Comments on: The Poverty Mentality http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/ Architect of Professional Communities® | Alan's Blog Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:34:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Gareth Kane http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-835 Gareth Kane Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:04:34 +0000 http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-835 I have been a self employed environmental consultant for two years and the business is finally booming, despite the doom and gloom in the press. While some of this is down to my service offering (it is a very good time for my clients to cut waste, water and energy costs), much of it is down to a recently adopted abundance mentality (helped no doubt by the five Alan Weiss books on my shelf...). Where I live, North East England, they have a saying: "shy bairns get nae jam" and they're damn right. Upping fees is a strong part of that - it seems to instil respect amongst prospects. I have, however, avoided all the 'look in the mirror and tell yourself you are brilliant 20 times every morning' stuff. That would just make me feel like an idiot! BTW Two hi-tech techniques have helped me - my blog does attract some 'long tail' search phrases and my e-newsletter has brought in quite a bit of work recently. But LinkedIn has given me nothing and I'm not twittering! I have been a self employed environmental consultant for two years and the business is finally booming, despite the doom and gloom in the press. While some of this is down to my service offering (it is a very good time for my clients to cut waste, water and energy costs), much of it is down to a recently adopted abundance mentality (helped no doubt by the five Alan Weiss books on my shelf…).

Where I live, North East England, they have a saying: “shy bairns get nae jam” and they’re damn right. Upping fees is a strong part of that – it seems to instil respect amongst prospects.

I have, however, avoided all the ‘look in the mirror and tell yourself you are brilliant 20 times every morning’ stuff. That would just make me feel like an idiot!

BTW Two hi-tech techniques have helped me – my blog does attract some ‘long tail’ search phrases and my e-newsletter has brought in quite a bit of work recently. But LinkedIn has given me nothing and I’m not twittering!

]]> By: Alan Weiss http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-827 Alan Weiss Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:50:19 +0000 http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-827 Just what you pointed out: Zero barrier to entry. Anyone can create a web presence without any qualifications for content, intellect, experience, or even positive intent. There is way too much attempt at self-validation and rationalization. Frankly, you read things that no sane person would utter or put up with in pubic in many cases. Some people drive poorly because the standards for obtaining a license are so minimal. But those are like the bar exam compared to web entry, where anyone can post anything, and too often do! You also have the "generalized exception," wherein someone is found via Twitter of Flutter or Pratter, and all of a sudden it's a marketing route for everyone. A lot of people are trying to write a book on nuttiness like telepathic selling because someone they met in an airport "confirmed" it was a great idea! That, in essence, is the coinage of the web, an egalitarian wonderland. Just what you pointed out: Zero barrier to entry. Anyone can create a web presence without any qualifications for content, intellect, experience, or even positive intent. There is way too much attempt at self-validation and rationalization.

Frankly, you read things that no sane person would utter or put up with in pubic in many cases.

Some people drive poorly because the standards for obtaining a license are so minimal. But those are like the bar exam compared to web entry, where anyone can post anything, and too often do!

You also have the “generalized exception,” wherein someone is found via Twitter of Flutter or Pratter, and all of a sudden it’s a marketing route for everyone. A lot of people are trying to write a book on nuttiness like telepathic selling because someone they met in an airport “confirmed” it was a great idea! That, in essence, is the coinage of the web, an egalitarian wonderland.

]]> By: Danielle Keister http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-825 Danielle Keister Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:38:29 +0000 http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/the-poverty-mentality/#comment-825 I have been lamenting this kind of activity for years in my own profession, where we have so-called professional associations that post junk jobs in their RFP sections instead of qualified, quality client leads. It's not the role of a professional association to become an unemployment center! Their focus should be on raising standards of excellence and improved business consciousness. Sort of a tangent but related I think... I really HATE when people use the word "reasonable" when they're shopping for providers. What they're really saying is "I want to make it your problem that a) I'm a cheapskate, b) I have a mentality of poverty and c) I'm not properly prepared to be in business. Ugh. From my perspective, the poverty mentality is much more pervasive in the online world probably because there is no barrier to entry. It's to the extent, again from my perspective, that I divide the business world into two sectors: the "real" world and the online world. They seem to be entirely different cultures in so many ways. The poverty mentality is pervasive in the online word; in many respects, I see it even nurtured and cultivated. What do you see as the influences of this phenomenon? I have been lamenting this kind of activity for years in my own profession, where we have so-called professional associations that post junk jobs in their RFP sections instead of qualified, quality client leads. It’s not the role of a professional association to become an unemployment center! Their focus should be on raising standards of excellence and improved business consciousness.

Sort of a tangent but related I think… I really HATE when people use the word “reasonable” when they’re shopping for providers. What they’re really saying is “I want to make it your problem that a) I’m a cheapskate, b) I have a mentality of poverty and c) I’m not properly prepared to be in business. Ugh.

From my perspective, the poverty mentality is much more pervasive in the online world probably because there is no barrier to entry. It’s to the extent, again from my perspective, that I divide the business world into two sectors: the “real” world and the online world. They seem to be entirely different cultures in so many ways. The poverty mentality is pervasive in the online word; in many respects, I see it even nurtured and cultivated. What do you see as the influences of this phenomenon?

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