1. The near-term emotional temperature of the market is low. There is no bullish “fever” where uniformed investors are driven to buy silver because of a sharply rising price. That will happen, but it’s not true now.

While silver is still above the price lows of last fall and higher than year-end prices, the recent price action is nothing to write home about.The price has been below most of the important moving averages, causing silver to be “oversold.”

This is a much better time to buy than when prices have already climbed and many are buying just because prices are rising. At those times the risk of a sharp sell-off is high. Now the risk of a prolonged price decline is much lower. Now is the time to buy low.

2. Leveraged speculators who normally buy COMEX futures contracts and Over The Counter (OTC) derivatives do not hold a historically significant number of long contracts. The big dealers have been so successful at forcing long speculators out of the market, that the speculative long position is at important low levels.

This means that long speculators have already been forced to sell and no big selling from them appears probable. On any rise in price, they are likely to buy, adding a force to rising prices. Buy before they turn buyers.

3.  Available wholesale silver inventories appear to be tight. These physical silver inventories are falling into stronger hands. For decades the world’s largest stockpiles of silver were the COMEX warehouse inventories.

These COMEX inventories were considered mostly commercial in nature with some portion being held for investment purposes.The COMEX inventories peaked at around 280 million ounces in the early 1990’s, and accounted for 90% of all visible silver inventories.

After the introduction of silver Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), there was a profound shift in the location and structure of world visible silver inventories.Now, the combined inventories in the ETFs and other investment vehicles tower over the holdings in the COMEX by almost 4 to 1. (Over 400 million ounces in the ETFs compared to 120 million oz in COMEX inventories). Given the long-term nature of ETF investment holdings, this massive and historic shift in inventory composition means much less silver is now available to the market. This will exert a strong upward influence on price.

4.  All signs indicate that physical investment demand for silver on both a retail and wholesale basis is strong and could surge further. Until a few years ago, there was no net silver investment buying for decades. That pattern has changed with a vengeance.

Clearly, the introduction of the ETFs has played a major role in this investment transformation.The strong buying that we have seen does not appear to be “hot” money, but sober and determined accumulation. It wasn’t surging prices prompting buyers over the last six months.

It’s due to a growing awareness and conviction about silver’s real supply and demand fundamentals. Importantly, there has been practically no buying of silver on a leveraged or margin basis.It’s mostly been cash on the barrel. These strong silver buyers will wait for significantly higher prices before selling. With higher prices inevitable at some point, the hot-money crowd should come in and blow the doors off the price.

5.  Silver production is tightening, given the byproduct-nature of silver mining. As I have written recently, base metals production like copper, lead and zinc appears to have fallen significantly, also reducing the production of silver as a byproduct.

6.  World economic and financial conditions appear lined up to favor higher silver prices, no matter what occurs. If financial conditions remain unsettled, flight to quality buying in silver appears likely. If the world does return to better economic growth patterns, silver will benefit as a result of increased industrial consumption. Heads silver benefits, tails it also benefits.

7.  More investors than ever have come to realize that the silver market has been manipulated and the government regulators and exchange officials are unable to persuasively address the growing evidence of a silver manipulation. The manipulation debate has become widespread in metal circles. It isn’t going away.

The best the regulators have been able to do is to stall and pretend to be investigating. Fewer people are being fooled by such actions. A scam like the silver manipulation can’t continue when so many know about it. This scam will end suddenly and sharply in a price jump to the upside.

8. Industrial demand for silver will continue to grow in the years ahead. New uses for silver appear regularly. A robust worldwide economy will initiate a new phase of silver demand. Higher prices will not diminish this demand because small amounts of silver are used in each industrial application.

8. Silver prices are cheap on several important objective measurements. Silver is cheap compared to its own recent price. It is down more than 40% from its highs of one year ago, in spite of the strongest physical demand in history .

More investment silver has been purchased over the past year than at any other period in history. At precisely the same time that prices have declined so sharply, more ETF-type buying has occurred than ever before and more Silver Eagles have been sold by the US Mint than ever before.We have witnessed the highest premiums on all retail forms of silver in history.

This isn’t just me saying silver is cheap, this is the investment world voting with its collective wallet. Clearly, there is something wrong with this picture that can only be explained by manipulation on the COMEX and the OTC market by a few giant financial institutions, led by JPMorgan.

10. Silver is cheap on a cost of production basis. Never have the net operating results of so many different silver miners been so poor. The common denominator is too low a price for their main product. Silver is up three-fold from the lows of a few years ago, yet the silver mining industry still suffers. That’s because the cost of production has risen faster than the price of silver. That must be rectified.

-Ted Butler

This is not the first time that the world experiences a great financial ebb. The Big 3 automakers and numerous banks begged Uncle Sam for hand outs, the US has unprecedented debt to repay but some successful and exceptional businessmen and women will prosper.

While it is true that fewer will prosper, it nevertheless proves that it is possible to increase sales in times when many others are occupied in thinking laying off and cutting back on marketing in uncertain times. What does it take for successful salespeople & business owners to overcome challenges?

Well, they don’t really have anything that we don’t have; they only have beliefs that majority refuse to believe. When others are grieving of losing their jobs, these few good men and women are simply watching the event passing by without emotion. They are watching from a distance because they have taken a step backward.

Reevaluate Your Business

Stepping backward means retreating to see things from a larger view, learn the lessons from the experience, breathe normally and enjoy what is there at the present moment. It does not mean watch more TV or not generate new business. They simply fill the present moment with joy while they are in the process of emptying.

What can you do to have joy now:

-Spend more quality time with the family

-Go for a nice long walk with your partner

-Appreciate the sunset that you hadn’t noticed lately

-Choose to shift your attention to beautiful things of the present moment rather than the thought of being jobless for an indefinite length of time

-Take a small appreciation gift to a client even though it’s not the holidays or a birthday

-Enjoy the rejections when prospecting instead of taking it personally…make it fun

More importantly, they watch the passing event without any emotion. While others are grieving and cursing, these few good men and women are SILENT. What they only see is the end of something that is impermanent, something that has been created and later to be destroyed to give way to the creation of something better than has gone before.

The Economy has Seasons

Nature best portrays the meaning of seasons. There is a time to sow and a time to reap; as the sun rises, it also sets; after the period of rest comes a period of activity; after the cool winter nights comes the warmth of summer.

Whatever season it is, everything in nature adapts; otherwise, they perish. It is the law and the law is implemented even if one complains of ignorance.

The current period suggests perhaps to slow down or take a rest. Don’t worry that your competition is undercutting you or your clients don’t have a budget anymore. Worrying about it won’t help the situation. Your slowdown may give you some insight on a way to GAIN business that you have never thought of before:

Step back and the water becomes clear. Past priorities are summoned and given a second look. The second look from a clear mind comes out with a better judgment and decision becomes easy. Before, if letting go of the big house was difficult; now, letting go becomes a conquered freedom.

When the clutter has been removed, the water flows freely. A feeling of emptiness may be felt but rushing water fills this emptiness quickly. Nature abhors a vacuum. Opportunities come rushing you would wonder where they have been hiding all these time.

The process of recovery becomes brief for a person who does not resist, and long for a person who clings to the old form. The economy is uncertain but the forms and thoughts associated with it can be certain.

Only the lessons must remain. Everyone is invited to create a new form and only those who are willing to embrace the change will quickly rise from the rubble.

There Is No Better Time Than Now

If you want to consider this period as tough economic times, expect more of the events associated with tough times. On the other hand, if you want to consider this period as a passage, expect it to pass and it will pass unnoticed.

There is no better time than NOW. If the economy has affected you and you lost your job, there is no better time to think and reflect but NOW. Try thinking of yourself as a great salesperson, no matter what your profession is. You will sell yourself in your job interview. Who can tell people about your gifts better than you? You are constantly selling yourself in your current position to keep your job and perhaps even get that promotion.

Everything in life is not permanent. Jobs, relationships, wealth and everything doesn’t last. When it is there, enjoy it. When it is gone, it is gone.

What is left is the present moment and the present moment carries more than what the eyes are used to see. Look beyond and the clear mind and good heart will see possibilities. Most of the time, it is always in front of you, yes, right there in front of you.

George

In these uncertain times, business owners and salespeople might need to dust the cobwebs off of that telephone and start to cold call to increase sales. You may have not done that when you first started in business. You may have told yourself for years that you HATE cold calling. Now, you will start to LOVE and LIKE cold calling and here is the reason why.

Telling yourself you hate calling is akin to a woman who is about to give birth saying “I hate kids-they never liked me. I don’t know how to handle them. I’m not going to be a good mom.” Sound ridiculous? If you have to do something for any length of time, why not learn to enjoy it now?

How is that possible?

You can change the way you view prospecting on the phone by changing your primary goal. Your primary goal in the past might have been to get an appointment, close a deal, get an agreement to call back at a later date or any number of primary goals depending on your product or service. Now, you can set a new primary goal which is to HAVE FUN. This makes the former primary goals your secondary goals.

You might be asking, “How can I have fun if I never liked cold calling before?” Here are some ways you can have fun:

• Transform rejection into an advantage. When the prospects reject you, they are not essentially rejecting you. They may just be busy, at a loss, or in a bad mood. They may be feeling the need to end the call without your services and get back to doing their job.Instead of feeling disappointed, thank them for their time and tell them to have a great day! Make them laugh even after they reject you. You have to be creative in doing so. For instance, you can tell them they might win a prize for being the 25th person that day who said no.

 

• Get them to feel happier after finding out they don’t need your services. Think that making other people feel happier is not so much for their benefit but for your benefit. It removes the barrier between you and prospects and it makes you feel better for the next call.

 

• Be yourself. You are unique. Don’t freeze or turn into a robot once you get on the phone. Pretend you are speaking with someone as if he or she is sitting on your sofa on your living room.

 

• Let your body talk. People only hear 8% of what you say. The other 92% is your body language and how you say it. Smile, put your feet up on the desk if that’s what makes you comfortable, talk with your hands if that’s what you normally do. If it sounds like you are having fun, they are much more likely to do business with you.

 

• Believe you can achieve your primary goal on every call. When you are having fun, you have constant success which will allow you to sail to the next call in a good mood with a smile on your face.

Don’t say “My name is…”

Always start out with “This is (name)” whenever you leave a voice mail or first introduce yourself to the prospect or the receptionist. When we hear “My name is,” our defense mechanism kicks in and says “I don’t know this person so how can I get rid of them?” On the other hand, when we hear “This is,” our ears perk up because we usually know the person when he or she says “This is…”

Try saying “This is George Kengott. Do you have a quick second?” Don’t automatically assume they are sitting behind their desks waiting for Sally or Georgie boy to sell them something. They will respect the fact that you asked if they have time. Don’t puke all over them with your features and benefits. If they say they don’t have time, ask them for a time tomorrow.

If they do say yes and give you some time, give them your elevator speech that should take no longer than 20 seconds. Give them a compelling reason to go past the 20 seconds. If you do business with notable clients, you might do a quick name drop to give you some instant credibility.

You asked if they had time and gave them your 20 second speech. You had fun before the call and will continue to have fun after the call. That, my friends, is 90% of cold calling but many sales people and business owners cannot do those simple steps. The other 10% is how you differentiate yourself from your competition.

Having fun makes you, your prospect and your pocketbook much happier. Now go out and look forward to having a fun filled and prosperous 2009.

George’s thoughts on 3 Reasons Why Your Sales Might be Down:

1. You still have the first dollar you ever made.
2. You couldn’t say “thank you” if Bill Gates put you in his will.
3. The brain cells you killed in college are starting to catch up with you.

How to Correct Slumping Sales through Generosity and Gratitude

People in sales careers & business owners all aspire to pump up sales. However, in many instances, these business people are simply lost in what to do to achieve the goal. In the field, they would suddenly feel that sales training and industry seminars are not enough.

Two of the keys that can open the door for consistent sales are the golden keys of Generosity and Gratitude. Both of these empower the heart and give a deeper meaning to one’s ability to generate sales targets and more business deals in these uncertain times.

Why are these Important?

Generosity and Gratitude are important to gain more sales in whatever business you are in. Both of these empower the heart and give a deeper meaning to your ability to obtain more business in these uncertain times.

Generosity is giving from the heart. As the blood flows and circulates through the natural highways and trails of the body, it successfully distributes even to the remotest parts of the physical body. Therefore, the blood that started from the heart is a part of the larger organism that now surrounds the entire body of the giver…the heart.

The energy that radiates from the body gives a certain kind of attraction. This kind of attraction works only with the same vibration.

• A generous person attracts generous people;
• A generous heart attracts fellow generous hearts,
• A generous salesperson or business owner attracts generous prospects.

The more acts of generosity a person does, the more powerful his or her energy becomes. This energy is directly connected to the luck associated with many rich people. As the energy grows, luck also grows. It is called luck by ordinary people because they cannot comprehend the power that many rich people acquire.

Why the Rich get Richer

Many successful people give like a flowing river and receive continuously and abundantly from the spring that never runs dry. They have mastered this wisdom that no matter how bad the economy is for the majority of the population, some rich people are never affected.

They have amazingly set good examples and practices that convinced many in the corporate world to follow suit through the principle of corporate social responsibility. The only way to achieve this power is through practice. Try experimenting the act of giving before going into a business meeting or on a sales call. Give something to anyone who would be extremely happy for receiving an unexpected gift.

It may be a donation to your place of worship, a hospital patient, a victim of the recent calamity, or to any charitable institution. If it is hard deciding whom to give to, the street or the office does not run out of people who need help. The truth is, if you really have the desire to help, specific people appear as if they heard your intention.

Dust the Cobwebs off of that Wallet

When you have seen your target, if it is money that you would like to give, then open your wallet with happiness and focus on your heart. In your mind, thank the person for providing you the opportunity to help.

Feel the emotion of giving something valuable for you that immediately creates value to the person you are helping. The receiver then fires a warm thank you(audibly or silently) which your open heart catches and synergizes the two Gs - Generosity and Gratitude.

You are now in a perfect state to increase business and generate new ideas. Focus on doing the business with the client. Remove some of the excess feeling of excitement as too much of it usually becomes an uncontrolled fire that negates your intention and may come across as desperation. During the appointment:

• Stay calm, relaxed and confident
• Enjoy every moment with your client and become fully present
• Listen intensively and ask open ended questions
• Silently thank the client during the appointment
• Ask for the order if it’s at that stage, if not, close for the next step in the sales process.
• Truly be grateful for the appointment whether on the phone or in person .

Daily life is full of opportunities to practice the value of generosity and gratitude…not just when we think about increasing sales or monetizing our websites. We are generally not aware of this because we are always concerned of our personal needs - paying the rent or mortgage, the bills, the kid’s tuition, and all the stuff on the list.

When paying the bills, we feel the loss of money which then pushes us to work hard again. We forget to thank the companies who trust us in providing the convenience and comfort of living.

We are busy complaining and cursing, blaming and defending our sales figures. The feeling of ingratitude and lack becomes a congestion that accumulates in the bloodstream. It later manifests as stress and develops into all sorts of diseases and more lost deals.

What’s in it for You?

In the end, the realization comes - that it is easier to be grateful than to reap the natural consequences of being ungrateful, and that it is better to give AND receive. The lesson is learned, but would you rather learn the lesson the hard way or the easy way?

The test will be easy for those who have the courage, and difficult to pass for those who always seek guarantees. Life offers no guarantee but sometimes gives silent assurances to those who do not seek or ask for it. Like a river, we only have to flow freely and naturally to receive constantly and abundantly. Ask yourself, are you willing to give AND receive?

- George ]]> http://georgekengott.com/?feed=rss2&p=95