How To Be A Good No 2
“Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland I learned nothing about business while I was growing up and didn’t have much money. But I was eager to learn and worked hard — and those two qualities made me an excellent…
READ MOREThe Easiest Way I Know of to Make a Ton of Money
A joint venture is a business deal in which you and one or more other people join forces to make some bucks. Usually, joint ventures are for a specified purpose and period of time. Sometimes, they have broader purposes and last for years. Let me give you an example. KY…
READ MOREHow Hard Do You Have To Work…Really?
I grew up in a family of 10 people in a small house across the street from the railroad tracks. Every night for several years, I had the same dream: coming back to the schoolyard I played in, chauffeured in a stretch limousine, dressed in a white tuxedo, and carrying…
READ MOREIf Your Deadlines Are Often Unmet, Blame Yourself
“You are strong and you can be tough,” I told JC. “That’s good. But you have to recognize that your approach is wrong.” She started to defend herself: “You wouldn’t be complaining to me if your deadlines were being met. I know that my people are …” I stopped her.…
READ MORELet Your Great People Make Mistakes
CL and I were talking about GN. I had said that I thought he had great potential and could play a major role in her company. “Yes, but he’s got a lot to learn about marketing,” she said. “We are always arguing about how to price and position products.” She…
READ MOREWhat To Do When Someone’s Badmouthing You
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell A consultant for AGP told one of its publishers, “If I were MMF’s partner and he did that with my company, I’d take him out to the woodshed.” He didn’t say it directly to me — and I…
READ MOREWhy You Must “Prove” Everything You Say in Your Advertising — And How To Do It
The fact is, everything you yourself say in your sales messages will be viewed with skepticism. But what other people say about you and your company will be about 100 times more believable. Consider infomercials. Why do you think they have all those people popping up every few minutes singing…
READ MOREA One-Hour, Six-Month Plan That Will Make Superstars of Your Better-Than-Average Workers
If you want to get the most out of your employees, challenge the best of them to do even better. Focusing energy and time on the bad apples is a waste of time. The middling group will improve when they see the star performers improve. That’s the ETR philosophy. Here’s…
READ MOREHow To Take A Relaxing Vacation
Three things will make any vacation stressful: 1. worrying about your job while you are gone 2. having to handle crises on the phone 3. fearing the inbox when you return Here?s how to solve those problems and enjoy your time off worry-free. * Block out the vacation days on…
READ MOREForget Most of What You Think You Know About Feng Shui: Here Are The Essentials for a Productive Place of Business
I tried to believe. I really did. But half of what I read about feng shui seemed totally loony. So, once again, I’m going to rely on the benefit of 52 years of experience. Here’s the “ETR shui” on setting up a good office/studio. First, some observations and conclusion: *…
READ MOREFive Ways to Fight Back If You Are Turned Down for a Raise
“Raise your sail one foot and you get 10 feet of wind.” – Chinese proverb I’ve never been turned down for a raise, but I have had the awkward duty of declining raises to dozens of people. Most of them simply sulked and disappeared. But a few of them…
READ MOREThere Are No Insurmountable Obstacles for Someone with the True Entrepreneurial Spirit
Twering Gyalzen (whose grandfather was one of the native Nepalese who carried equipment and supplies for Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they conquered Mount Everest in 1953) is determined to set up an Internet café at the base camp of the world’s highest mountain. Among the problems he…
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