My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy...

I’m not gonna lie… I’m a little nervous sending out this first email. 

It reminds me of the first time I DJ’d in a club in front of a giant crowd.

The feeling in the pit of my stomach… the lump in my throat.

But like Eminem says, “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”

So here it goes…

For this issue I’m going to share a tip on marketing, a tip on sales, one of the tools I’m currently using, a book I’m reading, and a cool video to watch. 

📣 Marketing 

Dora was wrong! 

Swiper YES swiping!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret 🤫

Every great marketer has a SWIPE FILE. I’ve kept one for more than 20 years and it has helped me more than anything else in my business.

What is it?

A swipe file is a collection of headlines, ads, copy, text, newsletters, websites, social media posts that you find fascinating or helpful, that you can “swipe” ideas from when writing your own headlines or creating content. I have both a digital version and a physical version where I clip out things.

Like Picasso famously said, “good artists borrow, great artists steal.”

Great ads and headlines make $$$$. Companies spend millions of dollars on getting their messaging right because good copy = GOLD. So why not “borrow” from the best?

You can start yours today by scanning your inbox or flipping through magazines.

Here are some cool links where I find some of my favorites:

https://swiped.co/

https://unicornads.com/ 

https://swipefile.com 

https://www.swipefiles.co/ 

Quick note here: You don’t want to be a douchebag and outright copy everything word-for-word! You want to use it as inspiration and a guide and make it your own.

📈 Sales

“Would you like fries with that?”

And with that simple question, McDonald’s made their profitability skyrocket 🚀  (they’ve also made a killing with combos & bundling)

Every business has the opportunity to create an upsell or a cross-sell regardless of what business you’re in. Every single one.

You can use this technique to get your customers to try a new product, add on an extra service like training, coaching, or an extended warranty. You can also bundle multiple products or services to increase average order size.

Think about it…

They’re already buying from you. So they like you, they trust you, and they are ready to give you money - right now. Why not present them with an upsell? What’s the worst that can happen, they say no? No harm, no foul. The best thing that can happen? You make extra revenue and have your customers try new things.

Every sale gives you this opportunity. If you don’t ask every time, you’re leaving money on the table 💵

If you can’t think of how this applies to your business? Drop a quick post in my FB group and I will give you ideas that can help you.

BTW, this also works if you’re buying something for yourself or your business. If they don’t offer you the upsell and you’re considering additional purchases, ask for it. I just got myself free delivery on furniture by just asking. Saved $100!

🛠 One of my Favorite Tools

I use many different tools on a daily basis, but my favorite one nowadays is Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases that helps you write, plan, and get organized.

I use it to keep track of all my projects, links, my SWIPE FILE, plans, and even my notes and outlines for this newsletter.

They have a basic version that’s free, and a pro plan that costs something like $4 a month. They also have a version for bigger teams if you need that.

📚 This is What I’m Reading Right Now

(You can click on the book if you want more info)

📺  Watch This

Speaking of brand cults… I found this fascinating!

Wow, I lost myself in the moment and I dropped bombs! And just like my first DJ set, I can’t believe it’s coming to a close. 

Now I can’t wait to do it all over again!

Ralph Q out!

P.S. - Let me know what you thought! Drop me a note 

P.S.S. - Think someone can benefit from this info? Sharing is caring!

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I've got the brains, you've got the looks - Let's make lots of money

They say that money is attracted to great ideas.

But not every idea is a great idea…

Like the time over the summer that me and my best friends (and OG DJ partners) Marco & Curro thought it would be a great idea to kill fire ants 🐜 in my front yard with a roman candle 🧨

We killed the ants 🙌🏼

But we ended up setting part of the yard on fire 🔥🧯😳  Oh Sh💩!!!

(My parents, who are reading this newsletter just like you, are just finding out what really happened 😬 - Sorry guys! 🤷🏼‍♂️) 

💪🏼 Exercising your IDEA Muscle

Thankfully there are ways to come up with great ideas without setting your yard on fire. But it takes consistent practice. You need to exercise your IDEA muscle.

Why is it important to exercise your idea muscle? 

Because you need it to be strong whenever you need to come up with an idea. You don’t want to wait until you NEED an idea to start exercising that muscle.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by creating a list of 10 new ideas a couple of times a week.

I learned about this exercise a couple of years ago from James Altucher, who says that “Ideas are the currency of life - not money” 

He does this exercise every day - 365 days a year. That’s 3,650 ideas!

James likes using waiter pads and a pen for this… I use the notes app on my phone. 

How does it work? Pick a topic and start jotting down ideas… That’s it.

Think it’s simple? Not so fast, my friend 🛑

Coming up with the first 4 to 6 ideas is usually easy… it’s numbers 7-10 that are the most challenging. But this is where your idea muscle really starts to develop. 

I recommend that you vary topics… don’t just focus on business things. That way your ideas become diverse.

Here are 10 examples of some of my recent topics:

• 10 things that can be reinvented

• 10 books I should write 

• 10 TV shows that should exist but don’t today

• 10 wacky inventions that might actually work

• 10 new foods to try

• 10 experiences I need to have before I turn 50

• 10 ways to connect with my family and friends

• 10 influential people I want to meet

• 10 things I want to learn this year

• 10 places to visit or things to do in my hometown that I’ve never done before 

• 10 businesses that have successful formulas that can be adapted for other businesses (this is a bonus one in case you’re counting)

For that last one, here’s one of the ideas that I came up with…

An Airbnb for Tools - I think this is a brilliant idea!

I was planning on doing a lot of work around the house over a weekend and realized I needed some tools that I didn’t have. I reached out to my local Home Depot and they either don’t rent out the tools or were already booked for the weekend.

That got me thinking, is there anything out there that’s like “the Airbnb for Tools”?

I have a lot of tools that sit idle in my garage for months that could be making me money from someone who needs them for a 1 off project. Some people (like me for my weekend project) only need a tool for 1 specific job and will probably never use it again. Imagine being able to search for the tool you need in an app and finding one a block or two away. I’d gladly pay for that!

Who knows? This may turn into something!

Anyways...

Just with that list above, I came up with 110 new ideas! Imagine doing this 52 weeks a year? Or every day like James?!?!?

Now, are they all good ideas? GOD NO!!! Some of them are horrible! But just like any workout, some are better than others. Regardless, they still strengthened my IDEA muscle.

So what to do with all of these ideas? 

You have to use them in one way or another. 

Think of your brain as a gas tank - it has a certain capacity. And for it to be able to be filled up again, you need to use the fuel, or in this case the ideas.

So a lot of times, I get inspired and pursue them. 

A lot of times I share them or give them away to friends and family who can use them.

And sometimes I even let them have idea sex… 

Yeah baby! That’s when two different ideas have sex and create an AWESOME idea baby 👶🏻

But most of the time, I do nothing... They just sit those lists in case I need them some day.

By keeping them in the lists instead of my head, I can free my brain to come up with new ideas and know that I will always have a ton of ideas to revisit whenever I need to.

The other added bonus of this exercise routine is that I’ve become an IDEA MACHINE! 🤖

Because I’ve been doing this for a while now, coming up with new ideas becomes easier and easier - whether it’s for work, for new businesses, to help someone, or just for myself.

So now it’s your turn…

What AWESOME ideas are you going to come up with?

I’d love to hear about them! If you’re up for putting them out into the world, share some in my FB group or drop me a note.

✋🏼But Wait...There’s More

I couldn’t let you leave without sharing at least one more idea you could use…

This one is all about promoting your business or your services (if you work somewhere this would make a for a great idea to share)

Create sales or promotions for your business around different holidays or make up your own. 

Everyone does the same boring normal holidays (Christmas, Black Friday, Memorial Day, etc..) but what if you could offer a “Sweet Deal” to celebrate National Ice Cream Day? 🍦

Not sure what special days are coming up? I got’chu fam…. Here’s a daily list of holidays you can use!

You could also do what Amazon and Alibaba do, and create your own holidays! 

In case you didn’t know, on “Amazon Prime Day” Amazon had sales of $6.1 Billion - in one day! (that’s more than its sales for the past Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined!)

What’s your holiday going to be?

‘Til next time….

Ralph Q out!

P.S. - is there anything you want me to write about? Give me some ideas (see what I did there? 😉)

P.S.S. - If you haven't figured it out yet, music is a big part of my life (and inspire the subject lines of this newsletter) - So I started a Spotify Playlist with all the songs from the newsletter in case you want to follow it. I'll keep adding to it as the new issues come out 🎶

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Step right up and don't be shy, because you will not believe your eyes...

Ding dong...🔔

“Good afternoon Mr. Quintero! Your neighbor Mr. Harris suggested I come see you, my name is Michael. Nice to meet you sir!” 

Michael was a young man, barely two years into college, that “hooked” me from the minute he began chatting with me.

“Mr. Harris tells me you’re an entrepreneur! And quite the neighborhood chef too!” 

“Mr. Quintero, I aspire to start my own business once I get out of college and I hope to be as successful as yourself. It is apparent by your beautiful home that you must be very good at what you do.”

Go on…

“While studying business at Georgia Tech, I’ve been working very hard at improving my skills and I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes to listen to my sales pitch and give me any pointers or advice? ”

Michael’s sales pitch was flawless.

He shared his personal goals with us (Yeah, he hooked Judy too!), developed rapport right away, and told us about his family all while setting up his demo.

He sliced, he diced. He had us slice and dice. He showed us how the Cutco knives glided effortlessly past even the toughest materials. He explained how our current knives simply couldn’t hold up to the demanding Cutco standards. He even brought up problems that could arise from using our current set of knives. And then... he cut a freakin’ penny in half with a pair of Cutco shears! 😳 

“And by the way Mrs. Quintero, these have a LIFETIME warranty and we will sharpen them for FREE anytime you need them sharpened. This means that your two delightful young boys sitting over there can inherit them from you and enjoy them with your grandchildren one day.”

45 minutes and $1,400 later…

I was the proud owner of a beautiful set of Cutco Knives that I still own to this day! (Damn you Eddie!!!)

🎓 Sales 101

Sales is what makes the world go ‘round. Nothing happens until something is sold. 

You wouldn’t have a business or work where you do without sales. 

No Sales = No Business

Yet most people HATE sales. 

Most businesses that I have advised or consulted that were having a “sales” problem, meaning not enough sales, all had the exact same problem: they simply were not pitching their products or services on a daily basis.  They were all taking a passive approach to sales. They opened their doors, they set up shop, and they waited for things to come to them.

They would post things on social media, fix something on their websites, work on meaningless tasks… Basically, they would do anything but the ONE THING that was going to bring money through the door. Sell their products or services.

Remember: Everything you do in your business or line of work has to prioritize revenue. If no money is coming in, you’re done. Dead in the water.

Luckily, this is a pretty simple problem to fix. Especially if you do two things:

1. Change how you think about selling: Rather than thinking that you’re “selling” something to a customer, understand that your products or services are serving your customers and helping to make their lives better.

2. Follow a simple sales process, consistently - every time!

📈 Extremely SIMPLE 3-Step Sales Process

My favorite sales process is not complicated at all, and very easy to remember - PWS. And it applies to ANY industry:

1️⃣ Identify a PROBLEM or need that your customer has or may not even know they have.

2️⃣ Make the problem WORSE. Explain what happens if you don’t fix it.

3️⃣ Offer them the SOLUTION.

Michael clearly did this as he walked me down the path of why I NEEDED these $1,400 knives in my life.

But here’s another real-life example of this sales process at work…

Several years ago I met a guy at a local business event. After chatting for a few minutes and exchanging niceties, I asked him what he did.

He said to me, “I help entrepreneurs and small business owners manage risk.” 

Hmm…. I was definitely intrigued by this.

“Have you thought about what would happen to your business if you didn’t have internet access for a month or if all of your data was wiped out by a hacker?” (He identified a problem I didn’t know I had…and now I was like, “Oh shit…”)

“That would be horrible, but it would be even worse if your customers sued you because their data landed in the hands of a hacker. Actually, just last week, I read about a company that was sued for $1 million because of a data breach.” (Now my problem, that a few minutes ago I didn’t even know I had, became REALLY big.)

“That’s why I love helping entrepreneurs manage those kinds of risks with different kinds of business insurance policies that cover those kinds of things!” (He offered me a solution to my problem)

Please TAKE MY MONEY!!! 

Do you think I would have paid any attention to him if he would have told me from the get-go that he was an insurance agent? Yeah...exactly.

Now it’s your turn...

What about your pitch? How can you turn it into a compelling story using the PWS sales process?

Also, are you actively selling every day? And I don’t mean just on social media. I mean actively looking for business in person, on the phone, or over Zoom. If not, you’re missing out on a TON of money that is going to your competition.

Need more ideas on how to incorporate this sales process into your business? Drop me a note or come to my Facebook group and I would be happy to give you ideas specific to your business.

Now go out there and sell something dammit! 🤑

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💡 More Big Ideas & Stuff

These are the things that I’m listening to, watching, reading, discovering, or enjoying this week. Click the links and enjoy them with me.

📻 Listen - This guy makes over $1million a year teaching people to play piano - My friend Pat Flynn is genuinely one of the nicest people on the planet. He’s a brilliant entrepreneur that shares amazing info and stories on his podcast every week. This week he interviewed Jacques Hopkins, an engineer who quit his job to teach people how to play piano online.

📺 Watch - How reinventing a 120 year old game made these 3 friends multi-millionaires. 

🛒 Buy - These clothes help cure blindness - My sister-in-law turned me on to these guys and their cause last week. This is near and dear to my heart because my great grandfather was blind. These brothers’ stories are incredible and their polos are the BEST! While visiting their website, make sure to click the yellow box with the eye on it so that you can experience first-hand how they see the world.

🧰 New Tools - Need inspiration and ideas to help make your online ads bring in a truckload of moolah? Check out d2see - A platform with the best ads from all of the TOP D2C brands in the world.

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As always, keep coming up with ideas, dreaming big, and taking action!

‘Till next time...

Ralph Q out!

P.S. - I know you’re thinking of someone who could find this newsletter life changing… It would be awesome of you to share it with them. They will never forget you for it...Just like I’ve never forgotten Michael from Cutco 😉 

Just forward them this email or send them this link: http://ralphq.com/newsletter so they can sign up. You can also send them this one to read all the past issues: http://ralphq.com/past-issues 

P.P.S. - The Spotify playlist is getting bigger!  🎧  (If you’re new here, every newsletter title is a lyric to a song...and those song are all in this playlist)

Mr. Big Stuff, who do you think you are?

“What am I doing here? These people are going to see right through me! They’ve got the wrong guy!!!”

Those were just some of the thoughts racing through my head as I was getting ready to hit the stage in Germany and present to some of the brightest marketing executives and CEOs in the world.

I was scared 💩less!

I had been hired to speak and facilitate a workshop for this group of heavy hitters about innovative marketing and intrapreneurship (how to get big companies to think and act more like startups). Topics that not only I happen to be an expert at, but also very prepared to talk about.

I had done this a million times before, but there I was, doubting my very existence and qualifications. 

I felt like the biggest imposter ever. 

And that’s when I got my cue...“...welcome Ralph Quintero” 😬

That presentation turned out to be one of the very best I had ever done. It was successful in every regard and I received amazing reviews!

So why did I feel the way I did?

On my flight home, still on a high from the event, I had an unforgettable experience. My seatmate in 3A was Kevin Costner...yes...this Kevin Costner!

I assumed he was in Europe filming a new movie. But he wasn't… He was performing with his band, Modern West! (I had no idea he was a musician)

Kevin (we were on a first name basis now 😂) told me how he was scared shitless as he went on stage to perform at the biggest festival show his band had ever played. 

“What were people going to think? What were the other headliners going to think?”

Kevin-f'ing-Costner was suffering from Imposter Syndrome just like me!

🤡 Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is described as “a feeling of phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement. While these people “are highly motivated to achieve,” they also “live in fear of being ‘found out’ or exposed as frauds.” 

This is a real thing that not only affects me and Kevin Costner either… Albert Einstein, Seth Godin, Maya Angelou, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, David Bowie, Sheryl Sandberg, and Michelle Pfeiffer have all suffered or continue to suffer from this. Maybe even you suffer from it. But as you can see you’re not alone.

According to research, an estimated 70% of women and 50% of men will experience imposter syndrome at least one time in their lifetime.

This is because of something called the Dunning-Kruger Effect which shows that the more skilled you are at something, the more likely you are to feel like you’re ‘faking it’.

While there isn’t necessarily a “cure” for this syndrome, there are some things we can all do to help deal with it.

3 Steps For Dealing with ‘I’m a Fraud Mentality’

1️⃣ Share Your Feelings - It’s OK to let others know how you feel. Remember, you’re not alone (that’s one of the reasons I’m sharing this with you today). 

2️⃣ Change Your Script - Changing your inner script changes your story. Rather than thinking about all the reasons why you’re not qualified to do something, focus on all the reasons why you are. 

3️⃣ Fake It ‘Till You Make It - Regardless of how you feel, don’t let it stop you from taking action. Get out there and do it - just like I did with my presentation. By taking action and not letting imposter syndrome paralyze you, your confidence will get a major boost.

If you want to learn more about this topic, there’s a ton of great resources out there about Imposter Syndrome. Here are some you can start with:

📔 Read this: Imposter Syndrome

👀 Watch this: How you can use imposter syndrome to your advantage

👂 Listen to this: Deliciously Ella - Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt

And finally, I’ll leave you with this thought…

(save this pic to your phone so that you have it handy whenever you need a friendly reminder)

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💡 More Thoughts, Big Ideas, & Cool Stuff

These are the things that I’m thinking about, listening to, watching, reading, discovering, or enjoying this week. Click the links and enjoy them with me.



👖 Fun Fact - I have not worn pants since February 29th thanks to COVID!

📚 Read - 5 proven psychological copywriting triggers that compel people to buy - Have you ever wondered why you get sucked into certain ads or infomercials? Or why do you buy the things you do? There’s a LOT of psychology behind it!

📺 Watch - A future sales master: This young girl wants to sell her little brother so she can buy a toy owl 😂

📬 Sign Up Right NOW - I ❤️ email newsletters. And this one from Harry Dry that’s all about marketing is in my top 5 right now. Sign up for it...it’s free and you won’t be disappointed.

As always, keep coming up with ideas, dreaming big, and taking action! (and don’t doubt yourself!)

‘Till next time...

Ralph Q out!

P.S. - It would be awesome if you could share this with one of your friends or teammates that may enjoy it!  Just forward them this email or send them this link: http://ralphq.com/newsletter so they can sign up. You can also send them here http://ralphq.com/past-issues to read past issues.