| Back in the 80’s, a broke man living on his friend’s couch spent his last $100 on a speed reading course...
Then he went to his local library in Torrance, LA, and quickly read every book he could find on marketing and sales.
He did this NOT to read as many books as humanly possible…
But to find the good books as fast as possible.
Once he’d found all the best stuff he took those books home and read through them again — this time very slowly.
This man was John Carlton, one of the most successful copywriters in the world today…
And he credits reading and absorbing the lessons in all those books with allowing him to get his start.
In fact, he says having read Scientific Advertising, by Claude Hopkins, a whopping 8 times was enough to get his foot in the door working with legendary marketer Jay Abraham.
Carlton knew the importance of truly absorbing information so that he could apply it in his work
(he still tries to read Scientific Advertising once a year).
Similarly, at one of my recent virtual events...
My friend and client Frank Den Blanken shared his speed-learning secret for soaking in volumes of knowledge at an incredible pace:
First, get both the audiobook and physical book.
Then, play the audio at 3X speed and follow along in the book with your finger.
Hitting both your visual and auditory senses at the same time with the same information increases comprehension drastically
(and you can maintain your speed without getting off track).
Frank studies for hours a day and knows that knowledge is the “white hot knife” that separates him from the competition.
So why do I tell you all this?
Simple, people ask me all the time how they can grow their business, make more money, or improve their skills FASTER.
And it all comes back to the ability to not only consume but also apply new information quickly.
So here’s the ugly truth you may not like...
“Passive learning” doesn’t really do much for you.
I know it would be great if we could just sit back and have information beamed into our heads
(imagine learning Kung-Fu in just seconds like Neo in the Matrix).
However…
Reading alone is not enough.
Neither is watching a video, going to a seminar… even some courses aren’t effective if they’re too passive.
These are all great first steps…
But 9 times out of 10 you need to take advanced measures to get the most out of new information.
This could mean adding a second layer of sensory processing, like Frank…
Sorting through information to find the best ideas and reviewing them frequently, like John Carlton…
Or simply taking immediate action to implement a new idea and try it out for yourself.
With that said…
Now that you understand the importance of learning both faster AND deeper…
I’ll leave you with 3 books I highly recommend to bring you big success in 2021 (IF you learn and apply the lessons from them):
Ready, Aim, Fire by Michael Masterson (Mark Ford) - This book offers a fascinating and intelligent analysis of the different stages of scaling a business from $0 - $1M, $1M - $10M, $10M - $50M, and $50M - $100M.
PLUS… it reveals what the most important focus should be in your business during each stage and why.
Mark Ford, who uses the pen name Michael Masterson, has built multiple businesses beyond $50 Million so he knows what he’s talking about.
Man Up by Bedros Keuilian - My good friend Bedros’s book is a field guide in the high income skill of leadership.
I continue to believe that this is the #1 most important skill in business. Almost all your business problems can be solved through better leadership.
Bedros taught me to be a leader instead of a “boss,” and this book will do the same for you.
The Perfect Week Formula by Craig Ballantyne - This is the book I wrote specifically for entrepreneurs like you, who want to make more money in less time.
I recommend this book to someone almost daily...
Not because I like saying my own name but for the same reason I wrote it — because it can solve so many of the typical problems of the “burnt out” entrepreneur.
This book contains the exact formula you need to build your timeblocks, have more family time, make more money, and to make sure you get the relaxation and recovery time you need to live your perfect life.
If you’d like a FREE physical copy (just cover shipping) of my best and newest book you can get one for a limited time at PerfectWeekFormula.com --- Alright last thing...
If you’ve noticed me mention these books before, perhaps more than once, there’s a reason for that...
Together these 3 books provide so many of the tools you need for entrepreneurial success that I consider them to be mandatory reading for any business owner.
So… if you just thought to yourself “I’ve seen that title before”...
And yet you STILL haven’t read it…
Consider this to be another friendly nudge towards a few quick reads that could change your life ;)
To Your Success,
Craig
P.S. If you want help implementing the best business information…
And you want the systems and strategies that are working right now to get more leads and close more sales so you can achieve your big goals and vision this year…
Just hit reply and drop “2021” in the subject line — our team will get right back to you with all the details you need about how our programs can help. |
