How to double sales A client of mine told me this story recently. His 5-year old daughter, Kyla, was the top seller in her Brownie troop of Girl Guide cookies.  How did she do that? She asked, “How much are two packages, Mom, instead of one?” “That’d be $5, Kyla, rather than $2.50.” “Mom, can I […]

It used to drive me crazy when I worked with the Sens that some of the people who supplied goods and services to the team were not also season ticket holders or sponsors. I’d ask every electrician, plumber, contractor, food and beverage vendor, in fact, anyone who benefited from having the Sens in town to […]

Former NFL superstar wide receiver Terrell Owens has had a life coach for the last two years. He says it has made a huge difference in his life and, if he had had a life coach during his playing days, it would probably have made him a better player too. Indeed, if he’d received life […]

Here’s why (in pictures) I carry around with me (my wife’s idea originally) a piece of paper that says on it, “It’s real estate, stupid.”  Bill Clinton, when he was running for president the first time as a huge underdog to the conqueror of Kuwait (the 1st George Bush to be prez), carried with him a […]

Want to know more about yourself? Want to learn what’s really important to you? Then try this exercise… Close your eyes. Concentrate. Take two deep breaths. Thousands of people are driving past a billboard. It is blank. Soon it will have writing or pictures on it about you that everyone will see. What does it […]

An engineer (or technician) can build for $1 what any fool could build for $2 An entrepreneur can make $2 where any idiot would make one A salesperson can sell $2 where any fool could sell one A designer can make something look like it’s worth $2 when it’s really only worth a dollar A […]

A lender recently wrote this to a client of mine: What is your estimate for Repairs/Maintenance? My experience is that everyone grossly underestimates R/M. Here’s my comment: I think he’s right about repairs/maintenance. If a structure has a life of 100 yrs, that’s 1% per year of depreciation on a linear scale. But a lot of […]

Hi everyone— I recently had an opportunity to visit a local farm about 45 minutes south-west of Ottawa. The visit reminded me that the grow-local movement and production of artisanal organic products are growing not only in  eastern Ontario but globally.  What’s powering it is a new generation and new  economics. Direct sales from farmer […]

Elderly clients of mine came to see me last year. They were living on a large rural property, quite isolated from everything—neighbors, services, shopping, jobs, friends, family, you name it. That was OK when they were younger, but not so much now, especially since the husband was suffering terribly from a combination of illnesses. They […]

If you want to buy high and sell low, you should: a) buy when everyone else is buying b) sell when everyone else is selling c) panic buy at the top of the market d) panic sell at the bottom c) enter bidding wars and win d) preferably with a bully offer. What’s a “bully […]