What If You Were On The Bottom Looking Up?
I was fortunate in being born into a family that believed in education. But we were not rich … far from it. We were 10 people living in a small, $12,000 house. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I wore hand-me-down clothes … drank powdered (instead of real) milk ……
READ MOREBecome A Millionaire By Investing Only A Dollar A Day
In “The One Minute Millionaire,” authors Hansen and Allen say there are two routes for climbing “Millionaire Mountain”: the long route and the short route. The long route is the safest and easiest. You can become a millionaire by simply investing a dollar a day (roughly $30 a month) over…
READ MOREWhen You Bang Heads With Your Boss
Your boss may be wrong. And he may be a bully. But he has the power. And pitting yourself against him in a head-to-head confrontation is a bad idea. It’s like some famous bullfighter said in response to being asked how he trains for strength: “The bull weighs half a…
READ MOREHow To Run Great Meetings
There is no question in my mind that the executive who involves his managers in the decision-making process by running meetings that are open, candid, and informal will achieve more and suffer fewer setbacks than the employer who is all output and no input. That said, it must be acknowledged…
READ MOREChange Bad Habits Into Good Ones
“Guilt is anger directed at ourselves — at what we did or did not do.” – Peter McWilliams Use guilt — with a stop-loss point — to turn bad habits into good ones. Let’s say, for example, that you want to get to bed earlier. Right now, you are in…
READ MOREThe Four Most Important Rules of Direct-Mail Copywriting
Recently, I got into a discussion about the most important elements in writing strong direct-mail promotions. This is what I said: 1. You must figure out what the prospect is most concerned about and make sure most of the copy addresses that concern and not others. 2. You must stress…
READ MOREThe Fastest Way To Become A Millionaire
In “The One Minute Millionaire,” the authors tell us that you can get your first million faster (and surer) by following this simple three-step approach: Step 1. Create a “millionaire mindset,” they say, by developing self-confidence and allowing your burning desire for wealth to grow. I’ve talked a lot…
READ MOREGive Gifts That Mean Something and You’ll Be Remembered For Them
Charity often pleases the giver and weakens the recipient, but gifts are another matter. The occasional gift (occasional, as for a birthday, Christmas, etc.) — even an extravagant one — can sometimes have a lasting positive effect. Such was the result of a gift my godmother, JK, gave me many…
READ MOREIt Pays To Help Your Competitors
Most books on the subject treat business as war. Your competitors are your enemy. Beating them out of market share is your goal. If you can get them to go out of business completely, you’ve triumphed. I don’t share that view. And I’ll tell you why. War is a terrible,…
READ MOREHow To Handle Irate Customers
Only after an angry customer believes that you understand his problem and sympathize with his plight will he be willing to believe that you really mean to help him. This is especially true if he’s been run through a customer-service drill that resulted in nothing happening. One way I’ve found…
READ MOREPay Attention To Your No. 1 Job
According to most “serial business builders,” bad hiring and firing decisions are among the most important mistakes entrepreneurs make. These include: 1. not spending the time and energy to recruit the very best employees 2. not paying close enough attention to an executive’s performance 3. waiting too long to…
READ MORESomething To Ponder
Something to ponder: All your clients, customers, and employees have a hidden mission — and that is to reduce your profits to zero. It is a cynical thought, but it’s true. The moment you let up on the pressure to produce, sell, save, and improve, your bottom line will begin…
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