Dear Friend,

Thanks to a conversation with a new acquaintance, I've recently experienced a major paradigm shift.

It jarred me from a growing apathy with the force of a category 5 hurricane.

The other day, a recent conversation with one of Gary Halbert's friends and confidants took a completely unexpected turn from the subject of marketing… and it had the effect of hitting me upside the noggin with a big honkin' 2×4.

I've been holed up in my office with a yellow pad and pen in intense introspection ever since.

To make a long story short, (which I'm admittedly not very good at) in 2012 I'm completely reevaluating my goals and plans.

I'm dumping a LOT of stuff off my plate, including a relatively hassle-free business bringing in a quite sizable monthly chunk of change with a time investment of only 4 to 5 hours a week. (I've decided to actually just GIVE this business to a trustworthy person and only take a very small and reasonable percentage of sales.)

Why am I doing this?

Well, like I said, a 60-minute conversation with a very unique man caused a major paradigm shift in my jaded mind.

With only 3 carefully uttered sentences he was able to break through DECADES of crusty built-up cynicism and reactivate a part of me I thought was gone forever. (It was both exciting AND a little scary.)

Anyhoo… one of the changes I'm making in 2012, prompted by this recent introspection, is putting the blinders on and focusing on a project I'm INTENSELY passionate about.

Somewhat related to that, I'm also considering the possibility of working with one or two meticulously-selected clients in a partnership/retainer-type arrangement… with my compensation based on results.

In fact, here's the e-mail I sent recently announcing this possibility:

Quite often I'm contacted by people who want me to…

… help them get a flood of new customers…

… improve their lead flow and conversions…

… write killer order-pulling sales copy…

… exploit all the various media they're neglecting
(and missing out on a fortune)…

… and reveal the undiscovered wealth they've
been overlooking in their business.

95% of the time my answer is…

"Thanks… but no thanks."

See, most client work doesn't make economic sense
for me any more. I have a lot more fun and make way
more money with way less hassles with my own projects.

But… every few years I get a soft spot in my heart and
consider taking on one or two clients… IF they're cool people
I enjoy hanging out with… AND meet my rather stringent
qualifications.

Because I've become quite protective of my time, I have a
secret page I require all potential clients to read before I
invest even one minute speaking with them about their
project or business.

If you're a "player"…a REAL entrepreneur with a successful
business (not a time vampire "tire kicker") and you're
interested in having me work with you to quickly and
dramatically bump up your sales and profits,
here's that secret page.

Who knows. We just may wind up having a lot of fun together
while we're doubling, tripling or quadrupling your business
this year.

Click here to see if you qualify…

All the best,
Dan

P.S. There are already three PWM's (players with money)
in my qualification queue for 2012… so if you want to be
added to the list there's no time to dilly dally.

I received quite a few requests from people wanting to be considered. Quite frankly, only three fit the requirements. (I had already been communicating with one since about July.)

The rest? I referred them to copywriters in my Marketing Camelot I felt were the right match for the client.

A week or so later something interesting happened.

One of the clients I'd passed on asked my opinion about some copywriter he found online.  I'd never heard of this copywriter (strange in and of itself) but he was making an outrageous promise on his website very similar to the sarcastic title of this post.

It's time for a dose of Doberman Dan "slap you upside the head" reality…

Many copywriters and consultants have figured out the biggest key to success in getting clients isn't competence and track record…

It's Self Aggrandizement!

Gary Halbert was a master at this. Hell, he even taught it at his seminars as the key to freelancing success.

Yes, many A-list copywriters (the REAL heavy hitters writing for the biggest direct mailers in the world) have a higher batting average than the "lesser mortal" copywriters.

(BTW, there are probably less than 19 REAL A-list copywriters in the entire world. Many CLAIMING to be A-listers on their websites definitely are NOT. They're doing what the self help people call "telling the truth in advance"… which is also known as LYING.)

Anyhoo… in spite of all the rumors, amazing success stories and legends passed around about the A-list copywriters…

Not a Single One Bats 1,000%!

We could combine the brains of Clayton Makepeace, Gary Bencivenga, Jim Rutz, Arthur Johnson, Parris Lampropoulos, David Deutsch, Carline Anglade Cole…

…we could even resurrect John Caples, Robert Collier, Gary Halbert, Eugene Schwartz and David Ogilvy…

…and have them write the best piece of sales copy in the history of the world… and…

It Would STILL Be Impossible
To Guarantee Success!

Look, any copywriter offering a guarantee that his package will be a success is either a liar or delusional.

You see, the copy is only a small part in the success equation. (The MOST important part is the person READING the copy… but we've talked about that before.)

The bottom line is…

NOTHING In This Life Is Guaranteed!

You can have a financial package mailing to MILLIONS of people month after month for YEARS, completely kicking booty. And on your next drop of 5 million pieces, watch what happens to your response when the Euro or the dollar tanks… or we start another never-ending war against an undefined enemy.

Your "guaranteed" copy just lost you MILLIONS of dollars… and you're probably out of business overnight. (I just talked with a guy yesterday who had that happen. It can make you think about finding a bridge to jump off.)

Yes, you can hire copywriters with successful track records and experience that are better "bets" than other less experienced people. (That's why you pay the big bucks to hire them.)

But There Are STILL No Guarantees!

Even the big boys strike out. (Quite frequently, actually.)

Your lesson for the day:

Anybody offering you a guarantee like the title of this post is either oblivious to reality… or is attempting to appeal to your greed in order to extract money from you.

Every true entrepreneur knows this universal truth:

There Are NO Guarantees!

All the best,

Dear Friend,

After Gary Halbert shared my house in Costa Rica for several months, he applied his famous powers of persuasion and got me to do something I said I NEVER wanted to do… move back to the U.S.

Gary Halbert could sell very well in his sales letters, but it was nothing compared to how he could sell in person.

So only a few weeks later I found myself in Miami on Halbert's famous boat, marveling at his powers of persuasion… an ability that got me me to leave a literal paradise… and a lifestyle most men could not imagine in their wildest dreams. (And a life which I can no longer talk about now that I'm married to a very jealous Colombiana.)

Anyhoo, there I was on Halbert's boat thinking about what a great story this would one day make… when all of a sudden the boat's engine coughed, sputtered, belched out black smoke… and in one final grunt, gave up the ghost.

There we were slowly drifting towards Bimini… or maybe Cuba for all I knew.

I guess Halbert had never been a Boy Scout because the words "be prepared" were apparently lost on him. Not only did he not have any water on board, he had long neglected to repair the broken radio that we COULD have used to call for help.

We didn't talk much about marketing, copywriting or making money while we were helplessly adrift in the vast ocean. We mostly talked about relationships, ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, how most people are complete slaves and don't even know it, how we could solve all the world's problems if only given the chance… and how long we might possibly survive without water if we weren't rescued soon.

Luckily, some good Samaritan noticed us and towed us to a place we could dock the poor lifeless boat.

Gary called his boat mechanic, gave him the location and started warming up his writing hand to start writing really big checks. (I swear that boat mechanic made 6-figures a year just from the repairs of Halbert's big boat and his two little "saucer" boats.)

When all this happened I had been hanging with Halbert about 7 months or so. I'd learned a lot by observing him but he still hadn't revealed ALL his money-making/marketing/copywriting secrets to me.

After enduring an entire day stranded on his boat with no radio and no water, I guess he figured I had paid my dues enough to deserve a Halbert secret or two.

After re-hydrating and resting our tired and sun-burned bodies, Gary pointed out a very plain wooden potato box he kept in the corner of his apartment.

I'd never paid it much attention. It was a potato box… I assumed it contained potatoes. (I should have known better. Halbert NEVER cooked.)

He told me to bring the potato box to the center of the room.

I complied.

Then he looked me in the eye and reverently whispered…

"This potato box contains secrets that, if done exactly as I instruct, can bring you…"

"As much money as your greedy little heart desires!"

He proceeded to show me the contents of his magic potato box and the exact step-by-step Halbert secrets to making millions with it.

As far as making lots of money, it was one of the most important secrets I ever discovered from the late, great Gary Halbert.

And THAT is exactly what I'm revealing to the knights and knightettes of my Marketing Camelot in just another 11 days.

I'm revealing the secrets of Gary Halbert's multi-million dollar potato box and showing you the 5 hottest, most responsive and most profitable (by FAR) "goldmine" markets you can sell to.

With this Halbert secret, NEVER-before revealed in his newsletter or from the stage, you'll get multi-million dollar business ideas handed to you on a silver platter… complete with all the copy you'll need to make it happen.

To my knowledge, the ONLY proteges Gary shared his multi-million dollar potato box secrets with were Scott Haines, Caleb O'Dowd, Sam Markowitz and me. And I think I'm the only guy who has ever revealed this secret… one of the most profitable things I discovered from Halbert.

The things I'm sharing in the December issue of The Doberman Dan Letter could support you in style for the rest of your life… and if you so desire, fill your coffers with enough filthy lucre to support your next two generations in style, too.

Seriously.

Subscribe before midnight Black Friday, November 25th and in addition to the $691.00 worth of bonuses you normally get with your new subscription, you also get an ADDITIONAL 11 bonuses worth $549.67!

That's A Total Of $1,240.67 In Bonuses!

But you need to subscribe now. All these extra bonuses expire midnight Friday, November 25th.

Click here now to discover the secrets of Gary Halbert's multi-million dollar potato box… and how you can turn those secrets into a personal FORTUNE.

All the best,

P.S. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag too soon… but after December, new subscribers to The Doberman Dan Letter will have to pay significantly more to get all the same benefits current subscribers are now getting.

Join me now and you'll be grandfathered in at the current price FOREVER… even when new subscribers in 2012 have to pay almost DOUBLE for the same benefits and services.

Dear Friend,

I find it amusing when copywriters brag about their alleged successes on their websites.

One copywriter was bragging about a 46% response rate he allegedly got from a lead gen piece he wrote for a client.

Oh yeah… a measly 46%?

Ha! That ain't nothin'.

I got a 100% response on a lead gen piece I wrote a few years ago.

Yup, you read that right… 100%!

When it was all said and done, guess how much cashola I eventually made from that 100% response.

Go ahead, take a wild guess.

None, nada, zip, a goose egg… ZERO!

So how impressed are ya NOW with my 100% response?

You see, response rates don't mean Jack Crap.

Neither does how much traffic you're getting to your website, how many mooches you've got on your freebie-seeker e-mail list… or any of that other stuff dumb rookie marketers brag about.

The ONLY metrics that really matters are your ROI on your marketing dollars… and…

How much cashola are you making from the business
for your greedy little self!

So bragging about response rates is kinda stupid.

Here I was with a 100% response and going broke. And I know marketers getting a .28 response… and getting filthy stinkin', honkin' rich.

So let the clueless rookies brag about response rates. That stuff doesn't impress a "gun."

One other thing I've noticed about the plethora of copywriters coming out of the woodwork online nowadays. They never talk about their failures. They lead you to believe they've never had any.

Hey, I'm the first to let you know I've picked a bunch of "whoopsy daisies" during my copywriting/entrepreneurial journey… and I'm PROUD of my failures.

When you're swinging for the fences, you're going to strike out most of the time. To break the world record for home runs, you're gonna have to break the record for strike outs, too.

I've lost MILLIONS of dollars (literally) of my OWN money making a bunch of mistakes with my OWN businesses… putting my OWN money where my mouth (and pen) is.

But I don't look at losing all that money as failure. I consider it…

A multi-million dollar investment
in my marketing education!

So yeah, I'm not the least bit embarrassed to share my mistakes. I've learned wayyyyy more from them than my successes.

For example, here's a doozy I made when I was still a rookie:

I hit my first home run and started thinking I could do no wrong. (Typical arrogant rookie mistake.) I'd written a full-page magazine ad that was kicking complete booty in every single magazine I ran in. It was bringing in 3x to 5x ad cost on every insertion.

BTW… back then I thought making 3x to 5x ad cost on a front end offer was a GOOD thing… a VERY good thing.

Another stupid rookie mistake. I robbed myself of an absolute multi-million dollar fortune with that mindset. (But we talked about THAT in Part 1.)

Anyhoo… my ad was so successful I started rolling it out in every media I had available in that market at the time.

Penthouse magazine saw my ad running in various bodybuilding and fitness magazines and started courting me for my business.

They showed me all kinds of circulation statistics showing how many of their readers had a strong interest in fitness, were supplement buyers, other supplement companies were running ads, yadda yadda yadda.

I believed them. I didn't know any better.

(NEVER believe any of the stuff in the magazines' media kits. They inflate their circulation numbers and make you believe every single one of their readers makes $200k+ a year and spends 10% of their income on whatever it is you're selling.)

Back then a full page ad in Penthouse was $45,000. (Thanks to the private banking cartel that committed the biggest fraud in the history of the world on December 24, 1913, that's equal to about $90,000 in today's dollars.)

I did the best negotiation job I could and got the ad rep down to a test rate of $15,000… AND 30-day net terms.

I was so successful with this ad in every other media, I assumed it was a given I'd get at LEAST 3 times ad costs… maybe more. So the minor little detail that I didn't have the $15k didn't seem like a problem.

Ya know… it seems like every time I start thinking I can do no wrong, something humbles me.

Since I had been rolling out so quickly, I was reinvesting every penny back into the business. I had a pretty big cash flow… but very little net.

So it hit me pretty hard when that ad only grossed $4,700… and I was on the hook to Penthouse for $15,000 in 30 days.

So I applied the same negotiation skills I used to get a $45k ad for $15k on net 30-day terms… and negotiated a payment plan for the balance I owed them.

I felt like such a complete schmuck. (I've been told schmuck in Hebrew means "useless penis." If that's true, it's a completely accurate description of how I felt at the time.)

Now maybe to you, the lesson here seems quite obvious… but back in my rookie days I had never thought about it before this Penthouse incident.

What's the lesson?

No matter how successful your copy is… and no matter how many different media you've successfully run in…

Every insertion in a new media is a new test!

Just because your copy is kicking booty in one magazine doesn't mean it's going to do as well in another.

Just because your ad is doing great on one website doesn't mean it will do great on another.

Just because your copy is working well online doesn't mean it's gonna do well in an offline media. And vicey-versey.

Capiche?

My ad was pulling 3 to 5 times ad costs in about 6 or 7 magazines. I was SURE it would be a grand slam home run in Penthouse. And with their huge circulation, I was already counting the money and picking out which Mercedes I was going to buy.

Seriously.

But alas, no "winner, winner chicken dinner" for rookie DD.

I didn't think I was taking a big risk. I ASSumed my past success with that ad in other media guaranteed success in Penthouse, too. But in the end what I'd done was roll the dice with money I didn't have.

Hard lesson to learn… but I've never made that one again since.

Make no mistake about it…

You'll learn MUCH more from your failures than your successes. So don't be afraid of failure… because for every failure, you're much closer to success.

And trust your Uncle DD…

Just one success can make up for all the failures… 1,000-fold.

All the best,

Dear Friend,

Ever heard of Joe Polish?

If you're a serious student of marketing you have.

Joe's a master marketer who, like me, was trained by the late, great Gary Halbert and has been hired by the who's who in business… including Bill and Shawn Phillips back when they owned the HUGELY successful supplement company, EAS.

Anyhoo… I had a brief but interesting conversation with Joe at John Carlton's Action Seminar back in 2009.

I asked him what he looks for in the copywriters he hires.

His reply was not at all what I expected.

He said…

I like to work with copywriters who not only write killer copy… but understand basic courtesy and know how to say 'thank you.'

The break was over and Stan Dahl, John Carlton's partner, was shuttling everybody back into the seminar room… so I didn't have time to ask Joe to clarify. I have to assume this has been a fairly common problem or Joe wouldn't have brought it up.

And I'm pretty sure I know what he was lamenting… but we'll talk about that in just a minute.

A couple years ago I raised my copywriting fees from $15,000 per package to $25,000 to $50,000 (depending on the project) plus royalties. I mostly did that to discourage people from hiring me.

You see, I very rarely do any client work. In fact, since November 2009 I have politely turned down every single copywriting gig offered to me… including some potential 6-figure gigs. I now pass all those on to the copywriters in my "Marketing Camelot."

But just a couple days ago I got a call from a client I wrote three or four packages for a few years ago. (Even though I'm on another continent, the handful of people in my inner circle still know how to reach me.)

He offered me a very unique and interesting copywriting gig for a product I know to be the best of the best… something I really believe in and personally use every single day.

If it were anybody else I probably would have politely declined and immediately made the gig available to the copywriters who subscribe to The Doberman Dan Letter.

But the fact that he's a good honest guy I now consider a friend and truly enjoy hanging out with… AND owns a growing business on track to doing $100 million a year within the next three years… well, he had my ear.

Long story short: A big fat 5-figure check is waiting for me in a FedEx envelope back home at the UPS Store.

Most importantly, here's what I said after we finalized the deal:

"Thank you for the opportunity!"

Ya know, I never ONCE heard Gary Halbert say "thank you" to a client.

Never.

That wasn't Halbert's style.

I swear, that guy could get away with saying the most obnoxious and arrogant things… and most people would just laugh and say, "Oh, that Gary!"

It worked for him… most of the time.

But for me, people skills and basic courtesy, like saying thank you, are what works best.

I think what Joe Polish was saying is this:

There are a lot of rookie copywriters out there promoting themselves… who have read a few books, attended a couple seminars or maybe bought AWAI's course… but have little to no REAL experience in this business.

They've read Gary Halbert and Dan Kennedy's stuff about client management and didn't understand the REAL message. The only thing they erroneously took away from it is arrogance somehow translates into confidence… and that creates the kind of "posture" that will attract clients.

They couldn't be further from the truth.

The steely-eyed, ace-up-the-sleeve, derringer-in-the-boot, quiet and calm "gunfighter confidence" only comes from being an honest to goodness…

Top Gun!

And no matter how hard you try, you just can't fake that.

Like Alan Ladd in the movie Shane… a gun recognizes another gun.

Somebody with a successful direct response business didn't get to that level by faking it. He has paid the price and made huge sacrifices most people will never be able to understand.

He's a real "gun."

And a gun recognizes a phony even before you utter a single word.

Better to stop trying to fake your way to looking like a gun and be honest about your lack of experience… than to look like a complete idiot in front of a REAL gun and lose out on lots of profitable future opportunities.

You see, a top gun doesn't need to put on airs. His or her track record speaks for itself… and THAT is what creates that gunfighter confidence.

A top gun doesn't have to utter a single word. Confidence automatically radiates from his eyes.

And another gun recognizes it instantly.

A dumb rookie does stupid stuff like acting arrogant, bragging and not saying thank you, thinking that will make him a gun.

Nope. Not now… not ever.

A top gun can be quiet, warm, kind and courteous… and say things like "please" and "thank you"… because he doesn't have to try and CREATE any kind of "posture." His track record and experience say everything that needs to be said.

Don't get me wrong. Being a rookie doesn't mean you have to go around groveling and begging for gigs.

But don't go around acting like an arrogant dick either, thinking you can pass yourself off as a gun. That will cost you a LOT of gigs… and will seriously hurt your reputation, too.

You see, the direct response community is a pretty small little clique… and we all talk.

Arrogant dick-heads (both rookies AND top guns), if they piss off the wrong people, can very easily find themselves black-listed… by EVERYBODY.

Yes, if you've got some chops… even if you're a rookie… what you can do for your clients is pretty important. But you'll attract and KEEP a lot more clients by being friendly and courteous, instead of an arrogant ass bragging about skills you don't really have.

Oh… one more thing.

A "thank you" every now and then could do your career a world of good…

…ESPECIALLY if you're ever hired by Joe Polish.

All the best,

Dear Friend,

My friend and mentor, Gary Halbert, was fond of saying, "Clients suck!"

But when it comes to having any of the Internet Marketing (IM) "gurus" as clients…

Those guys suck OUT LOUD!

I've only written copy for one IM guru… and never will again.

(BTW, the piece I wrote wasn't for an expensive B.S.O. Internet Marketing product. It was for a well researched and very high quality nutritional supplement in a REAL consumer niche… the health market.)

I guess this guy was too busy working on his "pipeline" to keep his word and pay me according to our contract. Instead of paying the remainder of my fee as agreed upon in person… eye to eye… belly to belly… with a handshake… this guy simply ignored all my calls and e-mails for three months.

When he finally mustered up the balls to return my call, all he said was, "I can't pay you. I don't have any money."

Which I found quite interesting, seeing as how he was bouncing all over the country selling his $2,000 course from the stage and telling people he had a "multimillion dollar health & wellness business."

I figured he was either a crook or a liar… or both. A guy with a REAL multi-million dollar business would have viewed the remaining balance of $14k owed me as mere pocket change.

So I did what any good ex-cop would do. I reactivated the investigation skills I foolishly thought I could retire after I left the Dayton P.D. and became an entrepreneur and copywriter.

A call to the owner of the fulfillment center this guy used revealed he was averaging sales of $12,000 a month.

Now I admit, math was never my strong suit back in school… but no matter how I added it up, I couldn't get a "multi-million dollar business" out of monthly sales of $12k.

Instead of wasting any more time, I chose to NOT do what would have been necessary to collect my balance… even though I COULD have… and in the process expose to the IM community all the fraudulent claims he had been making from the stage at ALL the big IMGOBC seminars.

Nope.

Not my style.

I prefer to take the high road. (Unless somebody REALLY pisses me off… or screws over one of my Marketing Camelot members.)

Wanna know what I did instead?

I had a product formulated, threw his copy up on a website, bought some traffic… and…

The promotion was a success!

After only a few months, it generated more than 5x's what my fee would have been if this guy had paid me.

After this test, I sold the whole kit & kaboodle to another supplement business owner for a nice five-figure fee… and, to the best of my knowledge, he is STILL making money with it month after month. Last I spoke with him he had a monthly income of $200k from the auto-ship.

Bottom line:

This "guru" cheated himself out of millions by cheating me out of $14k.

After being the IMGOBC "golden boys" and promoted by ALL the big names for most of that year, I noticed this guy and his partner dropped out of sight soon after.

Last I heard, his partner ran up million dollar+ bills on 30-day net terms with several CPA networks and skipped out without paying them. (A VERY reliable and confidential informant told me that was the SECOND time he had done such a thing.)

Anyhoooooo… I chalked the whole deal up as an expensive lesson learned… but… once bitten twice shy.

I vowed I would NEVER take any IM guru clients ever again. But…

Never say never!

In January 2010 I got an e-mail from the marketing director of a VERY high profile guru. This guy has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in informercials and has been all over TV for years… usually selling "make money" stuff and more recently alternative health info products and nutritional supplements.

Here's the word-for-word transcription of that very first contact. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

I work for Mr. Big and he passed on your contact info.

I’m looking for a GREAT copywriter so I can stop doing it myself.

Let’s chat Friday.  When is good for you?

Richard Cranium
Director of Sales and Marketing
Mr. Big's company name

I have to admit… I was curious. I figured such a rich big shot can afford the best of everything… and therefore could not only afford what was going to be a very ridiculous fee… but he would also understand the value of what I bring to the table and, therefore, the justification for such a high fee.

I replied back with some very limited times I was available since I was going to be at a seminar that day.

Richard's reply:

Call me at your leisure Friday AM.

Sometimes spontaneity works better.  Always enjoy talking to a fellow copywriter who actually knows what they’re doing.  A rare breed indeed.

He includes the URL for the website of the product Mr. Big wants me to write about. They want me to beat the current control.

As soon as I read the piece I knew this gig would be what Halbert used to call a "lay down." If I wanted the gig (I didn't), it would be a walk in the park to beat their piece.

I mean a LITERAL walk in the park.

I knew from past experience all I needed was a couple hours in the park with my yellow notepad and pen… AND my brain all amped up from my special intelligence/creativity-stimulating secret of the A-List copywriting superstars as described in the September 2010 issue of The Doberman Dan Letter.

I didn't want the gig for reasons you'll soon see… but I was curious how much a big shot as big as him might pay.

So I did some fact finding on the phone with Richard Cranium and told him what else he needed in addition to the copy to ensure this piece would be a success. This, of course, would bump up the fee.

When I quoted my fee, he gasped.

He choked.

He sputtered.

Then stammered out, "Uh… well… ya know… we were looking for somebody to do this on an hourly fee of some kind."

So… I quoted my hourly fee as 50% of the entire fee I just quoted… and told him I could probably knock it out in 2 hours. (Ain't I a smart ass?)

(Don't YOU do that. See, I really didn't want the gig. I was just curious to see if this guru was for real and as rich as he claims… and would actually pay a premium fee.)

In spite of Mr. Big's successful experience as a marketer, he was stupid enough to think he could get world class copy and 15 years PROVEN direct marketing entrepreneurship experience at bargain basement prices.

I added one more guru to my mental list of frauds, liars and phonies… and got off the phone as quickly (and politely) as possible.

Here's the funniest part…

The product they were (and still are) selling was what I called "The Magic Genie" product. Their hook was a slight twist on the old "your wish is my command" line Aladdin's genie always said.

It was a 14 CD set that sells for $300. It literally promises you can generate almost instant riches with nothing but your thoughts.

These secrets, hidden from the masses for thousands of years, were revealed to Mr. Big in a secret meeting of The Illuminati in the Swiss Alps under the tightest security conditions ever implemented for a meeting of private individuals.

Here are a few excerpts:

…Once you know these closely guarded secrets, you too can learn to become a millionaire or EVEN a billionaire, improve your health, experience quality business/personal relationships and live the life you've only dreamed of….

 

…In attendance were millionaires, billionaires, high-level government officials, heads of countries, members of royal families, politicians and captains of industry. Also in attendance were the highest ranking members of exclusive secret societies like the Brotherhood (which I was a member of for 30 years), Freemasons, Illuminati, Skull and Bones and others. (What they shared left me speechless.)

 

…It's virtually IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL once you know and use the SECRETS!

 

…If you seriously follow the information in this program, to the letter, you virtually cannot fail. It's impossible.

Say wwwhhhaaatttt?

You can be a BILLIONAIRE?

It's IMPOSSIBLE to fail?

Damn! I should have quoted him a fee of 100 million bucks!

After all, with secrets like that, Mr. Big must have more money than God!

Long story short, my fee was exorbitantly high… so I didn't get the gig. (That was my goal. I'm not sure what I would have done had they paid it.)

The funniest thing was this guy didn't even get the irony of all this.

Here he is selling the world's most powerful "magic genie" that grants unlimited wishes…

…the wealth secrets of the Illuminati and other elite people of the world…

…and a 5-second miracle plan (I'm not making that up!) to generating instant riches, health, love and happiness… but…

They can only afford to pay
their copywriter $100 an hour!

Since I worked with Gary Halbert, I've been privy to a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff in guru-dom… and it ain't pretty.

I'm sure they're not ALL liars and con-men… but guys like this have given everybody who positions themselves as some kind of marketing guru a black eye.

If you're a freelancer of any kind, you might want to think long and hard if you're ever offered a gig with one of them… no matter how much they promise to pay you.

You can be as honest as the day is long. Hell, you can be recently sainted by the pope and knighted by the queen… but when you choose to associate with con-men and thieves, don't act surprised when the world labels you one, too.

All the best,

Dear Friend,

Thanks to a never-ending inbox, I can no longer answer questions from the great unwashed masses who stumble upon my blog.

But for the knights and knightettes in my Marketing Camelot, I gladly do a Q&A call every month.

Some people prefer to ask me questions live… and others prefer to send their questions by e-mail and have me record my answers.

As I was rummaging through my file cabinet I ran across a question a subscriber sent me a couple months ago.

I thought you might want to check out my answer because I've personally made a LOT of cashola with this exact advice.

Q: I read your post How To Make MILLIONS In The Guru Business and it pretty much put the icing on the cake.

What's funny is that Frank Kern even mentions in his List Control program that you need to form a type of syndicate (aka the good ole boys club) in your niche; and it's exactly what you mentioned in one of your points in your post.

So that brings me to this… who should I learn from?

I'm a 25-year old aspiring entrepreneur but I don't want to learn from the wrong people. Could your provide some recommendations?

DD: In my most humble (but accurate) opinion, the very best "Internet Marketing gurus" you can possibly learn from are…

The dead mail order marketers!

Here are the best ways to mentor under these guys:

The Robert Collier Letter Book
- Robert Collier

My First Hundred Million
-  E. Haldeman-Julius

Breakthrough Advertising
- Eugene Schwartz

How To Write A Good Advertisement
- Vic Schwab

7 Steps To Freedom
- Ben Suarez
(NOT a dead mail order marketer.
He's still alive… and EXCEPTIONALLY good.)

My Life In Advertising
- Claude Hopkins

The Gary Halbert Letter
- Many of the issues are available here…

The Boron Letters
- Gary Halbert – Available free here…

Scientific Advertising
- Claude Hopkins

Tested Advertising Methods
- John Caples

The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
- Joe Karbo

The Thomas Hall Letter & Guides
- Thomas Hall
(Out of print but soon to be made available FREE
to all The Doberman Dan Letter subscribers.)

Here's a HUGE jealously guarded secret
of the most successful marketers in the world…

Master the first six chapters in Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz and you'll be so far ahead of your competition… they don't even have a PRAYER of catching up.

In fact, I'm doing a coaching program soon to help you do exactly that.

It ain't gonna be cheap… but Doberman Dan Letter subscribers will get in FREE. (Details coming soon.)

All the best,

P.S. I know my opinion is biased… but in addition to all the books I recommended, I think you'll find some valuable info here on DobermanDan.com, too.

Dear Friend,

I'm about to reveal one of the biggest behind-the-scenes secrets of the "guru" business.

The one NEVER mentioned in front of their "flocks."

It's something only spoken of in hushed reverence, behind closed doors during their private little circle jerks.

This is an utterly brilliant persuasion technique they use to…

…Attract followers to them (who spend LOTS of money) like moths attracted to light…

…Sell hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars worth of products, seminars and coaching… even in a down economy…

…And turn their followers into raving fans… who spend money with them for years… or even DECADES!

I've seen its power first hand… and it's quite impressive.

It can be used for good OR evil… and I've seen it work like crazy for both.

I just may be the first guy to EVER reveal this secret in a public forum. (I'm sure the gurus will HATE me for it… and I'll probably be blacklisted by EVERYBODY.)

I'm also finally going to reveal something people around the globe have been BEGGING me for.

I call it…

The Intelligence/Creativity-Stimulating Secret
Of The A-List Copywriting Stars!

I learned it while working with the late great copywriter, Gary Halbert.

I already knew about the physical benefits of doing this from my years as a hardcore gym rat… I just didn’t realize all the MENTAL benefits.

Here’s how it works:

You’re going to follow some very specific dietary guidelines that will manipulate a variety of hormones and brain chemicals to…

…Make creativity easier…

…Reduce mental and physical fatigue…

…And allow you to concentrate more intensely on any creative task with much more focus than normal… for periods of 30 to 90 minutes.

Maybe longer.

This little gem has saved my cute little white booty on SEVERAL occasions when creating sales copy and/or new product offers…

…and I had no energy and felt like complete doo-doo… but still had to step up to the plate (at the very last minute of a deadline) and knock one COMPLETELY out of the park.

Sound like something you could use from time to time?

Well, that ain't all…

I'm going to show you my best e-mail marketing secrets. You'll see what's working for me RIGHT NOW… in a variety of niches.

Some of these e-mails were grand slam home runs… and some bombed so bad they stunk up the place.

You'll see 12 examples of my e-mail marketing tactics. Some that worked like crazy… and and some that didn't… and why.

The ONLY way you can discover all this powerful cashola-making stuff:

…The biggest behind-the-scenes secrets of the "guru" business…

…The intelligence/creativity-stimulating secret of the A-List copywriting stars…

…My best-performing and worst-performing e-mails… and why they DID or DIDN'T work…

… is if you're a cherished subscriber to The Doberman Dan Letter.

In the September 2011 issue I'm revealing everything I just described… and more.

When you subscribe before 12:00AM midnight Eastern Time August 31… you'll be locked in to get the September issue with all these secrets.

And believe you me… you do NOT want miss out on this.

Click here now to lock in your subscription and get the September 2011 issue hot off the presses.

I'm looking forward to welcoming you into my extended family and "Marketing Camelot."

All the best,

P.S. I saw Gary Halbert test various project ideas in direct mail and newspaper ads, get really good results… and promptly do NOTHING with them.

And these were projects that could have made MILLIONS if he would have rolled out.

I never understood that back then… but I totally get it now.

In fact, I've done it myself… numerous times.

Currently I'm sitting on several "base hit" projects ($1,000.00 to $10,000/month) … and two "home runs."

But I no longer have the time, inclination or "mental bandwidth" to roll out and run various businesses at once… sooooo…

I've decided to offer my Doberman Dan Letter subscribers the opportunity to work with me on these projects.

These are all projects I conceived, wrote the copy for, created the products and in many cases have already tested them with VERY promising results.

Most are 95% ready for roll out. (One has been operating since 2004 and is currently bringing in a very high six-figures a year.)

It's a sin to let them sit here in my "future projects" folder when a few of my valued subscribers could run with them and start raking in the money.

And that's EXACTLY what my Doberman Dan Letter subscribers are going to have the opportunity to do.

Details about all these "Doberman Dan Approved" projects and businesses are going out with the September 2011 issue.

If you have the least bit of entrepreneurship in your blood, you do NOT want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Click here to subscribe and make sure you get the September 2011 issue as soon as it arrives, hot off the presses.

Dear Friend,

I just finished an online split test in one of my niche businesses.

The new control beat the old one by 60%.

Not bad, huh?

I also recently implemented some innovative online and offline techniques that have SIGNIFICANTLY bumped up initial purchases AND lifetime customer value… so this 60% boost in people "coming in the front door" is going to add up to a much bigger back end.

And I LOVE a nice, big back end… don't you?

OK, what you probably want to know is… what exactly did I do that completely SPANKED my existing control… which has been the control for three years now.

Well, I'll be happy to spill the beans…

Online Video!

And a big shout out to "kick gluteus booty-maximus" copywriter, Caleb Osborne, for making it all happen.

Here's the deal…

Caleb took the existing control and made a PowerPoint-type presentation out of it. Then he narrated as the words appeared on the screen… and did a screen capture video of the whole deal.

Now I personally hate to get product info this way. I prefer to read it in hard copy. And if it's online and not in hard copy, I print it out.

The very second I arrive at a website and video is the only presentation… I'm gone. Sale lost… and I'm looking for another vendor.

But apparently my market thinks otherwise.

Actually, I have a theory about why this online video did so well.

Based on customer service e-mails I've seen handled by my fulfillment center, I believe a large portion of the customers in this market are functionally illiterate. Especially the ones under 40.

I KNOW they can't write a coherent sentence… so I also have to assume they're not very good at comprehending what they read.

As a brief side rant, this was deliberately engineered over a period of decades. Just check into the history of the public school system, initially started in Massachusetts. Creating good little soldiers, completely unable to think rationally and only able to follow orders from their superiors was the stated goal.

Seriously! Check it out. The goal was never hidden.

Anyhoo… now that I've pissed off all the teachers, let's get back to biz.

So yeah, this simple little video is kicking big ole butt… and is going to pay BIG dividends on the back end.

(What's with all the butt references today? Geez, I'm a pervert!)

Now stay tuned… because I'm going to save you a lot of money, time and possible heartache.

Here's what always happens in the incestuous, monkey-see-monkey-do Internet Marketing community after a report like this.

People will accept what I just said as "the marketing gospel according to Doberman Dan", take down their perfectly good sales pages, and replace them with a video sales letter.

Dumb… dumb… dumb.

First of all, don't get stuck in ANYBODY'S dogma… including mine.

Second of all, you've forgotten one of the most important direct response principles…

Test, test, test!

Yes, this simple little sales letter video kicked boo-tay (geez, more butt references) in MY niche… with MY product… at MY price point… for MY business…

… But that doesn't mean it will do well in YOUR niche… with YOUR product… at YOUR price point… for YOUR business.

Ya dig?

You gotta test.

Don't kill a perfectly good promotion to implement something that SUPPOSEDLY worked well for somebody else.

After all, the guru could be lying. (I assure you, I am not. I have no reason to… and I've ALWAYS been honest with you… even when being less than honest would make me a LOT of money.)

So you need to split test this stuff yourself. You can't be lazy and rely on other marketers' results.

Hey, I've got an idea…

Why not start a new split test… today.

I can guarantee you one thing… you'll get results.

All the best,

Dear Friend,

I'm not sure if you've ever mozied on over to my testimonials page (which I need to update)… but the very first testimonial is from none other than the "Prince of Print"… the late, great Gary Halbert.

He said…

“I lived with Dan for 43 days when he had an apartment in Costa Rica. He’s a good professional copywriter and he learned some things in Costa Rica that hardly any other copywriter knows about. He’s got my seal of approval.”

Actually Gary stayed at my place longer than 43 days. I know because after a while, I started counting them… but that's a story for a different time.

Notice that he didn't gush all over and say I was "one of the best copywriters in the world"… or because he mentored me, he expected me be "the best" one day.

Those close to him knew Halbert NEVER said stuff like that about anybody… except for Gary Bencivenga.

I'll be the first to admit, when it comes to copywriting, I'm definitely not one of the best in the world… nor do I want to be.

My friends David Deutsch and Carline Anglade Cole… and my new acquaintance I interviewed recently, Richard Armstrong… now those folks really ARE some of the best copywriters in the world.

They're the "Babe Ruths" of copywriting… writing copy for some of the biggest mailers in the world… in the most competitive markets.

It's really cut-throat. True old west, gunslinger vs. gunslinger.

It takes a very special person to work with the big mailers. I did it once… and never will again.

So I'll probably never be "the best copywriter in the world"… and I'm OK with that.

You see, I realized a long time ago you don't have to be the best copywriter in the world to make a LOT of money.

And really, the copy isn't the most important part of success in direct response.

In fact, you can make a boatload of money with less than world class copy. (I like to call it "half-assed" copy… but I'm crude.)

How do I know?

'Cuz I've done it.

When my back was against the wall… or I just got a crazy idea at 1:30 in the morning I wanted to test… I banged out some copy and put it out there.

And I got results.

Several times the results were ZERO sales and ZERO leads.

Other times the results were sales and money coming in so fast, I couldn't count it fast enough.

Both are results. I found out what I needed to find out.

That's why it frustrates me to see so many of my subscribers obsessing over details and wanting to get everything perfect before they put their copy or product out in the market.

You don't have to get it perfect,
you just have to get it GOING.

So my message today is quit obsessing about every tiny little detail. Just sit down and bang out your copy.

Do what Gary Halbert told John Carlton…

"Just sell the damn thing!"

Then run that puppy up the flag pole and see how many people salute it with their wallets.

Whatever happens, you're going to get results.

All the best,

P.S. I recently had a spot open up in my Gold Inner Circle.

I don't really promote it because it's not for most people.

But if you have an online, direct response or brick & mortar business… and would like to quickly ramp up your sales and profits… without the exorbitant costs of customer acquisition nowadays… you should probably check it out.

Dear Friend,

Not sure if you noticed but I've been AWOL from the blog for a while.

I'll explain why in just a minute.

But first, I'd like to have a little chat with you.

See, I could really use your help with a problem.

It's been bothering me for a while… and I would really like an honest answer.

Oh, wait a second. I forgot a quick item of business I need to cover first.

I'm afraid I've got some bad news…

You Can't Hire Me Anymore!

Well, it's not IMPOSSIBLE to hire me… but the pool of potential clients who would meet my new stringent qualifications is infinitesimally small.

As I've mentioned in the blog, I mostly do my own projects… but occasionally I like to do some client work, too.

I took a couple clients last year and the early part of this year. They were all great people and I'm glad to know them.

And even though I've been at this a while, this old dog learned some new tricks on how to successfully work with clients.

You may be expecting me to transition into my "clients suck" tirade… but that definitely is NOT the case with these guys.

ALL of them are salt of the earth people. I love them and would like to have their babies… if I had the plumbing for it.

And no, I didn't just get lucky in the "copywriting client lottery". They were carefully screened before I agreed to take the gig. THAT'S why it was a pleasure working with them. (Freelancers, take note.)

Anyhoo… my recent client experiences reinforced several things in my slightly demented brain:

1. Client work can be fun and exciting… when you work with the RIGHT clients.

2. They will never do EVERYTHING you tell them to do… regardless of your track record of success. (This is normal. Don't get mad at them… just put your persuasion skills to use and get them to think what you told them to do was THEIR idea. THEN they'll do it.)

3. An experienced copywriter/entrepreneur/marketer with a proven track record is worth a literal FORTUNE to the right client.

After seeing the results my clients were getting, I finally realized…

I'm Not Charging Enough!

I used to charge $15,000 to write a package and usually some kind of royalty based on performance.

I'll never forget the first time I quoted that price. I was glad I did it on a phone with a mute button… otherwise the client would have heard me snickering nervously while cringing.

It was wayyyy outside my comfort zone. It seemed like a king's ransom at the time.

Now I realize when I work with the right client, compared to his return on investment, $15k is chump change.

It's actually a disservice to your client to charge too little.  It leaves him with a low perceived value about what you bring to the table… and compliance is much lower, too. (Again… freelancers, take note.)

So now, for me to even consider taking a client, my fee is a MINIMUM of $25,000 plus some kind of back end royalty based on performance.

I'm also somewhat sad to say I can no longer afford to work with start-ups. If you want to work with me, you need to have a business already doing a MINIMUM of $500,000/year (preferably $1 million+)  in sales.

See, if I want to work with a start-up, I'll do it myself. It's MUCH easier, I can get things going MUCH faster… and it's INFINITELY more profitable.

That is why it's highly unlikely, even if you meet the qualifications, I'll accept you as a client.

It's just simple economics. I can make 100 to 10,000 times more money doing what I do for myself than doing it for most clients.

Which leads me to something I've been wanting to discuss with you for a while now.

I need your help with a problem that has been quite vexing for me.

And I'd like to get your opinion about it. But in order for me to do that…

We Need To Have An Adult Conversation…

I need to be totally transparent with you about some thoughts and fears I'm dealing with… and that is extremely "non guru".

The guru is the perfect guy on the pedestal… and to STAY on the pedestal, the guru needs to perpetuate that myth.

But I'm going to do the exact opposite and share the kind of problems gurus aren't supposed to have… and DEFINITELY aren't supposed to let anybody see.

Before I personally mentored with him, Gary Halbert was the guru on the pedestal for me.

He could walk on water, turn water into wine and everything he touched turned to gold… or so I thought.

After I got to know him, I discovered he was just as screwed up as the rest of us. And even though he was "the greatest copywriter in the world" he still had his fair share of flops and failures.

So today, instead of playing the role of the perfect guru like I'm SUPPOSED to do, I'm going to open up about some stuff I've been worried about.

I hope that doesn't hurt your opinion of me… and I hope you don't discard the message because you discovered the messenger isn't perfect.

To properly explain this problem, I'm going to reveal some stuff you'll probably NEVER hear from any guru.

I don't mean to offend anybody or hurt anybody's business… but in order for you to understand some things, I have to pull back the curtain and reveal some stuff nobody has been willing to tell you… up until now.

Sure, this stuff is talked about behind closed doors… but disclosing it to the "herd" has been expressly prohibited.

In fact, by simply hitting the WordPress "publish" button a few minutes ago…

I May Have Just Committed Career Suicide!

Whatever.

I'll survive.

See, I don't make my living as a guru. I really DO what I'm teaching… and THAT is how I support my bad habits of eating regularly and sleeping indoors.

So, in spite of the backlash I'll probably get for this, I'm going to talk about some stuff I'm not supposed to talk about.

Enough set-up. Let's get into this…

Remember when I got the million dollar buyout offer on one of my businesses?

I was kinda excited about that.

My plan was to spend a few months goofing off and then turn DobermanDan.com into a REAL business selling info products about direct response marketing.

But I turned down the offer… and this blog has stayed a side project that makes very little money.

After having time to think about it, I believe accepting that million dollar offer would have been a big mistake… for a couple reasons.

First of all, I recently started focusing on that business a lot more. (The economy has FORCED me to.) At John Carlton's suggestion, I hired a really good assistant marketer/copywriter to help me take it to the next level.

So far, things are really looking up.

In fact, if everything keeps up like this, that $1 million dollar offer will look like chump change.

So that's one reason I'm glad I didn't sell the business.

Secondly, if I had sold the business and jumped into the guru biz full time, I would be just like so many other gurus… teaching stuff that was only successful in my distant memory.

Stepping up my involvement in my business recently has really forced me to dig, test and discover what's working RIGHT NOW!

There's no room for error or "throwing mud up against the wall".

Every penny invested has to be accountable and trackable. And if it doesn't return an acceptable ROI, that stuff has to be scrapped and the money applied to something that IS bringing in an acceptable ROI.

We live in a different world now, with a MUCH different economy than just a few short years ago. You can't just coast along with half-assed marketing and make money like you could before.

You really have to be on top of your marketing game to prosper in today's economy.

The principles of human nature and direct response selling never really change… but some techniques and delivery methods DO.

In my most humble (but accurate) opinion, if you want to be a good teacher, you have to actually be in the game… actively operating a business, testing new ideas, developing new products, testing new media, etc.

If you're not in the game, you're teaching based on theory… and you're misleading your students.

No matter how much I COULD make in the guru biz full time… I simply couldn't sleep at night if I thought I was misleading my students.

And trust me… there is a LOT of money to be made in the guru biz.

I'm not talking about a measly $50k or $100k a month. I'm talking about…

Tens Of MILLIONS Of Fungolas A Year!

How do I know that?

When I thought I was going to sell my business, I started figuring out my next step. I started studying successful people in the guru biz… and picking the brains of some very well known gurus.

And I discovered some very interesting trade secrets.

So today, without further adieu… I'm going to reveal…

(Drum roll, please)…

The formula for making the big bucks as a guru!

Step #1 For Making Millions As A Guru…

Hang Out Your "Guru Shingle" On The Internet

That's it.

You don't even have to have successfully done what you're teaching. (Just like most college professors.)

You think I'm kidding?

I'm as serious as a heart attack.

Heck, I even worked with one of these guys for a brief period.

He was a completely raw, wet behind the ears rookie back then.

He did have some talent for writing… but as far as writing copy that could produce results, he was a completely unproven entity.

Yes, he did mentor under a well known copywriting guru for a few weeks… but nothing he wrote was ever run or tested.

He had never run a direct response business nor had ever worked for a direct response business.

He had no experience whatsoever in the direct response business. It just appeared that he might be able to write some copy that MIGHT work if he kept at it.

So guess what this newbie did after just a couple months of learning the THEORY of direct response copywriting without having any real world experience… or any proof whatsoever that he could write response-pulling copy?

He put up a website claiming he was…

One of the best copywriters in the world!

And even more amazingly… he started getting clients paying him 5-figures to write copy for them.

After his mentor discovered this guy's website, he called me in a rage and said, "Dan, so-and-so is a FRAUD! And I'm going to expose him."

I convinced his mentor that it would be a mistake to expose him. He should just let karma take care of everything.

Even though this guy initially misled people about his skill level and experience, he got good at writing copy. And he got good FAST.

I guess he HAD to after jumping into the deep end of the pool while still just in the beginner swim class.

So he lied about his experience level, misled people, took their money for copywriting assignments when he had almost ZERO real world experience… and according to his mentor, a rather famous guru, he even misquoted him in a testimonial on his website.

That was enough to get him some clients paying him a decent chunk of change to write copy for them.

But when he REALLY started making the big money was when he started promoting himself as a full fledged guru… and selling high priced information products, coaching groups, master mind groups, etc.

So that's step #1. You don't have to be an expert at all… just CLAIM you're one and start promoting yourself.

Let's move on to…

Step #2:

Create A Larger Than Life Persona

God knows you can't just be YOURSELF!

Nooooooo! That's not good enough.

You have to be that perfect "guru on a pedestal" we talked about earlier.

You have to be better than the rest of us mere mortals.

You have to make people envy your "rock star" lifestyle, filled with non-stop fun and excitement… even if it's not true.

You're perfect. You never fail and everything you touch turns to gold.

Every business you start, every website you create, every sales letter you write is a raging success… sucking in money "like a vacuum cleaner on steroids!!!" (Extra exclamation points added… just like on their website copy.)

And you have to give the appearance of being richer than Midas… even if you're broke and up to your eyeballs in debt.

Also, you can't just be "Richard Cranium, Internet Marketing Expert."

No, that won't build you a huge cult-like following of Kool Aid-drinking sycophants.

You have to create a unique persona, like "Richard Cranium, the lazy, works-only-one-hour-a-month, skateboarding, kazoo-playing, hippie guru."

Then do videos of you riding your skateboard, smoking trees and playing the kazoo at the beach all day, completely care-free… while your business "makes MILLIONS every month… totally on auto pilot!"

Post videos with you driving your Ferrari to the Playboy mansion to hang out with Hef and a bevvy of big breasted bikini-clad bimbos. (I LOVE alliteration!)

And don't forget… you need to build the dream for your starry-eyed followers so they'll believe they can get rich overnight, too:

"It was just two years ago I was a broke, shoeless, homeless loser, living on the beach and sleeping on my only possession… a surfboard… until I discovered the secrets to becoming an overnight millionaire on the Internet. Now I'm getting laid by super-models on my own private luxury jet… yadda yadda yadda…"

Uh huh.

My sources show the guy had a successful white collar job making 6-figures a year before going into the "how to make money"/Internet Marketing guru thing.

I'm not sure you can call living in a $850,000 dollar house in Florida "being homeless"… but… it MUST be true because there's one thing I'm SURE of…

A guru wouldn't lie!

Moving on.

Step #3:

Create "BSO" Products

Remember those three-eyed little green aliens in the movie Toy Story?

They were fascinated with "the claw".

They thought it was some kind of magical entity that was going to rescue them and carry them away to freedom.

They pointed to it and spoke its name in quiet reverence…

"The claaawwww!"

That's EXACTLY what you need as a guru… a fan base with the same fascination and reverence for your products as those little three-eyed green guys had for the claw.

A list of Kool Aid drinkers that believe your products are going to magically rescue them from being broke and miserable… without having to put in any real work.

Selling plain old fashioned direct marketing products will NOT get that kind of response.

You have to create what I call BSO's…

Bright Shiny Objects!

They have to be BETTER and more exciting than regular old marketing products.

You have to give them sexy names like Massive Mind Control Conversions… or Pumped Up Prospect Pipeline Power. (It HAS to be good if you use alliteration in the title, right?)

And here's the good news…

They're easy to create because the content can be 100% complete B.S.!

They don't have to work. They just need to appear to be new, sexy and cutting edge.

Your products can't be about the tried and true direct marketing principles that haven't changed (and never will change) since Aaron Montgomery Ward mailed the first mail order catalog in 1872.

No, that's just not sexy enough.

Never mind that these principles are the keys to big success in direct response marketing… AND it's what your customers truly need to succeed.

It's not what they WANT.

And that's good news to many of the young IM gurus because…

They Don't Know The Principles
Of Successful Direct Response Marketing!

If the truth be told, they couldn't teach successful direct response principles or create a product about them if their lives depended on it.

They've never studied the old time masters like John Caples… Claude Hopkins… John E. Kennedy… George Haylings… Robert Collier… Thomas Hall … Gary Halbert… Gene Schwartz… Joe Sugarman… Ted Nicholas… all the old direct response and mail order guys.

They've learned from other young IM gurus who were only successful during a booming economy… who also don't know the timeless principles of successful direct response marketing.

We're seeing many of them drop like flies lately because they're completely clueless about how to prosper in a recession.

But, hey… it's OK. That's not the stuff you can sell for $1,999 or $2,497.

It's too basic… too non-sexy… not bright and shiny enough.

The BSO products that sell for big bucks are…

… A new way to "trick" Google into sending more traffic….

… "Black hat" techniques that bring quick riches without the hassle of learning how to market properly…

… A cutting edge method that tricks thousands of people into your "pipeline"… opting them into lists they have no interest in… and aren't even aware they're being opted into.

… Secret new systems that take all those unqualified prospects you tricked into joining your "pipeline"… and somehow magically convert them into paying customers…

… And a host of other BSO's filled with B.S. content, ad nauseum…

Most of the people buying these BSO's are newbies… and what they REALLY need is information about the principles of direct response marketing… online and OFFLINE.

But that's not sexy enough… and it's hard to get $1,999 or $2,497 selling what REALLY works.

I'm quite skilled at some offline marketing techniques that I've used to DOUBLE the sales of online businesses… in less than 60 days.

This stuff works like crazy… and most Internet marketers are leaving a LOT of money on the table month after month by not using this offline stuff.

Almost NOBODY is teaching it or offering products that teach it, either.

I mentioned this to Perry Marshall, the Google Adwords guru, at the System Seminar a few years ago. I told him there's a gap in the marketplace and it's a sin nobody in the IM crowd is teaching this stuff.

Perry said, "You're right, Dan. That stuff is exactly what people in this niche NEED to make a lot of money. But it's not what they WANT."

What they want, of course, is the BSO.

And if you want to make a lot of money as a guru, that's what you have to sell.

Sooooo… once you've created your BSO, you need to move on to…

Step #4:

Do WHATEVER It Takes
To Get Into The IMGOBC

You know what the IMGOBC is, don't-cha?

Probably not 'cuz I just made it up.

It's the Internet Marketing Good Ole Boys Club!

I should clarify something. I only made up the name… the group really does exist.

It's an elite little clique… and membership is NOT open to just anybody.

If you can get in with them… you'll have joint venture opportunities that will make you a small fortune! (Before refunds, of course.)

These guys have huge lists of insanely rabid followers… and their "herd" is accustomed to shelling out 4 and 5-figures for BSO products.

The customers don't usually have a good track record of implementation… but they DO have a great track record of buying expensive BSO products.

Make no mistake… these guys control the "Cadillac" of lists for BSO products.

The IMGOBC is the coveted "inner circle"… you've truly arrived when you're accepted into the fold.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news… but chances are you'll NEVER get into the IMGOBC or have the opportunity to joint venture with them.

First of all, it's a pretty closed deal. You have to know somebody to even be considered.

And secondly, you also have to have your own huge list of rabid Kool Aid-drinking followers so you can reciprocate when you do joint ventures.

See, when the IMGOBC members mail your offer to their lists… you have to reciprocate at a later date by mailing THEIR offers to your list.

So if 20 guys mail your offer to their lists… you have to mail 20 different offers to YOUR list… usually multiple times.

And if you've ever been on their lists… the marketing incest just gets out of hand.

You're getting the same offers 10 different times from 20 different gurus… all promoting the same stuff.

It's enough to make your head explode! (Or unsubscribe from all their lists.)

By the way… have you noticed that when these guys launch a brand new "Super Duper Traffic Generation Secrets On Steroids" BSO course… they always sell it exclusively through joint ventures?

Am I the only person who finds the irony and humor in that?

Anyhoo… this incestuous little group also holds the key to you getting invited to speak and pitch your BSO's at the biggest IM seminars in the country.

And THAT is one of the fastest secrets to wealth and fame as a guru.

Again… am I the only hombre to find the irony in that?

A guru selling products that claim you can make a fortune on the Internet while sitting at home drinking beer in your skivvies is on the road pitching his products at seminars 30 to 40 weeks out of the year.

Nobody else has picked up on that little incongruity?

Anyhoo… yours truly will probably never be invited into the IMGOBC.

If I ever had the chance of getting in with them, I blew it the minute I hit the "publish" button on this post.

And I think I'm OK with that.

In fact, it may be a GOOD thing. Only time will tell.

We already started segueing into this earlier so let's list our next step to making serious bank as a guru…

Step #5:

Pitch Your BSO Products From The Stage
At All The Big Internet Marketing Seminars

Need I say anything more about this step that wasn't already covered?

There are several other steps I could add… but I think that's enough for now.

Look… if you've got the stomach for it, you can make a LOT of money in the guru business with just these 5 steps.

I do NOT have the stomach for it. And that brings me to the problem that's been bothering me.

You see, I've gained a lot of valuable entrepreneurial experience over the past 20 years or so.

And I've arrived at a point in my life where I'd like to start sharing that experience with people serious about improving their lives and making more money without sacrificing an enjoyable lifestyle.

So I would like to transition into making myself available for more teaching… and providing products about direct response and online marketing, coaching programs and possibly seminars.

But I refuse to play the guru game as I just described to you.

So before I move forward and invest any more time and money in this…

I'd Like To Know What YOU Think:

1. Do you think it's possible to sell marketing products with REAL value without all the BSO hype and B.S. normally required to sell guru-type products?

2. Do you think people will pay for non-sexy solutions for building a direct response/online business and making more money… tried & true honest stuff that REALLY works… but requires some study and (gasp!) work?

3. Or does the majority really prefer to be lied to and deluded and sold the B.S. "make more money than God only working 3 hours a week" type products?

4. Would people buy a marketing product showing them how to DOUBLE their business within 90 days… even if it had nothing to do with the Internet, e-mail, PPC or whatever the newest BSO "technique du jour" is currently promoted by the IMGOBC?

5. Can an honest guy with a long track record of success be successful in this business by selling non-hypey, non B.S. products, services, coaching programs, etc. – without all the typical IM guru hype and B.S.?

I would really appreciate your honest opinion.

Thanks for reading this rather long post and giving me the opportunity to rant a while. It was therapeutic for me.

I look forward to reading your comments.

All the best,

P.S. For several reasons I'm not permitted to disclose here, I can no longer share my most important money-making, life-changing… and in some instances, life-SAVING lessons on this blog.

There are several somewhat shocking reasons I cannot reveal this information in a public online forum.

You CAN get access to these secrets though… if you're truly serious about becoming financially independent and having a secure financial future.

Just click here to discover where I'm now sharing most most profitable and advanced secrets.