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Science Proves That Gratitude Can Make You Happy!
Science Proves That Gratitude Can Make You Happy!
For many people, gratitude is a pure outright thank you. For others a half-hearted thank you text or card may seal the deal. But in psychology, it’s is not just an offhand action. Gratitude is a positive emotion that goes a long way in contributing to happiness and our general emotional well-being. The recognition entails more than feeling thankful for an act of kindness or condition because it consists of a deeper appreciation for someone or something. It affirms the graciousness of the giver. When we focus more on the many blessings in our lives, we are more contented, cheerful and generous. The great thing about this is that the feeling goes both ways.
The giver derives immense joy from the act, and the receiver appreciates the kindness. A definite win-win for all concerned and this highlights why we should all be a little more grateful and pass the benefits forward. Imagine how amazing you and those around you would feel with a bit more gratitude in their lives!
In a fast-paced world like ours, it is not unusual for daily blessings to go unnoticed. We often overlook the little acts of kindness we experience every day. Small acts of kindness shown daily culminate into a happier life. Whether receiving or giving gratitude, scientific studies prove that the result is immense happiness; such an amazing reward from such a small gesture.
If you want to use gratitude in your life, try pairing it with some self-reflection and it becomes even more powerful. To learn more about self-reflection click here to download a free report
So, what benefits can you expect from being more grateful? Well, here are 4 for starters:
Better Health
Gratitude increases optimism, and optimism has been proven to boost the immune system. According to a study by Harvard Medical school, those who are optimistic live happier, healthier, longer lives. This just makes sense when you think about it; feeling well emotionally has a direct effect on our physical health so anything that we can do to make ourselves feel better emotionally is well worth it!
New Relationships
Saying thank you may constitute good manners, but showing appreciation may help you create new friendships, as well as live a happier life. A 2014 study discovered that thanking an acquaintance for a kindness more often than not makes them seek a deeper relationship with you. It doesn’t matter how small the kindness. Simply acknowledging little deeds leads to new relationship opportunities, and of course, more happiness. And who doesn’t want more happiness in their life?
Less Depression
Counting your blessings goes a long way in loving yourself without undue comparison. According to a study, a one-time act of thoughtful appreciation produced a 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depression. This is especially important in today’s high-speed, highly stressful world so take a few minutes each day to slow down and feel grateful for who you are and what you have, and what you have to look forward to. Your blood pressure will thank you for it!
Business Health
As an entrepreneur or a team player, gratefulness is non-negotiable. Everyone loves to be appreciated. So think of the world of good it would do your business if you showed more gratitude in your life. Send a thank you email or card. Say thanks when someone goes out of their way to make your life and business easier. Showing gratitude to workers, clients and investors makes you all happier and will give your business the needed boost because everyone you deal with will feel appreciated.
Cultivating and sustaining an attitude of gratitude goes a long way in helping you achieve happiness since there is virtually no downside to this simple act. Though it may seem tasking at first, it becomes easy with persistence.
Start practicing gratitude today, right now and I promise you, it will make you feel better about yourself and those around you. And you will also have a positive impact on those around you and you will attract more like-minded people towards you which will only help to reinforce the positivity you are now experiencing in your life. There’s no time to waste so start right now.
There’s Never Been A More Important Time To Practice Gratitude
How to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
So many people are whizzing around that they don’t take the time to reflect on where they are, where they have come from and what they have. They live in the present and tend to experience a feeling of lack. Using self-reflection and gratitude can change all that. To cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we have to take time from our busy day and remember to give thanks for all the blessings that keep coming our way on a daily basis. Gratitude keeps us focused on what we have rather than all the things we don’t have, which keeps us in a victim mentality.
We may not realize that gratitude is a choice and that it doesn’t come easily to many of us. Most of us were taught as children to say “thank you” when someone gave us a present or did something nice for us. But after a while, “thank you” can become quite glib unless we learn ways to cultivate the attitude of gratitude. Practicing gratitude is also a skill which is never too late to develop.
Here are some things to keep in mind to develop an attitude of gratitude:
Express Gratitude
When you are grateful for the things that you have and express gratitude, it takes it to another level and opens the door to feeling optimistic. Optimism is a skill that can be cultivated and one of the ways to develop it is to think, feel, and express gratitude both for the small and the big things that take place in your life.
The Law of Attraction and Gratitude
An important way to apply the Law of Attraction is to raise your vibration by acknowledging and giving thanks for what you have or experience.
When you are in a state of gratitude, you are resonating and sending out a frequency of acceptance and harmony, and as a result, you resonate at a much higher vibrational frequency. This frequency is what attracts to you the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire.
A Grateful Heart
A grateful heart begins by reflecting and contemplating on all the wonderful things around you. It has to do with a state of being and has to be cultivated by self-reflection. It comes by considering how life has supported you. Things as simple as listening to the birds sing or enjoying the taste of a homegrown tomato can be cause for celebration when you focus on having a grateful heart.
Gratitude Quotes
A simple way to remember to express gratitude is by reflecting on gratitude quotes. As we contemplate on the truth of these powerful sayings by people from all walks of life, they help us make a subtle shift in the way we perceive life and enable us to concentrate on the positive things, rather than the negative.
If you want to use gratitude in your life, try pairing it with some self-reflection and it becomes even more powerful. To learn more about self-reflection click here to download a free report
Simple Ways to Add Gratitude into your Daily Life
Have you ever read articles about how people like Oprah or Tony Robbins start their day? They claim the practice of gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to change your life, and they are living proof. Keeping a gratitude journal is an excellent way to start noticing and counting your blessings. It’s simple, yet powerful.
But there’s no need to stop there!
There are many ways to add the practice of gratitude into your life so that you stay focused on appreciating all the amazing things you have in your life. Here are a few simple ways to add more feelings of gratitude in your life, starting now.
- Compliment a stranger—how many times have you admired someone’s haircut or blouse, but not complimented them on it? Start today!
- Let someone ahead of you in line—remember how it feels when you have one item, and all the people in front of you have a shopping cart full? Guess what? Everyone feels that way. The next time you get the opportunity, let that person go in front of you.
- Avoid negative media—it’s tough to stay focused on all the goodness around you when you allow all the negative news in the world to play in front of you every day. Find positive TV, movies and other media to watch instead.
- Cherish your friends—when was the last time you told your BFF how much you appreciate them being in your life? Not because of anything they’ve done, but just for loving and supporting you throughout your life’s journey.
- Listen deeply—so often, when we listen to someone talk we are rehearsing what we want to say next. Notice how often you do that and practice listening intently to the person, even if they are telling you about something that doesn’t interest you.
- Go outside and relish—most of us don’t get out into nature as much as we should. And that’s a shame because we miss out on so many wonders! Take time to go outside more. Go to the park and listen to the kids squeal with delight. Watch a hummingbird at your neighbor’s feeder. Enjoy the beauty of the natural world.
Practice not complaining—when you start to notice how often you complain, you’ll be amazed! One day a week, practice not complaining, but rather reframe everything to put a positive, grateful spin on it. And mean it! This will take some practice because we are all good at complaining but this is well worth it and by doing so you may open your eyes to more of the negativity around you of which you may have been unaware. You can then choose to either remove those sources of negativity from your life (sometimes easier said than done) or to consciously ignore them.
Try bringing gratitude into your life and see the huge difference it can make to your general emotional well-being. You will feel so much better about your life and this will give you the confidence to strive for more (this may be business/career as well as personal). Do it for 30 days and you will become hooked, I can virtually guarantee it!
Winning Tactics For Increasing Conversions
Winning Tactics For Increasing Conversions
Increasing conversions begins at home.
Many marketers believe that they have a traffic problem, but this is rarely the case. Traffic is everywhere! You can find free traffic via social media and forums or you can pay for traffic via advertising. However, if your visitors aren’t buying, then traffic isn’t going to help! You need to be able to convert your visitors into buyers and there are a few solid principles that you can follow to increase your chances of this.
By the way, if you want a handy resource to refer to about increasing your conversions I have a great free checklist that will become an incredibly useful tool for you, and you can get it here.
K.I.S.S. i.e. keep it simple
You need to ensure that people who reach your website are able to take immediate action, without being confused in the process. Guide them by the hand and show them exactly what you want them to do; don’t assume anything.
For example, if you are sending people to a landing or squeeze page, you want the incentive offer to be bold, upfront and centre and the opt-in form above the fold, so they don’t have to scroll down to see your opt-in form.
It is absolutely critical to make sure you’re using a powerful headline to grab their immediate attention, and are featuring benefits via bullet-point style so that the information is broken down, easy on the eye and simple to digest.
Here are some other things to bear in mind:
Make Visitors Do Less Work.
If you are sending visitors to a squeeze or landing page, it’s important that you only ask for the information that you absolutely need. The more information you ask for, the less likely they are to opt-in. People guard their personal details jealously and with good reason.
Keep it Simple (again)!
Bearing the previous point in mind, your opt-in form should only ask for their name and email address to minimise objection and increase your opt-in conversion rate. Remember that you can segment your lists later when your subscribers begin to open and respond to your various email campaigns, but to maximize opt-in rates, you need to keep it really simple.
It shouldn’t take your visitor more than a few seconds to fill in the required information, so they can subscribe to your list.
Minimize The Need For Too Much Navigation
Keep the page crisp and clean so that you don’t confuse visitors about what action they should take. A confused visitor will likely leave the page and may never return so you need to make it as straightforward as possible for them. Remove ALL unnecessary words and navigational options.
Spend more time on an awesome headline than on graphics because a compelling headline will capture their attention and convince them to continue reading every single word on your page until you have closed the deal. It really is that powerful and can persuade visitors into becoming buyers, and makes believers out of the sceptics. Simply put, less is more.
Copy What Is Working For Others
Become an avid study of successful landing and squeeze pages from competitors within your niche and save yourself time by designing your opt-in pages around what has proven to work. You really do not need to reinvent the wheel here and if you know a page is working for someone else, then it makes sense to use a similar formula in your offers.
Offer An Irresistible “Bribe”
You need to ensure that you are offering something of clear value that resonates with your target audience. Don’t try to be something to everyone on one squeeze page. Create different offers/pages for different types of potential customers. This way you can really start to segment your lists up front so that you’re really able to connect and communicate with specific customers via your email sequences which are tailored to their specific interests. This can have a massive effect on open rates and engagement as you are writing specifically to their wants/needs/desires/concerns.
OK, you have put all the above into action. Great, so what is next; how can you increase conversion rates even more?
Well, next, you need to understand the importance of a powerful USP and how it’ll set you apart from the competition. And believe me, it’s a game changer.
Do you know what an USP is?
Basically, it’s what will allow you to stand out from your competition so that you’re able to maximize sales and build a brand recognized for value.
Arguably, one of the most important elements of branding is to find your company’s Unique Selling Proposition, or USP.
Some people call this the Unique Selling Point. Either way, your brand needs to offer something that makes you different – something they don’t, can’t or won’t offer – to differentiate you from your competitors. What is it that makes you different or unique? Why should someone choose your company or products over your competitors? You really need to spend time figuring this out and then you need to integrate that USP into your sales copy as well as all other aspects of your sales funnel. It needs to be everywhere, in all aspects of your copy, blog posts etc. so people can see it and (hopefully) resonate with it.
Most likely, your product will already have a USP; your job is to identify what that is, and highlight it in your sales copy and marketing campaigns.
It all begins by evaluating your product objectively. Ask the following questions to help you find its USP:
- How can it improve someone’s life?
- How can it help your prospect?
- What does it offer that other products fail to provide?
- Is your product easier to use than the competitions?
Now, it goes without saying that before you even think about creating your USP, you need to know your target audience. Again, here are some questions to get you started:
- What is most important to them?
- What are they struggling with the most?
- How can you truly connect to your target audience?
- What is their greatest challenge?
The closer you know your audience, the easier it will be to develop a USP that means something to them. This process will enable you to create an ideal customer avatar; give them a name too! The more you know about this “person”, the better.
There are many different strategies that you can use to create a USP for your product. Direct marketing legend Dan Kennedy uses a specific question that he needs to answer to identify the USP and that question is, “Why should I choose to do business with you versus your competitor?” The very reason that you created a product in the first place could hold the key to defining your USP.
Think about how your product is different than others on the marketplace; how does it add more value? How does it address a question, concern or simplify a process, such as reducing a learning curve, saving your customers time or money?
Your USP will differentiate you from your competition; more than any other aspect of a marketing campaign ever will.
Follow these simple strategies and I can virtually guarantee that your conversions will increase. And this will result in more opt-ins so you will have a bigger list to market to and hopefully more sales and profit for you.
So, get it done! 😉
11 Things You Should Know About Internet Marketing
11 Things You Should Know About Internet Marketing
Using the internet to promote goods and services for your business is generally known as internet marketing or online marketing. This process may also be referred to as electronic marketing, e-marketing and e-commerce.
Internet marketers use a wide variety of strategies to make their business visible to their target audience, or niche. These strategies include SEO (search engine optimization), blogging, direct marketing, email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing and the list goes on.
There are many advantages and disadvantages that come with internet marketing as a business model and we are going to be looking at a few in this article.
Advantages
There are many advantages that come with having an online internet marketing business and these include cost, reach, technology, 24/7 availability of products/services. These are primarily customer advantages, but the business benefits include reliable data collection, quick competitive analysis and personalisation.
1. Cost
Compared to traditional brick and mortar or offline marketing, it is much cheaper to promote your business online using the internet and this is especially true about advertising. In fact, there are many ways to promote your business online for FREE! Unlike traditional ad media such as the TV and newspapers, your online ad spend will be a fraction of what it costs to promote a business traditionally. As well as being cost-effective, internet marketing is also time-saving because it takes less time to find prospects, turn them into buyers (hopefully) and complete their transactions.
As there are little to no overhead costs, the returns on investment (ROI) that comes with online marketing far exceed that of traditional marketing. If you have a good target market and laser focused marketing strategy, you will get higher and (sometimes) instant returns on the money you spend when placing online ads. And don’t forget that many of these techniques are completely free and will still yield good returns.
Staffing costs will also be lower when compared to a more traditional offline business. Hiring costs for virtual assistants is far less than on the high street and you can outsource all over the world!
Cash flow is also often improved. As consumers pay for the product before it is dispatched, this helps to improve the cash flow for the company, making sure that the business can pay any suppliers and other costs (such as online marketing tools) on time.
2. Reach
There’s also the advantage of being able to get in front of a global audience with your online business (unlike a traditional business that is normally restricted within a specific boundary of operation). This opens up so many new opportunities and even allows you to compete on a global scale, even with the big guys! If you already have a traditional business, it is a good idea to move some of your operations online, so that even if your offline office is closed for business, customers and prospects will still be able to visit your website and place their orders.
3. Technology
The amazing technology that powers the web, and also your online business is one of the major benefits of hosting your business online. And the technologies are only going to get better and more sophisticated as time goes by. With reliable auto-responder services, you don’t have to worry about your emails being delivered (email marketing) to your target audience in a timely manner; delivery is almost instant! And you can even schedule emails to go out on a daily/weekly basis on autopilot! On the other hand, the traditional direct mailing system can take days, or even weeks to deliver mail to their destinations, especially when you are mailing globally.
4. Availability
There is no time restriction on when a consumer can shop online because the internet is always available. Many online sales now start at midnight on a particular day encouraging customers to shop all hours of the day. For example, many retailers will start post-Christmas sales on the 26th of December at 00.00, but many consumers are starting to shop even on Christmas Day itself!
5. Data collection
Every time a customer interacts with your business, that interaction is captured. The business can then use this data in a number of ways. To start with, information can be analysed to find out which are the most popular products/services being sold. Secondly the data can be used to assist in segmenting their customers, profiling them and sending customers promotional material based on past buying habits. This can even go a step further with potential customers, as you can now retarget them with ads based upon their browsing history, so they see relevant, targeted ads tempting them back to buy.
There has been much controversy over the amount of information that is being collected online by various companies. This is of particular importance when it comes to social networking sites and there has been many a debate as to whether customers should be able to opt out of that information being shared to third party users.
6. Competitive analysis
Any business owner knows that it is important to analyse your competitors. The internet allows businesses to analyse their competitors’ online strategy quickly and easily. You can keep an eye on what new products they are releasing, react to any price changes, or use the internet to discover all sorts of secondary data on your competition. The internet allows you to react quickly to any change in a competitor’s strategy, and enables you to try to provide a service that at least matches, but preferably beat your competitors. Just keep in mind that they can do this too!
Browsing competitor websites can also provide a wealth of background information about the business such as:
- Accounts and trading activity
- Company objectives, culture and ethos
- The size of the company
- Where they are located physically (if appropriate), number and type of sites that the business operates from
The internet often has information about your competitors (and you) which is prepared by independent organisations which are not connected to competitors so the data should be reliable.
7. Personalisation
When customers log into their accounts, a business can make their web experience almost unique. Using a membership portal which requires them to login is definitely a preferred option here as there are so many benefits, from offering special offers to that particular customer, offering an add-on to their recent purchase, (much like Amazon does), or by allowing the customer to personalise their own products, like Nike does with their trainers. Personalisation allows the business to form stronger bonds online with customers who they don’t have any physical interaction with, and this helps to form long term online relationships thus ensuring customers come back regularly.
Disadvantages
Not everything is rosy! There are always going to be some disadvantages to any type of business and internet/online marketing is no different. Some of these include loneliness, motivation, no face-to-face contact, and once again technology!
1. Loneliness
Do not underestimate this! Many people dream about working from home and living the “laptop lifestyle” but it can be pretty lonely working on your own, especially in the beginning when you may see little reward for your efforts. Try to involve those closest to you such as a spouse, family and friends.
2. Motivation
This is intrinsically linked to point 1. If you are lonely, not seeing much reward for your efforts, and have negative people surrounding you (we all do), it can be very difficult to stay motivated. This is a trial which pretty much ALL online entrepreneurs MUST overcome to become successful, but this is a very real danger and can have a serious impact on your relationships, but you need to hang in there because the rewards are well worth it!
3. Face-to-face contact with customers
This is a real downside to online marketing; the lack of a tangible physical connection. Limited face to face contact really is one of the major drawbacks of internet marketing because nothing beats having a potential customer in front of you. Businesses that are solely based online aren’t usually able to build strong personal rapport with their customers. As a result, there is the possibility that they may lose some of their customers to more traditional competitors who use strong customer service tactics. But the good thing is that more and more people are turning their buying power online for the convenience it provides so all is not lost!
4. Technology(!)
Ah, so you have probably noticed that this can be an advantage AND a disadvantage! The virtual nature of internet marketing increases marketing complexity. When you are just starting out it can quickly become confusing when trying to choose which online marketing techniques will become profitable.
Customers also face complexities in the aspects of shopping online and may have security concerns leading the un-informed consumers to stick to conventional buying rather than enduring such online purchase complexities.
And there are such a myriad of tools to accomplish a particular task that it can quickly become overwhelming. Just look at the number of auto-responder services, domain name providers, hosting providers, page builders and it can quickly lead to despair. In fact, this is probably the number one reason why many budding entrepreneurs give up before they even really get started which is a real shame.
Don’t be one of those people; if you want to learn more about the technical basics of having an online business, I have a fantastic free report that you can download here.
So, there you have it. 11 things you should know about internet marketing broken into the advantages and potential disadvantages of internet marketing and running an online business. I’m sure you will agree that the advantages definitely outweigh any potential pitfalls. So, what are you waiting for? Go out there and claim your slice of the online pie, and if you want to remove the confusion around the technical aspect of running an online business, then download the Internet Marketing Startup Report now.
The Benefits Of Selling A High Ticket Product
The Benefits Of Selling A High Ticket Product
If you’re an Internet Marketer who has an online business, you should always be looking ahead to the end goal i.e. have a long term vision for your business. If you are like most businesses, the majority of your costs are going to be on your “front-end” offers that you are using to attract new customers, so the majority of your profits are going to come from “back-end” products and ideally these should be “high-ticket” products. This is the single most effective way to scale your business and is also a fantastic way to build your own brand and reputation as a premium seller.
So What Is A High-Ticket Product?
Well, the answer is simple really: it is a product or service that you’re going to charge a lot of money for. There’s no strict definition of where a high ticket price should begin as this is largely determined by your niche and the market you are selling to, but the minimum is probably at least $97 and this can easily rise to $2,000, $10,000, $20,000 all depending on the nature of the item, the marketplace and your own status. This is why branding is also critical in allowing you to position yourself as a premium seller/brand.
Why High Ticket Is The Key To A Long Term Scalable Business
The obvious advantage of a high ticket item is that you are able to generate a lot more profit from far fewer sales. Rather than earning $17-27 for an ebook, you might now earn enough to live on for a week, month or even a year by selling this one, high-quality, exclusive product.
At the same time, high ticket items help you with your positioning and authority status; they make you appear more important and they will help you to strengthen your brand. Think about this; when you price your information product or service, you are simultaneously valuing yourself and other peoples perception of you! If you are willing to sell your time for $10 an hour, then people may well think you’re small time and a low-end seller and it can be difficult to remove this perception.
Because of this, it is critical to try to move your new customers up your value ladder and offer them high-ticket offers as soon as you can, because even if they don’t take you up on the offer immediately, it cements in their mind that you have high-end, quality information available when they are ready for it. And all this establishes authority and expert status which will allow you to charge premium prices on front-end offers in the future. Think about that: if you’re charging $1,000 for a front-end product, then you must be the real deal.
There are other benefits too. One is that having fewer customers means that you will have less customer support issues, fewer emails to answer and fewer complaints. Another is that high-ticket customers actually tend to be the best type of customers who have the fewer complaints in the first place as they are willing to pay a premium for the information that they require; it’s all about the mindset!
And when you get to this situation, you can now start selling a product that you really believe in and that really delivers quality and value. At the same time, you can care for each of your customers and give them the time and attention they deserve.
How Do You Get Started?
The problem here is that a lot of people don’t have the confidence and knowledge that is worth a high-ticket asking price and so they’re too shy to start asking for that much money.
This is definitely not the case. There are plenty of things you can sell that will be worth $2,000 and more; the key is just to understand why people are willing to pay that kind of money and to find something unique and worthwhile that you are able to bring to the table.
Remember, if you are going to be selling high-ticket items, it goes without saying that whatever you’re creating and selling should be the very highest quality you can produce. And this also applies to your marketing. Targeting the right people with your premium offers not only results in sales but it will also ensure that you don’t get people asking for refunds or bad-mouthing your product as they are premium buyers and a valuable commodity to have in your business.
Your aim is to get as many positive testimonials as you can; NEVER underestimate the power of social proof! Not only will this help you sell more copies but it will also give you the confidence in your product and your abilities to produce premium high-ticket offers in the future. It is a great feeling to know that what you are selling is definitely worth the money you’re charging, and that it is having a positive impact in your customers lives.
So what are you waiting for? Get cracking and start creating your high-ticket offers today and become a premium seller in your niche. If you aren’t sure where to get started I have created a short report that can help you on your way. If you would like a copy just click on the image below and I will get a copy to you immediately so you can start to reap the benefits of adding a high-ticket line of offers in your business.
