An Alternative to Advertising
“Make your bargain before beginning to plow.” – Arab proverb Those who frown upon the practice say that if you lowball to get the first contract, you can never charge that client your regular rates — and you have just acquired a highly unprofitable piece of business. But…
READ MORETwo Facts About Advertising and One Truth About Copywriters
“I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn’t like it.” – Samuel Goldwyn You relied on a one-trick pony, a copywriter who has had great success with a particular type of promotion — so much success that he insists on rewriting it for every one of his…
READ MOREA Beautiful Investment That Could Make You a Lot of Money
“Early morning hath gold in its mouth.” – Benjamin Franklin Minted from 1907 until 1933, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is widely considered the most beautiful coin of all times. In fact, the coins are so beautiful that some people think they’re worth buying just as works of art. I…
READ MORETo Readers Who Worry They May Never Succeed: Do You Need “The Mindset of a Champion”?
I believe you can have a mind full of doubts and worries and still succeed. I believe it’s possible to achieve amazing things in life with a frightened heart and a terrified mind. It’s more than a belief, actually. It’s certain knowledge. I know because I have always been full…
READ MOREAvoid This Common Mistake With Your Money-Back Guarantee
“Relationships of trust depend on our willingness to look not only to our own interests, but also the interests of others.” – Peter Farquharson The best guarantees are: * fair * generous * long-term * unconditional When any of these four elements is missing, sales are likely to suffer…
READ MOREWho Do You Work For?
SB doesn’t know who he works for. As a development manager for a real-estate project I consult with, he must take direction from three people: a profit-center manager, a project manager, and me. Most of the time, our advice and recommendations are congruent. Sometimes, however, we disagree. And when…
READ MOREFive Good Reasons to Own a “Vacation” Home
“Home is where the heart is and hence a movable feast.” – Angela Carter There are at least five good reasons to buy a second home: 1. It can become your future retirement home. Buy it now and have it paid off in today’s cheap dollars. Years from now,…
READ MOREBuild Your Personal Fortune From This Half-Billion-Dollar Secret
“How I like to be liked, and what I do to be liked!” – Charles Lamb (letter to Dorothy Wordsworth, January 8, 1821) Most of us, at least most of the time, don’t feel we are ever quite good enough, strong enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. We feel…
READ MOREHow to Use Free Bonuses to Increase Perceived Value
“I knew I’d been living in Berkeley too long when I saw a sign that said ‘Free Firewood’ and my first thought was ‘Who was Firewood and what did he do?’” – John Berger Remember the old Ginsu knife infomercials? Remember how the pitchmen would pile on the free bonuses…
READ MOREHow to Hire Great People
“If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get people better than you are. Always remember that you often find outstanding people among those you don’t particularly like.” – Soichiro Honda AS, a friend and colleague, is a master of good hiring. His first hire…
READ MORETurn the Demand for Offshore Real Estate Into a Gold Mine
“Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick The looming retirement of some 40 million American baby boomers is about to make prime retirement real estate as rare as hens’ teeth … and worth a fortune. If you want to tap into this…
READ MOREFinancial Independence: What Is It? Why Should You Want It?
“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt Twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, I review and revise my goals. When I think…
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