May 16th, 2008 — Money, Business Optimization
I’m watching Jay Abraham’s presentation at the ‘Billion Dollar Weekend’ seminar in Beijing from earlier this year.
Of all people I’ve studied business growth and development from, the one who has made the biggest difference to me is Jay Abraham. I own many of his high priced coaching material, and every single one has made a big multiple back to my business in increased profits.
One of the most profound bits of information Jay has shared with his students is something he calls the ‘Strategy of Pre-Eminence’. It’s a philosophy of doing business that stems from an overwhelming concern for a client’s welfare and best interests.
Over the years, I have heard, read and watched Jay present variations on the ‘Strategy of Pre-Eminence’ at various events and courses - and every single time, one new insight seems to jump out and hit me in the eye!
Yesterday was no different.
For the first time, I realized that not only does the ‘Strategy of Pre-Eminence’ mandate that you NOT sell your clients useless or ineffective stuff - it also directs that you DO sell them EVERYTHING that they require… and not merely cater to their whim and fancy!
Here’s an example.
Suppose you know 6 glasses of water a day is what a person needs to stay healthy and well. If a client walks into your store and asks for 2 glassfuls of water, it is your DUTY to try and sell them on the idea of drinking 6 glasses daily - because you KNOW that is in THEIR best interest!
That realization sparked off flashbulbs in my head. I had been faithfully upholding my responsibility of not directing my clients towards junk products or ‘fad of the day’ stuff that would take away their focus on reaching their stated goals.
But I had not been as enthusiastic or proactive about this other dimension of the ‘Strategy of Pre-Eminence’… giving them ALL that they NEED, not just what they WANT!
Can I force-feed them this stuff? Arm-twist them into buying it all? Manipulate them into it using mind-control tactics?
Maybe, but that would defeat the purpose, violate the ethic of the ‘Strategy of Pre-Eminence’ - because that strategy is a classic example of principle-centric business building and management.
So what’s the key?
Sell them what they want - and sneak in what they need.
It’s going to be my new mantra.
Or more likely, one of many new mantras - because I’m only on Disc #1 of a 12 DVD pack! Methinks the ‘Billion Dollar Seminar’ is going to set my brain on fire!
Want some more Jay Abraham insights for free?
I’m thinking about publishing a new ezine to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from Jay with an online marketing audience, laced and spiced with my own interpretations and twists to applying the broad-based concepts to an online infopreneur business.
If there’s enough interest, I’ll do this more regularly - it all depends upon how many sign up, and then, how many keep reading and respond to the questions and challenges I’ll throw at the end of each issue.
Sign up here if you like the idea - Dr.Mani on Jay Abraham Newsletter
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May 15th, 2008 — Wisdom
Also on my long evening walk today, I had a flash of searing clarity. I realized that it took guts to be happy, contented, satisfied. And to accept it to oneself.
Probably because it is so uncommon, a person who is happy with him/herself is an oddity.
And so, the rest of his or her circle of friends, acquaintances and associates try to make that obvious - and try to drag them back down into the pit of smoldering dissatisfaction that seems to be the norm for many.
It’s hard enough to be happy and content. First, it demands knowledge of what you really want. Then, it requires understanding that you have it - and deserve it.
Because this is so tenuous and unsure, it becomes easy for anyone to question, criticize and ultimately unravel the thin cocoon of happiness you weave around yourself… unless you are bold, confident and even - to a point - arrogant.
Earlier today, I had a conversation with a friend. He was pointing out ways I could do better with my efforts to fund heart surgeries for children. Each involved doing something that would involve a lot of time and effort, for little return.
I smilingly turned down his suggestions, managing not to offend him… while he subtly seemed to indicate I was leaving many children uncared for by doing so.
Thinking back to 10 years ago, when similar behavior might have made me defensive, and therefore abusive and angry, I feel a small thrill of satisfaction at my emotional development over the years.
After all, isn’t that what growing up is all about?
If you haven’t yet read it, my 2 page free report may interest you. It’s called “The Happiness Paradigm” - read it here.
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May 15th, 2008 — Wisdom
On my evening walk today, I bumped into my classmate from medical school. She’s a pediatric oncologist. A medical specialist caring for children battling with that deadliest of diseases - cancer!
She is an intelligent, compassionate and emotionally strong doctor. That’s the only way she could sustain a busy professional schedule in such a stressful specialty for nearly 7 years.
But eventually, the strain became too much.
A few weeks back, she decided to move out. The decision came when her young daughter asked one evening:
“Mummy, have you forgotten how to smile?”
That’s when she realized that the severe emotional burden of caring for terminally ill children had changed her usual vivacious and cheerful nature into one of a shell-shocked veteran.
Yes, doctors die a little bit… every day.
As a heart surgeon treating little children born with heart defects, I find the emotional challenges the hardest part of my work.
It is the most devastating experience to see a young patient succumb to a serious illness. It leaves a caretaker feeling helpless, frustrated, impotent… and angry.
How much potential is lost! Every child that falls prey to these horrible illnesses could have been an Einstein, a Mother Theresa, a Mozart or a Gandhi. The snuffing out of this bright candle plunges everyone in that universe into the coldest darkness.
When a child with congenital heart disease dies, a part of me dies too.
And that’s the most powerful motivator for what I do to help fund expensive, yet life-saving heart surgery through my Children Heart Foundation.
Today, after talking it over with my friend, I had a tiny, faint glimpse into the reason why doctors are larger than life, live in an illusory world of exalted self-esteem.
It’s because they see life from a unique, unusual and different perspective.
And make unreal, unnatural, abnormal adaptations to make sense of the distorted reality that is part of our everyday professional existence.
Allow us our posturing and pretence. We pay a heavy price in exchange - every day.
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May 13th, 2008 — Influence & Attention, Power
Who’s he?
See this - or this - or this!
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May 11th, 2008 — Wisdom
This tale from Egyptian yore may make you think again!
Theodore Davis (1837-1915) was a rich American whose first excavations in the Valley of the Kings (a valley in western Thebes, where nearly all the Egyptian pharaohs from 1524-1070 B.C. were buried) began in 1903.
Davis’s team found many tombs, mostly robbed of their precious contents. However, there were still wall paintings, mummies and less valuable artifacts to study.
In 1912, Davis gave up excavating, sure that there was nothing left to find.
Within about 6 feet of where he stopped work was the entrance to the one tomb in the Valley that had NOT been robbed…
The Tomb of Tutankhamun
Still want to give up?
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May 10th, 2008 — Influence & Attention, Wisdom
Around Christmas time last year, I first heard about an amazing young lady. She was making a difference. And doing it in style.
I was blown away by her ‘25 Days to Make a Difference‘ experiment. Blogged about it. Emailed friends. Told others on forums.
Many other people must have noticed too, because within 24 hours, her blog had received over TEN THOUSAND visitors!
The name of this little rockstar is
Little Laura has since become my friend - and my inspiration.
If you know many school-girls, you’ll also know how fickle and short their attention spans are. My daughter is nine. It’s hard to get her to concentrate on anything for longer than a few hours, or at most, a few days.
Laura hasn’t let the spark set off in December fade away. She has sustained it to become a steady flame that has warmed thousands of hearts - and built a following of equally dedicated youngsters to participate in their own ventures to make a difference, to make the world a nicer place.
On the long walk I took yesterday when I came up with the idea of “My IMPACT Factor” challenge, Laura’s project was what I was thinking about.
As children, we all have dreams. Unreal, perhaps, but certainly ambitious. In the innocence of youth, we are fired by the highest ideals, the worthiest ambitions, the noblest motives.
Sadly, however, we grow up. And somewhere along that path to adulthood, we either lose them or make them secondary to other ‘practical realities’.
“My IMPACT Factor” challenge is your chance to revert to childhood for a little while - in a nice way. To go back to the days when we really believed with all our hearts that we can make a difference.
Because the truth is… WE CAN!
Join the challenge. Make a difference. Change the world.
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May 10th, 2008 — Influence & Attention, Affiliate marketing
I have noticed something about myself.
Yesterday, on a whim, I put together something called “My Impact Factor” Challenge. Within a few short hours, I had posted on forums, blogs, Twitter and sent out email to my list about it.
Why?
There were absolutely NO inhibitions. I felt it was something that would benefit everyone who participates. It would do a lot of good to many people. There was no financial element to it.
So I was sure no one could criticize it on the grounds that a. I was benefiting from it or b. I was just trying to make an extra dollar or two.
Now, I am right in the middle of a ‘dual launch’ - two products about being an infopreneur. One of them is “Think, Write & RETIRE” and the other is a high-ticket home-study program, “The Internet Infopreneur SYSTEM”.
Both are very detailed instruction manuals about turning words into wealth, and the information in the courses will benefit many of the people who decide to buy it.
But every time I think or plan of doing something to build buzz around the launch, my mental brakes slam on!
- Will people object because this is a ‘product’ that I am ’selling’?
- Won’t it look like I’m ‘marketing’, not just ’socializing’?
- Is this the right audience for this kind of information?
And those impact what I do. Most of the time, I choose to NOT proceed. And yet, they call me a ‘marketer’!
What’s wrong with this picture?
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May 9th, 2008 — Wisdom
I learn a lot from my young daughter.
She asks questions that make me think - about things I’ve assumed clarity and certainty. She offers insights that are startling, even shocking. And yesterday, while explaining the difference between ‘empathy’ and ’sympathy’, I had a mini-Aha moment!
Here’s how I explained it.
Sympathy is when you see someone going through a hard time, or suffering pain, or experiencing loss - and say or think to yourself, “Oh, how sad!”
Empathy is when you see that happen, and FEEL that way - because you identify yourself with what they are experiencing.
So empathy is a deeper, more meaningful, and harder to feel emotion than sympathy.
And as I explained this to a 9 year young lady, it struck me that in many years, I hadn’t thought much about this difference!
Sympathy is more superficial, empathy is deep and comes from one’s heart.
And there are some things you simply cannot empathize with except by letting down barriers, feeling deep, searing pain, and taking a leap of imagination to imagine how it might be to be in someone else’s shoes.
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May 8th, 2008 — Social networks
I’ve been thinking about Twittographics (Twitter demographics) for a few days. In fact, ever since I read a few blog posts about the metrics that define the style of Twitter user you are, including this one by Louis Gray.
Twitter being such a versatile tool (or rather such a simple tool that it can be put to such versatile use), there are no doubt going to be many different perspectives about Twitter demographics and how they are defined.
Here’s my viewpoint.
There are 4 variables or parameters to watch.
Following
Followers
Tweets
@ messages
Following
On Twitter, people are following other people. There may be many reasons for following someone. Broadly, they may be classified into 2 groups:
1. Curiosity: You want to see what they’re up to, doing, sharing, and learn from them.
2. Selfishness: By you following THEM, the chances are they will follow YOU back! In fact, there is a certain sub-set of Twitizens who believe it is Twittiquette to follow anyone who is following you. (I do not subscribe to this school of thought, by the way, and even recently slashed my Twitter following for reasons explained in this blog post)
And there’s a sub-group who abuse Reason #2. You’d fall into it by UN-following someone AFTER they have followed you, just so that you can repeat and grow your following!
So obviously, since FOLLOWING is a variable that is completely under the control of every Twitter user, it is purely a reflection of HOW the person uses Twitter.
And for what purpose.
That - and that alone - should determine and influence Following.
But how about ‘Followers’?
Followers
As a veteran of email list publishing, I like Twitter primarily because it offers ‘fast feedback loops’ about your ‘performance’ as a Twitterer.
I once shared my philosophy about tweeting:
“You tweet FOR your ‘Followers’, not AT them!”
Which I translate to mean that your Twitter posts should be geared more at your audience’s (’followers’) needs, wants, expectations and interests than being solely about yourself… that is, a) if you want many followers, and b) are not already a famous celebrity!
On Twitter, people can follow you at the click of a button.
They can UN-follow you just as easily, with another click on REMOVE.
What encourages one and discourages the other is the VALUE your tweets provide them.
And so, in a very real sense, your ‘follower’ count is a more accurate reflection of how interesting, instructive, entertaining, funny, outrageous or remarkable your Twittering is.
Forget this cardinal rule and you’ll soon be tweeting into the ether with no one the wiser (someone somewhere used the apt phrase for this - Twitterbation!)
Tweets
Twitter posts are called ‘tweets’.
And Twitter users tweet for many different reasons.
#1 - Search Engine Ranking: Twitter posts get indexed on Search Engines - often quickly, often high. Don’t trust me - Google ‘drmani’ (no quotes) and see!
#2 - Link lobbing: Works like a charm as long as the links add value to your followers, and are not merely attempts at driving traffic to your site/blog
#3 - Communication and relationship building: Involves extensive use of @ messages. Twitter is wonderful at this, beats the socks off email! We’ll get into this later.
#4 - Announcements. Like notifications about a new blog post or updates to a site or a sale, launch, discount or special offer. This style of tweeting can even be automated, and delivered through RSS feed integration.
#5 - Pitching: Tweets are also (ab)used for constantly delivering marketing pitches. I personally feel this is a poor use of such a versatile platform, but hey - different strokes for different folks, right?!
#6 - Ego boosts. These tweets are characterized by name dropping, and vanity tweeting (the “See how smart I am!” or “Don’t you simply envy me?” kind)
#7 - Wasting time. Stuff you do while you can’t do anything else. Like while waiting for plane, or stuck in traffic. Drivel delivered at spinal level. Stuff that makes me go: “Who the #$@%# CARES?!” Still, it’s a big world 
Unfortunately, though, most first-time Twitter watchers see this last kind of post and wonder whatever could be special about Twitter as a service!
Poor them, if they let this make them decide to leave without exploring further, right?
@ Messages
I mentioned ‘communication and relationship building’ in the list above.
@ messages are one of the 2 ways to communicate directly with individuals on Twitter, like calling out their name across a crowded room.
For instance, if you want to get my attention on Twitter, you would post a message @drmani
Such one-on-one communication also allows network building and relationship nurturing even on an apparently over-cluttered community.
(The other option, of course, is Direct Messaging, which is private)
Twitter users with a high proportion of @ tweets are obviously socializing - engaging in conversation, debate or argument with individuals, or calling out and addressing them directly, as opposed to ‘broadcasting’ to their entire group of ‘followers’.
Defining Twitizens - The Role of Twittographics
Given the diversity of combinations when you mix and match the different possibilities, even within these limited 4 variables, it’s obvious that defining the type of Twitizen you are based on Twittographics is going to be a tough, uncertain and error-prone task.
Take the measure of ‘tweets per follower‘ as an example. A ratio of less than 1.0 would no doubt define a user as a ‘listener’.
But it’s harder to say definitely that a ratio of 2.0 to 5.0 makes a ‘conversationalist’ (unless we know for sure what fraction of tweets are @ messages) or that a ratio of more than 5.0 characterizes a ‘megaphone’ (since most, or even all of the tweets could be one-on-one communications with followers).
Another fallacy of using such a metric as ‘updates per follower’ to define a Twitter user lies in the fact that if you have more followers, you are naturally going to drop back on the ratio - unless you spend hours daily tweeting!
For instance, I have over 800 followers. To maintain a ‘tweets per follower’ ratio of 1.0, I’ll have to tweet 800+ times! And what happens if my ‘followers’ number increases much further? Who has that much time, right? Not me, for sure.
So then, will I become a ‘listener’? Not really, because I only follow 40 people or less on Twitter!
I use Twitter to engage and network with people, do it quickly and informally, and keep frequently churning my ‘following’ list depending on what catches my fancy at the moment. Over 80% of all my tweets are @ messages, indicating this style of Twitter usage.
And by having @ messages open from anyone, I can participate in conversations with anyone who sends an @drmani tweet.
So tweet frequency has little sanctity as a Twittographic metric to define the kind of Twitter user you are.
Just like any 2-way communication tool or service, Twitter following is a reflection of implicit promise and perceived value. When the ‘match’ is right, frequency becomes simply a side issue!
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May 8th, 2008 — Money, Affiliate marketing
They both live in Japan. Are really nice guys. And are my friends.
Yet they are in a conspiracy!
It’s a conspiracy with far-reaching potential for change.
No longer will hapless innocents fall prey to the rapacious ravages
of a horde of ruthless blood-suckers!
Have I piqued your curiosity?
Now read about the conspiracy - and how you can avoid becoming a victim.
Download the Expose - click here (PDF file, 0.57 MB)
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