Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Following A Goal Setting Program
Dear ETR reader, Back in January I wrote you about ETR’s editor Charlie. He was new on the job and working as hard as he could – but still felt overwhelmed. It’s not surprising… my philosophy is to have new hires “hit the ground running”. Among other things, it let’s me see what they’re…
Read MoreWant Better Kids? Stop Chauffeuring Them Around!
My wife and I were once “abusive” to our children. It occurred in the early years of our parenting. Convinced that we could raise the perfect children, we spent almost all our spare time enrolling them in educational and sporting activities, chauffeuring them around to their various lessons and practices, and then cheering them on…
Read MoreHomeowner’s Insurance: Are You Getting What You Think You Paid For?
Your policy says you’re covered for various damages, but today’s homeowner’s insurance is actually nothing more than disaster relief…and if you believe otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll regret it. In the current fickle insurance market, even if you file only for smaller claims, you run a very real risk of getting cancelled. So…
Read MoreHow To Make Your Important, Long-Term, Business Relationships Work
In a recent ETR message, I complained about Ann’s handwriting and her somewhat casual method of keeping track of tasks. Needless to say, she was not a happy camper. “I can’t imagine in what possible way that message could benefit either of us,” she said. “Now all the important people you deal with, the people…
Read MoreBecome A Freelance Expert to Earn A Second Income
Dear ETR reader, Did you know you can make $100 an hour or more – simply by becoming a specialist in an area you’re already knowledgeable about in general? For example, if you’re a plumber or a cook or a computer programmer, you can generate a significantly higher income by teaching others your “insider techniques”…
Read MoreStuck in a Rut? Join the Peace Corps
“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.” – Frank Herbert From 1975 to 1977, I lived in Chad, Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. It was a good time in my life. I learned to speak French, made a few lifelong friends, and gained a perspective on the world…
Read MoreHow Successful People Use Their Spare Time
Jack and Jill live in the same apartment building and work in the same office. They both wake up at 7 a.m., shower, have breakfast, and get to work by 8 a.m. It is at this point that their habits diverge. From 8:00 until 9:00 (when the rest of the workers come into the office),…
Read MoreBuy A Car, Not A Financial Burden
If you’re looking to buy a new car, you might be offered a longer and “cheaper” loan. Don’t be suckered in — it’s bad business all the way around. I know it doesn’t sound that serious, but consider this: According to Edmunds.com, 40% of new-car buyers owe more money on their trade-ins than the…
Read MoreYou Always Have Choices
I do my TV watching in hotel rooms. On a typical business trip, I’ll put in two solid hours a night clicking compulsively, looking for ever-greater doses of stimulation. Most of the time, it’s a big waste — which reinforces my decision and determination not to let a TV set into my home Almost always,…
Read More“Poaching” Employees: How To, When To
A talented young executive (let’s call him “Ralph”), having had, perhaps, a bit too much to drink at a business function, admitted to the manager of a different division of his company that he was not entirely happy with his situation and was unsure about his future. Within a week, the manager approached Ralph and…
Read MoreRaise and Resolve Your Customer’s Main Objection
A necessary but often-overlooked technique for making your advertising work is to expose and eliminate your customers’ fears and objections. Every product or service has both benefits and drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks can make an otherwise good customer shy away from a purchase. Rather than ignore the drawbacks and hope your prospects will ignore…
Read MoreCharlie’s Personal Productivity Problem
Ann, the executive who runs most of my businesses as well as my personal schedule, has so far refused all of my pleas to follow the ETR personal planning and productivity systems. She is very happy, she tells me, with her pad of lined paper and her scribbled notes (which even a pharmacist couldn’t decipher).…
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