zdls halbert index

Teacher Of The Year!

If you've got kids, you'd better read this book. It'll open
your eyes, make you want to puke and, for sure, if you're anywhere near the
top of the Halbert Index, it'll cause you to immedi-ately consider pulling
your kids out of school. Here is what kind of children, according to John
Taylor Gatto, our school system is producing: (1) Children who are indifferent
to the adult world. (2) Children who have almost no curiosity. (3) Children
who are cruel to each other and lack compassion for the misfortunes of others.
(4) Children who have a poor sense of the future. (5) Children who have no
sense of, or interest in, the lessons of the past. (Basically, the exact
moment these kids are in is the boundary of their conscienceness.) (6)
Children who cannot deal with intimacy or candor.

Mr. Gatto has much more to say that I can summarize here but,
there is one sentence in this book that virtually leapt off the page at me. He
said,

"The
Richer The Kid, The Less

Television He Or She Watches!"

Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. Where am I going with all this?
Ok, listen: There are two basic types of businesses that do well in an
economic slump. The first type of company would be a well-run giant
conglomerate with monstrous purchasing power enabling it to buy and sell
staples (and other commodities Americans feel they can't do without) at the
lowest possible prices. The best example of this type of business would be
Wal-Mart which, last year, during the most disastrous holiday retail season in
30-years, posted an enormous gain in gross sales and profits. You know,
when a new Wal-Mart comes to town, the other retailers go into a panic. And
rightly so. Because... no local retailer can hope to even come close to
Wal-Mart's prices. Not only that, Wal-Mart is mostly employee-owned and thus
offers superior, courteous and concerned service. Plus, they are hyped
by none other than Paul Harvey who can arguably be considered the most-trusted
product pitchman in America.

Is it any wonder Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the
world?

All this has created a curious and profitable niche for one
sharp guy who, when Wal-Mart announces it's coming to town, goes around and
counsels the frightened local retailers. Basically, what he tells them is...
don't even think about competing with Wal-Mart on a head-to-head basis founded
on price. Instead, he tells them, they must start offering unique customized
products along with unique customized services. I go along with this
advice. However, for you, dear reader, I want to illuminate another idea that
can make the above advice perhaps 1,000% even more profitable!

What I want to impress upon you is... if possible... you
should endeavor to confine your selling efforts to...

Players With Money!

Why? First of all, it is easier to sell something to someone
with money. It's an obvious fact that person has the money to buy what you're
selling. If you've got a $500,000 house for sale, it doesn't matter how
appealing the house is if the family you're pitching it to has a pitifully low
total income.