You can't win if you don't play... and if you "play" sweepstakes the way Jay Sokolow, MD, does, you can win cruises, computers, even tickets to the Super Bowl. Dr. Sokolow, a radiologist who has won more than 2,000 sweepstakes prizes, reveals his secret strategies for using the Internet to find contests he's likely to win and how he boosts his odds for success. He also explains how to keep entering a contest you already won once... if it has a prize you want to win again and
again.
As it turns out, there's also a simple strategy that puts happiness within your reach. Relationship expert Joy Browne, PhD, international radio talk-show host and author of many books, including Getting Unstuck: 8 Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem, shares her two-step process to get to the bottom of what's bothering you, and then conquer it.
All the best,
Tricks to Winning Sweepstakes
Jay Sokolow, MD
he Internet has revolutionized the sweepstakes world, allowing people to share tips, enter more contests and win prizes more frequently. Jay Sokolow, MD, a radiologist, has taken full advantage of this Internet windfall. In his spare time, Dr. Sokolow, 49, enters thousands of Internet contests a month. He gets great satisfaction from beating the odds, as evidenced by the constant
stream of prizes delivered to his home. Over the years, he has won Super Bowl tickets, iPod gadgets, Dell computers, Nokia cell phones, Caribbean cruises, a golf holiday in Scotland and a white-water rafting vacation. He won one daily contest so many times that the sponsors instituted a once-a-month win limit that they now refer to as the "Jay Sokolow Law."
Bottom Line/Personal spoke with Dr. Sokolow to find out the secrets to his sweepstakes success...
CONTESTS TO ENTER
To boost my chances of winning, I make a point to enter contests that...
Offer many consolation prizes in addition to a grand prize. Example: Procter & Gamble, through one of its Web sites, www.prilo
secotc.com, recently offered a grand prize, worth $145,600, that included first-class travel for the winner and three friends to the Super Bowl in Florida in 2009. The odds of winning were slim, but there were five first prizes (attending a single NFL home game of your choice with one guest during the 2008 season, worth $3,900) and 24 second prizes (a $100 gift certificate to www.nflshop.com).
Have short entry periods, no longer than a few weeks. Reason: The longer a sweepstake is available, the more people find and enter it.
Are restricted in some way, such as to a certain state or even a
specific store. Example: Sweepstakes sponsored by wineries or breweries often avoid states with strict restrictions regarding liquor-related contests, such as California and Tennessee. That eliminates a lot of potential contestants.
I've already won. When I win a contest, that often means the Web site isn't getting much traffic, which improves my chances
of winning again. Example: I've won a football trivia contest on-line four times.
CONTESTS TO AVOID
I don't bother with contests that...
Have so many contestants that the odds of winning are astronomical. Example: I ignore the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and the contests that credit card companies promote
around holidays.
Require a lot of work, such as filling out a survey or clipping UPC codes off boxes. I like to enter sweepstakes when I'm talking on the phone or watching sports on TV, so they can't be too labor-intensive.
Are heavily
advertised. If I keep seeing a contest in newspapers and hearing about it on TV and radio, I know that the number of entries will be staggering.
WINNING STRATEGIES
Once you've selected a sweepstakes to enter, here's how to improve your chances of winning...
Submit multiple entries. Most sweepstakes allow different people from
the same address to enter. Example: I've quadrupled my chances of winning a 2007 sweepstakes at www.nationalgeographic.com/conquer by entering my name, my wife's and my two children's. (My kids are 16 and 18 years old -- always check contest rules on age restrictions.) First prize is a trip for two with a National Geographic expert to either Alaska, Belize or the Galapagos islands ($17,500). There also are 85 second prizes, including books and snorkel sets.
Automate the process. Most sites require you to provide basic information, such as your E-mail address, birthday, phone number and home address. But typing this into entry forms again and again is too time-consuming, so I use the function on the Web browser Safari (for Macintosh) that automatically fills out standard entry forms with a single click of my mouse. It allows me to enter as many as 100 on-line sweepstakes in an hour. Google includes a similar
program on its free toolbar at toolbar.google.com. Internet Explorer also has an "autofill" option.
Always read the rules. Sweepstakes disqualify entries that vary from their specific guidelines. Common mistakes: You're ineligible to win because of location or demographic restrictions... you enter too early or too late... your address is incomplete, or it's a PO
box, which many contests won't accept.
Set up a separate E-mail address exclusively for sweepstakes entries at a free site, such as Gmail.com, Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com. While different sweepstakes offer different degrees of privacy, you're still going to be deluged with junk E-mail. Smart: When you enter an on-line contest, read the entry form carefully. Uncheck any boxes that give your consent to be contacted by third parties, advertisers, licensees or partners.
Keep records for taxes. You are
expected to report any sweepstakes winnings to the IRS if the amount you win is a total of $600 or more -- but you don't have to list the sweepstake sponsor's estimated value of your prize. You are allowed to make a fair-market adjustment. Example: I won an iPod that the sweepstakes sponsor valued at $300, but I found an ad in the paper for the same iPod for $215. I retained the ad and used the lower figure on my tax forms.
Follow the requirements exactly when you claim your prize. Otherwise, your win can be invalidated. Typically, you must fill out an affidavit and mail it back within 14 days from the date on the win-notification letter. Caution: A legitimate sweepstakes will never ask for credit card information or require paying any taxes or shipping charges as a condition of claiming your prize. You may
need to provide your Social Security number. If you're not sure if the request is legitimate, call the company that is sponsoring the contest.
SWEEP SITES
Here are my favorite sites to find out about sweepstakes...
Sweepsadvantage.com. The Webs largest sweepstakes directory. Contests are divided into daily, weekly, monthly and one-time categories. Free.
Sweepstakestoday.com. In addition to contest listings, the site offers a popular forum where sweepstakes players can ask questions, exchange tips, etc. Free.
Bestsweepstakes.com. Publishes a 12-page newsletter that recommends sweepstakes and those that offer the best odds. 12 issues. $27.50/yr. Free three-day trial subscription. Best Publications, 763-537-4037.
Back to newsletter list
t some point, we all get that vague feeling of unhappiness, knowing something is wrong but not being able to put a finger on it. In working with hundreds of clients in my private practice and thousands of callers on the air, I've learned that the best way to resolve this unhappiness is to be specific about what's bugging you. 