How Persistence Will Make You Rich, Someday
December 12, 2006
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams
In an effort to tighten up our budget in December, I called Comcast yesterday determined to reduce our monthly cable and TV bills.
After speaking with many different people, being transferred, and hung up on I finally I got what I was looking for. I heard “we can’t”, “the system won’t let me”, “not possible”, “not offered”, “call back later” but I kept on asking and eventually they cut my bill in half for the next 6 months.
Okay, so how will this make me rich? I was first alerted to this strategy about a year ago in an article in Smart Money magazine and since then have saved around $600. This alone will not make me rich. However, the good news is that many things in life are negotiable.
Whether you’re buying a home, car, or cable service there is always room for negotiation. When looking for a salary increase or a good deal on a purchase, persistence is key to putting and keeping money in your pocket. So while saving on my cable bill itself won’t make me wealthy, the compounding effect of hundreds of dollars annually multiplied by all the other negotiated savings over the course of decades will.
Next time you hear no for an answer, remember the words of Calvin Coolidge,
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
In addition to persistence, you’ve hit on another excellent point: we can still negotiate so many things in today’s world. It’s important to develop those skills and to know how to keep at it in a focused, pointed way in order to succeed.
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