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Table Of Contents
How to Write A Report In Under 24 Hours That You Can Sell for Profit ................................................2 by Jason Fladlien, copyright 2008.........................................2 Quick Legal Stuff........................................................3
Terms of Use.........................................................................3
Concepts..................................................................24 Principles.................................................................25
Action Steps.............................................................................26
Process....................................................................26 Procedure ................................................................27
Resources...............................................................49
Most people do not present their information in a way that makes it easy to act upon. And if they do, they do it in such a way that they create mini clones. When you learn how to write reports with the technique I'll show you later, you'll teach people how to use your information and apply it to their unique situations, instead of just mimicking you. Finally, there is one very under-rated benefit for being able to crank out reports so quickly and efficiently and still have them be top quality it's the feeling of knowing that you can do it. We try so many things in life and come up short. That's why when you try something that works, and things just click... well that is such a gratifying feeling. So I want you to experience all of those things and more.
A list this size is possible even with the crudest methods. Let's say you started taking this report and submitting it to every JV giveaway you could sign up for. Let's say you start buying cheap solo ads in newsletters and on websites. (You can get these for $20 or less a lot of times). Let's say you sign up for Mike Filsaime's Butterfly Reports and upload your reports there. Or you could create them, write a simple sales page, then offer affiliates a 100% commission on the product using the Rapid Action Script. Now you have other people building your list for you. We're just scratching the surface. Reports are great pre-launch content. Again, you have to look no further than the top dogs. All of them create free reports to give out to create buzz for a product they're about to launch. When you can create reports like I'll show you, you basically take control of your internet destiny. Let's begin.
Mindset
Personal development expert Jim Rohn says we're effected by two things what we know and how we feel about what we know. If I show you how to make a million dollars but subconsciously you think all people with money are evil, then you'll probably never put my information to use... even if consciously you wanted to. In order to use this report, you have to always have this mindset -- It's easier to make decisions right than to make the right decisions. I very rarely look back when writing a report. That's what the second draft is for. I just get it on paper. I'm not scared of writing something that might later be erased. I just do it. 1
If you can't accept this mind state, you'll achieve limited success with this report. So, promise me this the next report you create, you'll never go back and re-write or change something once you put it down on paper. Only do this after you have finished the completed first draft of your report. Often, by then you'll realize that it doesn't even need to be changed. Usually I won't even make any changes until I get feedback from the marketplace. Their insight is far more accurate than mine. The second mindset you need is Anti-Parkinson's Law mindset. Parkinson's law says that the task at hand will expand to fill the allotted time. I used to paint houses. If you wanted to really do a bang up job, you could always find something that could be enhanced. If you let yourself get sucked into making all of these small improvements you'll never get done. The task at hand expands to fill the allotted time... unless you stop it from doing so. If you didn't say everything you wanted to say the first time, that's what your updated 2.0 version is good for. If you felt you could've done a better job, then do it next time. Don't backtrack. Good enough is good enough. The marketplace forgives you for being less than your best. But they never forgive you for the report that could've changed their life that you never finished. This brings us to the last mindset, which is the 80/20 mindset. Basically, a small, few actions are likely to give you a majority of results for putting you in the right mindset to create reports as efficiently as possible. We're all hardwired a bit different. So please do this exercise before you start writing your report. Write down all the of the different tasks you can think of that contribute to your success at writing, then give each a ranking of importance with 100 being very important and 0 being not important at all. Highlight the five things that are the most important. Then create a list of those five things and hang it on your wall. You should spend 80% of your reporting writing time focusing on those five things. Anything else should be done as quick and efficient as possible, or just dropped all together. Let me give you a few personal examples. I isolated a very important factor that contributes to the speed and quality of my writing my
environment. I find that the more calm and soothing the environment is, the more productive I become. So I play Celtic music when I write. I have plants all around my office. I burn candles by my desk. I sometimes turn on my little waterfall thingy. I have pictures and posters on my walls that reinforce calm and soothing feelings. I always keep my office as clean as a whistle. Another huge factor for me is a clear mind. If I bring baggage to the table, I find I can't write to save my life. My mind must be absolutely clear before sitting down to write a report. What I do now is listen to a paraliminal CD before writing. It's unbelievable. It basically hypnotizes you using certain frequencies that puts your mind in a meditative state, and then it plants both conscious and unconscious suggestions in your mind. All I know is that after listening to a 20 minute session my body feels very light and I almost always have this thought that pops through my head -I'm destined for greatness. With a clear mind, a calm environment and a tried-and-true color between the lines outline, I can write high quality reports at will. And I don't possess any sort of extraordinary talent. And I don't have any ability that you aren't capable of having. What are the conditions you need for your success? What does your environment have to be like? What does your mind have to be like? How does your body have to feel? Answer these questions first, and then create a success environment that allows you to instantly slip into the proper mind state that is required for you to knock out reports at will. Let me close the chapter with this thought. What if you just eliminated two or three negative actions that stopped you from getting work done? And what if you replaced them with two or three positive actions that allowed you to get more work done? If this report accomplishes nothing more than that, then it will have been well worth your investment. But, we've only just begun! 1
The Blueprint
Why, What, How, What if
There are a lot of different blueprints you can use to write good reports quickly. However, I believe I have found one that works in every situation. I've named it the WWHW methods, and it stand for Who, What, How, What if. This idea came to me from two different places almost simultaneously. For a week I had been reading about learning and achievement motivation by Harvard Professor David C. McClelland. Then I got on a teleseminar with Eben Pagan. He basically had taken a portion of McClelland's work on learning styles, and adapted it as a model for creating content. His ideas were so damn good that I wrote a report the next day based on listening to that 1 hour teleseminar once. And I know I only got a few of the bits and pieces from Eben Pagan and a few bits and pieces from McClelland. What I did do, though, was kept working the formula myself and tweaking it to make it better work for me. I was using it in everything. I used it to write speeches. I was writing articles with my eyes closed, sometimes in less than five minutes for topics I was already familiar with. I refined some of McClelland and Eben's ideas, twisted them more and more, and then systematized the process into a way to create quick reports from it. So I got the inspiration from Eben, who actually got it from McClelland, who I had already studied.
they'll never be able to take action on it. It's like only giving them the last three digits in a four digit combination. They're stumped. Others are What learners. They say, tell me what I need to know, and I'll figure out the rest. Ideally, you'll need to define the concepts and principles behind the information you give them, and then you'll have to break it down into a step-by-step follow this recipe style of presentation. The third kind of learners are how learners. These are people who need more than just a step by step process. They are the people who don't usually pick up on it right away, but need exercises they can perform to improve the skills you've showed them. If you don't give them skill-building techniques and advice, they'll try out your techniques once or twice, and not be sure what to do. Most often they will then quit in frustration. So if you don't include skill-building exercises in your reports, you're likely to miss this whole group of people. The final kind of learners are what if learners. These are the guys that say don't tell me about the labor pains, just show me the baby. You have to paint results in advance for them before they can really appreciate your information. Most entrepreneurs are what if learners.
C) How 1. Skill building exercises 2. Ghost coaching D) What If 1. Possible outcomes 2. Where the information should be used 3. Where the information shouldn't be used
That's it. That's my outline. I do this for each chapter. I create my chapters by picking out the ten most important points I have to present in my report, as they relate to the main topic.
Action Steps
So here's what you need to do to make this work for you. 1. Come up with the idea for your report. 2. Do the research to locate the ten most important aspects/points/topics related to the main idea for your report. 3. Create an outline for each chapter, using the guide I have given you above. If this seems a bit confusing to you right now, don't worry. I'm going to walk you through each step, and also give you some examples to make the ideas clearer to you. If you stay with me, by the end of the next few chapters you'll have already internalized the process to the degree that after reading this report, you should be able to go out and create a better outline for your report than you ever have before in your life.
(positive power). No longer are you going to be at the whim of illnesses that have plagued your body in the past (loss of power). Not only will you improve your health, but think what it will do for the relationships you have with others. It will be a good example for your children. It will earn you the respect of your co-workers. And it will inspire others who also want to lose weight. (positive affiliation). You can't settle for staying the same what message would that be sending to the ones that are close to you? (negative affiliation) Finally, once you put this report to use, when you're finished you'll be able to look in the mirror and say to yourself -- yes, I did it! (positive accomplishment) and not oh man... another failed attempt!(negative accomplishment) What I have just done there is hit every single one of my why learners right off the bat. Even if you're not a why learner, this introduction was still useful to you. And not only that, you have set up the perfect springboard that will push you right into the next phase of your report. Now, I don't always hit each of these six motivators. But I always touch on some aspect of power, affiliation and accomplishment. Sometimes I insert them in different parts of the chapter. But what I almost always do , before I sit down and write a chapter, is come up with a list of compelling why's for each positive and negative motivators. At the first least, it really allows me to enter into the mind state of the audience that I'm writing for. Consider how this can help your reports. First, it is a remedy for the worst writer ailment -- fear of the blank page. the hardest part of writing a report is getting started. Now you don't even have to really think when you sit down. You can just start. And as Gary Halbert was fond of saying the acceleration of the accelerator is accelerating. Just putting yourself in motion is a great way to really get things going and finish up tasks you've been neglecting. Also, if you haven't been doing this, you'll find that once you do try it, you'll probably get a lot more positive feedback. This is because it will cause a lot of your why learners to get the Ah-ha! moment they were previously lacking. So let's return to the first portion of our outline: 1
Chapter XX A) Why 1. 6 motivators a) Positive Power b) Negative power c) Positive Affiliation d) Negative Affiliation e) Positive Accomplishment f) Negative Accomplishment
After you've come up with the topic for your chapter, go back through each chapter and create a list of why's. Why should they care about the information in this chapter? Why should they take the effort to learn it? Make sure you give them reasons related to power, affiliation and accomplishment. The second step is to give the potential outcomes for the reason why's. I don't always use this step, but I like to keep in on my mind when outlining. One of the reasons to lose weight would be to avoid being unnecessarily sick (negative power). The potential outcome from that is that you'd save money on medical costs. I like to make a list of potential real-world results that can happen related to motivators. At the very least, it helps me get one step closer into the mind of the audience I'm writing for.
You do this again the next morning. And the next. And the next. And you can do it any time you write. This is me. It's not because I'm some sort of superstar. It's because I start everyday at the beginning of a new chapter for a report. I just sit down and start telling them why they should know the information. I hit all the important motivators. I paint some results in advance. I give them some scenarios. When I'm finished, I'm in such a state of flow that I'm ready to jump into the next part of the outline the What.
If your goal is to help others out, and you derive most of your satisfaction from improving the lives of others, then it's even more important that you understand a critical aspect of learning. Most people don't understand learning. That's because most of us were brought up in a setting that did not facilitate learning I'm talking about class rooms. Here's what learning is, that is most relevant to us. Learning is something that, once it occurs, changes your behavior. To help you understand what learning is, let's look at an example of what it isn't. I'm 17 years old, and I'm sitting in my economics class. My teacher is telling us we should set up a Roth IRA to plan for our retirement. I agree, we should. I think it's valuable information. So what do I do? Go to lunch, and never think about it again. I didn't set up a roth IRA. While I knew its merits and could explain it competently enough to pass that portion of my final exam, it begs the question did I really learn about the importance of a roth IRA? No. If I had, it would've made me want to set one up. I didn't learn I memorized. Now I'm 23. I'm out there struggling my butt off trying to make a couple dimes running an online business. I'm working 10-16 hours a day and I'm still losing the shirt off my back. Finally, things come together and I start making money. But I realize I don't want to have to work like this all my life. Instead of having to be active to earn my income, I want passive income. I want my money to work for me. On a long drive one night, I put into my iPod an audio book called The Richest Man in Babylon that I recently purchased. I listen to it, and it talked about investing. What did I do? The next day I called up a financial advisor and set up an IRA. The information hadn't changed. My knowledge hadn't changed. But the first time, learning did not take place. The second time it did. This is a fine distinction that most marketers never really understand Not only is it your duty to give knowledge and information to your readers, but you have to make it as relevant to their own personal experiences as possible. You do this and learning will take place on levels that you had previously thought never existed. 2
I have a process that I've created which allows me to not only present the Goldilocks amount of information (not too much, not too little), but also allows me to present it in such a way that the reader can take it, internalize it and connect it to their own experiences, and then actually learn the information. Here's how it's done.
anomalies and other unforeseen events that are bound to take place. They'll adapt to their surroundings, and they'll keep taking action. That's because we've made it as real to their experiences as possible. First, let me give you a quick overview of how I use this portion of the outline. Then I'll break down each step more in depth. After I'm finished, I'll give you some actual examples so you can see how this works.
Concepts
The first portion of the What phase is to define the concept. This is simple. I just take the main point of the chapter, and then I define that concept in the most relevant way to my listener. Example let's say we're writing to internet marketers and we're talking about target marketing. After I explain to them why they should know about target marketing, using the six motivators (the why section of the outline) I then define target marketing for them, based on my own personal definition. So I might say, Target Marketing is getting a large group of people who share the same interest to step forward and identify themselves and say 'I'm perfect for what you're offering'. So when you first get into the what section of your outline, immediately take the main point and try to define the whole thing in one super precise and all-encompassing sentence. Or you might want to think of it as your chapter elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a phrase someone creates that allows them to tell a complete stranger exactly what they do in under 30 seconds, and also makes that stranger interested in knowing more. The first thing you should for your outline is come up with an elevatorpitch definition of the main point of that topic. This helps your reader understand the theory and relevance behind the process. After you've defined the main concept of the chapter, you and your reader will now be able to speak the same language. Now you can go to the second part of the outline, which is the principles.
Principles
Let's use this report as an example. The concept behind it is Using a specific outline in such a way to create well written reports as quick as possible that are most likely to help your customers get the results they most desire. The principle is -- This method works because we use the four basic ways that people process information, and create an outline that forces us to present our information in a relevant fashion that allows all of them to best process our information, internalize it and ultimately use it to their advantage. The principle in your outline is used to support your concept. In other words, it is how you take data and interpret it back up your concept. To best optimize the learning process, you have to give them some science and facts before you tell your audience how it works. Think of it this way show them that it works before you show them how it works. I always take my concepts and supplement them with scientific data of some sort. In this case, the scientific data is the four learning styles that were discovered by David C. McClelland. I've extrapolated his conclusions, and used them in writing my reports. I got amazing results, so now I'm sharing those results with you. The reason it works is because I've using a scientific formula based on research, tested it out with my own twists, and have gotten incredible results from it in my own business. That's the main principle behind the concept. Quick review. When starting the What portion of your outline, first define your main concept. Then, define the principles that lead you to hypothesize your concept, try it out and ultimately get success from it. Tie it to something factual, if possible. The last thing I like to do with principles is to tie them back to the real world. For example, I discussed learning styles a bit. I could follow it up by saying: This makes sense, doesn't it? Have you ever felt yourself being able to learn about something instantly from one person, no matter what the subject 2
was, while another person couldn't teach you even the most basic stuff? That's because there was a learning style mismatch... Action Steps 1. Take the definition of your main concept, and back it up with principles 2. Let you reader know how you conceptualized the idea, preferrably related to factual and scientific evidence 3. Tie it back to real world experiences. Once you've defined your concept, backed it up with a principle, and then tied it to an everyday experience, it's time to go to the next step.
Process
There are two reports I find myself writing. The first report is one like this. It's something I've done so many times myself and in my own business, that I don't really need to do any research on it. I can just sit down and come up with an outline off the top of my head because I know the process so well. But a lot of times I write reports on subjects that I need to do a lot of research on or that I haven't quite internalized yet. When this happens, I find that I must do one thing in order to create a highly quality report: Create a visual aid that gives an overview of the subject I am teaching about. I either use flow charts, mind maps, outlines or I just make a drawing in my notebook. I've used an outline in this report that I keep coming back to. Each chapter I fill it in a little more, and expand on it. Have you noticed I've almost always done this before I've described the finer points within the outline? There is a very scientific reason for this. Before I can show you a concept that I've turned into a technique, I first have to make it real to you. The best way to do that is by making into something you can physically see with your eyes. So let's see how this ties into the what section. First, define the concept. Second, define the principles behind that concept that make it work. After doing that, make the concept real to them so they can see exactly how it works with their own eyes. Literally, by using a visual aid. 2
If you're really good an describing your subject, or it isn't terribly complex, just use an outline. For more complex stuff, take the time to actually create a flow chart or a mind map. I like to create two flow charts. One for the overall book, and one for each chapter. Don't get crazy with it. Just make a crude drawing in your notebook. Then get some simple flowchart software to make your charts quickly. I use the power point tool in OpenOffice, but I'm sure there are even better options available. Then, when it comes time to take the concepts and principles and make them real to your audience, you just drop in your flow chart or whatever visual aid you're using, and then you go off of that to explain to them the next aspect of the what, which is the procedure.
Procedure
This is the simplest step of all. The procedure is your steps. First you do this, then you do this, then you do that and then you'll get this. What you'll notice about this report is that every chapter has a step by step action sequence in it. I try to never leave you saying, well, what do I do next?. Oftentimes I will put it close the end of every chapter with a summary of action steps, which I just pull from my outline. For example, here's the action steps for the what section of your outline: 1. Define you concept in one sentence that encapsulates all the main points of that concept 2. Give the principles behind that concept which led you to try it out, use it and ultimately get results from it. 3. Make your concept and principles real by using a visual aid showing how it all flows together. 4. Give a step by step sequence of what the reader needs to do to get the results that you promise to deliver to them if they use your information. Once you really nail this process down, you won't even have to think about it. Your mind will automatically take the information you process and 2
sort it into concepts, principles, processes and procedures. Then when you sit down and write your outline, it will come to you naturally. Also, what you're likely to find happen is that when you start writing your report, you might deviate from your outline. This is desirable, because your outline is just to help you get to your goal, which is to present the best information in the best possible way that will enable your readers to use it and get favorable results. Once you really flesh out your skeleton, you'll be able to come up with better ideas on the fly, and you should follow and flesh those ideas out instead of sticking rigidly to your outline. If it doesn't work, go back and rewrite it. But oftentimes, you'll find it comes out better than it would've if you just dogmatically stuck to your outline. But of course, none of it would have been possible in the first place if you hadn't sat down and did the outline the way I showed you.
What normally happens? They'll try your program out a few times, but then when something unexpected comes up in their life, they'll default right back into their old habits. There will be no lasting change. But what if you presented your program in a different light? What if, instead of having them complete the entire program, you also gave them the option to complete it in modular steps. For the first week, they can only work out for five minutes. This is just getting them into the habit of doing it. For the second week, it's ten minutes, and so on until you get all the way up to the complete workout. I've done something similar in this report. I've given you exercises for each specific aspect of the outline. I've broken the outline down so you can focus on doing it a chapter at a time. By reframing the outline into chapters, it makes it easier for you to go and do it. You must create skill building exercises for your readers to practice. Not all of your readers will need them. But there are going to be some who will have to have them if they are going to get any results. Let's review the outline so far. You've picked your ten main points that are going to be the ten chapters of your report. For each chapter, you've started it off with why your reader should learn the information in that chapter. Your reasons relate to the six main motivators humans have. After your why, you went into the what. First, you gave a definition of the main concept for that chapter. Then you explained why it works, based on how you developed, tested and got results with that concept. After that, you made the idea real by giving them a visual overview, either with a flowchart, outline or a mind map. Then you supplied them with a step by step action sequence for making it happen. Finally, you took that sequence and turned aspects of it into skill building exercises. You might've said something like step 2 is tricky, and you probably won't get it right the first time. If you're experiencing trouble with this step, then do X.... X of course, is the specific skill that you've created to help them internalize the process through a repetitive behavior. I'll tie all of this together for you in a bit so you can see how it all works. But before I can do that, we must talk about the next step ghost coaching.
Ghost Coaching
Look at all the great athletes. They have coaches. Tiger Woods has several different coaches for different aspects of his game. Not only does he have someone coach him on his golf game, but he has a mind coach for the mental aspects of the game. Any task that requires any amount of skill can be better learned if you have a coach helping you. Why is this so? First, accountability. If nothing else, your actions are now not just accountable to you they're accountable to someone else. When I really decided to approach internet marketing as a business instead of a hobby, I called my mom up. I told her, Every time we talk or I visit, the first thing I want you to ask me is 'what have you done in your business to get closer to your goals? Not Hi. Not how's it going? I wanted her to make me extremely accountable for my actions. If I had been slacking I told her to ask me a simple follow-up question: Do you think if you keep this up you'll get closer or farther away from your goals? I can't describe to you how guilty I felt when I'd have to tell her that I hadn't been really taking my business seriously. Pretty soon I found myself taking action just so I could tell my mom that I wasn't be lazy. Silly, I know. But it works. So the first things that coaches do is they make you accountable. If you haven't been doing what you're supposed to, they'll know. If you've gotten off track or distracted, they'll know. This will make you more likely to meet you goal. The second reason why it's important to have a coach is for the feedback. I used to do a lot of marketing in the how to pick up women niche. Here's what's interesting about that niche. Most students think it's what you say that makes the girl like you or not. So they focus all their time on saying the right things. Then they approach a woman with poor posture, needy body language and poor vocal tonality. So even though they are saying the right things, their body language isn't congruent and it creeps women out.
The thing is, these students have no idea that this is going on. But then they go to a workshop, and a coach will point it out to them right away. Then he'll say, approach that next woman, but only do this... The student will try it. It might work or it might not. But what's more important is he'll come back to the coach for further feedback. It might be something like Okay, you're getting better but you're still doing this. Next time do X instead... A coach takes what you're doing, analyses it, and then makes you change your behavior. No change in behavior, no change in results. When you're on your own, you have to guess for yourself what behaviors that need to be changed. The interesting thing is that most people who try something fail once, and go into what I call overwhelm zone. By failing to do it right the first time, they conclude that the information either is faulty, or it won't work for them. For some reason, it never occurs to them to try it with a different approach. On the other hand, if you do decide to stick with it, what behaviors do you change? It's kind of a crap shoot. Ghost coaching is addressing the most likely sticking points your audience will have in advance, and preparing them to analyze their feedback to change the behaviors that are most likely stopping them from getting their desired results. It's important that you truly understand this concept. First, most information publishers and information marketers do not even understand this. If you don't understand it, how are you going to make sure to address it in the report you write? But once you do understand it, you can effectively coach them from inside your report. Here's how you put this piece of information to use. You go back and analyze all of your procedures, which are your step-by-step action plans for each chapter. Then you develop a skill building exercise for the hardest one or two steps in your procedure. Then, you make sure to stress the importance of using that exercise to get feedback in certain key areas, with the idea that if 3
they're having trouble with that area that it's more important for them to just change their behavior to change their results. Let me show you how it works. We'll return back to the how to get women example. In your first chapter, you're talking about how to approach women. The first two steps of your what procedure may be: 1. Go to where women are most easily approachable 2. Come up with 3 or 4 different openings you can use to start a conversation Now, let's say you know that most men have trouble approaching women, even with conversation openers that have been proven to work and have been demonstrated in front of their very eyes as being effective. So you might first come up with a skill building exercise for this step. It might be If you're having problems with step 2, then for the first week, your goal is to do nothing more than walk up to five women a day and say hi, and then walk away. This is the skill-building exercise. For the ghost coaching portion, you might say It's not important that you are successful at first. What is important is that you use each approach as a way to gain feedback. If you find you are afraid to approach women, then you must something anything to change what is currently causing you to feel this way. What I've done here is addressed a potential sticking point in advance, and given solutions on how to remedy that sticking point. What doesn't work is sending your readers out into the real world with a bunch of great information, but not preparing them for the stumbling blocks they are likely to encounter along the way. But if you take the time to do this little extra step, here's what is likely to happen. First, the speed of skill-building will be increased. They'll get better results, and they'll get them faster. Second, it's a perfect opportunity for you to create back end products and bonuses that cover these sticking points in more depth. In fact, one of the bonuses for this very report is a free 30 minute strategic consultation. Here's why I've created it as a bonus. 3
What I first want you to do is try out my outline for yourself. Since this is the first version of my report, I know I haven't made everything perfectly clear and as easy to follow as I could've. That's just how it is when you sit down and create something the first time. But by going out and applying my methods, I know for a fact you'll get way better results than you have been getting. However, there may be some aspects you still struggle with. After testing my method out, you have the choice, if you wish, to schedule a free 30 minute one-on-one strategic phone consultation with me so we can address those sticking points and come up with solutions that will help you get the most out of this report as possible. I've built this bonus into this report for two simple reasons. First, I figured the bonus would create higher value, thus making it easier to sell this report to you. Second, it's a great way for me to create testimonials, and since I'm not a great copywriter, I mostly use testimonials to do my persuasion for me. Anyway, if you want to take advantage of your free consultation and haven't done so yet, just email me at jmflad@gmail.com and we can coordinate a time.
Action Steps
So to give you it all in a nutshell, here's the process for outlining the How section of your report: 1. Review your step by step procedure in your what sections 2. Identify the most problematic steps, and offer skill building exercises to help you audience master the skills required in those steps as quick as possible 3. Stress the importance of feedback and the role it plays in the learning process. 4. Use examples of how behavioral changes are required to change results, so your reader best understand what to do if they get stuck and can't make progress.
What is your reward if you follow this section? Well, you're picking up a whole chunk of your audience that would otherwise be neglected if you left this step out. Also, since it is a formula, it just makes the whole outlining process of your report that much easier Finally, it creates immense value, which will boost the lifetime value of your customer and ultimately put more money in your pocket.
The second portion of your audience needs help seeing the promise before they are willing to pay the price. If you don't paint the most attractive results in advance, they'll not put in the effort it takes to get those results. You have to help this portion of your audience understand that the pain of discipline only ways ounces while the pain of regret weighs tons. There's no use of doing it right the first of the way only to screw it all up at the end. Apply the what if, and you'll be able to close out the chapter knowing that you hit every single learning style, and that you have best presented your information in a way that is most likely to give your prospects the results they desire. Here is the outline for the What if section: 1. Possible Outcomes 2. Where to Use the Information 3. Where not to Use the Information Let's discuss each.
Possible outcomes
These are the things money can do for me that the woman I was dating didn't see. Once I explained these outcomes to her, then guess what next week she told me was going to change her career. She realized that she needed to take control of her financial destiny, too, if she really wanted to get more out of life. In other words, I had taught her the importance of money. I could've given her a plan on how to make the money, I could've told her why she should make the money, but none of those would've been effective. The only thing that was effective was giving her very vivid possible outcomes. What if learners need very specific outcomes. What if learners need Look, if you want to have X, Y, Z, and be able to do A,B, and C, then just follow this plan.
So the first step is to give them very descriptive scenarios of what is possible once they take your information and apply it in the real world. Once you've done this, it's time for step two...
information and transfer it to their own personal circumstances, so they can achieve the outcome they desire.
Action Steps
Once you have started the outline of your what if section, here's what you do: 1. Come up with 2-4 possible outcomes your readers can have if they put the information in that chapter to use 2. Explain to them where the information applies so they best understand the principles behind it that are going to give them an outcome similar to the ones you described above 3. Tell them where the information won't work, so they further distinguish the mechanics behind where it can and can't be applied to get the outcomes they desire This part of your outline shouldn't take a lot of time. My only bit of advice here is that if you think some of the what if outcomes are obvious, that's because you're probably a what if thinker yourself. However, realize that not all of your audience is, so it won't be so obvious to them. At any rate, if you're a what if thinker, chances are you've been creating reports that only cater to others who share the same learning style. By the time you get to the what if, you'll have already hit the why thinkers, the what thinkers and the how thinkers. So then when it comes time to present the obvious, you'll have already covered everything that is equally as important but not as obvious.
But when I sat down and read through the first three chapters, I realized they were perfectly fine. So I kept them. I have often found that you should never do a second draft until after you've stepped away from your report for a while, and given it some time to rest. I advocate writing without looking back. I almost never edit anything on my first draft. Whatever is typed out stays. Then, when I go back and read through the whole thing a second time, I'll decide if things need to be rewritten or not. Note I'm talking about rewriting to enhance the ideas in the report, not for correcting spelling and grammar mistakes. I always read through my report twice just looking to correct mistakes. However, I still miss a lot, and I'm not the best role model for grammar and spelling... What I have found in actual practice is that it is rarely a good idea to write a second draft, especially if you use my report writing method. There are several reasons why shouldn't even consider the second draft. Perhaps the main reason is that your pursuit for perfection will leave you powerless from just getting it down and putting it out there. The second reason why you should consider if you should do a redraft is often you'll get all the feedback you need from the marketplace. I find it's better to get it out there and offer it at a low price, get the feedback, pull the product, and then redraft it and sell it for a higher price. However, you should at least consider writing a second draft of your report before you put it out there.
The second reason why it pays to do a redraft is sometimes you'll find a better way to organize your information. Oftentimes on my outline I'll break things down into chunks, but when I start writing I'll come up with ways to combine all four learning styles at once. Usually, since I'm doing this on the fly it won't come out as clear as I'd like it. If I've deviated significantly from the outline, when I'm finished I go back and ask myself is the deviation is clear enough to my reader, or if it needs to be cleaned up. There is only one other reason that compels me to rewrite my first draft. That's if I get a big idea that I can implement into the report that didn't occur to me when I was writing the first draft. Here's my process, when evaluating whether or not to rewrite something: 1. Is this the point I really wanted to make? If not, I'll re-write it 2. Is the way I organized my information confusing to the reader? If it is, I'll re-write it 3. Is there another aspect to this section that I missed originally? If so, I'll rewrite it to include that aspect As you can tell, those rules are very flexible and are open to interpretation. That's why I've created one underlying philosophy that has helped me stay effective, productive and profitable. When in doubt, I don't re-write. Here is a fact I have found to be true it's better to be first than it is to be better. In other words, the marketplace is more likely to reward you for speedily giving them a good enough solution than slowly offering them a perfect solution. They just want their problems solved. So when in doubt, put it out. I have what I like to call my good enough range. Once I write something that I deem good enough then I don't tamper with it. You should develop your own good enough range, otherwise you'll spend too much time perfecting your report. Here's what's great about having a good enough range. If you find out that your range is out of proportion to your marketplace, they'll let you know. They'll send you emails that say -- hey, can you clear this up for me? or Hey, I don't understand this part. 4
If you get enough of these emails, then go back and rework the second draft. To drive home the process of the second draft, let me give you the following scenario. Who do you think is more likely to make money on the internet the guy who puts out 6 reports in 2 months that are good enough or the guy who really goes hard at it and only get 1 report down in 6 months. A no-brainer, right? And let's not forget, we live in web 2.0 land, where it's very possible to create a report that goes viral. You're much more likely to bang out a viral report if you have 6 chances than if you only have one. Let me close the chapter with this final piece of advice. Most people rewrite too much. So, if you're like most people, you need to over-compensate your good enough range. Here's a good rule of thumb to follow For every 6 sections you are considering re-writing, pick the one you think needs it most and just re-write that section. Leave the rest as they are for now. Only change them if you get a lot of feedback from the marketplace.
Action Steps
Here's the procedure to follow to get the most out of this report. 1. Read this report, and highlight the three biggest takeaways you got from the report. 2. Create a plan to implement those ideas into your current business model right away.
3. Take the point that had the biggest impact on you and do some sort of action step, regardless of how big or small it is, to act on that point and take action immediately. For example, some of you reading this have never used an outline. If that's the case, then here's your first step of action pick out a topic that you've been thinking about writing a report on for some time, and create an outline for it. Do it immediately after you finish reading this report. Just use the outline template I have included later in this report. Remember, real learning only takes place if it changes your behavior. I've done everything within my will power to present to you information that is easiest for you to act on, no matter what your learning style is. Now it's up to you to actually act upon it.
How does that apply to this report? Well, in a perfect world every idea and theory would line up and fit neatly in your report. In a perfect world, you'd have an unlimited amount of time and energy to really make things sit as they should. However, you don't. You face deadlines. You face financial pressures. You face pressures to get your report out there before someone else writes one with the same idea. Don't stick to the outline as if it is gospel. Go back and look at my report. There are plenty of times where I've slightly deviated from my own structure. However, I can tell you for a fact that I never write a report without using the outline as a starting point. The real goal of this report is to help you internalize the process, so that the outline and presentation of information become second nature to you. It's more important that you're hitting the four major learning styles square in the eyes then it is to hit them in any certain order or with any rigid rules. It's more important to understand that you have to make an idea real with some sort of visual cue than it is to do a paint by the number flow chart after every principle you define. I hope I've made clear the real purpose of this report, which is this -- I want you to take this new information I've given you, mix it together with information you already know to be true and beneficial, and then arrange and match the two together to create your own, new strategies. These are what create those AH-HA! moments. If that happens, I will consider this report a huge success.
Title of Chapter
Why
1. This is why you should learn about X.... 2. X will allow you to take control of... 3. X will prevent you from losing control of.. 4. X will help others by... 5. Not doing X hurts others by... 6. This is how you will feel after you accomplish X... 7. And this is how you will feel if you don't accomplish X
What
1. For the purpose of this report, this is how I define X... 2. These are the principles which governs why X works... 3. This is the overall flow of how X works... (use visual aid) 4. This is the exact step by step sequence of how to use X to get the results you want
How
1. This is how you can stick to the plan of achieving X by following the steps above 2. These are the problems that stop most people from following through with X, and here's how you overcome them... 3. Here's how you can use feedback when trying X to get the best results as quick as possible...
What if
1. If you follow the steps properly, these are some of the possible outcomes you can enjoy 2. These are where you can apply the techniques and strategies of X to get similar outcomes as those described above 3. These are where applying the techniques and strategies of X won't work, so you should avoid these scenarios if you want to get the outcomes described above... Then just do this for each chapter. Of course, you don't want to use these words verbatim, but they can used as a guide for your own outline. And under each of these points, feel free to add sub points. For example, under the These are the principles which governs why X works... it's recommended you write down all the principles in your outline before you begin typing the report. If you're still having trouble seeing how it all fits together, just go back through my report, and see how I used the outline myself. Try to identify each of the four major sections, and how they are organized and flow together.
Resources
If you'd like free updates of this report, go to http://www.the-articlewriter.com/2hourupdate.html If you enjoyed this product, perhaps you'd like to check out my other product called How to Write an Article In 7 Minutes. You can find that at http://www.the-article-writer.com/7minutearticle.html I welcome and encourage feedback. Please contact me at jmflad@gmail.com with your thoughts, your testimonials or anything else that I can help you with Finally, if you haven't taken advantage of your free 30 minute strategic consultation on how to put this report to work for you, please send me an email so we can set up a time to make this happen. Also, I am up for doing free teleseminars. If you have a list of any sort, and would like to endorse this product to them and get a percentage of sales, I'm willing to get on a teleconference call with you and create a special bonus just for your list. Again, email me if this is of interest to you. -Jason Fladlien