UNTUK menjadi pribadi yang sukses, menyenangkan, pandai bergaul dibutuhkan rasa percaya diri yang tinggi. Kadang kita terkagum-kagum melihat orang piawai berpidato di depan podium. Kata-katanya berapi-api mempengaruhi massa untuk mengikuti jalan pikirannya. Tidak semua orang pandai bergaul, pintar berkomunikasi baik di podium maupun inter personal. Jauh di ujung sana masih banyak orang yang minder untuk bertemu dengan orang banyak, kaku dalam berbicara bahkan sampai bersimbah peluh hanya ketika diajak ngobrol dengan seseorang. Jangankan untuk berargumentasi dan beradu pendapat, jangankan dengan mudah mengucapkan maksud hati. Bertahan di depan orang tersebut saja sudah untung. Ingin rasanya melarikan diri dan mencari tempat sepi. nervous... nervous.
Apakah Anda termasuk orang yang demikian? Sukurlah kalau tidak, berarti sudah terjadi lompatan kualitas mental dalam berkomunikasi. Tapi orang yang masih gugup menghadapi orang, jumlahnya masih cukup banyak. Saya sendiri ketika usia-usia SMA sampai awal-awal perkuliahan masih mengalami nervous, grogi alias deg-degan dan keringetan kalau menghadapi orang. Apalagi yang dihadapi adalah cewek atau orang yang berpengaruh. Wah rasanya ingin melarikan diri saja secepatnya. Sebenarnya apa yang terjadi saat itu?
Dilihat dari pola pergaulan, saya termasuk orang introvet. Istilah anak muda sekarang gak gaul lah.... Aktifitas sehari-hari sudah ada dalam program yang jelas mulai dari bangun tidur sampai tidur lagi. Dan dalam jadwal tersebut tidak mencantumkan bermain dengan teman-teman. Semuanya belajar dan bekerja. Rasanya ketika duduk di belakang meja dan baca buku, saat-saat itulah waktu yang paling membahagiakan. Secara prestasi akademis memang diakui berada di atas rata-rata teman-teman yang lain. Teman-teman selalu meminta contekan kalau sedang ulangan atau ujian semesteran. Di balik nervous dalam bergaul tersebut saya sedikit "Pede" di dalam kelas.
Tetapi ketika ke luar kelas, lagi-lagi penyakit minder tersebut menemani hari-hariku. Hanya self talk (berbicara kepada diri sendiri) yang kurang pas saat itu yang keluar ketika melihat betapa asiknya teman-teman ngobrol dengan orang-orang baru. Saya bergumam, "Biarlah mereka pandai bergaul, tapi kalau ujian kan nyontek juga ke saya."
Salah satu upaya untuk membuat percaya diri saya sering ngobrol di depan cermin sambil melihat ekspresi ketika berbicara. "Lumayan juga nih gue bisa ngomong agak bener," tuturku dalam hati. Waktu itu ayah saya setiap minggu punya jadwal ceramah di majelis taklim. Karena berbagai kesibukan akhirnya saya yang harus menggantikan. Untung yang hadir saat itu adalah ibu-ibu yang memiliki pengetahuan pas-pasan. Kalau salah-salah dikit tidak mungkin protes. Kegiatan tersebut berlangsung dalam jangka waktu yang cukup lama, sampai sekitar 3 tahun. Dari situ percaya diri saya naik sekitar 50%. Kok 50% mengapa? Benar, hanya 50%, karena ketika harus komunikasi inter personal lagi-lagi saya tidak bisa berkutik. Kembali nervous itu muncul. Dalam pikiran saya orang lain terlihat jauh lebih hebat ketimbang saya. Wah... capek deh...
Setelah dilihat secara seksama, persoalannya terletak pada beberapa hal yang keliru. Misalnya saja, saya tidak terlalu menghargai diri saya sendiri. Artinya, saya menilai diri tidak secara utuh. Benar setiap orang ada plus dan minusnya, tapi yang terlihat saat itu adalah segala yang minus tentang diri saya (kecuali prestasi akademis). Citra diri masih belum utuh, apalagi harga diri. Akhirnya tidak memunculkan rasa percaya diri. Ada pengalaman lucu kalau dipikir sekarang. Saat itu mau berangkat sekolah (SMA) memakai angkutan umum. Karena saya ingin belajar ngobrol, maka saya meniatkan diri untuk bertanya kepada orang yang berada di samping. Ketika dilihat ternyata dia anak SMA juga dan cewek. Niat untuk bertanya dihentikan, jangan-jangan dia tidak akan menjawab pertanyaan saya. Tapi muncul kembali keinginan untuk menyapa sebagai latihan ngobrol. Demikian terus menerus keinginan untuk ngobrol dan rasa tidak pede muncul secara bergantian. Sampai mobil tersebut berhenti dan saya turun tidak satu kata pun keluar dari mulut saya. Ada kelegaan yang terasa ketika turun, persis seperti selesai menghadapi debt collector yang sangat seram.
Waktu demi waktu persoalan self confidence masih tetap mengganggu. Sampai suatu ketika saya belajar tentang buku-buku sukses. Di dalamnya mengkaji tentang percaya diri. Percaya diri tidak muncul begitu saja, bukan karena mempunyai sesuatu seperti mengenakan pakaian yang bagus, dandanan yang oke dll. Percaya diri ada pada penghargaan yang sama baik kepada diri sendiri maupun kepada orang lain. Dalam al Quran sendiri orang yang paling mulia adalah yang paling takwa. Selain itu hormatilah sesama, hormatilah diri sendiri, hormatilah alam, hormatilah siapa saja yang harus kita hormati. Tapi di samping itu memang latihan terus menerus dengan cara bertemu dengan orang yang berbeda setiap hari menjadi titik kunci yang paling penting. Yang harus diingat dalam mengubah watak, apabila ada sesuatu yang kita 'takuti', maka yang ditakuti tersebut harus didekati. Kalau takut kepada orang untuk berkomunikasi, maka mulailah untuk berkomunikasi dari sekarang. Tidak peduli apakah keringetan, gemeteran, nervous. Memang kalau ketemu orang harus disiapin juga mau bicara apa dengan orang tersebut supaya langsung bisa nyambung. Tapi dengan latihan secara terus menerus maka hal itu bisa dilampaui.
Dulu saya yang grogi, nervous dll, sekarang paling suka ngomong di forum, paling senang ngerjain orang, paling pede kalau humor dengan teman-teman. Ketika membayangkan dulu saat-saat kegrogian masih menjadi teman sehari-hari rasanya tidak percaya kalau sekarang bisa se-pede ini. Bagi yang belum menemukan self confidence, jangan khawatir. Banyak orang yang mengalami hal tersebut tapi kemudian bisa lolos dari kubangan nervous. Asalkan mau belajar dan memulai untuk berkomunikasi. (*)
Hidup Penuh Makna, Bahagia,
Damai dan Sejahtera
Sukses Selalu
Pekalongan, 20 November 2007
A. ASEP SYARIFUDDIN
Jumat, 17 April 2009
Kiat Menjadi Kaya
He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)
Seperti biasa setiap akhir pekan datang TKI dari Athena yang bekerja di rumah orang Yunani kaya. Saya sebut kaya sebab hanya mereka yang mampu untuk membayar gaji pembantu sebesar 750 Euro hingga 800 Euro per bulan. TKI datang membantu dengan balas jasa 5 Euro per jam membersihkan rumah.
Sejak saya kembali dari rumah sakit beberapa bulan lalu terasa agak beda. Saya cepat lelah apalagi mengurus tiga anak dan rumah dua lantai. Sambil membersihkan Mar berkisah. Bahwa di rumah majikannya tidak akan pernah ditemukan ada uang terselip di bawah kolong tempat tidur atau di bagian lain rumah. Sedangkan di rumah saya dia menemukan banyak logam sen euro. Terlepas majikannya tidak punya anak kecil. Lalu saya tanya padanya,”Mar, majikanmu itu kaya makannya apa?” “Di rumah majikan kalau masak ya cuma satu macam saja. Kalau spaghetti ya hanya itu saja menunya. Tidak seperti kita ya Bu orang Indonesia senang memasak macem-macem. Majikan saya pelit Bu! Walau rumahnya lima lantai dan luas 3000 meter mirip istana Bu.”
“Lah piyee toh Kamu ini. Orang Yunani lainnya malah lebih banyak jenis hidangannya,” saya menepis pendapatnya tentang orang Indonesia boros kalau punya uang.
“Ya pantes saja majikanmu itu kaya. Sebab dia berhati-hati menggunakan uangnya, tidak boros.”
Contoh perilaku majikan si Mar yang kaya. Bukan kasus pertama saya ketahui. Sejak kecil pun saya sudah mengerti mengapa Pak Tuo lebih aman hidupnya. Walau pun Pak Tuo hanya seorang pedagang dengan toko yang sederhana. Sebab istrinya yang saya panggil dengan sebutan Mak Tuo selalu berhemat dan hati-hati menggunakan uang. Bahkan hingga rendang jamuran berbulan-bulan disimpan di bawah tempat tidurnya. Alasannya agar tamu yang datang tidak meminta rendangnya.
Dalam agama kita dilarang bersifat bakhil atau pelit. Bahkan dalam pergaulan pun orang pelit tidak disenangi. Perbedaannya tipis antara pelit dan hemat.
Pagi ini saya membaca email dari motivator Mike Brescia. Menurutnya ada tiga cara agar menjadi kaya. Pertama, menerima penghasilan besar. Kedua, investasi uang dalam bentuk asset yang berguna. Contohnya Donald Trump yang kaya melalui investasi di bidang real estate dan gedung pencakar langit. Ketiga, tidak menghabiskan uang secara bodoh untuk hal-hal yang tidak berguna.
Kasus yang banyak terjadi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari kita adalah cara ketiga. Banyak diantara kita, terutama para ibu-ibu rumah tangga yang boros. Ketika saya masih bujangan dan sudah bekerja di BUMN. Setiap bulan gajian langsung belanja. Entah itu membeli baju atau buku-buku. Namun kebanyakan baju yang saya beli tidak saya pakai. Karena setelah dibeli dan dicoba di rumah merasa tidak suka. Saya tetap memakai baju kesayangan yang itu-itu saja. Akhirnya baju-baju yang dibeli saya berikan ke teman. Ada lagi teman sekantor seorang ibu dengan dua anak. Setiap dia belanja sering tergiur untuk membeli barang lain yang bukan dalam daftar belanjaan. Akibatnya dia terpaksa memakai kartu kredit dan tagihan datang tiap bulan beserta bunga yang besar.
Sebaliknya ada seorang ibu yang selalu berhati-hati ketika berbelanja. Mertua saya misalnya. Ketika berbelanja dia memilih tempat belanja yang harganya lebih murah. Dengan barang yang sama bisa didapatkan di tempat lain yang lebih murah. Contohnya barang-barang kebutuhan sehari-hari yang dijual di supermarket. Ada supermarket A menjual lebih mahal dibanding supermarket B dengan kualitas barang yang sama.
Sehubungan dengan H-7 ummat Islam akan merayakan Idul Fitri. Semoga artikel ini bisa mengingatkan kembali masalah keuangan kita.
Penulis : Hartati Nurwijaya
Seperti biasa setiap akhir pekan datang TKI dari Athena yang bekerja di rumah orang Yunani kaya. Saya sebut kaya sebab hanya mereka yang mampu untuk membayar gaji pembantu sebesar 750 Euro hingga 800 Euro per bulan. TKI datang membantu dengan balas jasa 5 Euro per jam membersihkan rumah.
Sejak saya kembali dari rumah sakit beberapa bulan lalu terasa agak beda. Saya cepat lelah apalagi mengurus tiga anak dan rumah dua lantai. Sambil membersihkan Mar berkisah. Bahwa di rumah majikannya tidak akan pernah ditemukan ada uang terselip di bawah kolong tempat tidur atau di bagian lain rumah. Sedangkan di rumah saya dia menemukan banyak logam sen euro. Terlepas majikannya tidak punya anak kecil. Lalu saya tanya padanya,”Mar, majikanmu itu kaya makannya apa?” “Di rumah majikan kalau masak ya cuma satu macam saja. Kalau spaghetti ya hanya itu saja menunya. Tidak seperti kita ya Bu orang Indonesia senang memasak macem-macem. Majikan saya pelit Bu! Walau rumahnya lima lantai dan luas 3000 meter mirip istana Bu.”
“Lah piyee toh Kamu ini. Orang Yunani lainnya malah lebih banyak jenis hidangannya,” saya menepis pendapatnya tentang orang Indonesia boros kalau punya uang.
“Ya pantes saja majikanmu itu kaya. Sebab dia berhati-hati menggunakan uangnya, tidak boros.”
Contoh perilaku majikan si Mar yang kaya. Bukan kasus pertama saya ketahui. Sejak kecil pun saya sudah mengerti mengapa Pak Tuo lebih aman hidupnya. Walau pun Pak Tuo hanya seorang pedagang dengan toko yang sederhana. Sebab istrinya yang saya panggil dengan sebutan Mak Tuo selalu berhemat dan hati-hati menggunakan uang. Bahkan hingga rendang jamuran berbulan-bulan disimpan di bawah tempat tidurnya. Alasannya agar tamu yang datang tidak meminta rendangnya.
Dalam agama kita dilarang bersifat bakhil atau pelit. Bahkan dalam pergaulan pun orang pelit tidak disenangi. Perbedaannya tipis antara pelit dan hemat.
Pagi ini saya membaca email dari motivator Mike Brescia. Menurutnya ada tiga cara agar menjadi kaya. Pertama, menerima penghasilan besar. Kedua, investasi uang dalam bentuk asset yang berguna. Contohnya Donald Trump yang kaya melalui investasi di bidang real estate dan gedung pencakar langit. Ketiga, tidak menghabiskan uang secara bodoh untuk hal-hal yang tidak berguna.
Kasus yang banyak terjadi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari kita adalah cara ketiga. Banyak diantara kita, terutama para ibu-ibu rumah tangga yang boros. Ketika saya masih bujangan dan sudah bekerja di BUMN. Setiap bulan gajian langsung belanja. Entah itu membeli baju atau buku-buku. Namun kebanyakan baju yang saya beli tidak saya pakai. Karena setelah dibeli dan dicoba di rumah merasa tidak suka. Saya tetap memakai baju kesayangan yang itu-itu saja. Akhirnya baju-baju yang dibeli saya berikan ke teman. Ada lagi teman sekantor seorang ibu dengan dua anak. Setiap dia belanja sering tergiur untuk membeli barang lain yang bukan dalam daftar belanjaan. Akibatnya dia terpaksa memakai kartu kredit dan tagihan datang tiap bulan beserta bunga yang besar.
Sebaliknya ada seorang ibu yang selalu berhati-hati ketika berbelanja. Mertua saya misalnya. Ketika berbelanja dia memilih tempat belanja yang harganya lebih murah. Dengan barang yang sama bisa didapatkan di tempat lain yang lebih murah. Contohnya barang-barang kebutuhan sehari-hari yang dijual di supermarket. Ada supermarket A menjual lebih mahal dibanding supermarket B dengan kualitas barang yang sama.
Sehubungan dengan H-7 ummat Islam akan merayakan Idul Fitri. Semoga artikel ini bisa mengingatkan kembali masalah keuangan kita.
Penulis : Hartati Nurwijaya
To Be A Winner : Mengubah Pola Pikir
Sekelompok wisatawan tertahan di suatu tempat asing di luar kota. Mereka
hanya menemukan bahan makanan yang kedaluwarsa. Karena lapar, mereka
terpaksa menyantapnya, meskipun sebelumnya dicobakan dulu kepada seekor anjing yang ternyata menikmatinya dan tak terlihat efek sampingnya.
Keesokan harinya, ketika mendengar anjing itu mati, semua orang menjadi
cemas. Banyak yang mulai muntah dan mengeluh badannya panas atau terserang
diare. Seorang dokter dipanggil untuk merawat para penderita keracunan
makanan. Kemudian sang dokter mulai mencari sebab-musabab kematian si anjing
yang dijadikan hewan percobaan tersebut. Ketika dilacak, eh ternyata anjing
itu sudah mati karena terlindas mobil.
Apa yang menarik dari cerita di atas?
Ternyata kita bereaksi menurut apa yang kita pikirkan, bukan berdasarkan
kenyataan itu sendiri. We see the world as we are, not as it is. Akar segala
sesuatu adalah cara kita melihat. Cara kita melihat mempengaruhi apa yang kita
lakukan, dan apa yang kita lakukan mempengaruhi apa yang kita dapatkan.
Ini disebut sebagai model See-Do-Get. Perubahan yang mendasar baru akan
terjadi ketika ada perubahan cara melihat.
Ada cerita menarik mengenai sepasang suami-istri yang telah bercerai. Suatu
hari, Astri, nama wanita ini, datang ke kantor Roy, mantan suaminya.
Saat itu Roy sedang melayani seorang pelanggan. Melihat Astri menunggu
dengan gelisah, pimpinan kantor menghampirinya dan mengajaknya
berbincang-bincang. Si Bos berkata, "Saya begitu senang, suami Anda bekerja
untuk saya. Dia seorang yang sangat berarti dalam perusahaan kami,
begitu penuh perhatian dan baik budinya."
Astri terperangah mendengar pujian si bos, tapi ia tak berkomentar apa-apa.
Roy ternyata mendengar komentar si bos. Setelah Astri pergi, ia menjelaskan
kepada bosnya,
"Kami tak hidup bersama lagi sejak 6 bulan lalu, dan sekarang dia hanya
datang menemui saya bila ia membutuhkan tambahan uang untuk putra kami."
Beberapa minggu kemudian telepon berbunyi untuk Roy. Ia mengangkatnya dan
berkata, "Baiklah Ma, kita akan melihat rumah itu bersama setelah jam
kerja." Setelah itu ia menghampiri bosnya dan berkata, "Astri dan saya telah
memutuskan memulai lagi perkawinan kami. Dia mulai melihat saya secara
berbeda, tak lama setelah Bapak berbicara padanya tempo hari."
Bayangkan, perubahan drastis terjadi semata-mata karena perubahan dalam cara
melihat. Awalnya, Astri mungkin melihat suaminya sebagai seorang yang
menyebalkan, tapi ternyata di mata orang lain Roy sungguh menyenangkan.
Astrilah yang mengajak rujuk, dan mereka kembali menikmati rumah tangga
yang jauh lebih indah dari sebelumnya.
Segala sesuatu yang kita lakukan berakar dari cara kita melihat masalah.
Karena itu, bila ingin mengubah kehidupan kita, kita perlu melakukan
revolusi cara berpikir.
Stephen Covey pernah mengatakan: "Kalau Anda menginginkan perubahan kecil
dalam hidup, garaplah perilaku Anda, tapi bila Anda menginginkan
perubahan-perubahan yang besar dan mendasar, garaplah paradigma Anda."
Covey benar, perubahan tidak selalu dimulai dari cara kita melihat (See). Ia
bisa juga dimulai dari perilaku kita (Do). Namun, efeknya sangat berbeda.
Ini contoh sederhana. Seorang anak bernama Alisa yang berusia empat tahun
selalu menolak kalau diberi minyak ikan. Padahal, itu diperlukan
untuk meningkatkan perkembangan otak dan daya tahan tubuhnya. Betapapun
dibujuk, ia tetap menolak. Dengan maksud baik, kadang-kadang ia dipaksa
menelan minyak ikan. Ia menangis dan meronta-ronta.
Usaha tersebut memang berhasil memaksanya, tapi ini bukan win-win solution.
Si orangtua menang, ia kalah. Ini pendekatan yang dimulai dengan Do.
Maka ditemukanlah cara lain yaitu dengan mengubah paradigma Alisa.
Si orangtua tahu Alisa sangat suka sirup, karena itu minyak ikan tersebut
diaduk dengan air dalam gelas. Ternyata, ia sangat gembira dan menikmati
"sirup" minyak ikan itu. Bahkan, sekarang ia tak mau mandi sebelum minum "sirup"
tersebut.
Contoh sederhana ini menggambarkan proses perubahan yang bersifat inside-out
(dari dalam ke luar). Perubahan ini bersifat sukarela dan datang dari Alisa
sendiri. Jadi, tidak ada keterpaksaan.
Inilah perubahan yang diawali dengan See. Perubahan yang dimulai dengan Do,
bersifat sebaliknya, yaitu outside-in. Perubahan seperti ini sering
disertai penolakan. Jangankan dengan bawahan, dengan anak kecil seperti
Alisa saja, hal ini sudah bermasalah.
Pendekatan hukum bersifat outside-in dan dimulai dengan Do. Orang tidak
korupsi karena takut akan hukumannya, bukan karena kesadaran. Pada dasarnya
orang tersebut belum berubah, karena itu ia masih mencari celah-celah yang
dapat dimanfaatkannya.
Pendekatan SDM berusaha mengubah cara berpikir orang. Akar Korupsi
sebenarnya adalah pada cara orang melihat. Selama jabatan dilihat sebagai
kesempatan menumpuk kekayaan, bukannya sebagai amanah yang harus
dipertanggungjawabkan, selama itu pula korupsi tak akan pernah hilang.
Inilah pendekatan inside-out. Memang jauh lebih sulit, tetapi efek yang
dihasilkannya jauh lebih mendasar. Cara kita melihat masalah sesungguhnya
adalah masalah itu sendiri.
Karena itu, untuk mengubah kehidupan, yang perlu Anda lakukan cuma satu:
"Ubahlah cara Anda melihat masalah".
Mulailah melihat atasan yang otoriter, bawahan yang tak kooperatif,
pelanggan yang cerewet dan pasangan yang mau menang sendiri sebagai
tantangan dan rahmat yang terselubung. Orang-orang ini sangat berjasa bagi Anda karena dapat membuat Anda lebih kompeten, lebih profesional, lebih arif dan
lebih sabar.
John Gray, pengarang buku Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus,
melihat masalah dan kesulitan dengan cara yang berbeda. Ujarnya,
"Semua kesulitan sesungguhnya merupakan kesempatan bagi jiwa kita untuk
tumbuh."
(Email dari teman Spiritindo-P'Joko Pras)
hanya menemukan bahan makanan yang kedaluwarsa. Karena lapar, mereka
terpaksa menyantapnya, meskipun sebelumnya dicobakan dulu kepada seekor anjing yang ternyata menikmatinya dan tak terlihat efek sampingnya.
Keesokan harinya, ketika mendengar anjing itu mati, semua orang menjadi
cemas. Banyak yang mulai muntah dan mengeluh badannya panas atau terserang
diare. Seorang dokter dipanggil untuk merawat para penderita keracunan
makanan. Kemudian sang dokter mulai mencari sebab-musabab kematian si anjing
yang dijadikan hewan percobaan tersebut. Ketika dilacak, eh ternyata anjing
itu sudah mati karena terlindas mobil.
Apa yang menarik dari cerita di atas?
Ternyata kita bereaksi menurut apa yang kita pikirkan, bukan berdasarkan
kenyataan itu sendiri. We see the world as we are, not as it is. Akar segala
sesuatu adalah cara kita melihat. Cara kita melihat mempengaruhi apa yang kita
lakukan, dan apa yang kita lakukan mempengaruhi apa yang kita dapatkan.
Ini disebut sebagai model See-Do-Get. Perubahan yang mendasar baru akan
terjadi ketika ada perubahan cara melihat.
Ada cerita menarik mengenai sepasang suami-istri yang telah bercerai. Suatu
hari, Astri, nama wanita ini, datang ke kantor Roy, mantan suaminya.
Saat itu Roy sedang melayani seorang pelanggan. Melihat Astri menunggu
dengan gelisah, pimpinan kantor menghampirinya dan mengajaknya
berbincang-bincang. Si Bos berkata, "Saya begitu senang, suami Anda bekerja
untuk saya. Dia seorang yang sangat berarti dalam perusahaan kami,
begitu penuh perhatian dan baik budinya."
Astri terperangah mendengar pujian si bos, tapi ia tak berkomentar apa-apa.
Roy ternyata mendengar komentar si bos. Setelah Astri pergi, ia menjelaskan
kepada bosnya,
"Kami tak hidup bersama lagi sejak 6 bulan lalu, dan sekarang dia hanya
datang menemui saya bila ia membutuhkan tambahan uang untuk putra kami."
Beberapa minggu kemudian telepon berbunyi untuk Roy. Ia mengangkatnya dan
berkata, "Baiklah Ma, kita akan melihat rumah itu bersama setelah jam
kerja." Setelah itu ia menghampiri bosnya dan berkata, "Astri dan saya telah
memutuskan memulai lagi perkawinan kami. Dia mulai melihat saya secara
berbeda, tak lama setelah Bapak berbicara padanya tempo hari."
Bayangkan, perubahan drastis terjadi semata-mata karena perubahan dalam cara
melihat. Awalnya, Astri mungkin melihat suaminya sebagai seorang yang
menyebalkan, tapi ternyata di mata orang lain Roy sungguh menyenangkan.
Astrilah yang mengajak rujuk, dan mereka kembali menikmati rumah tangga
yang jauh lebih indah dari sebelumnya.
Segala sesuatu yang kita lakukan berakar dari cara kita melihat masalah.
Karena itu, bila ingin mengubah kehidupan kita, kita perlu melakukan
revolusi cara berpikir.
Stephen Covey pernah mengatakan: "Kalau Anda menginginkan perubahan kecil
dalam hidup, garaplah perilaku Anda, tapi bila Anda menginginkan
perubahan-perubahan yang besar dan mendasar, garaplah paradigma Anda."
Covey benar, perubahan tidak selalu dimulai dari cara kita melihat (See). Ia
bisa juga dimulai dari perilaku kita (Do). Namun, efeknya sangat berbeda.
Ini contoh sederhana. Seorang anak bernama Alisa yang berusia empat tahun
selalu menolak kalau diberi minyak ikan. Padahal, itu diperlukan
untuk meningkatkan perkembangan otak dan daya tahan tubuhnya. Betapapun
dibujuk, ia tetap menolak. Dengan maksud baik, kadang-kadang ia dipaksa
menelan minyak ikan. Ia menangis dan meronta-ronta.
Usaha tersebut memang berhasil memaksanya, tapi ini bukan win-win solution.
Si orangtua menang, ia kalah. Ini pendekatan yang dimulai dengan Do.
Maka ditemukanlah cara lain yaitu dengan mengubah paradigma Alisa.
Si orangtua tahu Alisa sangat suka sirup, karena itu minyak ikan tersebut
diaduk dengan air dalam gelas. Ternyata, ia sangat gembira dan menikmati
"sirup" minyak ikan itu. Bahkan, sekarang ia tak mau mandi sebelum minum "sirup"
tersebut.
Contoh sederhana ini menggambarkan proses perubahan yang bersifat inside-out
(dari dalam ke luar). Perubahan ini bersifat sukarela dan datang dari Alisa
sendiri. Jadi, tidak ada keterpaksaan.
Inilah perubahan yang diawali dengan See. Perubahan yang dimulai dengan Do,
bersifat sebaliknya, yaitu outside-in. Perubahan seperti ini sering
disertai penolakan. Jangankan dengan bawahan, dengan anak kecil seperti
Alisa saja, hal ini sudah bermasalah.
Pendekatan hukum bersifat outside-in dan dimulai dengan Do. Orang tidak
korupsi karena takut akan hukumannya, bukan karena kesadaran. Pada dasarnya
orang tersebut belum berubah, karena itu ia masih mencari celah-celah yang
dapat dimanfaatkannya.
Pendekatan SDM berusaha mengubah cara berpikir orang. Akar Korupsi
sebenarnya adalah pada cara orang melihat. Selama jabatan dilihat sebagai
kesempatan menumpuk kekayaan, bukannya sebagai amanah yang harus
dipertanggungjawabkan, selama itu pula korupsi tak akan pernah hilang.
Inilah pendekatan inside-out. Memang jauh lebih sulit, tetapi efek yang
dihasilkannya jauh lebih mendasar. Cara kita melihat masalah sesungguhnya
adalah masalah itu sendiri.
Karena itu, untuk mengubah kehidupan, yang perlu Anda lakukan cuma satu:
"Ubahlah cara Anda melihat masalah".
Mulailah melihat atasan yang otoriter, bawahan yang tak kooperatif,
pelanggan yang cerewet dan pasangan yang mau menang sendiri sebagai
tantangan dan rahmat yang terselubung. Orang-orang ini sangat berjasa bagi Anda karena dapat membuat Anda lebih kompeten, lebih profesional, lebih arif dan
lebih sabar.
John Gray, pengarang buku Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus,
melihat masalah dan kesulitan dengan cara yang berbeda. Ujarnya,
"Semua kesulitan sesungguhnya merupakan kesempatan bagi jiwa kita untuk
tumbuh."
(Email dari teman Spiritindo-P'Joko Pras)
TUJUH KARAKTER MENUJU “SUKSES”
Definisi sukses menurut Robins dalam bukunya “Unlimited Power : The New Science for Personal Achievements (1986)”( Kekuatan tak terbatas: Ilmu pengetahuan baru bagi prestasi pribadi)” yaitu proses usaha yang sedang berlangsung untuk mencapai hasil lebih. Ada peluang untuk tumbuh secara emosional, sosial, spiritual, psikologis, intelektual dan financial secara berkelanjutan sambil memberi kontribusi dengan suatu cara positif terhadap orang lain.
Oleh karena itu, jalan menuju sukses selalu dan sedang dalam perbaikan yang sedang berjalan. Jalan kearah kemajuan, bukan akhir pencapaian.
Menurut Steven R. Covey (1990) dalam bukunya “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change” ( Tujuh Kebiasaan Orang yang Sangat Efektif, Pelajaran Penting dalam Perubahan Pribadi).
Covey mengurai tujuh ciri khas orang sukses.
Kebiasaan -1 : Proaktif
Proaktif mengandung arti bahwa selaku manusia kita bertanggung jawab pada kehidupan diri kita sendiri. Perilaku kita adalah fungsi keputusan kita, bukan kondisi kita. Kita memiliki inisiatif dan tanggung jawab untuk mewujudkan sesuatu.(kemampuan memilih respons yang ada). Orang yang sangat proaktif mengenali tanggung jawab itu.
Mereka tidak menyalahkan keadaan, kondisi atau pengkondisian atas perilaku mereka. “Sesungguhnya Tuhan tidak merubah keadaan sesuatu kaum sehingga mereka merubah keadaan yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri.”
Mengubah diri sendiri berarti mengubah penampilan di dalam diri yaitu apa dan bagaimana kita menggambarkan sesuatu, serta apa dan bagaimana kita mengaitkan sesuatu pada diri kita tentang situasi pada saat itu.
Kebiasaan - 2 : Mulai dengan Tujuan Dalam Fikiran Kita
Memulai dengan tujuan dalam pikiran didasari pada prinsip bahwa semua hal diciptakan dua kali. Ciptaan pertama adalah mental (niat atau penyusunan tujuan yang terdiri atas visi, misi dan tujuan) dan ada ciptaan kedua yaitu 7 (tujuh) Karakter Menuju Sukses Fisik terhadap semua hal. Kebiasaan kedua ini didasarkan pada prinsip kepemimpinan pribadi. Kepemimpinan bukanlah manajemen. Manajemen adalah fokus lini bahwa bagaimana saya menyelesaikan sesuatu yang sudah pasti dengan baik?
Kepemimpinan berhubungan dengan lini atas apa yang ingin saya selesaikan ?.
Sedangkan menurut Peter Drucker ”Manajemen adalah melakukan sesuatu dengan benar-benar”.
Kebiasaan - 3 : Utamakan yang Paling Penting
Kebiasaan no. 1 berbunyi ”Anda penggagas, anda bertanggung jawab.” Ini didasarkan kepada empat kualitas unik yang dimiliki manusia, yakni imajinasi, kesadaran, keinginan yang bebas serta kesalahan diri.
Kebiasaan no. 2 adalah ciptaan pertama berupa mental. Ini didasari pada kemampuan untuk memandang melihat potensi, mencipta dengan fikiran kita apa yang pada saat ini tidak bisa dilihat oleh mata kita, dan kesadaran kemampuan untuk mendeteksi keunikan diri kita, serta pedoman pribadi, moral dan etika. Yang dengannya kita akan sangat bahagia mengisi kehidupan ini.
Kebiasaan ke-3 adalah ciptaan kedua. Ciptaan fisik ini adalah dari kebiasaan 1 dan 2 merupakan pelaksanaan yang bebas ke arah terpusatnya pada prinsip untuk menggunakan kebebasan kita dalam memilih hanya melakukan hal penting dalam kehidupan dan tidak membuang waktu untuk kegiatan yang tidak penting baik yang mendesak atau tidak.
Kebiasaan - 4 : Berfikir Menang / Menang
Hal ini memerlukan 3 nilai karakter yakni Integritas, Kedewasaan (keseimbangan antara keberanian dan pertimbangan) dan Mentalitas berlebihan.
Kebiasaan - 5 : Upayakan pertama kali untuk mengerti kemungkinan dimengerti.
Kebiasaan ini merupakan kualitas keberanian yang seimbang dengan pertimbangan. Bukankah Anda pikir yang diperlukan pertama kali adalah keberanian dan pertimbangan, bukannya yang dipahami? Paradigma manakah yang menurut Anda lebih baik diterapkan dalam kehidupan.
”Mengambil dan Memberi” atau ”Memberi dan Menerima”. Di dalam agama diajarkan bahwa ”Tidak ada balasan kebaikan kecuali kebaikan (pula). maka nikmat Tuhan kamu yang manakah yang kamu dustakan”.
Kebiasaan - 6 : Sinergis
Sinergi adalah aktifitas tertinggi dalam seluruh kehidupan ujian dan menifestasi sejati dari semua kebiasaan lain yang dikumpulkan. Kalau didefinisikan dengan sederhana, sinergi berarti keseluruhan lebih besar dari pada jumlah bagian-bagian itu.
Kebiasaan -7 : Mengasah Gergaji
Kebiasaan ini melingkupi kebiasaan-kebiasaan lain. Karena inilah yang membuat semua kebiasaan lainnya itu menjadi mungkin. Kebiasaan ini memelihara dan meningkatkan aset terbesar yang anda miliki. Kebiasaan ini memperbarui keempat dimensi sifat anda : Fisik, Spritual, Mental dan Sosial/Emosional. Agama mengajarkan kepada kita untuk menyibukkan diri kita, sehingga tak punya waktu lagi untuk mencari kesalahan orang lain.
Bangsa Jepang menerapkan 3 metode Kaizen (Dess & Miller, 1995) sebagai berikut : ”salah satu falsafah eksperimentasi ialah ”kalau anda gagal pada pertama kali, coba-coba......dan coba lagi”. ”Saya akan bertahan hingga saya sukses”.
Ada empat langkah eksperimentasi :
1. Ketahuilah produk Anda (SMART : Specifik, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Trackable, dapat diukur, dapat dicapai, relevan dan dapat ditelusuri).
2. Persiapkan diri Anda untuk bertindak dengan memutuskan untuk melakukannya.
3. Perhatikan apa yang Anda peroleh dari tindakan-tindakan Anda.
4. Kalau apa yang Anda peroleh dari apa yang Anda kerjakan tidak berhasil ubahlah pendekatannya.
Ulangi proses tersebut sekali lagi hingga Anda memperoleh produk yang Anda inginkan. Inilah yang disebut dengan ’azam dan sabar. Didalam Agama diajarkan ”Dan jadikanlah sabar dan ibadah menjadi penolongmu, sesungguhnya Tuhan beserta orang-orang yang sabar”.
Teori Kaizen yang kedua adalah benchmarking. Untuk menghemat waktu dan energi gunakan benchmarking, yaitu model perasaan dan rekayasa sebaliknya.
Untuk mempercepat langkah kesuksesan Anda :
1. Ketahuilah produk Anda SMART.
2. Temukan Benchmark, yakni orang yang siap memperoleh apa yang Anda inginkan.
3. Carilah apa yang dilakukan orang itu.
4. Lakukan hal yang sama atau lakukan dengan baik hingga Anda memperoleh hasil yang sama atau bahkan lebih baik.
Keizen ke-3 : Cari sumber keluar, karena tak seorangpun sempurna sehingga mampu melakukan segala sesuatu sendiri. Anda disarankan membuka sumber dari luar (untuk sub-kontrak) untuk kegiatan yang bukan kompetensi inti Anda.
Ada tiga syarat yang diperkukuh guna mencari sumber dari luar yakni : kualitas tinggi, biaya rendah, produk/servisnya tersedia kapan saja kita perlukan (JIT-just-in-timedelivery/pengantar tepat waktu).
Inilah beberapa proses yang perlu diketahui agar bisa berbuat dengan benar dan tepat guna. Di tahun 2007 ini mari kita raih agenda sukses untuk kehidupan yang lebih baik di masa mendatang.
Sumber : Bulletin Dakwah
Oleh : H.Bambang Widhyatomo H.M,
Oleh karena itu, jalan menuju sukses selalu dan sedang dalam perbaikan yang sedang berjalan. Jalan kearah kemajuan, bukan akhir pencapaian.
Menurut Steven R. Covey (1990) dalam bukunya “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change” ( Tujuh Kebiasaan Orang yang Sangat Efektif, Pelajaran Penting dalam Perubahan Pribadi).
Covey mengurai tujuh ciri khas orang sukses.
Kebiasaan -1 : Proaktif
Proaktif mengandung arti bahwa selaku manusia kita bertanggung jawab pada kehidupan diri kita sendiri. Perilaku kita adalah fungsi keputusan kita, bukan kondisi kita. Kita memiliki inisiatif dan tanggung jawab untuk mewujudkan sesuatu.(kemampuan memilih respons yang ada). Orang yang sangat proaktif mengenali tanggung jawab itu.
Mereka tidak menyalahkan keadaan, kondisi atau pengkondisian atas perilaku mereka. “Sesungguhnya Tuhan tidak merubah keadaan sesuatu kaum sehingga mereka merubah keadaan yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri.”
Mengubah diri sendiri berarti mengubah penampilan di dalam diri yaitu apa dan bagaimana kita menggambarkan sesuatu, serta apa dan bagaimana kita mengaitkan sesuatu pada diri kita tentang situasi pada saat itu.
Kebiasaan - 2 : Mulai dengan Tujuan Dalam Fikiran Kita
Memulai dengan tujuan dalam pikiran didasari pada prinsip bahwa semua hal diciptakan dua kali. Ciptaan pertama adalah mental (niat atau penyusunan tujuan yang terdiri atas visi, misi dan tujuan) dan ada ciptaan kedua yaitu 7 (tujuh) Karakter Menuju Sukses Fisik terhadap semua hal. Kebiasaan kedua ini didasarkan pada prinsip kepemimpinan pribadi. Kepemimpinan bukanlah manajemen. Manajemen adalah fokus lini bahwa bagaimana saya menyelesaikan sesuatu yang sudah pasti dengan baik?
Kepemimpinan berhubungan dengan lini atas apa yang ingin saya selesaikan ?.
Sedangkan menurut Peter Drucker ”Manajemen adalah melakukan sesuatu dengan benar-benar”.
Kebiasaan - 3 : Utamakan yang Paling Penting
Kebiasaan no. 1 berbunyi ”Anda penggagas, anda bertanggung jawab.” Ini didasarkan kepada empat kualitas unik yang dimiliki manusia, yakni imajinasi, kesadaran, keinginan yang bebas serta kesalahan diri.
Kebiasaan no. 2 adalah ciptaan pertama berupa mental. Ini didasari pada kemampuan untuk memandang melihat potensi, mencipta dengan fikiran kita apa yang pada saat ini tidak bisa dilihat oleh mata kita, dan kesadaran kemampuan untuk mendeteksi keunikan diri kita, serta pedoman pribadi, moral dan etika. Yang dengannya kita akan sangat bahagia mengisi kehidupan ini.
Kebiasaan ke-3 adalah ciptaan kedua. Ciptaan fisik ini adalah dari kebiasaan 1 dan 2 merupakan pelaksanaan yang bebas ke arah terpusatnya pada prinsip untuk menggunakan kebebasan kita dalam memilih hanya melakukan hal penting dalam kehidupan dan tidak membuang waktu untuk kegiatan yang tidak penting baik yang mendesak atau tidak.
Kebiasaan - 4 : Berfikir Menang / Menang
Hal ini memerlukan 3 nilai karakter yakni Integritas, Kedewasaan (keseimbangan antara keberanian dan pertimbangan) dan Mentalitas berlebihan.
Kebiasaan - 5 : Upayakan pertama kali untuk mengerti kemungkinan dimengerti.
Kebiasaan ini merupakan kualitas keberanian yang seimbang dengan pertimbangan. Bukankah Anda pikir yang diperlukan pertama kali adalah keberanian dan pertimbangan, bukannya yang dipahami? Paradigma manakah yang menurut Anda lebih baik diterapkan dalam kehidupan.
”Mengambil dan Memberi” atau ”Memberi dan Menerima”. Di dalam agama diajarkan bahwa ”Tidak ada balasan kebaikan kecuali kebaikan (pula). maka nikmat Tuhan kamu yang manakah yang kamu dustakan”.
Kebiasaan - 6 : Sinergis
Sinergi adalah aktifitas tertinggi dalam seluruh kehidupan ujian dan menifestasi sejati dari semua kebiasaan lain yang dikumpulkan. Kalau didefinisikan dengan sederhana, sinergi berarti keseluruhan lebih besar dari pada jumlah bagian-bagian itu.
Kebiasaan -7 : Mengasah Gergaji
Kebiasaan ini melingkupi kebiasaan-kebiasaan lain. Karena inilah yang membuat semua kebiasaan lainnya itu menjadi mungkin. Kebiasaan ini memelihara dan meningkatkan aset terbesar yang anda miliki. Kebiasaan ini memperbarui keempat dimensi sifat anda : Fisik, Spritual, Mental dan Sosial/Emosional. Agama mengajarkan kepada kita untuk menyibukkan diri kita, sehingga tak punya waktu lagi untuk mencari kesalahan orang lain.
Bangsa Jepang menerapkan 3 metode Kaizen (Dess & Miller, 1995) sebagai berikut : ”salah satu falsafah eksperimentasi ialah ”kalau anda gagal pada pertama kali, coba-coba......dan coba lagi”. ”Saya akan bertahan hingga saya sukses”.
Ada empat langkah eksperimentasi :
1. Ketahuilah produk Anda (SMART : Specifik, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Trackable, dapat diukur, dapat dicapai, relevan dan dapat ditelusuri).
2. Persiapkan diri Anda untuk bertindak dengan memutuskan untuk melakukannya.
3. Perhatikan apa yang Anda peroleh dari tindakan-tindakan Anda.
4. Kalau apa yang Anda peroleh dari apa yang Anda kerjakan tidak berhasil ubahlah pendekatannya.
Ulangi proses tersebut sekali lagi hingga Anda memperoleh produk yang Anda inginkan. Inilah yang disebut dengan ’azam dan sabar. Didalam Agama diajarkan ”Dan jadikanlah sabar dan ibadah menjadi penolongmu, sesungguhnya Tuhan beserta orang-orang yang sabar”.
Teori Kaizen yang kedua adalah benchmarking. Untuk menghemat waktu dan energi gunakan benchmarking, yaitu model perasaan dan rekayasa sebaliknya.
Untuk mempercepat langkah kesuksesan Anda :
1. Ketahuilah produk Anda SMART.
2. Temukan Benchmark, yakni orang yang siap memperoleh apa yang Anda inginkan.
3. Carilah apa yang dilakukan orang itu.
4. Lakukan hal yang sama atau lakukan dengan baik hingga Anda memperoleh hasil yang sama atau bahkan lebih baik.
Keizen ke-3 : Cari sumber keluar, karena tak seorangpun sempurna sehingga mampu melakukan segala sesuatu sendiri. Anda disarankan membuka sumber dari luar (untuk sub-kontrak) untuk kegiatan yang bukan kompetensi inti Anda.
Ada tiga syarat yang diperkukuh guna mencari sumber dari luar yakni : kualitas tinggi, biaya rendah, produk/servisnya tersedia kapan saja kita perlukan (JIT-just-in-timedelivery/pengantar tepat waktu).
Inilah beberapa proses yang perlu diketahui agar bisa berbuat dengan benar dan tepat guna. Di tahun 2007 ini mari kita raih agenda sukses untuk kehidupan yang lebih baik di masa mendatang.
Sumber : Bulletin Dakwah
Oleh : H.Bambang Widhyatomo H.M,
The "New" Book Market On The Internet
To say that there are dynamic changes taking place in the rare and collectible book market is an understatement.
At one time the 'market' for rare and collectible books consisted of a few hundred well known and highly respected rare book dealers and collectors who slowly and laboriously collected books in their specialty. It wasn't too long ago that collectors wanted 'depth'- collecting every book and piece of ephemera by a particular author or within a particular genre. A collector searching for a particular book gathered dealers catalogs, visited shops in remote corners of the world hoping to come across the one rare book that would crown their collection.
Collecting was a "gentleman's" game. Dealers carefully cultivated their customers over years, helping them select books that added depth to their collections. Dealers relied on word-of-mouth and reputation to build their business. Dealers, for the most part, 'specialized'. Book collecting was more than a hobby, it was an obsession to some.
They never envisioned that with a single click of a computer they could access the catalogs of thousands of rare and collectible book dealers and choose among hundreds of thousands of books in every edition.
Where once it may have taken years to find a book wanted by a collector, now takes minutes. Yes, the market has changed because of the Internet.
The Internet has added liquidity to the rare and collectible book market. And liquidity is very important for any market. All it means is that, when you're ready to sell there is a buyer, ready willing and able to buy your offering.
The Internet has also added the element of transactional speed. People are buying and selling books at a rate of speed that seems incredible by standards just a few years ago. Thousands of book are being traded daily.
On just one Internet site there are over 9,500 transactions taking place every day. And there are dozen's of sites that buy and sell rare and collectible books.
Why books?
Why deal in books rather than other collectible items such as figurines or art or pottery?
Books have a special place in the history of the human race. They record the history, thoughts, feelings, views, philosophy, theology and dreams and imaginings of men and women who lived before us and who live with us.
Books have shaped the way we think, live our lives and have formed the backbone of governments and world religions.
The fact that books have a special place in our lives make them, I think, more than 'collectible items'. They are an investment in the past and the future of the entire human race. Man's has separated himself from animals in his ability to reason, to think and to record those thoughts in books for each generation to read.
Have you ever read the book 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury? Or maybe you saw the movie? If you haven't read the book or watched the movie you should. The highest function of which a person is capable is "Thinking"- and if you take that away, there isn't much left is what that movie was all about. Books jump start our thinking, challenge us and help us.
So what makes books valuable? Why should someone pay $100,000 or more for just a book? These are the questions I asked myself before I got involved in this wonderful business.
Did you know that, of all the collecting fields, only one has a disease named after it? "Bibliomania" is a disease. Literally, a bibliomaniac is someone who is "mad for books".
By the way, for the purpose of this report, when I'm speaking of "books" I am talking exclusively about "hard cover" books and NOT paperbacks (certain paperbacks are collectible as well, but very few of them have reached the value of their hard cover cousins).
And, I was as astounded, as you might be right now, to learn that used and out-of-print books are valuable and some are even super-valuable.
Take for example a first printing of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"- today worth about $125,000. Why should a simple child's book be worth so much money? Because it's "collectible"? Because it's old? Because it's a children's book? The answer is simple. And it took me sometime to accept the simplicity of it, but here it is:
"Certain books are valuable because someone wants it and is willing and able to pay the price to own it". That's it.
Collectors come in all shapes, sizes and interests and they are all over the world. Demand is huge and you'll be surprised at the rate at which used books will sell. That doesn't mean there aren't slow times but books move very fast into the hands that want them.
The key is they 'want' them.
Someone told me once that you can never make any money selling something that people need- you only can make money selling things that people want. And it's 100% true. The point here is that the market for used, OP and rare books is voracious and I don't see it letting up. In fact, I believe it will get larger as baby boomers have more leisure time (and money) and begin thinking about and accumulating books written in the 'good 'ol days'- before the year 2000.
The Internet has completely changed the ways used, OP and collectible books are bought and sold. Some of the electronic lists I've posted books to I've gotten responses of 80%- so for every 10 books listed I have sold 8. That's a pretty good response. The more remarkable thing about that is that I have made substantial profits on the books sold- profits sometimes in excess of 724 times what I paid for the book! Tell me any other business where the profit margins are that high? In on-line auctions (like those held on Ebay) I've sold closer to 95% of all the listings I've put up. In fact, if you're so inclined you could work the auctions almost exclusively and make a very good living.
This system reveals all the secrets I use, I hold nothing back. At one time I thought that I would never tell anyone about what I was doing because I didn't want to ruin the opportunity for myself. But now that I have been doing this for many, many years I realize the market is much bigger than I am and that helping you in no way hurts me. It market is just too big, and it's global and it really doesn't care what I think- it just keeps moving forward. And I'm glad it does because that means there is almost always a market for my books.
I've received orders from nearly every state in the US as well as orders from Japan and Malasia and Singapore and England and Norway and Australia and more. I've posted books on a Internet newsgroup and received inquiries from all over the world. Everyone is interested in buying, selling and collecting used, OP and rare books. Here's a very valuable suggestion: If you can translate your book descriptions or have them translated into German or French or Japanese you will make a lot more sales. Foreign collectors of American literature are plentiful and lurk (watch without participating by posting responses) newsgroups and electronic mailing lists looking for books. You will certainly increase your sales if you can provide this service to overseas collectors and dealers.
Let's dissect the statement I made earlier: "Certain books are valuable because someone wants it and is willing and able to pay the price to own it". We will be able to see why certain books are valuable and others are not and then how we can profit from this information.
"CERTAIN BOOKS"
It should be obvious that not all used books are valuable. If all used books were valuable there would be no need for this report, it would be common knowledge and the secrets you're learning here would be unnecessary. But the fact is these are, in fact, "secrets".
Very few people know how to identify valuable books at a first glance. In fact 98% of the general population walk by books that could easily put $100 to $40,000 in their pocket with no work at all!
I bet that I have walked past books that were worth $1,000's of dollars prior to getting into this business. And you have done the same. But not anymore.
All you need to know is how to spot the secret differences that makes certain books valuable. So what are these "Certain books"- what makes them different than other used books?
As a general rule the "first edition" or the very "first printing" of a book is more valuable than later editions. And the "first issue" or printing of a first edition is more valuable yet.
A "first issue" is the same as the first printing of the book in that edition. Many times a book that is a first issue contains errors: Mistakes in pagination or typesetting. These are actually more valuable to a collector.
In most cases, the "second printing" of a book is nearly worthless- BUT… there are always exceptions!
For example, the "second edition" of the Book of Mormon is more valuable than the first edition. Why? Because the revisions to the first edition were so extensive that the second edition is considered THE definitive and authoritative edition- and more collectible.
There are many other examples. But as a general rule, the "first edition", "first issue" or "first printing" of a book is more valuable than the second edition, second issue or second printing.
How do you know if a book is a 'first' or 'second' printing or later? Will discuss it all in detail but for now let's say that in most cases there is a statement made by the publisher on the copyright page of a book that tells which printing or which edition it is.
COPYRIGHT PAGE
The copyright page of a book contains important information for the collector and dealer. At a minimum it states the date in which the book was copyrighted. In most cases it contains the publisher's imprint, city and state the book was published, the edition of the book and/or the printing of the book. In most cases the statement on the copyright page that the book is a "First Edition" or "First Printing" is the first reliable, if not simplistic, indication that the book is a collectible item. You can't always rely on this statement, however, and that's why you need a good reference book to make a final determination.
There is another "factor" affecting a book's value that is just as important as the edition of a book. That factor is the book's "condition"....
At one time the 'market' for rare and collectible books consisted of a few hundred well known and highly respected rare book dealers and collectors who slowly and laboriously collected books in their specialty. It wasn't too long ago that collectors wanted 'depth'- collecting every book and piece of ephemera by a particular author or within a particular genre. A collector searching for a particular book gathered dealers catalogs, visited shops in remote corners of the world hoping to come across the one rare book that would crown their collection.
Collecting was a "gentleman's" game. Dealers carefully cultivated their customers over years, helping them select books that added depth to their collections. Dealers relied on word-of-mouth and reputation to build their business. Dealers, for the most part, 'specialized'. Book collecting was more than a hobby, it was an obsession to some.
They never envisioned that with a single click of a computer they could access the catalogs of thousands of rare and collectible book dealers and choose among hundreds of thousands of books in every edition.
Where once it may have taken years to find a book wanted by a collector, now takes minutes. Yes, the market has changed because of the Internet.
The Internet has added liquidity to the rare and collectible book market. And liquidity is very important for any market. All it means is that, when you're ready to sell there is a buyer, ready willing and able to buy your offering.
The Internet has also added the element of transactional speed. People are buying and selling books at a rate of speed that seems incredible by standards just a few years ago. Thousands of book are being traded daily.
On just one Internet site there are over 9,500 transactions taking place every day. And there are dozen's of sites that buy and sell rare and collectible books.
Why books?
Why deal in books rather than other collectible items such as figurines or art or pottery?
Books have a special place in the history of the human race. They record the history, thoughts, feelings, views, philosophy, theology and dreams and imaginings of men and women who lived before us and who live with us.
Books have shaped the way we think, live our lives and have formed the backbone of governments and world religions.
The fact that books have a special place in our lives make them, I think, more than 'collectible items'. They are an investment in the past and the future of the entire human race. Man's has separated himself from animals in his ability to reason, to think and to record those thoughts in books for each generation to read.
Have you ever read the book 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury? Or maybe you saw the movie? If you haven't read the book or watched the movie you should. The highest function of which a person is capable is "Thinking"- and if you take that away, there isn't much left is what that movie was all about. Books jump start our thinking, challenge us and help us.
So what makes books valuable? Why should someone pay $100,000 or more for just a book? These are the questions I asked myself before I got involved in this wonderful business.
Did you know that, of all the collecting fields, only one has a disease named after it? "Bibliomania" is a disease. Literally, a bibliomaniac is someone who is "mad for books".
By the way, for the purpose of this report, when I'm speaking of "books" I am talking exclusively about "hard cover" books and NOT paperbacks (certain paperbacks are collectible as well, but very few of them have reached the value of their hard cover cousins).
And, I was as astounded, as you might be right now, to learn that used and out-of-print books are valuable and some are even super-valuable.
Take for example a first printing of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"- today worth about $125,000. Why should a simple child's book be worth so much money? Because it's "collectible"? Because it's old? Because it's a children's book? The answer is simple. And it took me sometime to accept the simplicity of it, but here it is:
"Certain books are valuable because someone wants it and is willing and able to pay the price to own it". That's it.
Collectors come in all shapes, sizes and interests and they are all over the world. Demand is huge and you'll be surprised at the rate at which used books will sell. That doesn't mean there aren't slow times but books move very fast into the hands that want them.
The key is they 'want' them.
Someone told me once that you can never make any money selling something that people need- you only can make money selling things that people want. And it's 100% true. The point here is that the market for used, OP and rare books is voracious and I don't see it letting up. In fact, I believe it will get larger as baby boomers have more leisure time (and money) and begin thinking about and accumulating books written in the 'good 'ol days'- before the year 2000.
The Internet has completely changed the ways used, OP and collectible books are bought and sold. Some of the electronic lists I've posted books to I've gotten responses of 80%- so for every 10 books listed I have sold 8. That's a pretty good response. The more remarkable thing about that is that I have made substantial profits on the books sold- profits sometimes in excess of 724 times what I paid for the book! Tell me any other business where the profit margins are that high? In on-line auctions (like those held on Ebay) I've sold closer to 95% of all the listings I've put up. In fact, if you're so inclined you could work the auctions almost exclusively and make a very good living.
This system reveals all the secrets I use, I hold nothing back. At one time I thought that I would never tell anyone about what I was doing because I didn't want to ruin the opportunity for myself. But now that I have been doing this for many, many years I realize the market is much bigger than I am and that helping you in no way hurts me. It market is just too big, and it's global and it really doesn't care what I think- it just keeps moving forward. And I'm glad it does because that means there is almost always a market for my books.
I've received orders from nearly every state in the US as well as orders from Japan and Malasia and Singapore and England and Norway and Australia and more. I've posted books on a Internet newsgroup and received inquiries from all over the world. Everyone is interested in buying, selling and collecting used, OP and rare books. Here's a very valuable suggestion: If you can translate your book descriptions or have them translated into German or French or Japanese you will make a lot more sales. Foreign collectors of American literature are plentiful and lurk (watch without participating by posting responses) newsgroups and electronic mailing lists looking for books. You will certainly increase your sales if you can provide this service to overseas collectors and dealers.
Let's dissect the statement I made earlier: "Certain books are valuable because someone wants it and is willing and able to pay the price to own it". We will be able to see why certain books are valuable and others are not and then how we can profit from this information.
"CERTAIN BOOKS"
It should be obvious that not all used books are valuable. If all used books were valuable there would be no need for this report, it would be common knowledge and the secrets you're learning here would be unnecessary. But the fact is these are, in fact, "secrets".
Very few people know how to identify valuable books at a first glance. In fact 98% of the general population walk by books that could easily put $100 to $40,000 in their pocket with no work at all!
I bet that I have walked past books that were worth $1,000's of dollars prior to getting into this business. And you have done the same. But not anymore.
All you need to know is how to spot the secret differences that makes certain books valuable. So what are these "Certain books"- what makes them different than other used books?
As a general rule the "first edition" or the very "first printing" of a book is more valuable than later editions. And the "first issue" or printing of a first edition is more valuable yet.
A "first issue" is the same as the first printing of the book in that edition. Many times a book that is a first issue contains errors: Mistakes in pagination or typesetting. These are actually more valuable to a collector.
In most cases, the "second printing" of a book is nearly worthless- BUT… there are always exceptions!
For example, the "second edition" of the Book of Mormon is more valuable than the first edition. Why? Because the revisions to the first edition were so extensive that the second edition is considered THE definitive and authoritative edition- and more collectible.
There are many other examples. But as a general rule, the "first edition", "first issue" or "first printing" of a book is more valuable than the second edition, second issue or second printing.
How do you know if a book is a 'first' or 'second' printing or later? Will discuss it all in detail but for now let's say that in most cases there is a statement made by the publisher on the copyright page of a book that tells which printing or which edition it is.
COPYRIGHT PAGE
The copyright page of a book contains important information for the collector and dealer. At a minimum it states the date in which the book was copyrighted. In most cases it contains the publisher's imprint, city and state the book was published, the edition of the book and/or the printing of the book. In most cases the statement on the copyright page that the book is a "First Edition" or "First Printing" is the first reliable, if not simplistic, indication that the book is a collectible item. You can't always rely on this statement, however, and that's why you need a good reference book to make a final determination.
There is another "factor" affecting a book's value that is just as important as the edition of a book. That factor is the book's "condition"....
How To Obtain Valuable Content For eBooks Without Creating It Yourself
DISCLAIMER/WARNING/NOTICE: I am not an attorney and am not providing legal advice in the following report. A competent attorney of your choice should be consulted when investigating copyrights. The following is entirely a layman's opinion - mine - only. For a very good layman's reference on publishing law and copyrights see Kirch's Handbook of Publishing Law by Jonathon Kirsch (Acrobat Books, Los Angeles ISBN 0-918226-33-3), which was the primary source for my understanding of copyright expirations detailed below.
What This Report Can Do For You
If you have ever written an article or a book or you're an entrepreneur who requires information from a variety of sources to develop content you'll appreciate this quick guide to certified copyright searches.
In 1979 I started my first publishing business. At the time, I had an intense interest in antiquarian books as a collector and a dealer. Whenever I discovered a book I wanted to add to my collection, I would also try to locate a much, much less valuable copy I could use for general reading.
I looked often without success. Many of the books I was purchasing were extremely rare and out-of-print (OP). The Internet wasn't exactly a household word and searching for used copies was very time consuming.
Occasionally I would have success and find a used copy for reading. Sometimes it would takes years of looking through used and OP book dealer catalogs to find what I wanted.
In 1996 I started using the Internet to find books I was interested in reading and collecting. But I still had the problem of securing 'reading copies' of the rare books I was accumulating on the 'net. True, I found copies faster -but for the very rare, I found no copies at all…which gave me an idea.
One book was so rare that it popped up in dealers catalogs about once every ten years. But, unlike most antiquarian and collectible books, this one had a subject matter that was relevant today and would be eagerly sought after by advertising and marketing practitioners.
So I decided to take my second plunge into the world of publishing and reprint the book and sell it. The problem, of course, was how do I secure the copyrights?
After weeks of research I discovered that the work was now in the 'public domain' and I could freely publish it without restriction. I could use all of it or parts of it. I could change the title, rework some of the text, add graphics, etc. I thought I had died and gone to publishing heaven.
And you can too- if you find a work, in it's original copyrighted state, that you believe has market potential. I say "original copyrighted state" because there have been a number of excellent works that went into the public domain and then 'edited and revised' to bring it up to date.
A copyright on the revision of a public domain work grants the person or publishing house with full copyright protection on those revisions. And if you don't have a copy of the original text, you won't know what those revisions are and, if published, infringe on some else's copyright.
Guide to Determining Works In The "Public Domain"
I had heard about certain literary works being in the 'public domain'…and if they were they could be published without infringing on the rights of anyone else.
Public domain is one of those elusive catch-all words that really doesn't explain a thing…as you'll see. Some people I consulted with said anything published 75 years or more ago is automatically in the public domain. As I discovered that is not true.
The question is, "How long does a copyright last?"
Believe me, that's not an easy question to answer. But I will give you some general guidance here and then try to summarize what it means to you in practical terms.
Works published prior to January 1, 1978 are governed by the Copyright Act of 1909. Under the 1909 copyright law, a copyrighted work was protected for two consecutive terms of 28 years each-but (and this is a key "but") the copyright was extended into the second 28 year term of protection ONLY IF it was duly and timely renewed prior to the expiration of the first term by filing a renewal application in the Copyright Office.
Therefore the total period of copyright protection, under the 1909 Act, was either 28 years or 56 years from the year of publication. The way to determine the expiration was to search the Copyright Office for the renewal filing.
But, that's not all I found.
Under the Copyright Act of 1976 (which took effect in 1978) the second 'term' of 28 years was extended to 47 years!
If you are researching a work today that was published in 1910 and it was officially renewed in 1937 (prior to the end of the first "28 year" term of protection) the copyright would last 75 years after the date of publication (28 year first term + a 47 year second term).
If the same work was NOT RENEWED prior to the expiration of the first 28 year term of protection the copyright protection would have expired in 1938, 28 years from the date of publication.
So the maximum protection under the Copyright Act of 1976 granted protection for a maximum of 75 years. But the copyright protection could have expired much, much sooner if it was never renewed.
Then in 1992 Congress passed the Copyright Renewal Act. The Act basically eliminated the need for the filing of a renewal application. So, any work which was first published between January 1, 1964 and December 31, 1977 (The day prior to the effective date of the Copyright Act of 1976) would be automatically renewed for an additional 47 years without the filing of a renewal application.
Confused yet? Stick with me, it gets worse. But then I'll make it better, I promise.
So, we have this kind of 'limbo' period between 1/1/1964 and 12/31/1977 when the 'second' term of copyright protection was extended to 47 years from 28
years. Prior to 1/1/1964 a renewal application was required to continue the copyright protection- after this date the second term of 47 years was automatically granted from the date of publication.
Then we have works created after 1/1/1978 when the Copyright Act of 1976 went into effect. It's a whole different ball game because the copyright protection of a work is no longer governed by a fixed number of years as it was in the past.
Copyright protection is determined under the Act of 1976 by "the life of the author plus 50 years". In other words, protection is automatically granted 50 years after the death of the author (this only applies to a "Natural" person who is the author and not a corporation or other entity).
In the case of a 'jointly authored work' the death of the last surviving author is the benchmark for copyright protection.
Let's summarize what may constitute the expiration of copyright protection:
1. Any work published before 1/1/1964 will have copyright protection for 28 years plus an additional 47 years (75 years total) but ONLY IF a renewal was filed. If a renewal was NOT filed, the copyright protection expired 28 years from the date of publication.
2. Any work first published after 1/1/1964 up to 1/1/1978 will not expire before 75 years or on 12/31/2038. In other words the second term of 47 years is automatically added to the first term of 28 years without a renewal filing. This is the 'limbo' period of copyright protection I mentioned earlier.
3. Any work first published after 1/1/1978 will be protected for the life of the author plus 50 years.
As you can see it's the filing of the renewal application that is all important to us-and if it was filed or not. And that's exactly what you need to determine if a copyright has expired. And the only way to determine if a renewal application was filed is by getting a copyright search report.
Copyright searches are done by specialty firms, publishers and attorney's in copyright issues but, a little known secret is that you can go directly to the Copyright Office and request a copyright search.
If you are not located near the Copyright Office you can follow the instructions below, order your searches by phone and mail and have your Certified Copyright Search report sent directly to your private residence or office! In addition it will cost you less than 75% of what most copyright search firms and attorney's charge and you have it days sooner.
How You Get The Content Certified
Upon request, the Copyright Office staff will search its records at the statutory rate of $20 for each hour or fraction of an hour consumed. The good news, if you give the staff enough information about the work you want researched it shouldn't cost you more than $20! Certified reports cost just an additional $20.
The first step in getting the work you certified is putting together as much information as possible about the work.
The more detailed information you can furnish with your request, the less time-consuming and expensive the search will be. Provide as much of the following information as possible:
v The title of the work, with any possible variants;
v The names of the authors, including possible pseudonyms;
v The name of the probable copyright owner, which may be the publisher or producer;
v The approximate year when the work was published or registered
v The type of work involved (book, play, musical composition, sound recording, photograph, etc.);
v For a work originally published as a part of a periodical or collection, the title of that publication and any other information, such as the volume or issue number, to help identify it;
v Motion pictures are often based on other works such as books or serialized contributions to periodicals or other composite works. If you desire a search for an underlying work or for music from a motion picture, you must specifically request such a search. You must also identify the underlying works and music and furnish the specific titles, authors, and approximate dates of these works and;
v The ISBN, LOC registration number or any other copyright data.
Step number two is to call the desk of the CO research department at: (202) 707-6850. You will be connected to one of the CO's research specialists.
Tell them you would like a copyright search performed on a work and would like an estimate of the cost. They will ask you what information you have about the work (as mentioned above). They won't want specifics, just if you know the Title, Author, etc. The more information you can give them the better. Be sure to tell them you want a written report. If not, they will assume you want a verbal or oral report and arrange time for you to call back and get the verbal report. Also make sure to tell them you want a certified written copy of the search.
Certified searches are most frequently requested to meet the evidentiary requirements of litigation. But, you must ask for this. Copyright searches are not automatically 'certified' even if completed by the CO staff.
The Copyright Office staff will also search its indexes covering the records of assignments and other recorded documents concerning ownership of copyrights for the standard hourly fee. The reports of searches in these cases will state the facts shown in the Office's indexes of the recorded documents, but won't offer an interpretation of the content of the documents or their legal ramifications.
Based on the information you furnish, the staff will provide an estimate of the total search fee. Having this information ready will greatly reduce the time spent by the CO staff. You can decide at this time to let the CO staff complete the search or to relinquish.
If for some reason the search takes longer than estimated they will let you know and you can send additional fund while they continue their search. If it takes less time than estimated, they will send a partial refund of the estimated amount back to you (although in 72 searches I've completed to date, no report ever took less time than estimated).
If you decide to have the Office staff conduct the search, you should send the estimated amount with a letter (see example below) restating the request to:
Reference and Bibliography Section, LM-451
Copyright Office Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20559
The Office will then proceed with the search.
When the search is completed (usually within 4-6 weeks) they will send you a typewritten report (plus certified, if that's what you requested) or, if you prefer, an oral report by telephone.
If you request an oral report, you need to provide a telephone number where you can be reached during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern time) by the CO staff.
When you receive the written report you will want to read it carefully and look for the words, "No renewal found" (see example at end of this report). This will give a good clue that the work is now in the public domain. Of course, there is no complete assurance that someone won't come forward, after recognizing you have republished the work, and demand royalties or other compensation, or cessation of publication. Usually it is the family of the original author of the work who will object. Having the written certified copyright search will help you establish that protection has expired, but will not automatically guarantee it.
If you are ever uncertain of the results of the search results you receive or need help dealing with anyone claiming rights to a work you are publishing always seek the advice of a competent attorney specializing in copyright issues.
Some Other Items You Might Consider In Your Request
You may also request additional certificates, photocopies of deposits, or copies of Copyright Office records. Additional fees for these services will apply.
Well, there you have it. Quick and easy certified copyright searches from your desk. Nothing could easier or quicker or less expensive.
One Last Bit of Advice That Could Save You Time and Money
In some instances the CO staff will be extremely busy and not get to the writing of your report within the 4-6 weeks mentioned. In one case I needed to move on a publishing project that included major portions of the work being researched and I had not received the report yet. I called the copyright office and asked them for an update.
The CO staff was very gracious and a research specialist got back to me the same day with an oral report at no extra charge. I got the information I needed to move the project forward and received the written report several weeks later in the mail.
What This Report Can Do For You
If you have ever written an article or a book or you're an entrepreneur who requires information from a variety of sources to develop content you'll appreciate this quick guide to certified copyright searches.
In 1979 I started my first publishing business. At the time, I had an intense interest in antiquarian books as a collector and a dealer. Whenever I discovered a book I wanted to add to my collection, I would also try to locate a much, much less valuable copy I could use for general reading.
I looked often without success. Many of the books I was purchasing were extremely rare and out-of-print (OP). The Internet wasn't exactly a household word and searching for used copies was very time consuming.
Occasionally I would have success and find a used copy for reading. Sometimes it would takes years of looking through used and OP book dealer catalogs to find what I wanted.
In 1996 I started using the Internet to find books I was interested in reading and collecting. But I still had the problem of securing 'reading copies' of the rare books I was accumulating on the 'net. True, I found copies faster -but for the very rare, I found no copies at all…which gave me an idea.
One book was so rare that it popped up in dealers catalogs about once every ten years. But, unlike most antiquarian and collectible books, this one had a subject matter that was relevant today and would be eagerly sought after by advertising and marketing practitioners.
So I decided to take my second plunge into the world of publishing and reprint the book and sell it. The problem, of course, was how do I secure the copyrights?
After weeks of research I discovered that the work was now in the 'public domain' and I could freely publish it without restriction. I could use all of it or parts of it. I could change the title, rework some of the text, add graphics, etc. I thought I had died and gone to publishing heaven.
And you can too- if you find a work, in it's original copyrighted state, that you believe has market potential. I say "original copyrighted state" because there have been a number of excellent works that went into the public domain and then 'edited and revised' to bring it up to date.
A copyright on the revision of a public domain work grants the person or publishing house with full copyright protection on those revisions. And if you don't have a copy of the original text, you won't know what those revisions are and, if published, infringe on some else's copyright.
Guide to Determining Works In The "Public Domain"
I had heard about certain literary works being in the 'public domain'…and if they were they could be published without infringing on the rights of anyone else.
Public domain is one of those elusive catch-all words that really doesn't explain a thing…as you'll see. Some people I consulted with said anything published 75 years or more ago is automatically in the public domain. As I discovered that is not true.
The question is, "How long does a copyright last?"
Believe me, that's not an easy question to answer. But I will give you some general guidance here and then try to summarize what it means to you in practical terms.
Works published prior to January 1, 1978 are governed by the Copyright Act of 1909. Under the 1909 copyright law, a copyrighted work was protected for two consecutive terms of 28 years each-but (and this is a key "but") the copyright was extended into the second 28 year term of protection ONLY IF it was duly and timely renewed prior to the expiration of the first term by filing a renewal application in the Copyright Office.
Therefore the total period of copyright protection, under the 1909 Act, was either 28 years or 56 years from the year of publication. The way to determine the expiration was to search the Copyright Office for the renewal filing.
But, that's not all I found.
Under the Copyright Act of 1976 (which took effect in 1978) the second 'term' of 28 years was extended to 47 years!
If you are researching a work today that was published in 1910 and it was officially renewed in 1937 (prior to the end of the first "28 year" term of protection) the copyright would last 75 years after the date of publication (28 year first term + a 47 year second term).
If the same work was NOT RENEWED prior to the expiration of the first 28 year term of protection the copyright protection would have expired in 1938, 28 years from the date of publication.
So the maximum protection under the Copyright Act of 1976 granted protection for a maximum of 75 years. But the copyright protection could have expired much, much sooner if it was never renewed.
Then in 1992 Congress passed the Copyright Renewal Act. The Act basically eliminated the need for the filing of a renewal application. So, any work which was first published between January 1, 1964 and December 31, 1977 (The day prior to the effective date of the Copyright Act of 1976) would be automatically renewed for an additional 47 years without the filing of a renewal application.
Confused yet? Stick with me, it gets worse. But then I'll make it better, I promise.
So, we have this kind of 'limbo' period between 1/1/1964 and 12/31/1977 when the 'second' term of copyright protection was extended to 47 years from 28
years. Prior to 1/1/1964 a renewal application was required to continue the copyright protection- after this date the second term of 47 years was automatically granted from the date of publication.
Then we have works created after 1/1/1978 when the Copyright Act of 1976 went into effect. It's a whole different ball game because the copyright protection of a work is no longer governed by a fixed number of years as it was in the past.
Copyright protection is determined under the Act of 1976 by "the life of the author plus 50 years". In other words, protection is automatically granted 50 years after the death of the author (this only applies to a "Natural" person who is the author and not a corporation or other entity).
In the case of a 'jointly authored work' the death of the last surviving author is the benchmark for copyright protection.
Let's summarize what may constitute the expiration of copyright protection:
1. Any work published before 1/1/1964 will have copyright protection for 28 years plus an additional 47 years (75 years total) but ONLY IF a renewal was filed. If a renewal was NOT filed, the copyright protection expired 28 years from the date of publication.
2. Any work first published after 1/1/1964 up to 1/1/1978 will not expire before 75 years or on 12/31/2038. In other words the second term of 47 years is automatically added to the first term of 28 years without a renewal filing. This is the 'limbo' period of copyright protection I mentioned earlier.
3. Any work first published after 1/1/1978 will be protected for the life of the author plus 50 years.
As you can see it's the filing of the renewal application that is all important to us-and if it was filed or not. And that's exactly what you need to determine if a copyright has expired. And the only way to determine if a renewal application was filed is by getting a copyright search report.
Copyright searches are done by specialty firms, publishers and attorney's in copyright issues but, a little known secret is that you can go directly to the Copyright Office and request a copyright search.
If you are not located near the Copyright Office you can follow the instructions below, order your searches by phone and mail and have your Certified Copyright Search report sent directly to your private residence or office! In addition it will cost you less than 75% of what most copyright search firms and attorney's charge and you have it days sooner.
How You Get The Content Certified
Upon request, the Copyright Office staff will search its records at the statutory rate of $20 for each hour or fraction of an hour consumed. The good news, if you give the staff enough information about the work you want researched it shouldn't cost you more than $20! Certified reports cost just an additional $20.
The first step in getting the work you certified is putting together as much information as possible about the work.
The more detailed information you can furnish with your request, the less time-consuming and expensive the search will be. Provide as much of the following information as possible:
v The title of the work, with any possible variants;
v The names of the authors, including possible pseudonyms;
v The name of the probable copyright owner, which may be the publisher or producer;
v The approximate year when the work was published or registered
v The type of work involved (book, play, musical composition, sound recording, photograph, etc.);
v For a work originally published as a part of a periodical or collection, the title of that publication and any other information, such as the volume or issue number, to help identify it;
v Motion pictures are often based on other works such as books or serialized contributions to periodicals or other composite works. If you desire a search for an underlying work or for music from a motion picture, you must specifically request such a search. You must also identify the underlying works and music and furnish the specific titles, authors, and approximate dates of these works and;
v The ISBN, LOC registration number or any other copyright data.
Step number two is to call the desk of the CO research department at: (202) 707-6850. You will be connected to one of the CO's research specialists.
Tell them you would like a copyright search performed on a work and would like an estimate of the cost. They will ask you what information you have about the work (as mentioned above). They won't want specifics, just if you know the Title, Author, etc. The more information you can give them the better. Be sure to tell them you want a written report. If not, they will assume you want a verbal or oral report and arrange time for you to call back and get the verbal report. Also make sure to tell them you want a certified written copy of the search.
Certified searches are most frequently requested to meet the evidentiary requirements of litigation. But, you must ask for this. Copyright searches are not automatically 'certified' even if completed by the CO staff.
The Copyright Office staff will also search its indexes covering the records of assignments and other recorded documents concerning ownership of copyrights for the standard hourly fee. The reports of searches in these cases will state the facts shown in the Office's indexes of the recorded documents, but won't offer an interpretation of the content of the documents or their legal ramifications.
Based on the information you furnish, the staff will provide an estimate of the total search fee. Having this information ready will greatly reduce the time spent by the CO staff. You can decide at this time to let the CO staff complete the search or to relinquish.
If for some reason the search takes longer than estimated they will let you know and you can send additional fund while they continue their search. If it takes less time than estimated, they will send a partial refund of the estimated amount back to you (although in 72 searches I've completed to date, no report ever took less time than estimated).
If you decide to have the Office staff conduct the search, you should send the estimated amount with a letter (see example below) restating the request to:
Reference and Bibliography Section, LM-451
Copyright Office Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20559
The Office will then proceed with the search.
When the search is completed (usually within 4-6 weeks) they will send you a typewritten report (plus certified, if that's what you requested) or, if you prefer, an oral report by telephone.
If you request an oral report, you need to provide a telephone number where you can be reached during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern time) by the CO staff.
When you receive the written report you will want to read it carefully and look for the words, "No renewal found" (see example at end of this report). This will give a good clue that the work is now in the public domain. Of course, there is no complete assurance that someone won't come forward, after recognizing you have republished the work, and demand royalties or other compensation, or cessation of publication. Usually it is the family of the original author of the work who will object. Having the written certified copyright search will help you establish that protection has expired, but will not automatically guarantee it.
If you are ever uncertain of the results of the search results you receive or need help dealing with anyone claiming rights to a work you are publishing always seek the advice of a competent attorney specializing in copyright issues.
Some Other Items You Might Consider In Your Request
You may also request additional certificates, photocopies of deposits, or copies of Copyright Office records. Additional fees for these services will apply.
Well, there you have it. Quick and easy certified copyright searches from your desk. Nothing could easier or quicker or less expensive.
One Last Bit of Advice That Could Save You Time and Money
In some instances the CO staff will be extremely busy and not get to the writing of your report within the 4-6 weeks mentioned. In one case I needed to move on a publishing project that included major portions of the work being researched and I had not received the report yet. I called the copyright office and asked them for an update.
The CO staff was very gracious and a research specialist got back to me the same day with an oral report at no extra charge. I got the information I needed to move the project forward and received the written report several weeks later in the mail.
How to Spring Clean Your Website
Spring is a wonderful time of year but it might not be so wonderful for our online business. The weather is getting nicer and people are spending more time outside, away from their computers. One way to get more people to come to your website is to do some spring cleaning and I don't mean your house! Our websites can get stale and outdated if we do not clean them up periodically.
There are lots of things you can do to freshen up your site and bring new life and new customers to your online business.
1. Add a new section filled with resources, information and maybe even some special deals for your customers. Use relevant keywords to improve your ranking. For example: if you own a home decor business, offer decorating tips and advice. Show people how to decorate on a budget or how to redecorate with things they already own. By providing information and resources along with your products, you are giving people a reason to keep coming back. This is how you build trust with your visitors and get more sales.
2. Remove all dead links, outdated information and products. Nothing is worse than going to a site and finding links that don't work or information and/or products that are no longer useable or helpful. Go through all the links on your site and freshen up the content to offer up to date information!
3. Give your homepage a facelift by adding new graphics, text, etc. Redo your banner and give it some new life. Take out the old graphics and add some fresh new images. Research your keywords and revamp your text with some effective keywords. Write a new introduction to your site detailing all your new additions.
4. If you haven't yet tried blogging, read up on blogging and zap some life into your site. Some free blogging sites are Blogger and WordPress. Blogging is a great way to improve your search engine ranking while expanding your network.
5. Update your product line. Add some fresh new products and offer the old products at clearance prices. Have a Spring Sale and liven up your sales! Keep those customers coming back for more!
6. Add a What's New page so you can let everyone know about all your updates now and in the future. This feature could get more people to return to your site to see What's New?
7. Research the colors used on your site. You may find changing the colors of your site can bring a whole new life to your business.
8. Put a small survey on your site. Ask your visitors what they would like to see and what type of products they are looking for. Getting the information straight from the horse's mouth could do your business a lot of good. Offer your visitors a small gift for answering the questions on the survey.
9. Renew your goals! Make new goals and write out a new business plan. Learn from your experiences, good and bad, and improve your plan for success.
Spring is a time of renewal, revitalization and reenergizing! Our online businesses are no exception!
________________________________________
About the Author: Terri Seymour (also known as "The eBook Lady") has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks & software, free tutorials, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights. http://www.seymourproducts.com/free.shtml
There are lots of things you can do to freshen up your site and bring new life and new customers to your online business.
1. Add a new section filled with resources, information and maybe even some special deals for your customers. Use relevant keywords to improve your ranking. For example: if you own a home decor business, offer decorating tips and advice. Show people how to decorate on a budget or how to redecorate with things they already own. By providing information and resources along with your products, you are giving people a reason to keep coming back. This is how you build trust with your visitors and get more sales.
2. Remove all dead links, outdated information and products. Nothing is worse than going to a site and finding links that don't work or information and/or products that are no longer useable or helpful. Go through all the links on your site and freshen up the content to offer up to date information!
3. Give your homepage a facelift by adding new graphics, text, etc. Redo your banner and give it some new life. Take out the old graphics and add some fresh new images. Research your keywords and revamp your text with some effective keywords. Write a new introduction to your site detailing all your new additions.
4. If you haven't yet tried blogging, read up on blogging and zap some life into your site. Some free blogging sites are Blogger and WordPress. Blogging is a great way to improve your search engine ranking while expanding your network.
5. Update your product line. Add some fresh new products and offer the old products at clearance prices. Have a Spring Sale and liven up your sales! Keep those customers coming back for more!
6. Add a What's New page so you can let everyone know about all your updates now and in the future. This feature could get more people to return to your site to see What's New?
7. Research the colors used on your site. You may find changing the colors of your site can bring a whole new life to your business.
8. Put a small survey on your site. Ask your visitors what they would like to see and what type of products they are looking for. Getting the information straight from the horse's mouth could do your business a lot of good. Offer your visitors a small gift for answering the questions on the survey.
9. Renew your goals! Make new goals and write out a new business plan. Learn from your experiences, good and bad, and improve your plan for success.
Spring is a time of renewal, revitalization and reenergizing! Our online businesses are no exception!
________________________________________
About the Author: Terri Seymour (also known as "The eBook Lady") has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks & software, free tutorials, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights. http://www.seymourproducts.com/free.shtml
Kamis, 16 April 2009
The 10 Most Common Mistakes That Are Crippling Your Sales Letters
Sending out sales letters to prospective customers or potential clients can be one of the most effective ways to create loyalty and get your market to buy.
But so many sales letters are regarded as junk mail by today's consumer - and they are right. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the bulk of today's sales letters don't entice you, they don't speak to you, and most importantly, they don't give you any reason to bother. Here are ten mistakes that you might be making now that is costing you thousands of dollars:
#1. Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular.Okay, you bought a mailing list and you shipped out a letter. Who is receiving it? Is it a specific gender? Do they have a particular career? How much money do they make?Companies fail to get to know their market, and it cripples not just their sales letters, but their marketing in general. Take some time to study your target - what makes them tick? Then you can craft a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.
#2. It's missing a headline.Sales letters need to attract the eye. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a block of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this article: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (and it's true, too!). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? Motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. You don't know the difference between FEATURES and BENEFITS.This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters. If somebody writes me a letter and says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", I'm going to throw it away in a heartbeat.What do people want to hear about? They want to hear about themselves. It's simple human nature. We all have egos, and they need to be stroked. So talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..."If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Give them a reason to respond.If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong.Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. You need to motivate them.
#5. You are assuming they'll take your word for it.You need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Your letter is unpleasant to look at.Beyond the headline, how have you formatted your letter? Is it just a bunch of words? Then forget it. You might as well have mailed them a 700-page Charles Dickens novel, because that's what they will relate this to. You don't have to put in pictures necessarily, but at least put in some sub-headlines or lists. They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will increase the odds of them reading the whole thing.
#7. You didn't break down the barriers.Barriers are things that keep the consumer from buying from you. Most of the time, this refers to risk: they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Watch those response rates grow! For example:"P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening those old knives! Order your complete set of 6 Revolution Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. If you are just like the others, then no one will buy. Remember that when you make your offer and explain your benefits. They need to have something different about them to motivate your specific target market.
#10. They're not even opening the envelope.If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. Put a killer headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open just to find their free gift. Your envelope needs to stand out from the rest of the mail in their mailbox. How is your sales letter standing out?
About the Author: Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group of marketing companies. The Geisheker Group marketing firm performs strategic marketing and copywriting for mid-to-large companies. For more information, please call (920) 471-1638.
But so many sales letters are regarded as junk mail by today's consumer - and they are right. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the bulk of today's sales letters don't entice you, they don't speak to you, and most importantly, they don't give you any reason to bother. Here are ten mistakes that you might be making now that is costing you thousands of dollars:
#1. Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular.Okay, you bought a mailing list and you shipped out a letter. Who is receiving it? Is it a specific gender? Do they have a particular career? How much money do they make?Companies fail to get to know their market, and it cripples not just their sales letters, but their marketing in general. Take some time to study your target - what makes them tick? Then you can craft a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.
#2. It's missing a headline.Sales letters need to attract the eye. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a block of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this article: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (and it's true, too!). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? Motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. You don't know the difference between FEATURES and BENEFITS.This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters. If somebody writes me a letter and says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", I'm going to throw it away in a heartbeat.What do people want to hear about? They want to hear about themselves. It's simple human nature. We all have egos, and they need to be stroked. So talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..."If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Give them a reason to respond.If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong.Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. You need to motivate them.
#5. You are assuming they'll take your word for it.You need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Your letter is unpleasant to look at.Beyond the headline, how have you formatted your letter? Is it just a bunch of words? Then forget it. You might as well have mailed them a 700-page Charles Dickens novel, because that's what they will relate this to. You don't have to put in pictures necessarily, but at least put in some sub-headlines or lists. They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will increase the odds of them reading the whole thing.
#7. You didn't break down the barriers.Barriers are things that keep the consumer from buying from you. Most of the time, this refers to risk: they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Watch those response rates grow! For example:"P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening those old knives! Order your complete set of 6 Revolution Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. If you are just like the others, then no one will buy. Remember that when you make your offer and explain your benefits. They need to have something different about them to motivate your specific target market.
#10. They're not even opening the envelope.If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. Put a killer headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open just to find their free gift. Your envelope needs to stand out from the rest of the mail in their mailbox. How is your sales letter standing out?
About the Author: Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group of marketing companies. The Geisheker Group marketing firm performs strategic marketing and copywriting for mid-to-large companies. For more information, please call (920) 471-1638.
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