Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Your Belief Becomes Your Reality
By: Brian Tracy
The Determinant of Your Success
Perhaps the most powerful single factor in your financial success is your beliefs about yourself and money. We call this the Law of Belief. It says simply this: Whatever you believe, with feeling, becomes your reality. Whatever you intensely believe becomes your reality. That we have a tendency to block out any information coming in to us that is inconsistent with our reality.
What Successful People Believe
What we've discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And they will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they'll fail. They do not even consider the possibility of failure.
Positive Thinking Versus Positive Knowing
You always act in a matter consistent with your beliefs. The most important belief system you can build is a prosperity consciousness where you absolutely believe that you are going achieve your financial goals. We call this positive knowing versus positive thinking. Positive thinking can sometimes be wishing or hoping. But positive knowing is when you absolutely know that no matter what, you will be successful.
The Foundation of Willpower
Another principle related to your beliefs is willpower. We know that willpower is essential to any success. Willpower is based on confidence. It's based on conviction. It's based on faith. It's based on your belief in your ability to triumph over all obstacles. And you can develop willpower by persistence, by working on your goals, by reading the biographies of successful people, by listening to audio programs, by reading books about people who've achieved success. The more information you take into your mind consistent with success, the more likely it is that you will develop the willpower to push you through the obstacles and difficulties you will experience.
Beat the Odds on Success
Remember that success is rare. Only one person in one hundred becomes wealthy in the course of a lifetime. Only five percent achieve financial independence. That means that the odds against you are 19-to-1. The only way that you're going to achieve your financial goals is if you get really serious. To succeed, you must get serious. You must get busy. You must get active. You must get going. Remember, everything counts.
Resolve to Achieve Greatly
Self-mastery, self-control, self-discipline are essential for anyone who wants to achieve greatly. And control over your thoughts is the hardest exercise in self-mastery that you will ever engage in. See if you can talk and think about only what you desire and not talk or think about anything that you don't want for 24 hours. Then you'll see what you're really made of. It's a hard thing to do but with practice, you can reach the point where you are thinking about your goals and desires most of the time. Then, your whole life will change for the better.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to build a belief system consistent with the financial success you desire:
First, continually repeat to yourself the words, pictures and thoughts consistent with your dreams and goals. Whatever you repeat often enough, over and over, becomes a new belief.
Second, set a goal for yourself to think and talk only about the things that you want for the next 24 hours. This will be one of the hardest things you ever do. But if you can keep your mind on what you want and off of what you don't want for 24 hours, you can begin to change your entire future.
The Determinant of Your Success
Perhaps the most powerful single factor in your financial success is your beliefs about yourself and money. We call this the Law of Belief. It says simply this: Whatever you believe, with feeling, becomes your reality. Whatever you intensely believe becomes your reality. That we have a tendency to block out any information coming in to us that is inconsistent with our reality.
What Successful People Believe
What we've discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And they will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they'll fail. They do not even consider the possibility of failure.
Positive Thinking Versus Positive Knowing
You always act in a matter consistent with your beliefs. The most important belief system you can build is a prosperity consciousness where you absolutely believe that you are going achieve your financial goals. We call this positive knowing versus positive thinking. Positive thinking can sometimes be wishing or hoping. But positive knowing is when you absolutely know that no matter what, you will be successful.
The Foundation of Willpower
Another principle related to your beliefs is willpower. We know that willpower is essential to any success. Willpower is based on confidence. It's based on conviction. It's based on faith. It's based on your belief in your ability to triumph over all obstacles. And you can develop willpower by persistence, by working on your goals, by reading the biographies of successful people, by listening to audio programs, by reading books about people who've achieved success. The more information you take into your mind consistent with success, the more likely it is that you will develop the willpower to push you through the obstacles and difficulties you will experience.
Beat the Odds on Success
Remember that success is rare. Only one person in one hundred becomes wealthy in the course of a lifetime. Only five percent achieve financial independence. That means that the odds against you are 19-to-1. The only way that you're going to achieve your financial goals is if you get really serious. To succeed, you must get serious. You must get busy. You must get active. You must get going. Remember, everything counts.
Resolve to Achieve Greatly
Self-mastery, self-control, self-discipline are essential for anyone who wants to achieve greatly. And control over your thoughts is the hardest exercise in self-mastery that you will ever engage in. See if you can talk and think about only what you desire and not talk or think about anything that you don't want for 24 hours. Then you'll see what you're really made of. It's a hard thing to do but with practice, you can reach the point where you are thinking about your goals and desires most of the time. Then, your whole life will change for the better.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to build a belief system consistent with the financial success you desire:
First, continually repeat to yourself the words, pictures and thoughts consistent with your dreams and goals. Whatever you repeat often enough, over and over, becomes a new belief.
Second, set a goal for yourself to think and talk only about the things that you want for the next 24 hours. This will be one of the hardest things you ever do. But if you can keep your mind on what you want and off of what you don't want for 24 hours, you can begin to change your entire future.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Selling to Today's Customers
Selling to Today's Customers
By: Brian Tracy
What is selling? In its simplest terms, selling is the process of helping a person to conclude that your product or service is of greater value to him than the price you are asking for.
How Markets Work
Our market society is based on the principles of freedom and mutual benefit. Each party to a transaction only enters into it when he feels that he will be better off as a result of the transaction than he would be without it.
The Three Options
In a free market, the customer always has three options with any purchase decision. First, the customer can buy your product or service. Second, the customer can buy the product or service from someone else. Third, the customer can decide to buy nothing at all.
Convincing the Customer
For the customer to buy your particular product or service, he or she must be convinced that it is not only the best choice available but he must also be persuaded that there is no better way for him to spend the equivalent amount of money. Your job as a salesperson is to convince the customer that all these conditions exist and then to elicit a commitment from him to take action on your offer.
Customize Your Sales Presentation
The field of professional selling has changed dramatically since World War II. In a way, selling methodologies are merely responses to customer requirements. At one time, customers were relatively unsophisticated and poorly informed about their choices. Salespeople catered to this customer with carefully planned and memorized sales presentations, loads of enthusiasm and a bag full of techniques designed to crush resistance and get the order at virtually any cost.
Treat Them With Respect
But the customer of the 1950s has matured into the customer of the 21st century. Customers are now more intelligent and knowledgeable than ever before. They are experienced buyers and they have interacted with hundreds of salespeople. They are extremely sophisticated and aware of the incredible variety of products and services that are available to them, as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses of those products. Many of them are smarter and better educated than most salespeople and they are far more careful about making a buying decision of any kind.
The Need For Speed
In addition, they are overwhelmed with work and under-supplied with time. Because of the rapidly increasing pace of change, down-sizing, restructuring and the competitive pressures surrounding them, customers today are harried and hassled. They are swamped with responsibilities, impatient, suspicious, critical, demanding, and spoiled. To sell to today's customer requires a higher caliber of sales professional than has ever before been required. And it is only going to become tougher and more complicated in the months and years ahead.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, think continually about how you can convince your customer that your product or service is the very best available. Why does he buy, or refuse to buy?
Second, upgrade your knowledge and skills every day so you can sell more effectively. Remember, your customers only get better when you get better.
By: Brian Tracy
What is selling? In its simplest terms, selling is the process of helping a person to conclude that your product or service is of greater value to him than the price you are asking for.
How Markets Work
Our market society is based on the principles of freedom and mutual benefit. Each party to a transaction only enters into it when he feels that he will be better off as a result of the transaction than he would be without it.
The Three Options
In a free market, the customer always has three options with any purchase decision. First, the customer can buy your product or service. Second, the customer can buy the product or service from someone else. Third, the customer can decide to buy nothing at all.
Convincing the Customer
For the customer to buy your particular product or service, he or she must be convinced that it is not only the best choice available but he must also be persuaded that there is no better way for him to spend the equivalent amount of money. Your job as a salesperson is to convince the customer that all these conditions exist and then to elicit a commitment from him to take action on your offer.
Customize Your Sales Presentation
The field of professional selling has changed dramatically since World War II. In a way, selling methodologies are merely responses to customer requirements. At one time, customers were relatively unsophisticated and poorly informed about their choices. Salespeople catered to this customer with carefully planned and memorized sales presentations, loads of enthusiasm and a bag full of techniques designed to crush resistance and get the order at virtually any cost.
Treat Them With Respect
But the customer of the 1950s has matured into the customer of the 21st century. Customers are now more intelligent and knowledgeable than ever before. They are experienced buyers and they have interacted with hundreds of salespeople. They are extremely sophisticated and aware of the incredible variety of products and services that are available to them, as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses of those products. Many of them are smarter and better educated than most salespeople and they are far more careful about making a buying decision of any kind.
The Need For Speed
In addition, they are overwhelmed with work and under-supplied with time. Because of the rapidly increasing pace of change, down-sizing, restructuring and the competitive pressures surrounding them, customers today are harried and hassled. They are swamped with responsibilities, impatient, suspicious, critical, demanding, and spoiled. To sell to today's customer requires a higher caliber of sales professional than has ever before been required. And it is only going to become tougher and more complicated in the months and years ahead.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, think continually about how you can convince your customer that your product or service is the very best available. Why does he buy, or refuse to buy?
Second, upgrade your knowledge and skills every day so you can sell more effectively. Remember, your customers only get better when you get better.
2008 Warren Buffett - Must Read For Traders or Investors or Human
What does it take to become a successful investor? Brilliance or Smartness?
Neither, Success in investing doesn't correlate with I.Q. Once you have
Ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges
That gets other people into trouble in investing.
When do you decide to invest in a firm?
The best thing that happens to us is when a great company gets into
Temporary trouble. We want to buy them when they're on the operating table.
(Mr. Buffett bought Coke when it had its biggest fiasco after launching New
Coke; he bought American Express when it went through a loss making phase in
The early 60's)
What do you look for in people when they come to sell their firms to you?
I don't look for the usual credentials such as an MBA, a pedigree (Harvard,
Wharton), or cash reserves or market cap of their firm. What I look for is
Just a passion in their eyes; I think that's the key. A person who is hungry
Will always do well. I prefer it when people even after selling stay on and
Work for the firm; they are people who can't wait to get off their bed to
Get to work. Passion is everything; there is no replacement for innate
Interest.
Mr. Buffett, you told us that Berkshire Hathaway has $ 45 Billion in cash.
Why aren't you investing?
Up until a few years back I had more ideas than money. Now I have more money
Than ideas.
When do you plan to retire?
I love my job; I love it so much that I tap dance to work. Mrs. B, the
Founder of Nebraska Furniture Mark worked until she was 104, she died within
6 months of her retirement, that's a lesson to all my managers, don't
Retire! I personally am going to work 6-7 years after I die, probably that's
What they mean when they say- "Thinking out of the Box"!!
Why do stock market crashes happen?
Because of human nature for greed and insecurity. The 1970s were
Unbelievable. The world wasn't going to end, but businesses were being given
Away. Human nature has not changed. People will always behave in a
Manic-depressive way over time. They will offer great values to you."
What are the things that are taught wrong in Business school and the
Corporate world?
I like such open ended questions, I think Business schools should refrain
From teaching their wards about profit making and profit making alone, it
Gives a sense of 1 dimensional outlook to the young students that loss is a
Curse. In reality, in the corporate world, failure and loss making are
Inevitable. The capital market without loss is like Christianity without
Hell. I think they should teach the student on how to buy a business, how to
Value a business? Not just on how to determine the price of a business.
Because price is what you pay, value is what you get.
Do you still hate Technology stocks?
With Coke I can come up with a very rational figure for the cash it will
Generate in the future. But with the top 10 Internet companies, how much
Cash will they produce over the next 25 years? If you say you don't know,
Then you don't know what it is worth and you are speculating, not investing.
All I know is that I don't know, and if I don't know, I don't invest."
How to think about Investing?
The first investment primer was written by Aesop in 600 B.C. He said, 'A
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.' Aesop forgot to say when you get
The two in the bush and what interest rates are; investing is simply
Figuring out your cash outlay (the bird in the hand) and comparing it to how
Many birds are in the bush and when you get them."
How do you feel after donating $ 40 Billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation? You are a hero to us!
I feel nothing. I haven't sacrificed anything in life. I have had a good
Life. I donated after I turned 75. I think I admire those people who
Sacrifice their time, share their food and home, as the people to be
Emulated not me. Besides, what is money before a man's life?
What do you think are the pitfalls in donation?
I have never donated a dime to churches or other such organizations; I need
To believe in something before I end up doing that. I have been observing
The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation for years now and I am confident they
Will do a fantastic job of making use of the money. I am a big believer in
Outsourcing, others believed in me as an Investor and gave their hard earned
Money to invest. I believe in Bill Gates, he is a better donor than me.
Why do you work from Omaha and not Wall Street , New York ?
Wall Street is the only place where people alight from Rolls Royce to get
advised by people who use the Public transportation system. ( ha ha !!)
You seem to be so well read, tell us how it all started.
My father was a stock broker, so we had all these financial books in our
library. He introduced me to those classics and I got into them. I am lucky
that my father was not a fan of Playboy! Reading is the best habit you can
get. Well, you can learn from teachers too, and have mentors but there are
so many constraints attached- they will talk fast, talk slow, they might
talk like a pro or they might be terrible communicators. Books are a
different animal altogether, I love reading! The beauty about reading and
learning is that the more you learn the more you want to learn.
People who join Berkshire Hathaway seldom leave. How do you get along well
with all your executives?
I try to get quality people. I always say - Hire someone in your
organization who is better than you are. If you do that, you build a company
of giants. If you get people worse than yourself, you build a company of
dwarfs. And do not try to do everything yourself. Delegate the jobs and look
out of the window. The results will come. That's how you build institutions.
It happens only when you empower others, believe in others. Iam an investor,
Iam very secured at that, I have no clue how to make Coca-Cola or how to
dole out credit cards (Mr. Buffett owns 8% of Coca-Cola and 13 % of American
Express). I understand the wisdom of the aphorism that you cannot please all
the people all the time. Of Course, you will always find qualities that you
don't like in people around you, but if you observe carefully the love of
the work unites you both. There is no point in being obsessive about a bad
quality in a person, whom you otherwise respect.
I am a small time businessman from Dallas , Texas , what do I need to do to
hit big time?
Be patient, Achieving your financial goals and dreams will not happen
overnight. As much as we would all really love to accomplish our goals in a
few years, this is an ongoing process. Defining your financial goals is not
a one-time task; you need to keep adding new plans at different stages in
your life. We all admire the skills of Olympic ice skaters, pro golfers, and
concert pianists. But do we remember that they didn't acquire their skills
overnight? They had to practice hours on end for years to achieve their
dreams. The key to success is to continue learning throughout your life with
a voracious appetite.
I think it is marvelous that you have had a golden run with investing, how
did you do that?
My rule is to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others
are fearful. Besides, I call investing the greatest job in the world because
you never have to swing. You stand at the plate; the pitcher throws you
General Motors at 47! U.S. Steel at 39! And nobody calls a strike on you.
There's no penalty except opportunity lost. All day you wait for the pitch
you like; then when the fielders are asleep, you step up and hit it. Stay
dispassionate and be patient. You're dealing with a lot of silly people in
the marketplace; it's like a great big casino and everyone else is boozing.
If you can stick with drinking Coke, you should be OK. First the crowd is
boozy on optimism and buying every new issue in sight. The next moment it is
boozy on pessimism, buying gold bars and predicting another Great Depression
most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get
interested is when no one else is. You can't buy what is popular and do well
Mr. Buffett you have seen so many crashes and recessions, your take on
facing recessions and stock market crashes?
If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be
librarians. Every scenario is different. But always remember, Tough times do
not last. Tough people do.
What is the 1 biggest advice you would impart to a young investor like me?
Think for a moment that you are given a car and told this is the only car
you would get for the rest of your life. Then you would make sure that you
car is taken care of well, it is oiled and detailed every now and then. You
would make sure that it never gets rusted, and you would garage it. Think of
yourself as that car. You just get 1 body, 1 mind and 1 soul. Take care of
it well. Invest in yourself that would be my advice.
You personally know many of the Financial executives who are engineers of
the current turmoil in the financial world, surprisingly even after record
losses, those executives receive astronomical salaries and bonuses and
arrogantly declare that they deserve it, why dint you advice them from
making such decisions and what's your view on their justification for their
pay?
I like sharing my ideas but don't like imposing my ideas on anybody. It
doesn't make sense and is a waste of time. If somebody has decided that they
know everything that is there to know, nobody can help them. The best way to
learn and succeed is to know that we know nothing. There is an entire
universe out there and still some of us think we can know everything. In the
world of investing a few people after making some money tend to imagine they
are invincible and great. This is the worst thing that could happen to any
investor, because it surely means that the investor will end up taking
unnecessary risks and end up losing everything – arrogance, ego and
overconfidence are very lethal. Personally I don't feel too comfortable with
too much extravagance, because I always think like an investor. My thought
process doesn't see a lot of value in a fancy car or a designer suit.
Thinking like an investor always is very important to bring in a sense of
discipline and focus. Before reading balance sheets and investing you need
to make sure your outlook and mindset is that of an investor. Never let ego,
arrogance and over-confidence control you - not just as an investor but also
as a human being. You will never have internal peace if you are unable to
look at everybody around you with love, compassion and understanding.
Irrespective of who the person is, he or she can teach you something you don
t know. I have learnt so much from people all around me and I wouldn't have
been able to learn all these wonderful things if I had not spoken to them
with a smile. To quote Sir Isaac Newton- If I have seen farther than others,
it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.
It was a 7 hour conversation and I could just capture some of the best
questions and answers. As 37,000+ dazed, amazed and grateful shareholders
trooped out of the stadium after the meeting, I found myself recalling one
of my favorite quotes-
"A man has to learn that he cannot command things, but that he can command
himself; that he cannot coerce the wills of others, but that he can mold and
master his own will: and things serve him who serves truth; people seek
guidance of him who is master of himself".
Neither, Success in investing doesn't correlate with I.Q. Once you have
Ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges
That gets other people into trouble in investing.
When do you decide to invest in a firm?
The best thing that happens to us is when a great company gets into
Temporary trouble. We want to buy them when they're on the operating table.
(Mr. Buffett bought Coke when it had its biggest fiasco after launching New
Coke; he bought American Express when it went through a loss making phase in
The early 60's)
What do you look for in people when they come to sell their firms to you?
I don't look for the usual credentials such as an MBA, a pedigree (Harvard,
Wharton), or cash reserves or market cap of their firm. What I look for is
Just a passion in their eyes; I think that's the key. A person who is hungry
Will always do well. I prefer it when people even after selling stay on and
Work for the firm; they are people who can't wait to get off their bed to
Get to work. Passion is everything; there is no replacement for innate
Interest.
Mr. Buffett, you told us that Berkshire Hathaway has $ 45 Billion in cash.
Why aren't you investing?
Up until a few years back I had more ideas than money. Now I have more money
Than ideas.
When do you plan to retire?
I love my job; I love it so much that I tap dance to work. Mrs. B, the
Founder of Nebraska Furniture Mark worked until she was 104, she died within
6 months of her retirement, that's a lesson to all my managers, don't
Retire! I personally am going to work 6-7 years after I die, probably that's
What they mean when they say- "Thinking out of the Box"!!
Why do stock market crashes happen?
Because of human nature for greed and insecurity. The 1970s were
Unbelievable. The world wasn't going to end, but businesses were being given
Away. Human nature has not changed. People will always behave in a
Manic-depressive way over time. They will offer great values to you."
What are the things that are taught wrong in Business school and the
Corporate world?
I like such open ended questions, I think Business schools should refrain
From teaching their wards about profit making and profit making alone, it
Gives a sense of 1 dimensional outlook to the young students that loss is a
Curse. In reality, in the corporate world, failure and loss making are
Inevitable. The capital market without loss is like Christianity without
Hell. I think they should teach the student on how to buy a business, how to
Value a business? Not just on how to determine the price of a business.
Because price is what you pay, value is what you get.
Do you still hate Technology stocks?
With Coke I can come up with a very rational figure for the cash it will
Generate in the future. But with the top 10 Internet companies, how much
Cash will they produce over the next 25 years? If you say you don't know,
Then you don't know what it is worth and you are speculating, not investing.
All I know is that I don't know, and if I don't know, I don't invest."
How to think about Investing?
The first investment primer was written by Aesop in 600 B.C. He said, 'A
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.' Aesop forgot to say when you get
The two in the bush and what interest rates are; investing is simply
Figuring out your cash outlay (the bird in the hand) and comparing it to how
Many birds are in the bush and when you get them."
How do you feel after donating $ 40 Billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation? You are a hero to us!
I feel nothing. I haven't sacrificed anything in life. I have had a good
Life. I donated after I turned 75. I think I admire those people who
Sacrifice their time, share their food and home, as the people to be
Emulated not me. Besides, what is money before a man's life?
What do you think are the pitfalls in donation?
I have never donated a dime to churches or other such organizations; I need
To believe in something before I end up doing that. I have been observing
The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation for years now and I am confident they
Will do a fantastic job of making use of the money. I am a big believer in
Outsourcing, others believed in me as an Investor and gave their hard earned
Money to invest. I believe in Bill Gates, he is a better donor than me.
Why do you work from Omaha and not Wall Street , New York ?
Wall Street is the only place where people alight from Rolls Royce to get
advised by people who use the Public transportation system. ( ha ha !!)
You seem to be so well read, tell us how it all started.
My father was a stock broker, so we had all these financial books in our
library. He introduced me to those classics and I got into them. I am lucky
that my father was not a fan of Playboy! Reading is the best habit you can
get. Well, you can learn from teachers too, and have mentors but there are
so many constraints attached- they will talk fast, talk slow, they might
talk like a pro or they might be terrible communicators. Books are a
different animal altogether, I love reading! The beauty about reading and
learning is that the more you learn the more you want to learn.
People who join Berkshire Hathaway seldom leave. How do you get along well
with all your executives?
I try to get quality people. I always say - Hire someone in your
organization who is better than you are. If you do that, you build a company
of giants. If you get people worse than yourself, you build a company of
dwarfs. And do not try to do everything yourself. Delegate the jobs and look
out of the window. The results will come. That's how you build institutions.
It happens only when you empower others, believe in others. Iam an investor,
Iam very secured at that, I have no clue how to make Coca-Cola or how to
dole out credit cards (Mr. Buffett owns 8% of Coca-Cola and 13 % of American
Express). I understand the wisdom of the aphorism that you cannot please all
the people all the time. Of Course, you will always find qualities that you
don't like in people around you, but if you observe carefully the love of
the work unites you both. There is no point in being obsessive about a bad
quality in a person, whom you otherwise respect.
I am a small time businessman from Dallas , Texas , what do I need to do to
hit big time?
Be patient, Achieving your financial goals and dreams will not happen
overnight. As much as we would all really love to accomplish our goals in a
few years, this is an ongoing process. Defining your financial goals is not
a one-time task; you need to keep adding new plans at different stages in
your life. We all admire the skills of Olympic ice skaters, pro golfers, and
concert pianists. But do we remember that they didn't acquire their skills
overnight? They had to practice hours on end for years to achieve their
dreams. The key to success is to continue learning throughout your life with
a voracious appetite.
I think it is marvelous that you have had a golden run with investing, how
did you do that?
My rule is to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others
are fearful. Besides, I call investing the greatest job in the world because
you never have to swing. You stand at the plate; the pitcher throws you
General Motors at 47! U.S. Steel at 39! And nobody calls a strike on you.
There's no penalty except opportunity lost. All day you wait for the pitch
you like; then when the fielders are asleep, you step up and hit it. Stay
dispassionate and be patient. You're dealing with a lot of silly people in
the marketplace; it's like a great big casino and everyone else is boozing.
If you can stick with drinking Coke, you should be OK. First the crowd is
boozy on optimism and buying every new issue in sight. The next moment it is
boozy on pessimism, buying gold bars and predicting another Great Depression
most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get
interested is when no one else is. You can't buy what is popular and do well
Mr. Buffett you have seen so many crashes and recessions, your take on
facing recessions and stock market crashes?
If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be
librarians. Every scenario is different. But always remember, Tough times do
not last. Tough people do.
What is the 1 biggest advice you would impart to a young investor like me?
Think for a moment that you are given a car and told this is the only car
you would get for the rest of your life. Then you would make sure that you
car is taken care of well, it is oiled and detailed every now and then. You
would make sure that it never gets rusted, and you would garage it. Think of
yourself as that car. You just get 1 body, 1 mind and 1 soul. Take care of
it well. Invest in yourself that would be my advice.
You personally know many of the Financial executives who are engineers of
the current turmoil in the financial world, surprisingly even after record
losses, those executives receive astronomical salaries and bonuses and
arrogantly declare that they deserve it, why dint you advice them from
making such decisions and what's your view on their justification for their
pay?
I like sharing my ideas but don't like imposing my ideas on anybody. It
doesn't make sense and is a waste of time. If somebody has decided that they
know everything that is there to know, nobody can help them. The best way to
learn and succeed is to know that we know nothing. There is an entire
universe out there and still some of us think we can know everything. In the
world of investing a few people after making some money tend to imagine they
are invincible and great. This is the worst thing that could happen to any
investor, because it surely means that the investor will end up taking
unnecessary risks and end up losing everything – arrogance, ego and
overconfidence are very lethal. Personally I don't feel too comfortable with
too much extravagance, because I always think like an investor. My thought
process doesn't see a lot of value in a fancy car or a designer suit.
Thinking like an investor always is very important to bring in a sense of
discipline and focus. Before reading balance sheets and investing you need
to make sure your outlook and mindset is that of an investor. Never let ego,
arrogance and over-confidence control you - not just as an investor but also
as a human being. You will never have internal peace if you are unable to
look at everybody around you with love, compassion and understanding.
Irrespective of who the person is, he or she can teach you something you don
t know. I have learnt so much from people all around me and I wouldn't have
been able to learn all these wonderful things if I had not spoken to them
with a smile. To quote Sir Isaac Newton- If I have seen farther than others,
it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.
It was a 7 hour conversation and I could just capture some of the best
questions and answers. As 37,000+ dazed, amazed and grateful shareholders
trooped out of the stadium after the meeting, I found myself recalling one
of my favorite quotes-
"A man has to learn that he cannot command things, but that he can command
himself; that he cannot coerce the wills of others, but that he can mold and
master his own will: and things serve him who serves truth; people seek
guidance of him who is master of himself".
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Successful Goal Selection Avoids Self-Sabotage by David Schaefer
Successful goal selection stems from our inner perceptions and the congruence of our actions. If what we want and how we go about accomplishing our goals is incongruent, then we are likely to experience a degree of self-sabotage.
In order for success to be achieved, one’s intentions and actions must be in alignment when selecting and committing to a goal. It is important to take time to consider if the results you desire will actually be processed effectively by your goal choice.
Ask yourself these 3 questions when contemplating a goal:
Do I truly WANT what I think I want?
Do I earnestly BELIEVE that I can achieve my goal?
Do I deeply feel that I DESERVE to have what I want?
It is certainly better to be clear about your answers to the above questions than to forge ahead and then have nagging doubts. Otherwise, you may become a candidate for self-sabotage. So, how do you explore your true intentions so that ultimately your actions will be in successful alignment?
The answer is to take a close look at your real intentions, your level of belief, and your feelings about deserving the outcome. Let’s take a look at each of these points.
Explore your real intentions. Why are you acting on this particular goal? Is it actually your goal or the idea of another person? Is the goal 100% what you want? Taking the time to consider this fundamental step is very important and can mean the difference between success and disappointment.
Explore your level of belief. In addition to wanting the goal, do you truly believe the goal is achievable? Do you believe down deep this is important enough to you to go after it? Have you thought about the tools and resources you will need for positive action? Can you commit yourself to what is necessary to accomplish the results you want?
Explore your feelings about deserving the outcome. While this may seem strange, if you do not completely feel that you are worthy of a successful outcome, all the time and energy invested simply will not bring the goal to fruition.
If you want the goal and believe in it, but have any doubt whether you are worthy of its success, figure out why you feel this way. Most likely, when honestly addressed, you can resolve this issue and move forward.
It is absolutely wonderful when your intentions and actions are in alignment and you know that you want a goal, believe in it, and deserve it. But, unless you consciously deal with these basic elements, then it is possible to sabotage your well-intended efforts.
In summary, a well-structured goal is essential to establish a clear path to a desired outcome, but carefully selecting the right goal is perhaps even more critical. That also means that the intent of the goal and the actions to implement it must match. Pursuing a poorly conceived goal is paramount to self-sabotage. Learning to make a successful goal selection is fundamental to goal-setting.
Author's Bio
David Schaefer is a success coach and writes on the topics of personal development and Internet marketing
In order for success to be achieved, one’s intentions and actions must be in alignment when selecting and committing to a goal. It is important to take time to consider if the results you desire will actually be processed effectively by your goal choice.
Ask yourself these 3 questions when contemplating a goal:
Do I truly WANT what I think I want?
Do I earnestly BELIEVE that I can achieve my goal?
Do I deeply feel that I DESERVE to have what I want?
It is certainly better to be clear about your answers to the above questions than to forge ahead and then have nagging doubts. Otherwise, you may become a candidate for self-sabotage. So, how do you explore your true intentions so that ultimately your actions will be in successful alignment?
The answer is to take a close look at your real intentions, your level of belief, and your feelings about deserving the outcome. Let’s take a look at each of these points.
Explore your real intentions. Why are you acting on this particular goal? Is it actually your goal or the idea of another person? Is the goal 100% what you want? Taking the time to consider this fundamental step is very important and can mean the difference between success and disappointment.
Explore your level of belief. In addition to wanting the goal, do you truly believe the goal is achievable? Do you believe down deep this is important enough to you to go after it? Have you thought about the tools and resources you will need for positive action? Can you commit yourself to what is necessary to accomplish the results you want?
Explore your feelings about deserving the outcome. While this may seem strange, if you do not completely feel that you are worthy of a successful outcome, all the time and energy invested simply will not bring the goal to fruition.
If you want the goal and believe in it, but have any doubt whether you are worthy of its success, figure out why you feel this way. Most likely, when honestly addressed, you can resolve this issue and move forward.
It is absolutely wonderful when your intentions and actions are in alignment and you know that you want a goal, believe in it, and deserve it. But, unless you consciously deal with these basic elements, then it is possible to sabotage your well-intended efforts.
In summary, a well-structured goal is essential to establish a clear path to a desired outcome, but carefully selecting the right goal is perhaps even more critical. That also means that the intent of the goal and the actions to implement it must match. Pursuing a poorly conceived goal is paramount to self-sabotage. Learning to make a successful goal selection is fundamental to goal-setting.
Author's Bio
David Schaefer is a success coach and writes on the topics of personal development and Internet marketing
Pain and Suffering, Fear and Opportunity by Evette Gardner
WHERE DOES FEAR COME FROM?
All forms of fear arise out of an expectation of pain and suffering; which is a concise way of saying that fear comes from our feeling overwhelmingly intimidated by the prospect of being hurt or distressingly unsettled by the possible disruption that a change in our experience might bring. When we lack confidence in our ability to endure discomfort or adapt to changing circumstances, that pessimism saturates our thoughts and colors every aspect of our life outlook. We find ourselves playing out scenarios in our mind of what could go wrong in our lives in any given situation; it’s an obsessiveness which triggers a biological state of alarm. Because the body ALWAYS follows the mind, if your mind is constantly declaring I need to get ready for this, this and this horrible thing that just might happen because I don’t want to be caught flatfooted if it does indeed show up, your body responds to this concern by going into alert mode (what psychologists call the fight or flight response). And this is the fear we feel in our bodies through the tensing of our muscles, rapid heartbeats, dry mouths, jittery nerves and fluttering belly sensations.
WHY NOT JUST AVOID PAIN AND SUFFERING?
To be fair, it really is absolutely right and appropriate to expect that you will feel pain and endure suffering in your life experience. There’s nothing irrational or delusional about coming to terms with this understanding. However, contrary to popular attitude, pain and suffering are not things to be feared and thus avoided at all costs. Pain and suffering are actually two of life’s most valuable tools. Think about it. Without pain and without suffering, what motivation would you have to grow from your experiences? Pain and suffering are what keep you moving, like heat beneath your keister, to more right and favorable conditions in life. They are really excellent teachers. It is only when you start to believe that that’s how your story is going to end, in an endless saga of pain and suffering, that you become bound by your fears instead of moving through them. Those uncertainties you face in life, which are the foundation of your fears, live on in you when you allow yourself to become so overawed by them that you shy away from ever really getting to know the truth about them; from ever really discovering how their storyline actually plays out, instead of how you imagine it to play out. Make a commitment starting now to honor and own the truth that you will never get passed anything that you remain intent on exhausting all efforts to avoid. That is to say, if you are not choosing to confront your insecurities you are choosing to be limited by them. Robert Frost was onto something great when he said, “The best way out is through.” I would actually go so far as to declare that the only way out is through.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO CURE OR PREVENT FEAR?
Fear is a state of mind which can only be generated outside of the present moment. When your attention is wholly engrossed by what is taking place right Now, it is not possible to be afraid. It is only when your attention centers on rerunning narratives of past traumas or predicting disastrous outcomes in the course of future possibilities that the conditions become right for fear to proliferate. Stop and think about that for a moment before you read on. Let this understanding thoroughly sink in. It is only when you are going over things gone wrong or imagining how things may go wrong that fear even has an opportunity to express itself. Being fully attentive to the experience of the moment however, being neither reflective nor projective in your deliberation, effectively abolishes all grounds for fear and apprehension.
WHAT DOES THE PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE HAVE TO DO WITH REALITY AND BEING FEARLESS?
Hindsight is the foundation of foresight because the only means we have of predicting future events comes from the experiences of past events. Without hindsight, there can be no foresight. And in the absence of both of these perspectives there is only the perfectly pure clearness of Now.
Being in the present moment allows you to enjoy the experience of limitless optimism and impregnable self-assurance. Not that you’ll walk around proclaiming oh how wonderfully hopeful and confident I am. No. This experience is more like a general state of being in that it is felt, but not in a self satisfied kind of way; it’s appreciated, but not emphasized. In this state, you take the fact for granted that there is no need to be afraid of what lies ahead nor pine over what has been. All those anxieties are set aside for the moment and you then enter a space where it is simply trusted that whatever will be and has been, is in the best interest of your greatest good. This unspoken trust is what allows you to be in the moment. Without this trust you’d be too preoccupied with rehashing old storylines or obsessing over hypothetical disasters to be more than dreamingly aware of the present moment.
The past is but a fleeting experience, the future a vision of possibilities. The only thing that’s truly real is Now. So know this: a choice not to be present is a choice to be absent from Reality. If you’re not in the moment, you’re in a world of your fantasy.
SO WHY NOT SIMPLY IGNORE THE PAST AND GIVE NO THOUGHT TO THE FUTURE?
Now here’s where I am going to seemingly contradict myself because while it is true that if you’re not living in the present you are living in a delusion, it is also true that it would be reckless to abandon all reflection and unwise to give up all dreaming. Why? Because it’s not really about the act of looking back or the act of imagining ahead that sets the standard for the making of a delusion. What sets this precedent is the intent behind your action.
It’s absolutely okay for you to dream because dreams are the blueprint of your future. And given this you need to ask yourself, why would I imagine anything less than the best of possibilities to occur? It is also absolutely okay for you to look back because history is meant to be learned from. But if you’re going to reminisce, make it for the purpose of gaining understanding. Don’t make a habit of looking back in the spirit of lamentation because it is pointless to wish that somehow things could be different from what they are. Your life’s state of circumstances are what they are. You need to surrender to this reality because accepting where you are is the only way to move from where you are. The alternative is to go in circles. In order to move forward, you have to surrender to the idea that the situation you are in (whatever it may be) is what it is; but realize and own the fact that you have the power to change how you feel about the circumstances at hand simply by choosing to look at your present situation in a different way. Be open to the truth that your understanding about the events of the moment is not perfect. There are facts unknown to you at this point that are still coming in. Life’s situations are ever evolving. Don’t believe for one second that you are seeing the full picture because I promise you that you’re not. What you are in fact seeing is your extrapolation of what that full picture might look like based on the information you have available. But always remember, not all the information is available to you. And you can fill in the holes anyway you like. So why not extrapolate a bright and prosperous complete picture rather than one filled with doom and gloom? Why worry, when you can imagine a different possibility? At the very least, this course of action will alleviate the fear and stress you feel in this present moment, which is really all you have anyway. Because remember, your right Now is all that really matters because your right Now is the only thing that truly exists. You cannot touch the past, even though its effects may ripple through you like a tidal wave. Nor can you seize the future, even though its prospects are what stir you to action. All you can do is seize the moment of your Now. So why not choose, right now, to look at the uncertainties in your life as adventures instead of threats. Every adventure worth its salt is peppered with its share of challenges. Most of what you think you know doesn’t come from reality as it is, but reality as you suppose it to be. You glimpse a piece of the picture here and a piece of the picture there, and rather than accept the truth that there are gaps in your understanding of what the full picture really looks like, you simply fill in the blanks yourself. Your inner voice concocts an anecdote that fills in all the spaces that you don’t see. What you need to realize however, is you have the power to concoct any tale you want. So I ask you again, why not make your story a joyful one?
GIVEN ALL THIS, WHAT'S A PRACTICAL WAY TO GET PASSED FEAR AND INSECURTIY?
Try this mental exercise. It’s one that I’ve made a part of my routine and perhaps it can be of some use to you too. I’ve developed the habit of setting aside time each day to give thought to a situation in my life that is troubling me. I let my inner narrator tell the story of this situation as I would like it to play out as I immerse myself in the experience of this imagined scenario until I’m able to strongly evoke the feeling of what it would be like when it actually comes to pass. I also allow my critical voice to sit on the sidelines and boo, hiss, ridicule and make fun of my optimistic outlook all it wants. I let it berate me for being silly, naïve, foolish, stupid, ridiculous and whatever else it can come up with until it (my critical voice) eventually becomes the thing that sounds stupid and ridiculous. I allow my inner critic to throw everything it has at me, while I neither ignore nor engage its cynicism. I’m simply aware of it as I stand firm in my resolve to be present with this assault in order to endure passed it. It’s kind of like a mental “rope a dope.” I have found this exercise to be great for dealing with my anxieties. It allows me to play out my insecurities without actually having to live them out in any extreme sense.
WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY OF FEAR?
Fear presents us with a great touchstone which serves to draw our attention to the limitations we have accepted in life. The opportunity of fear lies in our conquering it because the truth about life is there are no limitations (only challenges). Our beliefs in the ideas of boundaries and division are meant to be shattered; and an understanding of the grand oneness of All is meant to be realized. Fear is the gateway to this Truth.
Author's Bio
Evette Gardner is the author of the self realization / advaita ebook Divine Heritage. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Feel free to visit her web site and contribute to the Spiritual Awakening forum where you are encouraged to share your own stories of wisdom
All forms of fear arise out of an expectation of pain and suffering; which is a concise way of saying that fear comes from our feeling overwhelmingly intimidated by the prospect of being hurt or distressingly unsettled by the possible disruption that a change in our experience might bring. When we lack confidence in our ability to endure discomfort or adapt to changing circumstances, that pessimism saturates our thoughts and colors every aspect of our life outlook. We find ourselves playing out scenarios in our mind of what could go wrong in our lives in any given situation; it’s an obsessiveness which triggers a biological state of alarm. Because the body ALWAYS follows the mind, if your mind is constantly declaring I need to get ready for this, this and this horrible thing that just might happen because I don’t want to be caught flatfooted if it does indeed show up, your body responds to this concern by going into alert mode (what psychologists call the fight or flight response). And this is the fear we feel in our bodies through the tensing of our muscles, rapid heartbeats, dry mouths, jittery nerves and fluttering belly sensations.
WHY NOT JUST AVOID PAIN AND SUFFERING?
To be fair, it really is absolutely right and appropriate to expect that you will feel pain and endure suffering in your life experience. There’s nothing irrational or delusional about coming to terms with this understanding. However, contrary to popular attitude, pain and suffering are not things to be feared and thus avoided at all costs. Pain and suffering are actually two of life’s most valuable tools. Think about it. Without pain and without suffering, what motivation would you have to grow from your experiences? Pain and suffering are what keep you moving, like heat beneath your keister, to more right and favorable conditions in life. They are really excellent teachers. It is only when you start to believe that that’s how your story is going to end, in an endless saga of pain and suffering, that you become bound by your fears instead of moving through them. Those uncertainties you face in life, which are the foundation of your fears, live on in you when you allow yourself to become so overawed by them that you shy away from ever really getting to know the truth about them; from ever really discovering how their storyline actually plays out, instead of how you imagine it to play out. Make a commitment starting now to honor and own the truth that you will never get passed anything that you remain intent on exhausting all efforts to avoid. That is to say, if you are not choosing to confront your insecurities you are choosing to be limited by them. Robert Frost was onto something great when he said, “The best way out is through.” I would actually go so far as to declare that the only way out is through.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO CURE OR PREVENT FEAR?
Fear is a state of mind which can only be generated outside of the present moment. When your attention is wholly engrossed by what is taking place right Now, it is not possible to be afraid. It is only when your attention centers on rerunning narratives of past traumas or predicting disastrous outcomes in the course of future possibilities that the conditions become right for fear to proliferate. Stop and think about that for a moment before you read on. Let this understanding thoroughly sink in. It is only when you are going over things gone wrong or imagining how things may go wrong that fear even has an opportunity to express itself. Being fully attentive to the experience of the moment however, being neither reflective nor projective in your deliberation, effectively abolishes all grounds for fear and apprehension.
WHAT DOES THE PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE HAVE TO DO WITH REALITY AND BEING FEARLESS?
Hindsight is the foundation of foresight because the only means we have of predicting future events comes from the experiences of past events. Without hindsight, there can be no foresight. And in the absence of both of these perspectives there is only the perfectly pure clearness of Now.
Being in the present moment allows you to enjoy the experience of limitless optimism and impregnable self-assurance. Not that you’ll walk around proclaiming oh how wonderfully hopeful and confident I am. No. This experience is more like a general state of being in that it is felt, but not in a self satisfied kind of way; it’s appreciated, but not emphasized. In this state, you take the fact for granted that there is no need to be afraid of what lies ahead nor pine over what has been. All those anxieties are set aside for the moment and you then enter a space where it is simply trusted that whatever will be and has been, is in the best interest of your greatest good. This unspoken trust is what allows you to be in the moment. Without this trust you’d be too preoccupied with rehashing old storylines or obsessing over hypothetical disasters to be more than dreamingly aware of the present moment.
The past is but a fleeting experience, the future a vision of possibilities. The only thing that’s truly real is Now. So know this: a choice not to be present is a choice to be absent from Reality. If you’re not in the moment, you’re in a world of your fantasy.
SO WHY NOT SIMPLY IGNORE THE PAST AND GIVE NO THOUGHT TO THE FUTURE?
Now here’s where I am going to seemingly contradict myself because while it is true that if you’re not living in the present you are living in a delusion, it is also true that it would be reckless to abandon all reflection and unwise to give up all dreaming. Why? Because it’s not really about the act of looking back or the act of imagining ahead that sets the standard for the making of a delusion. What sets this precedent is the intent behind your action.
It’s absolutely okay for you to dream because dreams are the blueprint of your future. And given this you need to ask yourself, why would I imagine anything less than the best of possibilities to occur? It is also absolutely okay for you to look back because history is meant to be learned from. But if you’re going to reminisce, make it for the purpose of gaining understanding. Don’t make a habit of looking back in the spirit of lamentation because it is pointless to wish that somehow things could be different from what they are. Your life’s state of circumstances are what they are. You need to surrender to this reality because accepting where you are is the only way to move from where you are. The alternative is to go in circles. In order to move forward, you have to surrender to the idea that the situation you are in (whatever it may be) is what it is; but realize and own the fact that you have the power to change how you feel about the circumstances at hand simply by choosing to look at your present situation in a different way. Be open to the truth that your understanding about the events of the moment is not perfect. There are facts unknown to you at this point that are still coming in. Life’s situations are ever evolving. Don’t believe for one second that you are seeing the full picture because I promise you that you’re not. What you are in fact seeing is your extrapolation of what that full picture might look like based on the information you have available. But always remember, not all the information is available to you. And you can fill in the holes anyway you like. So why not extrapolate a bright and prosperous complete picture rather than one filled with doom and gloom? Why worry, when you can imagine a different possibility? At the very least, this course of action will alleviate the fear and stress you feel in this present moment, which is really all you have anyway. Because remember, your right Now is all that really matters because your right Now is the only thing that truly exists. You cannot touch the past, even though its effects may ripple through you like a tidal wave. Nor can you seize the future, even though its prospects are what stir you to action. All you can do is seize the moment of your Now. So why not choose, right now, to look at the uncertainties in your life as adventures instead of threats. Every adventure worth its salt is peppered with its share of challenges. Most of what you think you know doesn’t come from reality as it is, but reality as you suppose it to be. You glimpse a piece of the picture here and a piece of the picture there, and rather than accept the truth that there are gaps in your understanding of what the full picture really looks like, you simply fill in the blanks yourself. Your inner voice concocts an anecdote that fills in all the spaces that you don’t see. What you need to realize however, is you have the power to concoct any tale you want. So I ask you again, why not make your story a joyful one?
GIVEN ALL THIS, WHAT'S A PRACTICAL WAY TO GET PASSED FEAR AND INSECURTIY?
Try this mental exercise. It’s one that I’ve made a part of my routine and perhaps it can be of some use to you too. I’ve developed the habit of setting aside time each day to give thought to a situation in my life that is troubling me. I let my inner narrator tell the story of this situation as I would like it to play out as I immerse myself in the experience of this imagined scenario until I’m able to strongly evoke the feeling of what it would be like when it actually comes to pass. I also allow my critical voice to sit on the sidelines and boo, hiss, ridicule and make fun of my optimistic outlook all it wants. I let it berate me for being silly, naïve, foolish, stupid, ridiculous and whatever else it can come up with until it (my critical voice) eventually becomes the thing that sounds stupid and ridiculous. I allow my inner critic to throw everything it has at me, while I neither ignore nor engage its cynicism. I’m simply aware of it as I stand firm in my resolve to be present with this assault in order to endure passed it. It’s kind of like a mental “rope a dope.” I have found this exercise to be great for dealing with my anxieties. It allows me to play out my insecurities without actually having to live them out in any extreme sense.
WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY OF FEAR?
Fear presents us with a great touchstone which serves to draw our attention to the limitations we have accepted in life. The opportunity of fear lies in our conquering it because the truth about life is there are no limitations (only challenges). Our beliefs in the ideas of boundaries and division are meant to be shattered; and an understanding of the grand oneness of All is meant to be realized. Fear is the gateway to this Truth.
Author's Bio
Evette Gardner is the author of the self realization / advaita ebook Divine Heritage. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Feel free to visit her web site and contribute to the Spiritual Awakening forum where you are encouraged to share your own stories of wisdom
Six Keys to Managing Crisis
By Jayne Moffitt
Nov 23, 2008
It’s difficult enough to manage a major life transition that was planned, but what can you do when one enters your life through crisis? Everything changes, what defines a crisis is critical and abrupt change. The depth and complexity of your crisis will eventually determine what you will do and how long it will take to do it but the steps in managing it emotionally are the same.
1. Step Back
The first thing you need to do is step back from the situation and realistically assess two things. Become an observer and see your crisis from an outward perspective.
2. What’s the worst that can happen at this point?
The key here is to accept your answer as a mere factual statement. Turn off your emotional attachment to the situation as best you can by being your own mediator between your thoughts and the real world. That’s not the same as suppressing your emotions; it just means that you have to be able to think through them and not with them. This is especially true when your expectations of the worst case scenario are exaggerated. Today, many are facing this with financial crisis. The truth however, is that you have probably never gone hungry and never will. You have probably never gone without a roof over your head and won’t now. You may have to learn to do things differently, yes.
3. What the best possible outcome?
Every crisis contains and equal amount of opportunity if you take the time to find it. I have experienced several significant crises in my life. In some I was able to see this right away and in others it took quite some time. Have faith that it will happen though. Play with that idea for awhile. So, what if you had to move, maybe it would become a great adventure in your life. What kind of story will this create to tell your grandchildren some day?
4. What can I do?
If there is something within your power to change for the better, then do it. Really brainstorm with yourself to find an answer. Often it is closer than you think. Sometimes though, the only thing you have the power to change is what is going on in your own mind.
5. Ask for help.
Admitting that you don’t know what to do is the first step in finding out what to do. You were not meant to live this life alone. There are people surrounding you every day, truly angels in disguise that would leap at the opportunity to help you if you’d only ask. This is how God supplies you with the unlimited resource of Him. Use the gift He is giving you.
6. Be flexible.
You have to accept the fact that crisis is God’s way of pointing you in a new direction. Be willing to look down that road and see what is waiting for you there. It will be a road full of emotions both good and bad, but it will also be a road full of life lessons learned and the opportunity for walking a path of wisdom and arriving at a newer and better you.
Every crisis is an opportunity to rebuild a new you. Embrace that as the chance to grow into more than you were yesterday and a vision of what you could be tomorrow. The possibilities are endless and ALWAYS there is something positive that can be created from even the most stressful or tragic of times.
Author's Bio
Jayne Moffitt is sincerely committed to helping others embrace their purpose, passion and potential. Dropping out of college, she began her adult life as a teen parent struggling to make ends meet and even receiving public assistance. Through the grace of God, Jayne has since followed Spirit to become a multimillion dollar business owner, investor, author, coach and even a college graduate. She is now the mother of four beautiful children and truly feels she is leading the unabridged version of her life.
In addition to her own company, Jayne is also the founder of Life is Now Inc., a company dedicated to helping people achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams through spiritually based success principles.
She has partnered in business with some of the most prominent leaders in self improvement including Bob Proctor and David Neagle. Jayne was also the Vice President of the leading sales and facilitation team for Bob Proctor’s Life Success Productions where she shared her passion for finding fulfillment and purpose with clients from all over the world including Australia, Canada, the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom. You can learn more about Jayne through her website at www.JayneMoffitt.com.
Nov 23, 2008
It’s difficult enough to manage a major life transition that was planned, but what can you do when one enters your life through crisis? Everything changes, what defines a crisis is critical and abrupt change. The depth and complexity of your crisis will eventually determine what you will do and how long it will take to do it but the steps in managing it emotionally are the same.
1. Step Back
The first thing you need to do is step back from the situation and realistically assess two things. Become an observer and see your crisis from an outward perspective.
2. What’s the worst that can happen at this point?
The key here is to accept your answer as a mere factual statement. Turn off your emotional attachment to the situation as best you can by being your own mediator between your thoughts and the real world. That’s not the same as suppressing your emotions; it just means that you have to be able to think through them and not with them. This is especially true when your expectations of the worst case scenario are exaggerated. Today, many are facing this with financial crisis. The truth however, is that you have probably never gone hungry and never will. You have probably never gone without a roof over your head and won’t now. You may have to learn to do things differently, yes.
3. What the best possible outcome?
Every crisis contains and equal amount of opportunity if you take the time to find it. I have experienced several significant crises in my life. In some I was able to see this right away and in others it took quite some time. Have faith that it will happen though. Play with that idea for awhile. So, what if you had to move, maybe it would become a great adventure in your life. What kind of story will this create to tell your grandchildren some day?
4. What can I do?
If there is something within your power to change for the better, then do it. Really brainstorm with yourself to find an answer. Often it is closer than you think. Sometimes though, the only thing you have the power to change is what is going on in your own mind.
5. Ask for help.
Admitting that you don’t know what to do is the first step in finding out what to do. You were not meant to live this life alone. There are people surrounding you every day, truly angels in disguise that would leap at the opportunity to help you if you’d only ask. This is how God supplies you with the unlimited resource of Him. Use the gift He is giving you.
6. Be flexible.
You have to accept the fact that crisis is God’s way of pointing you in a new direction. Be willing to look down that road and see what is waiting for you there. It will be a road full of emotions both good and bad, but it will also be a road full of life lessons learned and the opportunity for walking a path of wisdom and arriving at a newer and better you.
Every crisis is an opportunity to rebuild a new you. Embrace that as the chance to grow into more than you were yesterday and a vision of what you could be tomorrow. The possibilities are endless and ALWAYS there is something positive that can be created from even the most stressful or tragic of times.
Author's Bio
Jayne Moffitt is sincerely committed to helping others embrace their purpose, passion and potential. Dropping out of college, she began her adult life as a teen parent struggling to make ends meet and even receiving public assistance. Through the grace of God, Jayne has since followed Spirit to become a multimillion dollar business owner, investor, author, coach and even a college graduate. She is now the mother of four beautiful children and truly feels she is leading the unabridged version of her life.
In addition to her own company, Jayne is also the founder of Life is Now Inc., a company dedicated to helping people achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams through spiritually based success principles.
She has partnered in business with some of the most prominent leaders in self improvement including Bob Proctor and David Neagle. Jayne was also the Vice President of the leading sales and facilitation team for Bob Proctor’s Life Success Productions where she shared her passion for finding fulfillment and purpose with clients from all over the world including Australia, Canada, the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom. You can learn more about Jayne through her website at www.JayneMoffitt.com.
Principles That Govern My Life by Chris Widener
The strength and durability of a building is found in its foundation. The same is true in a life. What we accomplish and the effect we have on those around us is not only in what we do, but also in who we are. In fact, what we do is driven by who we are, what we believe and value and by the principles that we live by.
Principles give us direction in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. They are transferable to any given situation and will determine our direction. Those who do not have permanent principles will find themselves drifting along and making decisions that are personally expedient, short-term oriented and usually bad for their long-term success.
So I thought I would share with you the principles that govern my life. These are the ideas and concepts that drive my behavior, my career, and my family. I would encourage you to sit down and write out your own principles. Those that drive your life, or at least that you want to drive your life!
God first, others second, me third. Gale Sayers, the running back of the Chicago Bears wrote a book titled "I am Third." This is true. If I am to do and be what I want to do and be in this life, I recognize that I must have my priorities right. Some people think that the way to success is to put themselves first. This is short-term thinking. Yes, you may be able to accomplish much in the near-term, but long-term, the best is accomplished by those who live by the above.
Always be completely honest. You really only have your character when it comes right down to it, and honesty is the quickest way to determine your character. Live in such a way that you can be completely honest and be willing to accept the responsibility that being completely honest will bring.
Make it your goal to help others, income will come from that. Zig Ziglar is the one who got me thinking about that. If you take care of others and their needs, you will earn your income. If you simply try to earn income, people will stop responding to you and you will have defeated yourself.
You reap what you sow. This is the most common truth on earth. You put an apple seed into the ground, you get an apple tree. An orange seed produces an orange tree. If you invest, your money will grow. If you eat right and exercise you will lose weight. If you are kind to others they will be kind to you.
The true measure of a man's wealth is in the things he can afford not to buy. This is one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Things are great to have and so is money, but true riches are the priceless things we can't buy, like our family, our integrity and the sense of a job well done. Pursue true wealth.
Work smart - and hard. Some say you should work smart, not hard. I say work smart and hard. A good day of hard work is a blessing and ought to be appreciated. Hard work is what changes the world - as long as it is smart, hard work!
Follow through on all commitments. If there is one thing I can't stand it is when someone doesn't do what they say they will. When we don't do what we say we will, we essentially say that the job wasn't important, the people we promised it to aren't important, and that we can't be trusted. This is a good way to short-circuit your success.
Challenge others to greatness. There are enough people who will hold out the low bar for people to step over. I want to be a person who holds up the high bar, causing people to have to run and jump with all their might. And when they clear that high bar, I want to be there celebrating with them!
Find ways to generously give of your resources. The old saying is true - you can't take it with you. But you can spread it around to lots of people while you are here. If we wait until we die to give money away, we don't get any satisfaction in seeing how it is used and enjoyed. Write a few good-sized checks each month!
Treat people right no matter how they treat you. You cannot control another person's behavior. It took me a long time to realize that. I can only control my behavior. And I can choose to do what is right no matter how another person treats me. If everybody retaliated every time someone treated them bad, we would have a mess on our hands. Instead, choose to act appropriately at all times.
When relationships go bad, be the first to hold out the olive branch. Life is too short to leave a relationship broken. As much as it is up to me, I will pursue reconciliation, for their sake, and for mine. I don't want to get to the end of my life and wish I tried harder in my relationships. For this reason I attempt to restore broken relationships.
Regularly try new things. This is what keeps the spice of life going! Try new foods, go to new places, and make new friends. You will be amazed at the joy you receive and are able to give when you make it a habit to try new things. Break out of the mold, do something unusual today!
Treat everyone equally. No one is better than anyone else. I know people with tens of millions of dollars and people who do not have two nickels to rub together. They are both equally valuable and worthy of being treated as such. Don't fall into the trap of treating some people better than others. It doesn't matter what color they are or how much money they have or what country they come from, treat them with the respect and dignity each human deserves.
Use any success you have to help others. What good is success that only helps you? Instead, use the money you make to help others. Use the connections you make to help someone else up. Use the knowledge you achieve to give someone else a leg up. Take what you have and give to others so that they may join you on the journey of success.
Look down the economic scale more often than up. When I look up the economic scale too often I become greedy and unsatisfied. I become selfish. Looking down at others who have less than me on a regular basis keeps me humble. It reminds me of all of the blessings I have and keeps me thankful for them.
I want to encourage you to sit down soon and write out the principles that guide your life. It is an excellent exercise that will help you refocus and keep your life going in the right direction!
Principles give us direction in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. They are transferable to any given situation and will determine our direction. Those who do not have permanent principles will find themselves drifting along and making decisions that are personally expedient, short-term oriented and usually bad for their long-term success.
So I thought I would share with you the principles that govern my life. These are the ideas and concepts that drive my behavior, my career, and my family. I would encourage you to sit down and write out your own principles. Those that drive your life, or at least that you want to drive your life!
God first, others second, me third. Gale Sayers, the running back of the Chicago Bears wrote a book titled "I am Third." This is true. If I am to do and be what I want to do and be in this life, I recognize that I must have my priorities right. Some people think that the way to success is to put themselves first. This is short-term thinking. Yes, you may be able to accomplish much in the near-term, but long-term, the best is accomplished by those who live by the above.
Always be completely honest. You really only have your character when it comes right down to it, and honesty is the quickest way to determine your character. Live in such a way that you can be completely honest and be willing to accept the responsibility that being completely honest will bring.
Make it your goal to help others, income will come from that. Zig Ziglar is the one who got me thinking about that. If you take care of others and their needs, you will earn your income. If you simply try to earn income, people will stop responding to you and you will have defeated yourself.
You reap what you sow. This is the most common truth on earth. You put an apple seed into the ground, you get an apple tree. An orange seed produces an orange tree. If you invest, your money will grow. If you eat right and exercise you will lose weight. If you are kind to others they will be kind to you.
The true measure of a man's wealth is in the things he can afford not to buy. This is one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Things are great to have and so is money, but true riches are the priceless things we can't buy, like our family, our integrity and the sense of a job well done. Pursue true wealth.
Work smart - and hard. Some say you should work smart, not hard. I say work smart and hard. A good day of hard work is a blessing and ought to be appreciated. Hard work is what changes the world - as long as it is smart, hard work!
Follow through on all commitments. If there is one thing I can't stand it is when someone doesn't do what they say they will. When we don't do what we say we will, we essentially say that the job wasn't important, the people we promised it to aren't important, and that we can't be trusted. This is a good way to short-circuit your success.
Challenge others to greatness. There are enough people who will hold out the low bar for people to step over. I want to be a person who holds up the high bar, causing people to have to run and jump with all their might. And when they clear that high bar, I want to be there celebrating with them!
Find ways to generously give of your resources. The old saying is true - you can't take it with you. But you can spread it around to lots of people while you are here. If we wait until we die to give money away, we don't get any satisfaction in seeing how it is used and enjoyed. Write a few good-sized checks each month!
Treat people right no matter how they treat you. You cannot control another person's behavior. It took me a long time to realize that. I can only control my behavior. And I can choose to do what is right no matter how another person treats me. If everybody retaliated every time someone treated them bad, we would have a mess on our hands. Instead, choose to act appropriately at all times.
When relationships go bad, be the first to hold out the olive branch. Life is too short to leave a relationship broken. As much as it is up to me, I will pursue reconciliation, for their sake, and for mine. I don't want to get to the end of my life and wish I tried harder in my relationships. For this reason I attempt to restore broken relationships.
Regularly try new things. This is what keeps the spice of life going! Try new foods, go to new places, and make new friends. You will be amazed at the joy you receive and are able to give when you make it a habit to try new things. Break out of the mold, do something unusual today!
Treat everyone equally. No one is better than anyone else. I know people with tens of millions of dollars and people who do not have two nickels to rub together. They are both equally valuable and worthy of being treated as such. Don't fall into the trap of treating some people better than others. It doesn't matter what color they are or how much money they have or what country they come from, treat them with the respect and dignity each human deserves.
Use any success you have to help others. What good is success that only helps you? Instead, use the money you make to help others. Use the connections you make to help someone else up. Use the knowledge you achieve to give someone else a leg up. Take what you have and give to others so that they may join you on the journey of success.
Look down the economic scale more often than up. When I look up the economic scale too often I become greedy and unsatisfied. I become selfish. Looking down at others who have less than me on a regular basis keeps me humble. It reminds me of all of the blessings I have and keeps me thankful for them.
I want to encourage you to sit down soon and write out the principles that guide your life. It is an excellent exercise that will help you refocus and keep your life going in the right direction!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Do You Make These Mistakes In Sales?
by Jim Klein
Before I get in to this weeks feature article, let's do a quick
review of what I talked about in the last newsletter.
You created interest with your prospect by making a big promise,
and stated a feature to back up your promise.
You gave them a logical and emotional benefit, and backed
everything up with evidence.
Finally, you asked their permission to ask questions.
Because you did such a great job up to this point, your prospect
says, "If you can do that for me, if you might be able to help me
that way, to create those kinds of results, sure, you can ask me
some questions."
Now you've got their permission to probe.
Before I get into probing and asking the prospect questions, there
is one very important point I want to talk with you about. The
point I want to discuss is how to tell the difference between a
prospect and a suspect, and how doing so will save you valuable
time and unneeded frustration.
So what is the difference between a prospect and a suspect?
A prospect is a potential client who has a need for your product or
service, and is willing and able to pay for them, and has the
authority to make the buying decision.
On the other hand, a suspect is any one who does not meet any of
the qualities of a prospect. A suspect will use up your time asking
for more and more information, without ever actually committing or
planning on committing to a deal. Suspects will leave you hanging.
The way you separate the suspects from the prospects is in the
probing or qualifying phase of the sales process. Before you can
sell anything, you must have someone who has a need for your
product or service, they must have the means and the desire to
purchase whatever it is you are selling, and they must have the
authority or ability to make the decision to purchase.
These are the three conditions you are looking for when you qualify
someone.
It has been my experience that many sales people make three main
mistakes when qualifying a potential customer. Making either one of
these mistakes will ultimately end with the same result, a waste of
the sales person's and the potential clients time, energy, and a
lose of credibility with the potential client.
The first mistake many sales people make is they skip the
qualifying step all together. Some think they know what their
prospect wants and needs without qualifying. Other sales people
skip it because they don't know how to qualify. Or maybe they don't
feel comfortable taking control of the sales process right from the
beginning.
Then they proceed to ramble on about how great their company is,
how long they've been in business and all the wonderful things
they're going to do for the prospect. In no way do they stop long
enough to find out what the prospect is looking for.
The second mistake many sales people make is when qualifying the
potential client; all three conditions for a prospect are not met,
so they really have a suspect. However, they continue with the
presentation and waste their time, energy, and credibility.
Too many salespeople have the belief that regardless of the
situation, the suspect can be convinced to purchase.
The third mistake made is that they don't probe deep enough to
really dig out the emotional reasons why the prospect wants or
needs their product or service. The sales person only scratches the
surface, and then has a difficult time getting the prospect to sign
on the dotted line.
Another reason for a salesperson not qualifying a potential client
is they are afraid they'll hear the word "No". It's the most feared
word for most sales people. However, the top producers want to get
to the "No" as quickly as possible so they can get to a yes that
much sooner.
Any one of these mistakes can be critical to the sales process.
So what I am going to cover in the qualifying process is crucial to
your success or failure in sales, and earning more money in a
shorter period of time.
Make it a GREAT day!
Before I get in to this weeks feature article, let's do a quick
review of what I talked about in the last newsletter.
You created interest with your prospect by making a big promise,
and stated a feature to back up your promise.
You gave them a logical and emotional benefit, and backed
everything up with evidence.
Finally, you asked their permission to ask questions.
Because you did such a great job up to this point, your prospect
says, "If you can do that for me, if you might be able to help me
that way, to create those kinds of results, sure, you can ask me
some questions."
Now you've got their permission to probe.
Before I get into probing and asking the prospect questions, there
is one very important point I want to talk with you about. The
point I want to discuss is how to tell the difference between a
prospect and a suspect, and how doing so will save you valuable
time and unneeded frustration.
So what is the difference between a prospect and a suspect?
A prospect is a potential client who has a need for your product or
service, and is willing and able to pay for them, and has the
authority to make the buying decision.
On the other hand, a suspect is any one who does not meet any of
the qualities of a prospect. A suspect will use up your time asking
for more and more information, without ever actually committing or
planning on committing to a deal. Suspects will leave you hanging.
The way you separate the suspects from the prospects is in the
probing or qualifying phase of the sales process. Before you can
sell anything, you must have someone who has a need for your
product or service, they must have the means and the desire to
purchase whatever it is you are selling, and they must have the
authority or ability to make the decision to purchase.
These are the three conditions you are looking for when you qualify
someone.
It has been my experience that many sales people make three main
mistakes when qualifying a potential customer. Making either one of
these mistakes will ultimately end with the same result, a waste of
the sales person's and the potential clients time, energy, and a
lose of credibility with the potential client.
The first mistake many sales people make is they skip the
qualifying step all together. Some think they know what their
prospect wants and needs without qualifying. Other sales people
skip it because they don't know how to qualify. Or maybe they don't
feel comfortable taking control of the sales process right from the
beginning.
Then they proceed to ramble on about how great their company is,
how long they've been in business and all the wonderful things
they're going to do for the prospect. In no way do they stop long
enough to find out what the prospect is looking for.
The second mistake many sales people make is when qualifying the
potential client; all three conditions for a prospect are not met,
so they really have a suspect. However, they continue with the
presentation and waste their time, energy, and credibility.
Too many salespeople have the belief that regardless of the
situation, the suspect can be convinced to purchase.
The third mistake made is that they don't probe deep enough to
really dig out the emotional reasons why the prospect wants or
needs their product or service. The sales person only scratches the
surface, and then has a difficult time getting the prospect to sign
on the dotted line.
Another reason for a salesperson not qualifying a potential client
is they are afraid they'll hear the word "No". It's the most feared
word for most sales people. However, the top producers want to get
to the "No" as quickly as possible so they can get to a yes that
much sooner.
Any one of these mistakes can be critical to the sales process.
So what I am going to cover in the qualifying process is crucial to
your success or failure in sales, and earning more money in a
shorter period of time.
Make it a GREAT day!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Using Your Mistakes to Springboard to Success By Zig Ziglar
Each of us at one time or another has thought about how wonderful it would be to have as much foresight as hindsight. Then we could avoid making mistakes! Not only is that hope unrealistic, it’s also unwise. Mistakes are often the springboard for major accomplishments. Here’s a good example:
Thomas Edison was working with a lab assistant who was coming up dry after over 700 experiments. In discouragement, the assistant told Edison that after all these mistakes, errors, and false starts, he simply didn’t believe that the project was valid. Edison quickly told him that he wasn’t wasting his time and that the assistant now knew more about the project than anybody alive.
Edison wisely observed that the assistant hadn't made mistakes but instead had acquired an education as to what didn’t work. Needless to say, the assistant went back to his project with renewed vigor.
If you take Edison’s approach to life, you end up accomplishing much, much more. You need to understand that after every mistake you can look back and grow from the experience so that you can move forward with confidence and avoid making the same mistake again.
Here are three tips for handling a mistake, either at home or work:
1. Don’t let a mistake depress or discourage you. See a mistake as a step on the road to a solution. Realize that depression and discouragement are negatives that limit the future.
2. Admit the mistake. Yes, admitting your mistakes takes courage, but recognition of errors is a sign of maturity. Not to recognize them is to deny them, and denial limits your future.
3. Understand that when you confront your mistakes, you can take full advantage of them as the positive experiences they can be.
When you ignore mistakes or try to conceal them, they almost always have a negative impact.
Thomas Edison was working with a lab assistant who was coming up dry after over 700 experiments. In discouragement, the assistant told Edison that after all these mistakes, errors, and false starts, he simply didn’t believe that the project was valid. Edison quickly told him that he wasn’t wasting his time and that the assistant now knew more about the project than anybody alive.
Edison wisely observed that the assistant hadn't made mistakes but instead had acquired an education as to what didn’t work. Needless to say, the assistant went back to his project with renewed vigor.
If you take Edison’s approach to life, you end up accomplishing much, much more. You need to understand that after every mistake you can look back and grow from the experience so that you can move forward with confidence and avoid making the same mistake again.
Here are three tips for handling a mistake, either at home or work:
1. Don’t let a mistake depress or discourage you. See a mistake as a step on the road to a solution. Realize that depression and discouragement are negatives that limit the future.
2. Admit the mistake. Yes, admitting your mistakes takes courage, but recognition of errors is a sign of maturity. Not to recognize them is to deny them, and denial limits your future.
3. Understand that when you confront your mistakes, you can take full advantage of them as the positive experiences they can be.
When you ignore mistakes or try to conceal them, they almost always have a negative impact.
Don't Give Up - Kelley Robertson
According to recent survey I read 67% of sales people stop trying to connect with a decision maker after just six attempts. However, other research has shown that it takes at least fourteen attempts to connect with key executives. That means most sales people give up far too soon.
In addition to giving up too soon, a mistake these people make is that they don't have a strategy. It is critical to remember that every executive is extremely busy and plagued by sales calls. Leaving a generic message is not going to motivate them to call you back. The key is to develop a campaign of touch points. Here are four examples:
1. Leave a voice mail message with information that will help your prospect address a specific problem
2. Send them an article that relates to their business or a current business challenge they may be facing
3. Email a link to website that offers something of value (not yours!)
4. Mail a postcard that outlines strategies they can use in their business.
The key is to connect with them in different ways. Develop a campaign, use a variety of strategies, and don't give up. Your results will improve.
Have a productive and profitable week!
In addition to giving up too soon, a mistake these people make is that they don't have a strategy. It is critical to remember that every executive is extremely busy and plagued by sales calls. Leaving a generic message is not going to motivate them to call you back. The key is to develop a campaign of touch points. Here are four examples:
1. Leave a voice mail message with information that will help your prospect address a specific problem
2. Send them an article that relates to their business or a current business challenge they may be facing
3. Email a link to website that offers something of value (not yours!)
4. Mail a postcard that outlines strategies they can use in their business.
The key is to connect with them in different ways. Develop a campaign, use a variety of strategies, and don't give up. Your results will improve.
Have a productive and profitable week!
Creating Endless Referrals - Rod Moore
Creating Endless Referrals
Everybody in business loves to receive referrals. Rightly so ...
Referrals are simply the best source of new clients you can have. Why? Because they come to you pre-sold. They have automatically been moved through the know you, like you and trust you phases that are so critical these days.
When I conduct my Attraction Marketing Seminar I often ask the audience ... 'What is your best source of new business?'. In nearly every case people tell me it is word-of-mouth ... Or referrals.
This was also highlighted in a recent survey conducted by Flyingsolo.com.au. They asked their audience a number of questions including what is their number one source of new business. The overwhelming response of course was referrals.
Now interestingly when I ask people in my seminars if they have a SYSTEM for generating more referrals I am usually met with blank stares. Virtually no one has a step-by-step system for generating referrals of any kind. This is tragic because here is why ... Whilst the majority of Small Business owners sight referrals as their number one source of new business most of them do not currently get enough referrals to fully achieve their potential in their business.
So what if there was a way to turn on a never ending stream of referrals into your business? Would that be something you want to know about?
Well there is!
Creating an endless referral stream is possible and easily achieved. It comes down to implementing the right MARKETING SYSTEM into your business.
In my twenties I was in direct sales and we were trained to always ask for three referrals after every sale. We were taught a number of different techniques to ask in a way that would leave the new client wanting to give us referrals. It rarely worked. In fact it made them feel uncomfortable and me. So after a period of time you stop asking. I suspect that many small business owners are the same ... They long ago stopped asking for referrals.
Well the good news is ... Its possible to ATTRACT referrals to you.
Here are three things that will determine the number of referrals you receive:
1/ Size Of Your Network - The larger the number of people who Know You, Like You and Trust You, the more referrals you will receive. It makes sense right? The more people in your network who know you and trust you the more likley referral sources you will have. So the question then is ... Do you have a strategy to constantly grow your network? What are you doing each day to grow the size of this network of people? When you think about it ... This is the only place that referrals can come to right? They can only come from people who know you, like you and trust you. So the starting point is to implement a strategy to continually be growing this network.
2/ How Many Of Them Know What You Do - Now you could have a huge growing network and still not receive any referrals. How? Well if the people in your network do not really know what it is you do then it is difficult for them to refer new clients to you. Now what I mean by this is that they know the actual end solution you deliver to clients. Its not enough that they know you are a Financial Planner, or Chiropractor etc. They must know the end solution your product or service provides. For this reason I strongly recommend that you are constantly putting your client success stories, case studies and testimonials in front of your network. The more success you demonstrate the more referrals will flow from your network.
3/ Do They Know You Want Referrals? - The third thing is how you educate your network. If you have a huge growing network, and you demonstrate the results you provide to your network, they still may not send you referrals. This is because you need to educate them that you work on referrals. For this reason I always recommend that when you receive a referral you publicly acknowledge and thank the person giving you the referral. You also want to reward them. Consider developing a rewards program for those who refer to you that encourages them to refer more people to you.
As an example of this consider what we are doing with the MEGA NETWORKING & REFERRAL EVENT. We are building a notification email list for the event at the moment. When someone subscribes to this list they are then asked to refer three people to the site. By doing so they go into the draw to be one of 10 people to promote their business live on stage at the event. We will also recoginse these people in our event Blog and more. Why? Well as a thank you to them and also to educate everyone else that their referrals are valued.
If you focus on these three things above, growing your network, making sure they are fully aware of the solutions you provide, and educate them that you want referrals, you will find the number of referrals you receive begins to go up.
Now let me give you a million dollar tip ... a referred client is ten times more likley to refer you than a client that comes from a cold ad. So the more referrals you get the easier they become to generate more. Ultimately though it all comes down to thinking about implementing the right system for generating referrals. It can be a lot easier to do than you might think.
Everybody in business loves to receive referrals. Rightly so ...
Referrals are simply the best source of new clients you can have. Why? Because they come to you pre-sold. They have automatically been moved through the know you, like you and trust you phases that are so critical these days.
When I conduct my Attraction Marketing Seminar I often ask the audience ... 'What is your best source of new business?'. In nearly every case people tell me it is word-of-mouth ... Or referrals.
This was also highlighted in a recent survey conducted by Flyingsolo.com.au. They asked their audience a number of questions including what is their number one source of new business. The overwhelming response of course was referrals.
Now interestingly when I ask people in my seminars if they have a SYSTEM for generating more referrals I am usually met with blank stares. Virtually no one has a step-by-step system for generating referrals of any kind. This is tragic because here is why ... Whilst the majority of Small Business owners sight referrals as their number one source of new business most of them do not currently get enough referrals to fully achieve their potential in their business.
So what if there was a way to turn on a never ending stream of referrals into your business? Would that be something you want to know about?
Well there is!
Creating an endless referral stream is possible and easily achieved. It comes down to implementing the right MARKETING SYSTEM into your business.
In my twenties I was in direct sales and we were trained to always ask for three referrals after every sale. We were taught a number of different techniques to ask in a way that would leave the new client wanting to give us referrals. It rarely worked. In fact it made them feel uncomfortable and me. So after a period of time you stop asking. I suspect that many small business owners are the same ... They long ago stopped asking for referrals.
Well the good news is ... Its possible to ATTRACT referrals to you.
Here are three things that will determine the number of referrals you receive:
1/ Size Of Your Network - The larger the number of people who Know You, Like You and Trust You, the more referrals you will receive. It makes sense right? The more people in your network who know you and trust you the more likley referral sources you will have. So the question then is ... Do you have a strategy to constantly grow your network? What are you doing each day to grow the size of this network of people? When you think about it ... This is the only place that referrals can come to right? They can only come from people who know you, like you and trust you. So the starting point is to implement a strategy to continually be growing this network.
2/ How Many Of Them Know What You Do - Now you could have a huge growing network and still not receive any referrals. How? Well if the people in your network do not really know what it is you do then it is difficult for them to refer new clients to you. Now what I mean by this is that they know the actual end solution you deliver to clients. Its not enough that they know you are a Financial Planner, or Chiropractor etc. They must know the end solution your product or service provides. For this reason I strongly recommend that you are constantly putting your client success stories, case studies and testimonials in front of your network. The more success you demonstrate the more referrals will flow from your network.
3/ Do They Know You Want Referrals? - The third thing is how you educate your network. If you have a huge growing network, and you demonstrate the results you provide to your network, they still may not send you referrals. This is because you need to educate them that you work on referrals. For this reason I always recommend that when you receive a referral you publicly acknowledge and thank the person giving you the referral. You also want to reward them. Consider developing a rewards program for those who refer to you that encourages them to refer more people to you.
As an example of this consider what we are doing with the MEGA NETWORKING & REFERRAL EVENT. We are building a notification email list for the event at the moment. When someone subscribes to this list they are then asked to refer three people to the site. By doing so they go into the draw to be one of 10 people to promote their business live on stage at the event. We will also recoginse these people in our event Blog and more. Why? Well as a thank you to them and also to educate everyone else that their referrals are valued.
If you focus on these three things above, growing your network, making sure they are fully aware of the solutions you provide, and educate them that you want referrals, you will find the number of referrals you receive begins to go up.
Now let me give you a million dollar tip ... a referred client is ten times more likley to refer you than a client that comes from a cold ad. So the more referrals you get the easier they become to generate more. Ultimately though it all comes down to thinking about implementing the right system for generating referrals. It can be a lot easier to do than you might think.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Using Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones
By: Brian Tracy
Everyone makes mistakes and the busier you are, the more mistakes you will make. The only question is "How well and how effectively do you deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life?"
In this newsletter, you learn the difference between a positive and negative worldview. You learn how to benefit from your mistakes and how to remain positive in the face of adversity.
Let the Light Shine In
This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened.
Using Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones
There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People with a malevolent or negative worldview take a victim stance, seeing life as a continuous succession of problems and a process of unfairness and oppression. They don't expect a lot and they don't get much. When things go wrong, they shrug their shoulders and passively accept that this is the way life is and there isn't anything they can do to make it better.
On the other hand, people with a benevolent or positive worldview see the world around them as filled with opportunities and possibilities. They believe that everything happens as part of a great process designed to make them successful and happy. They approach their lives, their work, and their relationships with optimism, cheerfulness, and a general attitude of positive expectations. They expect a lot and they are seldom disappointed.
Flex Your Mental Muscles
When you develop the skill of learning from your mistakes, you become the kind of person who welcomes obstacles and setbacks as opportunities to flex your mental muscles and move ahead. You look at problems as rungs on the ladder of success that you grab onto as you pull your way higher.
Two of the most common ways to deal with mistakes are invariably fatal to high achievement. The first common but misguided way to handle a mistake is the failure to accept it when it occurs. According to statistics, 70 percent of all decisions we make will be wrong. That's an average. This means that some people will fail more than 70 percent of the time, and some people will fail less. It is hard to believe that most of the decisions we make could turn out to be wrong in some way. In fact, if this is the case, how can our society continue to function at all?
Cut Your Losses
The fact is that our society, our families, our companies, and our relationships continue to survive and thrive because intelligent people tend to cut their losses and minimize their mistakes. It is only when people refuse to accept that they have made a bad choice or decision-and prolong the consequences by sticking to that bad choice or decision-that mistakes become extremely expensive and hurtful.
Learn From Your Mistakes
The second common approach that people take with regard to their mistakes, one that hurts innumerable lives and careers, is the failure to use your mistakes to better yourself and to improve the quality of your mind and your thinking.
Learning from your mistakes is an essential skill that enables you to develop the resilience to be a master of change rather than a victim of change. The person who recognizes that he has made a mistake and changes direction the fastest is the one who will win in an age of increasing information, technology and competition.
By remaining fast on your feet, you will be able to out-play and out-position your competition. You will become a creator of circumstances rather than a creature of circumstances.
Action Exercises
Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, imagine that your biggest problem or challenge in life has been sent to you at this moment to help you, to teach you something valuable. What could it be?
Second, be willing to cut your losses and walk away if you have made a mistake or a bad choice. Accept that you are not perfect, you can't be right all the time, and then get on with your life.
Third, learn from every mistake you make. Write down every lesson it contains. Use your mistakes in the present as stepping stones to great success in the future.
Everyone makes mistakes and the busier you are, the more mistakes you will make. The only question is "How well and how effectively do you deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life?"
In this newsletter, you learn the difference between a positive and negative worldview. You learn how to benefit from your mistakes and how to remain positive in the face of adversity.
Let the Light Shine In
This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened.
Using Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones
There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People with a malevolent or negative worldview take a victim stance, seeing life as a continuous succession of problems and a process of unfairness and oppression. They don't expect a lot and they don't get much. When things go wrong, they shrug their shoulders and passively accept that this is the way life is and there isn't anything they can do to make it better.
On the other hand, people with a benevolent or positive worldview see the world around them as filled with opportunities and possibilities. They believe that everything happens as part of a great process designed to make them successful and happy. They approach their lives, their work, and their relationships with optimism, cheerfulness, and a general attitude of positive expectations. They expect a lot and they are seldom disappointed.
Flex Your Mental Muscles
When you develop the skill of learning from your mistakes, you become the kind of person who welcomes obstacles and setbacks as opportunities to flex your mental muscles and move ahead. You look at problems as rungs on the ladder of success that you grab onto as you pull your way higher.
Two of the most common ways to deal with mistakes are invariably fatal to high achievement. The first common but misguided way to handle a mistake is the failure to accept it when it occurs. According to statistics, 70 percent of all decisions we make will be wrong. That's an average. This means that some people will fail more than 70 percent of the time, and some people will fail less. It is hard to believe that most of the decisions we make could turn out to be wrong in some way. In fact, if this is the case, how can our society continue to function at all?
Cut Your Losses
The fact is that our society, our families, our companies, and our relationships continue to survive and thrive because intelligent people tend to cut their losses and minimize their mistakes. It is only when people refuse to accept that they have made a bad choice or decision-and prolong the consequences by sticking to that bad choice or decision-that mistakes become extremely expensive and hurtful.
Learn From Your Mistakes
The second common approach that people take with regard to their mistakes, one that hurts innumerable lives and careers, is the failure to use your mistakes to better yourself and to improve the quality of your mind and your thinking.
Learning from your mistakes is an essential skill that enables you to develop the resilience to be a master of change rather than a victim of change. The person who recognizes that he has made a mistake and changes direction the fastest is the one who will win in an age of increasing information, technology and competition.
By remaining fast on your feet, you will be able to out-play and out-position your competition. You will become a creator of circumstances rather than a creature of circumstances.
Action Exercises
Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, imagine that your biggest problem or challenge in life has been sent to you at this moment to help you, to teach you something valuable. What could it be?
Second, be willing to cut your losses and walk away if you have made a mistake or a bad choice. Accept that you are not perfect, you can't be right all the time, and then get on with your life.
Third, learn from every mistake you make. Write down every lesson it contains. Use your mistakes in the present as stepping stones to great success in the future.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Take Time Out for Mental Digestion
By: Brian Tracy
How to get support for your ideas more easily than ever before.
Many years ago a retiring executive gave me an old pamphlet he had carried throughout his career. It was entitled, "Take Time Out for Mental Digestion."
He told me that this little pamphlet had been one of the most helpful things he had ever read in his business life. At the time I spoke to him he was the president of a corporation with more than 10,000 employees.
The message of this pamphlet was simple. It said that people always resist new ideas and new courses of action, even if the ideas are good for them. However, if they have an opportunity to think about them for a few days, very often they will come around to the new way of thinking with both agreement and enthusiasm.
The pamphlet said that an individual needs about 72 hours to absorb a new idea. Effective executives are those who present their ideas in very casual way, rather than as a decision or a fact engraved in stone. They present their thoughts as ideas for consideration. Effective executives encourage the other person to take the new idea or new way of doing things and think about it for a few days. They say that "we can discuss this later" and they just leave the idea with the other person.
Over the years, I have found this to be a remarkable piece of advice and a very important insight to communicating effectively with others.
People Will Resist Change
It is normal and natural for people to resist change of any kind, even and including a change that they will benefit from. So, allow them to take time out for mental digestion. Present your new idea in a low keyed, non-threatening way and just encourage the individual to think about it for a while and then discuss it later.
Present Ideas As Possibilities
In my early executive career, I was continually frustrated by trying to get my ideas, which I had thought through and which I, of course, thought were wonderful, accepted by my seniors and my co-workers.
When I started taking time out for mental digestion and just presented my ideas as possibilities, I was astonished at how much more readily people turned around and came to see the validity of the ideas. I also found that, if you present an idea with too much enthusiasm, you trigger natural resistance which soon becomes ego-based, irrespective of the validity of the ideas.
Present Ideas in a Low-Keyed Manner
On the other hand, if you present your ideas in a low-keyed manner and just leave them for consideration, people can come around to accepting them in their own time and embracing your new ideas without any loss of face or without any ego problems.
The next time you have a great idea, mention it casually and ask other people what they think about it. Give people time to digest the idea, even if they are totally opposed to it at the beginning.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do to use this principle in practice.
First, think your ideas through on paper before you present them to others. Expect natural resistance. When you do present your ideas, do it in a low keyed, almost indifferent manner so that it stirs up no resistance.
Second, expect your ideas to be rejected initially. When this happens, simply ask open ended questions to get feedback and then present your ideas again at a later time in a different form. It is amazing how effective this strategy will be.
How to get support for your ideas more easily than ever before.
Many years ago a retiring executive gave me an old pamphlet he had carried throughout his career. It was entitled, "Take Time Out for Mental Digestion."
He told me that this little pamphlet had been one of the most helpful things he had ever read in his business life. At the time I spoke to him he was the president of a corporation with more than 10,000 employees.
The message of this pamphlet was simple. It said that people always resist new ideas and new courses of action, even if the ideas are good for them. However, if they have an opportunity to think about them for a few days, very often they will come around to the new way of thinking with both agreement and enthusiasm.
The pamphlet said that an individual needs about 72 hours to absorb a new idea. Effective executives are those who present their ideas in very casual way, rather than as a decision or a fact engraved in stone. They present their thoughts as ideas for consideration. Effective executives encourage the other person to take the new idea or new way of doing things and think about it for a few days. They say that "we can discuss this later" and they just leave the idea with the other person.
Over the years, I have found this to be a remarkable piece of advice and a very important insight to communicating effectively with others.
People Will Resist Change
It is normal and natural for people to resist change of any kind, even and including a change that they will benefit from. So, allow them to take time out for mental digestion. Present your new idea in a low keyed, non-threatening way and just encourage the individual to think about it for a while and then discuss it later.
Present Ideas As Possibilities
In my early executive career, I was continually frustrated by trying to get my ideas, which I had thought through and which I, of course, thought were wonderful, accepted by my seniors and my co-workers.
When I started taking time out for mental digestion and just presented my ideas as possibilities, I was astonished at how much more readily people turned around and came to see the validity of the ideas. I also found that, if you present an idea with too much enthusiasm, you trigger natural resistance which soon becomes ego-based, irrespective of the validity of the ideas.
Present Ideas in a Low-Keyed Manner
On the other hand, if you present your ideas in a low-keyed manner and just leave them for consideration, people can come around to accepting them in their own time and embracing your new ideas without any loss of face or without any ego problems.
The next time you have a great idea, mention it casually and ask other people what they think about it. Give people time to digest the idea, even if they are totally opposed to it at the beginning.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do to use this principle in practice.
First, think your ideas through on paper before you present them to others. Expect natural resistance. When you do present your ideas, do it in a low keyed, almost indifferent manner so that it stirs up no resistance.
Second, expect your ideas to be rejected initially. When this happens, simply ask open ended questions to get feedback and then present your ideas again at a later time in a different form. It is amazing how effective this strategy will be.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sales Process Defined - By Bill Campbell
We all have heard that as small business owners, we are all sales people. This is no doubt a fact when owning and operating a small business. As with any operational function, there should be some type of process or step by step way of doing it. Following a process, with repetition and practice, has been proven to contribute to a positive outcome. Yes, you guessed it! There is a process to selling - known as the sales cycle.
Some businesses sell products, some sell services, some a combination of both. A sales process or cycle applies to pretty much anything that you are selling. There many variations of the sales cycle, but there is also a set of basic steps. Keep in mind that not all of these steps may fit your type or style of business and if they don’t, that’s ok. Modify them to fit your needs. Most salespeople and business owners use these basics steps as a starting point to creating their own sales process.
Creating your sales process is very important to the success of your business and your life. Let’s open our minds for a second. If you really think about it, our days are filled with getting things done, making decisions, and achieving positive outcomes. If you write down the path of how you do some of the things just mentioned and match them against the sales process, there are definitely some similarities. This is probably where the saying “Everyone is a salesperson” came from.
Let’s look the basic steps of the selling process.
1. Prospecting (finding new clients) – The biggest mistake small business owners make when looking for new customers or clients is they try and target everyone and think that everyone is their target audience. This leads to disappointment and a low new client success rate. Spend some time identifying and prospecting to your target audience.
2. First Contact – You know what they say about first impressions – you only have one chance to make a good one. Once you know who and where your target audience is, make contact. This can be done by phone, email, Internet, advertising, signs, referrals, guest speaking, and various other ways, Be Creative.
3. Determine the need – Bill Gates would probably never buy a MAC computer, so there would be no point in trying to sell him one. Ask questions about your client’s business and challenges. Narrow the scope as you go to identify specific requirements for your product or service. Gain agreement as you go.
4. Qualify – make sure your product or service is in the client’s price range. In talking to potential clients, the two most common things you are going to hear is “I can’t afford it” and “I am happy with what I have”. Business people waste a lot of time and money barking up the wrong tree.
5. Presentation – This is your big chance! You are offered the opportunity to educate your prospect on your product or service. This is a very valuable skill set and definitely one that I would recommend practicing often. This is what I call the Make or Break milestone. This will tell your prospect a lot about you and your company. This is where you can gain a whirlwind of points towards closing the deal. Make sure your presentation is tailored to the needs you identified in step 3.
6. Managing Objections – No doubt you are going to get questions about your product or service. Don’t take them personally! Develop a list of the most common questions people ask you about your product or service. Add to this list questions what you would ask a similar company to yours if you were looking to buy their product or service. What is preventing your prospect from buying your product or service? Sometimes there is just not a fit, no matter how you try and spin it. You have to know when to hold them and when to fold them.
7. Closing – This is what I call Dinner Night! If you close a big deal, reward yourself with a night out for dinner. Believe it or not, some people think this is the only step in the selling process. If you can skip all of the other steps and go straight to this step, you’re a winner. Closing is your ultimate goal and all of the other steps are ways of getting you here.
8. Reoccurring Sales – Referrals! If you made your client or customer happy, you did what you aimed to do and they are likely to refer more business to you. Create a referral plan which would include a process to ask for and give referrals, and reward the people who consistently refer business to you. It is always good to have champions for your business.
If you don’t already have a sales process, this should give you a good foundation or enhance the one you currently have.
Sell Hard, Sell Professionally, And Sell Ethically.
About the Author:
Bill Campbell is the Co-Founder and CEO of CEOJunction™, a membership and networking organization for small business CEOs and business owners. You can contact him at bcampbell@CEOJunction.com
Some businesses sell products, some sell services, some a combination of both. A sales process or cycle applies to pretty much anything that you are selling. There many variations of the sales cycle, but there is also a set of basic steps. Keep in mind that not all of these steps may fit your type or style of business and if they don’t, that’s ok. Modify them to fit your needs. Most salespeople and business owners use these basics steps as a starting point to creating their own sales process.
Creating your sales process is very important to the success of your business and your life. Let’s open our minds for a second. If you really think about it, our days are filled with getting things done, making decisions, and achieving positive outcomes. If you write down the path of how you do some of the things just mentioned and match them against the sales process, there are definitely some similarities. This is probably where the saying “Everyone is a salesperson” came from.
Let’s look the basic steps of the selling process.
1. Prospecting (finding new clients) – The biggest mistake small business owners make when looking for new customers or clients is they try and target everyone and think that everyone is their target audience. This leads to disappointment and a low new client success rate. Spend some time identifying and prospecting to your target audience.
2. First Contact – You know what they say about first impressions – you only have one chance to make a good one. Once you know who and where your target audience is, make contact. This can be done by phone, email, Internet, advertising, signs, referrals, guest speaking, and various other ways, Be Creative.
3. Determine the need – Bill Gates would probably never buy a MAC computer, so there would be no point in trying to sell him one. Ask questions about your client’s business and challenges. Narrow the scope as you go to identify specific requirements for your product or service. Gain agreement as you go.
4. Qualify – make sure your product or service is in the client’s price range. In talking to potential clients, the two most common things you are going to hear is “I can’t afford it” and “I am happy with what I have”. Business people waste a lot of time and money barking up the wrong tree.
5. Presentation – This is your big chance! You are offered the opportunity to educate your prospect on your product or service. This is a very valuable skill set and definitely one that I would recommend practicing often. This is what I call the Make or Break milestone. This will tell your prospect a lot about you and your company. This is where you can gain a whirlwind of points towards closing the deal. Make sure your presentation is tailored to the needs you identified in step 3.
6. Managing Objections – No doubt you are going to get questions about your product or service. Don’t take them personally! Develop a list of the most common questions people ask you about your product or service. Add to this list questions what you would ask a similar company to yours if you were looking to buy their product or service. What is preventing your prospect from buying your product or service? Sometimes there is just not a fit, no matter how you try and spin it. You have to know when to hold them and when to fold them.
7. Closing – This is what I call Dinner Night! If you close a big deal, reward yourself with a night out for dinner. Believe it or not, some people think this is the only step in the selling process. If you can skip all of the other steps and go straight to this step, you’re a winner. Closing is your ultimate goal and all of the other steps are ways of getting you here.
8. Reoccurring Sales – Referrals! If you made your client or customer happy, you did what you aimed to do and they are likely to refer more business to you. Create a referral plan which would include a process to ask for and give referrals, and reward the people who consistently refer business to you. It is always good to have champions for your business.
If you don’t already have a sales process, this should give you a good foundation or enhance the one you currently have.
Sell Hard, Sell Professionally, And Sell Ethically.
About the Author:
Bill Campbell is the Co-Founder and CEO of CEOJunction™, a membership and networking organization for small business CEOs and business owners. You can contact him at bcampbell@CEOJunction.com
The Truth About Bad Habits By Anastasia Netri
The other day, I was sitting in my bedroom faced with a decision about whether to go exercise or go to the coffee shop. I used to exercise every day. Lately, so much in my life has shifted that I somehow, without even noticing, got out of the habit of daily exercise. It's been nearly three weeks now, and find myself craving the morning cup of joe (I NEVER used to drink coffee either!) and not exercising. No wonder I'm tired!
The decision seemed obvious, which was to go and exercise. However, when I stood up, my entire body was screaming "NOOO!" and I felt like I was having to force myself, which is a painful, yucky, and uncomfortable feeling.
I took a step back and became fascinated at what was going on. I was resisting something that I knew would make me feel fantastic! It seemed easier to choose something that would cause a drop in my energy level after the "high" wore off. Not to mention that I got to beat up on myself for making the "wrong" decision.
So, in this moment of coffee vs. exercise, I sat and really went inward. I asked the question I've never really asked point blank before - Why is it so darn easy to get into bad habits, and so hard to get into good ones?
After I posed the fateful question, the answer came to me within seconds.
Are you ready? Really ready to discover the answer? Well, here it is:
Bad habits keep you in the state of "status quo". Good habits move us forward and promote change, personal growth, and expansion.
A "bad" habit keeps us stuck in "status quo" for a few reasons, here are some to be aware of:
The habit promotes a decrease in your energy level
The habit keeps you in a state of distraction
The habit causes you to beat up on yourself ("I can't believe I did that - again! What's wrong with me?). There is no better way to NOT expand and grow than negative "self talk".
This awareness has really helped me. The moment I understood that I was only resisting change, I immediately got up and exercised. I also had the realization that I will need to keep reminding myself of that until I have formed the "good habit" again.
Eben Pagan, a expert on this, calls it "habit gravity". He says that when you first are beginning to form a new habit (especially one that will move you forward in life) it literally feels like you are defying gravity for the first few days. Just knowing that helps.
Only you know where to begin. Really, we all do. Understand that any time you are moving forward in life your conditioned mind will put up resistance. You can train your mind to change. I am a big fan of small steps. You needn't shock your mind with trying to turn everything around tomorrow.
Eventually we will return to our comfort zone unless we take care of ourselves, and have patience with growing out of it.
I'll give you an example. Let's say you want to exercise more, but you have not gotten off the couch in three months. You set a goal that starting tomorrow you are going to go to the gym every day for an hour. After about 2 days it will seem like torture, at least it has for me! Like I said before, I am a fan of small steps.
How about setting a smaller goal, like taking a walk around the block for 15 minutes two or three days next week? This seems a lot more realistic - and you are more likely to actually do it. The next week make it 20 minutes. The following week, add a day. Just keep setting the goal a little higher each week, and within 3 - 6 months you'll probably be exercising every day for an hour AND you'll be more likely to stick with it.
I also suggest getting an "accountability buddy" - a friend that you can report to - and vice versa. Get very clear on what you want the other to do. In other words - how do you want them to hold you accountable?
I did this with a friend once, and I told her that the best way she could hold me accountable was with loving encouragement. If I did not accomplish my goal, I would then be asked to remind her what the benefits are of this goal. Why am I doing it?
Remember, your thinking forms your habits. Your habits then shape your results. So be sure to keep reminding yourself how productive habits will turn out. What benefits will they have? What is naturally going to happen in your life as a result?
You are stronger than you think! Pick just one thing - whatever feels like it is the most important habit that you are ready to shift. Then, decide on a small step that you feel excited about and know is something you will do. It is important to build trust in yourself and get a "taste of success" from time to time. Small goals help you do that. One day you'll look back and be blown away at how far you've come.
Someone asked me recently "How do I change? How do I follow my passions when I have to eat and pay bills every day?" I replied, "Little by little. Just start somewhere."
Copyright 2008 Anastasia Netri
Author's Bio
About Anastasia Netri, CLC
Anastasia Netri is a Transition Life Coach and the Founder of of Courage For Transition, a coaching company designed to help individuals move through major transitions in their life with ease, support, and empowerment.
The decision seemed obvious, which was to go and exercise. However, when I stood up, my entire body was screaming "NOOO!" and I felt like I was having to force myself, which is a painful, yucky, and uncomfortable feeling.
I took a step back and became fascinated at what was going on. I was resisting something that I knew would make me feel fantastic! It seemed easier to choose something that would cause a drop in my energy level after the "high" wore off. Not to mention that I got to beat up on myself for making the "wrong" decision.
So, in this moment of coffee vs. exercise, I sat and really went inward. I asked the question I've never really asked point blank before - Why is it so darn easy to get into bad habits, and so hard to get into good ones?
After I posed the fateful question, the answer came to me within seconds.
Are you ready? Really ready to discover the answer? Well, here it is:
Bad habits keep you in the state of "status quo". Good habits move us forward and promote change, personal growth, and expansion.
A "bad" habit keeps us stuck in "status quo" for a few reasons, here are some to be aware of:
The habit promotes a decrease in your energy level
The habit keeps you in a state of distraction
The habit causes you to beat up on yourself ("I can't believe I did that - again! What's wrong with me?). There is no better way to NOT expand and grow than negative "self talk".
This awareness has really helped me. The moment I understood that I was only resisting change, I immediately got up and exercised. I also had the realization that I will need to keep reminding myself of that until I have formed the "good habit" again.
Eben Pagan, a expert on this, calls it "habit gravity". He says that when you first are beginning to form a new habit (especially one that will move you forward in life) it literally feels like you are defying gravity for the first few days. Just knowing that helps.
Only you know where to begin. Really, we all do. Understand that any time you are moving forward in life your conditioned mind will put up resistance. You can train your mind to change. I am a big fan of small steps. You needn't shock your mind with trying to turn everything around tomorrow.
Eventually we will return to our comfort zone unless we take care of ourselves, and have patience with growing out of it.
I'll give you an example. Let's say you want to exercise more, but you have not gotten off the couch in three months. You set a goal that starting tomorrow you are going to go to the gym every day for an hour. After about 2 days it will seem like torture, at least it has for me! Like I said before, I am a fan of small steps.
How about setting a smaller goal, like taking a walk around the block for 15 minutes two or three days next week? This seems a lot more realistic - and you are more likely to actually do it. The next week make it 20 minutes. The following week, add a day. Just keep setting the goal a little higher each week, and within 3 - 6 months you'll probably be exercising every day for an hour AND you'll be more likely to stick with it.
I also suggest getting an "accountability buddy" - a friend that you can report to - and vice versa. Get very clear on what you want the other to do. In other words - how do you want them to hold you accountable?
I did this with a friend once, and I told her that the best way she could hold me accountable was with loving encouragement. If I did not accomplish my goal, I would then be asked to remind her what the benefits are of this goal. Why am I doing it?
Remember, your thinking forms your habits. Your habits then shape your results. So be sure to keep reminding yourself how productive habits will turn out. What benefits will they have? What is naturally going to happen in your life as a result?
You are stronger than you think! Pick just one thing - whatever feels like it is the most important habit that you are ready to shift. Then, decide on a small step that you feel excited about and know is something you will do. It is important to build trust in yourself and get a "taste of success" from time to time. Small goals help you do that. One day you'll look back and be blown away at how far you've come.
Someone asked me recently "How do I change? How do I follow my passions when I have to eat and pay bills every day?" I replied, "Little by little. Just start somewhere."
Copyright 2008 Anastasia Netri
Author's Bio
About Anastasia Netri, CLC
Anastasia Netri is a Transition Life Coach and the Founder of of Courage For Transition, a coaching company designed to help individuals move through major transitions in their life with ease, support, and empowerment.
Let's Get Real About the Law of Attraction By Elizabeth A. Grant
There is a universal law that is hardly ever talked about, but it's crucial to understand it if you are going to feel inner happiness, which is key to attracting outer abundance. It is the Law of Compensation.
Essentially, the Law of Compensation says that everything has a price. This is an essential concept for you to keep in mind relating to the Law of Attraction. You see, many Law of Attraction materials say that you can have, be or do anything you want in this life, and it comes to you like magic and you don't have to pay for it.
While it is true that when you have a deliberately created Law of Attraction experience, it feels truly magical, nothing is free. You may even attract a large sum of money with very little effort through the law of attraction. However, that does not mean it doesn't come with a price.
The universe is perfectly balanced. The yin and the yang. Nothing happens in one part of the world that doesn't effect the world somewhere else, in however small a way. It's because we are all one, operating from one energy field.
I want to talk about the Law of Compensation because I do not want you to be surprised nor disappointed when you discover it on your own ... when you become a deliberate creator of your reality, and then wonder why these "bad" things are happening to you.
Let me give you a few examples. First, let's say you work with the Law of Attraction correctly, meaning your thoughts and beliefs are lined up, and you take massive action forward toward your dream, and over the course of the next ten years, you increase your income from $50,000 to $5,000,000 per year. That would be quite an accomplishment!
Now you have the financial freedom you've always wanted. You are secure. You can travel to Paris on a whim. Your children can go to the best schools. You have the life you always dreamed of.
Do you think that large sum of money you're receiving has a price attached? Well, it does. For one thing, you may lose some of your middle class friends, who can't handle the disparity in your incomes. You may have distant cousins come out of the woodwork asking for what they perceive they are entitled to: loans, gifts, etc. People may steal from you.
Did you know that both Jack Canfield and James Arthur Ray have been embezzled from? And they both have a firm grasp on the Law of Attraction. See, that was the price they paid for becoming rich, and while it may have been frustrating, I'm sure before long they recognized it as such. Does this mean that every rich person is stolen from? Of course not. But they pay a price. It might be time away from their kids. Or more stress and pressure. They might feel disconnected to others. (There's a reason for the old saying, "It's lonely at the top.")
Let's talk about the Law of Compensation as it relates to something a little more day-to-day. When you acquire a flat screen television at a store, you pay for it; let's say $1600. That's the price. If you find a really cheap one, say $200, you'd probably think, "This is too good to be true!"
Yes, it is. What do you think the real price will be for getting a $200 flat screen TV? Most likely, such a TV will be poor quality. You may think you're paying only $200, but you will continue to pay in inconvenience, because it will break, or the picture will be fuzzy. In less than a year, it may have gone to TV heaven, and you'll have to buy a new one. Because high quality flat screen TVs don't cost $200. Maybe it will be worth it to you. That is where individual choice comes in. One price may seem tolerable or even a bargain to one person, yet intolerable to another.
How about in relationships? Everything has a price there, too. Say you're a single person. If you meet your perfect partner, your life will be enriched in so many ways (and if he or she is rich, even material wealth, right?). You might gain emotional security, a fun companion and a satisfying sex life, too.
But you will pay a price to have all that. You will have to give up some of your freedom, and you will have to compromise. You will have to take another person's feelings into consideration. You may have to eat food you don't like, or go to movies you don't like, or any number of other things. But it's worth it, because of what the person brings to your life.
If you don't pay that price, chances are, whether it's in one year, or 30 years, you'll lose the joy of having that person around. That will be your price. Because who would want to be with someone where they bring joy and give of themselves, and the person takes and takes and takes?
If you absolutely adore chocolate, and you eat a big bar of it every day, you will have to pay a price. You will either be fat, or you will have to work out extra hard to maintain your figure.
If someone gives you your dream car for your birthday, you will have to buy gas, pay for maintenance, and pay for insurance. Even if they cover all of these things for you, you will eventually have to pay a price. Maybe when that person wants you to go on a trip to the backwoods of Alaska, and you couldn't think of anything you'd rather not do more than that, you feel obligated to go. After all, they bought you a CAR. It's a small price to pay, right? (Does that phrase sound familiar? "It's a small price to pay for ..." See? You already knew about the Law of Compensation.)
For an actor, the price of massive success is total lack of privacy. Top Hollywood actors often feel they can't trust anyone anymore. They have difficulty developing deep friendships and finding someone they can share their innermost thoughts with, worried it might end up in the tabloids.
The price you pay for ensuring you will have enough to retire on is not having everything you want right now.
The price you pay for tube of toothpaste is $1.89.
The price you pay for writing a book is time spent away from friends and family. Or a night out on the town. Or sleep.
Does this help you understand something as it relates to the Law of Attraction? Because many Law of Attraction movies and books definitely missed this. They make it sound like a fairytale.
If you've had a Law of Attraction experience, you know it feels magical. You deliberately brought something into your life. Wow, what power you discover about yourself! Just understand that it's not a fairytale. Gratefully pay your price, knowing that you're simply experiencing the wisdom of the universe, the divine balance we all live within.
Author's Bio
Prior to experiencing a spiritual awakening in 2002, Elizabeth A. Grant lived in an almost constant state of depression and anxiety. Within four years, she was living in an almost constant state of bliss. Almost immediately, though, she noticed that manifesting her external life became virtually effortless, later learning that her inner happiness had put her in perfect harmony with universal laws of quantum physics, such as the law of attraction. Through her experiences, she developed Quantum Approach, a method to help others awaken and find their true nature -- one of happiness and bliss. Since then, she has helped clients find meaning in their lives and remain happy even amid seemingly chaotic external circumstances.
Essentially, the Law of Compensation says that everything has a price. This is an essential concept for you to keep in mind relating to the Law of Attraction. You see, many Law of Attraction materials say that you can have, be or do anything you want in this life, and it comes to you like magic and you don't have to pay for it.
While it is true that when you have a deliberately created Law of Attraction experience, it feels truly magical, nothing is free. You may even attract a large sum of money with very little effort through the law of attraction. However, that does not mean it doesn't come with a price.
The universe is perfectly balanced. The yin and the yang. Nothing happens in one part of the world that doesn't effect the world somewhere else, in however small a way. It's because we are all one, operating from one energy field.
I want to talk about the Law of Compensation because I do not want you to be surprised nor disappointed when you discover it on your own ... when you become a deliberate creator of your reality, and then wonder why these "bad" things are happening to you.
Let me give you a few examples. First, let's say you work with the Law of Attraction correctly, meaning your thoughts and beliefs are lined up, and you take massive action forward toward your dream, and over the course of the next ten years, you increase your income from $50,000 to $5,000,000 per year. That would be quite an accomplishment!
Now you have the financial freedom you've always wanted. You are secure. You can travel to Paris on a whim. Your children can go to the best schools. You have the life you always dreamed of.
Do you think that large sum of money you're receiving has a price attached? Well, it does. For one thing, you may lose some of your middle class friends, who can't handle the disparity in your incomes. You may have distant cousins come out of the woodwork asking for what they perceive they are entitled to: loans, gifts, etc. People may steal from you.
Did you know that both Jack Canfield and James Arthur Ray have been embezzled from? And they both have a firm grasp on the Law of Attraction. See, that was the price they paid for becoming rich, and while it may have been frustrating, I'm sure before long they recognized it as such. Does this mean that every rich person is stolen from? Of course not. But they pay a price. It might be time away from their kids. Or more stress and pressure. They might feel disconnected to others. (There's a reason for the old saying, "It's lonely at the top.")
Let's talk about the Law of Compensation as it relates to something a little more day-to-day. When you acquire a flat screen television at a store, you pay for it; let's say $1600. That's the price. If you find a really cheap one, say $200, you'd probably think, "This is too good to be true!"
Yes, it is. What do you think the real price will be for getting a $200 flat screen TV? Most likely, such a TV will be poor quality. You may think you're paying only $200, but you will continue to pay in inconvenience, because it will break, or the picture will be fuzzy. In less than a year, it may have gone to TV heaven, and you'll have to buy a new one. Because high quality flat screen TVs don't cost $200. Maybe it will be worth it to you. That is where individual choice comes in. One price may seem tolerable or even a bargain to one person, yet intolerable to another.
How about in relationships? Everything has a price there, too. Say you're a single person. If you meet your perfect partner, your life will be enriched in so many ways (and if he or she is rich, even material wealth, right?). You might gain emotional security, a fun companion and a satisfying sex life, too.
But you will pay a price to have all that. You will have to give up some of your freedom, and you will have to compromise. You will have to take another person's feelings into consideration. You may have to eat food you don't like, or go to movies you don't like, or any number of other things. But it's worth it, because of what the person brings to your life.
If you don't pay that price, chances are, whether it's in one year, or 30 years, you'll lose the joy of having that person around. That will be your price. Because who would want to be with someone where they bring joy and give of themselves, and the person takes and takes and takes?
If you absolutely adore chocolate, and you eat a big bar of it every day, you will have to pay a price. You will either be fat, or you will have to work out extra hard to maintain your figure.
If someone gives you your dream car for your birthday, you will have to buy gas, pay for maintenance, and pay for insurance. Even if they cover all of these things for you, you will eventually have to pay a price. Maybe when that person wants you to go on a trip to the backwoods of Alaska, and you couldn't think of anything you'd rather not do more than that, you feel obligated to go. After all, they bought you a CAR. It's a small price to pay, right? (Does that phrase sound familiar? "It's a small price to pay for ..." See? You already knew about the Law of Compensation.)
For an actor, the price of massive success is total lack of privacy. Top Hollywood actors often feel they can't trust anyone anymore. They have difficulty developing deep friendships and finding someone they can share their innermost thoughts with, worried it might end up in the tabloids.
The price you pay for ensuring you will have enough to retire on is not having everything you want right now.
The price you pay for tube of toothpaste is $1.89.
The price you pay for writing a book is time spent away from friends and family. Or a night out on the town. Or sleep.
Does this help you understand something as it relates to the Law of Attraction? Because many Law of Attraction movies and books definitely missed this. They make it sound like a fairytale.
If you've had a Law of Attraction experience, you know it feels magical. You deliberately brought something into your life. Wow, what power you discover about yourself! Just understand that it's not a fairytale. Gratefully pay your price, knowing that you're simply experiencing the wisdom of the universe, the divine balance we all live within.
Author's Bio
Prior to experiencing a spiritual awakening in 2002, Elizabeth A. Grant lived in an almost constant state of depression and anxiety. Within four years, she was living in an almost constant state of bliss. Almost immediately, though, she noticed that manifesting her external life became virtually effortless, later learning that her inner happiness had put her in perfect harmony with universal laws of quantum physics, such as the law of attraction. Through her experiences, she developed Quantum Approach, a method to help others awaken and find their true nature -- one of happiness and bliss. Since then, she has helped clients find meaning in their lives and remain happy even amid seemingly chaotic external circumstances.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
遇見直銷高手詹世豪
文／活動達人 王昱捷
台灣直銷 產業市場規模從2005年的683.73億，歷經階梯、克堤國際因切盤模式讓業績爆發也埋下禍因，加上總體經濟體質不佳影響，到了2006年市場規模下滑至553.4億，跌幅兩成為歷年最高。2007年最新統計數據為531.14億，每家公司少賺$1,638萬元。此時卻有一家美商公司草本生活(賀寶芙)屢創佳績跨入全新里程碑，由2006年的32億帶到了2007年的40.6億，一口氣衝破40億大關，飆升8.6億成長28%，面對大環境不景氣，賀寶芙卻仍勢如破竹地創造了28%的成長。如果產品、制度與人是直銷成功的黃金三角，那麼賀寶芙在這三方面，即以團隊合作的精神，創造了1+1>2的優勢
。
在台灣，賀寶芙差一點就搶進直銷業前三大寶座，但放眼世界，在全球65個市場中，台灣分公司已經穩穩地拿下第3名，而若以每個會員的平均產值來看，更是全球賀寶芙之冠。
話說12年前，原本從事旅行社兼計程車司機的高建勝及擔任送貨員的詹世豪，卻可以在經過12年後，在面臨不景氣的直銷產業建立出一個可創造年營業額10億元台幣的龐大組織體系－「草本風格」，就像現在正上映的一部電影－赤壁的眾多英雄人物一樣，只要有野心，想要改變、創造非凡，絕對不怕出身低…………
背景與自覺
詹世豪出身於南投竹山的單親家庭，父親因工作關係四處奔走，與妹妹世芬隨著爸爸搬家過60次，也常要寄住親威家，兩兄妹斷斷續續念書，為了不想再寄人籬下，世豪沒念完高中就到台北找工作，開始自食其力，此時世豪想的是，即使窮困也不能阻擋他想要成為人中之龍的夢想。
改變帶來希望
80年初，世豪擔任鞋廠送貨員，一個月薪水只有22,000，工作幾年也才調薪1,000元，總是入不敷出。有一天世豪在忠孝東路ATT人行天橋上遇到高中同學高建勝(Jack)，Jack穿著西裝在發傳單，說他在一家美商公司工作，上個月收入6萬元，讓世豪羨慕不已，立即要求Jack介紹他進入公司工作，Jack邀請世豪參加一場商機會議，世豪加入賀寶芙，開始跟著Jack發傳單及與陌生人交談、辦試吃活動，世豪作了一年都不知自己在作直銷，只知零售的利潤可以讓他賺到比以前工作更高的收入。
挫折
世豪剛開始經營的客戶群，是之前鞋廠百貨公司專櫃的小姐，從一組一組產品銷售開始建立他的組織網絡，世豪在經營的前五年所面臨的困難是找不到一個好方法，而他和組織群也沒有大量的產品使用效果。目前為賀寶芙二星總裁的世豪說，當時就是一個胖子帶著一群胖子在銷售減肥餐，因此招募不到好的人，組織並不穩定。國父革命11次成功，而世豪開設辦公室總共失敗了9次，組識更在經營的過程中曾經崩盤過三次，面對挫折的他從沒想過要放棄，原因無它，以自己的學歷、背景，他實在想不到他可以在什麼樣的產業成功，惟有調整自己的方向，學懂以往不該犯的錯誤，重新出發才能再次點燃希望。
成功需要有方法
在第六年，世豪參加一場國際大會，學到＂長期客戶計劃(里昂計劃)”，開始在台灣進行為客戶量身訂作的＂減重及維持計劃＂，並透過網路e-mail廣告，創造個人單月零售業績超過新台幣200萬(利潤100萬)，成為台灣賀寶芙零售業績的奇蹟，至今無人能突破這項紀錄，世豪創立了”草本風格”團隊，透過良好的售後服務為客戶取得成功的減重效果，2年後成為賀寶芙第10位總裁，組織獎金已超過單月80萬，妹妹世芬於1年後也成為總裁，同時激勵了其他同期的賀寶芙夥伴衝刺最高聘總裁組，因而創造出台灣賀寶芙業績在65個國家晉升為第三名。
複製是直銷成功的關鍵
組織夥伴成功複製世豪的方法，也讓草本風格在短短３年內即產生了8位總裁組成員，這8位總裁組的平均年齡是26歲，是台灣賀寶芙平均年齡最年輕最有活力的組織，2005年底世豪與他的妻子嬌雁到中國發展，在短短1年內發展出3,000人的組織，並不斷倍增，經過2年半的辛苦耕耘，世豪與嬌雁於今年3月領到賀寶芙全球業績１%分紅7萬美金(相當於一個月組織獎金)，今年５月份，台灣與大陸草本風格共創單月5000萬台幣的業績，而兩地的草本風格夥伴也創造出高達台幣10億元的年營業額。
草本風格成功秘訣－完整的教育培訓人才系統；
簡單的複製步驟流程；
熱情的磁場環境；
建立一個有愛、付出的團隊
公司教育訓練系統：百萬富豪月訓、商機會議、早會、奶昔派對、減重大挑戰、成功訓練會議、不定期產品專業訓練、健康講座、每季國際訓練會議、與總裁有約、督導訓練、線上陪訓、美容教室、奶昔派對、營養早餐店實習。
獨特教育訓練系統：兩階段潛能訓練(基礎、高階)。
系統完善：3R(零售、招募、保留)／落實基本功，成功上巔峰 。
※世豪總裁良語錄：
01.你要有多大的團隊就要有多大的容量(包容)。
02.上線建勝組織龐大是因為他的包容很大，胸襟很大，從未與下線吵架！他從不抹剎下線的創意。
03.聰明的人跟隨有智慧的人、有智慧的人跟隨有遠見的人有遠見的人跟隨有魅力的人。
04.如何成為有魅力的人：有愛的人是絕對有魅力的人，成為懂得真心關懷別人的人。
05.榮譽感：教團隊「草本風格」化的東西，把早會設定成組織要走的方向，教育團隊我會且要他 們會的。
06.過去的錯誤是未來的依歸，犯錯不可怕，怕的是不知道自己犯錯或知道卻不斷犯同樣的錯。
07.過去的失敗經過修正，可以做為未來前進的準則。
08.規律：找到一個規律可以讓組織成長，有節奏的去做，系統是可以成就規律的法則，找到規律並且有節奏的去做，就會成功。
09.不斷教育：問自己能為團隊付出什麼，不問團隊為我們做些什麼。
10.經營「草本風格」的關鍵，找到完全相信你的人，告訴他他馬上去做，而且在他還不清楚狀況 的情況下很快帶來很多人，這種人就是相信你的人，這種人很容易帶上總裁。
※世豪總裁成功心法：
01.我從不抱怨環境，因為環境並不會因你而改變，而是如何在這樣的環境找到自己生存之道。
02.上帝關了你的門，總會再開一扇窗，永遠不要放棄希望。
03.對自己及周遭的人，誠實正直。
04.永不放棄自己的夢想，別讓夢想被別人偷走。
05.擁有熱切的渴望，堅定的信念，有效的行動，鋼鐵般意志。
06.永遠不要停止學習。
07.停止抱怨、仇恨、虛心接受失敗的挫折，並懂得勇於立刻改變。
08.觀念和態度決定自己未來的一切。
09.學習如何懂得更愛別人也愛自己，並處處為他人著想。
10.對所說的話及所有的事情付責任，永遠不違背承諾。
11具有使命感，並珍惜所擁有的一切。
12.所有的問題都不是問題，要有沒問題的態度。
13.擁有成功者特質並成為一個領導者。
14.凡事平常心對待，一切放輕鬆。
15.相信自己，做自己，活在當下。
※世豪總裁成功原因：
1.不服輸、百折不撓。
2.以愛與付出帶領團隊，成為有魅力的人。
3.找到規律並且有節奏的去做。
台灣直銷 產業市場規模從2005年的683.73億，歷經階梯、克堤國際因切盤模式讓業績爆發也埋下禍因，加上總體經濟體質不佳影響，到了2006年市場規模下滑至553.4億，跌幅兩成為歷年最高。2007年最新統計數據為531.14億，每家公司少賺$1,638萬元。此時卻有一家美商公司草本生活(賀寶芙)屢創佳績跨入全新里程碑，由2006年的32億帶到了2007年的40.6億，一口氣衝破40億大關，飆升8.6億成長28%，面對大環境不景氣，賀寶芙卻仍勢如破竹地創造了28%的成長。如果產品、制度與人是直銷成功的黃金三角，那麼賀寶芙在這三方面，即以團隊合作的精神，創造了1+1>2的優勢
。
在台灣，賀寶芙差一點就搶進直銷業前三大寶座，但放眼世界，在全球65個市場中，台灣分公司已經穩穩地拿下第3名，而若以每個會員的平均產值來看，更是全球賀寶芙之冠。
話說12年前，原本從事旅行社兼計程車司機的高建勝及擔任送貨員的詹世豪，卻可以在經過12年後，在面臨不景氣的直銷產業建立出一個可創造年營業額10億元台幣的龐大組織體系－「草本風格」，就像現在正上映的一部電影－赤壁的眾多英雄人物一樣，只要有野心，想要改變、創造非凡，絕對不怕出身低…………
背景與自覺
詹世豪出身於南投竹山的單親家庭，父親因工作關係四處奔走，與妹妹世芬隨著爸爸搬家過60次，也常要寄住親威家，兩兄妹斷斷續續念書，為了不想再寄人籬下，世豪沒念完高中就到台北找工作，開始自食其力，此時世豪想的是，即使窮困也不能阻擋他想要成為人中之龍的夢想。
改變帶來希望
80年初，世豪擔任鞋廠送貨員，一個月薪水只有22,000，工作幾年也才調薪1,000元，總是入不敷出。有一天世豪在忠孝東路ATT人行天橋上遇到高中同學高建勝(Jack)，Jack穿著西裝在發傳單，說他在一家美商公司工作，上個月收入6萬元，讓世豪羨慕不已，立即要求Jack介紹他進入公司工作，Jack邀請世豪參加一場商機會議，世豪加入賀寶芙，開始跟著Jack發傳單及與陌生人交談、辦試吃活動，世豪作了一年都不知自己在作直銷，只知零售的利潤可以讓他賺到比以前工作更高的收入。
挫折
世豪剛開始經營的客戶群，是之前鞋廠百貨公司專櫃的小姐，從一組一組產品銷售開始建立他的組織網絡，世豪在經營的前五年所面臨的困難是找不到一個好方法，而他和組織群也沒有大量的產品使用效果。目前為賀寶芙二星總裁的世豪說，當時就是一個胖子帶著一群胖子在銷售減肥餐，因此招募不到好的人，組織並不穩定。國父革命11次成功，而世豪開設辦公室總共失敗了9次，組識更在經營的過程中曾經崩盤過三次，面對挫折的他從沒想過要放棄，原因無它，以自己的學歷、背景，他實在想不到他可以在什麼樣的產業成功，惟有調整自己的方向，學懂以往不該犯的錯誤，重新出發才能再次點燃希望。
成功需要有方法
在第六年，世豪參加一場國際大會，學到＂長期客戶計劃(里昂計劃)”，開始在台灣進行為客戶量身訂作的＂減重及維持計劃＂，並透過網路e-mail廣告，創造個人單月零售業績超過新台幣200萬(利潤100萬)，成為台灣賀寶芙零售業績的奇蹟，至今無人能突破這項紀錄，世豪創立了”草本風格”團隊，透過良好的售後服務為客戶取得成功的減重效果，2年後成為賀寶芙第10位總裁，組織獎金已超過單月80萬，妹妹世芬於1年後也成為總裁，同時激勵了其他同期的賀寶芙夥伴衝刺最高聘總裁組，因而創造出台灣賀寶芙業績在65個國家晉升為第三名。
複製是直銷成功的關鍵
組織夥伴成功複製世豪的方法，也讓草本風格在短短３年內即產生了8位總裁組成員，這8位總裁組的平均年齡是26歲，是台灣賀寶芙平均年齡最年輕最有活力的組織，2005年底世豪與他的妻子嬌雁到中國發展，在短短1年內發展出3,000人的組織，並不斷倍增，經過2年半的辛苦耕耘，世豪與嬌雁於今年3月領到賀寶芙全球業績１%分紅7萬美金(相當於一個月組織獎金)，今年５月份，台灣與大陸草本風格共創單月5000萬台幣的業績，而兩地的草本風格夥伴也創造出高達台幣10億元的年營業額。
草本風格成功秘訣－完整的教育培訓人才系統；
簡單的複製步驟流程；
熱情的磁場環境；
建立一個有愛、付出的團隊
公司教育訓練系統：百萬富豪月訓、商機會議、早會、奶昔派對、減重大挑戰、成功訓練會議、不定期產品專業訓練、健康講座、每季國際訓練會議、與總裁有約、督導訓練、線上陪訓、美容教室、奶昔派對、營養早餐店實習。
獨特教育訓練系統：兩階段潛能訓練(基礎、高階)。
系統完善：3R(零售、招募、保留)／落實基本功，成功上巔峰 。
※世豪總裁良語錄：
01.你要有多大的團隊就要有多大的容量(包容)。
02.上線建勝組織龐大是因為他的包容很大，胸襟很大，從未與下線吵架！他從不抹剎下線的創意。
03.聰明的人跟隨有智慧的人、有智慧的人跟隨有遠見的人有遠見的人跟隨有魅力的人。
04.如何成為有魅力的人：有愛的人是絕對有魅力的人，成為懂得真心關懷別人的人。
05.榮譽感：教團隊「草本風格」化的東西，把早會設定成組織要走的方向，教育團隊我會且要他 們會的。
06.過去的錯誤是未來的依歸，犯錯不可怕，怕的是不知道自己犯錯或知道卻不斷犯同樣的錯。
07.過去的失敗經過修正，可以做為未來前進的準則。
08.規律：找到一個規律可以讓組織成長，有節奏的去做，系統是可以成就規律的法則，找到規律並且有節奏的去做，就會成功。
09.不斷教育：問自己能為團隊付出什麼，不問團隊為我們做些什麼。
10.經營「草本風格」的關鍵，找到完全相信你的人，告訴他他馬上去做，而且在他還不清楚狀況 的情況下很快帶來很多人，這種人就是相信你的人，這種人很容易帶上總裁。
※世豪總裁成功心法：
01.我從不抱怨環境，因為環境並不會因你而改變，而是如何在這樣的環境找到自己生存之道。
02.上帝關了你的門，總會再開一扇窗，永遠不要放棄希望。
03.對自己及周遭的人，誠實正直。
04.永不放棄自己的夢想，別讓夢想被別人偷走。
05.擁有熱切的渴望，堅定的信念，有效的行動，鋼鐵般意志。
06.永遠不要停止學習。
07.停止抱怨、仇恨、虛心接受失敗的挫折，並懂得勇於立刻改變。
08.觀念和態度決定自己未來的一切。
09.學習如何懂得更愛別人也愛自己，並處處為他人著想。
10.對所說的話及所有的事情付責任，永遠不違背承諾。
11具有使命感，並珍惜所擁有的一切。
12.所有的問題都不是問題，要有沒問題的態度。
13.擁有成功者特質並成為一個領導者。
14.凡事平常心對待，一切放輕鬆。
15.相信自己，做自己，活在當下。
※世豪總裁成功原因：
1.不服輸、百折不撓。
2.以愛與付出帶領團隊，成為有魅力的人。
3.找到規律並且有節奏的去做。
How To Make Qualifying Your Prospects So Much Easier
by Jim Klein
You're sitting in front of your prospect. You've spent time
building a deep level of rapport, trust, and making them your best
friend. They're smiling and very at ease with you.
So what's next?
What's taught in most books, courses, and by sales managers all
over the world, as you probably already know, is to start asking
questions and probing your prospect for answers to your questions.
However, I'll bet you have run into resistance from your prospect
when you do start to ask questions, haven't you? You know what I'm
talking about. You start to ask the prospect questions, and either
you're struggling to get answers, they're really not opening up,
and they're not giving you a lot of real good workable information.
Has that ever happened to you? I'm sure it has if you've been in
sales for any period of time. It certainly has happened to me until
I understood the one step I was missing, which I'm going to share
with you now.
If you've ever gotten resistance in the past, it's because you
haven't effectively been able to create interest. What I mean is
you haven't gotten the prospect to say "Tell me more."
If you can get the prospect to say, "Tell me more", they are going
to want to answer all your questions and give you real honest,
in-depth answers.
Then you'll really understand their problem. You can then tailor
your presentation, and show them how your product or service will
solve their problem.
How do you create interest with a prospect so they are begging you
to tell them more?
Make a Big Promise
You need to break your prospects PREOCCUPATION, and make a big
promise. A big promise is something you know you can provide, or
you believe you can help them achieve, and you know there's
probably a pretty good chance they want it.
Your big promise needs to be simple to understand. For instance, if
I were talking about my personal sales training program, "The
Ultimate Guide to Sales Success", "I can show you a way to boost
your sales 30 to 50 percent guaranteed in the next three to six
months or less".
If I talk to most salespeople, or most business owners, they're
going to be pretty excited about that, and want to know how I do
that. Don't you agree?
Next...
State a Feature That Backs Up Your Big Promise
What is a feature of your product or service? It's something that
your product or service has to offer your prospect. Let me give you
an example using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success".
You are going to learn the process used by top sales professionals
who achieve consistent incomes in excess of $100,000, and it's a
proven process that will allow you to do it every single time.
The feature should be a major feature of your product or service,
and preferably one your competitors do not have. In other words,
fire your big gun, if you know what I mean. Hit them with the
biggest and best feature you can offer.
Don't save it till the end of your presentation, because if you
don't get their interest, this will be the end.
Now I want you to...
Give Them a Logical Benefit
Step three is to give them a logical benefit. People purchase
products or services based on emotion; however, they justify their
purchase based on logic.
So give them a real strong logical benefit to justify their
purchase. Something you're sure that most of your target market and
your ideal clients would want.
For instance, with "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" you'll be
able to close more sales and make more money faster and easier.
That's a logical benefit that most people want.
Give Them an Emotional Benefit
I'm sure you already know, as I stated before, people are driven by
emotions. They make decisions, especially buying decisions, based
on emotions. So, you want to give them a real strong emotional
benefit they will receive by buying and using your particular
product or service. An emotional benefit they will feel at the very
core of their being.
There are 10 emotional triggers to make people purchase.
Here they are:
1. make more money
2. save money
3. save time
4. look better
5. learn something new
6. live longer
7. be comfortable
8. be loved
9. be popular
10. gain pleasure
Some other emotional benefits are feelings of luck, success,
recognition, security and freedom.
Using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" as an example: you'll
have the level of success and freedom you really want.
Back Everything Up With Evidence
Talk about how you've done the same for other people or companies
just like them. If you have worked with someone they might know or
recognize, maybe a top person or company in their industry, then
get specific and use the name.
You want to show them you understand the industry, and you've been
successful helping other people or companies with your product or
service.
If possible, let them know the exact results you have helped others
attain.
An example using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" would be:
we've done it for thousands of people and helped them grow their
business not just 30 or 50 percent, but one hundred, two hundred
and three hundred percent.
Ask For Permission to Ask Questions or Probe
Many salespeople will just jump in and begin the qualifying
process, assuming the prospect knows you are meeting, so you can
ask questions about their situation.
However, its common courtesy to ask the prospects permission to ask
your fact finding questions, and it will put the prospect at ease.
It also shows respect, and sets a positive tone for the sales
presentation.
Furthermore, because many of your competitors will not employ this
simple courtesy, asking the prospects permission will set you apart
from your competition, and will continue to build deeper rapport
and trust with your prospect.
Your lead in to the fact finding portion of the sales process can
be as simple as: "Now I would like to ask you a few questions, is
that okay"?
So what would my interest statement look like all together?
"I can show you a way to boost sales by 30 to 50 percent or more
within twelve months or less because in "The Ultimate Guide to
Sales Success" you're not going to learn the same old tired sales
skills; you're going to learn the proven sales skills that are
implemented by the most successful sales people in the world.
Which means you'll close more business and make more money faster
and easier, and you'll achieve a level of success, freedom, and
security you really want.
The reason I say that is because we've done this with literally
thousands of sales people all over the world for the last three
years. My purpose at this time is to get you to answer a few
questions, is that okay?"
By creating interest before you start probing for the problems you
can solve with your product or service, you put the prospect in a
'tell me more' mentality. You will create excitement and
willingness in your prospect that will allow you to dig deeper to
uncover their true motivation to purchase.
You're sitting in front of your prospect. You've spent time
building a deep level of rapport, trust, and making them your best
friend. They're smiling and very at ease with you.
So what's next?
What's taught in most books, courses, and by sales managers all
over the world, as you probably already know, is to start asking
questions and probing your prospect for answers to your questions.
However, I'll bet you have run into resistance from your prospect
when you do start to ask questions, haven't you? You know what I'm
talking about. You start to ask the prospect questions, and either
you're struggling to get answers, they're really not opening up,
and they're not giving you a lot of real good workable information.
Has that ever happened to you? I'm sure it has if you've been in
sales for any period of time. It certainly has happened to me until
I understood the one step I was missing, which I'm going to share
with you now.
If you've ever gotten resistance in the past, it's because you
haven't effectively been able to create interest. What I mean is
you haven't gotten the prospect to say "Tell me more."
If you can get the prospect to say, "Tell me more", they are going
to want to answer all your questions and give you real honest,
in-depth answers.
Then you'll really understand their problem. You can then tailor
your presentation, and show them how your product or service will
solve their problem.
How do you create interest with a prospect so they are begging you
to tell them more?
Make a Big Promise
You need to break your prospects PREOCCUPATION, and make a big
promise. A big promise is something you know you can provide, or
you believe you can help them achieve, and you know there's
probably a pretty good chance they want it.
Your big promise needs to be simple to understand. For instance, if
I were talking about my personal sales training program, "The
Ultimate Guide to Sales Success", "I can show you a way to boost
your sales 30 to 50 percent guaranteed in the next three to six
months or less".
If I talk to most salespeople, or most business owners, they're
going to be pretty excited about that, and want to know how I do
that. Don't you agree?
Next...
State a Feature That Backs Up Your Big Promise
What is a feature of your product or service? It's something that
your product or service has to offer your prospect. Let me give you
an example using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success".
You are going to learn the process used by top sales professionals
who achieve consistent incomes in excess of $100,000, and it's a
proven process that will allow you to do it every single time.
The feature should be a major feature of your product or service,
and preferably one your competitors do not have. In other words,
fire your big gun, if you know what I mean. Hit them with the
biggest and best feature you can offer.
Don't save it till the end of your presentation, because if you
don't get their interest, this will be the end.
Now I want you to...
Give Them a Logical Benefit
Step three is to give them a logical benefit. People purchase
products or services based on emotion; however, they justify their
purchase based on logic.
So give them a real strong logical benefit to justify their
purchase. Something you're sure that most of your target market and
your ideal clients would want.
For instance, with "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" you'll be
able to close more sales and make more money faster and easier.
That's a logical benefit that most people want.
Give Them an Emotional Benefit
I'm sure you already know, as I stated before, people are driven by
emotions. They make decisions, especially buying decisions, based
on emotions. So, you want to give them a real strong emotional
benefit they will receive by buying and using your particular
product or service. An emotional benefit they will feel at the very
core of their being.
There are 10 emotional triggers to make people purchase.
Here they are:
1. make more money
2. save money
3. save time
4. look better
5. learn something new
6. live longer
7. be comfortable
8. be loved
9. be popular
10. gain pleasure
Some other emotional benefits are feelings of luck, success,
recognition, security and freedom.
Using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" as an example: you'll
have the level of success and freedom you really want.
Back Everything Up With Evidence
Talk about how you've done the same for other people or companies
just like them. If you have worked with someone they might know or
recognize, maybe a top person or company in their industry, then
get specific and use the name.
You want to show them you understand the industry, and you've been
successful helping other people or companies with your product or
service.
If possible, let them know the exact results you have helped others
attain.
An example using "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Success" would be:
we've done it for thousands of people and helped them grow their
business not just 30 or 50 percent, but one hundred, two hundred
and three hundred percent.
Ask For Permission to Ask Questions or Probe
Many salespeople will just jump in and begin the qualifying
process, assuming the prospect knows you are meeting, so you can
ask questions about their situation.
However, its common courtesy to ask the prospects permission to ask
your fact finding questions, and it will put the prospect at ease.
It also shows respect, and sets a positive tone for the sales
presentation.
Furthermore, because many of your competitors will not employ this
simple courtesy, asking the prospects permission will set you apart
from your competition, and will continue to build deeper rapport
and trust with your prospect.
Your lead in to the fact finding portion of the sales process can
be as simple as: "Now I would like to ask you a few questions, is
that okay"?
So what would my interest statement look like all together?
"I can show you a way to boost sales by 30 to 50 percent or more
within twelve months or less because in "The Ultimate Guide to
Sales Success" you're not going to learn the same old tired sales
skills; you're going to learn the proven sales skills that are
implemented by the most successful sales people in the world.
Which means you'll close more business and make more money faster
and easier, and you'll achieve a level of success, freedom, and
security you really want.
The reason I say that is because we've done this with literally
thousands of sales people all over the world for the last three
years. My purpose at this time is to get you to answer a few
questions, is that okay?"
By creating interest before you start probing for the problems you
can solve with your product or service, you put the prospect in a
'tell me more' mentality. You will create excitement and
willingness in your prospect that will allow you to dig deeper to
uncover their true motivation to purchase.
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