Some rocking chair thoughts about STORED VALUE.

[Glenn]

Thanks Gordon,

Another Way to Say, "Stored Value" is TURNS.

At least they seem Similar.

I Increased a Vitamin Store Owners Sales of Snacks by 800%

8 Times a Day - His Helper had to Drive to The Warehouse and Re-Order.

Pop-Corn
Pretzels
Cheese Puffs.

Store owner said, "I don't want to Sell Snacks at 5% Margin.

I said, "If You TURN the 5% margin Snacks over 3 Times - that is 15%
5 Times is 25% Margin.

8 Times is 40%!!!!

Do 8 Turns with 3 Snacks - that is 120% Margin.

I Couldn't get it thru his head.

He Fired me.

Thanks,
Glenn

P.S. - I was REALLY Proud of this too.

I Used MONSTER FOOT Prints from the Front Door to a FREE SNACK table. Kids followed the UGLY Monster Footprints with Giant Green Toes.

Then Back at the Register.

With a WALL of Snacks.

Mommy, Mommy - I want....

[Dien Rice]

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for sharing this!

I'm trying out your "keywords" method... I think it could "revolutionize" the way I write - especially "longer" reports...

I have no problem writing shorter pieces... It's the longer ones I've tended to have trouble with. My best approach so far is to write longer pieces as a series of shorter pieces, then stick them together...

I tried the Eugene Schwartz 33.33 min "block" Pomodoro technique... Like you, I found 33.33 mins a bit long. I then modified it to 20 min "blocks"...

However, if I get into "the zone" - or "hyperfocus" - I can go for a while...

But now, I like "switching" between different projects even more...

This post of yours was another "great" one... It's been added to my own personal archive of great posts!

I fully believe in the "hunter" vs. "farmer" theory of ADD/ADHD... Which is why it doesn't worry me, personally.

The way I see it - you have some advantages, and some disadvantages... If you "play" it right, you can end up with a very interesting life!

I expect my daughter probably has ADD/ADHD (she's still a bit young to be able to easily tell)... I think this because she has two parents who have it (in my non-clinical assessment)!

However... it doesn't worry me... though she may need to learn strategies to make the most of her "gifts"...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by GordonJ

'Thanks Dien.

There is a difference in hunting for sport (deer, duck, etc.) than in hunting for food, where if you didn't bring home the bacon, no dinner for you.

We of the ADD/ADHD family, make good hunters for food, because we notice small movements, sounds, have a higher sensory alert...not so great as hunters, sitting for hours in a blind, trying to remain motionless and not fidget.

So, we tend to be good with eating and having meals, not so good with heads to hang on the wall or down for the pillows.

Before I was even diagnosed, I knew I had to focus for short bursts of time, and to switch activities quite often, and my many jobs reflect that, those in a chair were short lived, whereas, when freely moving around, I did OK (still not great).

NOW, also a family ADD trait, is we can get lost in a project and hours, maybe even days go by. There's a bit of a manic in us too.

My attention span is about 22 mins. I can't quite make it to the Schwartz 33.33. When I get the two minute warning, I start bullet points, akin, in IM lingo to Keywords for SEO...so when I come back to it, there is an unfinished sentence, with keywords for thoughts I didn't want to lose. Over time, this habit makes it very easy to slip quickly back into your flow and train of thought.

As you test, keep an eye on your sweet spot, it may be more than 33 or less than 22. Once you get that fidgety feel, make note, that would be a good time to write key thoughts out and move on to next.

It is like playing with your daughter, it is fun, you get lost in it, but if it is closing on nap time, you don't want to kick her excitable self unwilling...so fifteen mins before, you wind down with a sit still story time, hypnotize her.

Of course this theory, my #2 I had to literally walk around for an hour every evening or we were in for a long night.

Anyhow, set your important, must finish work up to match your time, or circadians, I get more done in the AM, although I tend to be a night bird...when on deadline, I get into my Clayton Makepeace mode (he used to get up at 4 am)...and start an earlier schedule.

Once you have your sweet spot, and habit, count on it being broken and interrupted, which is why my masterpiece, now 5 times longer than War and Peace, with only 15 min a day for, only, 30+ years. Another 5 and I'll be ready to edit.

Gordon

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Thanks Gordon,
Another Way to Say, "Stored Value" is TURNS.
At least they seem Similar.
I Increased a Vitamin Store Owners Sales of Snacks by 800%
8 Times a Day - His Helper had to Drive to The Warehouse and Re-Order.
Pop-Corn
Pretzels
Cheese Puffs.
Store owner said, "I don't want to Sell Snacks at 5% Margin.
I said, "If You TURN the 5% margin Snacks over 3 Times - that is 15%
5 Times is 25% Margin.
8 Times is 40%!!!!
Do 8 Turns with 3 Snacks - that is 120% Margin.
I Couldn't get it thru his head.
He Fired me.
Thanks,
Glenn
P.S. - I was REALLY Proud of this too.
I Used MONSTER FOOT Prints from the Front Door to a FREE SNACK table. Kids followed the UGLY Monster Footprints with Giant Green Toes.
Then Back at the Register.
With a WALL of Snacks.
Mommy, Mommy - I want....

I see the Jay Abraham in you Glenn, THANKS. Jay made a fortune telling his clients and proteges how to extract the stored value from a business, I think it is his foundational principal innit it?

Not surprised, considering his time spent at Bud Weckesser's and then Harvey Brody's feet as a student. And Harvey did time with Joe Cossman, who learned a lot from a guy who also made a fortune in remote direct marketing.

Extracting more profits from EXISTING customers and referrals is a very good foundation to build on, just as Jay built his marketing foundation by seeking out and learning from some of the best, until he was able to share his strategies with others, whom are now an 'older' generation of marketers.

Soon, the Parade of Life will have all newbies in the field, and new businesses will be on the list to discover these TURNS, or stored value of marketing, and all the secrets of the past...and apply them to a new crowd of customers, clients and consumers.

Three words I don't want to deal with. Clients, customers and consumers. Of the three, I advise to jettison the first two, and focus on the consumers.

I order a certain coffee every month, like clockwork, from Amazon and two days later, it shows up on my door. I don't have a relationship with the company, never talked to, met, or even care about any of their employees...as long as the product is the same every month, I will continue to buy.

See, I am the IDEAL avatar for this company, I AUTOMATICALLY consume, reorder/consume...REORDER/consume, and I may be one of several million doing so.

Clients are a pain. Sure, they can be lucrative, but I'm rocking back looking at decades of time I could have used better, if someone had told me this years ago.
FORGET CLIENTS.

Forgettabout CUSTOMERS.

Find C O N S U M E R S and live like a king.

That might make for a more detailed discussion.

Gordon

[cash4notes]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

The STORED VALUE concept has been one of my mainstay, foundational thoughts even before SowPub.

It caused a rift between my brother and I when we were flipping cars. He just couldn't wrap his head around it, and I think, M0ST people can't.

The reason MOST can't think this way is: they FEEL somehow cheated, or simply don't see the truth behind the idea:

Circulation BEATS Storage, 364 days a year, yea, MAYBE, one day a year it doesn't.

Here is the example that created our family rift: we bought a car at auction, it had a scrape along its side, deep "keying" like scrape, only wider. It was a beautiful, one year old Hyundai but that big two inch DEEP scratch made it very unappealing to dealers, so got it for a song.

I think about 1200. BLUE BOOK was around 7500. My brother being a body man and mechanic, had the dent out and painted within a week, for about 200 in paint, so we had 1200 plus his time and paint, so about 2500 into it.

I wanted to FLIP it, for 4k. NO, he wanted 7k, under blue book...but he advertised it for 7700, thinking he could drop the price. No matter how much I argued with him, he was FIRM. And I let it go, we had other deals to worry about.

His wife started driving and really liked it. She talked him into keeping it for a few months, through the winter. Long story short, after her driving it for over a year, and being full of McDonald's wrappers, he bought me out and kept the car...never getting any offer in his mind worth it.

See, he knew cars. He KNEW that car was worth 7k and no way in the world he would have taken less than 6 for it, which would have been a nice 3k profit for us...and he thought I was NUTS for wanting to send it down the road for 4 to 4.5K

And this is where everyone goes afoul. I see it everyday on eBay and I follow a lot of people, they want to get the MOST out of their stuff.

I, on the other hand, want to FLIP it quickly.

Because I knew/know, that the quick two thousand we could have made in a week, could have been kept in circulation, bought the next car from the profits, and that one would be 100% profit.

I know people with basements, attics, garages, sheds full of stuff, and then they go get a storage facility for more stuff, and these things have high occupancy rates, I used to manage one.

And many of these people need money, want to sell it...but by God almighty, they aren't going to give it away at some ridiculous low price BECAUSE it is worth more than that.

I, say get the cash today, put it to work, Fast turnover profits and build it up the ladder, the whole idea of the Grow as You Go Plan in the Chattel Report was based on that...THE SPRINT TO FREEDOM is circulation...

NOT STORAGE.

And likewise it is as I have been harping here for the last 22 years, the same with INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY...it is only good in the marketplace IF...if

IF..IT IS IN THE MARKETPLACE. I think it may be a big reason I have some people who won't talk to me, and did at one time, because they know I will ask them if they

Sold off the baseball cards? The marketing library? The tools they never use? All stuff in storage, which can be quickly converted to working capital, if they didn't share my brother's mindset, that they will hold it forever rather than sell for less than its worth.

Alrighty then.

And true DAT for IP too. Anyone want some quick cash, some capital to work with? Share what you know, can do, your experience, knowledge and expertise to the marketplace and get and keep it into circulation so it works for you.

STORED VALUE.

Any comments or questions?

Gordon

This caused a rift between one of my business partners and I (althou we are still friends) we brought a lot of 50 mattresses at a government auction for just under $180. Much to our dismay there were 230 mattresses in that lot al most all brand new. He wanted to take them to the local swap meet and sell them for 50% less the the local mattresses stores. I wanted to sell them in bulk (which i found a buyer for them all) I did not what the hassle of loading them up every week, storing them, being jewed down at the swap meets. Would have rather just made a nice hit and turn the money over ASAP and do it again and again. He ended up just buying me out and after several months of mattress duty and him pulling his hair out i ended up triangulating a trade for him.

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by cash4notes

This caused a rift between one of my business partners and I (althou we are still friends) we brought a lot of 50 mattresses at a government auction for just under $180. Much to our dismay there were 230 mattresses in that lot al most all brand new. He wanted to take them to the local swap meet and sell them for 50% less the the local mattresses stores. I wanted to sell them in bulk (which i found a buyer for them all) I did not what the hassle of loading them up every week, storing them, being jewed down at the swap meets. Would have rather just made a nice hit and turn the money over ASAP and do it again and again. He ended up just buying me out and after several months of mattress duty and him pulling his hair out i ended up triangulating a trade for him.

Man, I can FEEL this one. After my brother and I parted ways business wise, I made sure any "partnerships" I entered into, knew, understood and SIGNED OFF on my FLIP IT NOW, I'm not in the storage business.

As you found out, MOST people are like this, THEY KNOW the things they hold onto are worth more, and feel cheated when they don't hold out for full price...these folks are lost causes in my book.

They don't understand money at all. That quick flip on the mattresses COULD have been capital for the next, and the next, and the next deal.

OH well, God bless em, cause that just leaves me and you with money growing, not shrinking.

I bet we all have stories like this, SOMEONE (often a spouse) just KNOWS the thing is worth more than what I want to send it down the road.

Thanks for sharing this story. A valuable lesson for us all.

Gordon