- WEALTHY: Are gas prices going up? Or down? (Charles Delvalle)
- HEALTHY: A natural alternative to that little blue pill (Dr. Al Sears)
- WISE: Noam Chomsky on conformity
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Using the herd mentality to your advantage (Larry Fredericks)
- Facing up to backing down (Michael Masterson)
- Add "memento mori" to your vocabulary
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Your Chance to Ride the Oil Boom
By Charles Delvalle
Last year, we were paying more than $3 per gallon for gas. Today, the price has dropped to a national average of $2.23 a gallon, according to USA Today. But don’t get too comfortable – this price decrease could be temporary.
Gas prices went down for two big reasons:
1. Lower demand because of a slowing economy
As the economy slows, people drive less to save money. They also buy less of just about everything – including plastics, fertilizer, and motor oil (all petroleum products). Fewer products, in general, are being manufactured and shipped, lowering the amount of fuel used by transport companies too. When demand drops, government-issued reports show above-average oil inventories. And as those inventories rise, fuel prices drop.
2. Lower demand because of the up-to-now warm winter
Temperatures this winter have been about 10 percent higher than they were last year (also a warm winter), so people are using significantly less gas and oil to heat their homes. As a result, the price of natural gas has fallen by 15 percent and crude by 11 percent.
But despite today’s inexpensive gas, oil is in a long-term uptrend. And with the population of China, India, and the rest of the world growing, I believe gas prices will eventually resume their upward path.
To take advantage of these low prices before they disappear with the summer driving season, invest in strong companies that operate within the oil sector or in energy-related ETFs – like the United States Oil Fund (USO) or the Oil Service HOLDRS Trust (OIH).
[Ed. Note: Charles Delvalle is a contributing editor to the Investor’s Daily Edge newsletter, and a regular contributor to INCOME, ETR’s new investment service. INCOME provides a slew of high-dividend-paying companies, with the goal of providing you with a total return (dividends plus capital gains) of at least 14 percent per year.]
"Case by case we find that conformity is the easy way and the path to privilege and prestige; dissidence carries personal costs."
Noam Chomsky
Conformity: An Overlooked Technique of Master Persuaders
By Larry Fredericks
Irving K. shook his head from side to side as he said, "I’m sorry. I don’t think I’d be interested." Sonny Fredericks nodded with understanding.
"I can see why you might think that at first," Sonny agreed. "That’s exactly what Art said before I gave him the numbers."
"Artie Yablonski?"
Sonny nodded confidently as he replied, "Yep. And Bob Daniels was also skeptical until he heard what the returns were."
"And both of them invested?" Irving asked, his eyes lit up with interest.
You guessed it. By the end of that meeting, Irving K. had also invested in Sonny’s project.
Sonny Fredericks, a "Master of the Art of Persuasion," had learned long ago that people have a strong desire to do what others are doing. You may have heard this phenomenon referred to as "peer pressure." Psychologists call it "social proof" or "informational social influence." And now researchers are theorizing that this need to conform is part of our innate survival instinct.
According to a University of California study, "regardless of their pre-existing habits, people are susceptible to the influence of others." And "cooperation or conformity to the rules of the group gives the group the highest likelihood of survival."
You know from your own experience that this makes sense. The need to conform could actually be very effective in perpetuating the success of a society. Our instinct to want to do what others are doing frequently results in our making a wise choice.
We see this instinct at work in the animal kingdom too.
Consider the many different kinds of animals that congregate in groups – a herd of zebras roaming the plains of Africa, for example. Now, imagine that you are a member of this herd … and a lion appears. Most of your herd runs off in one direction, and one lone zebra heads the opposite way. Which way do you run? Which choice will give you a better chance of survival?
Running with the herd, right?
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. And there’s no denying the fact that the rebels in our society often pave the path to progress. But the odds usually give the advantage to the conformist.
Not only is there "strength in numbers," as the saying goes, following the crowd is often the only prudent thing to do.
Say, for example, you’re at the beach. As you walk toward the ocean’s edge, all the people in the water suddenly start hurrying back toward the sand. Do you ignore the possibility that a shark or a jellyfish has been spotted and dive in anyway? Probably not. Odds are, it would be a bad idea.
Yes, there are times when you should go against the grain. But, more often than not, following the crowd works out for the best.
This natural, instinctive, deeply embedded desire to conform is reinforced over and over throughout our lives. And understanding it will not only help you survive … it can help you become a "Master of Persuasion" in order to sell more products, win new clients, or convince other people to take your point of view.
Think back to my story about how Sonny Fredericks let his prospective investor, Irving K., know that several other respectable, trustworthy people had invested in his project. After finding out that two men he held in high regard had confidence in Sonny’s proposal, Irving’s natural desire to follow the pack kicked in and brought about his change of heart.
Securing investors is only one of many ways this persuasion technique can be applied. Take Peter T., president of a condominium association. Because of increases in their insurance premium, Peter had the unpleasant task of getting the condo owners to agree to a sizable increase in their monthly maintenance payments in order to maintain the same level of coverage.
When Peter introduced the idea at the next association meeting, the owners howled. But then he explained that several of the other "first class" communities in the area had already implemented it. The owners weren’t happy, but the fact that these other associations had increased their fees made them feel it was the right thing to do.
The power of social influence is also the basis of a very effective persuasion technique used by most bartenders and fast-food servers. At the beginning of the day, they put some dollar bills into an empty tip jar. Everyone they serve that day (their persuasion targets) gets the impression that many people have been leaving tips in the jar. And because many others have done it, the new targets want to follow suit.
I’m susceptible to this technique myself. When I see a tip jar filled with cash, I find myself thinking that giving a tip is the right thing to do. Even if I wouldn’t otherwise consider tipping a Subway counter clerk for getting my sandwich order right, I feel pressured to put a tip in that jar … just because other people have done so before me.
That’s how strong the power of social influence is.
How could you use this "Master of Persuasion" technique in your business and personal life?
[Ed. Note: Larry Fredericks is an entrepreneur with a history of successful business dealings in retail, direct mail, the Internet, and real estate. He is also the creator of the Master of Persuasion program.]
In Time, This Business Should Just About Run Itself
The bottom line is that you don’t want to take on another commitment that’s just going to take more of your time, make you invest more money and return inconsistent profits.
…You want a business that practically runs itself,
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…You don’t want to take any big risks,
…And you don’t want to tie up your money.
I invite you to join a one-time teleseminar with expert Steve Cook that could change how you view creating real estate wealth. I have a limited number of spaces available at no charge – sign up now to reserve yours.
Justin Ford
Editor, Main Street Millionaire
Reader Feedback: "You help me to reach down and find the extra oomph I need."
"I want to thank you for continually inspiring me to continue working through AWAI’s copywriting program. I know everyone goes through at their own pace, but sometimes I hit the exhaustion wall after coming home from work. You help me to reach down and find the extra oomph I need to continue moving forward."
- Curtis David
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Do You Really Need Viagra?
By Al Sears, MD
The drug giant Pfizer is campaigning to release an over-the-counter version of Viagra. But don’t count on getting the non-prescription form of this drug just yet. Viagra poses risks for some men that reduce the chances of regulators approving it anytime soon.
Meanwhile … maybe you don’t really need a drug solution to your problem. At my clinic, I’ve helped hundreds of men with l-arginine.
L-arginine is an amino acid naturally found in meat and in your body. It helps make nitric oxide (NO), which helps blood vessels relax and expand. If you lack NO, your blood vessels become hard and narrow. But the more you get, the more your blood vessels expand. (Viagra also works by affecting NO. But instead of helping your body make more of it, Viagra blocks the enzyme that breaks it down.)
Because l-arginine acts as a nutrient, you can take it without fear of dangerous side effects. And one study in particular showed an 80 percent improvement in erectile function for men who took 2.8 grams of l-arginine for two weeks.
You’ll get l-arginine by eating red meat, fish, and chicken. But for more noticeable results, you can take it in supplement form. Start with a 500 mg capsule every day. If you don’t like to swallow pills, a powdered form is also widely available.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of 12 Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Notes From Michael Masterson’s Blog: Dealing With Bullies
Bullies are all around you – at the office, in the parking lot, on the phone, and in line at the cash register.
You get a call from a salesman who starts yelling at you when you tell him you’re not interested. You see a woman in a restaurant intimidating the waiter. Pulled over for speeding, the officer treats you like a lowlife. Waiting patiently to get on a bus or board a plane, the guy next to you tries to edge ahead.
When threatened by aggression or violence, you have a choice: yield or confront. The problem with backing down, as your dad may have told you, is that won’t be the end of it. There will be other incidents – and next time, the bully may behave even more forcefully.
Challenging people like that, however, can be costly, even dangerous. At the very least, you are likely to lose your cool. At the worst, you can lose your life. (How many times have you read stories about people who stand up to a bully in a bar or on the road and get murdered for their efforts?)
What does our personal experience teach us? And can we apply the lessons we learn in our personal lives to making sense out of the aggressive actions people and countries around the world continue to take against each other?
- Michael Masterson
[Ed. Note: To read more of Michael's unedited, uncensored (and sometimes unexpected) ruminations, check out his blog here.
This April, Michael Masterson will lead 25 to 50 ambitious businesspeople through an elite 5-day program that can help dramatically increase the profitability of their businesses. He'll reveal more than 100 ways you can increase your profits through direct marketing, the Internet, advertising, public relations, networking, front ends, back ends… You name it, he will find a new and better way for you to profit from it. Learn how you can be a part of this exclusive group and take your business to the next level here.]
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Word to the Wise: Memento Mori
"Memento mori" (muh-MEN-toh MAWR-ee) – Latin for "be mindful of dying" – is an object (like a skull) that serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Example (as used by Gary Schwan in a Palm Beach Post article about an exhibition of Impressionist masterpieces): "It [an 1883 still life of flowers by Eduoard Manet] features a single flower lying outside the vase, a kind of ‘memento mori.’ This artistic device would have been very familiar to Manet, a lover of the Old Masters."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007
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