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| Roy Prevost News - February 2011 |
Coming Changes in our Lives
Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them, but ready or not,
here they come!
- The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the Post Office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
- The Cheque. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with cheques by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process cheques. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the cheque. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
- The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered printed edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
- The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
- The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.
- Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates simply self-destruct. Over 40% of the music purchased today are "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
- Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of their misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.
- The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or hand held device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
- Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7 "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again. All we will have that can't be changed are Memories.
Something to think about... Most of these changes are already taking place and the outcome is set in stone.
If you want to experience an amazing look back at the history of technology, then this 13 minute video about IBM will give you a glimpse of how far we have come.
Why do some people have more business than they can possibly handle - while others just scrape by? One reason is because they have the ability to make people WANT to do business with them. How do you develop that kind of personality? That's the subject of this article by Bob Bly.
12 Ways to Get People to Want to Do Business With You
All of us are born with a certain amount of charisma - but some people have a special kind. They have what I call a "magnetic selling personality." In other words, others not only feel drawn to them and want to have a relationship with them... they also want to do business with them.
A lucky few are born salesmen, with the natural ability to make people buy whatever it is they're selling - be it a product or an idea. But what about the rest of us? Can we learn how to do that?
Absolutely. I can think of at least a dozen things that you can do to develop this skill.
- People tend to do business with people they like. So, behave in a way that makes you likable. Be polite and patient. Avoid being crude, rude, gruff, or impatient. That sort of thing.
- People are attracted to people who keep their word. So when you make a promise, do exactly what you promised, by the deadline you promised - or sooner.
- People are attracted to people whom they believe have their best interests at heart. They know you have their best interests at heart when they hear you give them advice that benefits them the most, in spite of the fact that you won't make any money by doing so.
- People are attracted to people they believe are experts in their fields - the "gurus." To use this principle, first you need to actually become a leading expert in your field through practice, research, training, education, and study. Then, do things (such as writing articles and books or giving speeches) that demonstrate your expertise to others, including potential customers.
- People are attracted to people who are honest, ethical, and aboveboard. So why lie in your marketing (and elsewhere) when telling the truth is so much more effective at getting you business?
- People are attracted to people who are physically attractive, or at least not physically repulsive. So eat right. Exercise. Stay fit. Be well-groomed. Dress well. And pay attention to your personal hygiene.
- People are attracted to people who seem "real" -- meaning they seem to be just regular folks. The best way to establish rapport and begin a relationship is to be cordial, friendly, and genuinely interested in the other person. Instead of talking about yourself, ask him questions -- about his company, his job, his industry, even his family and hobbies.
- People are attracted to people who listen - and really hear what they are saying. Remember the old cliche: You have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk. Actually, for best results, you should spend 80% of any conversation listening and talk only 20% of the time.
- People are attracted to people who are like them. The trick here is to establish one thing you have in common with the other person - golf, kids, pets - and allow that to grow and cement the bond between you.
- People are attracted to people who are humble. So don't be a braggart. And never discuss how much money you make with your customer. Reason: If it's less than he makes, he may think you are not successful; if it's more, he may feel you are making too much money because of the high prices you charge.
- People are attracted to people who seem busy and successful. That's why you should never tell a prospect that things are slow and you really need orders. Think about doctors. You don't like waiting for the doctor - but how would you feel if you walked into his office during hours and found it empty? Wouldn't you be wondering how good he is if he has no patients? Wouldn't you feel more assured if the waiting room was packed with patients waiting to see him? Of course.
- People are attracted to other people (as well as companies and products) that make their lives easier and save them time. They also prefer to deal with people who are flexible and accommodating, not rigid and difficult. And they hate it when you waste their time, although they are not terribly concerned about wasting yours.
Bottom line: Concentrate on developing these twelve characteristics of a "magnetic selling personality" until they come as naturally and easily as driving a car or tying your shoe. When you master them, I predict that you will attract at least twice as many prospects, close at least twice as many sales, and earn at least twice the income you make today.
Hope this helps!
To your success,
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