Unfortunately, there are people who may for one reason or another seek to destroy what you’ve taken years… sometimes decades… to create, even though you’ve done nothing wrong or have even bent way over backwards to satisfy them. And once again, unfortunately, once something is published on the Internet, it’s “out there” and very difficult to recall, eliminate or delete.

So how do you counter negative posts, comments that may not be true, and a vindictive person who has nothing better to do than try and destroy your good name, your reputation, and prevent you from obtaining additional business?

Such a thing happened to me recently, and I had a decision to make. Should I lay down and take it and just let it go? Or should I fight back? If I let it go, the negative opinions of one person would be out there for everyone to see, and potential clients would only have that person’s word. If I fought back, I would have to determine the best way to do so, and then calculate the cost in time and lost opportunity that I might otherwise have had if I were to invest that time and effort in getting more clients.

Here, briefly, is a recap of what happened to me and what I decided to do: Several years ago, a man named Gordon Bell responded to one of our ads, and contacted our office to get more information on becoming a TopLine Business Solutions Business Development Consultant. We spent considerable time with Gordon, and asked him to submit our standard Expression of Interest form so we could learn a little about him, what his qualifications were, and if he would be a good fit for our team.

In Gordon’s Expression of Interest, he indicated that he had good qualifications, that he had business consulting experience, and that he had contacts he could work with and get off to a good start. And in our conversations, he said that he didn’t have the entire amount of money it would take to go through our training. So I gifted Gordon a ticket to Joel Bauer’s $3,000 seminar so he could get some good ideas and raise the necessary funds. Plus, I gave him a gift of only paying 25 percent of the TopLine training down, and the balance to be paid at just 10 percent of his earnings… something we had never done before, but because of what Gordon represented to us, we thought it would be an investment worth taking.

Gordon came through the training… spent the entire four days, and even gave us a glowing video testimonial at the end. Following training, our TopLine staff worked very diligently with Gordon to help him with some projects he was working on. Then several months later, Gordon complained that he wasn’t getting the support he was promised. We checked our Infusionsoft CRM, and found that we had sent him 28 emails that were sent out via autoresponder, and that the “status” on everyone of them registered “Unopened.” After bringing that to Gordon’s attention, he admitted that he had moved, and that Comquest (his Internet provider) didn’t provide service in his area and that he had changed his email to a .me account. Well, as you might imagine, it’s difficult to get an email to someone who has changed their address.

We continued to work with Gordon on a project he was working on for his own business. But then he complained again that we weren’t helping him with his consulting business and filed a report with RipoffReport.com. It was scathing. So I responded to each paragraph and every one of his allegations. Gordon then countered with more half-truths and accusations. I once again answered every point in detail.

I even offered to retrain him with a full day of one-on-one coaching if he would get himself to Phoenix. He didn’t take me up on the offer and again wrote some derogatory remarks. So I offered two full days and I would even pay for a night’s stay in a hotel for him, and I gave him five different dates that would work for me. No response from him for 32 days. Then he complained that he couldn’t travel and spend two days because it would be too taxing on him. So I offered one full day of one-on-one coaching so it would be less taxing. He complained that he couldn’t get from Medford, Oregon to Phoenix, Arizona and back in one day, and that it was unrealistic.

In my mind, if someone who has had so much success with so many other people (more than 1,100 consultants in 36 countries), were to offer me a full day on one-on-one coaching to bring me up to speed, it would be worth my while to go a day ahead of time and pay for a night in a hotel myself. But that was out of the question for Gordon.

So then one excuse after another came, like (and these are Gordon’s own words as recorded in his RipoffReport posts and other documented correspondence)”

“I am 71 and live on Social Security [and] can’t afford to pay rent.”

“I’m making payments on the $5,000 I borrowed on a credit card. And we all know that credit card interest rates skyrocketed.”

“I am financially desperate.”

“The banking system has me over a financial barrel and I’m paying 26.24% interest on the credit card I made the purchase with.”

“I’m afraid that too much time has passed for me to get value from your program.”

“Our finances are such that our backs are firmly against the wall and liquidation of whatever can be liquidated must be liquidated immediately.”

“I have met good people who have waived their tuition just to see us again become successful,and that makes me happy no end.”

“I can’t drive without glasses and do not at this moment have the funds to buy glasses and other vital things.”

“You may have done a more thorough job of filtering and found me unqualified because I have NEVER been able to accomplish a new venture on my own.”

“Having once been a business consultant… had the traditional steps of business consulting been a part of your course, I would have gone out there with or without your follow-up support. Because I knew how to act in that role from past experience.”

“If Mr. Howey is sincere and even honest, he would honor the fact that I am not only financially desperate now, I was then. Any honorable businessman would have made the refund just to get rid of the annoyance much less this now public forum.”

“I am not young, I do not remember the basic course, I need to start over.”

“When the student doesn’t apply what he is taught, it has always been the teacher who is needed to change. That is how successful schools work. They know they failed and need to make changes.”

“I don’t travel well and the flights in and out of this airport makes it infeasible for me to even attempt. It would take too long to recover from what would be about 20 hours.”

Did you read those “excuses” carefully? Did you notice that in none of them did Gordon take any personal responsibility? It’s always something or someone elses fault. The second to last excuse is one that really got me. “If the student doesn’t apply what he is taught it is the teacher who is needed to change.” So in Gordon’s mind, if I graduate from Harvard Law School, and don’t apply what I learn… I become a stock broker, for instance… it’s Harvard’s fault that I’m not a successful attorney. (I’m still trying to get my mind around that one.)

A side-note here: Gordon says he’s so “financially desperate.” Yet he claims to have “authored one of the very best books ever written on the topic of sanity and honesty, related to retirement funding.” Really? Then why doesn’t he apply what he claims to be an expert on to his own life?

And this copied directly from his http://www.prudentsolutioninc.com/ website. “Gordon Bell Accredited Investment Fiduciary Auditor, Certified Asset Protection Planner Certified Wealth Preservation Planner. Author of ‘Tell ‘Em ‘That’s MY Money You’re Messing With!”,” actually teaches you how to…

• NEVER lose money.
• Never run out of money during retirement.
• Actually increase income and lower taxes at the same time.
• Re-design your portfolio so you’re never negatively affected by a collapse of the stock market.
• No longer be reliant on a rate of return to reach your goals.
• Employ a new mathematical understanding that will place you far above the investment rat race.

And again from another of Gordon’s own websites, http://instantsale.org. He claims his “21st Century System (for short-selling your home) Works.” If that’s the case, then with the real estate market in the condition that it’s in, Gordon must be raking in the cash. The fact is, Gordon speaks out of one side of his mouth about how successful he is, then cries poverty out of the other side.

Now tell me… does this sound like a guy who should be “financially desperate,” “can’t afford glasses and other vital things,” who “can’t afford to pay rent”, and who actually told the judge in court that he has paid over $3,000 in interest on the $5,000 he borrowed over four years ago?

The fact is, Gordon Bell is a fraud!

But even with all that, evidently, the Ripoff Report wasn’t enough. So just as Gordon wrote in one of his lengthy emails, he filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. They sent me a copy and asked for my response. I answered all of Gordon’s points, and the Attorney General summarily dismissed Gordon’s complaint as baseless.

That didn’t work, so Gordon sued me in court. One of the rules of the court was that each party had to submit their evidence to the other party as “discovery.” I sent Gordon a packet of nearly 100 pages of what I was to present in court. In response, Gordon sent me the following email:

“I am in receipt of your documents.

At a quick first glance, I see misstatements or bold faced lies that certainly require deeper research.

Thus, it may take up to July 26 to be able to present my response.

The court indicates that all I need do is provide you a copy of my statements at the time of trial.

All I can say now, is this: If you had spent the time and effort you obviously spent on this enddeavor in keeping your agreements, you would have saved a lot of money.

You are a character of dichotomous factors.”

A quick analysys… July 26 was the court date. The actual court rules regarding disclosure state that each party must submit their evidence to the other party within 40 days of filing. I complied with that, and sent Gordon my packet on April 25th.

When we went to court, Gordon attempted to present his packet to me and I refused to accept it. Then he tried to present it to the judge, who also rejected it, and told Gordon that Justice Court isn’t like what you see on TV… you can’t spring a surprise witness or documents at the last minute in an attempt to “ambush” the other party.

So Gordon presented a very flimsy case about how we didn’t provide the support we promised. Then I had my turn. I countered every point Gordon made, and Chad, the president of TopLine told about how he worked with Gordon and gave him more time than any three of the attendees of his class combined. I even told the judge that I was still willing to give Gordon two days of personal one-on-one coaching and would pay a night’s lodging form him if he would get himself to Phoenix.

Gordon had made statements of being “financially desperate” and unable to travel. Yet he was able to come up with the funds and the strength and energy to get to Phoenix for the trial. He was claiming $5,000 (amount he paid down for the training), and an additional $5,000 for expenses. Of course, he had no documentation for that amount. If Gordon would have invested that time and money into a trip to Phoenix for his one-on-one coaching with me, he’d be WAY farther ahead. Now he’s out the money he paid for his airfare, rental car and two nights lodging… plus time away from his business and the income he could have generated if he stayed home. As for me, the suit cost nothing but 2 hours of my time… and that included travel to and from the court.

Needless to say, the judge ruled in our favor and dismissed Gordon’s complaint.

Okay, still not enough for Gordon. He actually registered a domain using my own personal name and set up a website (martinhowey.org) to tell his story to the world. (Can you see how desperate and vindictive this guy is and the ends that he’ll go to to try and destroy and discredit me?)

So let’s get back to my original question: What would you do? Would you let this character get away with it by using your own name and posting derogatory and misleading comments on that website? Or would you fight back? Really, what would you do?

I know, some would have refunded the money at the outset. After all, Gordon said others have done it just to “avoid the annoyance.” But that’s not me. It’s not right for someone to steal your information and your time, not do anything, and then make public complaints that you didn’t deliver, when you actually over-delivered, and even won the opinions of the Attorney General and a judge in justice court. The fact is, this man needs to be stopped.

So after careful consideration and pondering, I decided to look at this entire process in the context of “marketing.” Gordon claims to have several people who agree with his point that Martin Howey, Chad Howey, and TopLine Business Solutions are frauds. He says that all of those who agree with him choose to remain anonymous, and refuses to tell who they are or how many there are. That’s okay. I do know for a fact that several people who were considering become TopLine Business Solutions Business Development Consultants came to us because of what Gordon wrote. They checked out RipoffReport and saw his postings and my responses. Some of the comments they made are hilarious. Things like:

“The guy is a idiot!”

“What a loser. He needs to get a life.”

“I can’t believe that anyone (especially at his age) would borrow $5,000 at 26% interest not knowing if he could realistically pay it back!”

“There are enough ‘kooks’ in the world who will go out of their way to try and destroy someone’s reputation, but this guy is the ‘King of Kooks’. You should counter sue him and stop him from taking advantage of others.”

“Doesn’t he have anything more productive to do with his time?”

“He’s REALLY strange. One excuse after another, after another, after another. I guess if one thing doesn’t work, why not try something else? It’s the old story: Throw enough crap at the wall and something is bound to stick.”

Those aren’t my words… they came from emails we’ve gotten from people who were drawn to Gordon’s RipoffReport post and checked us out. I know for a fact that several people have come into our program that we would never have had if it weren’t for Gordon’s posts. So thank you, Gordon. You’re helping us get the word out!

I know I could be spending more of my time doing marketing in a positive way to attract more consultants. But for me, this IS marketing. The more Gordon does in a negative way, the more eyes he will attract. And the more eyes that he attracts that are serious, the more people will read what we’ve done to try and help Gordon be successful in this business, and the more they will see Gordon for who he is… a desperate man who refuses to take adult responsibility and accountability for his own actions… or better yet, his own inactions, and continually looks for other things or other people to blame for his lack of success.

In my 45+ years of business, Gordon Bell is the ONLY one who has complained and has taken things this far. In contrast, the number of success stories from more than 1,100 consultants now operating in 36 countries worldwide, is overwhelming.

I truly feel sorry for Gordon and wish him the very best. And my offer of spending two full days of one-on-one consulting time with him AND pay for one night’s stay in a hotel stands. All he needs to do is get himself to Phoenix.

So what about you? This has been a very long story. But I wanted you to see the entire picture and then ask yourself what would you would do if you got a vicious, vindictive person on your tail, and even though you went overboard trying to please him, and even though he complained to the Attorney General and sued you in court… and you won in both instances, then he stole your name and put up a derogatory website to try and destroy your name, reputation, credibility, business, and personal and family life.

What would you do? Lie down and take it? Refund his money? Fight it? Or use it as a marketing strategy? That’s what I chose to do… and it’s working out very well for me.

I’m very interested in what you have to say and what you would do in a similar circumstance. Anonymos comments are always welcome. At TopLine have an “open book” policy and nothing to hide, so what you have to say carries a LOT more weight and credibility if you identify yourself.

My “lab” is made up of some of TopLine’s top consultants… those who are actually out there getting it done. But not “just getting it done”… getting it done in BIG ways. The place I always start, when introducing new strategies to be tested, is very close to home… with consultants that I can visit with in person, talk to, and teach the concept to in person. Then, very often, I will go with them or work side by side with them as they implement it so I can see, first hand, the reactions and the results they get.

Once I’m convinced that we’ve worked out most of the bugs, I’ll introduce that system to our other top consultants… some of them U.S. based, and others who are offshore working in one of the other 36 countries where TopLine has a presence. Then, when we get the results back from them and make any necessary tweaks and adjustments, we’ll roll out the new systems to the rest of our consultants.

So where do all these ideas come from that we test, tweak and introduce? I’ve written about it before, and I’ll say it again… I constantly attend talks, seminars, workshops, and training events, learning from other people, seeing what’s new, figuring out how we can apply what they’ve taught to our consultants’ businesses so they can be more effective in dealing with their clients. It’s the new, innovative, and creative things that I learn that keeps us on the cutting edge and constantly delivering value to our consultants, and our consultants to their clients.

All day yesterday, was one of those “research” days for me. I started out visiting with a good friend and speaker who is working with a New York creative marketing and positioning agency. She wanted to meet with me to see if there was a way that we can include some of our materials in their system so they can introduce them to their database of 32 million clients and prospects. This is HUGE! And it could mean really big things for our consultants.

From there, I visited with Joel Weldon, one of the top-rated corporate speakers and presenters in the business, and one of the founders of National Speakers Association. Joel and I have been great friends for over 35 years. I give him credit for introducing me into Toastmasters and NSA, and being my first real mentor who taught me the finer points of speaking, communicating, and presenting. We talked about a lot of things, and will be getting together again soon to discuss even more things that I know will benefit our consultants.

After that, I went to Gail Barsky’s home, and the two of us hammered out some systems that I recently learned from visiting with the top corporate partnership strategist in the country, that we’ll be introducing to our new consultants in our upcoming workshop. Gail has a lovely place on a lake with a great view, and her “office” is in a room with a huge picture window that allows her to take it all in. It’s a great place to be inspired when writing a new book or developing strategies for her clients.

While we got a lot of work done there and shot several videos in the process, it was a chance to sit back and work in a very relaxing environment and let inspiration come as it may. When we finished, she had a very workable game plan that she is now able to take to the market and implement right out of the box. Then we she gets the results, we’ll get together again and make a system out of it and introduce it to our other consultants.

Jeremy Cundiff, is another “local” that I can tap into with new strategies and ideas that I want to test. This guy is on fire, and has been right out of the box. In his first 60 days following training, he had 3 clients, and was earning $11,500.00 per month, plus a percentage of the revenue increase he generates for them, and he has even negotiated for the master franchise rights for an entire state from one of his clients. I love this guy, and can always depend on him to take a new idea and run with it.

The reason I’m telling you all this, is because I want you to realize that the TopLine system is not static. It’s living, always changing, always being updated and improved so it will work in today’s environment, no matter what it’s like. We are contantly removing parts of the system that aren’t working as well as they used to, or that our consultants aren’t in love with, and replacing them with new things like I just described. And that’s what makes our consultants so successful.

So your take-away from this post, is that you should always be on an “Idea Alert”… always looking for new ideas that can improve what you do or if you’re working with clients, ideas that can improve the value you bring to them and make them better. Next, find a good place to work… a place where you can be inspired. It doesn’t have to be on a lake like where Gail lives. But make your working environment comfortable, inspiring, and fun to be in. A place where creativity can run rampant. Then test your new ideas on a couple of clients or businesses. You don’t have to roll it out big time… not at first. Start small with one or two clients. Then make tweaks, adjustments and improvements, and when you’re happy with what you have, get it out there in a massive way. And then watch the business and the profits start to roll in.

Finally, if you have knowledge that can help other business owners run their businesses more effectively, more efficiently, and more profitably, and you’re holding it back from them because you don’t know how to introduce it to them, you’re not doing them or yourself any favors. The market for what you have is bigger and hungrier than it’s ever been, and our consultants are making more money than ever before. The TopLine program may be just the system you need to give you the training, the support, and the “push” you need to get out there and make a difference. If you’d like to know more, please drop Chad a note at chad@toplinebusinesssolutions.com, and let him know that you’d like more information. He’ll be happy to help in any way he can.

As always, please let me know your thoughts and comments. I’m always interested!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

One of the mastermind groups I belong to is made up of very successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and marketing experts. Each of them earn well into the high 6-figures or 7-figures in personal incomes. We get together on a regular basis for two days and discuss the newest and latest strategies for growing our businesses.

Each of us gets an hour and a half to tell what we’ve been doing, what’s working and what’s not, where we want to take our businesses in the next 3 months, and then ask for help, insights and assistance from the others in the group. I came away from that meeting loaded with great ideas that got me thinking about several new markets we’re going into this year.

From that meeting, I went to Infusioncon to meet up with some of my friends and colleagues and reconnect and reestablish relationships, some of which will be turning into very profitable ventures in the near future.

I tell you these two things, because if you’re not involved in a mastermind group of people who are a higher level than where you’re playing, and you’re not keeping in contact with, and resolidifying relationships with key people in your business or your personal life, you’re missing out on some potentially giant breakthroughs and income opportunities.

Next in my journeys, was a trip to San Francisco, where I met with the top Corporate Partnership Strategist in the country for three days. The ideas and strategies I came away from that meeting with have completely changed the way we’re doing business here at TopLine, and will create some wonderful opportunities for people wanting to get into the consulting game, but haven’t had the finances to make it happen.

I won’t go into all the details here, because I’ve created a whole new website that explains how it works. The bottom line is, if you’re interested in becoming a marketing and business development consultant, and you’re looking for a way to make it happen quickly and without breaking your bank, you should check out www.TopLineBusinessSolutions.com/corporate.htm.

We have another new consultant’s training program coming up April 22-25, in Phoenix, Arizona, and will only be including 6 to 10 people. This program is being subsidized by some major corporations who are very interested in working with TopLine as sponsors so they can be introduced into the markets that our consultants are working in.

If you’re interested in learning how you might be able to get all or part of your TopLine tuition sponsored, then please visit that website as soon as possible. Our sponsors are being very selective about who they’re going to subsidize and how many people we can bring on board. This is your chance to make it happen if you’re a quick mover.

We have no idea at this point whether the Corporate Sponsorship program will continue or not. A lot of it depends on how this group of attendees does once you leave training. Obviously, I want it to continue, so we’re going to pull out all the stops to do everything we can to make everyone in the program as successful as possible, as quickly as possible.

So if you’re interested, think you have the qualifications a corporate sponsor may be interest in, and are a fast mover, get to www.TopLineBusinessSolutions.com/corporate.htm and see what it’s all about.

And… I hope to be speaking personally with you soon!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from one of our highest performing and earning TopLine Business Solutions consultants, who wanted to schedule some time with me to help him work through a situation he was in. Steve, the consultant, has never been a worry or a concern to me for any reason. He continually creates BIG income numbers, has a great group of clients who love him and his work, does no prospecting, and has a lifestyle that would be envious of 99 percent of the population.

So when I got Steve’s call asking to spend the day with me to help him with his business, I was a little surprised.

Turns out that Steve, as successful as he is, was wanting to change directions in his consulting practice and work with a different type of client. Steve’s current client demographic is largely built around construction and blue-collar types of businesses. Nothing wrong with that, those businesses have provided well for him. But like most of us do from time to time, Steve wanted a change… something different, something more challenging. So he asked if we could get together and discuss it.

Steve flew into town and I picked him up at the airport at noon, and we spent the day going over his business, what he was doing, who he was working with, who he wanted to work with, what his inerests were, and what he wanted from his consulting practice. When we got to our meeting place, we dug right in. I asked a series of hard-hitting questions, Steve gave me his answers, and I began mapping out a strategy for him, getting his feedback and comments along the way to make sure I was on track with where he wanted to head.

I talked and Steve took notes. Because I’ve done this so many times, the ideas came fast and furious, and Steve was having a difficult time keeping up. To me, this stuff is simple… it’s easy… it’s as clear as day. I’m sure it’s largely because of two reasons… 1) I do it so often it’s almost second nature, and 2) I’m not the one struggling with a situation or trying to make a change. It’s always easier to help someone else solve their problems than it is your own.

At the end of two hours, Steve was exhausted and his mind was overflowing with ideas… not to mention all the pages of notes he took, and the resources I had written down to send to him. We went to lunch at a nearby restaurant and tried to get away from business topics for a short time to relax our minds and get ready for the next round. Back at the “compound”, we hit it again and mapped out a complete start-to-finish strategy that would work for Steve.

I gave him a TON of forms, letters, scripts, strategies, and systems that he could go home and implement immediately. Steve is certainly not wanting for anything, and there is no excuse or reason for him not succeeding with his new plan, other than failing to implement what we discussed. I got him back on the plane at 6:00pm and he’s ready to rock!

The reason I’m telling you this story about Steve, is because you may be in a similar situation, but in a different type of way.

So many people are not fulfilled in their jobs, professions, or careers, and are looking for something different… something new, something exciting, something challenging… something that makes life more fun, more enjoyable, and more meaningful. The older I get, the more I realize that our time here on this planet is finite. We’re all going to disappear at some point. The questions is, what is the imprint or impact that will be left behind because of our having been here?

Sure, we may have family and friends, and the impact we’ve had on them through our teachings and examples may be significant… even character-forming or life-changing. And it should be. But I’m talking about something more. For most of us, more than half our waking hours are spent in some type of employment, job, or business-related activities… some way to earn the income we need to support our lifestyles and provide for our families and (hopefully) eventual retirement.

So what’s going on during those many hours? Other than getting the work done that you’re responsible for, what else are you contributing, and who is benefitting? On a regular occassion, I take time to reflect on my own situation to make sure I’m on the right path and not just spinning my wheels. Spending time with people like Steve… already successful people… but people wanting a different set of experienced eyes to look at their situation and give them insights and direction… is what turns me on and keeps me running from day to day.

I have my mentors that I look to for direction from time to time… people who help me in various ways to look inside and “keep it real.” Recently I met a person who sat me down over lunch, got me talking about myself and where I am currently, where I want to go, and what’s keeping me from getting there. It was totally unexpected and out of the blue, and I revealed to her and to myself (surprisingly), things that I had never verbalized to anyone… yet, things that I would soon discover about myself that are now having a profound impact on what I’m doing and where I’m headed.

This person is not a coach, not a counselor, and not a therapist. But her insights, intuition, and understanding were exactly what I needed at the time. Funny, that she did to me what I do (in a similar way) to the consultants who depend on me for my expertise and insights.

If you don’t have such a person in your life… someone you can bounce ideas off of and that they will respond to in a non-judgemental, but helpful and understanding way, you’re missing something BIG! Find that person, that mentor, that person who can give you the direction you need at the time you need it. Make your life and business direction the result of a “partnership” with someone you can trust, and like Steve, and like me, your life will change, it will improve, it will have more meaning, and you will be much happier!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

But it’s not so much what happens to us, as it is how we handle those challenges. We have a choice. When things get us down we can lay their and do nothing, or we can take control, take actions, and get our strength back and get out of our predicament.

Right now, in these tough economic times, some people are doing very well financially and others are struggling to make ends meet, or perhaps wondering where the money is going to come from to pay the mortgage or to buy enough food to feed their kids their next meal. Some are being laid off from their jobs, and others are being promoted within their company, or being recruited away by another employer and offered substantial bonuses to defect.

It’s the same with businesses. Tough times for some are boom times for others. While some stores and shops are closing their doors, others are expanding their operations,  opening new locations, and hiring additional employees.

In our business of offering marketing and business development consulting services to businesses, we see it every day. Several times a week we get calls from business owners who are familiar with our company, or maybe have seen us on the Internet or in various media (radio, television, or print), and want to know if we can help them figure out how to help their businesses survive. Very often, they don’t have the funds to make payroll, pay the rent, or the utilities, let alone pay for consulting services. Their backs are up against the wall and they’re looking for solutions… cost-effective solutions that can produce FAST results and get them out from behind the eight ball.

Because I only work with a very limited number of high-level clients myself, we always refer these business owners to our onboard consultants. It’s always interesting to see some of the creative ways they work with a business that is financially strapped and doesn’t have enough money to pay a retainer fee. But what’s even more interesting is to see how quickly the strategies they introduce into their clients’ businesses begin producing additional profit dollars for them, and then hear the appreciative comments from those clients.

It’s a great feeling to know that we offer a service that helps so many people on so many levels. When a business is turned around and saved from financial ruin, it saves jobs for the business’s employees, the vendors and suppliers who provide products and services to that business, the landlord or mortgage company, insurance and utility companies and a host of other types of businesses and individuals that depend on income from the business.

A key player in that entire process is the person… the consultant… who “saved the day” for the business. Very often, this person is one who, just a few months earlier, was out of a job him or herself. Maybe they were laid off, downsized, cut out, or whatever term is in vogue today. Sometimes they are mid fifties six-figure earners with teenagers or college students to support, and can’t go back into the job market because they are “too old.” And if they could, it certainly wouldn’t be at the income level they were used to or that they require to sustain their current lifestyle.

It’s hard to express the feeling that I get when I see someone like I just described come through training, get some new skills, contact a handful of prospects, and land their first couple of clients. Their step is lighter, their pace quicker, and their confidence is at an all time high. They’re completely different people than they were when we first met. Once they get a little taste of success under their belts and they realize that they don’t have to depend on a “boss” or employer to tell them when to come to work, when they can go home, what to do on the job, how much they’re worth, and when (or IF) they can take time off for a holiday, vacation, or just to watch their kids’ ball games, it’s a whole new world for them.

This life is WAY to short to get all the things done that… well, at least that I want to get done. Just not enough time. And there certainly isn’t enough time for me to spend doing something that I don’t enjoy, that I don’t want to do, or that I have to do. I can’t answer for you or for anyone else. I just know that the older I get, the faster time goes. And every day I look back and think about how I spent my time… what I gained, what I might have lost, what kind of enjoyment I had, how I helped someone else, and how I grew as a person.

For me, it’s not about the money anymore. It’s about the value I can create for someone else. That’s why I do what I do. I absolutely help people who are ready to get out of doing the “have-to-do” things, and move into a world of “let’s-do-this!”

I have to be careful. Last year we conducted 14 of our 4-day TopLine Business Solutions consultant’s training events. We added 146 new consultants, and are now hitting right at 1,000 consultants operating in 34 countries around the world.

Why do I say I have to be careful?

‘Cause I worked my tail off! I worked WAY to hard last year. Yes, I enjoyed helping people go from broke (or nearly so) to mid six-figures, but I fried myself in the process. Won’t be that way this year. I’ll be spending more time with fewer people, and creating even bigger success stories than we’ve ever had before. And I’ll be taking more personal time for myself.

We’re getting ready to announce our next (and the first for this year) workshop that will be sometime in the first part of April. This will be open to a VERY limited number of people who are serious about achieving the most success possible in the shortest amount of time. We will be featuring them in our ads and in our media releases to help them get leverage, publicity, and exposure, and use that exposure to enhance their credibility. More information will be coming in the next week or so as the details are finalized.

In the meantime, be thinking about where you are in your job or career, and if you’re 100 percent satisfied. If you’re not, what do you need to do differently? What actions do you need to take to get on top of things and begin living life on YOUR terms, and not someone else’s, and not having to apologize to yourself or your family for not being able to give them everything you would like to.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Several months ago I had the great fortune of meeting Lynn Rose at a seminar we were both attending. I had heard of her before and knew of her work, but had never met her or had the chance to talk with her.

Lynn is one of those people who has a magnetic personality. She’s so full of energy that as soon as you see her you can’t help but be interested in who she is and what she’s all about. And when she looks at you and flashes that smile, your whole world changes. But the best part is when you get involved in a conversation with her. She is “with” you from the start to the finish… focusing, concentrating, eliminating distractions, and learning all about who you are, what you’re about, and wanting to see how she can help you achieve your dreams, aspirations and goals.

Like I said… it’s magnetic, it’s captivating, and it’s energizing. And you walk away from your encounter with her, a better person. You can hear an interview I did with Lynn just the other day. Listen and you can see what I mean.

This is a 5 part series. You can listen to…

     Part 2: Click Here
     Part 3: Click Here
     Part 4: Click Here
     Part 5: Click Here

Our chance meeting at that seminar has now turned into more than just a “casual friendship.” Lynn and I talk on a regular basis about a number of things, including how she is able to help people be their absolute best on stage, on camera, or in business presentations… all of which translates into more self-confidence, better business and personal relationships, increased opportunities for job promotions, and ultimately, more fun, income, and freedom.

Lynn does several things, but what I am the most interested in personally, is her “WOW Factor” presentation. This two-day event is designed to help anyone who does ANY kind of speaking or presenting in front of audience… a business meeting, teaching a sunday school class, a service club or association presentation, a casual get-together of family or friends for some special occassion, or maybe even just speaking off the top of your head… to effectively bring the meeting or conversation to life, give it energy, and emotionally connect with the audience so they are “with you” and are motivated to move to action.

Lynn conducts these special hands-on, interactive workshops on a regular basis, and will be holding her next one in Los Angeles, California, on March 20th and 21st. I’m going to be there myself to experience what I’ve heard so many of my peers… some of the top speakers and presenters in the industry… people who pay me to mentor them… talk so passionately about. Why? Because I know that even after 44+ years of speaking, training, coaching, and consulting, that Lynn will be able to teach me something that I’m missing… something that will enable me to better connect with my audience… something that will enable me to deliver even better quality content to my clients and consultants.

I’m going to be inviting my consultants to join me at this next workshop, where between 10 and 15 people will participate in Lynn’s program, and then be invited to a special closed-door session with me where I’ll be teaching how to use what Lynn teaches to conduct seminars and workshops that I have only revealed to my top consultants… many of whom are earning $350,000.00+ per year, and working 2 to 3 days a week just doing these seminars.

Lynn does have an affiliate program for people who refer others to her workshop. She pays 25 percent. But I asked her if she would pass my affiliate fee (or commission) along to people who sign up as a referral from me. I don’t want the money, and I certainly don’t need it. I’d rather have Lynn discount the amount you pay to help you offset your travel and lodging expenses, so you can take advantage of the incredible program she has to offer.

If you’re interested in learning more, go to Lynn’s website at http://lynnrose.com/wow-factor-workshop.htm. Then if you decide that this program and the closed-door session with me is something you’d like to take advantage of, go ahead and register. When you get to the payment page, enter the code, “WOW NOW” to make sure you get the special discounted price and reserve your seat in my session the next day.

To make it even more convenient for you, Lynn also has a special payment plan option for you.

Please understand that because Lynn works so closely and intently with each participant, she can only accomodate up to 15 people. The same with my closed-door session… I am not charging anything for this program, and have only shared what I will be teaching with a handful of my top-level, $300k consultants. If you’re at all interested in learning how to create that “WOW” factor for your presentations, and getting a step-by-step blueprint for conducting your own multiple six-figure seminars, then don’t waste any time… get to Lynn’s website (http://lynnrose.com/wow-factor-workshop.htm) and register now. I’m sure the available seats will fill up quickly as soon as I release this blog post to our TopLine consultants.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

A few years ago, Harvey and I spoke on the same platform for a major corporate client, and we lost touch and hadn’t seen each other since then. Larry happened to be on the phone with Harvey and handed me the phone to talk with him. In that conversation, Harvey invited me to his home to do an interview and talk about the launch of his new book, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door… Job Search Secrets No One Will Tell You.

A couple of days ago, I visited Harvey at his mountain-top home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and got to see the unbelievable view he has every day as he looks out over Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. He showed me where he does his writing, and it’s no wonder he cranks out so many great books. The view is magnificant and it can’t help but inspire you.

Well, Harvey took me on a tour of his incredible home and told me what he had been up to since we last spoke. That was nice. I learned a lot about him, his wife, his hobbies (he’s a marathoner), and his interests. As interesting as those things were, that’s not what made the biggest impression on me.

What really piqued my interest, and what I came away with… and what I’d like to pass on to you… is the “between the lines” stuff. The things that weren’t said or spoken.

Harvey had me sit on a couch in his living room, asked me questions about my business and my personal life, and focused his entire attention on me and what I had to say. It was like talking to my best friend. No distractions. No interruptions. Just Harvey and me, and him letting me go on and on about myself.

A couple of minutes into the conversation, my mind flashed back to Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends And Influence People” book that I read when I was a senior in high school. Dale said that if you want to make people like you, to be a good listener and encourage others to talk about themselves. And that’s exactly what I caught Harvey doing to me… and that’s when I stopped talking about me and started asking him questions about him, his work, and his passion. And boy, did he open up… and that’s when my learning began!

Well, we were both busy and had lots on our plates for the day, so we moved outdoors on the patio overlooking a steep drop down the side of the mountain. His pool has two “vanishing edges” that make it look like the water just hangs in mid air. (Really cool!) We took a couple of pictures and shot a quick video where Harvey talked about his new book, gave some tips from it, and discussed his upcoming book tour and travel schedule.

Harvey is a wonderful man, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to reconnect with him, and will be helping him promote his book as it gets closer to launch time.

So what does all this have to do with you… what ‘s the take-away value you get from my visit with Harvey?

For me, the conversation and reconnection was great. But what I really learned… what I saw in action… what I hope you’ll learn and apply… is what Harvey did to me by making me feel comfortable and relaxed, asking me questions about my business, my family and my personal interests, and then focusing intently on what my responses.

The next time you’re in a conversation with someone, think about how you can do what Harvey did… give your undivided attention to the person you’re conversing with.

The second thing I learned… and I might never have recognized it had my mind not flashed back nearly 50 years ago to when I was in high school and read Carnegie’s book… was that I was doing all the talking. And when you’re talking, you’re not learning. So I shut up, stopped talking about me, and started using what Dale Carnegie taught me those many years ago, and what Harvey was doing to me in the moment.

So what about you? Same thing. It’s not about you. If you want to make an impression, an impact, a friend… then get them talking about themselves and what their life is about. They’ll leave the conversation thinking you were an incredible conversationalist… and you might have only said a handful of words!

If you don’t have Harvey’s books, go get them! I own every one of them and the information in them is priceless. But do as Harvey says in the video we shot… don’t read these books. Study them… devour them… and more importantly, LIVE them. If you do, you’ll have more success than you ever dreamed possible.

Oh, and there’s one more thing. The title of Harvey’s latest book is, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door… Job Search Secrets No One Will Tell You. But don’t just think it’s for finding or getting a job on someone else’s payroll. Not at all. The principles that Harvey espouses in his book work for getting in the door of a prospective client if you’re a salesperson, a coach, or a consultant. I’ll be using excerpts of this book in our upcoming TopLine Business Solutions training classes… it’s that good!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

But as bad as it is, there almost always is someone who is not as well off as we are… someone who doesn’t have, and never will be able to have the things that we are blessed with… even if we’re on the bottom financially.

The other day I got a call from a good friend who said he was trying to raise money to help a young boy on the Make-A-Wish program realize a long-standing dream. The boy’s parents have exhausted their savings paying for their son’s medical expenses, and without some outside help, the boy will never be able to have the wish that means so much to him granted.

My friend said that he knew that I was going to be in Los Angeles at some seminars on Saturday and Sunday, and wondered if I would be able to stay over and present a seminar for business owners the following Monday. He said he had talked to another good friend of mine, Terri Levine, one of the very top speakers and trainers in her industry, and thought that the two of us could do a fund-raising program to help his Make-A-Wish candidate fulfill his dream.

Of course, my answer way an immediate “Yes!” So Terri and I got together and worked out a killer program that is designed to give a limited number of business owners some step-by-step systems and strategies that will put money in their pocket the very next day following our seminar. This will be a one-day event that we’re calling, “OVERNIGHT CASH SURGE“, because that’s exactly what it’s designed to do… put a surge of cash in the attendee’s bank accounts the very next day.

Normally, we would charge $497 for a program like this, but we’re only charging $97, and you can bring a friend or associate with you for no additional cost. We’ll also have a special Power Networking VIP Luncheon for an additional $100 for the first person, and $50 if your guest joins you.

We have lined up some great sponsors to help out. Cherie Arnold from SetWeight4Life has agreed to be there and help out, as well as OfficeMax, Franklin Covey, The Business Codex, and Make-A-Wish. The best part is, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Make-A-Wish to help fund our candidate’s wish.

As for Terri and I, we are donating our time and expenses to this event, and promise to give the very best business-building strategies we have, holding nothing back. Terri is a master at teaching businesses how to get an abundance of leads and convert them into paying customers… something every business could use a little more of these days.

I’ll be sharing some of the best results-generating, cost-effective strategies that I know to quickly and easily make ANY business more profitable. These are the same strategies I teach our nearly 1,000 consultants operating in 34 different countries around the world to use to help their customers and clients.

And they’re the same strategies that I use with my private clients that pay me $55,000.00 per year to meet for one day, four times a year, and that my Executive-level clients pay $85,000.00 per year to meet six times a year.

I guarantee you that when the attendees leave this power-packed program, they’ll have more than enough ideas to put to work than they ever thought they’d have… ideas that work, that have been proven time and time again in nearly every kind, type and size of business.

The reason I’m writing this message is to not try and talk you into coming to our event… although, I’d really like to see you there and I know that our Make-A-Wish candidate could use your financial help. The real reason I’m writing this is to get you to think about what you can do… even when times are tough… even when you don’t have enough money to pay the mortgage… even when it seems that you’re going through the darkest time of your life… there are others that have it worse than you. And with a little stretch, most of us can generally find a way to dig a little deeper and help them out.

Maybe that “digging” is not into an already empty pocket. Maybe it’s in donating your time, talent, expertise, and some of your experience in a way that can help someone who has less than you.

If you can join us, that would be great. If you can refer someone, that, too, would be wonderful. But if all you get from reading this is the motivation to DO SOMETHING… and then go and do it, that would be awesome!

Now if you’re not in a position to help someone who is less fortunate than you, then (please excuse my bluntness) get off your butt and do something about it!

If your job is unstable or about to be, get some new training, some new skills, some new direction in your life. If money is tight, figure out how to offer a service that others will gladly pay to receive. Opportunities are so abundant, and money is so available. But not to people who don’t actively seek it. For our TopLine consultants, times have never been better, brighter, or more prosperous. They have skills, services, and expertise that others will practically crawl over broken glass to get because they can see the benefits if they do, and what will happen if they don’t. Worse yet, what the consequences will be if it’s their competitors who take advantage and not them.

But that’s another story for another day. For now, if you can attend or can find a way to help our young candidate realize his dream, please let us know. You can find more information about our program by visiting www.OvernightCashSurge.com.

As always, please let me know your thoughts, comments, and feedback. I really am interested!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

There was a TON of great content delivered by a great line-up of speakers including, Jay Abraham, Eben Pagan, Don Crowther, Paul Lemberg, Todd Brown, Chris Haddad, and Larry Benet. But more than just great content, there was a lot of networking, new introductions and friendships made, and business deals going down.

During one of the evening breaks, Larry Benet pulled me aside and asked if I knew Harvey MacKay… the “Swim With The Sharks” author. I told him that Harvey and I had spoken on the platform together a few years ago, and Larry handed me the phone with Harvey on the line and had us reconnect.

Turns out that Harvey will be launching his new book and asked me if I would help him. Of course, I said I would, and Harvey invited me to his home for lunch later this week.

When I got back to my office on Monday, there sat a stack of six of Harvey’s hard-bound books that he had personally delivered to me (Harvey lives in the next town next to me), along with a personal, hand-written note thanking me for my help and reminding me of our luncheon date.

This re-introduction to one of the most well-known authors and speakers in the business came because I attended a seminar, mingled with some of the people, and took some time to talk to Larry, an old friend.

Larry, in case you weren’t aware, is the founder and president of SANG (Speakers And Authors Networking Group). Twice a year the top speakers, presenters, trainers, and authors get together to network, trade ideas, leads, and strategies, discuss what is and what isn’t working in today’s economy, learn from those making presentations, and develop strategic alliances, joint ventures, and partnerships.

I’ve met some of my best contacts and friends at these events and others like them. And at Jeff Walker’s recent PLM program, I developed a bunch of new relationships and have several people wanting to interview me to help promote themselves to their clients, customers and prospects. Of course, I’m willing to do this because it gives me added exposure in the marketplace, and helps my business too.

I don’t attend every seminar that comes around; I’m pretty selective. But those I do attend nearly always pay off very handsomely with reconnections, deals, and exposure, and I always come away with more income opportunities than I had before attending.

If you have a business or are considering starting one and you’re not taking advantage of the great opportunities to learn, network, and collaborate that are present at these events, you’re missing some of the most powerful, inexpensive, and lucrative things you can do.

Next month I’m arranging for a handful of our consultants to attend a very high powered speaker’s training program, and passing on my affiliate commision to them to help offset their travel and lodging expenses. In addition, I’ll be conducting a special closed-door session for those who attend to give them some advanced training and hand them (totally free), a brand new course I’m developing that will sell for $5,000 when it’s completed next month.

When our consultants get together in small groups like this, the energy skyrockets, ideas abound, friendships are developed or rekindled, and results pour in. I encourage you to take advantage of all the training and networking opportunities you can… you’ll be better for doing it, your business will be better, and what you learn and the connections you’ll make will put more money in your pocket than you ever dreamed possible.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Part of our discussion had to do with what’s called, “Social Proof”… getting others to talk about their experience in doing business with you. It’s much more credible than you telling others how great you are.

It’s not so much what YOU say you can do for someone; it’s not even what someone else says you CAN do for them. What really counts… in fact, the ONLY thing that really matters, is what someone else says you HAVE DONE for them.

Good testimonials… the ones you can take to the bank… are “after-the-fact” comments. The “Heres what it can do for me,” comment isn’t nearly as strong as “Here’s what it did for me.” So it’s important to capture “done for me” comments as close to the moment as possible.

Here’s what I wrote to the consultant, using our own TopLine Consultant’s Training as an example:    
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Very often, I’ll get comments at the first or second break on the first day, where people will say, “That was so good… I could leave right now and get my money’s worth!” When that happens (whenever it is… first day, second day, etc.), stop everything, ask if they really mean what they said, and take out your little digital pocket camera and ask if it would be okay if you captured their comments so your could share them with others who are considering your program.

Once they give you their comments, stop, turn to the group and explain what you just did, and let them know that they need to be doing the same thing. 

I let them know that if I were to wait until the end of the 4 days to get their comments, they would be general comments and wouldn’t be related to anything specific. But if I hear them say something of value related to a particular point I made and then capture that comment at the time it was made, it’s more meaningful. 

That’s the first part… capturing a testimonial that I can use. The second part is that I stopped the presentation and used that testimonial capturing exercise as a teaching moment… I taught them how to do something. Now if I were to repeat that several times during my presentation, I’ll end up with specific testimonials, and won’t have to wait till the end when everyone else is trying to get testimonials from the other attendees, and when they’re trying to gather their things together to leave.

After about the third time of interrupting the meeting to capture what someone said (I don’t do it for every comment, obviously), people will start laughing. It gets kind of comical after a while. But every time I do it, I demonstrate the procedure, ask how many have already used the technique. I then repeat my encouragement for them to start talking to each other and practicing and getting testimonials they can use, and I use that brief interruption as a teaching moment.
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In our trainings, I’m very transparent and open, and let everyone know exactly what I’m doing, then let them know how they can do the same thing in their businesses.

Very often, I’ll get comments at the first or second break on the first day, where people will say, “I could leave right now and get my money’s worth!”. When that happens (whenever it is… first day, second day, etc.), stop everything, ask if they really mean what they said, and take out your camera and ask if it would be okay if you captured their comments so your could share them with others who are considering your program.

Once you get their testimonial, explain to the group what you just did, and tell them that they need to be doing the same thing. Let them know that if you wait until the end of the 4 days to get their comments, those will be general comments, and not related to anything specific. But if you hear them say something of value related to some point you made and capture that comment, it’s more meaningful. So what just happened is, you gave value, someone recognized it and commented on it, and you captured what they said.

That’s the first part… capturing a testimonial that you can use. The second part is that you stopped the presentation and used that testimonial capturing exercise as a teaching moment… you taught them how to do something. Now if you repeat that several times during your presentation, you’ll have specific testimonials, and you won’t have to wait till the end when everyone else is trying to get testimonials from the other attendees, and when they’re trying to gather their things together to leave.

After about the third time of you interrupting the meeting to capture what someone said (you don’t do it for every comment, obviously), people will start laughing. It gets kind of comical after a while. But every time you do it, you demonstrate the procedure, ask how many have already used the technique, encourage them to start talking to each other and practicing and getting testimonials they can use, and use that brief interruption as a teaching moment.

Many of our consultants are using seminars and workshops as major income producers. Some will put on no-cost or very low-cost seminars sponsored by a third-party as a way of introducing their services to business owners they couldn’t otherwise get in front of, and then using that “preview” seminar as a way to get consulting clients.

Of course, there are those who don’t like to speak in front of an audience at all… and that’s okay. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and that’s the beauty of the TopLine system.

My point in all of this is not that you have to do seminars or workshops… it’s getting comments from others who have good things to say about you and what you do, no matter what format you use.

It’s what we teach at TopLine… and it’s just one of the things that’s made us so successful for so many years.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions.