Are you one of those people who consider it “exercise” when you eat lunch at the gym (assuming you BYO or your gym has a café)?
If you are, then you also might think that hitting “buy” on Amazon for a book means that you have now read the book…and you can cross that off your to do/to read list.
I am not shaming any of you…because I am guilty on both counts.
I would much rather drink a protein smoothie (with almond milk of course) than exercise.
And I would also rather buy (and collect) every great book (mentioned by the amazing people I hang out with) than read them.
But then reality sinks in.
My pants get tighter around the waist from less exercise and more eating and drinking (funny how that works).
And now I’ve got more books than I can put neatly on shelves … and I will update a photo I’ve shared with you previously (since the number of books has grown as the shelf space has stayed the same):
These issues are not new nor will they ever go away—I began eating food and buying books when I was old enough to chew and read.
I know you too began eating food when you learned to chew…you can’t deny that…although I can’t speak for your book buying behavior. 🙂
I finally attacked the “eating thing” by hiring a personal trainer over 20 years ago; and I attacked my obsession (compulsion?) with buying too many books with a formula and justification to survive my library which I wrote about here.
The trainer is still working out fine for the most part…but I still want more out of my library…and I find that whenever I spend time talking with the author of many of the books in the photo above, I get so many new insights, none of which I can get on my own.
Am I just thick? Or do I simply like conversation? Or is it a lazy man’s way to knowledge?
It’s probably a little bit of all three of those things…but no matter what, when I discuss a book with the author, I get more reward with a lot less work.
That’s not including homework assignments which I would relish. More on that below.
I realize doing “one-on-one, live book clubs” with the likes of William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, David Ogilvy or Winston Churchill is now impossible (just to name 4 out of 4 million dead authors who reside on my bookshelf).
Of course, it’s still possible in different ways…through professors and lecturers who are experts in the works of the deceased (or the living)…or with those who are willing to share their books on audio or video, through courses, seminars and online classes…and I am having a blast finding these resources (which is more satisfying than reading the books themselves).
Even getting exposure to an author during a book signing is better than nothing.
I hate/don’t hate admitting all of this.
But most live interactions are rarely interactive, especially if the author is dead. 🙁
When I heard marketing superstar Jason Fladlian say (and I am paraphrasing), “No book should be written without an accompanying e-class” I didn’t take him seriously…until now.
When I re-read my book, Overdeliver, I smile a little…but cringe a lot more.
The brief smiles come from the satisfaction that I wrote the darn thing…with some pride behind the smiles…despite the 6, one-star reviews on Amazon. 🙂
The cringes come as I read each sentence, realizing that almost every one could be improved.
And I cringe further about the prospect of writing Overdeliver 2.0.
Although I am thinking about it…after all, I’m 4 years wiser now (and not only about sentence construction).
But for now, I need to accept that “done is better than perfect.”
And that creating a live, “e-class” for Overdeliver is the one thing I can do to alleviate the cringing and get closer to perfection…by “rewriting” everything in real time, with a participating, enthusiastic audience giving me constructive feedback…while I teach the principles from the book…in a results-oriented way…with the readers (and attendees) acting on those principles.
The goal: Making the book into a utility and not just another unread manuscript for the scrap heap…or a bookshelf (i.e., floor) like mine.
I am inviting you today, my loyal online family, to join me on this interactive adventure.
I hear from many of you regularly challenging me on my premises, opinions, and ramblings…sometimes agreeing (with caveats) …and sometimes disagreeing outright.
I hope you agree that it will be so much richer to have real time conversations about all of it (instead of going back-and-forth in email) …and that is what the e-class (what I am calling The Overdeliver Bootcamp) will be about.
And trust me…we will not be studying “ninja tactics,” funnels (which cause fatigue), playing in (cold) traffic (without traffic guards or lights), or getting rich quickly (although we will get rich slowly…together).
You can get all of those tactics from your trusted gurus…assuming they can be trusted (which happens to be a topic inside the Bootcamp).
Everything in this Bootcamp will have one core principle driving every call, discussion, hot seat, and assignment (and yes, there will be homework “for your own good” 🙂
How you can build a business for a lifetime playing the long game in direct response marketing
A product is not a business (except on Shark Tank).
A promotion is not a business, no matter how much your promotion is “crushing it.”
The Overdeliver Bootcamp will teach a multi-product, multi-media-channel approach to marketing based on the eternal truths of direct response…and I hope you’ll join me as I dissect my “cringeworthy masterpiece” Overdeliver with you.
Seven (7) live calls over two weeks, all recorded, for a nominal fee.
With results-oriented action plans for all attendees as the deliverable…as long as you pay attention, participate, debate…and yes, do your homework.
Check out (and register) for The Overdeliver Bootcamp by clicking here.
And if for some reason you don’t have the book, buy it at OverdeliverBook.com to get all of the bonuses (which are over delivery in themselves).
Hope to see you live in a couple of weeks (on Zoom) …so you won’t have the same regrets I have about never being able to do a “Shakespeare E-Class.” 🙁
Warmly,
Brian
P.S. I know I am not Shakespeare…humble of me to say that, right?
But I have so much to share with you if you take me up on joining The Overdeliver Bootcamp.
I don’t like to brag…but when my heroes say nice things about me that might give you a reason to sign up for The Overdeliver Bootcamp, I do like to share. 🙂
From Dan Kennedy:
As would be expected, Brian Kurtz has put together a definitive presentation of direct marketing, as apart from all other marketing. Drawn from rich, maybe unparalleled experience inside one of the great direct-to-consumer publishers, and as advisor to many in our field. Pros will find it fascinating. Those new to the disciplines will find a vital crash course. Pin-head executives in big, dumb corporations wasting oceans of money on utterly unaccountable brand and image and ego advertising should be forced at gunpoint to read it. Ogilvy [BK: one of the guys I wanted to do an E-Class with!] was right when he ranted to his own agency’s staff that only the mail-order people knew what the hell they were doing, and were Ogilvy alive, he would applaud Brian’s work here.
From Gary Bencivenga:
For more than 40 years, Brian Kurtz has quarterbacked some of the most successful product launches and top-tier businesses in the history of direct response marketing. In this book [BK: and now in the Bootcamp] he reveals the most effective strategies and street-smart secrets he has learned along the way, as well as golden nuggets of advice he’s gained from the world’s most respected direct response marketing stars in each core specialty. Any one of these gems could mean the difference between your next campaign winding up an embarrassing flop or a champagne-popping blockbuster.
With characteristic enthusiasm, Brian holds nothing back, revealing the brilliant insider tips he’s picked up while working with legendary entrepreneurs, A-list copywriters, Internet marketing wizards, customer retention specialists, savvy media brokers, and the top consultants in every marketing channel, online and off.
The result is a collection of big, bold, and sometimes surprisingly counter-intuitive insights that are must reading for anyone in direct response marketing. If that includes you, this book will serve as a trusted mentor throughout your career, saving you from numerous marketing mistakes.
Underlying all of Brian’s recommendations is the one-word credo at the heart of his remarkable career—Overdeliver. And that’s exactly what he does for you in this book.
P.P.S. I’m blushing…but as Dizzy Dean, John Wayne and others have said:
It’s not bragging if you did it 🙂
Since one of the lessons during call #3 of the Bootcamp will be, “Don’t read your press clippings,” I won’t send additional praise for Overdeliver…and by association, The Overdeliver Bootcamp.
You can get your fill of praise for the book and what it has to offer (if you like proof elements) at OverdeliverBook.com
But keep in mind that not reading your press clippings (while you are working towards your goals) is critical to success, so is “If you’ve done it you have an obligation to teach it” (a corollary lesson I learned from Jay Abraham and we will dive deep into this concept during call #7).
Please allow me to teach you what I have learned and done over four decades in marketing…and in turn, I expect to learn from all of you who are part of The Overdeliver Bootcamp.