Timothy Ferriss - The 4-Hour Workweek - Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich - Expanded and Updated

1. Don’t be the CEO or founder.

Being the “CEO” or “Founder” screams start-up. Give yourself the mid-level title of “vice president” (VP), “director,” or something similar that can be added to depending on the occasion (Director of Sales, Director of Business Development, etc.). For negotiation purposes as well, remember that it is best not to appear to be the ultimate decision-maker.

2. Put multiple e-mail and phone contacts on the website.

Put various e-mail addresses on the “contact us” page for different departments, such as “human resources,” “sales,” “general inquiries,” “wholesale distribution,” “media/PR,” “investors,” “web comments,” “order status,” and so on. In the beginning, these will all forward to your e-mail address. In Phase III, most will forward to the appropriate outsourcers. Multiple toll-free numbers can be used in the same fashion.

3. Set up an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) remote receptionist.

It is possible to sound like a blue chip for less than $30. In fewer than ten minutes on a site such as www.angel.com, which boasts clients such as Reebok and Kellog’s, it is possible to set up an 800 number that greets callers with a voice prompt such as, “Thank you for calling [business name]. Please say the name of the person or department you would like to reach or just hold on for a list of options.”

Upon speaking your name or selecting the appropriate department, the caller is forwarded to your preferred phone or the appropriate outsourcer—with on-hold music and all.

4. Do not provide home addresses.

Do not use your home address or you will get visitors. Prior to securing an end-to-end fulfillment house that can handle checks and money orders—if you decide to accept them—use a post office box but leave out the “PO Box” and include the street address of the post office itself. Thus “PO Box 555, Nowhere, US 11936” becomes “Suite 555, 1234 Downtown Ave., US 11936.”

Go forth and project professionalism with a well-designed image. Perceived size does matter.

COMFORT CHALLENGE

Relax in Public (2 days)

This is the last Comfort Challenge, placed prior to the chapter that tackles the most uncomfortable turning point for most office dwellers: negotiating remote work agreements. This challenge is intended to be fun while showing—in no uncertain terms—that the rules most follow are nothing more than social conventions. There are no legal boundaries stopping you from creating an ideal life … or just being self-entertained and causing mass confusion.

So, relaxing in public. Sounds easy, right? I’m somewhat famous for relaxing in style to get a laugh out of friends. Here is the deal, and I don’t care if you’re male or female, 20 or 60, Mongolian or Martian. I call the following a “time-out.”

Once per day for two days, simply lie down in the middle of a crowded public place at some point. Lunchtime is ideal. It can be a well-trafficked sidewalk, the middle of a popular Starbucks, or a popular bar. There is no real technique involved. Just lie down and remain silent on the ground for about ten seconds, and then get up and continue on with whatever you were doing before. I used to do this at nightclubs to clear space for break-dancing circles. No one responded to pleading, but going catatonic on the ground did the trick.

Don’t explain it at all. If someone asks about it after the fact (he or she will be too confused to ask you while you’re doing it for 10 seconds), just respond, “I just felt like lying down for a second.” The less you say, the funnier and more gratifying this will be. Do it on solo missions for the first two days, and then feel free to do it when with a group of friends. It’s a riot.

It isn’t enough to think outside the box. Thinking is passive. Get used to acting outside the box.

TOOLS AND TRICKS

Looking Huge—Virtual Receptionist and IVR

Angel (www.angel.com)

Get an 800 number with professional voice menu (voice recognition departments, extensions, etc.) in five minutes. Incredible.

Ring Central (www.ringcentral.com)

Offers toll-free numbers, call screening and forwarding, voicemail, fax send and receive, and message alerts, all online.

CD/DVD Duplication, Printing, and Product Packaging

AVC Corporation (www.avccorp.com)

SF Video (www.sfvideo.com)

Local Fulfillment (fewer than 20 units shipped per week)

Mailing Fulfillment Service Association (www.mfsanet.org)

End-to-End Fulfillment Companies (more than 20 units shipped per week, $500+ setup)

Motivational Fulfillment (www.mfpsinc.com)

The secret backend to campaigns from HBO, PBS, Comic Relief, Body by Jake, and more.

Innotrac (www.innotrac.com)

They are currently one of the largest DR marking companies.

Moulton Fulfillment (www.moultonfulfillment.com)

200,000-square-foot facility with real-time online inventory reports.

Call Centers (per-minute and/or per-sale fees)

There are generally two classes of call centers: order takers and commissioned reps. Interview each provider you consider to understand the options and costs involved.

The former is a good option if you give the product price in an advertisement (hard offer), are offering free information (lead generation), or don’t need trained salespeople who can overcome objections. In other words, your ad or website is pre-qualifying prospects.

The latter would more appropriately be called “sales centers.” Operators are commissioned and trained “closers” whose sole goal is to convert callers to buyers. These calls are often in response to “call for information/ trial/sample” ads that don’t feature a price (soft offers). Expect higher costs per sale.

LiveOps (www.liveops.com)

Pioneer in home-based reps, which often ensures more calls are answered. Provides comprehensive service with agents, IVR, and Spanish. Often used for one-step order taking instead of soft offers.

West Teleservices (www.west.com)

29,000 employees worldwide, processes billions of minutes per year. All the high-volume and low-price players use them for lower-priced products or higher-end products with free trials and installment plans.

NexRep (www.nexrep.com)

Highly skilled home-based sales agents that specialize in B2C and B2B, inbound and outbound programs. If performance, speed to respond, Internet integration, and quality customer experience are your priorities, this is a strong option to consider.

Triton Technology (www.tritontechnology.com)

Commission-only sales center know for incredible closing abilities (see the movie Boiler Room and Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry, Glen Ross) . Don’t call unless your product sells for at least $100.

CenterPoint Teleservices (http://www.centerpointllc.com)

This sales force has experience to convert sales from hard offers, soft offers, and multiple offers (upselling additional products after a caller agrees to purchase the advertised product) originating from radio, TV, print, or the web.

Stewart Response Group (www.stewartresponsegroup.com)

Sales-driven call center leveraging the home-agent model for both inbound and outbound programs. Another high-touch boutique center.

Credit Card Processors (merchant account through your bank necessary)