February 14, 2007

How to Get Cash from Other People's Stuff... Develop a Charisma
That is Universally Appealing... The True Value of Face-to-Face
Communication... and More.

** How to Get Cash from Other People's Stuff
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

My friend Mike and I were chatting this morning about his newfound $25,000 windfall he recently received.

Let me explain...

About 10 years ago, he bought a painting from a store selling contents from old estate sales. Sort of like a flea market, but it's an actual store.

Anyway, he spotted this painting that he and his wife agreed would look nice in their house. They paid $500 for it and brought it home, leaving it in their attic.

They never did get around to hanging it. Years passed, homes were bought and sold, and still this painting sat in storage.

Yesterday, as Mike was on his favorite art web site, he saw a photograph of the same painting that he had bought years ago.

He called the gallery to inquire about his discovery. Seems the painting in the photograph is a lithograph, which is a reproduction of the original.

There were only 350 of them created.

"So where's the original and how much do you think it's worth?" asked Mike coyly to the person at the gallery.

"Its whereabouts are unknown. However, if it were to turn up, it would probably fetch about $25,000," answered the person at the gallery.

Mike hung up the phone, went to the painting has never been hung, and smiled. He has the original.

His next step is to contact the painter to get it verified. If all goes well, he's got himself a nice little windfall... all from a $500 investment!

To conclude Mike's story, this kind of thing actually happens a lot more than you think. A flea market or a contents sale can almost be like the stock market where you can buy low and sell high. You don't have to be an expert; all you need to know is what item to get that could increase in value.

Tomorrow, I'll give you some tips on what to look for and how to increase your chances of taking home a potential treasure chest from a simple flea market!

Think of a powerful person in an organization, perhaps one you have worked for or read about in the media. I guarantee you that this person derived his position of perceived power through (among other things) the recognition and use of his charisma. He had the ability to get things done his way despite the resistance he encountered from people or circumstances around him and thus rose to the top. This person undoubtedly commanded what I like to call "charismatic authority."

These types of people all have one thing in common: the ability to use their interpersonal skills to draw people close to them and gain their full cooperation in every endeavor they pursue.

Charisma is a blend of communicating well, behaving positively, and perhaps most importantly, listening closely to what others around you are saying. I'll speak about methods of communication first.

Do you want people to remember what you say and hang on to your every word? Then you need to have a clear structure every time you speak. What do I mean by this? The structure of your sentences needs to be clear to your audience. The point you are trying to make and the purpose you are trying to achieve must not be mired in rhetoric, excess verbiage, or confusing terminology. Do you ever speak to people who seem to go around in circles when they talk? They confuse you, don't they? And they are not particularly captivating to listen to, either.

When you speak, you must articulate the message you want to get across to your audience. Make sure you use short, concise words and speak in an active voice. I have learned through scientific testing that this works to influence people and help them remember your message. It's not enough to make someone laugh or think you are a good storyteller. You must be able to say things that stick, things that make people feel fulfilled.

The next thing you need to remember when speaking is to make statements that make your audience ask themselves, "why?" or "how?" If you observe some of the great motivational gurus, you will hear them use this technique a lot. They make statements that provoke thought, get their audience interested, enthralled, and interactive.

To be sure, it's not enough just to arouse these emotions — you then need to have answers and illustrations that address each of the anticipated inquiries. You are, in effect, influencing the conversation by simply painting a picture in their mind's eye.

Your body language can also influence people. People around you can spot your mood and your intentions through your posture or even the subtlest facial expressions. A key way to build a strong emotional connection with those around you is through eye contact. The longer and stronger the eye contact is, the more intimacy that is developed as a result.

Watch some of the greatest public speakers or news journal hosts on television and you will see the dynamic presence they command by sharing in consistent eye contact with their audience. It allows others to know when to speak, when to respond, and when to join in.

Our eyes mirror the emotions of our souls. If you watch two professional boxers square off, you will notice that they glare at each other fearlessly in order to establish their champion persona. Long eye contact is an indication of high self-esteem and inner strength. In the business world, strong eye contact can also mean the difference between a successful or a failed sales deal or negotiation.

** The True Value of Face-to-Face Communication
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

You can call me old fashioned, but it seems to me that a lot of businesses are missing out on a key ingredient needed for continued customer loyalty and, in turn, continued success.

That ingredient — one that can really help build a long-lasting relationship -- is the ability for a customer to talk to a real live person either face to face or on the telephone.

I'm sure you've experienced something similar to what happened to me. After I noticed an incorrect charge on a recent bill, I called up my cable company to get the mistake fixed. I was then put through an almost torturous automated system that required me to answer a dozen questions before I could even speak with a customer service representative.

Once I had answered all of their questions, I was told by an automated voice that I was calling outside of regular operating hours and that I would have to call back the next day.

Why I had to go through that entire ordeal and still not get any further to correcting the problem is a complete mystery to me. It makes me wonder how many concerns have turned into full- blown complaints and service cancellations when other people have been subjected to the same treatment I received.

Here's something that you can certainly learn from this huge mistake, so as to keep it from happening to your own business.

Ask yourself if you have you created any inconvenient and unnecessary barriers between you and your customers. Do you always keep the lines of communication open and address the needs of your customers immediately and effectively?

These barriers could be as small as an incomplete answering machine message that doesn't give your business hours and an acceptable time frame for you to return your messages.

This doesn't only apply to businesses that are run from a storefront or from a home office. If you run an online business, you should also consider how easy it is for your customers to have their questions or concerns answered.

The Internet has become an excellent way to expose millions of people to your product or service. And if it's done well, you can certainly increase your profits with online advertising, which can sometimes cost you far less than traditional marketing methods.

However, the more you automate your business, the more you could be further distancing yourself from your target customers.

Running an online business from home may make it difficult for you to have a separate phone number for your business. But if this is something you can do, then by all means you should do it. Make sure to have your number listed in an easy-to-find location and also list the normal hours you are available to take calls.

In the end, you'll find that taking just that little extra time and effort to make your business more accessible will greatly improve the trust you'll build with your customers. And remember that those customers who trust your ability to fulfill their needs will also be more likely to become frequent buyers for a long time to come.