The Best Source for Business Start-Up Information

“Many secrets of art and nature are thought by the unlearned to be magical.” – Francis Bacon About 50 percent of new businesses fail in the first five years, according to the Small Business Administration. But don’t let a scary statistic like that one knock you out of the running. Keep in mind that the…

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A Powerful Persuasion Tool

“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” – Jamie Paolinetti You’ve got a big meeting with a potential client. If you can reel in this one for the company, you’ve been promised a corner office and the bump in salary and perks that go with it.…

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Postcards Are Not Only for Travelers

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt One of the most common reasons that people give for not trying to start a new business is the fear of losing a lot of money. This reason is not foolish. When you’re playing with your financial survival or that of your…

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A Potent Tool to Get People to Do or Say What You Want

“At the end of reasons comes persuasion.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein Imagine that you’re on a lifeboat – and it’s clear that someone has to jump out of the boat or it will sink and everyone will die. Would you volunteer to do it? It’s not hard to imagine that you would. The reason it’s so…

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Monkey See, Monkey Do

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” – Oscar Wilde Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? But that’s not all. In the wild, imitation is the way many animals – particularly primates – develop the skills they need to survive. For…

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An Overlooked Technique of Master Persuaders

“Case by case we find that conformity is the easy way and the path to privilege and prestige; dissidence carries personal costs.” – Noam Chomsky Irving K. shook his head from side to side as he said, “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’d be interested.” Sonny Fredericks nodded with understanding. “I can see why you…

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Perceptual Contrasts

“The processes of perception are inaccessible; only the products are conscious and, of course, it is the products that are necessary.” – Gregory Bateson Before Mitch walked into the car dealership, the one thing he would’ve absolutely bet the farm on was that he would never spend an extra $800 for some nice wheel rims.…

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How to Use the “Theoretical Identity

KS had been with our company for more than two years. She was talented and ambitious, and had made it clear that she hoped to advance. The problem was that she was also headstrong and impulsive. And this led her to make several rash decisions that were severely problematic – the kind of mistakes that…

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