NLP Practitioner Training- An Insight Into The Course Contents
By: Gemma Bailey
People Building is an NLP and Hypnotherapy Training company based in South East England specialising in courses in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire at NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner and Hypnotherapy Diploma level. All of our trainings are accredited by appropriate awarding bodies.
In this article, I am going to discuss some of the course content and explanation of the NLP Practitioner course.
An understanding of the Mind- Body connection – In short, when you think about something, chemicals are released in your body. The chemicals that are released will affect your mood and therefore how your body is feeling, for example, if you think about something that makes you really nervous, you could end up giving yourself an upset stomach. Likewise, the body is connected to your mind, so if you exercise your body, happy chemicals are released and your head feels a happier place to be.
Understand and read body language – In NLP we read body language using calibration. This means that we first get an understanding of what a particular gesture, posture of expression mean, then when we later see the same person making that gesture, posture or expression, we know that they are probably feeling the same way as when we saw them do it last. Calibration is important because it stops us from generalising about what a person is feeling. For example, we may generalise that when a person crosses their arms, that they are being defensive, but they may just be feeling chilly!
NLP Presuppositions which positively influence your world – These are a list of convenient beliefs that encourage you to consider the impact your communication has on others, and how to treat every result and behaviour as positive, as far as is humanly possible.
Enter someone else’s world for greater understanding of others – Often we are so trapped in our own idea of life, that we forget that others are constantly having a completely different experience of life to the one we are having. NLP teaches us how to understand and respect another person’s perspective.
Communicate effectively – Everyone is experiencing the world in a different way, and part of the reason why this happens is because people use their senses in different ways. Some people rely more on their vision, others on their hearing. When a person has a sensory preference this impacts upon the way they understand information and the way they communicate. Using NLP techniques we are able to get onto another person’s wavelength and communicate more elegantly.
Have better rapport and quickly gain a connection with others – People like people like themselves, and when you have good rapport with someone, you unconsciously mirror each other’s physiology. By understanding how to use this skill, we are able to quickly gain rapport, and break it when we no longer wish to have it.
About The Author
Gemma Bailey
People Building is a self development and improvement company specialising in NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner and Hypnotherapy Diploma training Courses. They are based in South East England, UK and run their trainings throughout Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. All of their trainings are accredited by appropriate NLP and Hypnotherapy awarding bodies. http://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Your Magic Sales Goals
Setting and Exceeding Sales Goals through Key Performance Indicators (KPI) by: Jeff Hardesty
What's your Magic Number? The most successful businesses — and certainly, sales departments — have identified their Key Performance Indicators (KPI); individual gateways that directly effect the outcome of a particular process. Then they measure the competency ratios in line with them. Have you identified the KPIs in your sales process? A good KPI example in the sales process might be how many times you advance the first sales appointment to the next phase, whether that’s a demonstration, a site visit, a survey or a proposal. Another KPI is how many times you gain a new customer once the first gateway is passed. And when you do gain a new customer, what’s the average revenue you achieve? That’s certainly an important KPI. Because if your average revenue per sale is 40% less than the average peer KPI, you might want to find out why and take focused action to improve it, as you’re leaving money on the table. And what about the length of a sales cycle in days? Is that conditional or do you have a degree of control over it? If you have a team member that has an average sales cycle 30% shorter than the peer group, uncover and assimilate those best practices out to the rest of the sales team. Less time, more results. That makes ‘Sales Cycle’ a valuable KPI. On a practical level, KPIs can provide management prospect reactions to their service offering for feedback to marketing and product development, detect problem areas in sales performance and signal the need for strategic or tactical modifications — even an all-out intervention through pinpoint sales performance training. Perhaps the most overlooked KPI is the individual ‘Magic number’; how many new weekly sales opportunities must be generated based on neighboring KPI’s. Think of the magic number as the fuel in your gas tank needed to get from point A to point B. It’s directly proportional to how far a distance, how fast you drive and your average miles per gallon. Your sales process ‘Magic number’ is a derivative of your average revenue per sale, 1st appointment to poroposal ratio, closing ratio and revenue goal. It’s your ‘Activity barometer’ and it should be at 100%. The following are some tips for improving several sales process KPI’s. If your current 1st Appointment to Proposal ratio is below 65%: 1. Internally define what your ‘Next step’ objective of the 1st appointment is; a demo, a site visit, a survey or a proposal. Then train to a process and measure the outcome. 2. Decide to start at the ‘Top’ with the fiscal authority that can ‘Call the shots’. 3. Avoid ‘Selling’ your product on the 1st appointment. Instead, outline your diagnostic steps to evaluate the fit between your solutions parallel to their business objectives. If your current Closing ratio is below 65%: 1. Ask pertinent questions to what the Prospect Company’s decision-making process is, what the internal criteria for change is and what players need to be involved for evaluation. 2. Communicate a timeline and set a specific date for the 2nd appointment before leaving the 1st appointment. Encourage that all management players be present at the next appointment. 3. Catalog risk factors for each management player and develop strategies, tactics, and tools for direct communication to them. 4. Have relevant industry and title reference letters available for ‘Real-time’ credibility. If your current ‘Activity barometer’ is below 100%: 1. Announce the Competency of converting conversations to appointments as a Key performance Indicator for sales success. 2. Define an appointment setting training objective and set a realistic goal. 3. Develop a training process in line with prospecting scenarios and best practice communications. 4. Don’t sell your ‘Widget’; sell the Business reason to meet. 5. Partner with technology to transfer best prospecting practices into ‘Intellectual capital’ promotion throughout your sales society. Ultimately, sales trainers and management should work in concert to create a new culture by replacing random sales routines with specific KPI competency training. Targeted and timely KPI training can make a critical difference to your monthly revenue scorecard. In today’s high sales performance culture migrate away from monthly and quarterly ‘Quota’ focus to daily routines and weekly goals. The opportunity rests squarely on switching paradigms from the required ‘End result’ to the necessary steps (KPIs) to get there routinely. Then build supporting tools for learning and application. And don’t forget your ‘Magic Number’.
About The Author
Jeff Hardesty is a National sales speaker, Sales performance improvement consultant and the Developer of the X2 Sales System®, a blended sales prospecting training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting targeted C-level business appointments. Jeff can be reached at jeff@convertmoresales.com.
What's your Magic Number? The most successful businesses — and certainly, sales departments — have identified their Key Performance Indicators (KPI); individual gateways that directly effect the outcome of a particular process. Then they measure the competency ratios in line with them. Have you identified the KPIs in your sales process? A good KPI example in the sales process might be how many times you advance the first sales appointment to the next phase, whether that’s a demonstration, a site visit, a survey or a proposal. Another KPI is how many times you gain a new customer once the first gateway is passed. And when you do gain a new customer, what’s the average revenue you achieve? That’s certainly an important KPI. Because if your average revenue per sale is 40% less than the average peer KPI, you might want to find out why and take focused action to improve it, as you’re leaving money on the table. And what about the length of a sales cycle in days? Is that conditional or do you have a degree of control over it? If you have a team member that has an average sales cycle 30% shorter than the peer group, uncover and assimilate those best practices out to the rest of the sales team. Less time, more results. That makes ‘Sales Cycle’ a valuable KPI. On a practical level, KPIs can provide management prospect reactions to their service offering for feedback to marketing and product development, detect problem areas in sales performance and signal the need for strategic or tactical modifications — even an all-out intervention through pinpoint sales performance training. Perhaps the most overlooked KPI is the individual ‘Magic number’; how many new weekly sales opportunities must be generated based on neighboring KPI’s. Think of the magic number as the fuel in your gas tank needed to get from point A to point B. It’s directly proportional to how far a distance, how fast you drive and your average miles per gallon. Your sales process ‘Magic number’ is a derivative of your average revenue per sale, 1st appointment to poroposal ratio, closing ratio and revenue goal. It’s your ‘Activity barometer’ and it should be at 100%. The following are some tips for improving several sales process KPI’s. If your current 1st Appointment to Proposal ratio is below 65%: 1. Internally define what your ‘Next step’ objective of the 1st appointment is; a demo, a site visit, a survey or a proposal. Then train to a process and measure the outcome. 2. Decide to start at the ‘Top’ with the fiscal authority that can ‘Call the shots’. 3. Avoid ‘Selling’ your product on the 1st appointment. Instead, outline your diagnostic steps to evaluate the fit between your solutions parallel to their business objectives. If your current Closing ratio is below 65%: 1. Ask pertinent questions to what the Prospect Company’s decision-making process is, what the internal criteria for change is and what players need to be involved for evaluation. 2. Communicate a timeline and set a specific date for the 2nd appointment before leaving the 1st appointment. Encourage that all management players be present at the next appointment. 3. Catalog risk factors for each management player and develop strategies, tactics, and tools for direct communication to them. 4. Have relevant industry and title reference letters available for ‘Real-time’ credibility. If your current ‘Activity barometer’ is below 100%: 1. Announce the Competency of converting conversations to appointments as a Key performance Indicator for sales success. 2. Define an appointment setting training objective and set a realistic goal. 3. Develop a training process in line with prospecting scenarios and best practice communications. 4. Don’t sell your ‘Widget’; sell the Business reason to meet. 5. Partner with technology to transfer best prospecting practices into ‘Intellectual capital’ promotion throughout your sales society. Ultimately, sales trainers and management should work in concert to create a new culture by replacing random sales routines with specific KPI competency training. Targeted and timely KPI training can make a critical difference to your monthly revenue scorecard. In today’s high sales performance culture migrate away from monthly and quarterly ‘Quota’ focus to daily routines and weekly goals. The opportunity rests squarely on switching paradigms from the required ‘End result’ to the necessary steps (KPIs) to get there routinely. Then build supporting tools for learning and application. And don’t forget your ‘Magic Number’.
About The Author
Jeff Hardesty is a National sales speaker, Sales performance improvement consultant and the Developer of the X2 Sales System®, a blended sales prospecting training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting targeted C-level business appointments. Jeff can be reached at jeff@convertmoresales.com.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Creating Wealth in a Home Based Business
by: Nicole Matoushek MPH, PT
Reasons Why to Work Out of the Home
The benefits of home business are many; more family time, freedom of time, no commute and endless opportunities to take charge of your destination. Once you make the decision to move from a traditional work setting to operate a home based business, such as network marketing, you need to improve or guarantee the likelihood that you will succeed. Success, in anything requires focus, this means learning, studying and practicing proven ways in order to make the success of your business a predictable outcome. There are ways to ensure your success, read on to learn how.
Network Marketing is Booming
The employment landscape in the United States is changing. Gone are the retirement and pension plans. Gone is the paradigm of job security. Did you know that companies everywhere are downsizing? They are either going virtual or moving work offshore, eliminating jobs in all industries. Despite this trend in employment conditions and change in workforce paradigm, the annual income for Americans has increased from $13 trillion in 1991 to $40 trillion in 2001. Many experts attribute this growth due to the increase in home based business, primarily network marketing. In home based business and network marketing, the opportunities come with many benefits. Many people are moving into home based businesses, either to supplement income, allow for more time at home with family or to create a new career. Often times these ventures do not require specialized degrees or skills, anyone can learn how to do network marketing, and these businesses are opportunities for those from all walks of life. Anyone can take advantage of these opportunities. One of the biggest advantages of home based business is the fact that one can create multiple streams of income and thus the earning potential can become limitless. In traditional work settings, where an employee merely trades his or her time for money, the employee's earning potential is capped based on how many hours they have in one day. You cannot create more time. On the other hand, with network marketing and home based businesses, one has the ability to multiply their time and their profits by creating multiple streams of income or affiliate program relationships. This is in part how to create great success and wealth. Home based businesses and network marketing ventures are redefining how business is conducted across the country and the globe.
Want more proof that network marketing is here to stay and a growing home based business solution for many who are seeking more wealth and freedom? Fortune magazine describes network marketing as “An industry with steady annual growth, healthy cash flows, high returns on invested capital and long term prospects for global expansion.” Network marketing has grown more than 91 percent since 1997 and provides over $30 billion in income for Americans and $100 billion in income for individuals all over the globe. Each week nearly 300,000 individuals from all over the world enter into the home based, network marketing business arena. Many experts recognize the potential for improved quality of life, an opportunity to follow life’s passions and in many cases to accrue tremendous wealth.
So how does one learn how to get into home based work or network marketing? And how does one improve the likelihood of success and the creation of not only wealth, but of all of one’s dreams? The answer is easy. Learn, study and practice the Secret Science to Getting Rich.
Guarantee your Success
Did you know that according to Robert Kiyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” that 90% of all new businesses fail within the first five years? Additionally, statistics show that 90% of that 10% that survived the first five years fail before they reach ten? So how do you guarantee yourself that you are part of that 1% of all businesses that succeed after 10 years? You can do it. Anyone can, success and becoming wealthy comes down to a science, a science with a predictable outcome. Those who succeed and become wealthy know something. They understand something. They know the Secret Science to Getting Rich. You can learn it too and guarantee that you are in the elite 1% group, http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com
Secret Science to Getting Rich
Secret Science to Getting Rich Have you heard of the DVD called "the Secret"? The Secret uses transformational learning so that the audience actually internalizes the concepts and adopts that way of thinking as their way of being. The movie has a central theme called "the Law of Attraction". The law of attraction states that what we think about, we bring about, our thoughts manifest into our life experience. In fact, the movie itself was inspired by this very same law when the producer read a book called "the Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D. Wattles. This book was written in 1910. Little did Wallace know how he would transform the thinking of the world, 100 years later! The law of attraction states that we create our reality, both good and bad! Have you created a reality of wealth?
Following on the success of the Secret, the core teachers - namely Bob Proctor and Jack Canfield have collaborated to produce a wealth building program called "the Secret Science of Getting Rich Seminar". This program is based on the book that inspired the movie and is set to make history as the fastest selling personal development program in history. The Secret Science to Getting Rich allows people to learn, with predictable results, how to create wealth, and doing so from a home based business!
What is the Science of Getting Rich about? Well in the words of Wallace D. Wattles, "The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law, like gravity or polarity, that like causes always produce like effects. There are predictable outcomes. Therefore, any man or woman who studies and practices this science will infallibly get rich." The Science of Getting Rich is all about teaching how to do things in this "certain" way to create wealth.
Learn, study and master the Secret Science to Getting Rich, http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com and you will get rich. Learn how to apply this science, to build your business and guarantee that you attract success and wealth. When you do this, you will find your self in the top 1% of all businesses, you will have a 10 year anniversary party!
About The Author
Nicole Matoushek, MPH, PT has 15 years of experience in clinical managed care and disability management. She is founder of http://ErgoRehabinc.com. She has authored two books "Acquired Hope: A Journey of Advanced Recovery and Empowerment" and "365 Days of Abundant Hope" both available on http://www.acquiredhope.com . She is inspired by http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com. Nicole is passionately dedicated to helping others succeed in obtaining abundant health, wealth and a fuller life!
Reasons Why to Work Out of the Home
The benefits of home business are many; more family time, freedom of time, no commute and endless opportunities to take charge of your destination. Once you make the decision to move from a traditional work setting to operate a home based business, such as network marketing, you need to improve or guarantee the likelihood that you will succeed. Success, in anything requires focus, this means learning, studying and practicing proven ways in order to make the success of your business a predictable outcome. There are ways to ensure your success, read on to learn how.
Network Marketing is Booming
The employment landscape in the United States is changing. Gone are the retirement and pension plans. Gone is the paradigm of job security. Did you know that companies everywhere are downsizing? They are either going virtual or moving work offshore, eliminating jobs in all industries. Despite this trend in employment conditions and change in workforce paradigm, the annual income for Americans has increased from $13 trillion in 1991 to $40 trillion in 2001. Many experts attribute this growth due to the increase in home based business, primarily network marketing. In home based business and network marketing, the opportunities come with many benefits. Many people are moving into home based businesses, either to supplement income, allow for more time at home with family or to create a new career. Often times these ventures do not require specialized degrees or skills, anyone can learn how to do network marketing, and these businesses are opportunities for those from all walks of life. Anyone can take advantage of these opportunities. One of the biggest advantages of home based business is the fact that one can create multiple streams of income and thus the earning potential can become limitless. In traditional work settings, where an employee merely trades his or her time for money, the employee's earning potential is capped based on how many hours they have in one day. You cannot create more time. On the other hand, with network marketing and home based businesses, one has the ability to multiply their time and their profits by creating multiple streams of income or affiliate program relationships. This is in part how to create great success and wealth. Home based businesses and network marketing ventures are redefining how business is conducted across the country and the globe.
Want more proof that network marketing is here to stay and a growing home based business solution for many who are seeking more wealth and freedom? Fortune magazine describes network marketing as “An industry with steady annual growth, healthy cash flows, high returns on invested capital and long term prospects for global expansion.” Network marketing has grown more than 91 percent since 1997 and provides over $30 billion in income for Americans and $100 billion in income for individuals all over the globe. Each week nearly 300,000 individuals from all over the world enter into the home based, network marketing business arena. Many experts recognize the potential for improved quality of life, an opportunity to follow life’s passions and in many cases to accrue tremendous wealth.
So how does one learn how to get into home based work or network marketing? And how does one improve the likelihood of success and the creation of not only wealth, but of all of one’s dreams? The answer is easy. Learn, study and practice the Secret Science to Getting Rich.
Guarantee your Success
Did you know that according to Robert Kiyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” that 90% of all new businesses fail within the first five years? Additionally, statistics show that 90% of that 10% that survived the first five years fail before they reach ten? So how do you guarantee yourself that you are part of that 1% of all businesses that succeed after 10 years? You can do it. Anyone can, success and becoming wealthy comes down to a science, a science with a predictable outcome. Those who succeed and become wealthy know something. They understand something. They know the Secret Science to Getting Rich. You can learn it too and guarantee that you are in the elite 1% group, http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com
Secret Science to Getting Rich
Secret Science to Getting Rich Have you heard of the DVD called "the Secret"? The Secret uses transformational learning so that the audience actually internalizes the concepts and adopts that way of thinking as their way of being. The movie has a central theme called "the Law of Attraction". The law of attraction states that what we think about, we bring about, our thoughts manifest into our life experience. In fact, the movie itself was inspired by this very same law when the producer read a book called "the Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D. Wattles. This book was written in 1910. Little did Wallace know how he would transform the thinking of the world, 100 years later! The law of attraction states that we create our reality, both good and bad! Have you created a reality of wealth?
Following on the success of the Secret, the core teachers - namely Bob Proctor and Jack Canfield have collaborated to produce a wealth building program called "the Secret Science of Getting Rich Seminar". This program is based on the book that inspired the movie and is set to make history as the fastest selling personal development program in history. The Secret Science to Getting Rich allows people to learn, with predictable results, how to create wealth, and doing so from a home based business!
What is the Science of Getting Rich about? Well in the words of Wallace D. Wattles, "The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law, like gravity or polarity, that like causes always produce like effects. There are predictable outcomes. Therefore, any man or woman who studies and practices this science will infallibly get rich." The Science of Getting Rich is all about teaching how to do things in this "certain" way to create wealth.
Learn, study and master the Secret Science to Getting Rich, http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com and you will get rich. Learn how to apply this science, to build your business and guarantee that you attract success and wealth. When you do this, you will find your self in the top 1% of all businesses, you will have a 10 year anniversary party!
About The Author
Nicole Matoushek, MPH, PT has 15 years of experience in clinical managed care and disability management. She is founder of http://ErgoRehabinc.com. She has authored two books "Acquired Hope: A Journey of Advanced Recovery and Empowerment" and "365 Days of Abundant Hope" both available on http://www.acquiredhope.com . She is inspired by http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com. Nicole is passionately dedicated to helping others succeed in obtaining abundant health, wealth and a fuller life!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Successful Coaches Are Full of Wit
If you are a successful coach be it an executive coach, business coach or corporate coach, do you demonstrate your wit when coaching your clients? Have you learned how to leverage that wit to increase your client's results?
Wit is defined by Webster as "powers of thinking and reasoning; good sense, wisdom; to make clever remarks." In thinking about this word and its meaning, I realize that this simple word - wit - is defined by each of its letters. And more importantly as a professional coach, I could truly leverage each of these letters during every interaction with my clients. Please let me explain.
Webster said that one of the definitions of wit is wisdom. The first letter of this word is W. As a coach you share potentially sharing your wisdom with your clients when necessary. According to my coach, David Herdlinger, "Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others." What a great definition and how appropriate within a successful coaching practice.
Another word in the definition of wit is good. This implies that the value of integrity is present. Successful coaches must have integrity. Without integrity, these coaches would not receive the referrals necessary to build their practices.
Finally, when looking at the phrase "powers of thinking and reasoning," this suggests that tenacity must be also present. Many times, successful coaches must think and rethink to help their clients especially when using a developmental approach to coaching. Also, these coaches are also leveraging the powers of thinking and reasoning within their clients. To take these actions does require tenacity - the ability to continue, to keep moving forward, to overcome past inertia and obstacles.
If you are a coach and want to increase your success, then consider using your W.I.T. to achieve that goal. Let Wisdom, Integrity and Tenacity become your key values and let them drive your every day behaviors in all interactions.
Are you where you want to be? To find out where you are, then M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course of business, professional or personal success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/action-plan.htm.
If you enjoyed this article, you may find the Leadership Audit of interest at http://www.processspecialist.com/od.htm
Please feel free to contact me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Your Chief People Officer and Business Coach, who works with individuals and organizations that are tired of not being where they want to be and truly want more for their businesses and their selves. 219.759.5601
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
What is the Secret
The Law of Attraction - Was "The Secret" Really a Secret? Yes and No
Australian film producer, Rhonda Byrne, was brilliant in her application of her personal discovery of “The Secret” as she so nicely called it. To her, the production was inspired by intuition based on her life experiences at the time and what was gently revealed to her by her daughter. Before her daughter shared with her the book that contained “The Secret,” Ms. Byrne was is a whirlwind of seeming disasters that kept pummeling her to desperation. She framed the movie in such a way that related to most people’s pain.
I’m sure that by now, most people know what “The Secret” is. But from Ms. Byrne’s point of view, before her realization, it definitely felt like a secret. Quoting her in the movie, she thought to herself, “Why doesn’t anyone know this?” She felt it had been hidden from her, although people who have been practicing “The Secret” would feel as if it clearly wasn’t a secret at all.
The ancient Universal Law of Attraction is the secret that the documentary-like film is based on. Actually, Ms. Byrne and her crew at Prime Time Productions deliberately employed this Universal Law to help create the movie. What the movie helped to reveal to people is that once you are consciously aware of this Law, then you can pinpoint how it’s already working in your life, allowing situations to occur that you, yourself, have attracted.
Many people frowned upon the movie for several reasons. One of these reasons is that the filmmaker’s perception focused too heavily on attracting “things” or “stuff.” The movie had segments that focused on attracting anything you wanted: love, health, money, a better job, to get rid of debt, a life partner, healing disease…what most people desire in their lives. The counterpoint to this is that the presentation of this information came from a perception that you’re either attracting or repelling the very things that you want. So, even though the presentation was such that it could seem “materialistic” or shallow, the realization is that Ms. Byrne was simply presenting several different examples and explanations of “this is what you’re getting and why.” She nicely demonstrated also in these examples, “Now that you know about the Law of Attraction, here’s how YOU can change your situation for the better.”
Another reason some people frowned upon The Secret is because it didn’t focus on the allowing portion as well as the blockage-release portion of applying the Law of Attraction so that it works in your favor. Many people hold on to subconscious beliefs and thought patterns that they aren’t even aware of. These thoughts and emotions are attracting also. So many new Law of Attraction practitioners may be getting frustrated as to why the Law of Attraction “isn’t working” for them. The movie served as an awakening to your own personal power, and it scratched the surface, revealing to mankind how they play an important role in shaping reality. No one said the movie was the total sum of how everything works, but it did say that the Law of Attraction is always working, and it provides an answer to what was, what is, and what will be.
Since the Universe is dichotomous in nature, there are always going to be critics and people who offer their opinion. But realize the opinions that you view and resonate with, you attracted and it’s OK. Rhonda Byrne lit a flame that sparked a re-awakening of inspiration and conscious co-creation that planet earth was ready for on a larger scale, or else “The Secret” would have stayed “a secret.” Australian film producer, Rhonda Byrne, was brilliant in her application of her personal discovery of “The Secret” as she so nicely called it. To her, the production was inspired by intuition based on her life experiences at the time and what was gently revealed to her by her daughter. Before her daughter shared with her the book that contained “The Secret,” Ms. Byrne was is a whirlwind of seeming disasters that kept pummeling her to desperation. She framed the movie in such a way that related to most people’s pain.
I’m sure that by now, most people know what “The Secret” is. But from Ms. Byrne’s point of view, before her realization, it definitely felt like a secret. Quoting her in the movie, she thought to herself, “Why doesn’t anyone know this?” She felt it had been hidden from her, although people who have been practicing “The Secret” would feel as if it clearly wasn’t a secret at all.
The ancient Universal Law of Attraction is the secret that the documentary-like film is based on. Actually, Ms. Byrne and her crew at Prime Time Productions deliberately employed this Universal Law to help create the movie. What the movie helped to reveal to people is that once you are consciously aware of this Law, then you can pinpoint how it’s already working in your life, allowing situations to occur that you, yourself, have attracted.
Many people frowned upon the movie for several reasons. One of these reasons is that the filmmaker’s perception focused too heavily on attracting “things” or “stuff.” The movie had segments that focused on attracting anything you wanted: love, health, money, a better job, to get rid of debt, a life partner, healing disease…what most people desire in their lives. The counterpoint to this is that the presentation of this information came from a perception that you’re either attracting or repelling the very things that you want. So, even though the presentation was such that it could seem “materialistic” or shallow, the realization is that Ms. Byrne was simply presenting several different examples and explanations of “this is what you’re getting and why.” She nicely demonstrated also in these examples, “Now that you know about the Law of Attraction, here’s how YOU can change your situation for the better.”
Another reason some people frowned upon The Secret is because it didn’t focus on the allowing portion as well as the blockage-release portion of applying the Law of Attraction so that it works in your favor. Many people hold on to subconscious beliefs and thought patterns that they aren’t even aware of. These thoughts and emotions are attracting also. So many new Law of Attraction practitioners may be getting frustrated as to why the Law of Attraction “isn’t working” for them. The movie served as an awakening to your own personal power, and it scratched the surface, revealing to mankind how they play an important role in shaping reality. No one said the movie was the total sum of how everything works, but it did say that the Law of Attraction is always working, and it provides an answer to what was, what is, and what will be.
Since the Universe is dichotomous in nature, there are always going to be critics and people who offer their opinion. But realize the opinions that you view and resonate with, you attracted and it’s OK. Rhonda Byrne lit a flame that sparked a re-awakening of inspiration and conscious co-creation that planet earth was ready for on a larger scale, or else “The Secret” would have stayed “a secret.”
Megan Jenifer operates the blog http://www.TheLawofAttractionStation.com which is all about The Law of Attraction. She loves giving away free stuff and is now giving away a free copy of her special report, “The Top 10 Ways Most People Repel Money.” In addition to this free report, you’ll also have a free membership to her newsletter. You’re not going to believe what you get when you sign-up and it’s all free.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Retirement Plans - Does Conventional Wisdom Work?
Both Wall Street and Corporate America are very fond of retirement plans like 401K and SIMPLE and SEP. Have you ever asked yourself why? Being somewhat cynical, I have: and the answer I came up with was disturbing at best.
For financial institutions, the retirement plan permits them to charge much higher fees then they ever could collect under the old fashioned defined benefit plans. For corporations, retirement plans allow the employer to shift investment risk and funding cost to employees. Presto, two problems solved: Revenue generation and risk transfer.
As a professional and small business person, preparing for your own future, does the conventional wisdom of retirement plans really work for you?
Before we answer that question, let’s first talk about the 5 great risks of retirement plans: Savings Risk, Investment Risk, Longevity Risk, Government Rule Change Risk and Tax Risk.
Savings Risk is the risk that you will not be able to save enough in your retirement plan to provide an adequate retirement.
Investment Risk is the risk that even if you do save enough, you will choose the wrong investments and lose all or part of what you have saved.
Longevity Risk is the risk that even if you save enough and wisely invest, you will outlive your retirement plan value and be destitute in your final years.
You are in a partnership with the government and you are the minority partner. The government can change how much you can contribute, the tax treatment (now and in the future) and just about anything else any time they want. This is Government Rule Change Risk. Example: at one time there was a penalty for accumulating too much money in retirement plans: 15% excise tax on amounts over $750,000. By the way, that penalty has been suspended (not eliminated).
Tax risk is the risk that when you go to use the money you have saved, you may be in a higher tax bracket. Taking into account the situation in regards to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, not to mention the war in Iraq there are a few questions to ask yourself. Will taxes go up, down or stay about the same in the next 20 years? Will my retirement assets be positioned to take advantage of the tax situation at that time?
This is the part of the article that most experts would begin to tell you how to overcome each of the above risks. The problem with applying conventional wisdom to such issue is that it doesn’t always work. This goes back to my point of why corporations and financial institutions want you to buy into retirement plans – they have their own agenda. That agenda doesn’t necessarily work for your benefit.
You can use techniques to offset the individual risks, but sometimes, that very effort creates other risks and problems. Let’s use longevity risk as our example. You can offset longevity risk by using what’s called an immediate annuity. An insurance company agrees to take your retirement account value and promises to pay you an income for the rest of your life – no matter how long you live. Sounds good because you’ve offset the risk, but there is a cost. First, you lose control of that money. Once it’s in the hands of the insurance company, you can’t change the payment structure – even in the case of an emergency like illness. If you die after receiving a couple years of payments – your heirs loose all the money. Of course, you can set up the annuity to pay you for your life and include payments for a certain period or guarantee payments to a spouse, but you get much less income in those scenarios. PLUS, you pay a big fee to the insurance company when you purchase this product.
As business owners and professionals we must think about retirement planning as more than just accumulating money in a retirement plan. While we accumulate, we should be thinking about how that money will distribute to us when we need it and how it will be conserved as we reach the end of our lives.
- If a retirement plan builds wealth while we are working, but that is eroded by risks before retirement – is it really wealth?
- If taxes eat a large chunk of our retirement plan just when we need to use it – can we really count it as wealth?
- If we can’t pass on the money in our plan without paying multiple levels of tax – are we really building wealth?
The take away wisdom: The only way to make progress towards your goal of a comfortable retirement is to focus on how all the pieces work together to efficiently build wealth, allow you to spend it and pass it on. The “Micro-Economic” management of risks and benefits, when it comes to planning for retirement, just won’t get you any further ahead. If you take away only one idea from this article let it be that the better the phases accumulation, distribution and conservation integrate and coordinate together towards your goals, the better off you will be now and in the future.
Action Plan: I recommend that professionals and business owners thoroughly review their choices when it comes to retirement planning. Everything you have in your financial model can (and should) be used for your retirement. A comfortable retirement is about more than just starting a retirement plan or buying a hot investment. Retirement planning starts with coordinating and integrating the phases of your life while using the efficiency of money to build the most wealth you can (while controlling risk).
Joan Gilles is a Financial Coach. She helps business owners and professionals get really clear about what it is they want financially. Then, she gives them a model and tools to get it. Because. you deserve to have everything you desire. What makes her different is she does her work without taking money out of a business or personal pocket. She can be reached at 651/578-2961 or jmgilles@pressenter.com
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Protect Yourself and Your Car If an Accident
Car Accident Lawyers Can Provide Legal Relief
This section contains information and resources to help you if you've been in an accident or are suffering from an injury. automobile accidents happen along with other accidents and fatalities. legal representation may be required
Home Hiring An Accident Lawyer Takes Consideration Auto Accident Checklist Do You Need a Lawyer
How to Find a Good Car Accident Injury Lawyer Four Tips to Finding the Right Lawyer Accident Factoids
This section contains information and resources to help you if you've been in an accident or are suffering from an injury. automobile accidents happen along with other accidents and fatalities. legal representation may be required
Home Hiring An Accident Lawyer Takes Consideration Auto Accident Checklist Do You Need a Lawyer
How to Find a Good Car Accident Injury Lawyer Four Tips to Finding the Right Lawyer Accident Factoids
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