A Little Bit of Mind Control…

Issue #2376

• WEALTHY: A short-term investment to ease the gas crunch (Christian Hill)
• HEALTHY: ETR Readers respond with disbelief to my high-fiber super-shake (Michael Masterson)
• WISE: Aesop on persuasion

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• A little bit of mind control… (Paul Lawrence)
• Watch out for these commonly misspelled words (Don Hauptman)
• It’s Fun to Know… about the fish that lives in a tree
• Add "ruminate" to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

The Easy Way To Internet Profits For Lazy Entrepreneurs

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I’m still shaking my head at how shockingly simple and easy this is.  And this business has been purposely kept ‘low-key’ to keep others from discovering and using it.  Not anymore, because one of the Internet’s elite has just spilled the beans…

Fill Up Your Portfolio With This Profitable Company

By Christian Hill

When it comes to a measuring a company’s health, little can compare with overall profits. The more profitable a company is, the better. And no company in the world is more profitable than ExxonMobil (XOM). For anyone who drives a car and pays $4/gallon for gas, this should come as no surprise.

In 2008, the petroleum industry is where you want to be. And while few of us can avoid buying gas, we can at least make back a little of what we’re spending by investing in ExxonMobil. The stock was around $70/share at the beginning of 2007, and recently closed at around $94/ share, a 34 percent increase.

Keep in mind that you need to go into any investment – even a seemingly great one like oil – with your eyes open. As Rick Pendergraft mentioned recently, the economy can’t sustain the gas price crunch on consumers for long. And as Andrew Gordon pointed out in an article about the future of gas prices, new technologies are on the horizon that will "upend the demand side of oil" and "make inroads on increasing the supply side." Those technologies are still a few years away. In the meantime, if you’re cautious, there is no reason you can’t profit from Exxon’s stock movements.

For the short term, oil is a good investment. Americans still drive everywhere, often with no one else in the car. And while a trend toward smaller cars has begun, gas-guzzling SUVs still dominate our highways. So, like it or not, ExxonMobil and its counterparts will continue to cash in on high gas prices for the near future.

Add ExxonMobil to your portfolio to help offset rising prices at the pump. But keep your eyes peeled for the inevitable reversal – and be prepared to jump ship as soon as gas prices start to slip. Protect yourself by setting a 25 percent stop-loss point. That way, you’ll get out with 75 percent of your profits intact.

[Ed. Note: Making good investment choices doesn't have to be hard - especially when you have an expert guiding your decisions. In fact, some of the most effective investing rules are so easy, a fifth grader could understand them.]

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"Persuasion is often more effectual than force."

Aesop

Persuade People With Deductive Reasoning

By Paul Lawrence

My son Jose is 11 years old. So when he looked at me and said, "I think it would be a good idea for me to clean the birdcage and throw out the garbage now," the heavens opened up and a chorus of angels sang. If you have children, you know that hearing words like that can seem like a miracle.

Of course, I simply could have ordered him to clean the cage and take out the trash, but that might’ve led to an argument. Instead, when discussing chores with Jose, I use a powerful persuasion technique called "Triggering Deductive Reasoning." The idea is to get him to logically decide that it’s in his best interest to do his chores right away. And that’s why he’s (usually) eager to take care of them.

Ordering people around – even if you’re in a position to do so – is one of the least effective ways to get them to do what you want them to do. It’s always better to use proven persuasion techniques to change their thinking – and even their actions – without sounding like a dictator or a jerk.

You can use the Triggering Deductive Reasoning technique to get your own kids to do their chores. But you can also use it to persuade clients to buy your products… to get an employee to take on an unpleasant project… or to get your spouse to agree to take you out to dinner. I’m going to show you how.

First, let me explain why there’s more to this technique than appealing to the other person’s sense of logic. For instance, I could have said to Jose, "Why don’t you do your chores now, so you don’t forget?" In asking that question, I would hope Jose would recognize the wisdom of my logic and agree. But that approach would’ve likely failed miserably. Why? Because he didn’t come to the conclusion on his own.

If you can subtly lead the other person to make the decision you’re hoping for, their conviction that it is the right thing to do will be very strong. And they won’t even realize what you did.

Here’s how I did it with Jose…

I knew he was really looking forward to playing at his friend’s house, and he didn’t want anything to interfere with his plans. So I said, "What time are you going to your friend’s house?"

"I’m supposed to be there at 2:00," he replied, without looking up from his video game.

I responded, "Mom’s going to drive you over there, right? What time are you leaving?"

"1:30," he said, glancing at his watch. "It’s 12:30 now."

"Well then," I said, "I guess you can keep playing your game for a while."

"I’m supposed to clean the birdcage and take out the garbage before I go," he said, looking up from his game.

"I’m sure you won’t forget," I said.

I watched his eyes as he thought about it. It was obvious that he recognized the distinct possibility that he could, indeed, get wrapped up in his game… forget about the chores… and have his mother tell him he couldn’t go because he didn’t get them done. He deduced for himself that the wise choice was to do the chores right then, and not take the chance of missing his afternoon fun.

The Triggering Deductive Reasoning technique works just as well with adults.

A few years ago, a partner and I were getting ready to produce an instructional video. He was going to fund the venture, and I was going to do the legwork. Neither one of us owned any video equipment at the time, so I investigated what it would cost to hire a professional videographer. Because we intended to market the video by showing clips in television ads, it had to be of the highest quality.

After getting many quotes, I came to the conclusion that for 25 percent more than we’d budgeted, we could purchase everything we needed to shoot and edit the video ourselves. A big advantage of this plan was that we could then produce further videos inexpensively. However, I was reluctant to approach my partner and tell him that he should put in more money than we originally discussed.

So I decided to use the Triggering Deductive Reasoning technique. I showed him the quotes I’d gotten from all the videographers, and told him, "I’m not sure any of these guys know more about shooting and editing a video than we do. But as much as I’d like to buy the equipment, we can save at least $5,000 by paying one of them to produce this one for us."

Being a smart guy, he instantly realized that it would be much better for us to own the equipment. "Remember," he said, "we already have plans to do three more videos together." And so he decided, without me asking, to make the additional investment.

To use the Triggering Deductive Reasoning technique, take the following steps:

1. Identify your goal.

You must know precisely what you want to achieve. In my example with Jose, my goal was to get him to make the decision to stop playing his game and get his chores done immediately. In my video-production example, my goal was to get my partner to make the decision to invest an additional $5,000 so we could buy our own equipment.

2. Make a statement that leads the other person to the conclusion you want him to come to.

The leading statement I made to Jose was, "I’m sure you won’t forget [to do your chores before it's time to go]." The leading statement I made to my partner was, ""I’m not sure any of these guys know more about shooting and editing a video than we do."

Let’s say you want to persuade your boss to increase your budget for a particular project. In that case, you might say something like, "I can definitely get this project done within the budget – although, with the shortcuts we’ll need to take, there may be some quality issues."

That statement would lead your boss to the realization that not giving you a bigger budget might be a bad idea.

3. Reinforce the logical conclusion the other person comes to "on his own."

When the person you’re using the Triggering Deductive Reasoning technique on comes to the conclusion you were hoping for, agree with him that he made a wise decision. You might even admit that you were thinking the same thing… and he convinced you it was the right thing to do.

[Ed. Note: Being able to persuade someone to do or think what you want is an enviable skill. It's one you can develop quite easily - especially with Paul's proven persuasion techniques. Learn more here.

Persuasiveness comes in handy every day when you're in business for yourself. Get the details on starting your own business for under $100 right here.]

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The Billionaire Way

I just wanted to say thank you for putting The Billionaire Way together for others to learn from as well as myself. I have made it a mission in my life to learn from the greatest minds in history and business.

I came from a humble beginning… searching. I found what I needed to know in The Billionaire Way. My most important lesson was they are all human just like you and me. They had special skills which anyone can develop to attract that bit of luck we all need in life… that extra edge.

These lessons can be learned in The Billionaire Way and you don’t have to spend your whole life as a mission, as I have, to find what I found here in The Billionaire Way.

I enjoyed our call. It put the final touches together that I have needed. If I do happen to get stuck on something thanks for saying I can contact you again. People look to me for advice. It is reassuring to ask and receive advice and have an enriching conversation… I find it is rare.

Thank you

- Aaron Kaggie
President of Kaggie Holdings, Inc.
Kearns, Utah

Please click here for all the details on this unique program.

How Much Fiber Can You Get in a Shake?

By Michael Masterson

There’s no doubt about it – fiber is one of a few super-foods you should consume daily. In my article about my daily eating routine, I mentioned a super-high-fiber shake that I drink every day. In fact, I’ve calculated that my shake can provide me with as much as 95 grams of fiber. A half-dozen ETR readers wrote in, wondering where I found this miraculous beverage.

Well, I didn’t find it ready-made in a store. I make it myself. There are hundreds of recipes for fruit/vegetable shakes and smoothies. Some are savory and spicy, others sweet. The general recipe I use as part of my daily routine is a blend of vegetable juices, as well as a banana, some ginger, a little yogurt, and ice. The total amount of fiber in the shake depends on the amount of fiber in each of my ingredients. I don’t stick with the exact same recipe every day, so the amount of fiber can range from 7 or 8 grams all the way up to 90 or more.

Try mixing your favorite fiber-rich ingredients – apples, berries, figs, carrots, spinach, green beans, etc. – to make your own healthy high-fiber drink.

[Ed. Note: Simple dietary choices can make a huge difference when it comes to your health. By modifying your diet, medications, lifestyle, and exercise habits, and with nutritional supplementation, your health is largely in your control.]

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The Language Perfectionist: How Bad Can Spelling "Bee"?

By Don Hauptman

Certain words are consistently misspelled. Here are four examples I found in major newspapers, whose editors should know better:

• "While technologies like cellphones are steadily reducing their size, television screens are simultaneously growing gigantic and miniscule." (Correct spelling: minuscule)

• "Now, with many of the biggest and best-known [ad] agencies owned by global firms, it all seems homogenous." (Correct spelling: homogeneous)

• "The judicial system works very hard to emphasize the rarified, solemn, and sequestered nature of jury deliberations… ." (Correct spelling: rarefied)

• "The Pope has a Muslim problem alright." (Correct spelling: all right)

Some permissive dictionaries sanction these and other misspellings as "variants," but it’s always wise to respect standard usage.

Ironically, misspell is often misspelled. Remember that the word consists of two phonemes: mis- and -spell, so the S is doubled.

Follow-up: An ETR reader took issue with my advice to avoid writing that a quotation was uttered "famously." His objection is that a writer who eschews this adverb would have to use the convoluted form "in a statement that has now become famous." The solution is simpler. If someone or something is truly famous, pointing out that fact is unnecessary. Thus, if you are quoting "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it," don’t write that the line is famous or that Oscar Wilde "famously" said it. To paraphrase Nike, just quote it.

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was a direct-response copywriter. He is author of the wordplay books Cruel and Unusual Puns and Acronymania, and is now writing a new book that also blends language and humor.]

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It’s Fun to Know: The Fish That Lives in a Tree

Scientists have recently discovered a species of fish that can live inside trees for several months at a time. It’s the mangrove killifish, a native of swamps in Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The fish can temporarily alter its body to breathe air and retain nutrients if receding water levels force it to take refuge in a dry tree trunk or branch.

The killifish joins the walking catfish of Southeast Asia and the climbing perch of India as the only known fish that can breathe either air or water.

(Source: The Daily Mail)

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Word to the Wise:  Ruminate

To "ruminate" (ROO-mih-nate) – from the Latin for "meditate" – means "to ponder," to turn an idea over and over in your mind. The word "ruminant" (an animal that chews its cud) is related.

Example (as used by Scott Eyman in a Palm Beach Post review of Forward From Here by Reeve Lindbergh): "Her style is ruminative, gently feminist, slightly predictable… ."

[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

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008

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