Posts by Robert Ringer
Making Ripples
“It takes a man to stand up for what he believes… Especially in a society where everything is supposed to be politically correct.” – Carlos Delgado A few weeks ago, one of the readers of my e-letter sent me an “unsubscribe” e-mail that read: “I am unsubscribing. I really enjoyed reading your letters, until you…
Read MoreDealmaking Empire Builders
“People get caught up in wonderful, eye-catching pitches, but they don’t do enough to close the deal. It’s no good if you don’t make the sale. Even if your foot is in the door or you bring someone into a conference room, you don’t win the deal unless you actually get them to sign on…
Read MoreThings Change
“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” – Robert C. Gallagher Whenever you find yourself anxious or upset about a business or personal situation, it will be remarkably helpful to think about a reality of life that seems to escape people who are under stress: Things change! This reality began to hit home…
Read MoreThe Infrastructure of Life, Part 2
“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.” – Oscar Wilde In part 1 of this article, I made the point that although we live in a rapidly changing world, the changes we witness are changes in form only. The real substance of our universe, and thus of…
Read MoreThe Infrastructure of Life, Part 1
“Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.” [“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”] – Alphonse Karr If you’re familiar with my writing, you know that I’m a proponent of embracing change through action. Homeostasis – the tendency to live with existing conditions and avoid change – is a curse that…
Read MoreThe Desire to Acquire
“Out of need springs desire, and out of desire springs the energy and the will to win.” – Denis Waitley Just the other day, I came across a Time magazine front-cover story on ambition that I’d clipped a while back. Though it possessed many flawed premises and opinions masquerading as facts, it prompted me to…
Read MoreSh** Happens: Succeeding In Spite of Obstacles
“I am bigger than anything that can happen to me. All these things, sorrow, misfortune and suffering, are outside my door. I am in the house and I have the key.” – Charles Lummis At least once or twice a week, I meet someone or see someone on television who really inspires me. A few…
Read MoreMore on Taming Dinosaurs
“With but few exceptions, it is always the underdog who wins through sheer willpower.” – Johnny Weissmuller In my last article for ETR, I told you how Leonard Riggio of Barnes & Noble fame proved that every industry is vulnerable to resourceful entrepreneurs. Today, let’s talk about the similar effect a young upstart named Steve…
Read MoreOn Taming Dinosaurs
“Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.” – George Bernard Shaw Once upon a time, there was a ferocious dinosaur known as Publishsaurus rex who roamed the Earth, devouring everything in its path. Bookstores and authors were especially attractive prey for this carnivorous monster. While…
Read MoreThe Customer-Employee Challenge
“Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.” – Zig Ziglar A waiter in a restaurant forgets your order, doesn’t refill the water, and hurries you through the meal. The furniture store that just delivered your $900…
Read MoreCustomer Service Is a Mindset
“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.” – Henry Ford When I was a kid, telephones and telephone service were synonymous with AT&T. In fact, it was against the law for a person to install his own phone jacks or even use a telephone…
Read MoreThe Power of Active Visualization
“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” – Vince Lombardi As a teenager, my favorite sport (after basketball) was fast-pitch softball. I was a catcher, slow afoot but determined. If you’ve ever played fast-pitch softball, you know that the ball is on top of you so quickly after leaving the pitcher’s hand that you…
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