AIG Bonuses

I don’t know about you but I’m not happy with the bonuses the bankers received! I think they forgot what the meaning of EARNED income is versus BAIL OUT funds. I wouldn’t mind at all that they received bonuses if they had earned them – but they didn’t…we did. They point to the contracts but what a farse! That contract is between them and the company. The funds did not originate from the company – they came from the government.

The failed bankers on Wall Street have been complaining that if they have to cut bonuses and salaries dramatically, they’ll be unable to recruit great talent, and they need great talent to fix the situation. I have heard that during the dot com bust as well. And for years, executive have been claiming that they need to pay CEOs $50,000,000 salaries in order to recruit the very best for their companies. This, of course, is nonsense.

Twenty years ago, their salaries were a tiny fraction of what they are today. Did they do less work? Did they try less hard? Think lesser thoughts? Of course not. The reasons salaries are high in many cases is due to greed and believing they need to support lavish lives. I don’t have any problems with living the life of their dreams. But when the market changes and you believe you are now entitled ..well…

You can’t place all the blame on them – we didn’t hold them accountable. I believe there are still 1,000 totally qualified applicants waiting for their jobs. So, when demand is high and supply is low, the power goes to the supplier. Lower the salary until you get the best qualified applicants, right?

Get Rich Quick

As long as there have been people who want to get rich, there have been get rich quick schemes. They used to be in the back of the magazines, you see them on late night TV or someone at the office found the “next best thing”. There have always been people looking for an opportunity.

Automatic websites, newsletters that have the exact timing for huge profits in the market or register with us and we will build a business for you – there’s a long history here. The schemes tend to have a few things in common. They tend to have the same patterns, tone of voice, “just here to help you” messages and most of all, they all seem too good to be true.

Being too good to be true is the key part, because if it’s too good to be true, maybe, just maybe, it is true. My father used to tell me, “If you are told you are going to get something for nothing, THEY will be getting the something and YOU my son will be getting the nothing.” Did I listen? Of course not, it was my dad who told me…

Now with the ease of getting online, and the current economic challenges people are facing, this has blossomed. You’ll see the long long web pages filled with ALL CAPS and bright colors and testimonials and “wait there’s more!” They look alike for a reason–it’s a signal to the opportunity seeker that this is one of those.

Do they convert watchers into buyers? Sure they do. Do a few people make money? Of course they do.

What’s being sold here? Is it the riches or the hopes of riches? And what are riches? Is it money, admiration, material assets, or maybe time?

Another mentor taught me to always wait for 24 hours before I make any purchase or decision that impacts my life in a significant way. Go home and think about he told me…. And ya know, it has always made me think before I “do”.

But if you are looking at getting into business with someone – look for the best.

Can sales and marketing be evil?

Have you ever met someone who has the skill to share a story that moves people, or that spreads, influences people, and creates action. Good marketing can cause people to buy something that they wouldn’t have bought otherwise, change their thoughts or opinion, or cast a vote for someone they might not have ever considered.

Lets face it – Marketing works!

So, does that make marketing or sales evil? It is a debate me and one of my partners have all the time. Depending on the situation – we both tend to be right. My thoughts are that marketing is a great tool, but used wrong,  just like any thing else, it can be evil. I think it’s evil to persuade kids to eat food that is known not to be good for them or start smoking, to cynically manipulate the electoral or political process, to grandstand an opportunity, or lie to people in ways that cause disastrous side effects. I think it’s evil to sell a patent medicine when an effective one is available. I think it’s evil to come up with new ways to make obesity acceptable so you can make a few more bucks. I think it’s evil to tell people you make $10,000 a month residual income when it is coming from just the selling of a businesses and getting a bonus for doing so.

Marketing is great when it persuades people to stay in better health by stop smoking, get out a register to vote or move people towards a cause. Marketing is extremely powerful when it sells a product to someone who discovers more joy or more productivity because they bought it. Marketing is fantastic when it elects someone who changes the community for the better.

On a call today we talked about standing up for what is right. Isn’t it immoral not to? It’s immoral to rob someone’s house and burn it to the ground, but is it immoral to market them into foreclosure? Well, if marketing works, if it’s worth the time and money, then I don’t think it matters a bit if someone’s just doing their job. It’s still wrong.

I recall a conversation a year ago where a title person was telling us about some of the abuses she thought was going on. When I asked her who should notified she said she didn’t notify anyone because that was bad for business.

Just like every tool, the impact comes from the person who is using it, not the tool. Marketing has more reach, with more speed than it has ever had before.

In the current economic times, there are many people abusing the tool. For me, marketing works for society when the marketer and consumer are both aware of what’s happening and are both satisfied with the final outcome. I don’t think it’s evil to make someone happy by selling them a home. Yet on the other hand, swindling someone out of their house in order to make a sales commission certainly is. Just because you can market something doesn’t mean you should.

You’ve got the power, so you’re responsible, regardless of what your boss tells you to do. The good news is that I’m not in charge of what’s evil and what’s not. You, your customers and their neighbors are.

I put my bet on ethical marketing and believe it will eventually defeat the kind that depends on  deception and greed.

Intelligence For Kids Redefined

The multiple intelligences theory was first published in 1983 in Gardner’s book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Gardner derived his theory from extensive brain research. He concluded that intelligence is not one inborn fixed trait that dominates all the skills and problem-solving abilities students possess. His research suggested that intelligence is centered in many different areas of the brain, which are interconnected, rely upon one another, can work independently if needed, and can be developed with the right environmental conditions. The intelligences Gardner recognizes include : verbal-linguistic, math-logic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Each intelligence area is demonstrated through specific talents, skills, and interests.

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence involves ease in producing language and sensitivity to the nuances, order, and rhythm of words. Students who are strong in verbal-linguistic intelligence love to read, write, and tell stories. They have good memories for names, places, dates, and trivia. Professionals who use this intelligence include writers, public speakers, teachers, secretaries, business and office managers, comedians, poets, and actors.

Math-Logic Intelligence relates to the ability to reason deductively or inductively and to recognize and manipulate abstract patterns and relationships. Students who excel in this intelligence have strong problem-solving and reasoning skills and ask questions in a logical manner. They can also excel in science-related logic and problem-solving. This intelligence can be seen in such people as scientists, bankers, mathematicians, computer programmers, lawyers, and accountants.

Spatial Intelligence includes the ability to create visual-spatial representations of the world and to transfer them mentally or concretely. Students who exhibit spatial intelligence need a mental or physical picture to best understand new information; do well with maps, charts, and diagrams; and like mazes and puzzles. They are strong in drawing, designing, and creating things. Professionals who use this intelligence include graphic artists, cartographers, draftspersons, architects, painters, and sculptors.

Musical Intelligence encompasses sensitivity to the pitch and rhythm of sounds as well as responsiveness to the emotional implications of these elements of music. Students who remember melodies or recognize pitch and rhythm exhibit musical intelligence. They enjoy listening to music and are aware of surrounding sounds. This intelligence is seen in such people as singers and songwriters, rock musicians, dancers, composers, and music teachers.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence involves using your body to solve problems, make things and convey ideas and emotions. Students who are strong in this intelligence are good at physical activities, hand-eye coordination, and have a tendency to move around, touch things, and gesture. Professionals who use this intelligence include actors, athletes, surgeons, mimes, musicians, dancers, and inventors.

Interpersonal Intelligence refers to the ability to work effectively with other people and to understand them and recognize their goals, motivations, and intentions. Students who exhibit this intelligence thrive on cooperative work, have strong leadership skills, and are skilled at organizing, communicating, mediating, and negotiating. This intelligence is usually seen in such people as teachers, therapists, salespeople, counselors, politicians, religious leaders, and business executives.

Intrapersonal Intelligence entails the ability to understand one’s own emotions, goals, and intentions. Students strong in intrapersonal intelligence have a strong sense of self, are confident, and can enjoy working alone. They have good instincts about their strengths and abilities.  This intelligence is highly developed in such people as philosophers, psychiatrists, religious leaders, and brain researchers.

Naturalist Intelligence is the latest intelligence added by Gardner. It includes the capacity to recognize flora and fauna; to make distinctions in the natural world; and to use this ability productively in activities such as hunting, farming, and biological science. This intelligence is seen in botanists, naturalists, and physicists.

Existential Intelligence Currently Gardner is researching the possibility of an Existential Intelligence, which has to do with the ability to ponder the nature of existence—who are we, why do we die, how did we get here. It is seen in those who can deeply analyze and think about things we can’t see and questions that don’t have clear answers. This intelligence might exist in the clergy, philosophers, and spiritual people.

Why Passion is important

Why passion and interest are so important.

Let me take a minute to share with you why many people fail in business (small, personal franchise, franchise, network marketing , direct sales) and why many succeed. It all starts with passion and interest. With it, or without, people can tell your sincerity. I will explain why.

Many people are attracted to a low cost of entry business model because of the chances of making millions. If you look at the figures from the DSA or other the organizations that report on them, the average monthly income is less then $500. Yet these businesses are fantastic business models with better then average return on investments.

The challenge is that in most cases the individual is shown the expensive cars, the luxury homes and fancy vacation destinations so that the sale becomes emotional. They are told how easy it is by just showing this simple business opportunity to a few friends, then those friends will show their friends and before you know it you will have more success then you ever dreamed!

The individual gets very excited about the possibility of making easy and vast amounts of money so they pay the cost of entry and get started in their new venture.

The first step many people are trained to do is to make a contact list of people they know. The second step is to get on the phone and call those people or make some kind of contact with them. And here is the first challenge the new business builder hits. Now remember, if the person is starting this entire business for the sole purpose of money, and has no passion, interest or belief in the product or service, this is where it ends for most, unless they jump to an impersonal method.

FIRST LETS UNDERSTAND THE CONSCIOUS MIND – GUARDIAN OF THE GATE

Your conscious mind is the part of you that thinks and reasons. This is where your free will resides. This is where the music we listen to, the people we listen to, and the articles we read are first introduced. Your conscious mind accepts or rejects any thoughts, concepts or ideas that come in.

As you accept a thought, it is impressed upon the second part of you and your personality – Your Sub-conscious and becomes a belief.

SUBCONSCIOUSMIND – YOU AND YOUR SOUL

The subconscious is an amazing part of us! It is the center of our power and who we are. It is our soul, our spirit. I am always amazed at how many people don’t respect this part of themselves. If someone was to come dump a pile of horse dung on your front door step – how would you feel? Yet people let others do this to their subconscious every day and think nothing about it.

The subconscious controls every cell of your body. Every thought or word your conscious mind chooses to accept is firmly in place until it is replaced with a new thought or belief. The subconscious operates in a “true” manner. ‘By Law’ it expresses itself through us in our feelings and actions. Any thought you continuously impress upon your subconscious over and over, becomes fixed in the subconscious and becomes our personality. Fixed ideas will then continue to express themselves without any conscious assistance. What you feel is mostly what is expressed.

HOW YOUR THOUGHTS AFFECT YOUR BOODY

Your body is the physical representation of you that is run by your mind.

The experts have different percentages, but most of them say that we are controlled by 10% of our conscious mind and 90% of our subconscious mind. Our bodies being the physical medium are the instrument of the mind, the complex house we live in.

What they are saying is that our thoughts create our feelings and then create our actions.

THE RESULTS

It is normal for people to get excited about an opportunity that can solve a problem they are experiencing. When people jump into an opportunity purely on the hopes or goals of money (especially fast money or get rich quick) they are driven at first by the emotion because the sales person or person showing them the opportunity solved a problem that they were experiencing.

The subconscious says YES – a solution!!! And there is HOPE.

But when the individual goes to pickup the phone or share the opportunity, the product and/or service, the subconscious speaks a different message.

I believe most people to be honest, integral and care about others. So when this person goes to make contact with someone to share their product or service purely based on MONEY, the subconscious has problems with this and starts showing itself in ACTIONS or lack of action. When only money is involved and no passion or true interest, the body does funny things…it changes our speech, or mannerisms. Many (Potential customers, clients, potential business partners) are in tune with this…but some can’t put their finger on it. They might walk away with a funny feeling or a feeling of mistrust and not know why. Remember, 90% of US is driven by the subconscious.

See the problem?

Most people CANT share something they don’t believe in if it is only about money. When the person picks up the phone their subconscious mind is already telling them – why are you calling your friends, family or contacts for MONEY?

WHEN THE WHOLE MIND IS OF THE SAME ACTION

Now take that same person who has passion and belief in their product or service. The entire mind is congruent – the conscious and subconscious are one and the same and take action and show action – in emotion, in passion and in integrity.

This is when more people in all business succeed.