Coronavirus lessons: how one makes money

The Coronavirus pandemic is already disrupting our lives and seems likely to hurt in more unforeseen ways.  Will we learn anything?  There will be many things to learn such as how much we contribute to global warming or other ways to amuse ourselves besides the established entertainment platforms.

Many years ago I used to train newspaper carriers.  Many of them wanted to make a little extra money either for some immediate desire or for a long term savings project.  To me the core value they needed to learn was how one actually makes money.  We are now at a point where this will be of greater concern to more people as many jobs are going to disappear or be stressed as more people stay home.

A question is the best way to start a lesson.  A good one might be "How do you think you make money?"  The most common answer is to work hard.  Another is to work smart.  Another is to develop a skill or talent.  And of course another way might be luck.  Although they all can be helpful, none are the real answer.

My answer is that you have to find someone or someones who have money and want or need what you offer more than keeping the money or spending it somewhere else.  Of course society has organized our desires into patterns that we in some cases take for granted and sometimes make an effort to discover.

One of my favorite examples is a famous well paid athlete, at the time Wayne Gretzsky was a good one.  You could argue athletes work hard and smart, develop a skill, maybe have a little luck.  Individuals are always looking for ways to amuse themselves and often spend spare cash for entertainment.  Sports have an attraction and when focused on winning give motivation to those who crave being on top.  If they have money someone could organize a team to compete against other teams and to promote an audience to watch.  To attract money they need to identify players that can help the team.  How many and how much depends on resources that an individual might have or more likely today can stream from many sources such as television or inter-net audience.  If the numbers are right large numbers of athletes can make a living, some of them spectacularly.  From this, other supporting jobs can be generated.  It takes more than a wealthy individual as a paying audience is required provides the necessary leverage.  This all assumes there is money left over after the bare necessities are taken care of.

A curve thrown at me by a carrier's mother was to pay to help a severely physically disabled person.  The truth is still that someone has to convince some one else that it is worth while to help this person.  Unfortunately not everyone is successful in that effort.  But others have appealed to our conscience or fear that we might need help in the future.  Too often politicians heeding wants of taxpayers resist efforts to help those who cannot contribute to their well-being, but on the other hand they are anxious to cater to what voters are most concerned about.

What about "regular" jobs?  All jobs result from somebody willing to buy whatever product or service is available.  If for any reason less money is available there is less ability to buy anything.  This could happen as people are taken off work and also if people are not able to get out to buy.

We live in a consumer society that depends on economic growth to  provide jobs.  With the Covid 19 pandemic (panic) people are not spending money the way they used to which means they will not be providing money making opportunities the way they used to.  There probably will be new opportunities related to health and for the many adjustments of ordinary people.  Delivering food is one example that may have long range effects to avoid large crowds.  If money does not circulate with most people using money to meet their wants and needs then jobs will likely diminish.

The economy really spins around what masses of people do.  If they do not spend money, all jobs are precarious.  If they decide their (economic) priorities change, job opportunities will shift.  As a collective entity it is more important to encourage the people very much including those with limited resources to spend.  For that to happen they have to feel secure.  Unless large companies are willing to spend money to employ people there will not be economic activity that benefits us all.  Yes, this is a time when what the government decides to do can save the day or end up creating a jungle.

If you aren't willing to spend money then no one will benefit and no jobs will be created.  Jobs require many people spending a little or some spending a lot.  One night class instructor pointed out that everything starts with sales.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

WHAT CHOICE DO YOU HAVE? some thoughts on Freedom

Choice,  a simple word, but in essence it is what freedom boils down to.  A quote from Charles M. Blow, "..as if success was merely a result of a collection of choices and not also a confluence of circumstances."  My contention is that your choices are within perceived opportunities (which you can expand) and as you make better choices you are edging towards success, happiness and relative freedom.

Choices are everywhere, but mostly buried or ignored.  Most of us, most of the time react to what comes our way.  Some of us, some of the time dig a little deeper to expand our choices or at least to understand our options a little better. Most choices in fact are almost automatic and that is not all bad.

A lot of my posts have revolved around how our subconscious makes most of our choices, freeing us to choose opportunities. One of the best choices was "The Art of Choosing" at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/10/the-art-of-choosing-as-seen-by-sheena.html  about Sheena Iyengar's book and another was "The Power of Habit" at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/power-of-habit.html js about Charles Duhigg's book where you learn you can replace a bad habit with a good habit making your automatic choices automatically better.

We can be manipulated to making choices not necessarily in our best interests by other people as explained in my post on "Split second decision", at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/12/split-second-persuasion.html about Kevin Dutton's book and at a post including mindless eating  at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/mindless-eating-cf-mindful-eating.html  At least we can understand how others are trying to impose choices on us.

Good/bad, better/worse, best/worst.  It is not like a choice is either/or, but more often which. You may think you can buy an ice cream cone or not, but really you have different flavours to choose from and you could choose something healthier or more decadent.  Or you could take that money and apply it to some other project altogether.  Often the human brain prefers to eliminate options and narrow down the choice.

Success in life depends on choices.  Choices in reality are opportunities.  Most of us do not have the opportunity to rocket to Mars, but we can fantasize what it might be like.  Fantasizing might well be a tool of progress, but to get to Mars we have to make many other choices along the way. When you choose to spend more time studying you open up more choices of courses and institutions.

In reality doing something or not doing something have consequences including further opportunities with choices to be made.

One opportunity for choices is your own health.  Unfortunately we are not all born healthy or in possession of the normal human capabilities.  There are many ways to exercise, many food choices and how to rest with many activities to distract you.  Do you seek medical advice?

Authority figures are with us when we are born, usually our parents, and most of us accept authority. As we gain more control over our body and environment we try to assert our own authority, sometimes by choosing other authority figures to accept.

Decidaphobia can best be explained with a restaurant analogy.  People can take a long time deciding even limited choices, but when the choices spread to many pages, the time taken to decide can take from the enjoyment.  Restaurants don't want you dilly dallying over choices for too long.  On the other hand some boast of the wide range of choices.  One office supply company used the slogan "the power of selection" to brag about how many choices they offered--long out of business.

Some of the biggest choices--who to marry (if so); what career to follow; which way to vote; how best to fit in; where to live, how to spend your money---each one is preceded by thousands of lesser choices. and has consequences--success or happiness--why not both?

Part of you knows what you should do, but you find it difficult to summon up the will power?  Here is some advice from an earlier post http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/09/the-willpower-instinct.html by way of Kelly McGonigal.

Photo:  Just another beautiful photo I chose cause I like it and hoped it would encourage you to read this blog..

TRAVELS OF A SALESMAN PART 3 QUEBEC

My sister Rebecca in Brossard, Quebec fed me and provided a place to sleep during my many trips to the Maritimes.  It is embarrassing to recall that when she was living by herself before having children my father and some of my siblings visited her.  Years later she mentioned how important that was to her as she didn't know many people in Montreal and her husband  Ali was out of the country.  I didn't visit, with my only excuse being I was busy doing other things.  I felt we had a good relationship, but it was mainly because of her efforts visiting her family in Ontario.

When it became self serving such as trying to save some hotel expense on a trip to the east coast it became easier to visit.  Both Rebecca and her husband Ali were very hospitable, in fact setting a standard few people would match.  As years went by and I had to travel back and forth to the east coast I made more visits.  Ali suggested that even though I didn't speak French I would have an easier time trying to sell in Quebec than a francophone would in Ontario.

In fact I used to set the alarm for around 3 a.m. so I could make it to Fredericton before it was too late in the day to make a sales call in English.  Driving past a population base of millions for the opportunity to sell to a population base of hundreds of thousands doesn't seem the best use of gas and time.  I had earlier signed up a Quebec veterinarian wholesaler with national distribution, but had only approached affiliated Ontario and Maritime clinics.  As time went by there developed a few other links.

Jacques Major, a fellow employee at OKD,  wrote an introductory speech in French.  Later he helped me adapt a story I told to win favour with receptionists.

I boned up on a few French words and was supported by French labeling and literature.   Calling mostly on veterinarians I was pleased to learn that there was usually at least one person reasonably fluent in English and often it was the veterinarian owner.  Speaking to the chief decision maker was not nearly as common on my other calls so this became a bonus.  There wasn't smooth sailing all the time.  I stumbled on lots of calls where I didn't make myself understood, but really only had one very negative experience because of my poor French.  I won't go into that, but every salesperson who makes cold calls has to deal with fear of rejection or of looking like an idiot and my Quebec experience provided a lot of realistic opportunities to deal with that.

My first call was on the south shore off Quebec City in Levis and it turned out to be a difficult French conversation.  I had been trying to relate how effective our solution was to get rid of skunk odours.  When I followed up they had actually bought my product as a floor cleaner and were very pleased.  I ran into many English speakers of various levels of fluency and mostly made myself understood.  I was moderately successful not only in increasing sales, but actually picking up stories of successful users that helped me in other markets.  Eventually I called on well over 200 Quebec clinics.

As an outsider to Quebec I had very vague ideas.  I knew Montreal was a major cosmopolitan city.  I knew Quebec City was a popular tourist destination.  I had heard other names, but they held no uniqueness for me.  Like any other province of millions of people Quebec has lots of unique (and very interesting) identities.

At one point I did more than just make calls along the route to the Maritimes, but actually spent a week at a time in Quebec.  From Rebecca's house I could make calls to about a three hour driving range that included Quebec City and Sherbrooke.  I went beyond that staying overnite in motels visiting Lac St Jean.  On trips to Ottawa I visited Gatineau.  On trips to northeastern Ontario I visited Rouyn Noranda.

I started to realize and enjoy that Quebec culture is very rich.  I listened to Celine Dion in French, but also learned of other Quebec singers.  I have since realized  that a lot of Quebec movies are first class and enjoyable.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/09/french-canadian-films-are-world-class.html

Starting where my sister lived, in Brossard.  It was part of a string of communities that are grouped as the South Shore.  I was impressed with the local library and the system of walking trails.  I was dragged to a lot of shopping areas and found many of them enjoyable.  I had my car's oil changed at a particular fast lube place on three different trips in Brossard.  I eventually spent time selling on the north shore (which included Laval where I had sold some other things on the phone).

Favorite places included Sherbrooke, Victoriaville, the Beauce (south of Quebec City), Riviere du Loup.  I was able to circumnavigate Lac St Jean and wished I could have done it more slowly.   Ali had biked around the lake as a university student.  <Correction:  Ali atually hitch-hiked>Quebec City is one of the most interesting cities in all North America and I am glad I was able to go back without the pressures of sales calls. Montreal is a cosmopolitan city with a lot of interesting things--one that comes to mind is the market on Jean Talon.  The South Shore is also a very pleasant place.  This brief list of names by no means exhausts all the beauty of Quebec.

One of the biggest legacies came from a trip to Quebec City where I had a limited window because of commitments to travel elsewhere.  I had mapped out my calls to veterinarians and was curious about the proximity to some tourist attractions--old Quebec and the Montmorency Falls.  I felt railroaded in a morning rush hour and ended up going through old Quebec and then later looking for a clinic to the east found myself driving by Montmorency Falls.  I knew I had missed a turn and had to turn around. At that point I noticed Ile d'Orleans.  It just looked like a lot of trees, but people were driving over the bridge.  My curiosity was aroused.  When I got back home I did some research and became even more fascinated.

For one of my milestone birthdays my wife asked me what I wanted.  I decided it would be nice to visit my sister in Brossard and make a holiday of it.  I was no longer visiting Quebec on business.  I suggested we could go to Quebec City.  Even then I was planning on a side trip to Ile d'Orleans.  We stayed in a Quebec City motel and of course visited the famous old Quebec.  I felt like I was dragging my wife to Ile d'Orleans and was very disappointed at my first two planned stops as they were not open or we couldn't locate them.  I was ready to admit defeat, but my wife's attitude was we were already there and might as well continue to circle the island. Her boss had once done a bicycle tour of the island.  The next stop less than ten minutes later (and not planned) turned out to be very delightful.  It was a bakery with very different and wonderful pizza.  Further down the road we ran into some boutiques and then a fabulous chocolate place.  We bought some local wine.  We had dinner beside Montmorency Falls which was another wonderful meal with a beautiful view.  A year later we decided to spend 4 days on Ile d'Orleans at a bed and breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Back in Montreal my sister gave us a tour of Montreal that would have been more enjoyable if I wasn't so tired.  Did have some of the famous Montreal bagels and saw old Montreal.  When I go on my sales trips I don't always see the most scenic sections.

Talking to Peter Cotton (my cousin Donna Stewart's husband) I started to tell him where my favorite drive was and it turned out we both agreed on a road to Beloeil, just off the Trans Canada Highway. Something about the particular houses along the river.  Peter had been involved with the design of some restaurants along the harbour in Halifax that I also enjoyed.

While staying with my sister's family I got involved in some of their routine.  On several occasions went on long family walks.  I remember on a couple of occasions going with my niece Leila delivering newspapers in the morning (something I had done a great deal of in a previous job).  Leila helped me visit a Montreal cat show where I couldn't always make myself understood.  Samia, my sister's other daughter had developed an interest in Tae Kwon Do.  I had picked her up from a practice and attended one competition.  That developed into a passion for both Samia and her mother, both of whom got black belts.  Samia has competed at a high level internationally.  I also remember enjoyably socializing with friends who had originally come from Ali's home town of Safi in Morocco, both at their home and my sister's.  As usual they were all at least tri-lingual including their 5 year old son who couldn't understand why my French was so poor.  He thought everyone in Canada spoke French.  One year I was invited to attend an Eid dinner which is the traditional end to Ramadan. Often I got to enjoy some really good Moroccan cuisine eaten in a unique style, plus other interesting menus plus an impressive tea ceremony put on by Ali.

I like to think of myself as an opportunist.  We all think that if only the right opportunity would offer itself our fortune would be made.  It happens for some people.  What most of us do not always realize is that there are always opportunities and some of them are mind blowing.  But we aren't always looking for them so they either go unnoticed or sometimes sooner or later someone else discovers them.  I am glad that I took an opportunity to explore Canada's most unique province and get to visit my sister's family more often.   I owe it to my brother in law, Ali who encouraged me with his one observation and his many acts of hospitality.  I am grateful to Jacques Major who gave me a very helpful tool and opened up the door to life changing experiences.

The photo at the top is of the bridge going to Ile d'Orleans.  I probably never would have seen it if I had not missed a turn and realized it when I saw the Montmorency Falls.  My wife, Sharon took that one.  The second photo is at a bed and breakfast in Ile d'Orleans where we met two couples from Brooklyn New York that were very enjoyable company.  The photo at the bottom is Montmorency Fallls which is actually higher than Niagara Falls, but much narrower.  You can see a pedestrian bridge over the top of the falls which my wife walked across.

You can read about Part I, my travels in Ontario at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/travels-of-salesman-part-1-ontario.html Part 2 recounts my travels in the Maritimes at  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/travels-of-salesman-part-two-maritimes.html

PROCRASTINATION

I have been putting this topic off, because I suffer from it, like many of you.  It is intended as a bit of sales advice, but really it affects every thing worth doing.

It can be maddening to decide what to do next. There are so many choices and we have a tendency to go on our automatic pilot or in other words be a slave to our habits. We are hit from all directions with ideas of what to do--mostly "buy me" or "you deserve a little fun." or "get back to work." For you to get on your best path, you need to take time and focus on what choices you have.

For purposes of this topic I will assume that you, like most of us know there are things that could give you more purpose in life, give you the means to enjoy your favorite things, please those who are important to you, that you keep putting off. Why do you do that? What are our excuses?

Fear is a big one. I fear rejection particularly from those who have power or who maybe have not responded positively to my previous efforts. Complications--actually making a decision can be very complicated and making the wrong decision at the wrong time is fearful.   Laziness--yes the status quo can be pretty comfortable and maybe with slight adjustments can appear even more comfortable.

To get ahead in life successful people have found they need to stretch their comfort zone. Sometimes we have to hit bottom before we are willing to do what needs to be done. Do you really want to hit rock bottom?

As a sales man I recognize that in truth there are endless opportunities to make a sales approach and certainly to get better prepared for a sales approach. As a husband and a father I know there are many projects that can make everyone happier. As a human being I know there are things I can do to make life better for everyone.

From the world of sales, I remember a closing strategy from Zig Ziglar. He was trying to deal with someone who liked whatever he was trying to sell, but was afraid of finalizing a decision. He boiled it down to three questions, Can you see where this would save you money? Are you interested in saving money? If you were ever going to start saving money when do you think would be the best time to start? You can substitute whatever benefit you prefer for "saving money."

The strategy can easily be turned to yourself and any decision you have come to a conclusion about. The best time is NOW! At least start taking the necessary baby steps.

For myself, like all of you I have thousands of decisions to make each day and like you there are some decisions that I have thought about and have concluded action is needed. If things don't work out exactly the way I hope (not exactly sure what that entails) action at least removes doubt and provides some feedback for the next decision.

I have decided that at this stage of my career and my life I need to get more comfortable with social media and use it more effectively to move me closer to what I really want. The next concrete step is to get more educated about it, but actually doing something to help me get some feedback is even more critical. Blogging and twittering supported by more intense sales efforts and following up is what I need to do. NOW!

I would like to thank Heather, Sharon, Len and Barry for helping me reach this stage.

Note about photo. It was a rare and unexpected sight from a vacation. I was actually waiting for the bus to take me back to the airport at the end of my Cuban vacation.  A person suggested I should look at a unique flower and I tried to put him off.  Glad I didn't.  I want the opportunity to see such things in the future and not just wait for things to come to me.