Edited by Frederick Mann
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1997 Build Freedom Holdings ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Introduction
This is the third in our series of 'Millionaire' reports. The first report dealt mainly with the Most Basic Wealth Principle: Produce more than you consume. The second was primarily devoted to clearing away certain Money Myths and learning the Infinite Bootstrap Principle.
This special report contains three articles by Dr. Jeffrey Lant, containing important additional guidelines for increasing your wealth. Dr. Lant is a leading marketer, MLM networker, and self-made millionaire. He has written many books, articles, and reports. I especially recommend two of his books:
Cash Copy: How to Offer Your Products and Services so Your Prospects Buy Them... Now!;
Multi-Level Money: The Complete Guide to Generating, Closing & Working with All the Prospects You Need to Make Real Money Every Month in Network Marketing.
If you write or use advertising copy, Cash Copy is a "must." It's one of the best marketing books around. By applying Dr. Lant's principles, you can most likely make your marketing efforts more effective and profitable.
If you're involved in MLM, Multi-Level Money is a "must." By applying the guidelines, principles, and techniques Dr. Lant suggests, you'll most likely become more successful. Dr. Lant provides support systems for network marketers (MLM distributors) that can increase your productivity considerably.
You can contact Dr. Jeffrey Lant at PO Box 38-2767, Cambridge, MA 02238 - phone: (617) 547-6372 - fax: (617) 547-0061.
The fourth article in this report gives you an idea of the economic potential provided by Build Freedom.
The fifth article is about the economic rape of America.
The sixth article tells you how the US$ is collapsing and why the collapse can suddenly accelerate dramatically, resulting in an economic disaster. During such a disaster, many people could lose all their wealth.
The sixth article also suggests a solution to this "economic timebomb" - a solution you can profit from handsomely.
In Special Report #TL13D: The Millionaire's Secret (IV), you'll see how J. Paul Getty made a fabulous fortune during the 1930s depression. During the next big economic crash and depression, you'll be able to do the same - if you shift your economic resources to the real free-enterprise sector (for example, World Trade Clearinghouse). Without this information, you take a serious risk that your wealth will be wiped out. Don't delay!
EIGHT SELF-DEFEATING BEHAVIORS PREVENTING YOU FROM
BECOMING THE MILLIONAIRE YOU SAY YOU WANT TO BE...
AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
By Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Introduction
Most people I know say they want to be a millionaire, but most of them say so in a way
that makes me absolutely certain they never will be. Why? Because they speak about this
blessed condition as a matter of hope and not a certainty. They are redolent of
wistfulness and implausibility, treating this achievement as unlikely, if desirable, not
absolutely sure. Such people, of course, would be only too happy to have the lottery rain
riches on them... but as for getting it themselves, why that is just too much bother, and
frankly a vision they really don't have for themselves, whatever they may say at cocktail
parties.
If this is you, go back for your third martini; you're probably beyond help. This article is for people who want to do more than talk about being a millionaire between canapes.
In my ongoing research into what it takes to achieve millionaire status, I have identified 8 significant self-defeating behaviors that must be overcome. If you can identify them and overcome them, your chances of becoming a millionaire, the first step to truly significant wealth, are vastly improved. If you cannot, you'd better hope a maiden aunt leaves you her fortune... or that, while in couch potato mode, you see your lottery number on the TV screen. Otherwise, being a millionaire just isn't in your future.
#1 You Haven't Set Becoming A Millionaire As Your Goal
Real, as opposed to imagined, future millionaires know they'll join the Seven Figure Club.
They posit this as a goal, they resolve to make the necessary sacrifices and take the
necessary actions... and they live accordingly.
What's astonishing about all self-made millionaires (the only kind I'm talking about here) is just how confident they are about their future status... before they achieve it. They have a vision of themselves as millionaires. They see themselves with the money... have an indelible mental picture of themselves enjoying the perquisites and conveniences their money will bring.
Many report that before they achieved millionaire status, this certainty of impending wealth and status made them figures of fun to classmates, relatives and disbelieving friends. In weaker moments, the sarcasm, ridicule and lack of confidence of these people, frustrated and disappointed the future millionaires. But they always were able to get back on course... either because of their own inner certainty... or, in rarer instances, because a mentor intervened to assist them. One thing is certain, however: they never allowed the undermining, mediocre, entirely unhelpful attitudes of their "friends" to sabotage their own belief in themselves, a belief which is and continues to be a sine qua non of achieving millionaire status.
#2 You Haven't Set A Time By Which You Will Be A Millionaire
Once you've set your objective about becoming a millionaire, you've got to set a precise
moment when you want to get there. Whether this moment is realistic or not, I'll discuss
shortly, but you can't make progress towards your goal unless you have a precise goal to
progress to. In this case, that goal is the exact date by which you want to be a
millionaire.
This date is an essential part of the mathematical formula you must create to become a millionaire. Once you have set this date, you know precisely how much time there is before you reach it... and precisely what must be done in the intervening period. You now have the essential clarity that you must have to reach your objective. You know just what you are trying to achieve... and just when you are trying to achieve it. Given that this is your priority, everything else, by definition, becomes less significant accordingly.
#3 You Don't Know How Much You Have To Make Every Single Day To Reach Your Objective
There are, of course, many ways to become a self-made millionaire, but the best and most
certain way is to do it the way a mouse eats cheese: a little bit at a time, gnawing one's
way to success. What this means in practice is that you must know exactly how much money
you need to make every single day, both from earned and unearned income, so that you'll
achieve your millionaire objective.
Please note that I said from unearned as well as earned income. As you'll soon see when we discuss the need for a regular investment program, only a fool attempts to become a millionaire exclusively through earned income. The goal is to use the benefits of investment growth and compound interest to assist your ascendant progress.
Thus, say you were age 30 and wanted to be a millionaire by age 40. And say, for the sake of argument, that you hadn't a penny to your name today. Fair enough. Between your 30th and 40th birthdays, there are 3650 days of which about 3030 are business days; (this doesn't include either Sundays or 10 holidays a year). This means, to become a millionaire by age 40 you must increase your net worth by $330.03 per day, every day. In the beginning, this increase must come exclusively through earned income, you having no other assets. By the end of the decade, a certain part of it will come through your various investments.
Once you have arrived at this goal, you need to post it prominently. You need to see it every single day and arrange all the activities of your life to achieve it. Otherwise, you either:
Don't really want to achieve the objective (and are thus a flatworm), or
Have set yourself a too ambitious objective, thereby ensuring failure and a tarnished self-image.
Neither outcome is desirable.
#4 You Don't Have Daily Sales Quotas And The Necessary Marketing Plans For Your
Products And Services That Will Net You The Amount Of Capital You Need To Reach Your
Objective
Using my illustration above, you now know you must net at least $330.03 per day for
capital investment purposes. Do you have sales quotas and the necessary marketing plan
that will enable you to achieve this objective? If you're like most would-be millionaires,
you don't. How, then, can you possibly expect to achieve your objective?
The achievement of millionaire status involves the creation of an exact mathematical formula and arranging your life to achieve it. There's no mystery to this; instead, there's the grace, simplicity and certainty provided by mathematics. Thus, if you must net $330.03 per business day, you must:
Figure out precisely how much you need to gross daily. This involves determining how many of your products and services you need to sell to both gross and net the right amount, and
Develop a marketing plan that ensures you reach the right number of prospects so that you can gross the necessary amount.
Right now, most people selling products and services simply engage in undirected and non-goals related activity. That is, they go to work for the sake of going to work; sell products and services without having a vision of what they're doing this for. The goal of work is never work itself, just as the goal of selling products and services is never merely to sell products and services. Instead, selling products and services are small but absolutely necessary steps in the achievement of your ultimate objective, millionaire status.
What's important, however, is that you have your strategy down pat before you engage in any of the tactics of product and service selling. That is, you must not only know what you need to net each day but must have a clear idea of precisely what activities are the most likely to get you there... and whether what you're doing now is sufficient.
Say you're a consultant currently selling your time alone and say that you currently make about $30,000 a year. Right now, given your expenses, etc., there's no way you can invest $330.03 per day. This means that part of your marketing plan must involve things like:
Enhancing your perceived value as a problem-solver so that you can raise your hourly and daily fee;
Spinning off problem-solving products like audio cassettes, Special Reports, booklets and books so that you can tap into new markets and develop so-called "passive" income sources, and
Diversifying your problem-solving skills to tap into new, more lucrative markets.
All these activities, of course, take time. You may decide, therefore, that it is entirely unrealistic in years 1 and 2 of your Ten-Year Plan to invest $330.03 per day and instead in years 7-10 to invest more per day based on your then enhanced earnings.
This is fair enough... if you mean it and don't simply engage in the kind of self-defeating "put-off-until-tomorrow" behavior that so many would-be millionaires fall victim to. I know many people who say that in five or ten years they'll be reaping the benefit of their current self-improvement work... but I don't believe it. Too often, it's just too easy to say you'll make the necessary sacrifices tomorrow (and investing is always a sacrifice of some current pleasure), when you don't have the personal habits today that are a necessary prerequisite for success. That's why I think it better to set a longer, more realistic investment time-frame for the achievement of millionaire status and to both make and invest what you can right from the very beginning.
#5 You Haven't Mastered Your Craft So You Can Make The Money You Need
The sad truth about most people wanting to become millionaires is that they just don't
know enough about their business to achieve this status. I have long said that you can
become a millionaire in virtually any business. Certainly in each distinct business and
professional group there are self-made millionaires. The trick is finding out just how
each of these businesses works and arranging your activities so you can make it work for
you.
Thus, self-making millionaires are necessarily studious creatures... they study their craft, perfecting it, seeking to understand precisely how things work... and precisely how money can be made. They are not afraid of seeking out mentors and leaders in their field and asking intricate, probing, even indiscreet questions about how things work... and how money is to be made in any given situation. Sometimes this incessant inquisitiveness will lead to a rebuff... more often it leads to insight into just how their business works... and how they can profit from it.
The sad truth is, most people have very little in-depth knowledge about just how their business works. They have a nodding familiarity with day-to-day activities but no insight into how the truly successful people made their money... and how they themselves can profit from both regular and extraordinarily business opportunities. In short, they just don't know enough. As a result, they are doomed to remain part of the mediocre, unmoneyed mass.
#6 You Continue To Do Trivial And Inconsequential Things You Shouldn't Do
Recently, a young chiropractor called on me who said he wanted significantly to develop
his practice and make more money. He said he wanted to create a booklet as a marketing
tool to get more clients, but couldn't seem to get started. Upon quick analysis, I knew
why. In addition to his regular work, each night he felt compelled to go out drinking with
friends, be seen at the "right" parties, etc. He simply had no time left to
spend on the development of his practice and his income showed the consequences. It
doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out... but it does take a dedicated and
resolute mind to do something about it.
Millionaires focus. They focus on making money from both earned and unearned sources. They realize they need time and concentration to do this, particularly in the early stages of their career, before they've totally mastered their craft. To get this time, they must be ruthless about weeding out the more mundane activities that clog other people's lives... things like washing dishes, doing clothes, loafing about the house, having time-consuming, soap-opera-ish problems. All these must be dumped as unproductive.
When one is young and green, one may like to do these things and be "part of the crowd." As one ages, one realizes one doesn't have enough time to accomplish everything and tends to become more rigorous about excluding the unproductive from one's life. But certain millionaires earlier develop an acute sense of the limits of time... and of the need to use it wisely. Even when young, they know tempus fugit (time flies). Thus, they do whatever they can to shuck off the trivial and inconsequential and they FOCUS. They know that nothing else is as important as the achievement of their goal.
#7 You Don't Have A Regular Investment Program
Virtually no self-made millionaire has actually earned every penny of his fortune. No,
indeed. Millionaires are wise in the ways of money and use investment growth (that is
time) and compound interest to assist them in reaching their goal. So must you. That is
why you must have a daily investment program, even if the amount you invest at the
beginning is picayune.
Say, for instance, that right now all you can afford to invest is $10 per day, $60 per week. Compounded at just 8% annually, the $3,120 you invest the first year will be worth $6,236.89 in 10 years and will be producing $498.95 a year in income. That's nearly $500 you don't have to make through the sweat of your brow!
Now, think about it. Could you afford to save just $10 a day? Your first reaction may be, "No way!" But think! Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices in current comfort to achieve long-term comfort and security? Most people - those who will never be millionaires - will never make these sacrifices. In the age-old struggle between the grasshopper and the ant, they are quite clearly blithe, unthinking grasshoppers. But you can't be! If you don't have the money to invest now, you must rearrange your life to find the necessary money. Otherwise, you are losing out on two of the millionaire's best friends... time and compound interest. You don't have to be a Wall Street mogul to take advantage of unearned income, but you must have a regular, consistent, inviolate investment program... and that program needs to start when you're far from being a millionaire.
#8 You Will Settle For Less
Would-be millionaires may fall short of their goals. They may be thwarted, disappointed,
frustrated, cast down and stomped on. But, unless their spirit has been broken, they don't
settle for this condition of events; they study and scheme for ways to escape it...
because they won't settle for anything but the best.
All around me every single day I see people who have settled for less... for a home that's not as grand as they'd like... for clothes that are not stylish... for a school for their children that doesn't deliver a top-quality education... in short, for things that are inferior. Future millionaires will live with the inferior when necessary; they realize that sacrifices are a necessary part of their early lives. But they never settle for the inferior as a constant presence in their lives. In fact, they despise it... not merely for being lowly in itself but for representing a state of mind in which one has accepted the inferior as somehow acceptable, inevitable for oneself and one's family.
Future millionaires see situations clearly. They cannot delude themselves, as so many people do, that the inferior is somehow acceptable. Temporarily accepting the inferior may be expedient as a means of helping achieve ultimate success, but to people of the millionaire mind the inferior will always be nothing other than inferior... something, that is, to escape as early and completely as possible.
And who will help them escape it? Why, the would-be millionaire alone. Millionaires, you see, don't wait for some deus ex machina in the form of a winning lottery ticket or expiring aunt to set them up for life. They know they must do it for themselves and accept full responsibility for doing so. If you can't accept this responsibility for yourself and act accordingly, you can never, never be a millionaire yourself. Merely a penny-poor wishful thinker which is too, too bad.
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE RICH?
TAKE THIS REVEALING QUIZ AND FIND OUT...
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Introduction
The good news, as a recent survey has reported, is that there are approximately 1,600,000
millionaires in America. The bad news, as survey after survey discovers, is that the
average person has only accumulated retirement investments of about $35,000; $25,000 in a
retirement plan and $10,000 in other personal savings. Worse, about 1/4 of those surveyed
have nothing saved.
Which camp are you in?
The truth is, that while the number of American millionaires has never been higher, the number of those with insubstantial assets - or no assets at all - is growing at a far faster rate.
Yet you tell me you still want to hitch a ride on the American Dream, still want to be rich, still want to be a millionaire. Well, let's see if you mean it. Get yourself a pen. Check the answer that most represents the way you're doing business today. And be honest!
Q. Have you pledged yourself in writing to having a certain amount of money by a
certain date?
1) / / Yes, I've taken The Pledge and review it every day.
2) / / No, I haven't set any precise amount of money I'd like and haven't written anything down. I just know I'd like to be rich some day.
3) / / Rich sounds good but I'm not into making any definite commitments.
Comment: People who earn their money have a plan. This plan consists of a precise
dollar objective and a date they want to achieve it. Because they know that it's easy to
get distracted, they write down their objective in this way: "I promise myself that
by (date) I will have (amount) in assets." Then they sign it, just like they would
any legal document. They post this document where they can see it daily... and carry it
with them so that it helps inform and direct their behavior. If you're not doing this...
you're handicapping yourself.
Q. Have you figured out how many units of your product or service you need to sell
to make the money you need each day, week, month, and year until you reach your objective?
1) / / Yes, I know just how many units of my product/service I need to sell to reach my
objective on time.
2) / / I have a vague idea how much business I've got to do, but frankly, I've never bothered to create a precise plan.
3) / / I know I'm destined to be rich, so why bother? It's just too much work to figure these things out for myself anyway, I've got better things to do!
Comment: Achieving millionaire status is certain if you:
1) Set a precise dollar objective,
2) Determine how many units of your product/service you need to sell by what date, and
3) Factor in the expense of doing business. That is, millionaire status is the result of a certain number of dollars raised less the expenses of business. It's pure mathematics.
Thus, what you've got to do is set your objective and then create a chart taking into account all the time in between the present and the date you say you want to achieve your objective. You need to determine just how many units of value you have to sell each year to reach your objective given the expense of doing business. Start your chart with last year, the most recent period of time for which you have actual numbers. Then do your projections for this year... and for all the intervening years up to your objective.
Obviously, the projections you make are based on certain assumptions. List these assumptions and why you think they're valid. Attempting to jump from an annual salary of $40,000 a year to one of $200,000 a year so that you can go from having $20,000 in assets at age 40 to having a million dollars of assets at age 50 is probably unrealistic. Thus, you'd better be very clear about your assumptions and why you think they are accurate and the results attainable.
Q. Can you achieve millionaire status simply by selling your current product/service
line... or do you need to diversify?
1) / / I've reviewed how many units of value I have to sell to reach millionaire status
and I know whether my current line of products/services will enable me to reach my
objective or how much diversified I need.
2) / / I'm not really sure about what I need to do; I haven't done an analysis yet, but, believe me, as soon as I get the time I'm going to do it.
3) / / I don't know whether I can get rich or not with my current line, but I'm sure that if I need some more products or services to make some more money I'll be able to find them. I'm not worried!
Comment: Either your current line of products/services is sufficient to make you a
millionaire in the time you've allowed yourself... or it isn't. There aren't any other
choices. If it is, fine. You've got to concentrate on aggressive client-centered
marketing. If it isn't, you've got another problem. You need to find and/or develop new
product/service lines. The truth is, when you review the product/service lines - and, of
course, the ways of doing business - of most businesses, you discover that it would take
several lifetimes before their owners could possibly get rich. Both their offerings are
too narrow and their ways of doing business too passive. Don't let this happen to you!
Q. Are you clear about the precise groups of people who constitute your target
markets?
1) / / Yes, I've studied my markets, and have a precise idea of the people who can benefit
from what I'm selling, and these are the only people I invest my money in marketing to.
2) / / To tell you the truth, I'm winging it. I've got a hunch who my market is, but I'm not too sure which of my marketing makes money for me. You see, I've never really taken the time and trouble to be certain about who my market is and where I should be investing my scarce marketing dollars.
3) / / I'm a scatter shot marketer. I've never read a marketing book. Never done any marketing research. I figure pretty much everyone is a candidate for what I'm selling and so I dabble in lots of different kinds of marketing. I don't keep any records about response rates and, to tell you the truth, haven't got a clue what's making money for me and what isn't. I'm not worried, though. I'm sure to be a millionaire. Just you wait and see!
Comment: The cost of marketing is substantial. When you factor in such variables as copy writing services, ad design and lay out, mailing list rental, producing marketing communications, the cost of telephone and fax (both user fees and supplies), and the expense of lead follow-up, you know that marketing is a very significant expense to your business. That's why you've got to target your efforts. Marketing is both an art and a science. It's dedicated to targeting just the right people for the benefits you have available and approaching them in the most cost efficient and motivational way. When you're marketing properly, your offer is targeted to just the right people, is presented in the most focused and economical way, and is designed to get the best qualified lead in the shortest period of time. Is this what you're doing? I doubt it. Despite the large costs involved, most business people continue to waste the bulk of their marketing dollars going after the wrong people either because they keep hoping that they will respond... or because they just haven't got a clue that they are, indeed, the wrong people for their offer.
Q. Have you done everything to create "cash copy" in your marketing
documents, or are you still trying to motivate a response from your market with
inadequate, passive, "me-centered" marketing communications?
1) / / I've worked hard to pack all my marketing communications - flyers, cover letters,
ads, brochures, media kits, post cards - with client-centered benefits and motivational
offers that have everything to do with what the prospect GETS and little to do with what
I've got or want. The results are helping me become a millionaire right on schedule!
2) / / I know I ought to be spending more time creating client-centered communications but I'm just too busy. I know I ought to translate features into benefits... get client centered testimonials about results I've helped my clients achieve, and generally change the focus from myself and my products/services to the prospect and what he GETS. I know this, and, by golly, I'm going to get around to it.
3) / / "Client-centered?" What's that? When I want a brochure or some other marketing communication, I just sit down and start writing. I don't bother about leading with benefits... I rarely include an offer and never stress it. I figure that the prospect can take his own sweet time about reading what I've sent. I'm sure he'll call me... sooner or later!
Comment: Marketing is a motivational game. If you want to win, you've got to turn the discussion in your marketing communications from yourself... to the prospect. You've got to tell him all the BENEFITS you've got for him, and you've got to make these benefits as specific as possible. You need to cut the adjectives and stress what the prospect will get when he uses your product/service. You've got to add credibility to your argument by telling him what others have achieved with your product/service. These testimonials need to be specific and they need to be specifically attributed. Moreover, you've got to provide an offer for immediate action... something special that the early bird gets when he takes action. Every marketing communication has got to have an offer... and the offers have got to be focused on something the prospect wants and which will make his life better because he takes faster action. The only action in marketing that's meaningful is fast action. And it is your job to stress the benefits and provide an offer that gets the prospect to act quickly to acquire them. Most marketing communications don't do this, and that's why most marketing communications aren't worth the paper they're printed on; why they're an expense to a business, not an investment helping to bring in new dollars.
Q. Have you explored all the marketing alternatives available to you... and done
everything you can to find and use the least expensive first?
1) / / I know I've got limited marketing dollars, and I need to invest my scarce dollars
where they're going to do the most good. Therefore, I made a study of all the marketing
alternatives available to me and how I could save money with them and get the best values.
I'm certain I'm investing my money in the right places.... the places where I'll get the
best return and where I can build my wealth fastest.
2) / / To tell you the truth, I'm never sure I'm getting the best values. I don't plot out my marketing in advance. It's pretty much catch-as-catch-can. All of a sudden, I need some more leads. So I go out and buy an ad at full price or will do a mailing. Nothing's coordinated though, and I never seem to get either synergy or the best prices. I know I ought to do something about this, but I'm always too busy putting out fires around the office to get the chance.
3) / / Hey, when I want to do some marketing I don't plan; I buy. I can play with the big guys. When I want to market, I go first class all the way. I pay top dollar for my ads and marketing services; I don't bother to shop around for either mailing lists or mail services. And I certainly never stoop to haggling about price. After all, I'm going to be a millionaire. Why should I behave like a fish wife?
Comment: Future millionaires know the value of a dollar. They know that they've got to make the scarce marketing dollars they have go farther and that they can't afford to waste a penny. Therefore, they are always exploring how to get more marketing bang for less business buck. Thus, they:
The objective of marketing is to make yourself a millionaire, not to spend all your money in marketing. Dim "marketers" forget this. Remember, the only marketing expenditure that makes sense is the expenditure that can help make you rich. All others are just a drain on your resources.
Q. Do you understand and abide by The Rule of Seven?
1) / / I understand that I can't just approach my target markets once and expect them to
buy... no matter how client-centered my offer. I know I've got to plan a campaign that
brings my offer to their attention a minimum of seven times in no more than 18 months. I
must keep my offer and benefits compelling... and keep hitting, hitting, hitting my
market. And I do!
2) / / I know that when someone is marketing to me, I don't always get around to responding the first, second or even third time I've heard about the product/service, even if the marketer has a benefit I want. I know I ought to approach my target markets the same way, but the truth is, I don't do this. I run one ad for one group, then send a direct mail letter to another group altogether, and do some telemarketing to a third group. I don't always have the time or money to follow up... and I rarely create a campaign that brings the benefits I offer aggressively home to these people time after time. Any day now, I'm going to do better, believe me!
3) / / I don't even know what The Rule of Seven is, and I certainly am not implementing it! All I know is that I figure if I tell people in my target market to get what I'm selling, they'll either do it right away or they won't. But I just don't have the time or money to follow up.
Comment: Millionaires run marketing campaigns. We (for I am one myself) understand that the prospects in our target markets are inundated with offers, both from competitors and others anxious to absorb the precious, limited dollars of our target markets. We understand that even the most client-centered offers, those rich with client-centered benefits and meaningful offers don't get everyone to take immediate action. We understand we have to hit them and hit them again... until at last they do act, either to make an inquiry or to buy what we're selling. Unfortunately, while most marketers understand this point, they don't live by it. Their marketing is episodic and disorganized; it never achieves the meaningful impact of synergy. It is neither client-centered enough nor sufficiently repeated to achieve substantial results. When the initial results aren't what the "marketer" expected, instead of analyzing to see what could improve them, including instituting a far more focused effort, he changes to an altogether different market... and starts the same losing sequence all over again! Without ever figuring out that the process he's following is doomed to failure.
Q. Do you discard flatworms and others who show you they are not prospects... and
both seek to find and concentrate on the better prospects, the ones who can buy what
you're selling - and will?
1) / / I understand all prospects are not equal. I understand that, particularly in a weak
economy, while the same number of people want the benefits I have available, their ability
to take action now to buy them is more limited. Thus, I do spend my time actively
qualifying my prospects. Instead of defending what I have available, carelessly sending
out free information about my product/service, and treating all people as if they were
real prospects, I put these "prospects" under a microscope to determine if they
are real. Only when I am reasonably certain the investment of my time and resources makes
sense with this individual, do I process him as a prospect - and not a resource waster.
2) / / I have an inkling all prospects are not of equal weight, but I find myself wasting a lot of time and money servicing people who turn out not to have been real prospects in the first place. I'm not a good qualifier and don't have in place a good qualifying process. As a result, I not only continually waste my resources but am disappointed by people whom I've treated well... but who buy nothing.
3) / / Whenever anyone requests information I send it; whenever anyone calls I drop everything to deal with him. In short, I make no effort whatsoever to qualify anyone or to weed out the less good from the better prospects. I figure if I keep shooting at prospect targets, keep sending information, and just keep asking for their business, enough of them will buy so that I'll be okay.
Comment: Just because a person sends in a lead card, or calls you, or even walks in your door, doesn't mean he's a prospect. And, take note, only real prospects deserve your attention and assistance, because only real prospects who become real buyers can help make you wealthy. The rest simply waste your resources. Thus, it's your responsibility to ask the key questions: What do you want? When do you want it? Do you have the money to pay for it? Are you ready to get started NOW? If the answers to these questions are unsatisfactory, the "prospect" isn't a prospect, he's a waste of time and money and must be treated accordingly. Do you do this? Or do you keep hoping against hope that the people who give you vague and unsatisfactory answers, who don't answer your letters or return your phone calls are prospects and keep wasting time on them - as far too many businesses do? A millionaire trains himself to determine who is and who is not a real prospect, and who is deserving of his time and attention. Everyone else he tosses out of his life without regret. You should do this, too!
Your Score And What It Means
Now the moment of reckoning. Do you want to be a millionaire? Are you running your
business so you can be? Or are you simply huffing and puffing, talking about an objective
but not doing what's necessary to achieve it? See for yourself...
Each question has a number in front of it. Go back and add these up. If your score is between 7-10, you're on your way to becoming a millionaire. Yes, you've got more work to do (particularly if your score is over 7), but you understand the game and are doing what it takes to win it. Congratulations. When you're in Boston dining at the Ritz, I'd appreciate the chance to have dinner with you!
If your score is between 11-15, you've got a lot more work to do. If you're not just talking about becoming a millionaire, you'd better buckle down. You're insufficiently organized and haven't formulated - much less implemented - your Million Dollar Plan. You're at a critical crossroads, and if you really want to be rich, it's time to take your fate and your business in hand and start running it like a money-machine. Otherwise, what you say you want is going to elude you.
If your score is over 15, you're a sad sack. Stop talking about becoming a millionaire. You'd better start being nicer to your richest relative; get over there now and clean her cat-box. Since you obviously have no intention of doing what's necessary to make your own money through your business, inheritance is your likeliest option. Good luck to you. If you handle sweet talking your rich relation like you've handled becoming a millionaire through your business, you'll probably strike out there, too! Don't call me. I can't afford to know people like you.
MEGATRAITS: 12 TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Introduction
To be an American is to be a success seeker. Indeed, no other creed, cult, belief or
religion in the nation embraces so many of our fellow countryman as the sprint for
"success." Yet, as we all know, most people never succeed in becoming the
success they dream of being.
That's why I was delighted when her publisher sent me Doris Lee McCoy's new book MEGATRAITS: 12 TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE. I had two reasons for promptly focusing on her research: my own continuing desire to be ever more successful and my wish to disseminate to the greatest number McCoy's detailed findings.
McCoy, who comes across as a congenial, empathic personality eagerly seeking the essential modules of success, has over the last many years interviewed a host of people most of us would regard as successful... that is, people who have reached a certain plateau of physical, emotional and spiritual/psychological comfort. They include politicians, statesmen, entrepreneurs, media and entertainment personalities, athletes, and authors. As a result of her interviews, McCoy has identified twelve essential components of success she called "megatraits." While many of these come as no surprise, it is, I think, instructive to see them listed in one place where, each day, one can review them and see whether one's work and life really exemplify these essential traits.
Successful People Enjoy Their Work
Be honest with yourself. Are you enjoying what you're doing today... or this week?
Successful people do. They enjoy the challenge, the game, the sheer excitement of what
they're doing. Indeed, as real estate magnate Trammell Crow put it, "Work is so much
more fun than fun, it is improperly called work." Oh, sure, each of these successful
people has moments that are less than thrilling... but they expect them and shuck them off
as trivial by comparison with the excitement of their productive lives generally.
What comes out clearly in McCoy's work is that the truly successful feel blessed by their work... and delighted at the opportunity to work on the projects and problems that make up their chosen occupation. Do you feel this way? Or is it pure drudgery getting up and facing yet another day of employment? Says Malcolm Forbes "The essence of success lies in doing what you enjoy. Otherwise you neither do it well, fully, or successfully."
Successful People Have High Self-Esteem And A Positive Attitude
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of meeting people who have refined self-contempt and
self-criticism to an art form and spend their time (and too much of my time, too!) telling
all the reasons why they've been victimized by life. This disgusts me... and it ought to
disgust you.
McCoy's research points out in detail that you can't truly be successful if you don't have a good, healthy quotient of self-esteem and a positive attitude that irradiates everything you do.
Truly successful people are confident, upbeat, enthusiastic and certain that things will work out. Yes, they know that many projects will fail; no, they are not mindless Polyannas. But they figure that having done the necessary homework and taken the lay of the land, it is better to go forth with an expectation of success... than the certainty of failure. As Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay Cosmetics says, "It never occurred to me I couldn't do it. I always knew that if I worked hard enough, I could." Is this how you feel?
Successful People Use Negative Experiences To Discover Their Strengths
I know many people who take defeat personally... who almost gladly tell me that as a
result of their bad experiences they now feel fully justified never having to try again.
But these people, as McCoy's research demonstrates, have taken the wrong lesson from
experiences that didn't go as well as they might like.
Negative experience, you see, successful people almost come to regard as a private tutorial, a tutorial that gives them insight into what works, what doesn't, and why. As McCoy puts it, "In retrospect, many of the successful can actually see how the difficulties they experienced offered them opportunity to discover more of their potential. In some cases, they were able to use traumatic experiences as a means of seeing more options than they had before." In other words, they analyzed even the worst of experiences seeking to squeeze the last drop of insight and education from them... so they could go out again and, at last, triumph.
Successful People Have Integrity And Help Others To Success
We live in the age of the fast buck at a time when crooks seem to prosper marvelously and
where even the best of people wonder whether integrity and empathy aren't drawbacks
instead of must-have ingredients for success. Because of this pervasive attitude, I was
delighted that McCoy found integrity and helpfulness part of the makeup of the truly
successful individual.
What this means is running your business so that on all transactions both people really benefit. As Robert Dedman, Board Chairman for Club Corporation of America, says, "Your ability to set up successful, lasting relationships is the biggest determinate you'll ever have of personal and business success." This means you can't "strip mine" your way to success riding rough-shod over people, pushing "ahead" without a thought to their benefit. As Karl Eller, Chairman of the Board for Circle K Stores, comments, "With any deal I've ever made, I've been careful that I was fair to the other side - so that both parties were happy." Can you say this?
Successful People Are Persistent
This seems pretty obvious, doesn't it? Yet how many times can you name in your own life
that you took "No!" for an answer... despite the fact that you knew the person
who said this to you really would be better off with what you're selling? Successful
people learn from the no's they get... learn to see in them the beginning of the yes that
they want. In short, they know that the most successful people in the world are the people
who get turned down the most... and who make sure they know why, taking the time to
re-craft the next approach based on what happened to them before. They don't take this
rejection personally... but see it as a learning experience. Is this you?
Successful People Take Risks
As McCoy discovered, "One overriding trait of the successful is that they believe in
their idea, their product, themselves so fully that they are willing to take risks."
Sadly, most people - whatever they say to the contrary - don't take risks. They don't take
risks in human relationships or in business... but wait for someone else to lead the way.
Not surprisingly, they never have much success.
What happens when you risk? Sometimes you fail... producing just the result the quivering ones fear. More often, especially as you learn from failure, you succeed. Thus, as Forrest Shumway of the Allied-Signal Companies says, "In 75 per cent of the cases over the course of a lifetime, I will be intuitively correct, and that is a fair percentage." Now, ask yourself: in what you do, do you put yourself on the line, extending yourself, taking the risk to make any given situation better... or do you hold back until someone else takes the "lead?"
Successful People Have Developed Good Communication And Problem-Solving Skills
I think of a friend I have who turns off virtually everyone he ever talks to, despite a
good heart and a zealous commitment to success. Why? Because he doesn't know how to
communicate with people... almost invariably he offends them. What's wrong? He doesn't
have good communications skills... the kinds of skills that enable him to put what he has
to say in the best possible way and so both engage the person he's talking to and persuade
that person to take action. But successful people have these skills. And you must have or
develop them, too.
You must also have the ability to confront established norms of behavior and procedure and say, "Does this make sense anymore?" It's just astounding to me how few people are unwilling to look at a situation with an open mind, remembering that all things outlive their usefulness and must be changed. Successful people know this. Their loyalty is to getting things done in a mutually beneficial way; not how things are done.
Successful People Surround Themselves With Competent, Responsible, Supportive People
With the best will in the world, successful people cannot do everything themselves that
needs to be done. They realize they must rely on others... and so they seek out such
people, cultivate them, and reward them... taking every opportunity to include their
supporters, praise them, and help them develop. Truly successful people don't want
"Yes People" around. They want people who are bright, loyal, questioning,
capable of being truly helpful. As Malcolm Forbes says, "No matter how successful
your business is, the only real asset is the people you have."
Successful People Are Healthy, Have High Energy, And Schedule Time To Renew
As McCoy discovered, the successful are generally characterized by a very high energy
level... they get up early, work late, and don't complain when it is necessary to work
hours other people would regard as onerous. McCoy discovered that many of the people she
interviewed get by on less than the normal amount of sleep and that most have a regular
exercise program. In addition, most of the successful take time for renewing themselves...
for doing things that are not related to their regular line of work. As McCoy puts it,
"The changes in rhythm might involve a shift in activity or pace and often a new
environment. Revitalizing themselves is crucial enough to them that they actually schedule
time for it."
Successful People Believe In God, A Higher Power, And Sometimes Just Plain Luck
Importantly, the successful people interviewed by McCoy do not feel alone in their
ascending development. Not all are conventionally religious by any means; indeed, those
involved in organized religious constitute a diminutive percentage of her sample. Yet,
these successful people see themselves as "co-creators" with a higher power that
guides them; in other words, they're not inventing their lives alone... nor, in trying
moments, do they have to face circumstances by themselves. As Ronald Reagan told McCoy
"I have a deep-seated faith that if you ask for help, it will be given."
[Editor: Those who don't believe in religion or luck, may want to believe in a "higher self" with a "super-conscious mind" - or just plain common sense coupled with competence!]
Successful People Have A Sense Of Purpose And A Desire To Contribute To Society
These days, so much of what many people do seems pointless to them. A terrible feeling of ennui
and "is that all there is?" is pervasive and casts a blight on far, far too many
lives. The successful don't have this feeling. They know not only what they are doing but
they know why it matters. They have, in short, a sense of purpose about their activity
that informs all they do and makes them want to get "up and at 'em" instead of
wasting time in self-destructive doubts and frustrating introspection.
The successful are certain they are contributing to society, making people's lives better. Most have a zealous sense of mission that gives them both focus and zest. As McCoy writes, "The successful show an inner strength, a 'knowing,' that enables them to move out of the ordinary at times when they believe the situation calls for it. Not so much a rebellious act, it is the will to inspire a higher level of good in society."
Other Characteristics Of The Successful
As a result of McCoy's hundreds of interviews, she was able to see that the vast majority
of successful people shared either all or most of the preceding 12 "megatraits."
She also discovered an additional six traits which, if not quite universal, were still
widely shared by the successful, and it is worth pointing these out to you, too.
Many Of The Successful Challenge Traditional Concepts
As McCoy points out, those who cannot succeed within the established system for whatever
reason get ahead more often than not by challenging existing patterns of behavior. Their
desire to be included, to be successful in conventional terms, drives them to change the
game and its prevailing rules.
They Are Constantly Coming Up With Innovative, Fresh Ideas
The mark of the successful people, according to McCoy, is their willingness to discard
ideas that don't work any more... and their ability to keep coming up with new, fresh
solutions to problems. What matters is what will work... not how things have been done
before.
Age Is Not A Barrier To Their Starting New Companies
McCoy presents many individuals - including Ray Kroc who started McDonald's when he was 52
- who didn't let their age get them down... but pushed ahead when others their age were
thinking about retirement.
They Continue, Even In Their Late Years, To Be Productive, Many Choosing Not To
Retire Until Long After The Traditional Age.
Because the successful are not "working" in the traditional sense, they have no
incentive to "retire" in the traditional sense either. They realize that the
work they have undertaken for so long is what has made their live so rich and
productive... and they see no reason to abandon it, whatever the majority of their age
peers are doing.
The Successful Continue To Schedule Time For Their Education
McCoy reports that the truly successful are under no illusions that they know it all... or
that what they know today will be sufficient to enable them to compete tomorrow. They have
succeeded because of their ability to change, retool, rethink, develop and discard
previously usable ideas... and they know that this is what they must continue to do to
remain successful. Thus, whether with formal or informal programs of education, they are
committed to staying abreast of the crucial developments that will enable them to remain
successful.
Last Words
Now that you've read this article, reread and post it. As the successful also know, each
moment of your life is either an opportunity to be more successful... or the chance to
fall back and sabotage yourself. Which is it to be? Too many people reading this article
will say, "I know lots of what Doris Lee McCoy took years to discover. I certainly
don't need to consider it again." But, be honest with yourself. Are you as successful
as you want to be... and are you exhibiting these traits in your daily life? Do you
"know" the "megatraits"... or are you living them? Either way, the
answer will be perfectly obvious in time. The question is, will you like that answer?
THE POTENTIAL OF TERRA LIBRA
by Frederick Mann
Introduction
Through his shares in Microsoft, Bill Gates has become one of the richest men in the
world. Microsoft develops and sells programs to make computers more successful. We could
call these programs "computer success programs." Microsoft has become one of the
biggest companies in the world.
With Build Freedom, we are interested in human success. We can think of "human
failure programs" and "human success programs." Producing more than you
consume is a human success program. Consuming more than you produce is a human failure
program. With Build Freedom, we are in the business of replacing human failure programs with
human success programs. The Infinite Bootstrap Principle is a human success program. What
Microsoft does for computers, Build Freedom needs to do for humans.
The Stupendous Potential
The general current success level of humans, compared to our potential success level,
measures the potential for Build Freedom. The source of all the "problems" in the
world is in the individual human mind. We face this fact head-on. We believe we
have identified a significant portion of the information (human success programs) that
needs to get into people's minds in order for the "problems" to resolve. Build
Freedom's programs, products, and services, are intended to be the means to get the
necessary information into people's minds. And we believe this can be done very
profitably.
In general, humans fail because of the human failure programs in their minds - and they succeed as a result of the human success programs in their minds. The vast difference between the two indicates the potential for Build Freedom. It's important that you realize that this potential is much greater than the potential was for Microsoft when it was launched. Furthermore, Build Freedom enables you to capitalize on this stupendous potential!
But the above indicates only a small part of the potential for Build Freedom. Think of all the money that presently goes to government bureaucrats around the world. Imagine all that money being available in the real free-enterprise economy instead. Imagine all the government-controlled banks being real free-enterprise banks instead. Consider all the government-supporting corporations (the IBMs of the world) that could be replaced by true free-enterprise companies. All of this represents the potential for Build Freedom and other real free-enterprise companies. And you can capitalize on this stupendous potential - simply by taking steps to shift your economic activities into the real free-enterprise economy.
THE ECONOMIC RAPE OF AMERICA
by Frederick Mann
The chart on page 11 shows the history of the purchasing power of the US$. The relentless collapse reflects the extent to which the American economy has been and is being raped.
Twenty-five years ago, the average American family was much better off than today. With only the husband working, there was enough money to pay all the bills and live in relative luxury. Today, with both husband and wife working, it's a battle to pay the bills.
The big difference is that taxes are much higher than they were 25 years ago, and government regulation has in many instances become strangulation.
Government bureaucracy has grown big and fat like an obscenely bloated pig about to explode. Welfare payments have skyrocketed.
We have a situation here of a host (the private wealth producers) and a parasite (the government wealth destroyers). The parasite is becoming bigger and more demanding, while the host is getting weaker and poorer.
The better you understand this situation, the more effective you'll be at dealing with it - not only in respect of your personal affairs, but also as a part of the solution for society in general. I suggest you study my two books:
HOW YOUR WEALTH COULD BE WIPED OUT
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
by Frederick Mann
Introduction
The world you grew up in is finished. The world of job security is gone. At all levels,
large and small companies are firing people. NO JOB IS SAFE! Working for yourself
and becoming financially independent is the only security. You can achieve this by
participating in a real free-enterprise solution mentioned below.
Meanwhile the US$ is collapsing. And the collapse is continuing relentlessly. And if you think the government bureaucrats or the federal reserve bankers can stop the collapse, you're living in a fool's paradise! Historically, all unbacked paper currencies have always collapsed to zero - and no government bureaucrats have been able to stop the collapse! What's happening today in Mexico could happen in America tomorrow or next year. Don't get caught with your pants down!
If you don't believe me, consult the experts. Read any of these books:
Although these experts may disagree about just when the collapse of the dollar will accelerate like a stone dropped down a mine shaft, they all agree that it's virtually inevitable. Any day now, the collapse of the dollar may suddenly accelerate and wipe out all your savings sooner than you think. As you become more familiar with these 'Millionaire' reports, you'll see the solution to the problem of this coming disaster, both for yourself and for society in general.
And what about Social Security? Well, it's pretty well known that the federal government bureaucrats spend the social-security taxes as fast as they come in. Most people now in their 20s, 30s, and 40s correctly believe that it's extremely unlikely that they'll ever see any social-security payments. Time magazine (March 20, 1995) in its feature article wrote: "Social Security is doomed. When the baby boomers retire, it will break the bank... [M]ore people under the age of 35 believe in UFOs than in the prospect that Social Security will pay them benefits upon retirement." In any case, if the dollar is wiped out, so is Social Security.
If you don't avail yourself of the real free-enterprise solution, you could literally lose practically everything you own! And you'll miss out on the opportunity to profit from a crisis situation that will be disastrous for most! Worst of all, if you don't act NOW, you take the risk of getting trapped in a financial crisis from which there's no escape.
World Trade Clearinghouse
The chart on page 11 depicts the relentless collapse of the US$. It's unlikely that anyone
can stop this collapse. We need an alternative medium of exchange so that people -
including you, your family, your friends, and your business associates - can continue to
transact with each other.
An alternative has been created and has been operational since January, 1995. Not only can you participate in this alternative, you can also earn substantial finders fees and transaction commissions. The alternative is called World Trade Clearinghouse (WTC).
World Trade Clearinghouse (WTC), a financial clearinghouse system, brings to the world market an alternative 100% gold-backed medium of exchange. It provides individuals and businesses the following benefits:
A medium of exchange which is 100% backed by gold - does away with fractional reserve banking and its perils;
The ability to accumulate assets such as Gold, Silver, Platinum, Swiss Francs, German Marks, Japanese Yen, British Pounds, U.S. Dollars - with privacy and security - and the further ability to conduct transactions with the above as media of exchange.
The ability to transact with anyone anywhere in the world (who is also a WTC account holder) in perfect privacy - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year;
Transactions clear within hours - as opposed to the several days it takes to clear checks through the existing banking system (or the several weeks it often takes for many international transactions);
The ability to interface with the existing economic system - for example, US$ checks can be received by WTC and the WTC system can write US$ checks to handle your payments;
Privacy, security, safety, and liquidity of your transaction assets;
No reporting of transactions to anyone;
Competitive advantages in the marketplace because of privacy and the speed of transactions.
And in addition to these benefits, you can earn generous finders fees and transaction commissions fees - for life!
Can Government Bureaucrats Control Computer Networks like WTC?
The following article appeared in The Phoenix Gazette of March 13, 1995 under the heading, "Computer regulation panned":
"Computer networks will remain beyond government control despite the current debate in Washington and elsewhere about how to regulate their content, Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates said Sunday.
"There's a notion in the United States that maybe the government should be able to tap into every conversation," Gates said in a speech to CeBIT 95, Europe's largest trade technology show.
"It's completely impractical. People aren't going to agree to it politically and it doesn't work technically," Gates said. These views are widely held in the technology industry. Companies say it would cost them billions of dollars to adapt to such governmental regulation."
The Unique Profit Breakthrough Concept
In the book Reality in the Stock Market, Rodger W. Bridwell describes the "Unique Profit Breakthrough" concept. Xerox with its dry electrostatic copier is a prime example. Fortunes can be made by identifying such unique profit breakthroughs and investing in them early.
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