Keith Goodrum

Think about it… The last time you bought a product or service you felt comfortable with the person or company. Or if you did buy something and did not feel comfortable your probably felt stressed out making the buying decision. And the larger the purchase the more anxiety you probably felt.

It’s not uncommon for many people go though a whirlwind of emotions trying to make a buying decision. Especially with a large purchase. They want to make the right decision… they are afraid of making a mistake, and looking foolish.

So, how do most people approach a buying decision?

Most people when they decide to buy something they will do usually do the same thing. Start asking around to see if anyone has purchased what he or she is thinking about buying. They want to find out if anyone has any experience with the company or person.

It’s called word of mouth marketing, testimonials, social proof or any number of names.

But really they are looking for someone who has a relationship with the company or person. They want to find someone they trust who has had some kind of experience with this product, or service. The best scenario is to find a trusted relative, friend or co-worker who will give a good endorsement.

Ultimately they are hoping to leverage that relationship into a positive buying experience.

Lacking a close associate with a positive experience they have to rely on another purchasing method. And this is where the stress can begin.

Most people know that marketing is about putting your best foot forward…

Every company is jumping up and down screaming - “We’re The BEST! We Have The BEST QUALITY, SELECTION, SERVICE & PRICES!!!!” They spend all of their time, energy and money talking about themselves. How great they are… and most consumers don’t care about any of that.

Help enough people get what they want, and you’ll get what you want. - Zig Ziglar

Pretty good advice. And I’ll bet you’ve heard it a 100 times before. This one of Zig’s most famous quotes.

But what does it mean?

Simple you have to stop screaming and listen to the customers. They are eager to tell you exactly how to market them. Customers are looking for solutions to their problems. All you have to do is hear it and give them what they want.

But did you know that by listening to your customers that it will build a relationship? You see by listening to your customers and responding to them; you are having a conversation. And those conversations will naturally build relationships.

Customers will start to trust you because you are listening and providing a real solution.

That’s my take on it… How about you - What is your take on this?

I left the blog post up Yesterday Was A Sad Day up for the past week because Becky has been sending people here to give them an update on her cancer. You know it can be tough telling people bad news over and over again. I wrote the post for different reasons, but it also had another benefit. I’m happy that this post was able to help Becky in that way.

Again, I can’t express enough how much I appreciate everyone who has contacted us with their support. It has been great to get all of this positive energy.

Thank You!

I’ll keep everyone updated on Becky’s progress. Mostly on Twitter, but also here on the blog. If you don’t hear anything, then that will mean good news. This is truly something where no news is good news.

Becky has joined Twitter & will add her unique experience. You can follow her at http://twitter.com/Becky_speak

Thanks again everyone… and have a great weekend!

Sitting in the Doctor’s office yesterday, Becky & I got the news we were hoping not to hear. Becky’s cancer has metastasized from her breast to her 2nd right rib.

I just sat there stunned. I heard him say some things after that like “We caught it early… this is very treatable… surgery at this point would be too evasive… you will not need chemotherapy…”

But I sat there wondering why did he say metastasized?

Why do they talk to people using industry jargon?

Can’t they just use plain English?

After all metastasized is just a fancy medical term for moved. The cancer has moved from her breast to her 2nd rib. That’s easy enough. Does it make it easier to deliver bad news by using medical jargon? I don’t know the reason, but it probably sucks telling hundreds of people a year they have cancer. It has to be a toughest part of their job.

At this point he started explaining Becky’s treatment.

She will have to come in once a month for an IV treatment for 1 1/2 - 2 years, and then hopefully it will be moved out to once every 2-3 months. But, this is a chronic condition… more medical jargon. I guess it would be tough to say you are going to be on the drug forever, but that’s what it means. Barring any new medical breakthroughs this treatment will be forever.

Then he turned to me & said because it was caught so early I would have Becky around for a long time. I guess he was saying the outlook was good… wait I’m sorry the prognosis looks good.

He asked us both if we had any questions. We both asked questions & he answered them. Mostly questions about treatment & what to expect.

One thing I’ve learned about getting information from medical folks.

They do not like to give up much information… so you have to learn how to ask the same question many different ways. It becomes a cat & mouse game. I believe it’s because so many variable come into play that it’s hard to accurately predict the outcome of any disease or treatment. But if you don’t ask & ask & ask… you won’t get any information.

As all this was winding down I started thinking about Becky.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what must be running through her mind. The shock, questions, fear, anger. The uncertainty that now hangs out there staring you in the face.

I’m not sure how she dose it… She is the person who has to deal with this dreaded disease. She is the one who is going to go through the treatments & deal with the side effects. Some of them could be nausea, vomiting, fever, fatigue, depression, bone pain (ironic… the drug treatment for bone cancer has a side effect of bone pain). Then add on top of all that, she has to deal her cancer returning.

But it’s like Becky says… it’s just another thing you have to deal with.

Personally I think it would have been nice to catch a break on this one.

What it boiled down to is… I have no idea what she’s going through. I have no perspective, no experience… I haven’t walked a mile in her shoes. I really can’t imagine what it would be like hearing a doctor say you have cancer.

For me it’s extremely frustrating watching this unfold - again.

The love & support of our family & friends is so important in our lives. They are there to celebrate the victories & to offer a shoulder to cry on when needed. It’s soo awesome to know someone is there for you through the good times & the bad.

I love Becky with every fiber in my soul. I knew she was the one from the 1st day we met. We have been married for 22 years & I love her more today than ever. And my love for her grows stronger each day.

It was so hard watching her go through this the 1st time. Now, she has to deal with it again. This is something I cannot protect her from. I can’t pull out my tools & fix it. This is one of those moments in life where I wouldn’t hesitate for a nano-second to take this bullet for Becky… but I know I can’t. All I can do is be there for her & support her.

The next best thing I can do is to ask for your help.

One thing I noticed that really cheered-up Becky the last time she went through treatments. It was getting cards, notes or emails from people. They would be words or encouragement, support or even humorous. She kept them close & would read them when she was feeling bad. It’s funny how simple little gestures from people would help lift her spirits.

I would like to give Becky something she can look at anytime she needs some cheering up. Something she could read & would help lift her spirits. So, here’s my request for help from you. Could you take a quick few seconds & leave a comment for Becky. It could a few words of encouragement, sympathy or support. A few quick words would be great. Just something she can read & know there are people thinking about her.

Could you also help spread the word….

Also, if you could do another thing… Would you consider helping me get the word out about this? It would be nice to have lots of comments for Becky to see. So, if you could send out a twitter about this, stumble it or as Gary Vaynerchuk would say… Friend me up. I would really appreciate the effort… as would Becky.

I would like to thank everyone who has already sent us well wishes, thoughts & prayers. Becky & I really appreciate all the emails, tweets, comments & other communication. It really helped while waiting for the test results. I tried to reply to everyone, but I could have missed someone. If I did I apologize & this is my of saying thanks to those I might of missed.

It’s easy… I found a site called Ping.fm.

Ping.fm let’s you update 21 different social network site at once. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, FriendFeed, Mashable, LinkedIn, Pownce, Plurk… are just a few of the sites supported. It’s easy to setup & start sending updates.

I like their description from their about page…

Ping.fm was created for the sole purpose of making it as easy as possible to share your posts with the world. Now you don’t have to fumble around the web in order to post anymore, you can just post once, and be done with it.

The idea came about when making some posts to Twitter and Tumblr. The idea of posting the exact same information in two places seemed a bit tedious, so Ping.fm was born.

I really like the control you have over which sites you can send your updates. When you setup each account you are given the option to include the site in any of three categories: Micro-blogs, Statuses or Blogs. You can pick one or all three, your choice.

When you send an update just pick which category from the drop down box & send. If you want it to go to all three the choice as default, then send.

It’s pretty cool. I’ve been using it the past week from my desktop, laptop & cell phone without any problems.

Right now it’s in beta & you can only get in with an invite.

Well, never fear… Keith is here with an invite for you. Today the invite code is “pingscompany”. They have been changing the code every few days, so if this one doesn’t work I’ll up date the code in the comment section below.

Happy Pinging!

08/04/2008 Update… the new beta code is “pingitlikeitshot”

Yesterday Becky & I discussed this question on our walk with Gypsy. We haven’t had this conversation in a good year or so. However the last week has brought up a lot of things we haven’t talked about in a good year or so. When you stare cancer in the face it changes your perspective. And these conversations take on a whole new meaning.

But… What if you did know how long you had to live?

Randy Pausch in a way did. He had pancreatic cancer & was given 3-6 months to live. The following video is his last lecture he gave to his students and staff at Carnegie Mellon. The lecture found it’s way on to YouTube, where it’s been viewed over 3.3 million times. Here is the description from the youtube video…

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving presentation, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. For more, visit www.cmu.edu/randyslecture.

Randy Pausch passed today. May he rest in peace.

I’d like to thank Jonathan Paston for the heads up. I read about it today day on his blog… 2 Months To Live. Thanks dude. Here’s the video.

My wife called me yesterday, and I could tell instantly she was upset. Her doctor’s office called & said they didn’t like the levels of her latest blood tests. So, they are scheduling a series of tests.

Back in August 2005 my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She finished her treatments in May of 2006 & given the all clear by the doctors. Becky went through 2 surgeries, 2 rounds of chemo & a round of radiation. Through it all I was amazed at how tough she was.

However she said the hardest part of the whole ordeal was not the surgery, chemo or radiation… it was the waiting. Waiting to get scheduled for tests, waiting for the test results, waiting for the doctors’ appointments to discuss test results, waiting to take treatments, waiting to see if the treatments worked…

I couldn’t agree more. It can be agonizing sitting around waiting… not being able to do anything.

We might not have been able to do anything about Becky’s cancer… but we were able to redirect that energy towards other things.

For instance we did race for the cure. It was such an emotional high watching Becky cross the finish line 12 weeks out of surgery. I still tear up thinking about that moment. I’d asked my customers to support Becky’s race for the cure. We were overwhelmed with letters of support, donations & prayers. It was uplifting.

So here we are in 2008…

And we are being pulled right back into the waiting game. It’s both scary & frustrating, but we have to let the process run its course.

Once again I might not be able to do anything about the tests… but I can redirect that energy towards other things.

And here’s the first one…

Michel & Sylvie Fortin are putting on a teleseminar with many of the top names in marketing. People like Willie Crawford, Armand Morin , Donna Fox, Clayton Makepeace, Fran Kern, Jim Edwards, Joel Comm, John Carlton, Mike Filsaime & and many others.

This event will only cost a donation to the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade. You get to pick the amount to donate it’s your choice. The donations can only be made directly to Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade. Sylvie will not be taking any donations from her website.

All you have to get on the teleseminar is go to http://www.marketerspledge.org give them your name, email & tell Sylvie your pledge amount. That’s it.

They only need your name & email so they can tell you the day & time of the event.

So, head on over there now & do your part to help fight breast cancer.

P.S. I’d also like to ask for some help. Becky’s going to go through a series of tests the next couple of weeks. Please pray we hear good news from these tests.

[Edit - I wrote this post Friday a few hours after Becky called with the news. I sat on it over the weekend not sure if I was going to publish it. I didn't know if I wanted to put this out there for all to read.

I realized today that writing this Friday had helped me cope with the news. So, in a way it was cathartic. Now it's time to be proactive. By asking for help I hope we can help get closer to ending this dreadful disease.]

Hey, this is cool. It’s towards the end of the video, and only for a few seconds… look hard.

Have you ever wanted to become a freelance copywriter?

Maybe… maybe not. If so and you haven’t taken the plunge, then what’s holding you back? Could some of these things be:

* You aren’t sure where to find clients?
* How do you market yourself?
* How do you sell yourself once you get a prospect?
* What do you charge for each project?

Well, Ryan Healy & John Anghelache are putting a very extensive coaching program geared towards becoming a successful, “booked solid” copywriter.

I’ve watched the videos and listened to the audios they’ve put out this past couple weeks. I can say I’ve picked up some powerful strategies to put into my marketing mix.

So, if you’re at all interested in becoming a freelance copywriter I’d suggest you take a look at this one. A word of warning here… this is for people who can already write copy. The program will be teaching you how to get clients, not teaching how to write copy.

(If you are looking for training to learn copywriting, then this is not for you. There are plenty of copywriting courses on the market. Including one I blogged about back in April entitled How To Get Trevor Crook’s Copywriting Secrets for Free… )

Now believe it or not, but Ryan & John are holding a contest giving away one free spot in their coaching program. They haven’t mention how much the program is going to cost… But I two weeks ago I was on the phone with an inside source, and he told me what they are planning on charging. I promised not to tell, but I can say it looks like it’ll be worth several thousand dollars to whoever wins.

You can check out how to enter the contest at Ryan’s blog: http://www.ryanhealy.com/copywriting-coaching-program-contest/ This is not an affiliate link… it’s a direct link to his blog.

If you want an affiliate link, here’s mine: http://www.copywritingcode.com/affiliates/jrox.php?id=104. Feel free to go there & sign up. As a side note in an audio call between Ryan & John they’re discussing the details about the coaching program & Ryan mentions me by name. You know it’s weird listening to a call, and suddenly hear them talking about you.

Anyhow… Why not take 10 minutes to enter right now? It’s fast, easy, and free. And the potential pay-off is huge. Here are the contest details again: http://www.ryanhealy.com/copywriting-coaching-program-contest/

Sorry, one more thing. The deadline for the contest is Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 12 noon Mountain time.

INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I’ve tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,
Desperate.

DEAR DESPERATE,
First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and don’t forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

Also do not attempt to reinstall Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck,

Tech Support

Here is a book review of Dan Kennedy’s NO B.S. Direct Marketing book

You can get Dan Kennedy’s NO B.S. Direct Marketing from Amazon.