Adapt To Your Circumstances And Make Them Work For You

July 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment

“I am never frightened by revolutionary changes in my life, whether they are voluntary or forced upon me by circumstances for I do at least have control over my reaction to circumstances. And I exercise this privilege not by complaining but by searching for that seed of an equivalent benefit which each experience carries with it.”

- Napoleon Hill

Hill was a master at knitting many important ideas into a single affirmative statement like this one. I think that’s one of the main things that has so strongly attracted me to his works. Anyway, if we dissect this beauty we first get “I am never frightened”. Since fear is one of the paralyzing factors that inhibit most peoples’ performance, a statement of fearlessness is pretty significant. Saying he is not frightened by “revolutionary changes” acknowledges that there are frequently such changes. The flaw in most peoples’ approach to goal-setting is a lack of flexibility toward means of achievement, which causes over-reaction, negative reactions and, often, fearful reaction to unexpected changes. “Control over my reaction” - well, this is the only thing over which we do have total control. “Privilege” - Hill viewed his unique human ability to exercise control over his reactions to changing circumstances as a great privilege. I doubt that most people ever think of it this way. But it is. It is exclusively through this ability that we can control the outcomes of our lives. “Seed of equivalent benefit” represents a key part of Hill’s entire philosophy; that EVERY (apparent) adversity conceals opportunity.

Tags: dan kennedy, dan kennedy marketing, Dan Kennedys, Dan s Kennedy, napoleon hill, small business, small business marketing, small business marketing ideas, think+and+grow+rich

Jun

19

The Power Of Co-Op Mailings

June 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

For many retail and service businesses, Val-Pak and Money Mailer are “basic” advertising media, and they should be. Their virtues are low cost* and high readership; reliable research indicates 80% get opened and browsed through - probably because everybody knows they’ll be a couple coupons in there they’ll want.

This media can work for “unusual” businesses, too, and probably should be tested by a much wider variety of businesses. Just for example, several years ago, I did a couple days of consulting with the hypno-therapist with the largest stop smoking/lose weight seminar road show in the country - and, unike all of his competitors, who used newspaper and radio advertising - he sold out his seminars using Money Mailer inserts. I believe this is an overlooked advertising opportunity for many businesses.

The nationwide, business-to-business equivalent: card decks. The simple truth about card decks is: quantity, not quality. The companies that consistently make card deck advertising work have sophisticated, multi-step, aggressive follow-up systems usually including outbound telemarketing OR a very high transaction/customer value.

Of course, local merchants/professionals can and should do their own shared cost, co-op mailings. A chiropractor, dentist, optometrist and podiatrist are logical co-op candidates. All the stores in a shopping center. A carpet cleaner, a gardener, and a plumber. Area merchants can have much greater impact by working cooperatively rather than individually. And when threatened by new “giant” competition, like when Wal-Mart comes to town, the small merchants often either prosper together or hang separately. (Re. this: read or re-read and circulate the Chapter on “Mastermind” in Napoleon Hill’s book, “Think And Grow Rich.”)