“A fresh start isn’t a new place; it’s a new mindset.”
The First Sip
Hey Sunday Brewers!
It’s a new year and we have tons of exciting ideas in store for Shift Nation in 2022.
Let’s start it off with a power-packed version of the ‘Brew, where you’ll find:
- The formula for getting 31% better ROI on your 2022 biz goals
- How to secretly incentivize prospects to follow through
- A clever LinkedIn tactic to increase 2nd degree connections by 50k per week!
Ready…set…enjoy!
A stray dog in Virginia is being hailed a hero after his quick instincts saved a family’s home…and potentially their lives.
The hero – a pup named Butter – took a liking to the Golloway’s residence several weeks ago.
And on this particular night, he noticed the family’s porch ablaze in the middle of the night and ran to Charity’s window and started barking loudly.
“He knew something wasn’t right and that someone needed to know,” she recalled. “He’s a smart dog.”
The barks woke the family up just in time to hear a window burst from the heat of the flames.
The family ran out of the house and was able to use a garden hose to keep the fire from getting larger.
And when firefighters arrived on the scene, Butter was earnestly waiting to greet them.
“It was a really nice dog,” firefighter Justin Stidham said. “It came up and played with all of us. I was sitting there petting it. It was just as nice as it could be.”
But here’s where the story takes another turn.
After seeing the following photo go viral on social media…
…the dog’s original owners recognized “Butter” as Cooper – their dog who had gone missing a while back.
They’ll soon be reunited.
“He’s going to be leaving us and that makes me want to cry, but I’m happy for him,” Golloway said. “We will be staying in touch.”
As for “Butter’s” last supper at the Golloway residence?
Charity says he’s getting a steak…a BIG steak!
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
As humans, we’re something psychologists call present-biased.
It means we fail to properly value future benefits that we won’t realize for some time.
This psychological bias often prevents us from doing things today that common sense tells us will be beneficial in 5, 10, or even 15 years.
It’s why young people in their 20s and early-30s are less likely to invest in their retirement than someone who is 55 to 65-years old.
Present-bias also explains why we frequently fail to realize our annual goals.
My suggested antidote: Do away with annual goals and switch to quarterly goals.
12-week goals are long enough to stretch you, but short enough to keep you motivated and focused.
But don’t take my word for it.
According to one study, quarterly goals net businesses 31% higher ROI than annual goals.
If you’re looking for help on how to set quarterly goals, I wrote a blog post about it.
☕ TL;DR: Ditch annual goals and try quarterly instead.
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
If you’ve ever purchased something online, then you’ve almost certainly seen a progress bar like the one above.
In marketing, we call this a “Goal Gradient” – a time-tested tactic that incentivizes progress toward a specific goal.
The closer someone gets to finishing something, the more likely they are to work faster and actually accomplish the task at hand.
All it takes is a simple visual cue like a progress bar and people are more likely to finish.
Whether it’s a webinar, sales funnel, new client onboarding process, or a planning meeting, using Goal Gradients will help your conversion rates.
Run a Google search for “progress bar plugins” and you’ll find plenty of creative options for different applications.
☕ TL;DR: Show people their progress and they’re more likely to complete the action or task.
SHIFT Nation Conversations
HUGE thank you to the dozens of members of Shift Nation who helped us raise $5,747 for the Filipino virtual assistants impacted by the recent typhoons!
Much of the proceeds have already been used to rebuild shelter, supply water, and provide other much-needed necessities.
Keep being a Force for Good!
Weekly Industry Catch-Up
🔹 Fears of the Year. According to the recent CNBC Millionaire Survey, the top two fears for wealthy investors in 2022 are (1) government dysfunction and (2) inflation.
🔹 ‘Tis the Season. Americans may need to let their plastic cool down in January after taking on an average of $1,249 in holiday debt. While credit cards were still the preferred mode of payment, 40% used “buy now, pay later” financing – an emerging trend to keep an eye on.
🔹 New Low. Despite a steep increase in new COVID-19 cases, initial jobless claims dipped below 198k in the final week of the year. Analysts had been anticipating 208k total claims.
Be Well,
Jeremiah D. Desmarais
CEO, Advisorist
#1 in ROI-Driven Training for Advisors
