strategy of your investment bankers should be
to get three or more buyers to “bid” for your company.
This will help drive up the price.

6. Insist on one-third to one-half of the selling price
in cash. Assume the buyer will find a way to default on
the rest of the deal. And consider every dollar you get
beyond the down payment a bonus.

7. Check out the potential buyer(s) thoroughly before you
sell. Talk with other entrepreneurs who may have sold
their companies to the potential acquirer, suppliers, banks
and, whenever you can, former employees.

8. If at all possible, get personal guarantees from the
buyers’ key principals.

Don’ts

1. Hide anything which may threaten the future of the business.
These items will undoubtedly be discovered during the buyers’
“due diligence” stage. The result of withholding important
information will be a lost sale or greatly reduced price.

2. Negotiate or even talk with any prospective buyer
yourself during the pre-sale stage. Refer any questions
to your investment bankers. Reason? No matter how good a
communicator you are, you are too close to the situation
to be objective. Plus, it’s a much better strategy for you
not to become involved early on.

3. Discuss a possible company sale with employees too
early in the process. This will cause anxiety and be very
disruptive to your business. There will be time closer to
the actual closing of the sale. And many, or even all, of
your key people could possibly be retained by the buyer.

4. Accept an “earn out” for more than 50% to 66 2/3% of
the purchase price.

5. Act on 100% of the advice your lawyers and accountants
provide. Listen and consider what they have to say
within their own field of knowledge. But, remember,
most professionals tend to be poor entrepreneurs
so their business advice should be suspect.

6. Agree to sell to anyone you don’t like or respect.
You will undoubtedly have to “live” with the buyer
for at least three to five years.

7. Agree to an employment agreement with the buyer
for more than three years, if at all. Rather than
becoming an employee, I recommend negotiating
for a consulting relationship that is limited to a few
days a month for one to three years.

**Finding the best possible buyer**

First, avoid the two most common mistakes which can have
disastrous consequences.

1. Mistake #1. Selling to employees. While it’s
understandable that the seller wants to reward employees
for years of loyal service, selling the business to them
is usually a tragic mistake.

Why?

Employees with rare exceptions do not have the necessary
entrepreneurial skills. Otherwise, they’d be running their
own business, not working for you. When you sell to
employees, what usually happens is the business will be run
into the ground. You will be spending hours and hours of
time counseling employees. And you will not get paid.
Plus, you’ll wind up with a near bankrupt business back
in your lap!

You have to face this fact. There is no way to completely
protect employees when a company is sold. For example,
the buyers may want to utilize their own employees,
not yours.

The best you can do for employees is to identify and
recommend your key people to the acquiring company.
And often they will be retained.

2. Mistake #2. Sell to your competitors. This is perhaps the
biggest mistake sellers make. At first, it seems so logical.

But, in reality here is what happens. Competitors don’t
need many of the things you have in place. They
already have facilities, equipment, software, real estate,
and, of course, employees. Because of this, they will
discount the price you get for the business accordingly.
You’ll wind up with far less money than you would
otherwise.

**Who is the ideal buyer?**

What you want to find ideally is a buyer who:

A. Is “hot” to get into your business for a variety of
their own reasons
B. Know little or nothing about the field of your
business
C. Has the cash to pay all or most of the price in cash
D. Has a good reputation
E. Desperately needs you during the transition
period of 3-5 years

Seek buyers which include private and public companies as
well as venture capital groups. These will pay the highest
price.

Of course, consistently profitable and growing companies
are the easiest to sell. But it is possible to sell an
unprofitable one as well, providing, of course, you find
the right buyer.

What about price? Of course this varies with the type of
business. However, businesses sold for 5, 10, and even 25
times earnings, or two times sales and more are not
uncommon.

Follow these recommended actions carefully. You will
markedly put the odds of a successful sale in your favor.

If you have a wonderful business, the good news is this.
There are far more buyers than sellers looking for solid
businesses.

For the biggest payday of your life, build up your business,
ride herd on expenses so that it is very profitable, and sell it
the right way.

The information I’ve provided you can literally put millions of
extra dollars in your pocket.

Please let me know how the sale of your business has gone
for you.

May you live long and prosper.

Best regards,

Ted Nicholas
Nicholas Direct, Inc.
P.O. Box 877
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
www.tednicholas.com

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Ralph Zuranski:  What are the qualities and attributes of a
hero?

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Ted Nicholas:  I think one of the things, that every hero that I’ve ever known
has, is the terrific ability to communicate their ideas and their values.  The late Miss Rand had those qualities in
great abundance.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, did you believe
that eventually your dreams would become reality?

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Ted Nicholas: Yes, I did.  I remember speaking about my early dreams
with my parents that I wanted to start a chain of retail shops, which I
achieved.  I wanted to ultimately
become, somehow or other, a best selling author.  I pursued both of those dreams and they came true.  During my late teen years and my early
twenties, I was a great "letter to the editor writer." 

< ![if !supportEmptyParas]> < ![endif]>

I
enjoyed writing letters to the editor because I liked expressing my ideas on
world and local issues and the like. I’ve seen the impact of my work.  You know, it’s interesting.  People that are hearing and watching this
interview should be aware of the fact that, and it’s a beautiful fact and has
helped me maintain my optimism and that is, that each person listening to us
can make a huge difference. 

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A
lot of people feel that well, who am I. 
I’m only one voice. Am I a voice in the wilderness and so forth and
that’s just not a good or realistic way to look at things.  Each individual has such power over other
humans, such potential power. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies,
"It’s a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart.  The whole movie was dedicated, if you recall, to that whole
concept of how one individual’s life made such a difference.

< ![if !supportEmptyParas]> < ![endif]>

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, in most people’s
lives, especially in the relationship between men and women, has your
significant other, Bethany, had a big influence in your life?

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Ted: She has had an enormous influence
in my life.  She reminds me, from a
value and integrity standpoint, of another hero, who was my grandmother.  Bethany is closest to my grandmother in
character more than anyone that I have ever known and not in looks, of course,
but in character.  She is a person who
is tremendously loyal.  I am a great
admirer of people who are loyal to people that they respect. 

< ![if !supportEmptyParas]> < ![endif]>

She is so loyal to
me.  She would, in effect, take a bullet,
which I would of course never ask her to do. But she would do anything for me,
to help me and just help me advance my work. She is not only a beautiful women
physically, but she has such tremendous integrity that it comes out of every
pore.

< ![if !supportEmptyParas]> < ![endif]>

So, she has been a
great influence.  In fact, we are
together almost twenty-four hours a day. 
To be honest, before I met her and we’ve been together for eighteen
years, I didn’t think it was possible to be in anyone’s company for that long.
Because I love people that I love, and like to be in their company, but at the
same time, I enjoy my solitude and I like to, as you know, I write a lot of
things and of course I need peace and quiet. 

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But Bethany is the
type of person that she can be right next to me at the next desk or in the next
room and she knows when  I’m
concentrating and she senses that it’s time for a little peace and quiet and
gives me the peace and quiet when I need it. 
So, it’s her integrity, her loyalty, her contribution. 

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She’s also the best
editor that I’ve ever worked with, which is such a bonus because it’s wonderful
to be able to write things, you know and writers are not the best editors, and
she can look at what I’ve done and make good suggestions and help with the
grammatical portion of it and all of those very important things. 

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She may even make
suggestions at times on the whole sales message that I’m trying to put
forth.  She has just been invaluable to
me and then her support and all at the seminars.  She helps prepare all of my materials.  I prepare different materials for every single seminar.  No seminar is exactly the same, as you know
Ralph.  Because questions bring out
different material and I just like adding new material all the time in my
seminars. I state things in a little different way at each seminar.  So, she’s been a tremendous contributor in
my work.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted Nicholas, do you
have the courage to pursue new ideas?

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Ted Nicholas: Yes, I do.  I’ve found that I’m a big believer in the
concept of just going forward or a "ready, fire, aim" kind of
approach to life.  So when I have an
idea I think it through, and I write it down. I have my own technique. The old
"Ben Franklin Technique" where I write down the pluses and minuses of
every major idea that I pursue, and when there is an overwhelming amount of
plusses and the negatives that I can think of, or the minuses that I can think
of are not very big monsters, I do like to go forward right at that point.

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Ralph Zuranski: Mr. Nicholas, did you
ever create a secret hero in your mind that helped you deal with life’s
difficulties?

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Ted Nicholas: First of all, please call
me Ted.

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Ralph Zuranski: Okay, I will.  Thank you.

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Ted Nicholas: A secret hero, my hero,
greatest hero, the greatest influence of my life was the late author, Ayan
Rand, who wrote "Then Shrugged the Fountain Head." She has been my
secret hero because she is a person of great integrity and she influenced
millions of people.  As a matter of
fact, I think her books are still, next to the Bible, the most influential
book. For example, they are used by advanced students at universities.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, I’ve attended four
of your seminars and at each of the seminars, you’ve talked about entrepreneurs
being your heroes.  Could you talk a
little bit about that subject?

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Ted Nicholas: Of course.  The entrepreneurs are heroes. It’s not
widely known, I’m afraid.  I wish it
were. That entrepreneurs are heroes.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, were you willing
to experience discomfort in the pursuit of your dream?

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Ted Nicholas: Absolutely.  I learned a long time ago that delayed
gratification is necessary for every human being to achieve a lot.  For every hero that I’ve ever known, they
have patience and willingness. They have a kind of an impatient patience, if
you will.  I mean, if you ask me if I’m
more patient or impatient, I would say that I’m more impatient, but yet there’s
kind of a deep patience in that I’m willing to keep trying and trying until I
get the result that I want.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, do readily forgive
those who upset, offend and oppose you?

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Ted Nicholas: That’s a very good
question.  I do now much more so than I
ever did before.  I spent a good part of
my life not forgiving people who had hurt me, both in my family and people that
I interacted with through life, and I found out that that’s just such a
negative waste of energy and what I use are daily affirmations.

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Because words, of
all kinds, not only that you write and things that you hear influence you, but
words that you say to yourself are a tremendous influence to your subconscious,
which is even more powerful than your conscious mind.  So, one of my affirmations is, "I forgive the people that
have hurt me in the past.  I presently
forgive them for all of these things that they’ve done to me and for me."

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, what is your
perspective on goodness, ethics, and moral behavior.

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Ted Nicholas: Well again, integrity. It
keeps coming to mind in the direction of these questions, which I really
like.  I think these questions are
really good.  To me, I think of an
individual who exudes love for other human beings. Honesty, it just comes out
of every pore and the willingness to help and to understand something I think
few people understand. I spent a good part of my life fully integrating and
understanding this and that’s the difference between what I call positive
selfishness and negative selfishness. 

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A lot of people
confuse the two in their thinking and how they deal with people. I think what
we all can’t wait to get away from are individuals who are negatively selfish,
who in effect, are asking us to sacrifice ourselves for their interests.  For example, selling products or services to
us when they have no concern for us, the end consumer, but they have concern
for their interests.  That’s negative
selfishness and I’m totally opposed to that. 

On the other side
of that coin and totally opposite is the person who is positively selfish, who
is willing to work hard to create a product or service that is much more
valuable to humanity and much more valuable to their customer than the cost or
price. 

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In fact, what I try
to do in my own life is have all of my information products, books, tapes, and
seminars to be at least ten times and just what I’ve seen in the real world, a
hundred times or more valuable to my protégés or students or customers than
whatever they invest in the products. 
To me, those are parts to the question that you just asked me.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, how do people
actually become heroes?

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Ted Nicholas: Well, I think you become
a hero through mastering something, mastering the field that turns you on, the
field in which you have passion.  To be
a hero is not easy, but it well worth the effort.  A lot of people are looking for the easy way, the lazy way, and
the shortcut way instead of realizing that there are no shortcuts in life.  You have to pay the price; you have to have
self-discipline.  You have to do all
these things. 

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When I say that, I
hasten to add, that self-discipline, in my opinion, is a highly overrated skill
or quality of a human being.  People
think that I’m such a great self-disciplined person and I am in many ways.  I am in many ways, but I think the best
thing about self-discipline that makes it not so tough, and as a matter of fact
remarkably easy, is that good habits in life tend to become good actions which
tend to become habits. 

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At first, it may be
tough to study a certain amount of time each day or practice your skills a
certain amount of time and you just keep practicing them until you just get
good at what you do.  I, for example,
have almost no natural skills in sports, but I have been able to accomplish a
lot, to win a lot of tennis trophies and things like this more from just the
effort and discipline that I put on myself. 
It becomes a habit that then enables you to have the kind of results
that you can have.

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In writing for
example, I don’t feel that I was endowed. 
I was always able to communicate fairly well, but I think that I’ve
gotten better and better by practicing and by being an individual.  Also in speaking, I don’t consider speaking
and writing worlds apart as many people seem to think that those are to
be.  I think that communication is
communication, and I’m a very much of a studier of communication. So I study
communication, and I get better at it and it becomes a habit.

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So now, Bethany
will ask me sometimes, my significant other, she will ask me, "Why are you
working so hard? You could have retired a long time ago. Don’t you think about
slowing down or taking it easy?"  Well
frankly, I’m so used to the pace and the kind of habits that I practice every
day, part of me is afraid that I will lose some of those skills that I’ve
worked so hard to develop unless I continue to do the things that I do. 

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Again, it’s such a
habit that it’s almost impossible to break. 
Additionally, I’m an individual that has an addictive personality and
I’m afraid to try things like drugs, because I’m afraid I might like them too
much and become addicted to them.  So
rather than do that, I addict myself, try to addict myself to things that are
good for me, such as exercise, such as the kind of diet that I try to
follow.  I don’t do anything 100%; I
think it’s dangerous because it makes you an unhappy person. 

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I think that ten
percent of my diet is whatever I want to have. So, I think that if you develop
the habits that are necessary for you to become a master, that’s really the
secret.

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Ralph Zuranski: How does it feel to be
recognized as a hero?

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Ted Nicholas: It feels fantastic.  One of the things that it took me a long
time to learn is the ability to accept a compliment when I feel the compliment
may have some truth behind it. I know that what I do and how I do it is not a
common attribute in a lot of people; I’ve worked hard for it.  It’s nice to be recognized for those
things. 

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On the other hand I
do it, and while I’m highly compensated, and I’m also a big believer in charity
and that’s a whole other subject, I’m highly compensated in what I do, which
I’m not looking for, for personal spending in my life because long ago that
ceased to be a problem, I like being recognized for what I consider the things
that I admire in myself. I like it when others, who I respect, recognize
it. 

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I particularly like
recognition as a hero from people who I consider my heroes, like entrepreneurs
and others who are working hard to build their lives. So, I enjoy it and I want
to keep doing what I’m doing better and better and hopefully be recognized for
the rest of my life.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, do you maintain
your sense of humor in the face of serious situations?

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Ted Nicholas: Well, I like to think
that I do.  I think my sense of humor is
a lot better when I’m not facing or not dealing with one of the more serious
challenges in life. But I think even with a serious challenge, I keep myself
whole and that I maintain a sense of humor at that point.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, how are you able
to overcome your doubts and fears?

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Ted Nicholas: I am able to overcome
doubts and fears by just trying and seeing the result.  I work very hard in seeing the result. I
have read all of these biographies and autobiographies and they have influenced
me; the greatest people in American business in the past, such as John
Wannamaker, Milton Hershey, Bernard Gimble, and Henry Ford to name a few. 

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I could see that
these individuals had had a tremendous amount of setbacks and they somehow
maintained their optimism even though they had had these enormous and
incredible setbacks and failures.  What
I wanted to do, in effect, was arm myself for the disappointments in life on
the business side.  I wanted to make
myself, in effect, failure-proof and to survive whatever happened to me because
I did not come from a wealthy background. 

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I came from a very
poor background and I knew that I was going to have some setbacks along the way
and that I would survive it and be okay. 
So, a lot of people who have experienced those kinds of things in their
lives have, through books, become some of my heroes. Because of them, I could
develop that "failure-proofness" if you will, if there is such a
word.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, what place does
the power of prayer have in your life?

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Ted Nicholas: The power of prayer is an
enormous influence.  I pray everyday and
I can say with all of the conviction of my soul that every prayer on every
major issue that I’ve had that involved me personally, my family, all the
things that I love, every single prayer that I’ve ever stated, in my
subconscious has been answered.  Every
single one has been answered.  So, the
role of prayer to my mind is extremely powerful.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, do you take a
positive view of setbacks, misfortunes, and mistakes?

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Ted Nicholas: I would say 99% of the
time I do.  I have to keep reminding
myself of the principles that I so believe in, that I live my life by.  But, I would say yes.  Almost 100% of the time I do because I learn
from my mistakes. I know that a couple of setbacks that I’ve had in business,
like the one I talked to you about earlier where I had to close a business that
was once so successful, you know.

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I started
twenty-one businesses before I started writing and nineteen of them were hugely
successful. Two were not.  I know from
those experiences that I learned much from my setbacks, what other people call
failures, than from all of the other successes put together. So that being the
case, I’m in effect insulated much more so than many people are with regard to
setbacks and failures. 

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I’m also aware
statistically, since I’ve studied biographies all of my life of very successful
people, heroes, real heroes in the world, that they’ve had far more setbacks
and failures and successes.  So for
instance, a lot of people know me for my copywriting, for my work, for my
communication skills and even I, more of my ads do not work or do not close
profits for my companies or my client companies. I have a very high batting
average, but I don’t have a 100% success record anymore than a baseball player
goes up and hits a homerun every time they go to bat. When you are creating a
message of any kind, whether you call yourself a copywriter, or you’re a
speaker or you’re just a human being communicating your message with other
people, you have to find ways or words and techniques to get that message
across to other people in ways that’s hearable to them and understandable by
them. So, that’s how I take that issue.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, what principles
are you willing to sacrifice your life for?

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Ted Nicholas: Well, for the principle
of freedom, I’m willing to put my life on the line to help people to be
free.  I cherish personal and individual
freedom in my life and I cherish it in the lives of other humans and of course,
in all of those that I love, like my children and my grandchildren.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, do you experience
service to others as a source of joy?

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Ted Nicholas: Yes, I do experience
service to others as a source of joy. 
It can be said in a lot of ways, but I like the law of reciprocity where
I don’t believe there is any negative energy in the universe when you put
yourself out there and you help. You get back so much.  One of the great things you get back is
feedback and evidence where you put forth your energy, your ideas; it comes
back and rewards you. In that sense, it gives me a great sense of joy.

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People a lot of
times don’t give you immediate feedback about your influence in their
lives.  That’s okay.  I know when I’m giving feedback.  See, this is one of the things that I like
about giving the seminars that I do.  I
endeavor to put more information into my seminars on marketing, communications,
on copywriting than anyone else on the planet has done, or will do, or is
willing to do. 

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I know that I’m
doing that whether the people in the audience, you know, it has often been
said, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." As long as I
know that in my heart, but it makes it even more joyful when I get feedback
from people who are applying the lessons that I’m putting forward in my work.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, I would like to
ask you a question.  What is your
definition of heroism?

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Ted Nicholas: Well to my mind, heroes
are people who are masters of what they are doing and are individuals who have
unlimited personal integrity.  As I
travel around the world, there are not many people who, in fact it is a very
rare talent to have to both mastered your craft and delivered it or served it
or functioned in that craft with a sense of great integrity, concern with and
for other people.  The ones that are the
greatest heroes are the ones that are the most help to other humans along the way.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, are you an
optimist?

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Ted Nicholas: I consider myself
definitely an optimist.  I don’t
deliberately think, "Well, I’m not going to be an optimist or a
pessimist." I do see things, to a large extent, through "rose-colored
glasses."  At times perhaps if I
err, it is on the optimistic side.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, do you have a
dream or a vision that sets the course of your life?

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Ted Nicholas: Yes, my dream is that the
whole world will be free, every country. There will be no tyrannies or
dictatorships.  What has to happen in
order for that to happen is the undiscovered heroes of this world,
entrepreneurs in my judgment, if my work can influence entrepreneurs to even a
greater degree that even I influence people now.

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I have millions of
readers, so I’ve influenced people a lot, but as my work spreads and as I
continue hopefully to get better in refining my message, my dream is that I
will be one of the people to help individuals all over the world to be free or
more successful.  To just be one of the
leaders in that direction, just turns me on; it keeps me going. 

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One of the things
that I am so excited about, every time I get letters, almost everyday, from
people who give me credit for making such a big impact on their lives and for changing
their lives and in many cases they deserve the credit. I don’t, because they
acted on my work or my ideas.  It just
makes me feel so good and proud to be part of that process.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, if you had three
wishes for your life and for the world that would instantly come true, what
would they be?

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Ted Nicholas: Number one, that every
single country got rid of their dictators so that everybody would be free.  Number two, that the individuals were free
to become and interested in becoming entrepreneurs.  I believe that there is an entrepreneur in the heart of everyone,
inside the fiber, inside the being of everyone and for more people to recognize
the true heroes are the entrepreneurs who are creating the jobs. 

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You know, 90% of
all new jobs are created by entrepreneurs, not big businesses.  When people understand that entrepreneurship
is the only real way to create wealth, not to spend by the people who create
it, although that’s part of the joy of it, part of the joy, but I think most of
the joy is all of the great things you can do with it and charitable activities
and your church activities, if that is what you are motivated to do with your
wealth.  I just think that’s a fantastic
thing. 

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The third thing
that I would like to see people do is recognize that their number one asset is
their health and when I look at Americans, 60% of which are obese and that’s
spreading like wild, that issue of obesity all over the world.  People need to realize that their life is
finite, that they can extend their lives by being healthy.  We’re within ten years of breakthrough, more
breakthroughs where we will all live to be 120 years or more, barring accidents
and that sort of thing.  So when more
people recognize that health is a value that we are pursuing, they watch their
exercise, their diet and they also learn that the mental food, what you feed
yourself is so critical.  I would like
it if 100% of the world were on that premise. 
We would have even a better world if all of those three things happened.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, when was the
lowest point of your life and how did you change your life’s path to one of
victory over all obstacles?

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Ted Nicholas: Well, the lowest point of
my life, I’ve been very blessed that I haven’t had any real severe lows, I guess
the closest I’ve come to the lowest point is after many years is when I started
my first business at age twenty-one.  I
was voted outstanding businessman in my state at age twenty-nine and I felt
much honored. 

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A couple of years
after that, a long series of events, most of which were out of my control, I
was in the candy and ice cream business at the time. Two of my many stores were
bypassed and I lost a lot of volume.  I
couldn’t replace it because there were new toll roads that were taking the
traffic away from my shops.  I started a
franchise business and I basically had to close the business and it was very
painful to me because some of my franchisees, some of my suppliers were hurt
financially and although they almost all forgave me immediately for the
circumstances that caused that, for me, I felt emotionally very low during that
period. 

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So I would say that
is kind of the ultimate depth that I felt. 
I felt that, rock bottom, that many of the things that I believed in and
still do were, how do I say it, I questioned some of the things that I so
believed in at those moments.  I had
some questions; I had a lot of thinking and feeling to get through that period.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, who are the heroes
in your life?

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Ted Nicholas: The heroes in my life are
mostly authors of books and a few speakers and I will identify a few of them.
Some are the business men who were the early pioneers in America.  I think that America is really the country
that has shown that entrepreneurship, given free reign, can produce miraculous
results. 

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The early people,
like Andrew Carnegie, Bernard Gimble, and Henry Ford and others that I’ve
mentioned in other interviews that I’ve done with you are the ones that are my
heroes, because they have shown me not only great accomplishment but that
setbacks or failures did not dissuade them from ultimately succeeding.

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But in addition,
there have been a few seminar speakers that have been highly influential to
me.  I was privileged, for example, to
be in the audience of Napoleon Hill, before he passed away. He spoke from the
platform and ultimately his books that I read were greatly influential to me.

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Also greatly
influential to me was the late Joe Cossman. 
When I was in my mid-twenties, there was a fellow by the name of; I believe
it was E. Joseph Cossman who wrote a book called "How I Made a Million
Dollars in Mail Order."  I went to
his seminar and what I was so impressed by, is here is this millionaire,
good-looking, articulate fellow who was so interested in the audience and what
the audience got out of his presentation that I made him a personal hero.

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I had the wonderful
privilege of speaking with him on the platform of a cruise that we were on. As
a matter of fact, a marketing cruise in about 1998 or 1999.  I got to meet him and interact with him
personally, and I was so pleased that he considered me one of his heroes. So it
was a great relationship.

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Other heroes to me
have been sports heroes.  I’ve always
been interested in physical things and sports and I’ve liked people like Bill
Tilden, reading about him and seeing his videos. Great tennis players, I’m very
interested in tennis.  Also baseball
players like Babe Ruth have been tremendous heroes. 

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Football players
and also football coaches have been great heroes of mine.  My high school coach was such a hero.  He was Russell Coleman, who later became the
principal of the school.  I had to be on
a team and we were state champions in our particular division. He was just such
a disciplinarian.  I learned the concept
from him of "tough love." 

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He was so tough,
such a disciplinarian, but at the same time, he loved us.  He could be tough with us and he loved
us.  I’ve tried to be in life, working
with employees and all, to be loving with all my people but also expecting a very
high standard. If the people were not living up to, not just my standard but a
standard that they and I had mutually developed, if they didn’t live up to it,
I tried do be a executive or entrepreneurial leader that was like my coach. I
learned a lot of that from my coach. 

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Basically what I
learned was that I could be kind and loving as well as tough at the same
time.  So those were just a few of some
of my major heroes.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, who do you think
are the heroes today that are not getting the recognition that they deserve?

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Ted Nicholas: The first ones that come
to mind, since we were just talking about children, are sports heroes. I think
sports heroes are tremendous for children. 
The people that are setting records, breaking homeruns, for example
people  that are coming close to it like
Sammy Sosa, and others who came here as immigrants. He seems to be a very kind
and good person and a good parent.  I
remember the retired John Elway, the former NFL quarterback and "Hall of
Famer."  I think he is
tremendous. 

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I have had occasion
to do some things for the Make a Wish Foundation that he was very much a part
of and supporting them.  He is a
terrific hero to look up to as a great NFL Champion.  I think the tennis players, some of the top ones, are wonderful
heroes like the current number one, Roger Federer and Andrea Agassi who has
just been a terrific influence on so many kids, so many young people.  So, many of the sports legends I feel are
great heroes. 

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Michael Jordon has
of course influenced so many people from lower income backgrounds, because
lower income kids tend to play a lot of basketball in neighborhoods and so
forth.  He is a tremendous hero.  But then I think, also of authors again, who
I think are terrific heroes. 

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I think to be a
children’s author means that you are a special hero, because what I like about
children and authors that write for children, like Rowling and others, is that
you have to be a person of special integrity. Kids can see through dishonesty
better than adults.  There’s like a
dishonesty filter and we adults can be more easily influenced by someone who
may not have great integrity, but kids seem to see that. 

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So the children’s
writers are terrific heroes for children, I feel.  Then of course, the entrepreneurs that are very good in the world
are also very good examples in our lives. 
Individuals who are thinkers along their own path and people who
influence so many people are heroes, like Bill Gates for example, Richard
Branson, and the publisher heroes that may not be as well known in celebrity
status.  But, people like my friend Bill
Bonner of Agora Publishing. 

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He publishes
pro-freedom and pro-entrepreneurial work. 
Tom Phillips of Phillips Publishing and Bill Bonner are tremendous
heroes who are helping to spread ideas. 
So the idea spreaders, if you will, are tremendous heroes.  Just to name a few that I think are terrific
are the people on the stage, who talk from the stage, who influence a lot of
people, such as Peter Lowe, who is a seminar attendee of mine. 

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He does the biggest
seminars in America right now.  He is
the promoter of Zig Ziglar and he is a very good speaker himself.  They are terrific heroes bringing heroes
like retired General Schwarzkopf, for example to speak at his seminars.  I just think those people are tremendous
heroes.

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Ralph Zuranski: Ted, why are heroes so
important in the lives of young people?

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Ted Nicholas: Oh, heroes are crucial
because they are the individuals that people consciously or subconsciously
encourage us.  I think it’s very
important for young children to know heroes, the kind of heroes who are great.
It is important for young children to know who the heroes are.  As parents I think the greatest thing that
you can do is expose your child to very good heroes, excellent heroes, and top
heroes.

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Ralph Zuranski: Who helped give you the
willpower to change things in your life for the better?

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Ted Nicholas: Well, there wasn’t any
outside help. I had to develop my own willpower.  But again, my heroes are the authors of books.  I think that there are two basic ways to
learn.  The best ways to learn are to
discover information through books and in today’s age, seminars and to utilize
those things in your life.  So, when I
went through the process of reading, studying, going to seminars and learning
things myself, these people, these things helped me the most.