Isn’t marketing just loaded with paradox?  …or maybe it’s what consumers really want.

You see, I’ve learned the hard way that people definitely want solutions to their problems, but they only want them in a way that fits their circumstances –or else you can just forget it.

Let me explain…

My mentor said a crazy remark. I thought it was kinda funny at the time, but as I’ve pondered it over the years, it became so clear to me that it was the crux of how to grab my customer’s attention and get them the results they wanted.  He said:

“For people wanting to lose weight, they don’t want you to tell them what to eat …they want you to tell them what to eat while they’re at Krispy Kreme.  They want to know what to eat while they’re in the drive-thru at McDonald’s.”

Here’s a real-life situation that happened to me. I’ll call my client “Joe.”

Note: As I tell this story, it will be plainly obvious to you, but “Joe” never got the picture, even to this day …and I admit it was my fault.

“Joe” had an amazing web site that got enviable traffic, but couldn’t monetize the site despite tens of thousands of visitors a day.  “Joe” had spent over $130,000 but was only earning about $1,000 a month from the site by the time I was approached for help.

The moment I saw the site I instantly saw all sorts of major problems and I knew the perfect solutions.  It was a textbook case.

Like it was yesterday, I remember “Joe” saying to me several times: “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.  Whatever you say, Mike.”

Hindsight: Whenever you hear those words, expect the real actions to be the opposite.

Anyway, long story short, “Joe” had a particular writing style and was adamant in writing a certain way.  To make money using the written word (as is the case online), your writing style must be emotional and compelling.  “Joe’s” style was anything but.  It was boring and proper.  It was educational and indifferent, not engaging. (…kind of like this article, except I’m not selling you anything.)

In addition to my own written work, I also “borrowed” headlines and copy from top masters who earn over 8-figures online to place on the site.  “Joe” rejected every one of them, critiquing everything I provided as if I was the protégé.

In the end, “Joe” felt bitter and I was frustrated because I failed to get the results I knew I was clearly capable of delivering.

To parallel my mentor’s remark, here’s why I failed:

1. At the time, I didn’t understand that “Joe” was in the proverbial ‘Krispy Kreme’ line, didn’t want (or understand enough) to step out of it, and I was not able to provide any solutions that were ‘on the menu.’
2. I didn’t help “Joe” come to the conclusion (I didn’t even try to convince him, either) that the only route to success is to first embrace another style that does not include ‘Krispy Kreme’ in the routine.

You see, “Joe” had an invisible, subconscious, emotional attachment to a certain writing style (ie: to ‘Krispy Kreme’) …and it’s almost always the thing we’re most emotionally attached to that gets us into trouble because it’s our blind spot (we ALL do it –none of us are immune to this devil).

All I heard was: “I’ll do whatever you say” …thinking this would be a slam dunk.

The solution wasn’t what I believed.

Sure, implementing my concepts would have absolutely made the difference.  But the REAL, ultimate solution was to frame the situation so “Joe” could recognize the real source of the problem.

Here’s another example that will hit home with MANY …the dating world.

As a divorced man, I’ve studied a lot of the “Double Your Dating” by David DeAngelo.  Initially, David gets men hooked by showing them tricks on how to get a phone number, a first date and even a first kiss.

But every woman knows tricks are short-lived and it’s really all about a man’s style, his body language and his ‘inner personality’ that generates attraction …things most men have zero clue about.

But, if David came right out and said, “Hey, I know why you don’t have a girlfriend!  You gotta change your body language and develop your inner game” …they would be like, “What are you talking about?  I’m just fine who I am. I just need a clever pick-up line to get their phone number and get them to get to know me, that’s all.”  They don’t see the bigger picture and David wouldn’t be able to help them.

By starting from the frame of, “Okay, you’re at Krispy Kreme.  Well, ‘that’ donut over there has less calories than this one.  It doesn’t taste as good, but it will start you in the right direction.”

And, then, they’ll come back and say, “Hey, I lost 2 pounds.  Hoo-rah!  What else can I do?” …and he’ll say, “Well, so let’s cut out Krispy Kreme once a week and see what happens.”

He just can’t come out and say, “Well, lay off the Krispy Kreme, fatso!” …just like he can’t say to the masses of ignorant men, “Well, stop being a needy, wussy, momma’s-boy and start being a man and display some attractive qualities.”  They have to come to the realization themselves, on their own (your job is to help them find the door).

So, how does this relate to helping you market your business and make more money?

As a business and marketing expert, I also have to continually market my product …me!

If I just come out and say, “Hey, Mr. Prospect, I know exactly how to get you more sales,” sadly, nobody is going to listen –even if I’m dead-on right.

Sure, it’s what they want to hear, but they won’t like the solution.

Why?

Because we get too emotionally attach to our own ideas and ways of doing things.

It’s frustrating when you genuinely want to help and you absolutely know the solution, but you’ve got to hold back.  Less is more here.  We have to slowly ween people off their emotional attachments.

I’ve had web site owners show me awful (but very ‘pretty’) sites that they slaved over for months and were clearly enamored with but got zero results and tell me they just need me to “optimize” it for SEO and the keywords X, Y, and Z so they can show up on Google (know anyone who’s done this?).  They won’t listen when they hear their whole approach is all wrong.

Sadly, they end up finding someone less-experienced who will appease them and then go looking for someone else while griping about how they got ripped off by this web guy.

You’ve got to get your prospect’s attention by offering them something they want that falls within their paradigm (with integrity, of course).

Then, help THEM see for themselves a way to get better and better results.

I’ll leave you with this quote on Amazon.com about Seth Godin’s book: “All Marketers Are Liars”…

“Marketers succeed when they tell us a story that fits our worldview, a story that we intuitively embrace and then share with our friends.”

Do you have a story to share about marketing your business?

Think I’m off base?

Are all marketers liars?  Please share below!

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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The art and science of understanding the needs, wants and desires of what makes individuals take action, then applying that understanding in communicating a message that inspires the existing emotional and irrational drivers of individuals to elevate a psychological need, want, or desire for a perceptively external, tangible and logical satisfaction, and enticing the action of satisfying that need, want or desire by acquiring specific knowledge, products, or services provided by a specific individual or group.

Discussion

• Marketing is both an art and a science.
• Human emotions are the forces that drive us to make decisions.  Thus, all decisions made by all humans are emotional and, incidentally, irrational.
• Emotional influences result in psychological needs, wants, and desires.
• Psychological needs, wants, and desires cannot arise from emotions that do not exist.
• We humans do not function on reality, but on a perception of reality we have created in our mind.
• We rationalize and validate our psychological needs with logical factors.
• Logic is external, rational, tangible, and measurable.
• Human logical conclusions drive us to seek out solutions.
• Since solutions are perceived to be logical, solutions are perceived to be found through external, rational, tangible, and measurable means.
• External solutions are (perceived to be) found though acquiring knowledge, products, and services.

There is no globally accepted marketing definition and the most widely accepted version evolves over time.  As my personal understanding through study and application of how psychological triggers are activated to cause people to take action, I have developed this current model marketing definition.  The goal is to help people understand the incredible significance of the irrational mind in the decision-making process.

Modern brain science has only recently come to discover that we are exponentially more emotionally directed than anyone ever imagined in addition to clearly understanding the parts of the brain that control the decision-making process.  In fact, our emotions are so critical to decision-making, modern brain science has discovered that people who lack the ability to connect to the emotional part of their brain, such as from a severe brain injury, are incapable of making decisions at all.

Many former definitions relate marketing closer to consumerism and the buying and selling process. While this is certainly the purpose for doing marketing, buying and selling activities are NOT marketing, they are simply the the end result of applying proper and effective marketing principles that facilitate the emotional desire to purchase specific things.

In his book, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (1974), Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, wrote (p. 64): “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy.”

The RESULT of marketing is: A customer who is ready to buy.

To illustrate the overshadowing emotional factors of marketing, here is an excerpt from the description of Seth Godin’s book “All Marketers Are Liars“ found on amazon.com:

“Every marketer tells a story. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, which is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better-and look cooler-than $20 no-names . . . and believing it makes it true.”

Simply, people don’t buy unless they have an emotional association with something.

Some definitions suggest that marketing creates and/or delivers value.  The statement is somewhat ambiguous, as value is determined only by each individual.  Value is only created in and determined by the mind of individuals.

Marketing only facilitates the understanding that value exists within a given product or service or piece of information.  Marketing does not create or deliver the value itself, although marketing does …and SHOULD always… direct the creation of value through the understanding of what consumers want.

For example: Suppose I write a book about how to change your oil in your car.  First of all, the ONLY reason I would write such a book is because I initially did some research and discovered there are many people who would like to learn how and don’t really know where to find answers.  (…just go with me on this…) Since you cannot acquire the actual value of the content until you read the book, you must first purchase it based on your value perception.

If you were a master mechanic, what would your value perception be of this basic, fundamental book?  Probably zero.

If you knew nothing about cars …AND… wanted to learn how to change your own oil, what would your value perception be, now?

What if I inadvertently titled the book: “Pepperoni Pizza: A Love Story.”

What is your value perception of the book, now?

Here’s where marketing comes in:
Marketing fills the communication gap …in both directions!

The real value of the book, as determined by the person who has a want or desire for the information in the book, is not based on the title.  Regardless of the title, the content of the book is the same.  Yes, the perception of the value of the book is changed …and this why understanding marketing is so important: it’s about activating the emotional triggers to get people to take action.

The job of marketing is to come in and demonstrate, or paint the picture of, the value; to give you the perception that the book is valuable to you.

While I’ve used an absurd example, it’s important to recognize and acknowledge that people DO evaluate value based on first impression or ‘the cover.’

So, ask yourself: “How many of your products and services, even your business name, have you named in such a way that people don’t instantly recognize the value?”

If you’ve done this, you’re walking an uphill battle.

The ThighMaster is a great real-world example.

The original inventor of the item (whatever he originally invented it for) couldn’t sell it for pennies.  A smart marketer came in, bought the patent, made a couple minor modifications, got a sexy, young girl to model it (Suzanne Somers), and called it the ‘Thigh-Master.’  They created a message that communicated the value to others in a way the original inventor was unable to accomplish.

They made Millions.

Why?  Because they understood what their potential buyers wanted and then slightly modified the product and created a message that spoke directly to the wants of their potential buyers.

But, the original product was essentially the same.  The intrinsic value never changed and the marketing did not actually create any value.  The marketing simply communicated the message that the item has value to those who were looking for an item that provides the value they sought after.

The value itself is actually created by the business or individual.  In a large company, marketing tells engineering that consumers prefer and value the color red and engineering creates what marketing research has discovered will motivate consumers to buy.

Sadly, too many business got it backwards.  They create their product, then go figure out a way for people to “market” (read: sell) it …often by the time things aren’t going well.

Because nobody knows what is going on inside the mind of others, research is necessary to determine the value triggers.

Understand what your customer wants, figure out the emotional triggers, build what they want, create a message that leverages those emotional triggers and entice them to buy …in that order.

That’s the application of the definition above and a proven model to get consumers to chase you to the ends of the Earth.  …now GO take action.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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Basically, the story goes something like this:

One day, a fox came upon a grapevine and saw some delicious grapes hanging from above.  He jumped many times desperately trying to reach the luscious grapes.  After his defeat from exhaustion, he walked away and scorned… “Those grapes are probably sour anyway.”

Have you ever done this …walked away from something you worked hard to achieve and told yourself you really didn’t want it anyway when you didn’t get your results?

Too often we try desperately to reach our goal and achieve success and ultimately fail for whatever reason.  When we allow a scarcity mindset to determine our success level, we convince ourselves of all sorts of things.

There’s a funny thing about we humans: we make all of our decisions base on emotion.  So, initially, we make an emotional decision to try to achieve a goal, and then when we don’t reach it we subconsciously create some kind of scenario to protect ourselves so we won’t feel emotionally let down.

The bottom line: if you really want to achieve something, just because you’re not getting the results you want when you want doesn’t mean you should walk away and feel resentful.  Maybe you just need to approach it from another direction.

Don’t let your emotions prevent you from achieving your goals.

“It’s supposed to be hard.  If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.  It’s the hard that makes it great.”  -Tom Hanks, A League Of Their Own

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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Branding is a word that gets tossed around in business like yesterday’s junk mail.  Truly, only a select few have a genuinely firm grasp of what branding is and how to accomplish it.  Endless resources on branding await discovery on the Internet from people who have never accomplished such a feat, and most likely will never.

In short, branding is expensive …too expensive, and slow.  We’re talking 8-figures on the low end, annually.  Branding in and of itself is a waste of resources that can easily be leveraged elsewhere.

The good news is: branding is completely unnecessary.

Why?  Because of a model in marketing called positioning (a term coined by Al Ries and Jack Trout about 40 years ago).  Most people believe the terms ‘branding’ and ‘positioning’ are synonymous.  They are not.

Positioning is to branding what an engine is to an automobile.  Yes, it’s a component of the whole, but what good would a car with custom leather, power everything and a kickin’ stereo be …without a motor?  On the flip side of the analogy, even an ugly junker car with a decent motor will reach its destination.

Marinate long and hard on that concept for your business.  It’s vitally important you understand and apply it.

Those who promote branding talk about creating a unique identity …something that’s memorable and evokes emotion, something people will remember.  They refer to companies like Apple and Nike as illustrative examples.  Aside from failing to mention these companies blow hundreds of millions of dollars a year just to achieve such memorable stature (Apple spends over $40K per DAY on Internet marketing alone, according to SpyFu.com), approaching business from this idea is truly backwards.

Consider:  How can a consumer have a memorable experience, positive or negative, if they’ve never done business with you?

Al Ries and Jack Trout explain that we now live in what’s know as an ‘over communicated society.’  Consumers are bombarded with thousands of advertising messages every day.  Most people cannot remember what they had for breakfast, let alone a single advertisement claiming XYZ Company is the best.  Each individual must now see your message dozens of times in multiple media to remember it.  Yes, ad agencies do love branding.

Here’s the difference between branding and positioning.  Branding is ubiquitous.  Everyone knows who you are.  I know who Ford is, but I’ve never owned a Ford.

Positioning is value.  You are the best choice among your competition.  You stand out.

Positioning is the reason why so many people and businesses you have never heard of generate multiple millions of dollars in revenue on the Internet in very short periods of time, sometimes almost overnight, literally.  The brand is irrelevant.

The purpose of marketing is to get someone to take an action.  Simply creating a memorable image, logo or jingle is not enough.  This memorable ‘thing’ must be associated with a desire to take an action, such as make a purchase.  That desire will only come from your own marketing.

When your potential customer is ready to make a purchase, it will boil down to your positioning tactics that demonstrate why you are the better choice among all the other memorable choices.

Discover what your customers want, then demonstrate your product or service is the better choice for them among the competition.  If you’re not 100% sure what they want or what to do to get them to perceive YOU as the better choice …start asking LOTS of questions (they’ll tell you).

Focusing on positioning your business will ultimately develop it into a highly memorable, leading brand all on its own.  Focusing on branding your business for mere name recognition will seldom lead to positioning.  No doubt, fewer businesses would fail if they applied the principles of positioning, instead of wasting precious dollars on branding methods that simply get their name out there.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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“If everyone suddenly woke up and started being proactive, civilization would be threatened… because, at this point, much of the emotional infrastructure of human interaction is built around the voluntary zombification of the majority.”
~ John Carlton  http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/05/myth-busting/

Despite its truth, people still need to wake up out of their scarcity-based lifestyle and learn how to recognize the endless abundance that exists.  The whole notion that there is not enough money or natural resources, that we have overpopulation problems, not enough energy, etc, etc.  …these myths promoted by naive masses (sheeple?) are only there to perpetuate what is distinctly illustrated in Carlton’s quote.

If you wish to remain asleep, simply turn on the news.  They’ll tell you exactly what you should be thinking, feeling and buying.

However, if you wish to wake up, then figure out a way to step out of your comfort zone a little every day, choose to become accountable for every thought and activity in your life, and learn to recognize the endless abundance that is in your life as well as everyone’s life around you.  Use your newly discovered abundance to make meaning in the lives of others.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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Here’s the deal:
Eben Pagan, an extremely brilliant and successful business man (whom I study often) said, “Focusing on working to make money is like focusing on driving your car to get gas.  It’s backwards.”

That quote represents the very core of every person who is struggling financially, regardless of the economic times.  Too many people are focusing on working to make money.

Money is simply an exchange of value.

That’s it.

By itself, money is just worthless paper or little metal discs with fancy artistic pictures (or numbers in a computer database).

If value isn’t exchanged, money isn’t exchanged.  This is so fundamental, yet too many people are stuck in their backwards thinking and don’t recognize it.

Now, someone is sure to pipe up at this point and say, “Well, yeah, but when there’s no money how can anyone exchange value?”

My blank stare response is:

If you believe there is no money …that the money factory burned down, or some clever ‘money-bandit’ showed up in the middle of the night and stole all the money and is hiding it deep in some undiscovered cave near a rural town in Southern Arizona… If you choose to believe what you see on CNN and the rest of the fear-based thought police and their headline news reports…

…then, what you argue for you keep, my friend, and you have certainly earned your right to be broke and stand in an unemployment line with nothing to offer but an open palm.

Money does not disappear.  Money moves around and it does not move until AFTER value is exchanged, not before.  Too many people are looking to exchange value after money is exchanged, or believe that money is somehow required to exchange value and, thus, value cannot be exchanged if there is no money.

This is quite sad, actually.  For anyone who knows how to exchange value with others, money will always be available.  Always.  Why?  Because, again, money is simply a means of exchanging the value, money is not the value itself.

Here’s a real-life scenario:
On Monday, February 16, 2009, Frank Kern earned almost $4 Million in 8 hours …and on a holiday, no less.

How did Frank Kern do this?  How was this possible -with “everyone” broke and “nobody has any money?”  Does Frank have magic powers?  Did he discover another secret money factory and not tell anyone?  Maybe he found that ‘money-bandit’ in an Arizona ghost town saloon and slipped a mickey in his Gin to make him talk?  Or maybe Frank has secret ties with some bank executives and swindled a few out of their bail-out money (Frank Kern is quite the wordsmith).

Seriously.  Frank understands how to give away huge value.  In fact, Frank Kern gives away TONS of value …with no strings attached… and so does Eben Pagan, along with many other highly successful people most of the world has never heard of.  They give their value away first without ever receiving a penny.  If these successful business people did not give their value away first, they would not be at their level of success.

The bottom line is: If money is just an exchange of value, and money is not coming to you, and value precedes money, then obviously YOU must figure out a way (or a new or better way) to start exchanging value with others, whether that is in your own business venture, at your job, or at a new job that allows you to exchange more value.

In other words… If you lack money, you’re not giving enough value to others.

A college degree is supposed to help you exchange more value.  Unfortunately, many people believe the value is just in the degree itself.  They don’t understand the degree itself is worthless.

As a quick, final point: Most people and businesses attempt to increase profits by raising prices.  Naturally this lowers the monetary buying power over time.  Years ago, a candy bar was 79¢ (and even less).  Now, they’re about $1.29 for the same candy bar.

Adding value to products and services increases monetary buying power.  I might sell a training course for $100 and give $100 in value.  However, if I also offer a $200 web site at no additional cost, now $100 buys $300 of real product, effectively increasing the monetary buying power.

The only way to solve personal economic issues is by giving more value to others -and as much value as possible.  If you are giving what is genuinely perceived by others as valuable, money will naturally flow to you.  This is the spiritual Law of Reciprocity and is unbreakable.

Focus on genuinely benefiting the lives of others and you will achieve a life of wealth beyond your wildest dreams.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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We have full control over the life we lead and must learn to accept our responsibility for all of our decisions and actions (as well as our indecisions and inactions). So, the next time you feel unempowered about something, instead of saying “I can’t do…” or “I can’t be…” say “I won’t…”

It feels strange and kinda icky to say …as if we’ve suddenly realized our inability to do something is actually OUR fault or within our control and we’ve simply chosen to not take appropriate action instead of us just being a victim of some external, invisible force (like the economy -hint, hint). Saying “I won’t” places the accountability back on US. Yeah, it feels kinda weird at first.

When we say we won’t, it’s like we said, “Well, I could’ve if I wanted to, but I chose not to and I didn’t, but if I really want to I can and if I decide to I will.”  Instead, we’ve chosen to use the word “can’t” to take the responsibility off us.  Heaven forbid we accept responsibility for our decisions (even if they were subconscious).  We use it so often as an excuse, we’ve actually convinced ourselves that we’re now powerless.  “Can’t” is known as a slave word -it disempowers us, according to R. Neville Johnston (and I completely agree).

Using “won’t” is empowering.  We’re not used to empowering ourselves.  We feel out of place.  We must first recognize and acknowledge the power within us so we can bring it into our lives.

The neat part is… when you realize you’re no longer a victim and recognize you actually DO have complete control over 100% your life, you will learn to make BETTER decisions to have a better life. Cool, eh? (It’s that whole ‘Law of Attraction & Abundance’ thing. Check it out sometime. Really.)

Try it.

Choose to do it over and over. You WILL see a sudden change in your thinking.  To grow you must step out of your comfort zone.
And, naturally, when your thinking changes, your life will change right along with it.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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The ‘thing’ that separates the successful from the unsuccessful lies in WHERE one searches for their success: externally vs. internally.

In my time of helping others, a common theme I have noticed among those who are struggling in any particular area have the mindset of:

If someone would just show/tell me what to do, just give me a system I can use, I would do it… whatever it is, whatever it takes.  I’m dedicated and committed.

They’ll walk across broken glass to find the solution.

Sure, we need others to teach and show us important concepts so we can grow and evolve, but those who are successful recognize the ability to perform and demonstrate knowledge to achieve what they want will only be discovered within themselves.

Those who always struggle never choose to look deep within themselves to find the answers.  They’re constantly looking to others for the answers.

Here’s a simplistic example… when we were first learning to tie our shoe, someone showed us, helped us… until we slowly got it.  A couple people showed us different ways.  The first time we got it was luck.  We still had to practice.  Eventually, we developed our own way of tying shoes.  Today we’re a pro and could teach anyone.

Now, imagine being an adult, never learned to tie a shoe and now want to learn.  When asking that “pro” how to tie a shoe, the conversation will probably go something like… “Oh, it’s really easy.  All you have to do is…”

They’ll give a simple system for tying any shoe, and “all you have to do is” keep following their system and have the perfect tied shoe every time, right?  …because they said exactly what to do, they even gave a simple system.  This just isn’t true.

Other examples some may identify with…

Starting a business.
Some have the instinct of what it takes to make it in business and know enough to create everything themselves.  They’ll go study knowledge they need and then figure out how to mold that information to expand their success model.  They’ll even employ others into the model they created.  Unfortunately, many are looking for an existing system to make them successful …someone to show them what to do so they can mold themselves into an existing model.  This isn’t a path to success.

Happiness.
Happy people are like successful people …they figured out where to find it.  People who are unhappy and seeking happiness search endlessly for external happiness: intimate relationships, money, material possessions, alcohol, etc.  Sure, there are techniques that help bring happiness, such as exercise, stress relievers, but there is no person, system, or tool that can bring happiness to anyone.  Happy people discovered happiness within themselves by learning and applying techniques that helped them find happiness.  The exact same follows with successful people.

This is a difficult concept to explain, but the core message is:
There is no shortcut to success.

Too many people are out looking for an existing system, or the perfect business opportunity, or ‘something’ that is going to make them successful.  They continue believing they’re struggling because they simply “haven’t found something that works for them” yet.  With this mentality, it will never be found.

This is also contrasted as the employee vs. the employer mentality.

The employee mentality is looking for something that’s already working and do more of it, doesn’t like to take risks, wants security and is afraid of re-inventing the wheel.

The employee mentality is constantly seeking ways to benefit themselves.

The employer mentality is always trying to figure out new ways to do things, takes risks, prefers the thrill of the unknown and desires creating new concepts from scratch, even at the risk of re-inventing the wheel.

The employer mentality is constantly trying to figure out new ways to provide more to other people.

To evolve from the employee to the employer mentality we must evolve our thought processes from following someone else’s creation to becoming the creator of our own processes.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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Well, what if… we eliminated the whole idea of money?

What if some magical force came over the entire world -like Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer- that suddenly compelled every human being on Earth to wake up on a particular morning and decide that they were going to go about their normal, everyday lives …changing absolutely nothing about their routine, except they had no need or desire for money?  What if people worked only for the genuine reason of trying to better the life of other people?

Really.  What would happen?  What could happen?

Consider: Money is simply an exchange of value -for money itself, merely paper or coins with artistic drawings (or numbers in a computer), has no intrinsic value.

But, what if everyone decided to do what they do just for the sake of doing it? (There’s that ‘What if’ question again)

So, a painter who loves to paint houses would just keep painting houses.  A car mechanic who loves working on cars would simply continue working on cars.  And, because each of these people would no longer have any monetary overhead, they wouldn’t be motivated to work or not work based on the amount of money they’d receive for their work.  In other words, no mechanic would turn down a job because “the pay is too little.”  They would accept the job based on the work needed.

Homes would still be built because of the people who love building homes.  There would still be electricity and running water because there are people who enjoy this technically challenging work.  Yes, there are even people who take pride in cleaning toilets.

Do not misunderstand, this is not an altered system of barter, rather a system of doing merely for the sake of the enjoyment of doing.  Bartering still involves the thought process of: “I have to give to get, and I won’t get unless I give.”  It’s oriented in self.

The difference is only the source of the motive: towards self vs. towards others.  Nothing else is changed.

The judgement on work would not be connected to price anymore.  Things might be based on quality or value.  Instead of businesses cutting corners to lower expenses, businesses might strive for highest quality or value, as quality would elevate to a different level of “currency.”  (Quality and value are already a form of currency, but constrained by money.)  No Space Shuttle would blow up due to parts made by “the lowest bidder.”

However, as fanatically noble, Utopian and naive as this probably sounds to many (yes, a lot of people will probably tell me to put down the crack pipe), it might  not be as absurd as it initially appears when examined closer (except for the Santa part).

There are two major shifts that have now completely re-defined the very nature of business: One is the continued evolution of something known as the ‘Knowledge Worker’ (coined by Peter Drucker) and the other is the principle of ‘moving the free line.’

Simplistically, the Knowledge Worker concept says high value is exchanged through ideas, not physical objects.  People with powerful, innovative ideas are desirable and preferred.

‘Moving the free line’ is the concept that those businesses who freely give away the most highly valuable information will be most sought after.  Look no further than the vast social networks that now exist on the Internet and the incredible value exchanged within them …all for the mere cost of an Internet connection (which can even be had for free, now).

For years, our real value in people is how they benefit others, usually gauged by their job or work, and not by the money they earn.  We do not ask people how much money they earn …and not because it’s socially unacceptable.  We ask what they do for a living.  Their income is no value to us.  I would argue that asking how much money someone earns has become socially unacceptable because we intuitively know there is no value there.

Compare someone who’s won the lottery and currently does nothing, enjoying their payouts -they offer no value to anyone (which is the reason why “A fool and his money are soon parted”) with someone who volunteers for the Peace Corps.  If someone happens to be in the market for a home, for example, and a person says they’re a real estate agent or a mortgage broker, usually they begin to think about how that person may be able to benefit their life in this area of need.  People will never stop having needs.

Is it possible to imagine a world where those with self-esteem issues can be helped and elevated to become highly functioning components of a society that thrives on thoughtful innovation and contribution?  Is it possible to imagine a world where we can explore other planets because we’re not limited by monetary budgets?  Is it possible to image a world where anyone who wants to become a great doctor can?

Is it possible to imagine a world where the motivation to perform is intrinsic instead of extrinsic, ie: the desire to serve others, as opposed to the desire to serve ourselves?

Among the interconnected Spiritual Laws, the Law of Reciprocity states that whatever someone does will be returned back to them.  Thus, if one wants success, they must first help another become successful.  This is not a superficial phrase created by a pretentious religious leader looking to increase donations to their church.

Endless, tangible proof exists of this immutable truth.

Personally, I have studied many highly successful people.  What separates highly successful people from everyone else, with rare exception, is these people are genuine givers.  Thus, because of their mindset, their thinking process is always, “How can I figure out how to create something that’s highly valuable and will genuinely benefit the lives of others?”  …as opposed to always thinking about “How can I benefit myself and if I’m able then I’ll try to benefit others, too.”  Can you see a distinct difference?

Guy Kawasaki talks about “making meaning, not money” and to create “peace of mind,” as that is what all people seek.  Eben Pagan creates endless, valuable, free content that elevates both men and women to become better, stronger people through interpersonal relationships and proven principles of business.  Eben said, “Focusing on working to make money is like focusing on driving your car to get gas.  It’s backwards.”

These men, as well as many like them, are only motivated by doing for others.  It’s no coincidence they are successful by any definition.

Money is simply the enabler to continue doing what we want to be doing anyway …helping others.  So, what if we could eliminate the money part where we could all just be doing what we want to be doing anyway without being distracted with the notion that we’ve got to somehow earn money first so we can continue doing what we want to be doing anyway?

Whether many like it or not, there is a growing evolution of more people awakening spiritually to finding their purpose is in helping others.  Fundamentally, nearly every human being has the desire to help others: at the core level, all humans are motivated by love.  Some may be motivated to help only a few, such as only immediate family and close friends, while others may be motivated to help many.  Nevertheless, the core motivation is the same.

Only the belief of scarcity is what holds people back …a false idea that if we blindly give more to someone else, we will somehow be without or lacking in some way (as if there isn’t enough).  Those who are unaware of spiritual laws have trouble letting go of scarcity beliefs.  Eben Pagan says that one of the secrets to becoming highly successful is to “get used to getting the short end of the stick.”

In our current world of unlimited abundance of all resources, scarcity thoughts are no longer necessary.  When we eliminate scarcity from our thoughts, we transform into new people capable of living in a way we never imagined.

By design, as is the Yin and Yang of everything, there are natural forces towards equilibrium.  Peace cannot exist without war, life cannot exist without death, happiness cannot exist without sadness, and so forth.  We do not (and will not) grow without our struggles.  Naturally, our humanity has evolved us into a society of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’  It’s a natural hierarchical instinct found deep within our DNA that will never disappear out of mere suggestion after thousands of years of evolutionary behavior.

While I certainly don’t pretend to know all the answers or provide a viable solution to economic problems that have plagued mankind and these “What if’s” likely raise more questions than answers, one thing is absolutely certain: We do exist in a Universe with an unlimited abundance of all resources, ideas and space, and those who believe otherwise just need to be educated.  Those who manifest a life of scarcity have to be woken up.

Certainly, many efforts exist to perpetuate the notion of scarcity: it’s highly profitable.  One of the most powerful techniques of marketing that entices people to buy is the creation of scarcity.

Yes, there is a direct link between scarcity and money.  Even careful study of the banking system reveals an elaborate hoax built solely on the intent of perpetuation of scarcity and illusion: every dollar possessed by anyone is a debt owed to someone that can never be repaid.

Yet, the mere notion that there are not enough resources just because of a belief of “lack of money” is profoundly more absurd and naive than any fanatically noble Utopia.  “There’s not enough” is an all too common phrase spoken and believed throughout the World.

One way or another, this must change and, regardless of the solution, I choose to be a part of that change.

Scarcity is a myth, a lie.  If each of us do not eliminate scarcity from our thoughts, it will enslave us and those around us into a world of fear and the belief that we are constrained by some invisible, external force, preventing us from helping ourselves as well as others.

So, what if we just eliminate scarcity instead?

What if, indeed.

Mike Lewitz is an innovative marketer who truly 'gets' the mental and emotional buying process of consumers. He's shown thousands of global business owners proven, cutting-edge marketing methods that bring abundant results.  Mike is a Google Certified Advertising Professional, holds two Bachelor's degrees (business & marketing) and is finishing an M.B.A.

You may freely distribute, copy & share this article with acknowledgment.

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