Take Advantage of Your Foes

Let's take an example that is easy to check: I am French. Among the readers who reacted while reading that, an half felt their painful stomach ulcers starting up again while the others remembered their burning desire for visiting France. Nothing inexplicable. If the French-haters had not been that determined, the French-lovers would never have had to be so supportive. How long would it take to a Finn or a Bulgarian to provoke any reaction?

Whoever you are, whatever your activity, there are people who dislike you. The faster you sift them, the faster you can take care of the others. It is not only a matter of business; it is also good for your personal life. To know who your foes are and where they stand will avoid you a lot of trouble.

The easiest way to separate the grain from the bran and recognize your foes? Tell the truth! Your truth is bound to shock somebody else's. Of course, if the only truth you have to reveal is "The sky is above the roof", the results may be disappointing; though, do not take it for granted. A short research on the internet will show you how "burning" the question of the rotundity of the earth still is.

By telling your customers what you deeply think they must know, you will do them and yourself a service; if they agree, they will appreciate your opinion as well as your straightforwardness; if they disagree, either they will mill your grain: each time they will repeat your words there will be an opportunity that they reach someone you have not reached yet, or they will prevent you from wasting time with them. Allow your foes to do you this service: spending more time doing the things that get you great results. Thanks to them, you will be more successful.

The lukewarm customer is so difficult to convince that the actual purchase, if it happens! hardly pays for the trouble of selling it. The like minded and like hearted customer is already convinced. He comes to buy and he will come back if your service corresponds to what you announced. So, act and speak to freeze or to burn, never in order to smooth your way... or go back to your previous job and obey your boss.

Gabrielle Guichard is a French teacher who can be listened to on FrenchPodcasting.com.

Public workers are scouring churches and libraries to find workers—mostly male—who have been sidelined for years

Despite a roaring start for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index in 2012, volume is low, equity-fund redemptions persist, and valuations are the lowest since 1989

After numerous customers accused JPMorgan Chase of gouging them on debit-card transactions in checking accounts, the bank had sought to make them arbitrate claims

The 2012 bonus season is a lot less festive

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Su Keenan reports on plans to cut pay and reduce bonuses at investment banks.

U.S. farmers will plant the most acres in a generation this year, led by the biggest corn crop since World War II, taking advantage of the highest agricultural prices in at least four decades.

China’s decision to allow Citigroup Inc. to issue credit cards may signal an opening of the banking market as the government relaxes restrictions that are the subject of a U.S. complaint at the World Trade Organization.

Julius Baer Group Ltd., the Swiss wealth manager founded in 1890, fell the most in three months in Zurich trading after saying it expects to pay a fine to resolve tax matters with the U.S. and as profit declined 27 percent.

Fidelity National Financial Inc., the largest U.S. title insurer, is weighing restaurant investments after exiting some insurance businesses at a profit, Chief Executive Officer George Scanlon said.

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, or Calstrs, intends to question in a letter the controlling power amassed by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg

By trying to help distressed homeowners without appearing to bail them out, the Administration would leave borrowers submerged

Analyst Buck Horne downgraded homebuilders and says the spring selling season may disappoint again

Rebound from the recovery from Thai floods, and explosive growth in mobile technology make tech stocks a good pick

Companies are scrambling to handle a torrent of data, pushing them into bigger M&A frenzy since 2007

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Economos, head of sovereign and institutional strategy Asia ex-Japan at JPMorgan Asset Management in Hong Kong, talks about Europe's sovereign debt crisis