Make It Easy
Make It Easy
Timing is Everything. John D. Rockefeller's success in the stock market hinged on "critical mass." Don’t be blinded
by successHe said the best time to sell is when the masses think it is a good time to buy.
A simple definition of critical mass is that every idea and every market has a saturation point. When that point is reached, it's a good bet that a decline is around the corner. The most successful people in housing, stocks, collectibles and life pay a great deal of attention to timing and critical mass.
An example would be Tamogochis. Remember them? Those miniature high-maintenance computer eggs were on the top of every kid's list. One day I asked my girls about their Tamogochis. When they said they were bored with them, I told a friend in the toy business to put every Tamogochi on sale because the market was about to drop; kids had reached saturation. That turned out to be an accurate prediction. I'd bet the same is true now for "Reality TV."
What's the lesson? Be alert to the world around you? How mainstream is an idea? Is it nearing its peak? What is your gut telling you?
Often we miss the signposts because we don't want to see them.
I ignored a 500-foot signpost and lost. I had bought stock in a dot-com.
Coincidentally, this same company had given me a lucrative contract to provide a motivational program on Maui. Suddenly without explanation, they canceled the conference. Within a month, their stock dived from $465 to about $13. Shoulda coulda woulda -- where was my instinct then?
Look for clues on the saturation point. Find out what others have heard and seen.
Listen to yourself when you talk. If you frequently voice doubts, or if you walk away with the same opinion no matter what the "experts" say, then trust yourself.
Your subconscious is an incredible machine. It processes reams of information that your conscious mind misses.
If you keep brushing aside a doubt, pay attention. There is a truth waiting for your "AHA!" That "aha" could save you enormous grief.
Beth Terry is president of Pacific Rim Seminars.
This column is excerpted from her upcoming book,
101 Ways to Make Your Life Easier. Send questions
on management, customer service and other issues
to beth@bethterry.com.