"Do you want more money in your life or less money?"

“Do you want more money in your life or less money?“

Does it take a psychologist to know how most people will respond to being asked if they want “more money?” I don’t think so.

As long as they’re asked right, at the very least, they will say; “More money, of course!” In fact, they might even think or say out loud; “Duh!“ 

Indeed, almost everyone who’s asked replies in the affirmative, and I should know, I’ve tested this one—a lot.

Clearly, being “asked right” is key to getting the first point of this blog, but, we’ll get back to debating about the right and wrong way in a moment.

First, let me share that my success led to my “ugly mug” gracing the cover of a North American wide newsstand magazine. In fact, when it comes to how to have more money in your life, I’m easily one of the world’s top experts.

My expertise is not limited to marketing, or marketing online, as I also have sales skills chops too. That’s why I chose to include a parallel sales example in a post on a website mostly dominated by marketing topics. 

Marketing and sales efforts do generate prospects, followers, sales, and ultimately profits, but there the similarities end, with one rather glaring exception. And, that brings us to the difference between brut force and the subtle approach.

As it happens, the sales example is simpler and, thus, the easier of the two to make the first point. 

Now, imagine walking up to someone in public to see if they are interested in what you offer (whatever that may be). But, let’s say the offer was for “more money.” 

How would most strangers react to this: “Hi, my name is Steve, do you want more money in your life or less money?”

In this scenario, would it be better to engage someone before asking them that qualifying question?

The real risk of not engaging a suspected prospect first, before getting down to business, is it’s unnatural. No one talks like that unless they have an agenda, right?

Yet it happens thousands of times a day on social media and in sales calls all the time.

By skipping the rapport building step, a sales representative is employing brut force tactics rather than being subtle.

Yes, the awkward, blurted-out one-liner is a classic example of brut force. Whereas, engaging-in-conversation first, then blending in the qualifying question, is the subtle way.

For those who are in sales, the subtle approach can be rejection free. The other is just “going for no!”

So, the right way to conduct sales is to build rapport, which I will get into in another post. And, when it comes to marketing, we also want to be subtle, don’t we?

YouTube content creators do this. They let their viewers into their lives and, in so doing, the viewers feel like they know them. Now, that can be manipulated, at least to some degree, but sales people can give you a feeling you know them too. That does not mean you do.

In marketing we are not talking face-to-face, so we are at a disadvantage. However, we can still create the feeling for our readers or watchers that they can trust us, can’t we? Sure.

The same is true in a blog. And, with a blog we supply content that people can avail themselves of, even if they can’t watch a video (maybe they don’t have a headset on the train or they’re at work).

Why would you want to establish influence with a follower base and show them how to have more money? well, because most people need it. In this article on MarketWatch, “One-third of homeowners have less than $500 or, worse, nothing set aside for an emergency home repair . . . !”

People struggle financially, that is just the truth. And it is getting worse since the late nineteen-nineties, which is a phenomena know as “income inequality.

In the 2013 documentary movie, Inequality for All, it is well pointed out as to what has happened and why most people can’t be homeowners and save up for emergency funds. And that is why I do what I do.

In a recent blog post, entitled Do your Side Hustle from home, I explained that no matter what your specific area of influence, whether it be Side Hustle Bakery or flower arrangement and a YouTube channel, like Marie Wiik, you can help your followers to have more money, simply by referring them to me.

Asking someone if they “want more money or less money” is really a question of; “would you like to be better off than you are now or stay as you are?”

Doesn’t seem like much of a question, does it?

Most people, including many home owners, don’t think of themselves as being in trouble. They already live with less money than they deserve but the reality is; that is all they know.

The financial stress many feel, because they never seem to have enough money, is one thing, an authentic feeling of living with less than one deserves, is quite another. That is why personal development needs to be marketed to people, rather than them seeking it!

Here is proof. These are searches for how often certain keywords are searched, which were done on Ubersuggest. The first shows results for PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT and the later for SIDE HUSTLE. Just keep in mind, there are many, many other types of searches for making “more money” or “extra income” and not so many way to search personal development.

The average number of monthly searches on Google for side hustle;

49,500

Make money at home;   40,500.  Make money online;  74,000.  Make money ;   22,500.   Make extra money; 5,400. 

A little research on keywords searched on Google—to understand the things people are looking for—turned up a total of 15 times as many searches for different ways to make money than searches for understanding why they are broke in the first place (personal development). As you can see.

Personal Development;  12,100

Anyone who doesn’t need to believe they can make more money first. Then they need skills and experience of applying those skills.

Belief + skills study + experience of applying those skills = the ability to make more money. And this sort of equation works in sales, as well as marketing.

(Continued below)