Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 04/22/2024
To “anthropomorphize” is to project human qualities and traits onto animals, plants, and inanimate objects. Children do it to make sense of surroundings they otherwise can’t interpret. But adults do it fairly consistently, too, but for other reasons. (I’m discussing this with my white, German Shepherd, Royce, as I’m contemplating the next paragraph.)
Please admit you engage is this, as I do, so that we can have an honest discussion. (I’m asking my computer right now why it seems slower this morning.)
One net result of this mental pursuit is that it alleviates loneliness. It provides for a “socialization” because the more something is present and familiar, the more it lends itself to be anthropomorphic. We actually assign character traits and thought processes. (Looking at a window, “You’re so dirty, I’m sorry, I’ll get to you this afternonn.” Or at a car, “You and I have seen some magical moments!” Or at your dog, “Where did you leave your toy?”)
I have rocks around my den, on shelves and credenzas, with the name of the place globally from which they were retrieved and the date. (My favorite is a mineral-rich, gorgeous stone from the Mendenhall Glacier, upon which we landed in a chopper.) Occasionally, I’ll view them all, just sitting here, and remind them that they wouldn’t be in this room together—wouldn’t know each other, as it were—without me. This is the same thing I say to people in my community. Sometimes their reactions don’t exceed those of the rocks.
The “Theory of Mind” stipulates that humans are attuned to try to understand the reasoning and motivation of others. We tend to apply the same qualities to other things we encounter, hence, anthropomorphism. “Personification” is the assigning of human feelings and emotions to non-human life and objects.
This is not a pasquinade. I want you to know you’re sane, healthy, and normal if you engage in such assignments. In fact, I’d be worried about you if you didn’t. I’m with you.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a martini calling my name.
Even if I take him out for three hours every day, and go and chat with him for another hour, that leaves twenty hours for him all alone with nothing to do. Oh, why can’t dogs read?
― Nancy Mitford
They went down to the stream. It was all bearded with dirty grasses and was grumbling, for the rains had filled it with water. So it complained. It complained of being too fat. It was never satisfied. In summer it spent its time moaning that it was going to die, and then…Streams were always like that.
― Jean Giono
It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company. —George Washington
Thought Leadership 2024
I’m hosting a tenth Thought Leadership Conference, and our first such session post-pandemic, in Delray, Florida area on September 10-12, 2024. This will probably be the last such “live” event of its kind since my future plans are to create a quarterly Zoom subscription for this endeavor in 2025 and beyond. We will focus on:
• The No Normal® of the workplace and how to market and succeed in continually turbulent times. • What the impending US presidential election will mean for professional services. • How to create weekly, relevant, dramatic IP. • Staying ahead of the innovation curve using your own past and continuing “body of work.” • Passive, global income generation—creation and sustainability. • Options for successful use of discretionary time. • Financial realities and metrics for safety and security (and prudent risk). • Topics raised in the prep work sent to participants.
We will have a special guest speaker, Lou Heckler, who is one of the finest speakers int he world as well as an expert in leadership and performance. My newest book, Building Dynamic Communities: creating an evergreen client ecosystem, to be released later this year, will be personalized as my gift to you when it’s available, and the morning of the third day of the 2.5-day event will be optional and included in the fee. I’ll be “riffing” on that day on politics, society, education, personal wealth, and so forth.
The fee is $15,000, which includes rooms, breakfasts, lunches, and a cocktail reception. Finally, if you attend this session you may join the quarterly Zoom sessions next year for free, a $2,000 value.
Register here, please: https://alanweiss.com/
In the Buyer’s Office I’ve been asked to elaborate on the extremely popular “In the Buyer’s Office” videos on a regular basis. So I’m going to stop whining about doing it, and do it. I’m offering a 1.5-day, live session in Rhode Island during which everyone will get the chance to sell to the buyer and to be the buyer. You may record this if you like. You’ll learn how to, and apply how to:
- Open the meeting gracefully and move quickly to your objective.
- Handle distractions.
- Overcome objections.
- Reframe and pivot the conversation.
- Create trust, find key issues, create conceptual agreement, and “pour cement.”
- Create a resultant proposal with over an 80% probability of acceptance of options 2 or 3.
For those of you who can’t travel or are afraid of TSA, I’m offering the same experience (as much as possible) virtually over the course of three mornings. All of this will be recorded for distribution. https://alanweis
Building Dynamic Communities I’ve been asked for years how people can replicate my worldwide community, which is operating 24/7 virtually and in real time. Is it solely possible with entrepreneurs and the “retail” market, or can it be done with corporate clients and executives?
These communities (don’t confuse them with “tribes” which are exclusionary) provide huge business development benefits:
- Evangelism among members to engage more thoroughly
- The Chain Reaction of Attraction® which creates exponential growth when community members themselves attract others
- A laboratory to test ideas and allow others to suggest ideas
- High profile as THE expert and THE thought leader
- “Guaranteed” subscription to new offerings and projects to create immediate critical mass and success
- Instant marketing with zero investment
- Smooth progression form virtual interactions (e.g., internet-based) to real-time experiences (e.g., conferences, symposia, and so forth)
- Impressive creation of high quality marketing lists (a good return on most lists is considered 2%, my lists generate 10%)
- Powerful brand building and brand extension
- Value accruing to you even when you are not present because members wouldn’t know each other without you
- Immediate tests of new IP
- May 15-16, 1.5 days, at my place! $5,000 Includes my hosting dinner and 60 days of support. https://alanweiss.com
/growth-experiences/creating- dynamic-communities/
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://milliondoll
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World ADVANCED: The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/gr
Sentient Strategy Certification: My new book on the topic (above) has been released, so this is an ideal time to market Sentient Strategy. Write me to apply, join over 70 people certified in six countries. One-time fee of $12,000, includes 90 days of my support, free admission to all future certifications, and admission to a private web board with other Sentient facilitators. In a recent program a participant sold a $100,000 strategy program within 48 hours. Write me at [email protected]
NOTE: I’ve reinstated my inexpensive, limited coaching program I last used during Covid because I’ve found people who need help right now growing their practices. I’ve offered it to past coaching participants, but I can handle two more people at this point. Five calls at your desire: review proposals, prepare for meetings, create passive income, etc. $2,024. You simply have to use them before the end of the year, 30 minutes each. Should pay for itself 20 times over. You can write to discuss ([email protected]) or sign up by paying here:
https://alanweiss.com/store/
The Incredible Inexpensive Workshop:
I am focusing on helping people who might not otherwise be able to afford my support, and have done so with an inexpensive coaching program and my two platforms, Million Dollar Consulting® Online Learning. I’m going to do this with a Zoom workshop on a topic that I find most people find trouble mastering: How to Introduce New Value to Existing Clients, Past Clients, and Prospective Clients. I’ve found when I do such things that even successful “veterans” show up to further hone their skills. This isn’t some recycled program: It’s all new stuff, and it’s recorded if you can’t make it “live.” This is only $100. May 21 on Zoom with a recording. On May 1 this goes to $200. https://alanweiss.com/
Tricks and Treats
What I want to do on Halloween is give you a treat by showing the tricks of my trade. I will actually demonstrate how you can be spontaneous and also highly impressive, controlled, and effective. You will walk out of the morning able to use spontaneity in business meetings, social and civic settings, in speeches and presentations, and in conflict. If you stay for the afternoon, you’ll be able to practice this with your colleagues and then with me. If you can do this with me you can do it with anyone!
If anyone else is providing this kind of help, I don’t know about it. If you stay for the afternoon, I’m buying lunch. And at the end of the day we’ll vote as a group on the best extemporaneous performance of those remaining and I’ll provide a credit for your entire fee to use for any of my future programs. Stop saying, “I wish I had said….” or, “Next time what I’ll do is….” You don’t have to risk $200,000+, and I guarantee you won’t be risking this tiny investment either in freeing yourself to be even more successful immediately.
Las Vegas, NV, October 31, 2024, Venue to be announced, 9 am to 4 pm (afternoon optional)
Morning only: $950, Full day: $1,250 You must attend the morning to attend the afternoon (If you register prior to June 1 you can take $100 off the morning or $200 off the full day fees.) This will be on my site on Friday, you can beat the crowd for this limited participation session by going here: https://alanweiss.com/
