About 10 years ago, I did a large study on the relationship between money and personality. (At the time, I had formed the “Association for Money Mind Studies” with a friend and we were doing workshops, public speaking, etc).
I got a LOT of publicity about the “10 Money Personalities” I proposed as a result of this work, but never really developed it into anything significant. I’m thinking of picking it up again and incorporating it into my work with entrepreneurs.
I actually have a full book proposal developed (I had an agent previously), but I’d like to get YOUR feedback on this simple 13 page e-book which describes the personalities.
Do any of them resonate with you? Do they seem to represent people you know and love? Maybe even yourself?
How do you think knowing your money personality might be useful?
I actually developed a test years ago and put it up on a site. If people like this concept enough and I get the right feedback, maybe I’ll reactivate it so everyone can take the test.
In the meantime, download the 10 Money Personalities please and let me know what you think below!
Dr. G 
PS – VERY SCARY! — Perry Marshall in a focus group? 3 years ago, I forced Perry Marshall to sit through a focus group on the topic of internet marketing. He rolled his eyes at first, but Sharon proved to him (and Bryan Todd) just how valuable focus groups can be! (It was a real eye opener to actually SEE a group of internet marketing junkies talk about what they loved and hated in the industry, and everyone walked away feeling like it helped them determine what to study, and what to leave behind).
I’ve got the whole thing on video, and I will post it in my Hyper-Responsive Marketing Club on Halloween Only along with an additional bonus. So if you’re a member before then, you’ll get to download it. Otherwise, you’ll just have to quake in your boots at the thought. Perry Marshall in a focus group … aaaaaaaaaaaaah! (Remember, this will appear in the club on Halloween only. But if you join today you’ll also get Adwords Checkmate, How to Choose Your Market, and 5 additional, immediately valuable bonuses to keep you company until fright night. Click here to join now)
PPS – There was a mistake on the order form for my personal coaching board which is fixed now. Unfortunately, I still DO need to close it to new registrants on Monday morning because I just can’t keep up with the time requirements. I’m leaving it open until then to be fair (and to avoid a bunch of angry complaints from people who tell me I don’t give enough notice), but I probably won’t open it again. So if you’re interested, today’s the time to sign up.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
These ideas & images are fantastic for a mirror image of yourself or with comparison to other people. I remain curious to see how else these initial patterns of behaviour can be developed. Go For It!
Perry in a focus group?
Are you blackmailing him?
It would be good fodder. Lol.
(Of course, Terry Dean’s ‘The Naked Truth About Internet Marketing’ was sort of an ‘unfocused’ focus group; or ‘re-focused’ anyway.)
I think you should write the bigger book. This combined with the insights you have gained since, it would be a real valuable resource. Most of the personalities described don’t remain with most people I know. BUT each one very accurately describes different phases in their life. There are some people I know that one or another fits to a tee and they haven’t grown at all in their view about money, so the description still fits.
Even in it’s current form, it is a good guide in designing campaigns by incorporating which of these your target customer is most likely to fall into when making profiles.
(Just promise to get an interview with Stephen Colbert when the book comes out.
)
Mark
I like it. maybe I’m just one of those people who like to have insight into other people so I know what mindset they may be bringing to a conversation or a transaction, or whatever.
I can see times when I’ve thought most of those mottos, but discarded then sooner or later because they weren’t helpful.
Either way, Glenn, I appreciate the insights you have given me.
Stephen
Hello Dr. Glen
The 10 money personalities all resonate with me. They certainly represent everyone I know, and particularly the ones I love. In fact I now have an understanding of my wife that I did not have before.
Do any of them represent me? Yes definitely, but it it looks to me as if I have multiple money personalties, but I am not completely certain which ones they are, as I am probably only willing to admit to the ones that I feel comfortable with.
I do not know how to achieve the goal which you now created, which I have written down in position #1. That goal is to become a Money Master. I hope that answers your question of how I think it will be useful, because you have now created the expectation that it will be possible to find out how to do that.
What I admire, is that you are not criticising any of the money personalities, you accept them for what they are and focus on their positives. That makes me think that you probably already know how to leverage the positive attributes to move the money personalities towards a money master.
Will your book contain a method to identify and acknowledge the money types, and a roadmap on to become a money master? Are you thinking about a “Hyper Responsive Evolution of a Money Master” club?
You absolutely should not even entertain the thought of not publish your book. However, if you don’t want to, then please, at least give us the option to buy the book that you have developed in it’s present form.
Glenn–I hate to admit that I saw myself as an “Urge to Splurger” because my husband of 38 years is clearly a “Penny Pincher!” I’ve always known we were opposites, and our relationship to money is clearly one of those ways. The comments rang true about the influence of his family situation that he watched as a child, because he made a conscious decision to go into Accounting as a profession because there would always be work no matter what the economy was doing. So he lives it out penny pinching in his personal life and at work!
I’d like to think that I’ve gotten better over the years with not having money burn a hole in my pocket, but I am addicted to clothes and find that I will scrimp on food to have money to spend on clothing. Hopefully, “confessing” this and focusing on the healthier approach that you describe in the mini-book will be important steps for me.
Thanks for making this available. I think an online questionnaire would be very popular!
This shows excellent insight into money personalities. It is well written in an easy to understand format. Add some true life examples and you’ve got a real winner of a book idea. I encourage you to go for it. I see a seminar from the book, too.
Heya, Glenn
This is interesting stuff. And an odd coincidence; I was just talking with my other half about this last weekend (I might email her a link).
A few years ago, I actively tried to work out what my own “money personality” is and why. And that’s what I was talking about with my girlfriend. I didn’t actually do it with the help of a therapist, but it’s a really good idea that I reckon would be worthwhile considering for most folks.
Either way (shrink or not), it’s hard work! But I’m happy now that I’m moving more towards being what you call a “Money Master” in your pdf. I’m still FAR from being wealthy, but I’m better at identifying the kinds of things that hold me back and when I’m falling into old (bad) habits.
I think there would be a lot of interest in this kind of thing, frankly. There are a LOT of people trying to make money (online or otherwise) and they [correction --> we; I'm still guilty] are shooting ourselves in the foot by not being aware of the “old tapes” we’re playing, soundtracks to a life we want to cast off. Yet, sadly, soundtracks that are impeding the very thing we’re working so hard to attain.
To echo what Gys asked: Presumably, the book you’ve got the outline for shows people the steps they need to take to (1) correctly identify their dominant money-personality plus the significant traits from the other personalities, and then (2) gives practical, useful techniques and exercises/homework tasks (a la psychotherapy) to “tame” them.
Is that correct?
Also on Gys’s comment: If you do decide, based on the market research, that this project is not going to fly, I would still very much like to get a copy of even the rough, if possible. I’m quite sure I could learn a thing or two, but I’m mainly thinking about friends of mine who need to read something like this; people who are not on internet marketers’ mailing lists and might otherwise never come across it.
I also second Gayleen’s idea about including actual, psedonominous (You like that? That’s my word for the day!) case studies and a kind of “Plan of Action” you would (did?) recommend for these people and then what they struggled with and how you were able to help them overcome these new hurdles. Stuff like that would really add a layer of applicability and “horse sense-ness-ness” in my opinion.
Also on Gayleen’s comment: I hope you’ve been reading your David Schwartz because this one could REALLY turn into something big. Combine it with what Rebecca Fine of “The Certain Way” does for her little mini-course thingy.
Anyway, great little read. Would like to read the whole thing. Would like to share the whole thing with friends (bookstore book or otherwise).
Nice one.
All the best,
TheNightOwl
P.S. I’m lovin’ the Hyper-Responsive Marketing Club!
I think Glen, and his insights into money and our relationship with it, has open up my eyes and cause me to see what was really at work beneath the surface. And now we can all see where we are at, and how money should be treated. This is the truth people need to hear!!
Mike.
As a recovering “Penny Pincher” moving squarely into “Money Master”, I identify with at least two of your money/personallity types, Glenn. I’m not certain that the childhood description fits me, but the quote about learning how to focus on earning rather than haggling hit me squarely.
Thank you,
Kevin Fell