By: Brian Tracy
Listening is the Key
Listening builds self-esteem. It has been said that, "Rapt attention is the highest form of flattery." When you listen intently to another person and it is clear that you genuinely care about what that other person is saying, his or her self-esteem goes up. His or her feeling of personal value increases. He or she feels more worthwhile and important as a human being. You can actually make another person feel terrific about himself or herself by listening in a warm, genuine, caring way to everything he or she has to say.
Pay Close Attention
When a man and a woman go out for the first time, they spend an inordinate amount of time talking and listening to each other. They look into each other's eyes and hang on every word. They are each fascinated by the personality of the other. The more each listens to the other, the more positive and happy each of them feel and the stronger becomes the bonds of affection between them.
Focus 100% On the Other Person
The opposite of listening is ignoring. You always listen to that which you most value. You always ignore that which you devalue. The fastest way to turn a person off, to hurt their feelings and make them feel slighted and angry is to simply ignore what they are saying or interrupt them in the middle of a thought. Ignoring or interrupting is the equivalent of an emotional slap in the face. Men especially have to be careful about their natural desire to make a remark or an observation in the middle of a conversation. This can often cause the sales conversation to come to a grinding halt.
Action Exercises
First, take every opportunity to make the other person feel important by listening attentively to what he or she says.
Second, avoid interrupting the other person by slowing down and pausing for a few moments after he or she has stopped speaking.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Accelerate Your Abilities by Chris Widener
In today's fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, "The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet."
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon!
Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!
-- Chris Widener
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon!
Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!
-- Chris Widener
The 8 P's of Persuasive Presentations - By Rosemary Rein, PhD
Apple CEO Steve Jobs knows all about the Power of Persuasive Presentations! I recently delivered a program on “Executive Communications” to an International Chapter of the YPO (The Young President’s Organization). There are two major job responsibilities of a CEO. One is Chief Strategist. The other is Chief Story Teller.
Just look at Apple’s Steve Jobs, who excels at both. Considering that many people would rather die than speak in public, including CEO’s, this issue may come in handy the next time you are called upon to convince, persuade or educate an audience.
PS: Feel free to pass on the P’s to your comrades who share PowerPoint boredom and never wish to be boring again!
The 8 P’s of Persuasive Presentations:
1) Primacy: The Jerry Maguire Rule.
“You had me at Hello”. In 7 seconds we determine if we like you or not. Please tell me you are not fumbling with microphones, PowerPoint set-ups or long-winded “Thank you's.” When delivering a presentation, avoid the “Speaker Zone” until you are on cue or introduced. Then make a confident entrance to the podium and let your audience know you have something meaningful to say within 7 seconds! (Hints: a tall posture, warm smile, eye contact, and confidence before beginning your presentation are keys to Primacy Power on the Platform). Also, don’t forget the warm up! Waiting for presentations and meetings to begin is boring and time wasting! Use that time. Consider visual presentations played 15 minutes before your presentation linked to your theme, energizing music or activities such as "educational trivia questions" to warm up the audience. All big acts have a warm up. What’s yours?
2) Purpose:
Did you know that a simple technique like using the word “Because” in your communication increases cooperation from
60-94%? This is a critical nuance, detailed by social psychologist Ellen Langer, which is important to not only delivering persuasive presentations, but any request that you make of anyone. In presentations, first tell us the “Because” of your presentation. “Why should we listen? What’s in it for me?” This also works at home and the office. Have a request of an employee, spouse, and child? Next time, slip in the word “Because” and tell them why it’s important and see what happens. You’re 94% there!
3) Passion:
Steve Jobs is an absolute master of this. During the YPO Training, I showed a condensed video clip of the Apple CEO’s
90 minute keynote on Why I-technology is so “remarkable” and “extraordinary.” Jobs demonstrates genuine passion for his products through words and non-verbal communication. Take a voice check! Record your voice and play it back. Here’s 1 quick vocal training activity: In coaching executives on presentations, I get them to read a children’s story out loud. You wouldn’t dare read “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” in a deadpan voice to your little one would you? You would bore them to death! Please don’t bore your audiences either! Demonstrate Passion for your story with the vocal variety of a storyteller.
4) Point and Plot:
Before you begin your presentation, put pen to paper. My advice: “Think and Ink” the 1 big point of your presentation or don’t open your mouth! Ask yourself “What’s the 1 big point -- the one thing I want my audience to remember when they leave?”
PS: If you are struggling with inking that 1 big point, you probably don’t know it yourself, and your presentation will be missing its critical punch line. (Yes, your presentation can have more than 1 plot piece, but not punch lines).
5) Plop Plop Fizz Fizz...:
How would you finish that jingle? Yes, for those of you old enough to remember, that was the memorable line from the Alka Seltzer song over 20 years ago and we still remember it through the power of advertising and repetition. Remember that 1 major presentation point I told you that you needed? Well again, again, again... We need to hear it 6 times before we remember it. It’s also important to keep in mind that the rhythm of your words do matter! “I’ll be back,” “Show me the money,” “Yes we can!” come immediately to mind.
6) Props & Power Points:
Did you know that the use of visuals increases the retention of your audience by 40%? This is a principle I’ve seen completely missed in power-points with mind-numbing text used in the slides. In his keynote presentation, Steve Jobs held up the new Mac with his fingertips, slowly sliding it out of an envelope so the world would see it was light as a feather. Power Points and Props can greatly help you tell your story and increase your ability to show your audience what you mean. Use photographs, props, and videos for maximum emotional impact and get rid of text-heavy slides. CFO’s and accountants: Take it easy on the graphs and charts and try to limit their number. Finally, remember no more than 1 point per slide.
7) Participation: The Duncan Hines Cake Mix Model
You know Duncan Hines could have used powdered eggs in their cake mixes but chose not to because they understood the power of having us contribute to the recipe and create the end product. Let your audience add the egg and contribute input and ideas through facilitated exercises. Remember people support what they help create.
8) Practice:
While you should not, except in rare situations, memorize any presentation, do practice your “opening” and “sticking the landing.” You’ll gain confidence if you’re opening remarks are strong and your ending is memorable. Consider that we tend to remember the beginning and end of everything (movies, speeches, and relationships). “You need to have them at hello and at goodbye.” So when the message matters and everyone in the room listening to you is being paid to be there, don’t you think they and you deserve more than “winging it?” I love when I help executives prepare for a major presentation where the moments and the message matter. I see them go from dreading delivering that presentation to genuine excitement about sharing their Passion, Purpose, and Point. So follow the 8P’s, consider working with a professional coach, and take your presentation power from Now to WOW!
About the Author:
Rosemary Rein, Ph.D is an International Speaker, Author and Business Presentations Coach. She is the Author of “Go Wild! Survival Skills for Business and Life” and “Blueprint for Success” with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard. Rosemary has presented “CEO Executive Communications Training” and “Now to WOW!™ Leadership” to the Distinguished YPO-Young President’s Organization. Dr Rein hosts “Go Wild! Go GREAT!™ Now to WOW™” Safaris around the world and at her Retreat Center in Costa Rica. www.gowildgogreat.com.
Just look at Apple’s Steve Jobs, who excels at both. Considering that many people would rather die than speak in public, including CEO’s, this issue may come in handy the next time you are called upon to convince, persuade or educate an audience.
PS: Feel free to pass on the P’s to your comrades who share PowerPoint boredom and never wish to be boring again!
The 8 P’s of Persuasive Presentations:
1) Primacy: The Jerry Maguire Rule.
“You had me at Hello”. In 7 seconds we determine if we like you or not. Please tell me you are not fumbling with microphones, PowerPoint set-ups or long-winded “Thank you's.” When delivering a presentation, avoid the “Speaker Zone” until you are on cue or introduced. Then make a confident entrance to the podium and let your audience know you have something meaningful to say within 7 seconds! (Hints: a tall posture, warm smile, eye contact, and confidence before beginning your presentation are keys to Primacy Power on the Platform). Also, don’t forget the warm up! Waiting for presentations and meetings to begin is boring and time wasting! Use that time. Consider visual presentations played 15 minutes before your presentation linked to your theme, energizing music or activities such as "educational trivia questions" to warm up the audience. All big acts have a warm up. What’s yours?
2) Purpose:
Did you know that a simple technique like using the word “Because” in your communication increases cooperation from
60-94%? This is a critical nuance, detailed by social psychologist Ellen Langer, which is important to not only delivering persuasive presentations, but any request that you make of anyone. In presentations, first tell us the “Because” of your presentation. “Why should we listen? What’s in it for me?” This also works at home and the office. Have a request of an employee, spouse, and child? Next time, slip in the word “Because” and tell them why it’s important and see what happens. You’re 94% there!
3) Passion:
Steve Jobs is an absolute master of this. During the YPO Training, I showed a condensed video clip of the Apple CEO’s
90 minute keynote on Why I-technology is so “remarkable” and “extraordinary.” Jobs demonstrates genuine passion for his products through words and non-verbal communication. Take a voice check! Record your voice and play it back. Here’s 1 quick vocal training activity: In coaching executives on presentations, I get them to read a children’s story out loud. You wouldn’t dare read “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” in a deadpan voice to your little one would you? You would bore them to death! Please don’t bore your audiences either! Demonstrate Passion for your story with the vocal variety of a storyteller.
4) Point and Plot:
Before you begin your presentation, put pen to paper. My advice: “Think and Ink” the 1 big point of your presentation or don’t open your mouth! Ask yourself “What’s the 1 big point -- the one thing I want my audience to remember when they leave?”
PS: If you are struggling with inking that 1 big point, you probably don’t know it yourself, and your presentation will be missing its critical punch line. (Yes, your presentation can have more than 1 plot piece, but not punch lines).
5) Plop Plop Fizz Fizz...:
How would you finish that jingle? Yes, for those of you old enough to remember, that was the memorable line from the Alka Seltzer song over 20 years ago and we still remember it through the power of advertising and repetition. Remember that 1 major presentation point I told you that you needed? Well again, again, again... We need to hear it 6 times before we remember it. It’s also important to keep in mind that the rhythm of your words do matter! “I’ll be back,” “Show me the money,” “Yes we can!” come immediately to mind.
6) Props & Power Points:
Did you know that the use of visuals increases the retention of your audience by 40%? This is a principle I’ve seen completely missed in power-points with mind-numbing text used in the slides. In his keynote presentation, Steve Jobs held up the new Mac with his fingertips, slowly sliding it out of an envelope so the world would see it was light as a feather. Power Points and Props can greatly help you tell your story and increase your ability to show your audience what you mean. Use photographs, props, and videos for maximum emotional impact and get rid of text-heavy slides. CFO’s and accountants: Take it easy on the graphs and charts and try to limit their number. Finally, remember no more than 1 point per slide.
7) Participation: The Duncan Hines Cake Mix Model
You know Duncan Hines could have used powdered eggs in their cake mixes but chose not to because they understood the power of having us contribute to the recipe and create the end product. Let your audience add the egg and contribute input and ideas through facilitated exercises. Remember people support what they help create.
8) Practice:
While you should not, except in rare situations, memorize any presentation, do practice your “opening” and “sticking the landing.” You’ll gain confidence if you’re opening remarks are strong and your ending is memorable. Consider that we tend to remember the beginning and end of everything (movies, speeches, and relationships). “You need to have them at hello and at goodbye.” So when the message matters and everyone in the room listening to you is being paid to be there, don’t you think they and you deserve more than “winging it?” I love when I help executives prepare for a major presentation where the moments and the message matter. I see them go from dreading delivering that presentation to genuine excitement about sharing their Passion, Purpose, and Point. So follow the 8P’s, consider working with a professional coach, and take your presentation power from Now to WOW!
About the Author:
Rosemary Rein, Ph.D is an International Speaker, Author and Business Presentations Coach. She is the Author of “Go Wild! Survival Skills for Business and Life” and “Blueprint for Success” with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard. Rosemary has presented “CEO Executive Communications Training” and “Now to WOW!™ Leadership” to the Distinguished YPO-Young President’s Organization. Dr Rein hosts “Go Wild! Go GREAT!™ Now to WOW™” Safaris around the world and at her Retreat Center in Costa Rica. www.gowildgogreat.com.
Unlock The Power Of Cold Call Prospecting - By Jim Klein
Cold call prospecting may not be one of the best ways to generate leads or to make appointments with prospects, however, it beats sitting around the office waiting for the phone to ring and it can help you learn some valuable sales skills.
When I started in sales as a real estate agent in 1982, I spent the first six months part time cold call prospecting every night for two hours. I also used others methods of generating leads such as open houses, taking incoming calls, working my sphere of influence and numerous other methods.
The cold call prospecting I did every night generated some immediate and future business, however, the biggest benefits I received were how to build rapport, make appointments, handle objections and handle rejection.
Build Rapport
I learned very early what every good salesperson knows. Before someone will buy from you they have to like and trust you. The easiest way to get someone to like you and trust you is to understand how to build rapport quickly. So how do you establish rapport?
I let the prospect know quickly, the reason for my call. I left out the phrase "How are you today"? It can be interpreted as being insincere. I only stated my name, my company name and how I could help the prospect.
I listened for information I could use to get them talking about themselves and build some common ground. I showed a genuine concern for the prospect, and soon they began to open up and reveal personal information such as hobbies, children, vacation spots and lots of other tidbits I could build on.
When the prospect answered the phone, I made sure I was upbeat and didn't sound like I had just lost my best friend. I tried to use humor during the conversation. People love to laugh. I talked at the same rate, pitch and volume as the prospect. If they talk fast, then I talked fast. If they talk softly, then I would do the same.
Make Appointments
When I was cold call prospecting, I always worked from a script, a simple script a nine year old could understand. I memorized it so I could recite it on a moments notice. However, I kept it in front of me at all times during the call. If I got thrown off the track, the script was there to bring me back. As I made more calls, my script evolved, and so it changed as I learned better ways to get my point across.
The script was direct and to the point. I stated my name, company name and my unique selling proposition. It contained most of the questions I wanted to ask a prospect to determine their need for what I was selling. The script was a road map I followed for every call.
I knew my desired outcome when cold call prospecting was to make the appointment. I learned to ask questions that would qualify or disqualify them as a potential appointment. If I had a qualified prospect, I directed all my energies towards making that appointment. I never tried to sell them over the phone. If I found the prospect didn't have a need for my services, I quickly got off the phone, and on to the next call.
Handle Objections
While making the thousands of calls I made those first six months, you can imagine I got lots of objections. An objection is really the prospect stating their need for more information. If the prospect didn't want or need what I was selling, they would have told me, hung up on me or thrown me out. As long as they were coming up with objections, I still had a chance to get the appointment. I would give them the information they were looking for and close for the appointment.
If I came across an objection I couldn't overcome, after the call I would seek a more experienced agent and ask them how to handle it. I added that to my script and went on to the next call. This process continued until I was a master at handling objections, and my closing ratio for appointments increased dramatically.
Handle Rejection
The first fews weeks of cold call prospecting, I felt alot of rejection. People were mean, they hung up on me, slammed doors in my face or just didn't have any interest. Then I learned a very important lesson. They weren't actually rejecting me, they were rejecting my offer.
So I worked on strengthening my unique selling proposition, practiced the delivery of my script and how to handle the objections I was getting. In time fewer people rejected my offer and I realized the ones who did weren't good prospects any way. I stopped taking it personally and moved on to the next call, knowing with each call, I was closer to making my next appointment.
Cold call prospecting may not be the most effective way to make appointments, however, I realized it could be a valuable tool for increasing my skills, and it sure beat doing nothing at all.
About the Author:
Jim Klein provides salespeople with effective strategies to increase their business while working less, guaranteed. Get free sales training by subscribing to our free newsletter "The Sales Advisor"- http://www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com/sales-advisor.html
When I started in sales as a real estate agent in 1982, I spent the first six months part time cold call prospecting every night for two hours. I also used others methods of generating leads such as open houses, taking incoming calls, working my sphere of influence and numerous other methods.
The cold call prospecting I did every night generated some immediate and future business, however, the biggest benefits I received were how to build rapport, make appointments, handle objections and handle rejection.
Build Rapport
I learned very early what every good salesperson knows. Before someone will buy from you they have to like and trust you. The easiest way to get someone to like you and trust you is to understand how to build rapport quickly. So how do you establish rapport?
I let the prospect know quickly, the reason for my call. I left out the phrase "How are you today"? It can be interpreted as being insincere. I only stated my name, my company name and how I could help the prospect.
I listened for information I could use to get them talking about themselves and build some common ground. I showed a genuine concern for the prospect, and soon they began to open up and reveal personal information such as hobbies, children, vacation spots and lots of other tidbits I could build on.
When the prospect answered the phone, I made sure I was upbeat and didn't sound like I had just lost my best friend. I tried to use humor during the conversation. People love to laugh. I talked at the same rate, pitch and volume as the prospect. If they talk fast, then I talked fast. If they talk softly, then I would do the same.
Make Appointments
When I was cold call prospecting, I always worked from a script, a simple script a nine year old could understand. I memorized it so I could recite it on a moments notice. However, I kept it in front of me at all times during the call. If I got thrown off the track, the script was there to bring me back. As I made more calls, my script evolved, and so it changed as I learned better ways to get my point across.
The script was direct and to the point. I stated my name, company name and my unique selling proposition. It contained most of the questions I wanted to ask a prospect to determine their need for what I was selling. The script was a road map I followed for every call.
I knew my desired outcome when cold call prospecting was to make the appointment. I learned to ask questions that would qualify or disqualify them as a potential appointment. If I had a qualified prospect, I directed all my energies towards making that appointment. I never tried to sell them over the phone. If I found the prospect didn't have a need for my services, I quickly got off the phone, and on to the next call.
Handle Objections
While making the thousands of calls I made those first six months, you can imagine I got lots of objections. An objection is really the prospect stating their need for more information. If the prospect didn't want or need what I was selling, they would have told me, hung up on me or thrown me out. As long as they were coming up with objections, I still had a chance to get the appointment. I would give them the information they were looking for and close for the appointment.
If I came across an objection I couldn't overcome, after the call I would seek a more experienced agent and ask them how to handle it. I added that to my script and went on to the next call. This process continued until I was a master at handling objections, and my closing ratio for appointments increased dramatically.
Handle Rejection
The first fews weeks of cold call prospecting, I felt alot of rejection. People were mean, they hung up on me, slammed doors in my face or just didn't have any interest. Then I learned a very important lesson. They weren't actually rejecting me, they were rejecting my offer.
So I worked on strengthening my unique selling proposition, practiced the delivery of my script and how to handle the objections I was getting. In time fewer people rejected my offer and I realized the ones who did weren't good prospects any way. I stopped taking it personally and moved on to the next call, knowing with each call, I was closer to making my next appointment.
Cold call prospecting may not be the most effective way to make appointments, however, I realized it could be a valuable tool for increasing my skills, and it sure beat doing nothing at all.
About the Author:
Jim Klein provides salespeople with effective strategies to increase their business while working less, guaranteed. Get free sales training by subscribing to our free newsletter "The Sales Advisor"- http://www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com/sales-advisor.html
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
How To Get Referrals Month After Month
by Jim Klein
It's another day at the office, and you're waiting for a potential
customer to call or walk in.
How different would your business be if your current customers were
enthusiastically seeking out prospective customers for you? Imagine
how exciting it would be to talk to people who already know about
you and your products or service. How difficult would it be to
close those sales?
Selling to those people would be simple. So why aren't your current
customers bringing you referrals? Perhaps it's because you have not
shown them how, motivated them, made it easy for them, asked them
or started the process.
Getting good quality referrals requires planning and preparation.
Start by making a list of all the people who might be a referral
source for you. Start with your current clients. Which ones are
currently sending you business? Which ones are very satisfied with
your product or service and the results they are getting?
Next consider people you know who would have access to people who
would be ideal prospects for you. People such as your attorney,
accountant, banker, broker, etc.
Now, go through you list and pick out the top ten to twenty percent
of your best referrers. There's a good chance you already have some
people who regularly recommend prospective customers to you. Start
with these potential referral sources. You'll have better results
developing stronger relationships with a few referral sources
rather than shallow relationships with lots of sources.
In order to help your referrals sources to give you good, qualified
referrals, you need to get crystal-clear about what you are looking
for. Who is your ideal prospect?
What problems do your products and services solve? It will be
easier for your referral sources to spot potential clients for you
if they are clear about what problems to look for.
When you are clear about describing the recommendations you want,
you make it easier for your referral sources to identify
prospective customers for you.
Now that you have identified several possible referral sources and
you are clear about the types of clients you want, it's time to
create a customized plan for each referral source. One important
aspect to remember is, what does your referral source gain by
referring people to you? People want to know what's in it for them.
Some of your referral sources will do it just because they are so
sold on your product or service. Others will need some other
benefits in order to become good sources of referrals. So think of
as many benefits as you can for those people to referr business to
you.
To instill confidence in your referral source, you need to let them
know exactly what you will do when given a referral. Your referral
source has surely developed valuable relationships over the years
and will be reluctant to do anything that might jeopardize those
relationships. Be specific as to what will happen when your
referral source gives you a referral. A simple, step-by-step
process that shows how you will represent yourself will provide
assurance that the potential customer will be treated with respect
and dignity.
Next, discuss the specific actions you want from your referral
source. Do you want them to call the potential customer? What do
you want them to say? Would you prefer they arrange a three-way
appointment? Often, people want to give you referrals, but don't
know exactly what to do or how to do it. Train them; coach them;
help them get clear on what's expected of them.
When a satisfied customer sends someone to you the sender should
immediately receive some recognition and appreciation. Possibly a
quick thank you note or telephone call at bare minimum. That should
happen right away. Some type of thank you gift is usually
appropriate and effective.
I've sent steaks, books, clocks, calculators, small electronic
items, knife sets, all sorts of things. I recommend gifts that you
do not ordinarily sell and a different gift each time the person
refers. You will be surprised by the positive results from this
kind of action.
You'd also be surprised at the negative results of not doing this.
The client who refers once and fails to get recognition and
appreciation will probably won't say anything to you, but to
himself and often to a friend or associate he does say, "Can you
believe it? I sent that guy a customer and didn't got as much as a
thank you." And then he won't ever refer any one again.
From the new referrals and clients you obtain from those referrals,
you can start the process all over again and develop new referral
sources. This is a great way to dramatically boost your business
without the time and effort of cold calling and cold prospecting.
Developing and implementing an effective referral strategy can
produce a steady stream of new business for years to come. You can
achieve your professional goals faster and easier through
effectively targeting referrals.
It's another day at the office, and you're waiting for a potential
customer to call or walk in.
How different would your business be if your current customers were
enthusiastically seeking out prospective customers for you? Imagine
how exciting it would be to talk to people who already know about
you and your products or service. How difficult would it be to
close those sales?
Selling to those people would be simple. So why aren't your current
customers bringing you referrals? Perhaps it's because you have not
shown them how, motivated them, made it easy for them, asked them
or started the process.
Getting good quality referrals requires planning and preparation.
Start by making a list of all the people who might be a referral
source for you. Start with your current clients. Which ones are
currently sending you business? Which ones are very satisfied with
your product or service and the results they are getting?
Next consider people you know who would have access to people who
would be ideal prospects for you. People such as your attorney,
accountant, banker, broker, etc.
Now, go through you list and pick out the top ten to twenty percent
of your best referrers. There's a good chance you already have some
people who regularly recommend prospective customers to you. Start
with these potential referral sources. You'll have better results
developing stronger relationships with a few referral sources
rather than shallow relationships with lots of sources.
In order to help your referrals sources to give you good, qualified
referrals, you need to get crystal-clear about what you are looking
for. Who is your ideal prospect?
What problems do your products and services solve? It will be
easier for your referral sources to spot potential clients for you
if they are clear about what problems to look for.
When you are clear about describing the recommendations you want,
you make it easier for your referral sources to identify
prospective customers for you.
Now that you have identified several possible referral sources and
you are clear about the types of clients you want, it's time to
create a customized plan for each referral source. One important
aspect to remember is, what does your referral source gain by
referring people to you? People want to know what's in it for them.
Some of your referral sources will do it just because they are so
sold on your product or service. Others will need some other
benefits in order to become good sources of referrals. So think of
as many benefits as you can for those people to referr business to
you.
To instill confidence in your referral source, you need to let them
know exactly what you will do when given a referral. Your referral
source has surely developed valuable relationships over the years
and will be reluctant to do anything that might jeopardize those
relationships. Be specific as to what will happen when your
referral source gives you a referral. A simple, step-by-step
process that shows how you will represent yourself will provide
assurance that the potential customer will be treated with respect
and dignity.
Next, discuss the specific actions you want from your referral
source. Do you want them to call the potential customer? What do
you want them to say? Would you prefer they arrange a three-way
appointment? Often, people want to give you referrals, but don't
know exactly what to do or how to do it. Train them; coach them;
help them get clear on what's expected of them.
When a satisfied customer sends someone to you the sender should
immediately receive some recognition and appreciation. Possibly a
quick thank you note or telephone call at bare minimum. That should
happen right away. Some type of thank you gift is usually
appropriate and effective.
I've sent steaks, books, clocks, calculators, small electronic
items, knife sets, all sorts of things. I recommend gifts that you
do not ordinarily sell and a different gift each time the person
refers. You will be surprised by the positive results from this
kind of action.
You'd also be surprised at the negative results of not doing this.
The client who refers once and fails to get recognition and
appreciation will probably won't say anything to you, but to
himself and often to a friend or associate he does say, "Can you
believe it? I sent that guy a customer and didn't got as much as a
thank you." And then he won't ever refer any one again.
From the new referrals and clients you obtain from those referrals,
you can start the process all over again and develop new referral
sources. This is a great way to dramatically boost your business
without the time and effort of cold calling and cold prospecting.
Developing and implementing an effective referral strategy can
produce a steady stream of new business for years to come. You can
achieve your professional goals faster and easier through
effectively targeting referrals.
Fixing Problems
By Zig Ziglar
Question: Can you remember a day when you did not have some "problem," irritation, disappointment, defeat or set-back of some kind? It might be having to make an unexpected stop at the service station because your mate drove your car and neglected to refill it. Or maybe your boss gave you incomplete information on an important project and now you have to start all over.
The big issue is not the problems; they're part of life. The issue is how to handle the problems. Do you let a simple problem dictate to you how you should behave the rest of the day, even to the way you deal with other people? Sometimes that's hard to do, but ask yourself the question, "What real difference does this make in my life tonight, or even in the morning?" In most cases you'll realize that it really doesn't matter. With that in mind, you'll be able to forget the problem of the moment and move on.
Conclusion: You can take control of your own thoughts, actions and emotions, which means you can take control of your life. The best way to deal with problems is to re-order your thinking and see them as opportunities to grow or mature. It also helps to remember that if there were no problems in your job, chances are good you would not be needed. Chances are also good that the greater the difficulties, the greater the need for you to be there to handle them. That's the reason you're on the payroll. Think about it, and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.
Question: Can you remember a day when you did not have some "problem," irritation, disappointment, defeat or set-back of some kind? It might be having to make an unexpected stop at the service station because your mate drove your car and neglected to refill it. Or maybe your boss gave you incomplete information on an important project and now you have to start all over.
The big issue is not the problems; they're part of life. The issue is how to handle the problems. Do you let a simple problem dictate to you how you should behave the rest of the day, even to the way you deal with other people? Sometimes that's hard to do, but ask yourself the question, "What real difference does this make in my life tonight, or even in the morning?" In most cases you'll realize that it really doesn't matter. With that in mind, you'll be able to forget the problem of the moment and move on.
Conclusion: You can take control of your own thoughts, actions and emotions, which means you can take control of your life. The best way to deal with problems is to re-order your thinking and see them as opportunities to grow or mature. It also helps to remember that if there were no problems in your job, chances are good you would not be needed. Chances are also good that the greater the difficulties, the greater the need for you to be there to handle them. That's the reason you're on the payroll. Think about it, and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.
How Pure Is Pure Enough?
By Tom Ziglar
My good friend James Howard of Honinteg Consulting asked me this question: “If a hospital delivers 10,000 babies a year, what is an acceptable number of them to drop?”
Percentage-wise, dropping just one baby would be a very good success rate, unless you happen to be that baby (or its parent)! So, obviously, the goal is to drop none.
What about purity? Let’s say you are making a giant five gallon pot of the world’s best homemade chili. How much dog poop could you put in it before it impacted your desire for the chili?
What about your mind? How much profanity and negative garbage is okay to allow into your mind? And since you can’t live life without being exposed to some negative input, shouldn’t you have pretty good “filters” to make sure the negatives get cleaned away before they get to the vital parts?
If you run engines in a dirty and dusty environment you had better clean or change that air filter on a regular basis. If you watch a lot of TV, or surf the Internet haphazardly, you had better plan on spending extra time putting the good stuff into your mind.
The best way to keep an engine running smoothly is to make sure you give it pure fuel, run it in a clean environment, and change the filters on schedule. Our bodies and our minds work the same way. Our minds need pure and positive input, our bodies need pure food, and we must develop filters that trap and discard that impure stuff that we are exposed to.
Think about the miserable people you know – they let the bad stuff in, and they don’t have any filters to keep the bad stuff from gumming up their engines.
Tom Ziglar is the proud son of Zig Ziglar and CEO of Ziglar. This article was taken from his blog, www.tomziglar.com.
My good friend James Howard of Honinteg Consulting asked me this question: “If a hospital delivers 10,000 babies a year, what is an acceptable number of them to drop?”
Percentage-wise, dropping just one baby would be a very good success rate, unless you happen to be that baby (or its parent)! So, obviously, the goal is to drop none.
What about purity? Let’s say you are making a giant five gallon pot of the world’s best homemade chili. How much dog poop could you put in it before it impacted your desire for the chili?
What about your mind? How much profanity and negative garbage is okay to allow into your mind? And since you can’t live life without being exposed to some negative input, shouldn’t you have pretty good “filters” to make sure the negatives get cleaned away before they get to the vital parts?
If you run engines in a dirty and dusty environment you had better clean or change that air filter on a regular basis. If you watch a lot of TV, or surf the Internet haphazardly, you had better plan on spending extra time putting the good stuff into your mind.
The best way to keep an engine running smoothly is to make sure you give it pure fuel, run it in a clean environment, and change the filters on schedule. Our bodies and our minds work the same way. Our minds need pure and positive input, our bodies need pure food, and we must develop filters that trap and discard that impure stuff that we are exposed to.
Think about the miserable people you know – they let the bad stuff in, and they don’t have any filters to keep the bad stuff from gumming up their engines.
Tom Ziglar is the proud son of Zig Ziglar and CEO of Ziglar. This article was taken from his blog, www.tomziglar.com.
What Customers Hate About You
Recent research uncovered almost eighty reasons why customers dislike salespeople. Here are the top seven.
1. Not listening. This was the most cited reason customers dislike salespeople. Too many salespeople neglect to listen to what their customers or prospects say which means they fail to address the key issues that their customer has stated as being important. I remember an interaction with a couple of salespeople a few years ago. One of them asked some great questions to learn more about my particular situation. However, his counterpart did not listen to my responses, and as a result, his solution did not address my business challenges and buying requirements. In fact, his presentation was so far off base, I abruptly called an end to the meeting. Time is a precious commodity for people and when you don't listen you disrespect your prospect.
2. Talking too much. It still amazes me how many salespeople think that telling is selling. I see this in virtually every type of sales environment from B2B to B2C to Retail. My personal belief is that your prospect or customer should do most of the talking in a sales conversation. Sales people react to this idea by saying, "But if they're doing all the talking how can I sell my product?" The key is to let your customer do enough talking so that you can properly present a solution to their problem or situation.
3. Lack of knowledge. In today's information- rich world, there is no reason for a salesperson to lack knowledge about the products and services they sell. I was recently impressed by the person who gave us an estimate on a new roof for our house. He knew his products and was able to speak intelligently about them and the differences between each. I know that the life-cycles of many products are very short and that many companies introduce new products at an alarming rate. However, if you don't know enough about your products, you are going to lose your customer's respect, and in all likelihood, the sale. Do yourself a favor and invest the necessary time learning about your products and services.
4. Lack of follow-up. Many sales people say they will do something and fail to follow through. This ranges from promising to get information to taking care of a problem or concern. Many people use this as a barometer before they make a final buying decision. Here's how.
A potential customer asks for a particular piece of information and the sales person promises to deliver it by a certain date. The deadline passes and the prospect has to call and remind the salesperson. Because the sale has not been finalized, warning signals sound in the customer's mind. After all, if the sales person is this slow to respond BEFORE the sale is made (the courting stage), how long will it take him to respond AFTER the sale?
Lack of follow up results in lost sales. A person contacts two or three companies about a particular item or project. All three submit a quote but only one makes the effort to follow up. Who is more likely going to get the sale?
5. Lying. "I don't care about the customer and I'll tell them anything I have to in order to get the sale." Believe it or not, I heard this comment from a participant in one of my sales training workshops. Unfortunately, the number of sales people who lie or intentionally mislead their customers is staggering. This behavior includes; overstating the capabilities of your product, stretching the truth, or giving people the wrong information. Almost everyone has bought a product from someone who was less than truthful, and as a result, has become more skeptical with their buying decisions.
6. Failing to understand their needs. This is an extension of the first two reasons customers dislike salespeople. When a sales rep talks too much and listens too little, they don't get a full understanding of their prospect's situation. I have worked and interacted with thousands of sales people over the years, both as a trainer and a buyer. I can state without hesitation, that a mere twenty percent of them actually take the time to understand their customer's needs, situation, concerns, etc. And it's this group of individuals who are the most successful.
7. Refusal to take 'no' for an answer. Almost everyone in sales knows the importance of persistence. However, there is a fine line between persistence and stalking. While you shouldn't drop your efforts after the first 'no', it is critical to recognize that you won't gain anything by pressuring people. In many cases, the reason someone says 'no' is because they don't see the value in your product/service or because they are not a highly qualified prospect.
Sales is an honorable profession. Stand out from your competition by avoiding these behaviours.
© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www. kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kell ey@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.
1. Not listening. This was the most cited reason customers dislike salespeople. Too many salespeople neglect to listen to what their customers or prospects say which means they fail to address the key issues that their customer has stated as being important. I remember an interaction with a couple of salespeople a few years ago. One of them asked some great questions to learn more about my particular situation. However, his counterpart did not listen to my responses, and as a result, his solution did not address my business challenges and buying requirements. In fact, his presentation was so far off base, I abruptly called an end to the meeting. Time is a precious commodity for people and when you don't listen you disrespect your prospect.
2. Talking too much. It still amazes me how many salespeople think that telling is selling. I see this in virtually every type of sales environment from B2B to B2C to Retail. My personal belief is that your prospect or customer should do most of the talking in a sales conversation. Sales people react to this idea by saying, "But if they're doing all the talking how can I sell my product?" The key is to let your customer do enough talking so that you can properly present a solution to their problem or situation.
3. Lack of knowledge. In today's information- rich world, there is no reason for a salesperson to lack knowledge about the products and services they sell. I was recently impressed by the person who gave us an estimate on a new roof for our house. He knew his products and was able to speak intelligently about them and the differences between each. I know that the life-cycles of many products are very short and that many companies introduce new products at an alarming rate. However, if you don't know enough about your products, you are going to lose your customer's respect, and in all likelihood, the sale. Do yourself a favor and invest the necessary time learning about your products and services.
4. Lack of follow-up. Many sales people say they will do something and fail to follow through. This ranges from promising to get information to taking care of a problem or concern. Many people use this as a barometer before they make a final buying decision. Here's how.
A potential customer asks for a particular piece of information and the sales person promises to deliver it by a certain date. The deadline passes and the prospect has to call and remind the salesperson. Because the sale has not been finalized, warning signals sound in the customer's mind. After all, if the sales person is this slow to respond BEFORE the sale is made (the courting stage), how long will it take him to respond AFTER the sale?
Lack of follow up results in lost sales. A person contacts two or three companies about a particular item or project. All three submit a quote but only one makes the effort to follow up. Who is more likely going to get the sale?
5. Lying. "I don't care about the customer and I'll tell them anything I have to in order to get the sale." Believe it or not, I heard this comment from a participant in one of my sales training workshops. Unfortunately, the number of sales people who lie or intentionally mislead their customers is staggering. This behavior includes; overstating the capabilities of your product, stretching the truth, or giving people the wrong information. Almost everyone has bought a product from someone who was less than truthful, and as a result, has become more skeptical with their buying decisions.
6. Failing to understand their needs. This is an extension of the first two reasons customers dislike salespeople. When a sales rep talks too much and listens too little, they don't get a full understanding of their prospect's situation. I have worked and interacted with thousands of sales people over the years, both as a trainer and a buyer. I can state without hesitation, that a mere twenty percent of them actually take the time to understand their customer's needs, situation, concerns, etc. And it's this group of individuals who are the most successful.
7. Refusal to take 'no' for an answer. Almost everyone in sales knows the importance of persistence. However, there is a fine line between persistence and stalking. While you shouldn't drop your efforts after the first 'no', it is critical to recognize that you won't gain anything by pressuring people. In many cases, the reason someone says 'no' is because they don't see the value in your product/service or because they are not a highly qualified prospect.
Sales is an honorable profession. Stand out from your competition by avoiding these behaviours.
© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www. kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kell ey@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.
Monday, October 20, 2008
5 Keys To Surviving & Thriving The Recession
What a crazy few weeks it has been on world financial market ...
We have never seen market conditions quite like the ones we have right now. This is new territory for a lot of small business owners. It now seems almost certain that we are headed for global recession so now is the time to prepare yourself.
The good news is that recession does not necessarily spell doom and gloom for small business. In fact histroy shows that many small business owners not only survive but go on to thriving during recession.
The choice of course is yours. If you bury your head in the sand and ignore all the warning signs then you may find your business in hot water later on. On the other hand, if you put in place a few simple strategies starting today then you can achieve great things while your competitors suffer.
Here are 5 keys to surviving and thriving the recession:
1/ Income Streams - The first area you will want to address is how you earn your income in your business. When times are good and money just flows to you we rarely think about HOW we earn the money. Heading into recession it is best to have a clear understanding of your income streams and how to improve them.
Firstly you will want to develop additional income streams in your business. If you provide a service then productise your knowledge and develop products around that service. If you currently sell products then add a service component to your business.
You may also want to look at diversifying your business into other related areas in order to create additional income streams. A Financial Planning client of mine has recently added an Accounting & Tax business, and a Mortgage Brokerage business. This makes sense as they can cross promote each other.
Next you want to look at how you can increase your prices so that the average dollar value of a client is higher than it currently is. Do this before we are in deep recession. Look for ways to increase the value of the product or service you offer.
Lastly look at the way you charge for your products or services. Explore ways you can develop continuity income (ie Income that is recurring each month), putting clients on longer term contracts, or expanding the range of products or services through bundling.
2/ Greater Visibility - It is critical that you do not reduce your marketing efforts and lose visibility. This is a common mistake made by many small business owners ... when cash flow tightens they look to cut costs. So they slash their marketing budgets and immediately lose visibility.
They key to doing well in recession is to increase the visibility you have in your market place. You want to use as many visibility strategies as you can to get noticed by your target market. The good new is that many of these visibility strategies are free!
You want to sit down at the start of each month and map out which visibility strategies you will use for that month. Then put them into your calendar and take action. Make them a priority as visibility in your target market is what drives your marketing funnel.
In The Attraction Marketing System I go through the various visibility strategies in detail for you.
3/ Leverage Your Marketing Assets - Every small business already has marketing assest that they have worked hard to develop but are not fully using. That has been okay in the growing economy we have had however you can not afford to be so inefficient in the future.
So you want to sit down and look at all of your existing marketing assets and relationships and ask yourself how you can use this better. How can you leverage your existing assets into greater marketing opportunities? How can you utilise the coming recession as a marketing opportunity? Take a look at the picture above for an example of how one hot dog vendor is doing this.
Here is a big clue ... the largest marketing asset you probably have is your existing client base. So explore ideas on how you can better leverage your existing clients. It always amazes me how many small business owners are always looking for ways to find new clients yet they never talk to their past ones.
4/ Expand TOMA - Now more than ever it is critical to have a systematic approach to developing TOMA. This stands for Top Of Mind Awareness. You need a system to imprint you and your business in the minds of your customers, past customers, prospective customers, business contacts, and target market.
My golden rule in business is to never let anyone forget you. Problem is ... in a world where we are overwhelmed with marketing messages and our attention is fragmented it is harder than ever to get people to remember you. That is why I say again you must have a SYSTEM to create TOMA.
The very best system I have come across to do this is Send Out Cards. Watch the Referral Movie to find out why and take it for a test run.
5/ Adherence To Marketing System - The last thing you must have is a well thought out marketing system. During the boom markets of the last 10 years most small business owners have not had to think about marketing. There was just so much business that they received enough to make a good living. Well that is about to change.
It is my opinion that you simply must put into place right now a marketing system that ATTRACTS new prospective clients to you, enables you to develop a relationship of trust with them, allows them to pre-sell themselves on you, creates TOMA, and systematically leads them to wanting to do business with YOU.
Without such a system then the future is uncertain. Your ability to win new clients in the coming years may be questionable.
So there are 5 key ideas for you to go to work on today. By preparing yourself today for the coming recession you will be in a much better position to prosper while your competitors are hit hard..
We have never seen market conditions quite like the ones we have right now. This is new territory for a lot of small business owners. It now seems almost certain that we are headed for global recession so now is the time to prepare yourself.
The good news is that recession does not necessarily spell doom and gloom for small business. In fact histroy shows that many small business owners not only survive but go on to thriving during recession.
The choice of course is yours. If you bury your head in the sand and ignore all the warning signs then you may find your business in hot water later on. On the other hand, if you put in place a few simple strategies starting today then you can achieve great things while your competitors suffer.
Here are 5 keys to surviving and thriving the recession:
1/ Income Streams - The first area you will want to address is how you earn your income in your business. When times are good and money just flows to you we rarely think about HOW we earn the money. Heading into recession it is best to have a clear understanding of your income streams and how to improve them.
Firstly you will want to develop additional income streams in your business. If you provide a service then productise your knowledge and develop products around that service. If you currently sell products then add a service component to your business.
You may also want to look at diversifying your business into other related areas in order to create additional income streams. A Financial Planning client of mine has recently added an Accounting & Tax business, and a Mortgage Brokerage business. This makes sense as they can cross promote each other.
Next you want to look at how you can increase your prices so that the average dollar value of a client is higher than it currently is. Do this before we are in deep recession. Look for ways to increase the value of the product or service you offer.
Lastly look at the way you charge for your products or services. Explore ways you can develop continuity income (ie Income that is recurring each month), putting clients on longer term contracts, or expanding the range of products or services through bundling.
2/ Greater Visibility - It is critical that you do not reduce your marketing efforts and lose visibility. This is a common mistake made by many small business owners ... when cash flow tightens they look to cut costs. So they slash their marketing budgets and immediately lose visibility.
They key to doing well in recession is to increase the visibility you have in your market place. You want to use as many visibility strategies as you can to get noticed by your target market. The good new is that many of these visibility strategies are free!
You want to sit down at the start of each month and map out which visibility strategies you will use for that month. Then put them into your calendar and take action. Make them a priority as visibility in your target market is what drives your marketing funnel.
In The Attraction Marketing System I go through the various visibility strategies in detail for you.
3/ Leverage Your Marketing Assets - Every small business already has marketing assest that they have worked hard to develop but are not fully using. That has been okay in the growing economy we have had however you can not afford to be so inefficient in the future.
So you want to sit down and look at all of your existing marketing assets and relationships and ask yourself how you can use this better. How can you leverage your existing assets into greater marketing opportunities? How can you utilise the coming recession as a marketing opportunity? Take a look at the picture above for an example of how one hot dog vendor is doing this.
Here is a big clue ... the largest marketing asset you probably have is your existing client base. So explore ideas on how you can better leverage your existing clients. It always amazes me how many small business owners are always looking for ways to find new clients yet they never talk to their past ones.
4/ Expand TOMA - Now more than ever it is critical to have a systematic approach to developing TOMA. This stands for Top Of Mind Awareness. You need a system to imprint you and your business in the minds of your customers, past customers, prospective customers, business contacts, and target market.
My golden rule in business is to never let anyone forget you. Problem is ... in a world where we are overwhelmed with marketing messages and our attention is fragmented it is harder than ever to get people to remember you. That is why I say again you must have a SYSTEM to create TOMA.
The very best system I have come across to do this is Send Out Cards. Watch the Referral Movie to find out why and take it for a test run.
5/ Adherence To Marketing System - The last thing you must have is a well thought out marketing system. During the boom markets of the last 10 years most small business owners have not had to think about marketing. There was just so much business that they received enough to make a good living. Well that is about to change.
It is my opinion that you simply must put into place right now a marketing system that ATTRACTS new prospective clients to you, enables you to develop a relationship of trust with them, allows them to pre-sell themselves on you, creates TOMA, and systematically leads them to wanting to do business with YOU.
Without such a system then the future is uncertain. Your ability to win new clients in the coming years may be questionable.
So there are 5 key ideas for you to go to work on today. By preparing yourself today for the coming recession you will be in a much better position to prosper while your competitors are hit hard..
No Worries Mate - Everything Is Gonna Be Alright By Christine Akiteng
One thing that life has taught me is that, if there is anything a man or woman, young or old must learn about life, it is learning how to stay calm, cool and collected in situations fraught with uncertainty and unpredictability. Let me rephrase it this way: if there is anything one must absolutely master in this life, it's becoming comfortable with expecting the unexpected and living with uncertainty and unpredictability.
And while many people intellectually know this, they don't necessarily deal well with uncertainty and unpredictability. The way we react to uncertainty and unpredictability may actually say more about us, than we say about ourselves.
1. Individual who perceive uncertainty and unpredictability as upsetting and threatening
Individuals who perceive uncertainty as upsetting and threatening are often people who have associated uncertainty and unpredictability with vulnerability, negative consequences and undesirable outcomes.
Their natural and habitual way of reacting to uncertainty and unpredictability is to obsess about unrealistic and exaggerated likely negative outcomes. The more focused the individual is on "preparing him or herself for the very worst" by exaggerating the "looming threat" the more he or she will engage in worrying, complaining and playing the most negative and scariest scenarios over and over and over -- practically terrorizing him or herself to no end.
Depending on the level of uncertainty, these individuals can go from panic to anxiety to frustration to trying to distract oneself to depression -- and even to suicide.
2. Individuals who perceive uncertainty as problematic and dangerous
Individuals who perceive uncertainty as problematic and dangerous are often people who have associated uncertainty and unpredictability with uncontrollable and unmanageable risks. Uncertainty and unpredictability makes them feel like the world (as they know it) is coming to an end and their very existence is in danger.
Their natural and habitual way of reacting to uncertainty is turn against what they perceive is the "source of uncertainty" or attack the person they perceive is the problem or is responsible for their heightened feelings of anxiety, anger and emotional upset. The more focused the individual is on attacking the "source of uncertainty" the more anxious, angry and irrational he or she becomes, and the more overwhelmed and fearful about the future he or she feels.
Not-knowing what the future will bring and not being able to control that future literally freezes their usual ability to think rationally, make rational decisions or take rational actions.
3. Individuals who perceive uncertainty as opportunities and "tipping points" that can bridge the gap between today and the preferred future
Whether by luck of the genes or deliberate training, these individuals are on most part not negatively affected by uncertainty and unpredictability because they are naturally more optimistic and more confident about life - and the future in general.
To them unpredictability and uncertainty is a reminder that nothing in life is set in stone, and that things are subject to change. If managed with care, the experience of not knowing, of not being able to rely on habitual ways of doing things can just be the beginning of something new, something beautiful, a new season.
This focus on a sense of purpose and well-being holds up their positive energy and shelters them from patterns of fear and panic, despair and pessimism. This purpose driven and hopeful attitude to life and to the future gives these men and women even more confidence in facing the future with increasing clarity and with greater peace and calm.
Becoming comfortable with expecting the unexpected, and living with uncertainty and unpredictability is really about inviting what scares us and using it to move us further than we could have moved without "a little push" from life itself.
With so much uncertainty and unpredictability in our world, the choice we all have is: Do you live life panicky, anxious, worrying, complaining, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, irrational, sad, depressed, negative and pessimistic or do you take the unpredictability and uncertainty of life and turn it into an opportunity for increased clarity, creativity, greater peace and blessings?
It is good to remember that blessings are not just about money, houses, cars or "things" but that blessings are good health, happiness, sharing love (freely given to us) and conveying good-will and good feelings towards others -- in your own small way, in your own small corner of the world.
How you deal with unpredictability and with uncertain situations in many ways represents your best hope for good health, happiness and love -- a well-being that looks with confidence to the future even when you don't know exactly what that future will look like.
My mama always said: Always remember, the storm is not inside of you -- you just happen to be in the storm.
It is indeed an exciting, unpredictable, changing, growing, fluid and dynamic time to be alive. I hope you fall in love with life (and all it's unpredictability and uncertainty), as I have!
Author's Bio
About the Author: Christine Akiteng is an internationally renowned Dating Confidence/Relationships Coach who has devoted her life to the blending of indispensable age-old wisdom with modern realities into a prescription for passion, vitality, balance and effortlessness. Her thought-provoking message of conscious intentionality offers singles new, realistic and stimulating insights to rediscovering the mysteries and eternal beauty of men - women sexual relationships.
Christine's main website: www.torontosnumber1datedoctor.com
And while many people intellectually know this, they don't necessarily deal well with uncertainty and unpredictability. The way we react to uncertainty and unpredictability may actually say more about us, than we say about ourselves.
1. Individual who perceive uncertainty and unpredictability as upsetting and threatening
Individuals who perceive uncertainty as upsetting and threatening are often people who have associated uncertainty and unpredictability with vulnerability, negative consequences and undesirable outcomes.
Their natural and habitual way of reacting to uncertainty and unpredictability is to obsess about unrealistic and exaggerated likely negative outcomes. The more focused the individual is on "preparing him or herself for the very worst" by exaggerating the "looming threat" the more he or she will engage in worrying, complaining and playing the most negative and scariest scenarios over and over and over -- practically terrorizing him or herself to no end.
Depending on the level of uncertainty, these individuals can go from panic to anxiety to frustration to trying to distract oneself to depression -- and even to suicide.
2. Individuals who perceive uncertainty as problematic and dangerous
Individuals who perceive uncertainty as problematic and dangerous are often people who have associated uncertainty and unpredictability with uncontrollable and unmanageable risks. Uncertainty and unpredictability makes them feel like the world (as they know it) is coming to an end and their very existence is in danger.
Their natural and habitual way of reacting to uncertainty is turn against what they perceive is the "source of uncertainty" or attack the person they perceive is the problem or is responsible for their heightened feelings of anxiety, anger and emotional upset. The more focused the individual is on attacking the "source of uncertainty" the more anxious, angry and irrational he or she becomes, and the more overwhelmed and fearful about the future he or she feels.
Not-knowing what the future will bring and not being able to control that future literally freezes their usual ability to think rationally, make rational decisions or take rational actions.
3. Individuals who perceive uncertainty as opportunities and "tipping points" that can bridge the gap between today and the preferred future
Whether by luck of the genes or deliberate training, these individuals are on most part not negatively affected by uncertainty and unpredictability because they are naturally more optimistic and more confident about life - and the future in general.
To them unpredictability and uncertainty is a reminder that nothing in life is set in stone, and that things are subject to change. If managed with care, the experience of not knowing, of not being able to rely on habitual ways of doing things can just be the beginning of something new, something beautiful, a new season.
This focus on a sense of purpose and well-being holds up their positive energy and shelters them from patterns of fear and panic, despair and pessimism. This purpose driven and hopeful attitude to life and to the future gives these men and women even more confidence in facing the future with increasing clarity and with greater peace and calm.
Becoming comfortable with expecting the unexpected, and living with uncertainty and unpredictability is really about inviting what scares us and using it to move us further than we could have moved without "a little push" from life itself.
With so much uncertainty and unpredictability in our world, the choice we all have is: Do you live life panicky, anxious, worrying, complaining, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, irrational, sad, depressed, negative and pessimistic or do you take the unpredictability and uncertainty of life and turn it into an opportunity for increased clarity, creativity, greater peace and blessings?
It is good to remember that blessings are not just about money, houses, cars or "things" but that blessings are good health, happiness, sharing love (freely given to us) and conveying good-will and good feelings towards others -- in your own small way, in your own small corner of the world.
How you deal with unpredictability and with uncertain situations in many ways represents your best hope for good health, happiness and love -- a well-being that looks with confidence to the future even when you don't know exactly what that future will look like.
My mama always said: Always remember, the storm is not inside of you -- you just happen to be in the storm.
It is indeed an exciting, unpredictable, changing, growing, fluid and dynamic time to be alive. I hope you fall in love with life (and all it's unpredictability and uncertainty), as I have!
Author's Bio
About the Author: Christine Akiteng is an internationally renowned Dating Confidence/Relationships Coach who has devoted her life to the blending of indispensable age-old wisdom with modern realities into a prescription for passion, vitality, balance and effortlessness. Her thought-provoking message of conscious intentionality offers singles new, realistic and stimulating insights to rediscovering the mysteries and eternal beauty of men - women sexual relationships.
Christine's main website: www.torontosnumber1datedoctor.com
The Momentum Principle of Success
By: Brian Tracy
Fast tempo seems to go hand in hand with all great success. Developing this tempo requires that you start moving and keep moving at a steady rate.
The Key Action to Orientation
When you become an action-oriented person, you activate the "Momentum Principle" of success. This principle says that although it may take tremendous amounts of energy to overcome inertia and get going initially, it then takes far less energy to keep going.
Increase Your Energy
The good news is that the faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more you get done and the more effective you feel. The faster you move, the more experience you get and the more you learn. The faster you move, the more competent and capable you become at your work.
Get Onto the Fast Track
A sense of urgency shifts you automatically onto the fast track in your career. The faster you work and the more you get done, the higher will be your levels of self-esteem, self-respect and personal pride.
Talk to Yourself Positively
One of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to get yourself started is to repeat the words, "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" over and over to yourself. If you feel yourself slowing or becoming distracted by conversations or low value activities, repeat to yourself the words, "Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!" over and over.
Get A Reputation for Speed
In the final analysis, nothing will help you more in your career than for you to get the reputation for being the kind of person who gets important work done quickly and well. This reputation will make you one of the most valuable and respected people in your field.
Action Exercises
Practice makes perfect! Pick up the tempo! Whatever you are doing, resolve to move faster than ever before.
Fast tempo seems to go hand in hand with all great success. Developing this tempo requires that you start moving and keep moving at a steady rate.
The Key Action to Orientation
When you become an action-oriented person, you activate the "Momentum Principle" of success. This principle says that although it may take tremendous amounts of energy to overcome inertia and get going initially, it then takes far less energy to keep going.
Increase Your Energy
The good news is that the faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more you get done and the more effective you feel. The faster you move, the more experience you get and the more you learn. The faster you move, the more competent and capable you become at your work.
Get Onto the Fast Track
A sense of urgency shifts you automatically onto the fast track in your career. The faster you work and the more you get done, the higher will be your levels of self-esteem, self-respect and personal pride.
Talk to Yourself Positively
One of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to get yourself started is to repeat the words, "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" over and over to yourself. If you feel yourself slowing or becoming distracted by conversations or low value activities, repeat to yourself the words, "Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!" over and over.
Get A Reputation for Speed
In the final analysis, nothing will help you more in your career than for you to get the reputation for being the kind of person who gets important work done quickly and well. This reputation will make you one of the most valuable and respected people in your field.
Action Exercises
Practice makes perfect! Pick up the tempo! Whatever you are doing, resolve to move faster than ever before.
One Big Thing - By Ron G Holland
Over the years I have developed strategies for success by reading hundreds of biographies of high achievers and also working closely with numerous multimillionaires. I noted one trait they all have in common...
They DISCIPLINED themselves to accomplish One Big Thing every day that would have a profound effect on their lives.
Most people do not run their lives like this. They allow themselves to get bogged down with trivia, and at the end of every day, they haven't moved forward -- most just managing to keep their heads above water; many living lives of quiet desperation.
You may want to start by accomplishing One Big Thing every week, and if you start to be honest with yourself, the One Big Thing that needs doing will be apparent.
It could be that you actually have to put an advert in the paper to search out and locate an employee that will take over the massive workload of admin or bookkeeping or appointment setting. Maybe this has been put off because you thought you couldn't afford such a person. The people who do One Big Thing know they can't afford not to. The people who do One Big Thing every day move ahead in leaps and bounds.
You may write a book to increase your profile and credibility. Most people have a book inside them but never get around to writing it. My books have created fabulous incomes for me in royalties, and even more importantly and lucratively, via creating credibility and awareness for consultancy income.
You may have to track down a database that will change your life...do it now. Maybe your One Big Thing is to attend a seminar or workshop that will change your life. Maybe your One Big Thing is to totally change direction. Maybe you need to call a list of your most important customers to ask them how you can deliver an even greater level of service...just do One Big Thing. Maybe your One Big Thing is to stop drinking, stop watching the soaps, womanizing, or taking drugs. I don't know. Everyone is different. All I do know is the people who make it BIG in life do whatever it takes. They know that no one else can make the changes for them.
Doing One Big Thing can bring massive results, change, wealth, and happiness into your life. Small moves don't bring anything except more of the same.
I make a point of accomplishing One Big Thing every day. And even now I still have to overcome laziness, call reluctance, a full agenda, a young family, and demanding clients who have powerful and demanding agendas of their own. I would find it very easy to do all the small things and miss out on the One Big Thing.
The word self-sacrifice comes into play, and over the years I have missed many parties, TV programs, shows, football games, social gatherings, and family get-togethers...but by hook or by crook, I manage to do One Big Thing!
You can't possibly do it all. Something has to give. I have noted that famous TV stars are not watching TV, but they are creating the programs that others watch. Famous authors are not reading books; they are creating and writing books for others to read.
I realized that if I left all my paperwork until the end of the week or even the end of two weeks, I could catch it all up to date in one mammoth concentrated effort on a Sunday afternoon...thereby freeing off many hours for selling and accomplishing BIG THINGS that would make quantum leaps for me in my life. No longer would I be able to use the excuse that paperwork takes up all my time because I realized it I can and will take up all the amount of time you allow it to...OR NOT.
To do One Big Thing, you must make time to allow yourself the luxury of being able to carry it out and carry it off. The One Big Thing will be apparent very quickly. All you have to do, for once in your life, is to do the One Big Thing and then repeat the trick on a weekly basis and then on a daily basis. You'll never regret it! I celebrate the fact every day that I do One Big Thing...whether I am down, too busy, too tired, or just plain lazy. I do One Big Thing regardless of EVERYTHING else! And I do mean EVERYTHING!
About the Author:
Ron G Holland has been written up as the "entrepreneur's entrepreneur," "Top Biz Guru," "Britain's leading motivational speaker," and "Quite possibly the greatest business and self development Guru in Britain." His famous book, "Talk and Grow Rich," was years ahead of its time. The book has never been out of print in all those years and still sells in 32 countries around the world. Learn more at http://www.selfgrowth.com/products/ronholland.html
They DISCIPLINED themselves to accomplish One Big Thing every day that would have a profound effect on their lives.
Most people do not run their lives like this. They allow themselves to get bogged down with trivia, and at the end of every day, they haven't moved forward -- most just managing to keep their heads above water; many living lives of quiet desperation.
You may want to start by accomplishing One Big Thing every week, and if you start to be honest with yourself, the One Big Thing that needs doing will be apparent.
It could be that you actually have to put an advert in the paper to search out and locate an employee that will take over the massive workload of admin or bookkeeping or appointment setting. Maybe this has been put off because you thought you couldn't afford such a person. The people who do One Big Thing know they can't afford not to. The people who do One Big Thing every day move ahead in leaps and bounds.
You may write a book to increase your profile and credibility. Most people have a book inside them but never get around to writing it. My books have created fabulous incomes for me in royalties, and even more importantly and lucratively, via creating credibility and awareness for consultancy income.
You may have to track down a database that will change your life...do it now. Maybe your One Big Thing is to attend a seminar or workshop that will change your life. Maybe your One Big Thing is to totally change direction. Maybe you need to call a list of your most important customers to ask them how you can deliver an even greater level of service...just do One Big Thing. Maybe your One Big Thing is to stop drinking, stop watching the soaps, womanizing, or taking drugs. I don't know. Everyone is different. All I do know is the people who make it BIG in life do whatever it takes. They know that no one else can make the changes for them.
Doing One Big Thing can bring massive results, change, wealth, and happiness into your life. Small moves don't bring anything except more of the same.
I make a point of accomplishing One Big Thing every day. And even now I still have to overcome laziness, call reluctance, a full agenda, a young family, and demanding clients who have powerful and demanding agendas of their own. I would find it very easy to do all the small things and miss out on the One Big Thing.
The word self-sacrifice comes into play, and over the years I have missed many parties, TV programs, shows, football games, social gatherings, and family get-togethers...but by hook or by crook, I manage to do One Big Thing!
You can't possibly do it all. Something has to give. I have noted that famous TV stars are not watching TV, but they are creating the programs that others watch. Famous authors are not reading books; they are creating and writing books for others to read.
I realized that if I left all my paperwork until the end of the week or even the end of two weeks, I could catch it all up to date in one mammoth concentrated effort on a Sunday afternoon...thereby freeing off many hours for selling and accomplishing BIG THINGS that would make quantum leaps for me in my life. No longer would I be able to use the excuse that paperwork takes up all my time because I realized it I can and will take up all the amount of time you allow it to...OR NOT.
To do One Big Thing, you must make time to allow yourself the luxury of being able to carry it out and carry it off. The One Big Thing will be apparent very quickly. All you have to do, for once in your life, is to do the One Big Thing and then repeat the trick on a weekly basis and then on a daily basis. You'll never regret it! I celebrate the fact every day that I do One Big Thing...whether I am down, too busy, too tired, or just plain lazy. I do One Big Thing regardless of EVERYTHING else! And I do mean EVERYTHING!
About the Author:
Ron G Holland has been written up as the "entrepreneur's entrepreneur," "Top Biz Guru," "Britain's leading motivational speaker," and "Quite possibly the greatest business and self development Guru in Britain." His famous book, "Talk and Grow Rich," was years ahead of its time. The book has never been out of print in all those years and still sells in 32 countries around the world. Learn more at http://www.selfgrowth.com/products/ronholland.html
Manage Your Business and Your Family Stress during the Financial Crisis - By Dr. Gaby Cora
Business owners and corporate warriors struggle to keep their companies afloat. Many were already working sixteen hour days, and it now seems like an endless working day. Most of us try our best to row the rough waters till the crisis subsides. Most executives and entrepreneurs who were already stretched are now finding strength within to produce at their maximum capacity. At the same time, their families are not immune to the stress. Even children know of their friends' parents losing their jobs or struggling to keep their teenager in college.
How can you handle your own business needs as well as your stress and your family's?
These are some tips to manage your business and your family stress during rough financial times:
1) Assess the situation: Although everyone would love to believe that the financial rescue interventions will miraculously take place immediately and that everything will be resolved, in our hearts, we know this situation will not resolve over the next weeks or months. Our presidential candidates go mute when asked about this. You should know that neither candidate will resolve this crisis overnight and that you need a plan to stay afloat, survive, and thrive. You must keep both a positive outlook into the future ("The tough times will pass."), and you want to be realistic and communicate the need to work hard together so as to rebuild your current situation and anticipate opportunities.
2) Gather your family: Even if you are busy at work, you should consider meeting with your family regularly and discuss your work and family situation calmly. Where do you stand? The younger generation has been raised in a more independent and affluent environment as compared to their parents'. What can you do and how can each family member contribute to cutting down on unnecessary expenses, join forces (i.e. drive together in one car instead of two cars), or seek a temporary job? If your teenager wants some pocket money and is doing well in school, you may want to suggest he/she gets a part-time job. Everyone can contribute in some way.
3) Prepare a plan of the things you can do: If you want to cut down your expenses at the gym, this does not mean you cannot exercise by power walking in your neighborhood or in your dusty treadmill. You may not attend Yoga classes, but you can practice Yoga at home. You may cut down on individual coaching or therapy sessions, but can join group sessions or purchase self-help books and recordings or practice the ones you bought and never used (those that are collecting spider webs in your closet). Review what you already have at home and make sure you use alternatives that can be helpful.
4) Spouses, young and older children are very sensitive to your mood: Realize children are like sponges and have antennae perceiving your mood. You may speak the words that everything is fine, but they will realize your words do not match your behavior. They will sense you are tense and that your expression is one of worry. Although you want to protect them from your deep concerns, you may summarize that these are rough times and that you are working hard to help the family. Tell them a couple of things that you are doing as you address your plan and ask them if there is anything they could do to help out. It will surprise you, but even a little one may say they will cut down on a favorite drink. Let them contribute with what they can control. This will give them a good sense of responsibility and collaboration. Avoid emotional arguments and concentrate on what you can do and contribute with one another.
5) Prepare a short- and a long-term plan: You have hopefully prepared a plan for your business; make sure to prepare one for your family. Organize a household plan for the next three months, for the next six months, and for the next year. Check your plan monthly or weekly in a pre-set family meeting.
About the Author:
Gabriela Cora, MD, MBA, is author of The Power of Wellbeing Series: "Leading under Pressure," "Managing Work in Life," and "Quantum Wellbeing." Dr. Cora is a wellness coach, corporate wellness expert, licensed medical doctor with a master's in business administration, board-certified psychiatrist, and trained mediator. She's president of The Executive Health & Wealth Institute, based in Miami, Florida. Visit her site at http://www.executivehealth.com
Check out the Experts page for Gabriela Cora, the Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to Life Work Balance.
How can you handle your own business needs as well as your stress and your family's?
These are some tips to manage your business and your family stress during rough financial times:
1) Assess the situation: Although everyone would love to believe that the financial rescue interventions will miraculously take place immediately and that everything will be resolved, in our hearts, we know this situation will not resolve over the next weeks or months. Our presidential candidates go mute when asked about this. You should know that neither candidate will resolve this crisis overnight and that you need a plan to stay afloat, survive, and thrive. You must keep both a positive outlook into the future ("The tough times will pass."), and you want to be realistic and communicate the need to work hard together so as to rebuild your current situation and anticipate opportunities.
2) Gather your family: Even if you are busy at work, you should consider meeting with your family regularly and discuss your work and family situation calmly. Where do you stand? The younger generation has been raised in a more independent and affluent environment as compared to their parents'. What can you do and how can each family member contribute to cutting down on unnecessary expenses, join forces (i.e. drive together in one car instead of two cars), or seek a temporary job? If your teenager wants some pocket money and is doing well in school, you may want to suggest he/she gets a part-time job. Everyone can contribute in some way.
3) Prepare a plan of the things you can do: If you want to cut down your expenses at the gym, this does not mean you cannot exercise by power walking in your neighborhood or in your dusty treadmill. You may not attend Yoga classes, but you can practice Yoga at home. You may cut down on individual coaching or therapy sessions, but can join group sessions or purchase self-help books and recordings or practice the ones you bought and never used (those that are collecting spider webs in your closet). Review what you already have at home and make sure you use alternatives that can be helpful.
4) Spouses, young and older children are very sensitive to your mood: Realize children are like sponges and have antennae perceiving your mood. You may speak the words that everything is fine, but they will realize your words do not match your behavior. They will sense you are tense and that your expression is one of worry. Although you want to protect them from your deep concerns, you may summarize that these are rough times and that you are working hard to help the family. Tell them a couple of things that you are doing as you address your plan and ask them if there is anything they could do to help out. It will surprise you, but even a little one may say they will cut down on a favorite drink. Let them contribute with what they can control. This will give them a good sense of responsibility and collaboration. Avoid emotional arguments and concentrate on what you can do and contribute with one another.
5) Prepare a short- and a long-term plan: You have hopefully prepared a plan for your business; make sure to prepare one for your family. Organize a household plan for the next three months, for the next six months, and for the next year. Check your plan monthly or weekly in a pre-set family meeting.
About the Author:
Gabriela Cora, MD, MBA, is author of The Power of Wellbeing Series: "Leading under Pressure," "Managing Work in Life," and "Quantum Wellbeing." Dr. Cora is a wellness coach, corporate wellness expert, licensed medical doctor with a master's in business administration, board-certified psychiatrist, and trained mediator. She's president of The Executive Health & Wealth Institute, based in Miami, Florida. Visit her site at http://www.executivehealth.com
Check out the Experts page for Gabriela Cora, the Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to Life Work Balance.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
癌為什麼叫絕症
癌為什麼叫絕症(真實案例，請耐心看完)→轉寄亦是福報！
三十多年前有一位服務於公賣局台北啤酒廠的張先生，
參加該啤酒場
選派技術人員到國外深造的考試，
以優異的成績及格。
在出國前經某公立醫院體檢發現，
罹患有像小孩拳頭大小的肺部腫瘤，因而不能出國。
張先生非常失望之餘，一直懷疑診斷有誤；
於是再到另一家醫院檢查，
結果還是證實原來的診斷並無錯誤。
當時年輕力壯的張先生得到這樣的絕症，
在人生絕望之餘，
多次打電話給當時任職台東縣政府
黃順興縣長機要秘書的魏姓同學。
魏姓同學便利用星期日趕到台北和張先生見面，
張先生向魏同學詳述相關絕望的詳情和悲觀感受，
並請位同學協助其後事，
恰逢魏同學與前任馬偕醫院院長
1949－55年專精於癌症臨床研究的呂革令博士）
係知交好友。
當即建議前往訪求呂博士醫治，
起初張先生說不願再看醫生，以免徒增傷悲；
但魏同學說先前已以電話請教過呂博士並安排好時間，
張先生只好偕同前往呂博士住處造訪。
呂博士和張先生見面就說：
「魏先生是我的好友，介紹你和我認識是我們緣份，
感謝
上帝賜給我們這個機會；
我請教你：『癌為什麼叫絕症，你可知道嗎？』」
張先生和魏先生都不知道如何作答。
呂博士又說：「人類醫治癌症到目前為止只有兩條路，
第一條路是消滅病源，第二條路是增加抵抗力。
但很奇怪的是，癌無論用鈷60 或其他藥物去消滅癌細胞，
可是癌細胞還沒被消滅，好的細胞卻先被殺死。
另無論用什麼營養、補藥，好的細胞還未吸收，
癌細胞卻先吸收、讓癌長得更快；
因此可說上述兩條路都行不通、所以叫絕症。」
呂博士又說：
「人類的聰明連登陸月球也都已經成功，
但為什麼沒有人去懷疑上述兩條治癌的路是在鑽牛角尖，
另外找第三條路？
感謝上帝賜給我以往在馬偕醫
院做癌症方面的臨床實驗，
並得院內各部同仁協助的機會，
我發現
癌症病人血液檢查的結果百分之百都是酸性反應。
長期素食、且生活接近然的佛寺僧尼，
由於體質都偏屬優質弱鹼性，
所以尚沒有發現罹患癌症的病例。
因此我大膽的斷定在弱鹼性體質的狀態下，
癌細胞是無法生長、甚至是無法生存的。
張先生
我建議你從現在起少吃酸性的葷食類，
多吃鹼性食物，另外可吃綠藻和帶殼菱角湯，
改變你的體質，並勵行接近自然的良好生活規律；
如果五年內不死、你就沒問題了，願上帝祝福你。」
張先生依照呂博士的建議， 認真改變吃的習慣，
每天又吃綠藻、喝菱角湯，樂觀加上每天適當的運動，
一年後再到同一公立醫院檢查結果，
發現腫瘤不但沒有長大、反而已呈現萎縮狀態，
遂令醫院檢查人員驚為奇蹟，
五年後竟完全處於萎縮、至近於消失狀態。
經過了將近四十年歲月，
現在張先生的健康情況完全正常，生活起居甚為愉快。
繼張先生之後，
有位前台東省立醫院總務課長陳添壽先生，同樣得到肺癌；
魏先生得知後將張先生的經過轉告陳添壽先生，
陳先生乃依照呂博士的建議進行改變體質，
結果與張先生同樣癒癌症。
那時呂博士全家已移民美國，
事後呂博士回來台灣再與魏先生見面時，
魏先生將張先生和陳先生的經過告訴呂博士，
並提議由他們倆位親自向呂博士陳述，
請呂博士發表其改變體質之自療成果報告。
呂博士謙虛地回答說：
「我年事已大， ! 且沒有臨床紀錄不能做為成果。
請魏先生轉告親友，如果友人認同的話，
請他們繼續做體驗並廣為宣導，感謝上帝 ............。」
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
關心自己也要關心別人，
85﹪癌症病患屬於酸性體質
＊健康人的血液是成弱鹼性的，約是 PH7.35∼ 7.45左右
＊嬰兒也是屬於弱鹼性的體質
＊成長期的成人有體質酸化的現象
根據一項六百位癌症病人體液分佈的研究，
顯示85 ﹪癌症病患屬於酸性體質。
因此，如何使體質維持在弱鹼性就是遠離疾病的第一步。
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
酸性體質的生理表徵
1.皮膚無光澤。
2.香港腳。
3.稍做運動即感疲勞，一上公車便想睡覺。
4.上下樓梯容易氣喘。
5.肥胖、下腹突出。
6.步伐緩慢、動作遲緩。
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
為什麼會形成酸性體質？
1. 過度攝取乳酸性食品
a）肉類、乳酪製品與蛋、牛肉、火腿等皆屬於酸性食品。
b）攝取過量的酸性食品血液會傾向酸性而變黏稠，不易流到細血管的末稍， 而易
造成手腳或膝蓋的冷寒症，以及肩膀僵硬和失眠等。
c）年輕力壯時吃適量的肉類是對的，但老年人則以蔬菜或小魚為宜。
2. 生活步調失常會造成酸性體質
a ）生活步調失常會造成精神與肉體的壓力。
b ）據統計，晚睡者罹患癌症的機率比正常人高出五倍。
c ）人類本來就活在節奏的世界裡，無法事先儲備睡眠或飲食，也不能日夜顛倒。
d）人體內臟受自律神經控制，白天主要是交感神經活動，晚上則由副交感神經工
作，若使其錯亂及倒置，就亦百病滋生。
3. 情緒過於緊張
a ）文明社會會造成的壓力。
b ）工作上或精神上的壓力。
c ）當一個人承受精神壓力後，一旦緊張鬆弛，時會造成猝死，稱為潛在性副腎皮質機能不全症。
4.肉體的緊張
a）動手術之前應先檢查腎上腺皮質機能是否正常。如果副腎皮質機能較差， 或手術壓力遠超過副腎調整功能，則可能
造成病人死亡或其他不良影響。
b）若發現病患臉部浮腫，需詳加詢問病史及服藥狀況，為長期服用腎上腺皮質賀爾蒙者，施以針灸要特別注意反應。
c）勞動或運動過度，通宵打牌、開車等壓力都應盡量避免。
附錄：常見食物的酸鹼性
1. 強酸性食品：蛋黃、乳酪、白糖做的西點 或柿子、烏魚子、柴魚等。
2.中酸性食品：火腿、培根、雞肉、鮪魚、 豬肉、鰻魚、牛肉、麵包、小麥、奶油、馬肉等。
3. 弱酸性食品：白米、落花生、啤酒、酒、 油炸豆腐、海苔、文蛤、章魚、泥鰍。
4. 弱鹼性食品：紅豆、蘿蔔、蘋果、甘藍菜、 洋蔥、豆腐等。
5.中鹼性食品：蘿蔔乾、大豆、紅蘿蔔、蕃茄、 香蕉、橘子、南瓜、草莓、蛋白、梅乾、檸檬、菠菜等。
6. 強鹼性食品：葡萄、茶葉、葡萄酒、海帶芽、海帶等。 尤其是天然綠藻富含葉綠素，是不錯的鹼性健康食品，而茶類不宜過量，
最佳飲用時間為早上。
三十多年前有一位服務於公賣局台北啤酒廠的張先生，
參加該啤酒場
選派技術人員到國外深造的考試，
以優異的成績及格。
在出國前經某公立醫院體檢發現，
罹患有像小孩拳頭大小的肺部腫瘤，因而不能出國。
張先生非常失望之餘，一直懷疑診斷有誤；
於是再到另一家醫院檢查，
結果還是證實原來的診斷並無錯誤。
當時年輕力壯的張先生得到這樣的絕症，
在人生絕望之餘，
多次打電話給當時任職台東縣政府
黃順興縣長機要秘書的魏姓同學。
魏姓同學便利用星期日趕到台北和張先生見面，
張先生向魏同學詳述相關絕望的詳情和悲觀感受，
並請位同學協助其後事，
恰逢魏同學與前任馬偕醫院院長
1949－55年專精於癌症臨床研究的呂革令博士）
係知交好友。
當即建議前往訪求呂博士醫治，
起初張先生說不願再看醫生，以免徒增傷悲；
但魏同學說先前已以電話請教過呂博士並安排好時間，
張先生只好偕同前往呂博士住處造訪。
呂博士和張先生見面就說：
「魏先生是我的好友，介紹你和我認識是我們緣份，
感謝
上帝賜給我們這個機會；
我請教你：『癌為什麼叫絕症，你可知道嗎？』」
張先生和魏先生都不知道如何作答。
呂博士又說：「人類醫治癌症到目前為止只有兩條路，
第一條路是消滅病源，第二條路是增加抵抗力。
但很奇怪的是，癌無論用鈷60 或其他藥物去消滅癌細胞，
可是癌細胞還沒被消滅，好的細胞卻先被殺死。
另無論用什麼營養、補藥，好的細胞還未吸收，
癌細胞卻先吸收、讓癌長得更快；
因此可說上述兩條路都行不通、所以叫絕症。」
呂博士又說：
「人類的聰明連登陸月球也都已經成功，
但為什麼沒有人去懷疑上述兩條治癌的路是在鑽牛角尖，
另外找第三條路？
感謝上帝賜給我以往在馬偕醫
院做癌症方面的臨床實驗，
並得院內各部同仁協助的機會，
我發現
癌症病人血液檢查的結果百分之百都是酸性反應。
長期素食、且生活接近然的佛寺僧尼，
由於體質都偏屬優質弱鹼性，
所以尚沒有發現罹患癌症的病例。
因此我大膽的斷定在弱鹼性體質的狀態下，
癌細胞是無法生長、甚至是無法生存的。
張先生
我建議你從現在起少吃酸性的葷食類，
多吃鹼性食物，另外可吃綠藻和帶殼菱角湯，
改變你的體質，並勵行接近自然的良好生活規律；
如果五年內不死、你就沒問題了，願上帝祝福你。」
張先生依照呂博士的建議， 認真改變吃的習慣，
每天又吃綠藻、喝菱角湯，樂觀加上每天適當的運動，
一年後再到同一公立醫院檢查結果，
發現腫瘤不但沒有長大、反而已呈現萎縮狀態，
遂令醫院檢查人員驚為奇蹟，
五年後竟完全處於萎縮、至近於消失狀態。
經過了將近四十年歲月，
現在張先生的健康情況完全正常，生活起居甚為愉快。
繼張先生之後，
有位前台東省立醫院總務課長陳添壽先生，同樣得到肺癌；
魏先生得知後將張先生的經過轉告陳添壽先生，
陳先生乃依照呂博士的建議進行改變體質，
結果與張先生同樣癒癌症。
那時呂博士全家已移民美國，
事後呂博士回來台灣再與魏先生見面時，
魏先生將張先生和陳先生的經過告訴呂博士，
並提議由他們倆位親自向呂博士陳述，
請呂博士發表其改變體質之自療成果報告。
呂博士謙虛地回答說：
「我年事已大， ! 且沒有臨床紀錄不能做為成果。
請魏先生轉告親友，如果友人認同的話，
請他們繼續做體驗並廣為宣導，感謝上帝 ............。」
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
關心自己也要關心別人，
85﹪癌症病患屬於酸性體質
＊健康人的血液是成弱鹼性的，約是 PH7.35∼ 7.45左右
＊嬰兒也是屬於弱鹼性的體質
＊成長期的成人有體質酸化的現象
根據一項六百位癌症病人體液分佈的研究，
顯示85 ﹪癌症病患屬於酸性體質。
因此，如何使體質維持在弱鹼性就是遠離疾病的第一步。
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
酸性體質的生理表徵
1.皮膚無光澤。
2.香港腳。
3.稍做運動即感疲勞，一上公車便想睡覺。
4.上下樓梯容易氣喘。
5.肥胖、下腹突出。
6.步伐緩慢、動作遲緩。
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
為什麼會形成酸性體質？
1. 過度攝取乳酸性食品
a）肉類、乳酪製品與蛋、牛肉、火腿等皆屬於酸性食品。
b）攝取過量的酸性食品血液會傾向酸性而變黏稠，不易流到細血管的末稍， 而易
造成手腳或膝蓋的冷寒症，以及肩膀僵硬和失眠等。
c）年輕力壯時吃適量的肉類是對的，但老年人則以蔬菜或小魚為宜。
2. 生活步調失常會造成酸性體質
a ）生活步調失常會造成精神與肉體的壓力。
b ）據統計，晚睡者罹患癌症的機率比正常人高出五倍。
c ）人類本來就活在節奏的世界裡，無法事先儲備睡眠或飲食，也不能日夜顛倒。
d）人體內臟受自律神經控制，白天主要是交感神經活動，晚上則由副交感神經工
作，若使其錯亂及倒置，就亦百病滋生。
3. 情緒過於緊張
a ）文明社會會造成的壓力。
b ）工作上或精神上的壓力。
c ）當一個人承受精神壓力後，一旦緊張鬆弛，時會造成猝死，稱為潛在性副腎皮質機能不全症。
4.肉體的緊張
a）動手術之前應先檢查腎上腺皮質機能是否正常。如果副腎皮質機能較差， 或手術壓力遠超過副腎調整功能，則可能
造成病人死亡或其他不良影響。
b）若發現病患臉部浮腫，需詳加詢問病史及服藥狀況，為長期服用腎上腺皮質賀爾蒙者，施以針灸要特別注意反應。
c）勞動或運動過度，通宵打牌、開車等壓力都應盡量避免。
附錄：常見食物的酸鹼性
1. 強酸性食品：蛋黃、乳酪、白糖做的西點 或柿子、烏魚子、柴魚等。
2.中酸性食品：火腿、培根、雞肉、鮪魚、 豬肉、鰻魚、牛肉、麵包、小麥、奶油、馬肉等。
3. 弱酸性食品：白米、落花生、啤酒、酒、 油炸豆腐、海苔、文蛤、章魚、泥鰍。
4. 弱鹼性食品：紅豆、蘿蔔、蘋果、甘藍菜、 洋蔥、豆腐等。
5.中鹼性食品：蘿蔔乾、大豆、紅蘿蔔、蕃茄、 香蕉、橘子、南瓜、草莓、蛋白、梅乾、檸檬、菠菜等。
6. 強鹼性食品：葡萄、茶葉、葡萄酒、海帶芽、海帶等。 尤其是天然綠藻富含葉綠素，是不錯的鹼性健康食品，而茶類不宜過量，
最佳飲用時間為早上。
Tips for Closing Business (Part I)
1. Whether you are closing on the phone or you are able to have a face-to-face meeting with your prospect, you need to have a sales process in place and take your prospect through that process.
2. Make sure that you spend your time speaking only with well-qualified prospects. If you are not speaking with a qualified prospect, you are wasting your time.
3. Make sure there is a match between your prospects' needs and your offering. Make sure your prospect understands the match.
4. When speaking with your prospect, always summarize what you hear. Review the points that you and your prospect have discussed, make sure that you and your prospect have the same understanding of what you've discussed. Repeat back to your prospect what the two of you have agreed on so far.
5. Prepare for questions and objections by writing down the questions and objections you believe you may hear. Make sure to come up with great responses so that you are prepared for when you hear these questions and objections.
6. Respond to questions and objections. Questions and objections are a good thing. It means that your prospect is thinking about what you are discussing and seriously considering doing business with you.
7. Make sure there are no hidden objections. Hidden, unvoiced objections can torpedo your sale.
8. To discover hidden objections, as your prospect questions like:
"What might keep you from taking action?"
"What might stand in the way of you getting started today?"
9. If a prospect raises an objection, after you respond to that objection, ask: "Aside from (whatever objection your prospect voiced) what else might stand in the way of us doing business together?" This type of question will help you determine whether or not there are more obstacles between you and your sale.
10. Make a commitment to yourself to be positive about your business, even with the apparent economic downturn. To learn more about increasing sales in a decreasing economy, save the date for November 4, 2008 - and plan to attend Wendy's teleconference on Growing Your Sales in a Tough Economy.
************************************************************
* Reprint these articles in your own publications *
Please reprint these articles in your own email, online or printed publications. It's free as long as you give credit (by Wendy Weiss) and mention the web site (http://www.wendyweiss.com) and email address wendy@wendyweiss.com .
2. Make sure that you spend your time speaking only with well-qualified prospects. If you are not speaking with a qualified prospect, you are wasting your time.
3. Make sure there is a match between your prospects' needs and your offering. Make sure your prospect understands the match.
4. When speaking with your prospect, always summarize what you hear. Review the points that you and your prospect have discussed, make sure that you and your prospect have the same understanding of what you've discussed. Repeat back to your prospect what the two of you have agreed on so far.
5. Prepare for questions and objections by writing down the questions and objections you believe you may hear. Make sure to come up with great responses so that you are prepared for when you hear these questions and objections.
6. Respond to questions and objections. Questions and objections are a good thing. It means that your prospect is thinking about what you are discussing and seriously considering doing business with you.
7. Make sure there are no hidden objections. Hidden, unvoiced objections can torpedo your sale.
8. To discover hidden objections, as your prospect questions like:
"What might keep you from taking action?"
"What might stand in the way of you getting started today?"
9. If a prospect raises an objection, after you respond to that objection, ask: "Aside from (whatever objection your prospect voiced) what else might stand in the way of us doing business together?" This type of question will help you determine whether or not there are more obstacles between you and your sale.
10. Make a commitment to yourself to be positive about your business, even with the apparent economic downturn. To learn more about increasing sales in a decreasing economy, save the date for November 4, 2008 - and plan to attend Wendy's teleconference on Growing Your Sales in a Tough Economy.
************************************************************
* Reprint these articles in your own publications *
Please reprint these articles in your own email, online or printed publications. It's free as long as you give credit (by Wendy Weiss) and mention the web site (http://www.wendyweiss.com) and email address wendy@wendyweiss.com .
Partnering For Profit
By: Brian Tracy
The way you can stand out from your competitors is for you to position your self as a business part ner, always looking for ways to improve your customer's business.
Help Your Customer's Business
When you deal with a business person, you can be sure of one thing: that person thinks about his business day and night. It is very close to him. It is dear to his heart. And if you come in and talk to him and ask him questions about his business, looking for ways to help him run his business better, the customer is going to warm up to you and want to be associated with you and your company.
Differentiate Your self from Your Competitors
As a part ner, you should always be looking to help your customer to cut costs and improve results in his or her area of resp onsibility. You should look for ways to help your customer in non-business areas as well. You should position your self as someone who cares more about the success of your customer than anything else, even more than you care about selling your product or service. This approach to partnering in profit with your customer is a key way to differentiate your self and to keep your customer for the indefinite future.
Practice the Reciprocity Principle
There is a principle of reciprocity in business that is very powerful. It is simply this: If you do something nice for someone else, they will feel obligated to do something nice for you. You should be looking for opportunities to go the extra mile, to do more than you are p aid for, to put in more than you take out. By extending your self, you improve your positioning in the customer's mind and increasingly differentiate your self and your company from your competitors who are after the same business. If you do this long enough and strong enough, you will eventually develop the partnership to the point where your competitors don't have a chance against you.
Action Ex ercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, think about how you can help your customer's customer with your product or service. Take time to understand how your customer uses your product to do his business better.
Second, focus on increasing your customer's profits and fin ancial results. Show your customer that doing business with you is both satisfying and profit able in the long run.
The way you can stand out from your competitors is for you to position your self as a business part ner, always looking for ways to improve your customer's business.
Help Your Customer's Business
When you deal with a business person, you can be sure of one thing: that person thinks about his business day and night. It is very close to him. It is dear to his heart. And if you come in and talk to him and ask him questions about his business, looking for ways to help him run his business better, the customer is going to warm up to you and want to be associated with you and your company.
Differentiate Your self from Your Competitors
As a part ner, you should always be looking to help your customer to cut costs and improve results in his or her area of resp onsibility. You should look for ways to help your customer in non-business areas as well. You should position your self as someone who cares more about the success of your customer than anything else, even more than you care about selling your product or service. This approach to partnering in profit with your customer is a key way to differentiate your self and to keep your customer for the indefinite future.
Practice the Reciprocity Principle
There is a principle of reciprocity in business that is very powerful. It is simply this: If you do something nice for someone else, they will feel obligated to do something nice for you. You should be looking for opportunities to go the extra mile, to do more than you are p aid for, to put in more than you take out. By extending your self, you improve your positioning in the customer's mind and increasingly differentiate your self and your company from your competitors who are after the same business. If you do this long enough and strong enough, you will eventually develop the partnership to the point where your competitors don't have a chance against you.
Action Ex ercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, think about how you can help your customer's customer with your product or service. Take time to understand how your customer uses your product to do his business better.
Second, focus on increasing your customer's profits and fin ancial results. Show your customer that doing business with you is both satisfying and profit able in the long run.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Walking a New Road by Jim Rohn
Here is a good question to ask yourself. Ten years from now you will surely arrive. The question is, where? We don't want to kid ourselves about where; we don't want to kid ourselves about the road we're walking.
At age 25, I had a day shortly after I met Mr. Shoaff called "do not kid myself anymore" day. I didn't want to be disillusioned anymore. Up until then, I had been using the crossed-finger theory. But after meeting Mr. Shoaff, I finally decided that the crossed-finger theory was not going to get me what I wanted. That it wasn't where the treasure lies. That I was going to have to make sure which way I was headed.
Then, with the help of Mr. Shoaff, I found with a few reading disciplines, and a few disciplines of mind, and a few disciplines of activity, that when exercised, can begin making all the difference in the world as to where you will arrive.
Just a few changes. Sometimes we get the idea that we're doing about 10% and there's about 90% more that we need in order to make the difference for our fortune but probably the opposite is true. We're doing enough things to have bought and shared in the good life so far. And maybe all we need is that extra 5% or 10% of intellectual change. Activity change. A refinement of discipline. A refinement of thought. And all we need is the ideas to make those simple changes and the equity starts gathering in one year, three years, five years, ten years.
I have a good comment for you: Now's the time to fix the next 10 years. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth; that's what was good for me when I met Mr. Shoaff, I was 25 years old, he was 44 years old. And he brought me a wealth of experience and he started asking me the tough questions. "Big question", he said, "Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go in the next 5 years?"
Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next 5 years, you are either reading the right books or you're not. You're either engaged in the disciplines or you're not. But, here's what we don't want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.
The key is to take a look and say, "Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want, the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don't want to make any more errors, now's the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go."
In lecturing the last 40+ years, I've gotten letters and personal testimonies of people that have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, tapes and books can be so valuable. Here's a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's sometimes hard to see it all.
But the key is to start right now making these changes to walk this new road. And here's what's exciting to me, just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand new road.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
At age 25, I had a day shortly after I met Mr. Shoaff called "do not kid myself anymore" day. I didn't want to be disillusioned anymore. Up until then, I had been using the crossed-finger theory. But after meeting Mr. Shoaff, I finally decided that the crossed-finger theory was not going to get me what I wanted. That it wasn't where the treasure lies. That I was going to have to make sure which way I was headed.
Then, with the help of Mr. Shoaff, I found with a few reading disciplines, and a few disciplines of mind, and a few disciplines of activity, that when exercised, can begin making all the difference in the world as to where you will arrive.
Just a few changes. Sometimes we get the idea that we're doing about 10% and there's about 90% more that we need in order to make the difference for our fortune but probably the opposite is true. We're doing enough things to have bought and shared in the good life so far. And maybe all we need is that extra 5% or 10% of intellectual change. Activity change. A refinement of discipline. A refinement of thought. And all we need is the ideas to make those simple changes and the equity starts gathering in one year, three years, five years, ten years.
I have a good comment for you: Now's the time to fix the next 10 years. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth; that's what was good for me when I met Mr. Shoaff, I was 25 years old, he was 44 years old. And he brought me a wealth of experience and he started asking me the tough questions. "Big question", he said, "Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go in the next 5 years?"
Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next 5 years, you are either reading the right books or you're not. You're either engaged in the disciplines or you're not. But, here's what we don't want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.
The key is to take a look and say, "Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want, the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don't want to make any more errors, now's the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go."
In lecturing the last 40+ years, I've gotten letters and personal testimonies of people that have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, tapes and books can be so valuable. Here's a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's sometimes hard to see it all.
But the key is to start right now making these changes to walk this new road. And here's what's exciting to me, just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand new road.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Einstein's Formula for Success by Ron White
Albert Einstein had a formula for success. Can you believe that? One of the greatest minds of all time developed a math formula for success! I suggest you read this carefully -- this may be the most important math equation that you will ever see.
Einstein said, 'If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut."
Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Let's look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!
1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times
2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't play.
3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formal is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I don't know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isn't able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person that I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the "Chatty Cathy" he could have been with his knowledge. It wasn't important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.
Shift your mind set from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in 5 minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in 5 years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!
Dale Carnegie wrote a best selling book entitled 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' One of the key premises of this book was that everyone's favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.
Ron White, author of Memory in a Month and Write it on Your Heart, wrote a book last year entitled 22 Success Lessons From Baseball. His book was a big success with both baseball fans as well as for those who want to learn and grow in business and in life.
-- Ron White
Einstein said, 'If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut."
Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Let's look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!
1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times
2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't play.
3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formal is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I don't know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isn't able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person that I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the "Chatty Cathy" he could have been with his knowledge. It wasn't important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.
Shift your mind set from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in 5 minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in 5 years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!
Dale Carnegie wrote a best selling book entitled 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' One of the key premises of this book was that everyone's favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.
Ron White, author of Memory in a Month and Write it on Your Heart, wrote a book last year entitled 22 Success Lessons From Baseball. His book was a big success with both baseball fans as well as for those who want to learn and grow in business and in life.
-- Ron White
Relax and Recharge Completely
By: Brian Tracy
Regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Here are some techniques for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful and highest paid people in America.
Take Time Off Every Week
First of all, work only five or six days per week, and rest completely on the seventh day. Every single study in this area shows that you will be far more productive in the five or six days that you work if you take one or two days off completely than you ever would be if you worked straight through for seven days.
Get Your Mind Busy Elsewhere
During this time off, do not catch up on reports, organize your desk, prepare proposals, or do anything else that requires mental effort. Simply let your mind relax completely, and get busy doing things with your family and friends. Maybe work around the house, go for a walk, engage in physical exercise, watch television, go to a movie, or play with your children. Whatever you do, discipline yourself to shut your mental gears off completely for at least one 24-hour period every seven days.
Get Away on Mini-Vacations
Second, take one three-day vacation every three months, and during that time, refrain from doing any work. Do not attempt to catch up on even a few small things. If you do, you keep your mental gears in motion, and you end up neither resting nor properly doing work of any quality.
Take Big Chunks of Down Time
Third, take at least two full weeks off each year during which you do nothing that is work-related. You can either work or relax; you cannot do both. If you attempt to do a little work while you are on vacation, you never give your mental and emotional batteries a chance to recharge. You'll come back from your vacation just as tired as you were when you left.
Give Yourself a Break Today
If you are involved in a difficult relationship, or situation at work that is emotionally draining, discipline yourself to take a complete break from it at least one day per week. Put the concern out of your mind. Refuse to think about it. Don't continually discuss it, make telephone calls about it or mull it over in your mind. You cannot perform at your best mentally if you are emotionally preoccupied with a person or situation. You have to give yourself a break.
Go For a Walk in Nature
Since a change is as good as a rest, going for a nice long walk is a wonderful way to relax emotionally and mentally. As you put your physical body into motion, your thoughts and feelings seem to relax all by themselves.
Eat Lighter Foods
Also, remember that the process of digestion consumes an enormous amount of physical energy. Therefore, if you eat lighter foods, you will feel better and more refreshed afterward. If you eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products, your digestive system will require far less energy to process them.
Be Good to Yourself
Since your diet has such an impact on your level of physical energy, and through it your levels of mental and emotional energy, the more fastidious you are about what you put into your mouth, the better you will feel and the more productive you will be. We know now that foods high in fat, sugar, or salt are not good for your body. The lighter the foods you eat, the more energy you have.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, plan your weeks in advance and build in at least one day when you will relax from work completely. Discipline yourself to keep this date.
Second, reserve, book and pay for your three day vacations several months in advance. Once you've paid the money, you are much more likely to go rather than put it off.
Third, decide that you will not work at all during your vacations. When you work, work. And when you rest, rest 100% of the time. This is very important.
Regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Here are some techniques for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful and highest paid people in America.
Take Time Off Every Week
First of all, work only five or six days per week, and rest completely on the seventh day. Every single study in this area shows that you will be far more productive in the five or six days that you work if you take one or two days off completely than you ever would be if you worked straight through for seven days.
Get Your Mind Busy Elsewhere
During this time off, do not catch up on reports, organize your desk, prepare proposals, or do anything else that requires mental effort. Simply let your mind relax completely, and get busy doing things with your family and friends. Maybe work around the house, go for a walk, engage in physical exercise, watch television, go to a movie, or play with your children. Whatever you do, discipline yourself to shut your mental gears off completely for at least one 24-hour period every seven days.
Get Away on Mini-Vacations
Second, take one three-day vacation every three months, and during that time, refrain from doing any work. Do not attempt to catch up on even a few small things. If you do, you keep your mental gears in motion, and you end up neither resting nor properly doing work of any quality.
Take Big Chunks of Down Time
Third, take at least two full weeks off each year during which you do nothing that is work-related. You can either work or relax; you cannot do both. If you attempt to do a little work while you are on vacation, you never give your mental and emotional batteries a chance to recharge. You'll come back from your vacation just as tired as you were when you left.
Give Yourself a Break Today
If you are involved in a difficult relationship, or situation at work that is emotionally draining, discipline yourself to take a complete break from it at least one day per week. Put the concern out of your mind. Refuse to think about it. Don't continually discuss it, make telephone calls about it or mull it over in your mind. You cannot perform at your best mentally if you are emotionally preoccupied with a person or situation. You have to give yourself a break.
Go For a Walk in Nature
Since a change is as good as a rest, going for a nice long walk is a wonderful way to relax emotionally and mentally. As you put your physical body into motion, your thoughts and feelings seem to relax all by themselves.
Eat Lighter Foods
Also, remember that the process of digestion consumes an enormous amount of physical energy. Therefore, if you eat lighter foods, you will feel better and more refreshed afterward. If you eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products, your digestive system will require far less energy to process them.
Be Good to Yourself
Since your diet has such an impact on your level of physical energy, and through it your levels of mental and emotional energy, the more fastidious you are about what you put into your mouth, the better you will feel and the more productive you will be. We know now that foods high in fat, sugar, or salt are not good for your body. The lighter the foods you eat, the more energy you have.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, plan your weeks in advance and build in at least one day when you will relax from work completely. Discipline yourself to keep this date.
Second, reserve, book and pay for your three day vacations several months in advance. Once you've paid the money, you are much more likely to go rather than put it off.
Third, decide that you will not work at all during your vacations. When you work, work. And when you rest, rest 100% of the time. This is very important.
遇見直銷高手張景富
景富回想小時候，出身於一個非常貧窮的家庭，父母不識字又養育6個小孩，因此媽媽一個人身兼4份工作。
10歲那年，母親懷有8個月身孕，卻依然每天騎腳踏車出門工作。
有天她出了車禍，在家只躺了3天，就急著出門上班，景富流著淚說：「要是我們家有錢，就好了！」媽媽告訴我：「我們對人生或許有失望，但不能絕望！張家以後就靠你了…
一個從小家裡貧窮，為了讓家人過更好生活。繼而擁有一定要成為富人野心的白手創業家景富。
靠著個人睿智的選擇，有別於一般人的努力打拼，終於達成傲人的成績，享有當富人的所有好處及自由。
靠白手起家的創業家故事，總是精彩可期，到底景富老師有什麼動人心弦的創業家故事呢？
與景富認識已經有半年的時間，在他身上看到的總是溫暖燦爛的笑容及平易近人的脾氣。
聽他演講總是激勵人心、扣人心弦，有一種恍如置身於戲院般，看著某富人成功創業的故事，情節總是那麼的牽引著人們的思緒，更引領人們想要創業致富的決心。
『讓錢自己流進來』是 景富 老師的暢銷著作，於今年9月更將出版『M型窮人、只要面紙不要印鈔機』來幫助更多的人改變窮腦袋繼而成功致富。
到底景富老師是如何開始投入直銷創業的快車道，美樂家對他而言到底又是一個什麼樣可以令到他致富的系統，成功並非毫無道理可循，就讓我們一起來尋找直銷創業的成功軌跡…
關於「富爸爸家族團隊」有什麼成功的祕訣，景富表示團隊能夠成功的原因在於系統及文化，景富團隊目前有70%的人兼職30%的人專職，目前團隊的系統,，重點工作在於將進來的每一個人都培養成領導者。
針對兼職及專職的伙伴量身定做教訓練的方式，做到學習量化，例如專職伙伴的學習，團隊會
要求三點：
1.每日聽一片CD或聽一場演講
2.每天跟兩個人分享美樂家
3.打三通談跟美樂家有關的事情
並且，配合公司的教育訓練系統
組織文化的部份為：
1.建立學習型的組織
2.感恩及三不原則：不批評、不責備、不抱怨
3.訓練伙伴成為領導人
根據2006年直銷產業的統計數據，100個人當中就有17.9人在從事直銷事業，然而，卻有太多的人，無法在直銷事業中成功勝出，21世紀是一個知識爆炸的時代！台灣是直銷產業必爭之地，但，同時又有太多的競爭對手，個人該如何勝出，正如世界策略大師伯恩．催西所說：「業務行銷是致富的快車道，成為該領域的前10%，因為所有的錢都在那裡了」。
選擇比努力重要，這輩子一定要有讓錢自己流進來的系統，預祝昱捷認識的所有直銷朋友，能夠永不缺錢，一年比一年好，也期待有機會提供最優質且專業的服務與您！
半工半讀完成台大商學系學業，12 年業務行銷經驗的景富老師，當我問他當初為何要從事美樂家事業時，他舉了一個很棒的例子說：「一般上班族、業務、保險朋友，總是像在推著一顆石頭上山一樣，日日歸零，月月重來，無法真正享有財富自由，當沒有工作時收入就會停止」，景富說到：「要能真正自由就要創造系統以及尋找到更多的人才，以便創造更大更好的系統」。
當初景富是為了幫忙朋友評估事業，進而去研究美樂家的系統，發覺美樂家是環保超市並非傳直銷，結合六大行業：保險、物流、直銷、日用品、資訊與郵購通路的諸般優勢！
擁有95%回購率、20%倍增及35點月循環消費系統，創業零風險。在美國連續22年及台灣10年連續成長，無產品訴訟記錄的美樂家，消費者只要把原本家裡的日用品改成使用美樂家的產品，即可開始經營一份事業。
景富謹慎評估後覺得自己有百分百的信心，可以幫助自己及他人成功，就開始在美樂家的舞台打拼事業，景富目前的成績是直接介紹了40個人成為美樂家的愛用者，並倍增了2500個會員，每個月會主動購買約2000元的消費組織網絡。同時他也幫助多人擁有持續收入進而永不缺錢！
景富老師提到：「致富有7種管道，包括：結婚、繼承、中樂透、發明(專利)、成為專家、創業及投資」，如果以一般人是選擇自行創業或加盟創業，除了擁有相當的高風險外，其實5年內成功的機率也只有5%，失敗的代價卻相對高昂。
10歲那年，母親懷有8個月身孕，卻依然每天騎腳踏車出門工作。
有天她出了車禍，在家只躺了3天，就急著出門上班，景富流著淚說：「要是我們家有錢，就好了！」媽媽告訴我：「我們對人生或許有失望，但不能絕望！張家以後就靠你了…
一個從小家裡貧窮，為了讓家人過更好生活。繼而擁有一定要成為富人野心的白手創業家景富。
靠著個人睿智的選擇，有別於一般人的努力打拼，終於達成傲人的成績，享有當富人的所有好處及自由。
靠白手起家的創業家故事，總是精彩可期，到底景富老師有什麼動人心弦的創業家故事呢？
與景富認識已經有半年的時間，在他身上看到的總是溫暖燦爛的笑容及平易近人的脾氣。
聽他演講總是激勵人心、扣人心弦，有一種恍如置身於戲院般，看著某富人成功創業的故事，情節總是那麼的牽引著人們的思緒，更引領人們想要創業致富的決心。
『讓錢自己流進來』是 景富 老師的暢銷著作，於今年9月更將出版『M型窮人、只要面紙不要印鈔機』來幫助更多的人改變窮腦袋繼而成功致富。
到底景富老師是如何開始投入直銷創業的快車道，美樂家對他而言到底又是一個什麼樣可以令到他致富的系統，成功並非毫無道理可循，就讓我們一起來尋找直銷創業的成功軌跡…
關於「富爸爸家族團隊」有什麼成功的祕訣，景富表示團隊能夠成功的原因在於系統及文化，景富團隊目前有70%的人兼職30%的人專職，目前團隊的系統,，重點工作在於將進來的每一個人都培養成領導者。
針對兼職及專職的伙伴量身定做教訓練的方式，做到學習量化，例如專職伙伴的學習，團隊會
要求三點：
1.每日聽一片CD或聽一場演講
2.每天跟兩個人分享美樂家
3.打三通談跟美樂家有關的事情
並且，配合公司的教育訓練系統
組織文化的部份為：
1.建立學習型的組織
2.感恩及三不原則：不批評、不責備、不抱怨
3.訓練伙伴成為領導人
根據2006年直銷產業的統計數據，100個人當中就有17.9人在從事直銷事業，然而，卻有太多的人，無法在直銷事業中成功勝出，21世紀是一個知識爆炸的時代！台灣是直銷產業必爭之地，但，同時又有太多的競爭對手，個人該如何勝出，正如世界策略大師伯恩．催西所說：「業務行銷是致富的快車道，成為該領域的前10%，因為所有的錢都在那裡了」。
選擇比努力重要，這輩子一定要有讓錢自己流進來的系統，預祝昱捷認識的所有直銷朋友，能夠永不缺錢，一年比一年好，也期待有機會提供最優質且專業的服務與您！
半工半讀完成台大商學系學業，12 年業務行銷經驗的景富老師，當我問他當初為何要從事美樂家事業時，他舉了一個很棒的例子說：「一般上班族、業務、保險朋友，總是像在推著一顆石頭上山一樣，日日歸零，月月重來，無法真正享有財富自由，當沒有工作時收入就會停止」，景富說到：「要能真正自由就要創造系統以及尋找到更多的人才，以便創造更大更好的系統」。
當初景富是為了幫忙朋友評估事業，進而去研究美樂家的系統，發覺美樂家是環保超市並非傳直銷，結合六大行業：保險、物流、直銷、日用品、資訊與郵購通路的諸般優勢！
擁有95%回購率、20%倍增及35點月循環消費系統，創業零風險。在美國連續22年及台灣10年連續成長，無產品訴訟記錄的美樂家，消費者只要把原本家裡的日用品改成使用美樂家的產品，即可開始經營一份事業。
景富謹慎評估後覺得自己有百分百的信心，可以幫助自己及他人成功，就開始在美樂家的舞台打拼事業，景富目前的成績是直接介紹了40個人成為美樂家的愛用者，並倍增了2500個會員，每個月會主動購買約2000元的消費組織網絡。同時他也幫助多人擁有持續收入進而永不缺錢！
景富老師提到：「致富有7種管道，包括：結婚、繼承、中樂透、發明(專利)、成為專家、創業及投資」，如果以一般人是選擇自行創業或加盟創業，除了擁有相當的高風險外，其實5年內成功的機率也只有5%，失敗的代價卻相對高昂。
The Secret Peril That Causes Sales To Be Lost – By Lee Salz
One of the biggest mirages in sales is the proverbial rubber stamp. Sales people believe that they have won the business, but have left a deal-killer in play.
It's September, also known as back to school time. My neighbors and I escort our children to the bus stop for the first day of the new school year. However, we're puzzled about the location of the bus stop. It isn't in the same place that it was in prior years. Instead of the children walking down the street, just a few houses, they now had to cross two, very active streets to get to the bus stop.
Vigilant, we parents made calls to get the stop moved back to where it was before. It seemed to be a fairly easy process. We called the administrator who coordinates the bus stops and he easily acquiesced. The supervisor of the bus drivers visited the bus stop and agreed with us about the safety concern. The administrator told us that the paperwork just needed to get signed by his boss, but to let the driver know the decision was made to move the bus stop back to the old location. Victory was ours. Or was it? We left someone out of the process and what occurred next will sound painfully familiar to any sales person who works in a complex, multi-buyer, sale.
After the conversation with the supervisor and administrator, we went to what we thought was the new, old bus stop. The bus turned down our street, we gave our kids a farewell kiss, and awaited their boarding of the bus. Here comes the bus. There goes the bus. The bus driver drove past us as if we weren't even there. Needless to say, we were furious and got on the horn. All roads led to Jack (name changed) who is the ultimate decision-maker on bus stops. He had not been consulted on any of these discussions or decisions and was blind-sided by this situation. "I see no reason to change the stop from where I assigned it, he barked." We immediately knew this was going to be problematic. With the urging of the school and the parents, he agreed to "re-assess" the bus stop.
Following his re-assessment, he called each of the parents to inform them of his decision. "Well, I don't think the bus stop is unsafe, but I'm going to move it." Don't think for one second that he used this opportunity to say that the parents' solution was better than his. Instead, he didn't move the stop to the requested location. He moved it across the street from where we asked him to assign it. He even changed the entire bus route to accommodate for his solution, a tremendous amount of work for a small issue. However, assigning bus stops is Jack's domain. He owns it. He's responsible for it. He is in control. No one is going to tell Jack how to run his business. He is a thirty-year expert in bus safety. However, this wasn't a decision on expertise, it was old-fashioned bravado, ego. And, it is not limited to bus stops. It impacts every sales person who needs to engage multiple people in the buying process to get the account awarded to them.
As I hung up the phone with Jack, it dawned on me. I coach sales people on how to work strategically in an account and we failed miserably in this circumstance. One of the perils I share with sales people is leaving the ultimate decision-maker out of the solution development process. Think about a sale that you lost, that you thought you were going to win. And, you thought you were going to win because you had a great relationship with the administrator. You and the administrator had crafted the entire solution in such a way that he could march into his boss's office for the proverbial rubber stamp.
Many years ago, I learned, painfully, that there is no such thing as a rubber stamp. Many sales people hear "rubber stamp" and feel confident that they are working with the right person. "The sale is mine!" If anything, the rubber stamp is simply the fuse on a stick of dynamite. Better get under your desk, your deal is about to implode!
Here is what happens behind the scenes as your administrator visits with his boss. "Mr Jones, I've found a new supplier for our widgets. The sales rep is terrific. We've worked together and developed an ideal solution that makes everyone's life easier and we'll save 10% on our spending." "Put it in my inbox," says, Mr. Jones. Days become weeks as the administrator pings Mr. Jones about his rubber stamp, but no signature is forthcoming.
Finally, Mr. Jones develops an interest in his widget purchasing and surfs the web for potential suppliers. He meets with three of them and finds one to his liking. "This supplier is going to save the company 10.25%". Guess who got the deal? However, the sales person never knows about this because the administrator is too embarrassed to call him. After all, the administrator said this was just a rubber stamp, you had been awarded the business. Communication with the administrator goes dark; he just stops responding to your emails and voicemails.
What sales people often forget is that as you go up the corporate ladder, business leaders maintain accountability for the lower rungs of their responsibility. Thus, they want to feel as if they are involved in the solution development phase, or at least be offered the opportunity to participate. When administrators fly into their office with what they feel is a great decision, they are rebuffed. And, for one core reason, EGO! While the administrator's plan may very well be a great one, it is met with resistance for the simple reason that his manager was not invited to participate in the process. When he finally becomes interested enough to look at this issue, his goal becomes proving that there is a better deal to be had. In essence, this approach creates a saboteur of your deal.
If you are the sales person dealing with the administrator, how do you have the conversation where you share the concern of their manager not being involved in the process without offending? It takes a tremendous amount of finesse and strategic planning. However, if you truly have your client's best interests at heart, it is easy. This is the ultimate key. If you are committed to ensuring that your clients achieve their goals, you can have this conversation. After all, you know that they won't get what they want if you continue down this path. Need help with a strategy to have this discussion with your clients, send me an email: lsalz@salesarchitecture.com.
About the Author:
Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales architecture® methodology. He is the President of Sales Architects, the C.E.O. of Business Expert Webinars and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.” Lee is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the Internet radio show, “Secrets of Business Gurus.” Look for Lee's new book in February 2009 titled, "The Sales Marriage” where he shares the secrets to hiring the right sales people. He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.
It's September, also known as back to school time. My neighbors and I escort our children to the bus stop for the first day of the new school year. However, we're puzzled about the location of the bus stop. It isn't in the same place that it was in prior years. Instead of the children walking down the street, just a few houses, they now had to cross two, very active streets to get to the bus stop.
Vigilant, we parents made calls to get the stop moved back to where it was before. It seemed to be a fairly easy process. We called the administrator who coordinates the bus stops and he easily acquiesced. The supervisor of the bus drivers visited the bus stop and agreed with us about the safety concern. The administrator told us that the paperwork just needed to get signed by his boss, but to let the driver know the decision was made to move the bus stop back to the old location. Victory was ours. Or was it? We left someone out of the process and what occurred next will sound painfully familiar to any sales person who works in a complex, multi-buyer, sale.
After the conversation with the supervisor and administrator, we went to what we thought was the new, old bus stop. The bus turned down our street, we gave our kids a farewell kiss, and awaited their boarding of the bus. Here comes the bus. There goes the bus. The bus driver drove past us as if we weren't even there. Needless to say, we were furious and got on the horn. All roads led to Jack (name changed) who is the ultimate decision-maker on bus stops. He had not been consulted on any of these discussions or decisions and was blind-sided by this situation. "I see no reason to change the stop from where I assigned it, he barked." We immediately knew this was going to be problematic. With the urging of the school and the parents, he agreed to "re-assess" the bus stop.
Following his re-assessment, he called each of the parents to inform them of his decision. "Well, I don't think the bus stop is unsafe, but I'm going to move it." Don't think for one second that he used this opportunity to say that the parents' solution was better than his. Instead, he didn't move the stop to the requested location. He moved it across the street from where we asked him to assign it. He even changed the entire bus route to accommodate for his solution, a tremendous amount of work for a small issue. However, assigning bus stops is Jack's domain. He owns it. He's responsible for it. He is in control. No one is going to tell Jack how to run his business. He is a thirty-year expert in bus safety. However, this wasn't a decision on expertise, it was old-fashioned bravado, ego. And, it is not limited to bus stops. It impacts every sales person who needs to engage multiple people in the buying process to get the account awarded to them.
As I hung up the phone with Jack, it dawned on me. I coach sales people on how to work strategically in an account and we failed miserably in this circumstance. One of the perils I share with sales people is leaving the ultimate decision-maker out of the solution development process. Think about a sale that you lost, that you thought you were going to win. And, you thought you were going to win because you had a great relationship with the administrator. You and the administrator had crafted the entire solution in such a way that he could march into his boss's office for the proverbial rubber stamp.
Many years ago, I learned, painfully, that there is no such thing as a rubber stamp. Many sales people hear "rubber stamp" and feel confident that they are working with the right person. "The sale is mine!" If anything, the rubber stamp is simply the fuse on a stick of dynamite. Better get under your desk, your deal is about to implode!
Here is what happens behind the scenes as your administrator visits with his boss. "Mr Jones, I've found a new supplier for our widgets. The sales rep is terrific. We've worked together and developed an ideal solution that makes everyone's life easier and we'll save 10% on our spending." "Put it in my inbox," says, Mr. Jones. Days become weeks as the administrator pings Mr. Jones about his rubber stamp, but no signature is forthcoming.
Finally, Mr. Jones develops an interest in his widget purchasing and surfs the web for potential suppliers. He meets with three of them and finds one to his liking. "This supplier is going to save the company 10.25%". Guess who got the deal? However, the sales person never knows about this because the administrator is too embarrassed to call him. After all, the administrator said this was just a rubber stamp, you had been awarded the business. Communication with the administrator goes dark; he just stops responding to your emails and voicemails.
What sales people often forget is that as you go up the corporate ladder, business leaders maintain accountability for the lower rungs of their responsibility. Thus, they want to feel as if they are involved in the solution development phase, or at least be offered the opportunity to participate. When administrators fly into their office with what they feel is a great decision, they are rebuffed. And, for one core reason, EGO! While the administrator's plan may very well be a great one, it is met with resistance for the simple reason that his manager was not invited to participate in the process. When he finally becomes interested enough to look at this issue, his goal becomes proving that there is a better deal to be had. In essence, this approach creates a saboteur of your deal.
If you are the sales person dealing with the administrator, how do you have the conversation where you share the concern of their manager not being involved in the process without offending? It takes a tremendous amount of finesse and strategic planning. However, if you truly have your client's best interests at heart, it is easy. This is the ultimate key. If you are committed to ensuring that your clients achieve their goals, you can have this conversation. After all, you know that they won't get what they want if you continue down this path. Need help with a strategy to have this discussion with your clients, send me an email: lsalz@salesarchitecture.com.
About the Author:
Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales architecture® methodology. He is the President of Sales Architects, the C.E.O. of Business Expert Webinars and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.” Lee is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the Internet radio show, “Secrets of Business Gurus.” Look for Lee's new book in February 2009 titled, "The Sales Marriage” where he shares the secrets to hiring the right sales people. He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.
Sorting vs. Selling – By Ron LeBlanc
In this article I want to let you in on something that the top home based business people know. It took me a while to learn it and be comfortable with it. That concept is sorting vs. selling.
What do I mean by that? I mean that whatever home based business you are in, you must somehow contact people and communicate with them. If you are thinking that you have to find people and convince them to join your business…good luck!
If you have a business that has a higher entry level, say above $1000, you are not going to get someone who has no goals and a poverty mindset and get them invest over $1000 in a business. If you have one of the businesses with a low startup around $100 and you somehow manage to twist arms and convince someone to join in – then you should take your phone off the hook, because that type of person may think they have just won the lottery. Two weeks later when they have no results, they will be calling you to complain.
Trying to sell someone who is reluctant is like dragging someone along to a movie they don’t want to see. Not an enjoyable experience. Who wants people like that around?
The secret is sorting. If you know what to look for, then you look only for those people. As I have mentioned in previous articles, you don’t have to be a computer guru to do most home based businesses now. So what are the characteristics you are looking for? Desire and coachability. When you find that person, they deserve to hear about your opportunity.
How do you look for those things? What do they sound like? For desire, you want to hear something like “I am done with jobs I have to work for myself or else”, “I want to make $250k and I will have a vacation home.” When you hear “Yeah, money would be nice someday”, or “I don’t know I want my income to be unlimited”, or “I’m just looking for a little something extra”. Those are indicators that there is not a strong desire.
Coachability is a trait that will mean that someone will follow the business system that your opportunity has already setup. That’s important because you don’t want someone who will go outside your company’s compliance guidelines. You also don’t want someone calling you up twenty times a day because they won’t listen to a training call.
You will hear a lack of coachability as you talk to them and they ask you to cut to the chase and tell them what it’s about. People who interrupt you a lot are also not coachable.
Remember you are not serving people who have little desire and are not coachable by bringing them into your business. If they flop, nobody benefits. Your best response to them is NEXT!
About the Author:
Ron LeBlanc, PE spent 20+ years in science and engineering when woke up to his true potential and began working from home. He lives in Boulder, CO and works out of his home. He enjoys helping other people learn to do home based businesses. Get his tip-filled newsletter and some special offers at http://www.be-do-have.com
What do I mean by that? I mean that whatever home based business you are in, you must somehow contact people and communicate with them. If you are thinking that you have to find people and convince them to join your business…good luck!
If you have a business that has a higher entry level, say above $1000, you are not going to get someone who has no goals and a poverty mindset and get them invest over $1000 in a business. If you have one of the businesses with a low startup around $100 and you somehow manage to twist arms and convince someone to join in – then you should take your phone off the hook, because that type of person may think they have just won the lottery. Two weeks later when they have no results, they will be calling you to complain.
Trying to sell someone who is reluctant is like dragging someone along to a movie they don’t want to see. Not an enjoyable experience. Who wants people like that around?
The secret is sorting. If you know what to look for, then you look only for those people. As I have mentioned in previous articles, you don’t have to be a computer guru to do most home based businesses now. So what are the characteristics you are looking for? Desire and coachability. When you find that person, they deserve to hear about your opportunity.
How do you look for those things? What do they sound like? For desire, you want to hear something like “I am done with jobs I have to work for myself or else”, “I want to make $250k and I will have a vacation home.” When you hear “Yeah, money would be nice someday”, or “I don’t know I want my income to be unlimited”, or “I’m just looking for a little something extra”. Those are indicators that there is not a strong desire.
Coachability is a trait that will mean that someone will follow the business system that your opportunity has already setup. That’s important because you don’t want someone who will go outside your company’s compliance guidelines. You also don’t want someone calling you up twenty times a day because they won’t listen to a training call.
You will hear a lack of coachability as you talk to them and they ask you to cut to the chase and tell them what it’s about. People who interrupt you a lot are also not coachable.
Remember you are not serving people who have little desire and are not coachable by bringing them into your business. If they flop, nobody benefits. Your best response to them is NEXT!
About the Author:
Ron LeBlanc, PE spent 20+ years in science and engineering when woke up to his true potential and began working from home. He lives in Boulder, CO and works out of his home. He enjoys helping other people learn to do home based businesses. Get his tip-filled newsletter and some special offers at http://www.be-do-have.com
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Ups And Downs Of Selling - Jim Meisenheimer
The ups and downs of selling are a little like the ups
and downs on Wall Street.
The headline in last Friday's Wall Street Journal said
"Market's 7-Day Rout Leaves U.S. Reeling."
What a difference a weekend can make. Today's Wall Street
Journal front-page article said "Dow Takes Giant Leap As
Bailouts Snap Gloom." As a matter of fact the Dow did
take a giant leap going up a record-breaking 936 points
in one day.
Here's the way I see it. What goes up usually goes down.
What goes down usually goes up. And that's because history
does tend to repeat itself. The same holds true for the
ups and downs of selling.
These are not the easiest days for people in the selling
profession. Doom and gloom! It's one huge pity party.
Everyone's drinking from the same cup. Well, it doesn't
have to be that way. You have a choice - you really do.
You don't have to buy into the ups and downs of selling -
you can choose to stay focused exclusively on the upside
of selling.
I live in Lakewood Ranch Florida. And just a few short
years ago the Sarasota/Bradenton area boasted one of the
hottest real estate markets in the United States.
Everybody's aunt Harriet became a real estate sales agent.
My own home, in three short years appreciated by a factor
of 2.5. Everybody was buying houses hoping to flip them
for a quick and easy profit.
It was like going fishing and watching the fish jump onto
your boat - it was that easy. There was a buying and selling
frenzy and needless to say it didn't require much in the
way of selling skills if you were a real estate salesperson.
A realtor friend of mine told me 75% of the real estate
salespeople hung up their spurs and left the business. Why
I wondered - could that be? Well what was easy became more
difficult - maybe even impossible. What once required zero
selling skills now required a Masters in the art of selling.
In this case, the ups and downs of selling clearly separated
the winners from the whiners.
Yesterday I was reading a chapter from one of my favorite
books, "Light From Many Lamps" by Lillian Eichler Watson.
In one chapter she talked about A.J. Cronin's attempt at
writing his first novel. He came to the point of almost
giving up. In fact, he threw his work in progress into a
trashcan.
The book he finally completed was Hatter's Castle. "The novel
he'd almost given up on was chosen by the Book Society,
dramatized and serialized, translated into 19 languages,
bought by Hollywood and has sold over 3 million copies."
Here's an excerpt. "What is the use . . . to work . . .
to save . . . to go on living . . . with Armageddon around
the corner? I am glad to recollect. In this present chaos,
with no shining vision to sustain us, the door wide open to
darkness and despair is. The way to close that door is to
stick to the job that we are doing, not how insignificant
that job may be, to go on doing it and finish it."
These are challenging times for professional salespeople.
These times are equally challenging for your sales prospects
and customers and probably just as challenging for your
competitors. You see, everyone is susceptible to the ups
and downs of selling.
Don't give up - get going and start doing more! The ups and
downs of selling don't have to be obstacles - treat them
like golden opportunities.
Yesterday I got an e-mail from Miles Bruce - president of
Panic Plastics. He sent me a quote from Mark Cuban, a
billionaire entrepreneur, who also happens to be president
of the Dallas Mavericks. Here's what the quote said:
"The 2nd rule for getting rich is getting smart. Investing
your time in yourself and becoming knowledgeable about
the business of something you really love to do.
It doesn’t matter what it is. Whatever your hobbies,
interests, passions are. Find the one you love the best
and GET A JOB in the business that supports it.
It could be as a clerk, a salesperson, whatever you can
find. You have to start learning the business somewhere.
Instead of paying to go to school somewhere, you are
getting paid to learn. It may not be the perfect job,
but there is no perfect path to getting rich.
Before or after work and on weekends, every single day,
read everything there is to read about the business.
Go to trade shows, read the trade magazines, spend a
lot of time talking to the people you do business with a
bout their business and the people they buy from."
If you're serious about selling get serious about learning
more. Get serious about learning as much as you can about
your customers and their customers. Become the burning torch
that spreads light and enthusiasm everywhere you go.
In any crowd of doomers and gloomers you'll surely stand-out.
Turn the ups and downs of selling into a personal challenge.
You can get up 15 minutes earlier . . .
You can do two extra follow-ups . . .
You can make one extra sales call . . .
You can ask more thought-provoking questions . . .
You can do more, learn more, and become more valuable to
your sales prospects and customers.
And remember Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's words, "The
lowest ebb is the turn of the tide."
Never let the ups and downs of selling get you down.
Let's go sell something!
and downs on Wall Street.
The headline in last Friday's Wall Street Journal said
"Market's 7-Day Rout Leaves U.S. Reeling."
What a difference a weekend can make. Today's Wall Street
Journal front-page article said "Dow Takes Giant Leap As
Bailouts Snap Gloom." As a matter of fact the Dow did
take a giant leap going up a record-breaking 936 points
in one day.
Here's the way I see it. What goes up usually goes down.
What goes down usually goes up. And that's because history
does tend to repeat itself. The same holds true for the
ups and downs of selling.
These are not the easiest days for people in the selling
profession. Doom and gloom! It's one huge pity party.
Everyone's drinking from the same cup. Well, it doesn't
have to be that way. You have a choice - you really do.
You don't have to buy into the ups and downs of selling -
you can choose to stay focused exclusively on the upside
of selling.
I live in Lakewood Ranch Florida. And just a few short
years ago the Sarasota/Bradenton area boasted one of the
hottest real estate markets in the United States.
Everybody's aunt Harriet became a real estate sales agent.
My own home, in three short years appreciated by a factor
of 2.5. Everybody was buying houses hoping to flip them
for a quick and easy profit.
It was like going fishing and watching the fish jump onto
your boat - it was that easy. There was a buying and selling
frenzy and needless to say it didn't require much in the
way of selling skills if you were a real estate salesperson.
A realtor friend of mine told me 75% of the real estate
salespeople hung up their spurs and left the business. Why
I wondered - could that be? Well what was easy became more
difficult - maybe even impossible. What once required zero
selling skills now required a Masters in the art of selling.
In this case, the ups and downs of selling clearly separated
the winners from the whiners.
Yesterday I was reading a chapter from one of my favorite
books, "Light From Many Lamps" by Lillian Eichler Watson.
In one chapter she talked about A.J. Cronin's attempt at
writing his first novel. He came to the point of almost
giving up. In fact, he threw his work in progress into a
trashcan.
The book he finally completed was Hatter's Castle. "The novel
he'd almost given up on was chosen by the Book Society,
dramatized and serialized, translated into 19 languages,
bought by Hollywood and has sold over 3 million copies."
Here's an excerpt. "What is the use . . . to work . . .
to save . . . to go on living . . . with Armageddon around
the corner? I am glad to recollect. In this present chaos,
with no shining vision to sustain us, the door wide open to
darkness and despair is. The way to close that door is to
stick to the job that we are doing, not how insignificant
that job may be, to go on doing it and finish it."
These are challenging times for professional salespeople.
These times are equally challenging for your sales prospects
and customers and probably just as challenging for your
competitors. You see, everyone is susceptible to the ups
and downs of selling.
Don't give up - get going and start doing more! The ups and
downs of selling don't have to be obstacles - treat them
like golden opportunities.
Yesterday I got an e-mail from Miles Bruce - president of
Panic Plastics. He sent me a quote from Mark Cuban, a
billionaire entrepreneur, who also happens to be president
of the Dallas Mavericks. Here's what the quote said:
"The 2nd rule for getting rich is getting smart. Investing
your time in yourself and becoming knowledgeable about
the business of something you really love to do.
It doesn’t matter what it is. Whatever your hobbies,
interests, passions are. Find the one you love the best
and GET A JOB in the business that supports it.
It could be as a clerk, a salesperson, whatever you can
find. You have to start learning the business somewhere.
Instead of paying to go to school somewhere, you are
getting paid to learn. It may not be the perfect job,
but there is no perfect path to getting rich.
Before or after work and on weekends, every single day,
read everything there is to read about the business.
Go to trade shows, read the trade magazines, spend a
lot of time talking to the people you do business with a
bout their business and the people they buy from."
If you're serious about selling get serious about learning
more. Get serious about learning as much as you can about
your customers and their customers. Become the burning torch
that spreads light and enthusiasm everywhere you go.
In any crowd of doomers and gloomers you'll surely stand-out.
Turn the ups and downs of selling into a personal challenge.
You can get up 15 minutes earlier . . .
You can do two extra follow-ups . . .
You can make one extra sales call . . .
You can ask more thought-provoking questions . . .
You can do more, learn more, and become more valuable to
your sales prospects and customers.
And remember Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's words, "The
lowest ebb is the turn of the tide."
Never let the ups and downs of selling get you down.
Let's go sell something!
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Modern Day (Real Life) Indiana Jones by Vic Johnson
One of my life's most valuable possessions is my journal. Why? Because my journal contains my dreams! And my dreams are my future!
I learned this principle from a story about a 15 year old boy by the name of John Goddard. John, one day, happened to hear his parents and another adult talking, and the other adult had been telling John's parents about how miserable his life was and how much he had failed. He wished he was John's age again and could live his life over and do some things differently.
Well, John heard the anguish in his voice, I suppose, and he made a vow that he was going to do something at 15 years old. So at 15 years old he took out a legal pad and began to write the things he wanted to do in his life, what he wanted to accomplish. Before he was finished he had 127 things on his list. He called it, "My Life List".
Today John is in his late 70's. Of his original 127 goals, John over the last 55-60 years has accomplished 111 of them, plus 400 other ones that he set along the way. And just so you know these weren't some small goals, here are some of the goals that John Goddard has accomplished that were on his list:
- He's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, he's climbed Mount Ararat, in fact, he's climbed every major peak in the world.
Now just that, how many people just doing that, would be one great life experience? But that's just one of 500+ for John Goddard.
- He took Marco Polo's route through all of Asia and China.
- He ran a mile in five minutes, he broad jumped 15 feet, high jumped five feet, and so on...
- He was the first person to explore the entire 4,200 mile length of the Nile River (that was his number one goal!). When he was 15 years old, no person had ever done it, but that fifteen year old boy didn't know that, it didn't matter to him. He put it on his list and when he did it, USA Today named him the modern day Indiana Jones. He's been down not just the Nile River. He's been down the Amazon, down the Congo, etc.
- He's been to 122 countries and lived with 260 different tribes.
- He's explored the Reefs of Florida, the Great Barrier Reefs and so on...
- He's flown 40 different types of aircrafts. Still holds civilian air speed records. Just that alone would be a great life experience; that was just one of John Goddard's goals.
- He's read the Bible cover to cover.
- He's taught himself French, Spanish, Arabic (who reading this could not learn a foreign language in the next couple of years?).
And that is just a portion of over 500 dreams that John Goddard has accomplished.
I hope we all learn from John Goddard! Here are two major points that were impressed upon me:
1) John Goddard's goals (dreams) were written down. How many of you have heard that before, to write your goals and dreams down? Because for 20 years I heard it and I had never written mine down, until just three years ago. Brian Tracy says if you'll write your goals down you have a 100 times greater chance of success, just by writing them down. Now I look at that mathematically and then by an inverse way, from an opposite way. What it says to me that if I don't write my goals down, I only have a 1 in 100 chance of succeeding. Write your goals and dreams down.
2) His dreams were BIG! I've found that a small dream will not give you the bullet proofing you are going to need. A small dream won't protect you when bad times come. A small dream does not have any power at all - it has to be BIG!
So get started today! Go get a journal (or wipe the dust off the one you have) and write down your BIG goals! And then get started on your life story!
Vic Johnson
I learned this principle from a story about a 15 year old boy by the name of John Goddard. John, one day, happened to hear his parents and another adult talking, and the other adult had been telling John's parents about how miserable his life was and how much he had failed. He wished he was John's age again and could live his life over and do some things differently.
Well, John heard the anguish in his voice, I suppose, and he made a vow that he was going to do something at 15 years old. So at 15 years old he took out a legal pad and began to write the things he wanted to do in his life, what he wanted to accomplish. Before he was finished he had 127 things on his list. He called it, "My Life List".
Today John is in his late 70's. Of his original 127 goals, John over the last 55-60 years has accomplished 111 of them, plus 400 other ones that he set along the way. And just so you know these weren't some small goals, here are some of the goals that John Goddard has accomplished that were on his list:
- He's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, he's climbed Mount Ararat, in fact, he's climbed every major peak in the world.
Now just that, how many people just doing that, would be one great life experience? But that's just one of 500+ for John Goddard.
- He took Marco Polo's route through all of Asia and China.
- He ran a mile in five minutes, he broad jumped 15 feet, high jumped five feet, and so on...
- He was the first person to explore the entire 4,200 mile length of the Nile River (that was his number one goal!). When he was 15 years old, no person had ever done it, but that fifteen year old boy didn't know that, it didn't matter to him. He put it on his list and when he did it, USA Today named him the modern day Indiana Jones. He's been down not just the Nile River. He's been down the Amazon, down the Congo, etc.
- He's been to 122 countries and lived with 260 different tribes.
- He's explored the Reefs of Florida, the Great Barrier Reefs and so on...
- He's flown 40 different types of aircrafts. Still holds civilian air speed records. Just that alone would be a great life experience; that was just one of John Goddard's goals.
- He's read the Bible cover to cover.
- He's taught himself French, Spanish, Arabic (who reading this could not learn a foreign language in the next couple of years?).
And that is just a portion of over 500 dreams that John Goddard has accomplished.
I hope we all learn from John Goddard! Here are two major points that were impressed upon me:
1) John Goddard's goals (dreams) were written down. How many of you have heard that before, to write your goals and dreams down? Because for 20 years I heard it and I had never written mine down, until just three years ago. Brian Tracy says if you'll write your goals down you have a 100 times greater chance of success, just by writing them down. Now I look at that mathematically and then by an inverse way, from an opposite way. What it says to me that if I don't write my goals down, I only have a 1 in 100 chance of succeeding. Write your goals and dreams down.
2) His dreams were BIG! I've found that a small dream will not give you the bullet proofing you are going to need. A small dream won't protect you when bad times come. A small dream does not have any power at all - it has to be BIG!
So get started today! Go get a journal (or wipe the dust off the one you have) and write down your BIG goals! And then get started on your life story!
Vic Johnson
Challenges to Pursue (excerpted from the 2004 Jim Rohn Weekend Leadership Event CDs/DVDs)
Review your performance. Whether it's communication, whether it's activity, whether it's a CEO, whether it's on the job. Here's what my father said, "Always do more than you are paid for to make an investment in your future." Now some unions would argue with that. My father was so unique. Review your performance--your language with your children. Say, "Have I been too harsh, too strong, too stubborn? Should I have learned to be easier and mixed more compassion with the tough stuff I have to deal with?" And yes, prayer will help. Ask for help to say the right thing, not to ruin it all by poor communication.
Face your fears. That's how you conquer them. Don't dismiss them; face them. Say, "Here's what I'm afraid of. I wonder what I could do to change that."
Exercise your willpower to change direction. You don't have to keep doing what you've been doing the last 6 years if it's not yielding the benefits you want. My mentor helped me review the last six years so I wouldn't repeat those errors the next six. Pick a new destination and go that way. Use your willpower to start the process. You don't have to repeat last year. Clean up the errors. Invest it now in the next year. Watch it make the difference.
Admit your mistakes. Sometimes you have to admit them to others. Parents have to do it. We ask our kids do it; we have to do it. Here's one of the best phrases in the English language, "I'm sorry." The reason those are good words is because they could start a whole new relationship. It could start two people going in a whole new direction. Simple, not easy. You get this done, the turnaround can be dramatic. The early years can be big in payoff. Here's the big one. Admit your mistakes to yourself. You don't have to babble about them to everyone in the neighborhood. But it doesn't hurt to sit down and have a conversation with yourself and say, "There's no use kidding myself. Here's where I really am. I've got pennies in my pocket and I've got nothing in the bank." That's what I said after a Girl Scout left my door. I had a conversation with myself and I said, "I don't want this to happen anymore."
Refine your goals. Start the process. Set some higher goals. Reach for some higher purpose. Go for something beyond what you thought you could do.
Believe in yourself. You've got to believe in God and you've got to believe in the community. You've got to believe in the possibilities. You've got to believe in the economy. You've got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. Here's the big one. Believe in yourself. There isn't a skill you can't learn; there isn't a discipline you can't try; there isn't a class you can't take; there isn't a book you couldn't read.
Ask for wisdom. This is communication of the highest source. Ask for wisdom that creates answers. Ask for the wisdom that creates faith to believe things are possible. Ask for wisdom to deal with the challenges for today and tomorrow, to deal with the challenges your family brings you. Don't wish it was easier; wish you were better.
Conserve your time. Sometimes we get faked out. Bill Bailey says the average person says, "I've got twenty more years." No, Bill says you've got twenty more times. If you go fishing once a year, you've only got twenty more times to go fishing, not twenty years. That fakes you out.
Invest your profits. Here's one of the philosophies that Mr. Shoaff gave me. Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living, profits make you a fortune. Could we start earning profits while we make a living? The answer is yes.
Protect your family. These are troublesome times. At school--troublesome times. Protect your family as best you can from the hidden dangers, the lurking evil one.
Live with intensity. You might as well turn it up a notch or two. Invest more of you in whatever you do. Be a little stronger; be a little wiser. Step up your vitality contribution. Put everything you've got into everything you do and then ask for more vitality, more strength and more vigor, more heart and more soul.
Find your place. If you just work on a job, find the best place you can serve well, and sure enough they'll ask you to occupy a better place. And if you keep doing a job well, do the very best you can. That's your best way out. Here's a Bible phrase. If you work on your gifts, they'll make a place for you.
Demand integrity from yourself. Integrity is like loyalty. You can't demand it of someone else; you can only demand it of yourself. Be the best example of loyalty, and you'll get some loyal followers. Be the best example of integrity, and you'll have people around you who have integrity. Lead the way.
Welcome the disciplines. Can't give you much better advice than that because disciplines create the reality. Disciplines build cities. A well-disciplined activity creates abundance, creates uniqueness, productivity.
Fight for what's right. It's a fight we're in. The story-teller says "And there was great war in heaven." One of the writers of later scripture said, "I fought a good fight." That's extraordinary to be able to say. I fought for my kids, and I fought for what was right and I fought for good health, and I fought to protect my company and I fought for a good career that would bless my family. I fought a good fight. It's good to fight the encroachment. Opposites are in conflict, and you're in the middle. If you want something valuable, you've got to fight for it. Then this writer also said, "I fought a good fight and I kept the faith." See, that's the deal. Keep faith with your family. Fight the enemy and keep faith. Fight the illness and keep faith. Fight the evil and keep faith. I can't give you much better advice.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Face your fears. That's how you conquer them. Don't dismiss them; face them. Say, "Here's what I'm afraid of. I wonder what I could do to change that."
Exercise your willpower to change direction. You don't have to keep doing what you've been doing the last 6 years if it's not yielding the benefits you want. My mentor helped me review the last six years so I wouldn't repeat those errors the next six. Pick a new destination and go that way. Use your willpower to start the process. You don't have to repeat last year. Clean up the errors. Invest it now in the next year. Watch it make the difference.
Admit your mistakes. Sometimes you have to admit them to others. Parents have to do it. We ask our kids do it; we have to do it. Here's one of the best phrases in the English language, "I'm sorry." The reason those are good words is because they could start a whole new relationship. It could start two people going in a whole new direction. Simple, not easy. You get this done, the turnaround can be dramatic. The early years can be big in payoff. Here's the big one. Admit your mistakes to yourself. You don't have to babble about them to everyone in the neighborhood. But it doesn't hurt to sit down and have a conversation with yourself and say, "There's no use kidding myself. Here's where I really am. I've got pennies in my pocket and I've got nothing in the bank." That's what I said after a Girl Scout left my door. I had a conversation with myself and I said, "I don't want this to happen anymore."
Refine your goals. Start the process. Set some higher goals. Reach for some higher purpose. Go for something beyond what you thought you could do.
Believe in yourself. You've got to believe in God and you've got to believe in the community. You've got to believe in the possibilities. You've got to believe in the economy. You've got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. Here's the big one. Believe in yourself. There isn't a skill you can't learn; there isn't a discipline you can't try; there isn't a class you can't take; there isn't a book you couldn't read.
Ask for wisdom. This is communication of the highest source. Ask for wisdom that creates answers. Ask for the wisdom that creates faith to believe things are possible. Ask for wisdom to deal with the challenges for today and tomorrow, to deal with the challenges your family brings you. Don't wish it was easier; wish you were better.
Conserve your time. Sometimes we get faked out. Bill Bailey says the average person says, "I've got twenty more years." No, Bill says you've got twenty more times. If you go fishing once a year, you've only got twenty more times to go fishing, not twenty years. That fakes you out.
Invest your profits. Here's one of the philosophies that Mr. Shoaff gave me. Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living, profits make you a fortune. Could we start earning profits while we make a living? The answer is yes.
Protect your family. These are troublesome times. At school--troublesome times. Protect your family as best you can from the hidden dangers, the lurking evil one.
Live with intensity. You might as well turn it up a notch or two. Invest more of you in whatever you do. Be a little stronger; be a little wiser. Step up your vitality contribution. Put everything you've got into everything you do and then ask for more vitality, more strength and more vigor, more heart and more soul.
Find your place. If you just work on a job, find the best place you can serve well, and sure enough they'll ask you to occupy a better place. And if you keep doing a job well, do the very best you can. That's your best way out. Here's a Bible phrase. If you work on your gifts, they'll make a place for you.
Demand integrity from yourself. Integrity is like loyalty. You can't demand it of someone else; you can only demand it of yourself. Be the best example of loyalty, and you'll get some loyal followers. Be the best example of integrity, and you'll have people around you who have integrity. Lead the way.
Welcome the disciplines. Can't give you much better advice than that because disciplines create the reality. Disciplines build cities. A well-disciplined activity creates abundance, creates uniqueness, productivity.
Fight for what's right. It's a fight we're in. The story-teller says "And there was great war in heaven." One of the writers of later scripture said, "I fought a good fight." That's extraordinary to be able to say. I fought for my kids, and I fought for what was right and I fought for good health, and I fought to protect my company and I fought for a good career that would bless my family. I fought a good fight. It's good to fight the encroachment. Opposites are in conflict, and you're in the middle. If you want something valuable, you've got to fight for it. Then this writer also said, "I fought a good fight and I kept the faith." See, that's the deal. Keep faith with your family. Fight the enemy and keep faith. Fight the illness and keep faith. Fight the evil and keep faith. I can't give you much better advice.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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