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Jane is crushed.

She was sitting in a restaurant and saw across the room a huge collection of big-name Internet Marketers sitting around a big table, eating a great meal and laughing it up.

She recognized John Reese, the Traffic Secrets Guy, Ed Dale from The 30 Day Challenge, Jeff Johnson, the King of Affiliate Marketing, John Carlton the legendary copywriter and his business partner Stan Dahl, Perry Belcher, the Social Media King, Jeff Mulligan who dominates ClickBank, Jeff & John Walker, the Product Launch Superstars and Ryan Deiss from the Continuity Blueprint.

Jane gasped in amazement when Harlan Kilstein, the Jedi copywriter and marketing consultant, raise a toast with these surprising words:

“Here’s To The Recession!”

Everyone raised their glasses and laughed, heartily toasting and drinking to that one.

Jane couldn’t believe her ears. Her business selling a unique product line of handmade jewelry wasn’t going anywhere at all.

And not for lack of trying….

She was sending emails to her list with no response at all.

She had lots of content…and she thought it was good.

She had a pretty website.

Her bank account was approaching ZERO…fast.

She couldn’t understand why these marketers were toasting the Recession.

To Jane, the Recession was The Enemy.

To these Internet Marketing superstars, the Recession was a gift.

Their businesses were stronger than ever.

If you could transplant one key concept into Jane’s brain that would enable her to turn around her business now, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Submit your answer as a comment to this blog post. Be sure to include your full name and website. Our winner, who will be chosen after the Sunday at 5pm Eastern deadline, will win a Flip Mino HD video camera (it’s white, by the way!).

I just asked this question to a friend.

Her answer was just one word and it came immediately.

“Attitude,” she told me.

I completely agree.

I used to own a coffee cup with the slogan: “Attitude is everything.” And success online is entirely related to your attitude and your mindset.

Let me identify how closely your internal dialogue is connected to your mindset.

May I introduce you to the three “oulds?”

They are:

Should Have

Could Have

and

Would Have

People like to pretend that they are Mike Tyson or Mohammed Ali when it comes to beating themselves. No one is as hard on you as…YOU are on yourself. And one of the signs of this harshness is a liberal use of the three “oulds.”

If you are spending your time telling yourself what should be happening instead, you are trapped in a cycle of mental assault that is hard – and becomes even harder – to break out of.

It’s easy to understand why this happens to so many. Everywhere you look, you see people running successful online businesses or gurus waving their Porsches in your face.

Let’s face it…seeing other people’s successes when you are stuck in “neutral” isn’t a whole lot of fun. And it sure doesn’t help your progress in business, either.

May I point out that beating yourself up doesn’t help your business grow. In fact, it may cause it (and you) to go in reverse. In business, “neutral” and “reverse” just don’t cut it.

So what I am about to share with you was taught to me by my teacher, Dr. Dave Dobson. When you find yourself beating yourself up, take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. And learn to laugh at yourself. I promise you, it’s funny. Really. There is no better way to interrupt your thinking pattern. Sometimes, telling yourself a joke, singing a silly song (I recommend “Mary Had A Little Lamb”) or put on some pumping, powerful music that puts you into the proper state.

If you don’t break the state, you will stay where you are. And where you are is not where you want to be. You can’t drive forward while looking through a rear-view mirror…unless you want to smash your vehicle.

What will you do right now to change your state for the better?

Direct Marketing Giant Joe Sugarman is very clear.

He says that the most powerful force in selling is not your writing. It’s not your product or service. And it’s not even the solution you are offering.

The most powerful force in selling is HONESTY.

Selling, Sugarman says, must be “an honest profession.” Dishonesty will always catch up with you. Honesty is what sells. It is what he calls a “psychological trigger.”

People often say your customer is not so smart or knows little. Actually, though, the consumer is very smart. And people – consumers – are pretty smart about knowing when someone is truthful. And the more truthful you are in your advertising, the better your message will be accepted.

Sugarman says: “Lie in your advertising copy and you are only deceiving yourself. Your copy will say what you think you wanted it to say, but it will also say what you thought you covered up. Even a reader who hurries over your copy can feel the difference.”

Point out flaws, admit shortcomings and be totally transparent – and your customers will be so impressed, so receptive to you being human that they will be even more inclined to buy from you.

Sugarman says: “Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure.”

Truth sells.

That’s a fact.

No faking the truth.

That’s the truth.

So it saddens us to see Internet marketing sinking to new lows. Continuity is a great idea. Hidden continuity is dishonest.

Telling people you have a revolutionary way of doing PPC when you are teaching tactics Google has banned is dishonest.

Promising people they can make $100K in a day is playing on peoples’ desperation - especially when you have no proof anyone has done it including yourself.

What’s your truth?

What would happen if you “let it all out” and spoke directly and honestly to your customer no matter what?

What do you know about your target market, your customer?

Chances are, not enough.

Do you know their BDF?

Their:

Beliefs

Desires

And Feelings?

• Take some time to analyze what and how much you know about your customer.
• Reach buyers on an emotional level – reaching them intellectually is not enough.
• Do more thinking up front about your audience – don’t start thinking about your buyers when you are already well underway.
• Your product must “harmonize” with the marketplace.
• Knowing your market is about much more than just demographic information.
1. Who is he/she?
2. What does he/she believe?
3. What does he/she desire?
4. What does he/she feel about your product or the issue your product solves?
5. What are their hopes, dreams goals?
6. What moves and inspires this person?

Start with your prospect’s beliefs, desires and feelings from the beginning – and then move on to what they think about your product…not the other way around.

Become the expert. As you become the expert on your customer, you will also become the expert in any product or service you are selling. You will want to learn everything you need to know about your product or service before writing a single word.

Also keep in mind you will want to:

• Write an attention-getting headline of 1 to 5 words.
• Be sure to write brief sentences.
• Remember that people tend to read your first sentence when it is easier and not intimidating.
• Your second sentence is also important. Seventy (70%) of the people who read your first two paragraphs will read your entire ad.

What is the status of your headlines? Your copy? Your sentences? And, how well do you know your target customer? Do you really know what moves him or her?

In a rare interview, mega copywriter John Carlton shares his thoughts on the video versus copy debate.

Listen to it here:

Here’s a link to get in on John’s Simple Writing System and get tons of free content.

John Carlton\’s Simple Writing System

Ultimately, if you buy from this link, you’ll get free audios and transcripts of two $1200 coaching sessions I had with John at the beginning of my career. I paid $2400 for these calls but they are yours free.

Be sure to email TACTIC7 AT GMAIL DOT COM with your receipt for your bonuses.

The best businesses and business people plan for the bad times.

In fact, they use the “boom” times to plan for the next down times.

You have two choices: prepare and prosper OR lay down and die.

If you want a 7-figure business, chances are you’re not ready to lay down and die. (And if you are, you’re in the wrong place. Stop reading now.)

Here’s the thing: Because of and also in spite of a recession, some businesses will fail. They will fall flat and die. Meanwhile, others will thrive and boom like never before.

The difference?

Attitude.

Knowledge.

The ability to plan and take action on those plans.

Did I mention attitude?

Period. Plain and simple.

So let’s talk a little about attitude. As Napoleon Hill, the great positive thinker and inspiration to millions said, you must cultivate a “PMA,” or a Positive Mental Attitude.

As Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” And it is true.

The best and the brightest and, most importantly, the most successful know they will succeed, let nothing deter them and are willing to do whatever they need to do to survive, move forward and thrive.

Folks, the most successful people don’t develop a “PMA” the day they make their first million or become successful. Their PMA is born and cultivated from the beginning Their PMA is what gets them there in the first place.

So don’t go around with this attitude that you’ll be happy when this or that happens. Get it now. Feel it now. Work it NOW. Because the recession and the economy will do their thing no matter what you do. Your choice lies in how you react and, ultimately, in how good you are at creating and acting on an attitude and a vision for success.

What have you been doing to not only stay positive, which is nice, but to use your attitude to move you forward toward a 7-figure business?

* Take a look at where you are now and what the goal is. Things have changed. It’s a different time, a different landscape. Opportunities are still around, more than ever, but they are different opportunities. Revisit your goals and know how you will reach them.

*Write it down. It may feel strange, but it works. You bring about what you think about. Thoughts become things and all that. Focus your mental (and physical) energy on what you want and where you want to me.

* If it doesn’t make money, DON’T DO IT. Commit to what works and stop doing what wastes time and energy. You know those things you do all the time but don’t know why? Those things are sucking the life out of you and your business. If what you’ve been doing lately is not yielding the results you seek, come up with a new plan of action.

*Take a look at what’s around you. Your work space. The information you digest. The people around you. Are they all positive? Do they lend themselves to your positive mental attitude and, ultimately, to your success? On the other hand, do the people, places or information around you drain you? Get rid of whatever does not work for you. Now. Your business success literally depends on it.

Guess what?

The business and life you have always wanted are within your reach.

And to get there from here, you must – I REPEAT MUST – get rid of this silly fear once and for all.

You know why?

Because there is no better time to start a business than during a recession.

Feeling your customers’ pain, providing them with solutions, setting yourself apart from the competition – all of this is sound business and marketing advice that goes during any period.

Here’s what else I need you to do RIGHT NOW:

1. Resist, at all costs, the very natural temptation to freak out, to panic, to stop spending money, to want to talk with everyone about the crappy economy. When the economy is in the toilet, people talk about it everywhere you look or listen. People tell you to stop spending money. Don’t go with the pack on this one! (If you’re really committed to this one, stop watching the news altogether. Read a book or listen to a CD instead.)
2. Do not, not, not, not decide that your cost-cutting measures will include your marketing. The businesses that make money – more money – during a recession are those that understand that no matter how scary it might feel, spending money on marketing is a necessity (not a choice) at all times.
3. Be consistent. Know what your business goals are and make sure everything you do, every little step, every day is done with your eye on that prize. Take action daily and plan for consistency –while always remaining flexible and open to new opportunities or choices that might arise.
4. Know that pricing is a big deal for lots of customers. While you shouldn’t necessarily lower prices on your big-ticket items (their value is as high as ever), you should offer products or services for all budgets. Listen to them and serve them well. Get new customers in at a variety of levels – WOW them and they are your customer for life.