Saturday, June 6, 2009

Let's Start Talking About Money


by: E. K. Teo


Good morning. Let's start talking about money. How to make more money, that is.

I am assuming a few things.

1. You have some money, but want more.

2. You know something about money, but think you want to know more.

3. You know money is important, but true wealth is more than money. And you can feel this.

Now, this newsletter is not going to be very long. It is intended to be so. This article would kick start some ideas inside you and slowly along the way, while we learn and grow together, we reach our destination. If you think that getting rich is "15 minutes away" or "parting with $69", then kindly unsubscribe. However, there is certainly a science (or art) of getting wealthy. And we are going to look at how some rich and wealthy become "who they are".

Again, I am assuming these:

1. You do not have much hope of an inheritance.

2. You do not have much luck at the lotteries.

3. You may not have the chance to marry rich.

Let's begin with a simple concept. Sales. Yes, we hate this word. We loathe to be doing sales. We despise salespeople. I can understand where you are coming from. There are many tools to rich our destination, and I'll explain some of those tools another day. For now, I would like you to concentrate on what exactly makes money.

All of us came to this world with nothing. Technically, we started off at the "same playing field", although some had fathers (or mothers) who had gained advanced foothold. However, we do see people getting rich and wealthy from scratch. I am not suggesting that you will not benefit from networking, far from it, but if you start with little, you have little choice. Or is that so? Maybe, maybe not. Let's see. (I'll cover how to network in another setting.)

Back to sales. Imagine I sell you a pen (or pencil). I am a sales person. I will sell you $X dollars and make $Y profits. Assuming simplicity, $X-$Y would be the cost. I made a profit. Notice the above 5 sentences. It is all about me. Or "I". Nothing about "you". Where do you come into the picture, except that you bought a pen? You bought it because of necessity. You bought it because you needed to write or whatever. You get the point. Do you? Read on.

Base on the reasons that I wrote above, do you think that selling pens would really have a huge profit margin? The $Y would be small, isn't it? How do you really profit? Yes, by adding value. "Function value", I say. Let me illustrate a function value first. If you advertise your pens and explain that the 'function value' of the pens can write me books or bestsellers that will bring me huge economical value, would that reaffirm my decision? No doubt I would not pay more "cash value" than the marketplace, but "function value" is something that you need to provide, to add value to that sale. And the good news is, function value is really up to you imagination.

What do the rich and wealthy have in common to the above "sales talk"? They create value. Let me drum this in. They "invent" value. Who has not used paper to write and post it on the desk or the kitchen door to inform that beer has ran out? Well 3M created the "Post It® Note" and sold millions. Hence, I am not talking about how to sell better, or how to be a better salesman. No doubt these sales skills would be handy, but do you really think that you can outsell and sell to millions worldwide just because you are a good salesman to begin with? Your function value must speak for itself.

With the advent of the Internet, we can have a better chance (note, better and not surefire) to reach out to millions and advertise our function value, whatever that may be. Do kindly digest this before I write to you again. Let your imagination run wild a little. As I said, there are no quick-get-rich-schemes. You have to depend on yourself. But I am here to help and will reveal more opportunities. See you soon.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions, I would try to answer. Thank you

Labels: , ,