Just finished reading the newish book from Harry Dent…

…”The Great Depression Ahead”…

…and it’s a book well worth reading for any marketer or copywriter.

I can sense a couple of “objections” forming in the minds of some readers!

Firstly…

…”Kev, you’ve been telling us not to buy into a ‘Depression Mindset’!  What are you now saying!?!”

Well quite right, I have been saying that and I continue to do so.

But there’s a big difference between not buying into a depression mindset…

…and wandering around in a Panglossian daze oblivious to what’s going on in the world.

As Tony Robbins suggests, you need to see the world as it is…

…neither better nor worse…

…and take the appropriate action.

After all, the great insight in much modern day personal development work is…

…you can’t control what happens in the world but you can control how you react to what happens.

Secondly…

…who is Harry Dent and why pay attention to him?

Good question, as there always seems to be someone out there predicting doom and gloom…

…and most of them turn out to be completely wrong!

However, Harry Dent has a track record.  He first came to prominence back in the early 1990s with his book…

…”The Great Boom Ahead”!

That was a time, you may recall, when the Western World was in recession and many folks were predicting the end of the world as we knew it.

Harry, on the other hand, reckoned we were on the verge of the biggest boom in history…

…and his forecasts have turned out to be broadly correct.

And throughout his work he has been consistent in forecasting the end of the boom around now (2008-10) and that it would be followed by a major recession, if not an outright depression.

So, I’m VERY interested in what he has to say right now!

Now, to me, what is most interesting about his work is that his forecasting methodology is largely based on demography and the predictable patterns of economic activity throughout people’s lives.

What does that mean?  Let me give an example.

You’re probably familiar with the term “Baby Boomers”.

This is the generation born in the West between 1946 and the early 1960s (definitions vary) and it’s a huge group of people.

So large, in fact, that this group has a big impact on the economy depending on what stage of life they are at.

Right about now, the Boomers are coming up to retirement age, which is one big factor behind Dent’s forecast.

It’s been said that “Demography Is Destiny”.  Dent’s work basically comes down to the idea that by understanding population trends correctly, you can forecast what’s going to happen in the economy.

I can’t really do the methodology justice in a brief post like this but it’s explained in detail in any of Dent’s books.

So, what’s all this got to do with marketers and copywriters?

Well, it’s important to understand the broad trends going on in the economy and what’s driving the behaviour (and interests) of your market.

With that understanding, you can both better understand your customers and anticipate opportunities.

What I love about Dent’s work is all the data he provides to back up his forecasts as well as a clear explanation of why he’s making a particular forecast.

You might then disagree with his conclusions but there’s a solid framework in which to make a decision.

So, well worth you at least having a look at what Dent has to say.

And people like Australian marketing maven Mal Emery agree with me.  Mal recommended Harry’s last book “The Next Great Bubble Boom”.

Haven’t seen what Mal has to say about the current book, but maybe I’ll have a chance to get his view this week at the “Sydney Platinum Intensive” that he is holding for his inner circle members.

I’ll be attending for at least one day of the event…so if you’re there hope I have a chance to meet up with you!

Oh…and what’s Harry Dent’s forecast for the economy?

Well, it does rather depend on where you are.

Yes, difficult times lie ahead, but some places will be less affected than others.

The subtitle of the book is…

“How To Prosper In The Crash That Follows The Greatest Boom In History”.

You see, no matter what is going on in the broader economy, there are always opportunities if you know where to look for them.

And that’s the real value of the book and why I think it worth bringing to your attention.

Final word from Harry…

“Your life is about to change for reasons outside of your control.  You can’t change the direction of the winds, but you can reset your sails!”