December 28, 2006

Do What You Love and Love What You Do... The Most Basic Human Needs
Can Help You Get What You Want... How to Get the Most from a Credit Card...
How to Turn Media Attention into Cash... and More.

** Do What You Love and Love What You Do
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

A good attitude comes from doing what you love and loving what you do. Do you currently work at a job you detest for a boss who doesn't recognize your capabilities? If you said "yes," then maybe it's time to start doing something you enjoy that has personal meaning to you.

Many people believe that success in business only comes from working one's fingers to the bone at something detestable. After all, doesn't the word "work" conjure up negative connotations?

Many people, when they think of work, think of slaving away, sweating it out, and putting in a lot of hours. Yet work should be thought of as a pleasurable task since it can — and should — give you personal satisfaction. Have you ever thought of deleting the word "job" from your vocabulary and replacing it with the word "opportunity" instead?

If you are committed to opportunity, then waking up to begin your workday should be anything but a chore.

Here's the simple truth: It's actually easier to become successful at work when you do something that you love. When you are consumed with what you are doing, success is bound to happen. When you think of being "middle aged," the words "career change" simply don't spring to mind. Yet, there is an important relationship between the two concepts.

More and more often, those of us who are in our 40s, 50s, and 60s are starting to realize that time is running out and that working for someone else at something we don't like to do isn't worth our while.

Here is an exercise that will help you establish what kind of work suits you best, and once you discover your ideal career path, you can better understand what you need to do in order to accomplish your goals.

On paper, write down your likes and dislikes. After writing out your lists, the next step is to think about your strengths and weaknesses in respect to your abilities. Naturally, liking what you do will complement your unique talents and skills.

If you are passionate about something, then you won't mind devoting the hours it will take to become a success and an expert in your field.

In direct marketing, I have learned to take special notice of how I can scientifically target my message to the basic human needs of other people around me. Why? Because this technique works.

You see, no matter what type of person I’m dealing with, they all react to fulfilling my basic needs. Throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, several theorists, including Abraham Maslow, discussed the hierarchy of basic human needs that motivate people to react to different situations.

He recognized that we all have five basic needs. These are:

You need to commit these needs to knowledge, because if you can scientifically tap into them, you will always be able to deal with people intelligently and rationally in any situation and ultimately get what you want.

Maslow pointed out that until we recognize that we have no deficiencies in these areas, we can’t begin to grow and move to a higher level in any of them. In other words, if someone is deficient in self-respect, he/she must fulfill or meet a sufficient level of self-respect before he/she can change his/her attitude or behavior and elevate him/herself.

This all comes back to self-esteem and true value. I’ve shown you how to improve yours. Now, it’s your turn to influence other people to believe in themselves and get what you want in the process.

If you want to look at it in another way, you must feed the deficiency before you can expect the other person to react positively. We do this in marketing all the time. We sell to the “missing need.”

You see, once you feed a person’s deficiency, then that person will be more open and willing to respond to you. According to Maslow, as we become more self-actualized, we learn how to react in a wide variety of situations. We learn to both connect to others beyond ourselves and to help others find self-fulfillment and recognize their potential.

So, success in terms of understanding each other really is contagious. We rely and depend on each other; when push comes to shove, to contribute to our human behavior and motivation.

In the simplest terms, you are going to learn to feed other people’s base requirements. No, you’re not going to lie your way into people’s lives; you are not going to become manipulative, condescending, or patronizing, either. You are merely going to learn how to recognize a person’s human deficiencies and feed into them in order to get the reaction you want in a way that benefits the both of you in a positive way.

** How to Get the Most from a Credit Card
By Michael Newman, the “Money Finder”

Most likely you’re going to have a credit card or two over the course of your lifetime. Perhaps you have one now for personal use and emergencies, or, as a small business owner, you have one to help you cover your expenses. Regardless of what you’re using the card for, it pays to shop around for the best deals and to know what to look for in a card.

You need to consider a few things including rates, terms and conditions, perks and bonuses, and flexibility. If you’re going to have a credit card, then you might as well get one that can give you something in return for the money you put on it. So, when you’re shopping around for a credit card, think about what you might need or want, as many come with incentives.

For instance, if you’re a frequent traveler, or if you would like to be, then a credit card that offers air mileage would be a great idea. If you happen to own a business, and you travel a lot, then this type of card can actually save you some money when you accumulate trips, because you will eventually be flying to places for free.

Make sure that the card you get is flexible with its travel perks. Be certain that you can use the travel points with most air carriers. Also check if there are any blackout dates as well. It’s also a good idea to look around for a card that allows you to use your miles for travel-related costs such as car rentals and hotels as well. The more perks, the better.

A no-fee card is a good idea. You’re going to pay interest if you keep a balance, so look for a card that doesn’t require you to pay fees. Some cards will offer a lower interest rate in exchange for paying fees, but make sure that you know the fee amount before agreeing to this and determine which is the better deal for you. If you usually pay off your balances right away, then the interest really isn’t that significant and you won’t want to pay the fees.

On that note, you absolutely want to find a card that gives you a long enough interest-free grace period. This is essential. What this means is that if you pay off your balance every month, you will not have to pay any interest on those purchases.

Make sure that you know if there are different rates for regular purchases, transfers, and cash advances. You’ll also want to know if your rate will change at all in the future. There might be an introductory rate and you’ll want to know if the rate is fixed or variable. Also, be sure that the credit card company will inform you prior to any increases occurring.
 
There might be things such as insurance and purchase protection on the card as well, which you will want to know about. Do you have to pay for anything that you don’t want on the card? Make sure that you know about all the possible charges.

If you ask a bank lender if there are cards that will suit your needs, you might be surprised at how helpful they can be. Tell him/her what you want and he/she can probably set you up with the perfect card — but if you never ask you’ll never know.

** How to Turn Media Attention into Cash
By “Miracle” Max McCarri

One of my greatest skills, I’ve been told, is getting people excited about my ideas. In the past, I have managed to turn some of my ideas into major moneymaking ventures. Today, I’m going to share one of my secret weapons with you that can help you get your idea into the hands of wealthy investors.

It’s called “creating a splash” — something that the rich cannot resist doing. You see, when you have something to offer that someone else doesn’t have or hasn’t heard about, it can instantly become a sensation. The best way to get a wealthy investor to hear about your idea is through a media channel.

A media channel is another term that describes a TV station, radio station, or newspaper. Media channels communicate important information to people like you and me on a daily basis. Your goal is to get the attention of a media channel right in your hometown so that they can help turn you into a success story.

You may be thinking that this is impossible to do that the media in your town doesn’t care about what you have to talk about. In fact, the opposite is true. They are always on the lookout for the next big idea or event that will make the cover of their newspaper or the lead story on the six o’clock news radio or television report.

Can you imagine how many people will get to hear about your idea if you manage to get this kind of media attention? And out of all these people, there is bound to be a handful of wealthy individuals who may want to get in on the action. All you have to do is convince the reporter to give you a chance to share your idea with his/her media channel and let the rest take care of itself.

When I was in the publishing business, I used the media to my advantage every time I wanted to get a lot of local attention very quickly. One time, a local TV station called me to fill in a guest spot on the morning news because they had heard I was launching a new business in the area. All I did to get the TV spot was to fax a brief information piece, called a media release, about my new business to the producer of the show.

When I got home that day after the program aired, I had three phone messages from investors who were interested to know more about my business venture. And the media release I sent didn’t cost me a cent.

Getting media attention can have a very powerful influence on how people perceive you and your idea. If you want to make a splash and get a lot of attention very quickly, you have to harness the power of the media.

Investors may see your idea as a moneymaker because the media took an interest to talk about it. That gives you a lot of leverage — and when you have leverage, all eyes could be on you. It puts the ball in your court and makes you very attractive to people with money. So, my advice to you is don’t just talk about your idea, get it out there!