First College, Now What?

Entries from April 2008

How to Turn a $68 Dinner into $1,625.32

April 12, 2008 · Leave a Comment

“Americans Lose Their Appetites as Food Costs Surge”

Have you cut back on trips out for lunch or dinners with friends and family?  It’s ok, most people have, but not me.  Last weekend I took my wife out to dinner at a Louisiana creole seafood restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago.  Great crawfish and crab cakes!

We laugh, we eat, we eat some more.  The bill comes from our overly enthusiastic but friendly waitress and I throw down the plastic, sign for a 20% tip, and grab our coats to leave.  As we walk toward the door my eyes focus onto the second most desirable thing I have seen all night: Not a woman, not a cheesecake…it was a fish bowl full of business cards.  Yawn, you say?  Not for long!

Alright, I guess this isn’t the nicest thing to do, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun!  I slid over to the bowl, used my coat to mask my hand, and ‘liberated’ a large handful of cards.  The only reason I don’t feel bad about this is because I know the guys who get these cards normally (the insurance salesmen who sponsor the bowls…Shhh!  That’s supposed to be a secret).

Try this once.  Just give it a shot if you feel up to it.  Screen the cards for the ones that do not fit people you want to build a relationship with, and call the ones you do.  During one week I converted my $68 dinner out into $1,625.32 in sales commissions.  

The lesson here is opportunity is EVERYWHERE!  Wherever people feel pain, lack success, or are looking for a solution, their willingness to listen to that solution is high.  Please don’t become a shyster or think people only exist for you to profit, that’s just a cruel outlook.  However people are searching for genuine advice to find their own happiness.  You can show them the way once you know where and how to find them.  

Be creative!  Let us know, how do you use your mind to find new ways of reaching out to others?

Best,

Joe

 

Categories: Prospecting · networking
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How to Enjoy Being Lazy Without Feeling Guilty…

April 6, 2008 · Leave a Comment

93.8% of working adults in the United States who make more than $37,000 per year feel guilty for not working more.  72% of adults fear visiting the dentist.  You read this correctly, you and your coworkers would rather suffer through a root canal than have the boss think you are lazy.  Here’s why this thinking doesn’t help anyone, most importantly you :

What’s the point of working a 10 hour day when you waste 4 hours online ‘researching’ the latest news stories?

Would you prefer a 50% increase in productivity, being recognized for your success, and still having more time to share with family, friends, or even just your neglected Labrador Retriever than you currently do?

I scoured the web for some good reading about increasing what you accomplish in less time without feeling bad about spending LESS time on the job.  You can read the article here.

Enjoy!

P.S. People who are honest with themselves are in the top 10% of on the job performers.

P.S.S. Face Time at work has no real correlation to success or happiness.

Categories: Happiness · Professional Development
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