WARNING: This article may be OFFENSIVE to some. If you're easily offended by "foul language," I recommend you stop reading now. Sorry, but I had to quote General Patton, who was famous for his foul mouth. However, he used foul language for a purpose: to get the attention of his soldiers and to make them remember what he said. So, I can't make any apologies for him -history proves the effect of his words.

Also, he talked about Germans as if they were animals. I hope we don't offend any of our German friends, and hope they understand this speech in its proper context. This was a time of war.

When you read the title of this article, I bet you thought, "I wonder what this big change in Internet Marketing is... I sure hope it helps me get some traffic and some sales."

Well, I'm going to help you get some traffic and sales, but it's not what you think. Hear me out - by the end of this article, you will surely thank me - or want to box me about the ears...

First, the title of this article was a ruse. Yes, things are changing every day on the net. So much so, that it almost doesn't matter.

It's been said that the period of time in history between revolutionary discoveries and inventions halves itself with each new advance. We're at the point now where we've almost reached "critical mass". That is, something revolutionary is happening every day.

Think about that for a minute...

It's a wonderful time to be alive, isn't it?

Well, it's also a confusing time to be alive. Unfortunately, it's impossible to keep up with all of these changes. If we tried, we'd never get anything done!

Luckily, there are some things that won't change:

1. The purpose of your business is to make money.

2. You won't do this unless you promote your business constantly, you're constantly motivated, and you're constantly focused.

It's time to stop waiting for the "revolutionary change" that's going to suddenly make you rich, and start *doing*.

It's funny, but many of the people I talk to every day ask me for the "secret" that has made me and my company successful.

When I tell them the "secret" they are almost always disappointed; because, it's not what they want to hear. They want to hear that I have some special formula, or new technology. They hate it when I tell them that the secret is:

"Guts and persistence".

STOP! Now, before you quit reading thinking this is going to be some kind of vapid pep-talk, there is some good news. By the time we're done, I will introduce you to some new technology that will help, but hear me out first.

First, let's talk about guts. A day does not go by where my resolve is not tested. Every day someone is there to tell me that my business will fail, and that my ideas are crazy. I mean it.

Well, if I had listened to any of these people, I would probably be stuck in a hateful job somewhere and miserable.

When General Patton addressed the 3rd Army on the eve of D-Day...

Well, if you know this speech, you know that these are words that stir the soul.

One of the most memorable passages was about "surrender". I hope that the next time someone tries to discourage you, these words will inspire you the way they've inspired me:

"My men don't surrender, and I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back. That's not just bull shit either. The kind of man that I want in my command is just like the lieutenant in Libya, who, with a Luger against his chest, jerked off his helmet, swept the gun aside with one hand, and busted the hell out of the Kraut with his helmet. Then he jumped on the gun and went out and killed another German before they knew what the hell was coming off. And, all of that time, this man had a bullet through a lung. There was a real man!"

(Now, remember that the soldiers of the day then were all men, so if you're a woman reading this, please understand the time of this writing. We're a more enlightened species now, I think.)

Not only must you be brave, but you must also be "turned on" all the time. At times, when opportunity knocks, it knocks with a light tap.

Being alert and turned on all the time is not easy. It comes from persistence and "drill".

Here's what General Paton had to say about that in the same speech:

"All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call 'chicken shit drilling.' That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come. A man must be alert at all times if he expects to stay alive. If you're not alert, sometime, a German son-of-an-asshole-bitch is going to sneak up behind you and beat you to death with a sockful of shit! There are four hundred neatly marked graves somewhere in Sicily, all because one man went to sleep on the job. But they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep before they did."

The purpose of "drill" in the Army is to drive a lesson home, or to instill a habit that will stay with you for life.

Persistence is the key, and you don't get that without being constantly reminded of what's important.

Unfortunately, most of us don't have "Drill Sergeants" to help us with our businesses.

************* Side Note

Well, technology won't "cure all that ails ya", and it won't change the laws of physics, but it sure can help.

Here's a cool little tool that may be the next best thing to a Drill Sergeant for your business: The Promote-Ivator

*************

Now, let me leave you with a bit of an honesty check.

Ask yourself right now:

A. When was the last time you were discouraged by the words of others?

B. Are you currently "alert"? That is, are you spending enough time promoting your business?

Be honest...

And in that moment of honesty, think of Patton's words. May they inspire you as they have me.