- November 12, 2018 -

In-N-Out Burger.

An incredibly successful burger chain that originated in Baldwin Park, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles in 1948 by newlyweds Harry and Esther Snyder.

One of the nations first drive-thru's.

They sell...burgers.

Not chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fish sandwiches, artisan sandwiches.

They don't do onion rings or salads.

(They do offer fries, soda and shakes)

They focus on one thing: full-on beef burgers.

...no vegan burgers, bean burgers, tofu burgers.

You get only three options (perfect for decision-challenged carnivores): Hamburger, Cheeseburger, and their trademarked Double-Double ®

And they do them amazingly well....to the point where they have an almost cult following.

Everyone from businessmen in [...]

- August 15, 2018 -

Before I got off track with Cheryl's ticket dodging escapades in yesterday's email, "assuming the sale" was supposed to be the topic du jour.

If you've been reading the Contrarian emails for long, you've heard me say that anyone can be a marketer - but being a marketer is not the same as being a businessman.

And you won't stay in business long if you don't sell.

ABC...Always Be Closing.

At some point somebody's gotta ask for the sale.

Back in my broker days, we were taught to "assume the sale." And it's become a part of my DNA.

Assuming the sale [...]

- August 14, 2018 -

"Timid salesmen have skinny kids."

Zig Ziglar, you speak my language buddy.

I remember the first time (years ago) Cheryl called me and announced, "It works! I 'assumed the sale' just like you said to do."

"That's great! So who bought which service?

"No, it was the police. I got out of a ticket! I used the techniques that you always talk about - and it worked great! Easy peasy."

"God, Cheryl - what did you do?"

"Well, I went through a stop sign. But I calmly explained to him that it actually seems more logical for it to be a YIELD [...]

- August 7, 2018 -

A tale of two salesmen.

It's early 1900's.

Two competing shoe companies want to expand their market reach.

So they each send their top sales guy to Africa to scout out the potential.

After a day or so, the Salesman #1 finds a telegraph office and types out:

"Research complete. Stop. Situation hopeless. Stop. No one wears shoes here."

The Salesman #2 does his research and head to the same telegraph office. He types out this message to his boss:

"Research complete. Stop. Incredible opportunity. Stop. No one wears shoes here."

Two smart guys.

Same situation.

Opposite outlook.

So...we can end this email right here and conclude [...]

- July 26, 2018 -

I'm going to tell you a story.

And by including a few small details, I'm going to attempt to get you to draw a certain conclusion...a wrong conclusion.

Don't try to read between the lines, just listen to the story. Are you game?

(Clue: if you're fan of Perry Marshall, you may have heard the story - but listen anyway and play along with me 'cause I'm gonna up the ante.)

Perry's friend and colleague John Paul Mendocha dropped out of high school when he was 17.

The kid hitchhiked to Vegas and decided to become a professional gambler.

After a few [...]

- July 25, 2018 -

Ever watched the movie "Glengarry Glen Ross"?

There's a pretty raw scene where Alec Baldwin's character (I'll call him 'Rich Guy') is sent to "motivate" four real estate agents, all currently in a slump.

He unleashes 7-minutes of venomous verbal abuse...a monologue (and his only scene in the movie) that over two and a half decades has become film lore.

[Here's the clip if you're interested. Be warned it's not rated PG.]

Jack Lemmon plays Shelley Lavene, once a successful salesman but now in a long-running funk. On top of that, he's got a dying daughter.

He dares to get up [...]

- June 20, 2018 -

Ever play Nintendo growing up?

Or have kids/grandkids who'd rather play Xbox (or whatever the latest gaming craze is) than eat?

Hours upon hours of practicing.

You learn how to read your enemies.

Develop good instincts by playing against good players.

And then at some point...you hear about "cheat codes" and "hacks" and a whole new world opens up.

You can skip levels or unlock super powers...so I'm told by my nephew and his buddies.

To really serious gamers, cheat codes are like a secret weapon.

...to even the playing field against their top competitors.

...to push 'em on to the next plateau.

Is it really [...]

- June 13, 2018 -

We consume a lot of coffee in our office.

...a very caffeinated bunch we are.

Everyone has their favorites so Keurig with their K-Cups fits the bill.

...and a hefty monthly bill it is.

But that's ok because everyone is chipper and everyone stays awake 🙂

So when Keurig is running a promotion, Cheryl's all over it.

Today...and today only (time-expiring offers do work, people) they were offering a 20% discount when you bought their Large Quantity Packs of K-Cups.

Cool beans. <literally>

Anytime the price of a K-Cup is below $.50/cup...it's a good deal!

Everyone's favorite flavors got added to the order...except for one particular [...]

- May 1, 2018 -

Imagine putting Donald Trump and Kevin O'Leary in a room together.

"You're fired!"

"You can't fire me...because you're dead to me!"

Two ego-driven personalities going head to head.

O'Leary, the Shark Tank producer-appointed villain encouraged to be a little more evil in the early seasons, once told a crying female contestant, "Money doesn't care. Your tears don't add any value."

Trump, portrayed on The Apprentice as smart, decisive, blunt, rich - really rich - and never wrong, most probably benefited from the franchise becoming the launchpad for his presidential campaign.

Both shows were/are hits. Rating bonanzas that became national phenomenons.

While I've enjoyed [...]

- March 23, 2018 -

When I owned my mortgage company, the biggest thorn in my side was the real estate broker.

And now that I buy and sell investment properties...the biggest thorn in my side is still the real estate broker lol

And before you react (because I know I'll piss somebody off who is a real estate broker or whose spouse or child or father or aunt myrtle is)...hear me out, please.

We're both after commissions and fees so the relationship is naturally gonna to lean toward being competitive.

Both want a sale to happen...and IF one of us leads with "What's in [...]