By Bill Quain
Have you ever talked to money? Okay, that is an evocative question, isn’t it? You carry money around with you everywhere. Money is in your wallet and bank account, and on your credit card, watch, phone, etc. However, if you are like most people, you have never actually spoken to money, have you? Well, I did.
I searched the world, from north to south and east to west, looking for Money, so I could ask him the questions that had always bothered me. I traveled to the Far East because I knew there were a lot of gurus out there. While I did find plenty of gurus, I didn’t find much money. I went to Europe because I figured I could easily find old money there, but no… Money wasn’t talking. I went out west to California, thinking that there was a lot of new money in places like Silicon Valley. While everyone claimed to have been at a party with Money or saw him briefly at a sales pitch, no one had cornered him into a conversation.
In a desperate attempt to follow the money, I went to Washington D.C. Everyone there claimed to know everything about money. But when I asked them some money questions, all they could do was point me to some charts and tables. A junior congressional page said that money was everywhere, and if I would just vote for his congresswoman, then I wouldn’t need to talk to Money because the congresswoman would take care of everything, and by the way, did I want to contribute to her campaign?
It turned out money’s in Jersey!
Folks, I finally found money. He was in an ATM in South Jersey – not far from the printing presses of Shore Local Magazine! I went back to that ATM, day after day, and asked Money all the questions I had. It was fascinating! I put the whole conversation, including Money’s excellent advice and observations, into my book, “Money Talks … Finally! The First-Ever Interview Between Man & Money”. I never told anyone else where Money was, so I guess he’s still there, waiting for someone to find him. In the meantime, I’ll be sharing some of Money’s best-kept secrets with my readers in this column.
Part one of “money, sunny, honey”
Before the Christmas holidays, I wrote a column about the three things everyone needs in life to be successful: “money, sunny, and honey”. I promised you that I would do separate columns on all three factors, and I’m starting off with my favorite topic: money. I have a lot to tell you about the conversation I had with Money, so relax, take a deep breath, and let’s get going.
Money, where can people find you?
This is the very first question I asked Money because I hear people asking it all the time. Money told me that he is amused by this question because most people assume that money is in a bank. Plus, the people who are asking this question don’t usually have much money. They go looking for it, so they can have more of it.
I want you to read Money’s answer to this question: “People always assume I’m in a bank, but that’s just one of the places where I am. I’m everywhere these days because I belong to people, and people have access to me anytime they want. For example, suppose they are watching television, and a product they want or need is in a commercial. They just whip out their phone and order that product. When they do, their bank will send me (Money) directly to the manufacturer or distributor of that product immediately. By the time they disconnect, I’m there, not in a bank, but in a digital cloud, with the manufacturer’s name on me. Wham!”
Money went on to say, “You see, everyone thinks I’m stored someplace. Years ago, that was true. But today, I’m on the move constantly. One millisecond, I’m on your phone. The next, I’m being transferred to a manufacturer, who immediately sends me to a supplier in a distant country. I’m on the move, baby!”
How can I get more money?
This is the second question I asked Money because most people are looking for more of it. That’s why they go to work, sell used stuff, open a business, etc. Here is Money’s answer to that question: I can only go where I am commanded to go. The only one who can command me is the person who is currently holding on to me!
Ka-bam! This is huge! If you want more money, you must convince other people to command their money to go to you. Folks, this information is priceless! All this time you’ve been wondering where money is and how to get more of it. Well, I just gave you the two answers that you need in order to start acquiring more money: find people who have money and give them a reason to give it to you. But there’s still one more question that you need answered in today’s column, so let’s get to it.
Money, why would someone do that?
Oh yeah, this is a big question. As usual, after all these years of being sent back and forth from one person to another, Money had the answer: In order to get people with money to command me to go to you, you must give them something that is more valuable to them than the money they give up.
Hey Money, I’ll handle this one.
Here’s an example from my life. When I had my restaurant, I purchased steaks from my supplier. They were preselected, wrapped and delivered to my door. He gave them to me at a good price because I bought so many at a time. My money was worth less to me than the value of those steaks. When I applied my expertise to cooking those steaks and serving them in a comfortable dining room, I could charge my customers more than I paid for them. They gave me their money, which was worth less to them than the product and service I gave them.
Stop thinking poor. Get more money!
We still have more ground to cover, because Money had a lot to say. So stay tuned! As always, send me your comments to bill@quain.com.
And, as I always say, I’ll see ya in the papers!
Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.
