When you have no cash coming in
When I first started learning copywriting, I studied the old school direct response guys.
Gary Halbert. John Carlton. Dan Kennedy.
But the best lesson I learned from them wasn't about copywriting.
It was about business survival.
John Carlton tells a story about his first day working with Gary Halbert.
They sat down to write ads. Two secretaries and Gary's girlfriend burst in with emergencies.
Landlord's furious. Copier broke. Computer crashed.
Gary's response?
"Screw 'em. Our job is to bring in the money."
He locked the door. For six hours, they wrote ads and made calls that brought in cash.
When they opened the door? The emergencies had solved themselves.
Gary called it "Operation Moneysuck."
The lesson:
As a business owner, you have ONE job: Bring in the money.
Everything else can be delegated, postponed, or ignored.
So ask yourself:
Is your business red, yellow, or green today?
Red: Cash going out faster than coming in.
Yellow: Barely breaking even.
Green: Cash flowing consistently.
If you're red or yellow, here's what to do:
Stop doing:
- Perfecting content
- Building "for later"
- Tweaking frameworks
- Putting out fires
- Reorganizing anything
Start doing:
- Reach out to warm leads from the last 90 days
- Past clients who might need you again
- People who inquired but didn't buy
- Referrals you never followed up on
Message them today:
"Hey [name], been thinking about [their problem]. Got 15 minutes this week to talk?"
Then book the call. Present. Close.
Do this every day until you're green.
The core truth:
The fastest money isn't from new prospects.
It's from people already in your inbox.
They're waiting. You're ignoring them.
Your move:
Check your color. Red, yellow, or green?
If you're not green:
- Find 10 warm leads
- Message them before end of day
- Book the calls
- Close the deals
Every day. Until you're green.
Lock the door. Bring in the money.
Just like Gary taught John.
It's a refreshing, yet simple reminder for myself too.
Hope that helps.
-Rusydi Rozalli
P.S. If you're stuck in red or yellow and need help getting your marketing to actually generate revenue, reply "green" and let's talk. Drop me a line here.
