© 2005 BERA 1 What Is Reality? Reality is everywhere and all around. So what’s the problem? Reality has to be identified…by an honest, exacting method. Ignorance: “I don’t know what the teleconv. % is.” Negligence: “I didn’t verify the numbers…what was done…that it was mailed.” Wishing: “This year we’re going to double everything.” Falsehoods: “Our conversion rate is 25%.” Empty Ideas: Ideas devoid of meaning/reality. Evasions: “I’ll get to those refunds later.” Falsehoods: “Honest, B.T., I follow the script every time.” “Yes, sir, Mr. Barney, the ACs were thoroughly trained on your script.” “Saddam Hussein is harmless.” “I didn’t do it.” Some major barriers to reality:

© 2005 BERA 2 Non-Reality Leibnitz, Wilhelm: Leibnitz is considered a universal genius. He wrote the following on physics: Don’t you get it? Is there something wrong with you? More pain to come. Compound substance is the collection of simple substances or monads. Monads, having no parts, cannot be formed or decomposed. They cannot begin or end naturally; and consequently last as long as the universe, which will be changed but will not be destroyed. They cannot have shapes; otherwise they would have parts. And consequently, a monad is, in itself, at any given moment, could not be distinguished from another except by its internal qualities and actions, which can be nothing else than its perceptions (that is, representations of the compound, or of that which is external, in the simple), and its appetitions (that is, its tendencies to pass from one perception to another), which are the principles of change…. There is also no way of explaining how a monad can be altered or changed in its inner being or by any other creature for… the monads have no windows through which anything can enter or depart.

© 2005 BERA 3 Non-Reality Where is the reality in the following: The student has to learn these things in this course because it’s part of the bigger picture of the degree. Probably the biggest challenge will be dealing with the other career schools who decide to become genuine educational institutions focused on a self-practical area — from an article. Where’s the reality in this: “We will use everything we can to significantly improve results.” More pain to come.

© 2005 BERA 4 Non-Reality versus Reality Non-reality based planning: “I want to increase inquiries by 20% over last year’s plan.” Observe that reality is many particular, actual, exact things versus the above empty generalization, which is simply a wishing for something to be so. Reality-based planning: Yellow Pages, YP Newspapers, NP Television, TV Direct Mail, DM Inserts, IN Money Mailer, MM Valpak, VP Referrals, RE Signage, SN Job Fairs, JF High Schools, HS

© 2005 BERA 5 Context Context is an essential part of reality. “Our conversion rate is 20%.” Sounds impressive, but what is reality? What is the context? A real example: 20% refers to inquiry to enrollment (still good) Short programs 6-12 months Low tuition Low entrance scores Accepted ATBs 25% of students were from agency and rehab After considering the above, the comparable, real, conversion rate is closer to 12% or less. “John got 25 starts!” The context is part of reality and must be specified. The context must be specified in our planning. How many starts? What’s the context (# inquiries, # ACs, etc.)? —What is wrong with that statement?

© 2005 BERA 6 Summary of Reality Major barriers to reality. (1) Non-reality is everywhere. (2) Context is necessary to reality and planning. (3) Reality is in the store – go to the store. Next: Mathematics is the indispensable means/method of identifying reality.