How to Stay Motivated by Dr. Denis Waitley

Be willing to say to yourself, “I´m on the right road. I´m doing OK. I´m succeeding.’ We too frequently become adept at pointing out our flaws and identifying failures. Become equally adept at citing your achievements. Identify things you are doing now that you weren´t doing one month ago… six months ago… a year ago. What habits have changed? Chart your progress.

Doing well once or twice is relatively easy. Continuously moving ahead is tough, in part, because we so easily revert to old habits and former lifestyles. Over the long run, you need to give yourself regular feedback to monitor your performance and reinforce yourself positively. Don´t wait for an award ceremony, promotion, friend or mentor to show appreciation for your work. Take pride in your own efforts on a daily basis.

Keep the end result in sight. Always see the big picture of the ultimate goal you´re working for and the benefits that come with it. During World War II, parachutes were being constructed by the thousands. From the workers point of view, the job was tedious and repetitive. (Like making “cold calls’ on the phone or in person.) It involved crouching over a sewing machine eight to ten hours a day, stitching endless lengths of colorless fabric. The result was a seamless heap of cloth. But every morning the workers were reminded that each stitch was part of a life-saving operation. As they sewed, they were asked to think that this might be the parachute worn by their husband, brother or son. Although the work was hard and the hours long, the women and men on the assembly line understood their contribution to the larger picture. The same should be true with your work. Each thing you do benefits the health and well being of adults and children throughout the world, not just generally, but specifically. These are the visions that drive us through tedious details to the top.

Set up a dynamic daily routine. Getting into a positive routine or groove, instead of a negative rut, will help you become more effective. Why is the subway the most energy efficient means of transportation? Because it runs on a track.

Think of the order in your day, instead of the routine. Order is not sameness, neatness or everything exactly in its place. Order is not taking on more than you can manage, without still being able to do what you really choose. Order is the opposite of complication; it´s simplification. Order is not wasting a lot of time trying to find things. Order is avoiding a lot of recriminations because you didn´t do something you promised. Order is setting an effective agenda with others, so neither of you is disappointed. Order is doing in a day what you set out to do.

Order frees you up. Get into the swing of a healthy, daily routine and discover how much more control you´ll gain in your life.

-- Denis Waitley

让你摆脱枯燥的三十招

存在与空虚曾是二十世纪最根本的矛盾之一。生活的乏味甚至比战争更有杀伤力。 —— 诺曼·梅勒(1923-2007)

我从来不感到无聊乏味，但是好多读者写信问我这样一个问题：“我感觉工作很无聊，怎么办？”

我稍停了一下 ，想象我为什么记不起我曾经工作时乏味无聊过。随后我意识到：我总是让自己很忙碌，做一些事情，不管它们是不是那样的富有成效。

有时候我弄一些新项目或者是提高一下自己，或者有时候仅仅是上网看一些有趣的东西，玩个小游戏。（我至今也不会玩很多游戏，但几年前的时候我只会玩空当接龙。）

所以，简单点说：愉悦自己。使自己忙起来，挑战自己。找别人聊天，开阔一下思路。

详细点说：首先必须分析自己为什么会感到无聊：是不是因为你的工作很乏味？你正在干一些你并不想干的活？有没有什么方法让你去追求一些更好的事物？或者你已经有了一个非常合适的工作，但是一些人或事限制住你了？你怎样脱离这种状况呢？

我不想把这种一连串类似的问题列举下去了，但是可以给你一些想法，也不是彻底的解决方案，仅仅是我从自身的实践中总结出来的，希望对你也一样有作用。

• 创造挑战

我想这是我的这份列表里面最好的东西了，但是你可能会有异议。很多时候我们很无聊是因为我们没有遇到什么挑战——当适应一种生活后，一切就变得那么的简单而有规律。那么，改变一下吧。不要等着别人给你带来挑战了，自己创造挑战。你怎么挑战自己呢？确定一个全新的工作目标，尝试一下更努力的工作，开发新项目。集中在那些令人兴奋的新目标上，然后不断的追求。

• 开始准备下一份工作

如果你真的很乏味而且不知道怎么做，那你可能就需要采取行动了，但不是马上换份工作。先从准备下一份履历表开始，关注一下空缺的职位和招聘启示，更新一下简历然后投递到一些地方，发几封邮件探探情况等等。找一些你永远不会感到枯燥的事，找一些你永远充满激情的事情。

• 罗列一下人生目标

你想在人生里实现什么？不仅仅是工作方面，而是你整个人生方面。如果你以前这样罗列过，那么重新更新一下你的列表吧。然后选择一个目标今年之内实现它。然后想一下为了达到这个目标，今天应该开始干点什么——不管有多么的微不足道。让自己运作起来，接近自己的目标。

• 读读禅，感悟生活

或者是其他你感兴趣的东西。如果这些东西有助于你更好的生活，那再好不过了。但是你得限制你花在这个上面的时间，不要把重心都花费到这上面去了，否则就本末倒置了。

• 整理你的工作室

如果我确实没有找到什么可干的事情，我一般会打扫我的书桌（如果书桌上很乱的话）。或者是盯着周围的所有东西然后问自己：”他们确实应该被放在这里 吗？我该怎么清理他们？”我知道这听起来怪怪的，但是我的工作室的确很整洁。就拿现在来说，我的桌上只有一台电脑，一点也不乱。没有文件，没有纸，没有办 公用品，什么也没有。所有的事都在电脑上完成，我喜欢这样。也许你不需要这样整洁，但是减少零乱确实很有意思。

参考阅读：《运用GTD来整理衣柜》

• 发展一个个人爱好

我的爱好（在它被发展成职业之前）是写博客。我会在工作之余写博客，甚至是工作中的空隙时间。并不是所有人都能在工作时间发展他的个人爱好。举个例子：你上班的时候用胶水粘飞机模型可能会让你的同事很反感。但是有时候你可以阅读它们。顺便说一句我可以很自然的在上班时玩博客，因为我属于自由职业者。而很多人只能秘密地进行，我可不想你因为我的建议而被解雇。

• 把你的工作当成游戏

你可以把任何工作变得像游戏一样。看看你十分钟之内能把屏幕铺满多少个小窗口；假装你的同事是小说中的坏蛋；想象你是中央情报局的卧底，不要让别人知道；或者是当一个公主，随你怎么幻想。

• 自学

在关岛这个被称作“edumacation”——听起来不像个单词，但是我们喜欢玩字母游戏。不管我们怎么称呼它，你可以在网络上的任何地方有所收获，无论是和工作有关或是无关。成为你自己的大学老师。维基百科就是一个好地方。当然你并不需要了解所有的专业的知识。

• 提高技能

顺着以上同样的思路：选择一样你愿意学习的技能，然后挑战自己去做得更好。不管是编程，还是写作，还是Adobe InDesign。你可以为你以后的职业考虑，或者是自己当老板；再或者仅仅是因为很了解这个技能从而让自己满意。

• 玩数独

这可能不是最有意思的或者最刺激的游戏。但是我还是觉得非常有乐趣，我只是有时玩一玩而不像很多人那样沉迷其中。但是我承认这是打发时光的好方法。

• 换一张悦目的桌面背景

当我没事儿可干的时候我喜欢上网，去flickr或者是其他的壁纸网站逛一逛，直到我找到自己想要的简单，悦目的图片。我几乎每月都会这样，我正打算一会儿去找一张呢！

• 做仰卧起坐

如果你很乏味，可能你会想健身。你可以就在你的办公桌边的地板上做仰卧起坐（如果怕同事看着你的话可以出去做。）或者是走几个台阶，做几个无负重的下蹲起立，或者是坐在椅子上往下压。

• 放一两天假

有时候你需要放松一下，给自己充点电再重新开始工作。在你放松的时候不要做任何有关工作的事情：休闲放松、阅读、睡觉、锻炼等等。把你的大脑从工作中解放出来。想想你应该优先考虑的事情，找到本质的问题，重新找到生活。

• 散散步

这是我通常都会去做的事。特别是当我整天坐在哪里，全身的血都拥堵在下半身的时候。我需要让我的血液保持循环！走出去，逛一逛，看看人们，看看景色，想想你的一天，想想你的生活，想想你周围的人们。

• 多喝水

脱水状态可能使我们疲劳和行动迟缓。水可以帮助我们恢复清醒。每天多喝水（虽然这会导致你多上厕所）。

• 问候一下你爱的人

除了你没有更好的事情可做的时候，还有什么时候更适合联系你爱的人呢？给他们打个招呼，这是保持联系的好方法！

• 读书

我喜欢上哪儿都带上一本小说，一有时间就拿出来，在候诊室里，在邮局排队时。如果没有小说，那你可以带上你要读却没有时间读的那些资料，当你在办公室里坐着无聊的时候拿出来读一读。你也可以在电脑里新建一个“待读”的文件夹。

• 写自己的小说

很多人都有一个写小说的冲动在自己的头脑里晃来晃去。写下来吧，女士们先生们。管他情节内容有多烂，写出来吧，这些主意自己可不会跑出来。

• 小憩一会儿

如果你没有一个合适的环境这样做时，你可以在你的办公桌下面蜷成一团披上毛衣或者是去车里好好睡。我学过怎样椅子上睡觉，但是幸运的是我在家里工作我可以睡在沙发上。

• 创造一个新计划或者是新形象

如果工作停滞不前了，那就开始一个新的吧。创新，为了给公司和个人带来持久的利益，你可以做些什么吗？如果你的职业已经走到尽头了，那就创造一个新 形象。找一些别人还没有做但不得不做的事情，并且这些事情是真的有利于公司的——自己去完成吧。你可以先和老板商量，有时也可以先做，然后再告诉主管。如 果这个有利于公司，如果他们够聪明，他们会很高兴的。

• 写封情书

如果你有另一半了，写一封情书告诉他为什么爱他吧。他们都会喜欢这个的，电邮就可以了，如果是纸笔手写的那就更好啦。

• 做一些赚钱的小事

这可以是开个存款帐户如果你没有的话，也可以设置一个自动转账储蓄，或者是看一看基金或者是读一读理财方面的书，学会一些基本的财政知识。

推荐阅读：《关于理财的25个误区》

• 写博客

当事情没有进展的时候，这是我最愿意干的事情。我会新建一个文本文件，然后开始写。我喜欢列举条目（你们看到这里可能已经意识到这一点了），写下我的想法。如果进展确实非常缓慢，我就会把文章全部贴到博客，如果需要我可以晚些时候再发。注意：记得确认你确实喜欢你自己写的东西。

• 做一件迫不得已的事

可以是办公室里的“墨盒用完了！”也可以是办公室无关的“我今天必须买手纸去！”这些事能让你动起来，这可以帮你摆脱枯燥。去完成一些有用的事。

• 更新财政状况

我经常通过MICROSOFT MONEY来记录我的财政情况。但最近我用google的spreadsheet，这样我就可以随时上网了解我的财政状况了。我也想过一些其他的解决方 案，但是，对我个人来说，这种事情越简单越好。不管怎样，每周去了解一下账目明细可以让你知道你的状况，不会超支。找一些空闲时间去着手做吧！

• 冥想

有些人认为这只是打瞌睡的一种更有神秘感的说法而已。但是对我来说这不是催眠，我只是闭上眼睛集中精力于我的呼吸。这并不是什么新鲜事儿——他帮助你注意自己的现在，并使你保持平静。有时注意力集中在某些事物上会让你瞌睡，比如说两只鸟儿，一块大石头。

• 整理文件

好了，这对于某些人来说更枯燥无味。但是我喜欢有组织有顺序的东西。我喜欢从干净整洁有序中得到一种满足感。这不会占用很长时间。

• 清理收件箱

我喜欢让我的收件箱保持空的状态。不管是电邮的收件箱还是现实中的收件箱。都点开看看，直到都被阅读一遍。不需要把所有的事情都完成，但是，如果你有什么计划的话，写一个to-do list。你的收件箱有上千封邮件？把他们放进临时文件夹，你基本不会去看它们。所以把你的收件箱清空。

• 来点音乐

一些有激情的节奏会有所帮助，可以让你的工作显得更有趣。如果你的同事不介意的话可以用扬声器放，也可以插上耳塞听。

• 疯狂起来

我们需要放松。用你的最高音调唱歌，或者在办公室里跳段舞。我保证肯定有人笑话你，但是办公室里有点幽默是没有坏处的。或者是走出办公室干点疯狂的事情，一下午的疯狂不会伤害你（当然，不要干一些违法或者是有生命危险的活动）。

治疗乏味的良药是好奇心；而好奇心是没有限制的。 —— 多罗西·帕克

原文：30 Things to Do to Keep From Getting Bored Out of Your Skull at Work - Zenhabits

译者：Liwenqi（GTD翻译小组核心成员）

The Day Your Life Will Change for Good! by Chris Widener

Many people long for a better life. In fact, I think it is innate to humans to desire a better life. Wherever we are at, we look beyond and dream of a better place. That is good, and that is not so good. It is good because the dream is alive and we can see, even if it is far off, a better situation for us, our families and our businesses and communities. So why is it not good? It is not good because it is not yet a reality! A dream is no good if it is only a dream. Sure a dream can make you feel good, but long-term, if you don't pursue it and make it a reality, it will cause you frustration more than anything. But there is hope!

I'm talking about the day your life really changes. The day that your dream begins to become a reality, and not some pie in the sky wish. This is the day life turns around for you, the day things begin to get better and you begin to fulfill your purpose, mission and destiny! When is this day?

It is the day you make a decision!

The key to changing your life is to make a decision, and then to act upon it. And once acted upon, to follow-through consistently until your dream becomes a reality.

So the decision is the key? Yes it is. Every dream begins as a thought. "I would love to have my own business, to be free to run my life and earn as much money as I want to and take as much vacation time as I want." Good dream, isn't it? Probably a dream that most of us have. But there it is, a little electrical impulse bouncing around inside our head. Does that do us any good? Only if it becomes action! And it only becomes action if we make a decision.

Let's carry this example out. What are the decisions to be made here? Well, there are a few I can think of. One would be to quit your job. You can't go into business for yourself until you quit your job (or your current boss will be quite upset!). Decide to do it and schedule an appointment with him or her. Walk in and quit! Another decision is to go get your business license. Schedule the time, go get the papers, fill them out, pay the money and register with the State. Bingo, you're in business!

You must decide what you must do to make your dream a reality.

Then you must act upon those decisions. If you do not act, your dream becomes a pipe dream, a non-reality.

When you have acted, you must follow through. Continue to follow your plan, day by day, carrying your dream to completion.

Here is a practical exercise to get you moving:

What is your dream? It could be in any area of life: Work, family, finances, health etc.

What is a decision you have to make to get yourself MOVING in the right direction? This should be action oriented not philosophical in nature. For example it should be "I am going to resign on March 1st," not "I've decided that being in business for myself would be more fulfilling." That is an idea, not a decision.

Next, pick a day you are going to do it. Pick a time. Be specific.
Next, do it!
Next, begin the process of continually following-through.
Next, enjoy yourself; you are pursuing your dream! It may be hard but it will also be the most fulfilling and rewarding time of your life!

"The history of free men is not written by chance, but by choice - their choice." Dwight D. Eisenhower

Decide, Act, Follow-through. The day you do will be the day you change your life - for good!

Chris Widener

Leads, Leads, Leads - By Linda Richardson

In a more challenging economy clients’ decision processes often become more protracted. You think that salespeople would jump on every possible lead.

Yet our research and experience show that, even today, many leads are too easily discounted. For example, some salespeople mistakenly discount a lead because the level of the contact isn’t high enough. Yet research shows that many opportunities begin at the operational level.

More over, as much as 80% of leads that are deemed quality leads are not followed up on in a timely or consistent way — hence wasted.

If you want to maximize your chances of meeting your numbers, don’t squander a lead — but don’t waste time either.

1. Go the client’s website. Do some quick research to determine the client’s qualifications, needs, and culture.

2. Follow up the day you get the lead. Not only will you impress the client but you are more likely to get through and sell. For every day you wait to respond you diminish your chances for success. Early on the LEAD is better!

3. Be ready with a short, compelling message, starting with thanking the client for contacting your organization.

• If you get voice mail, ask the client to provide you with times when you can reach him/her and also let him/her know your schedule so you can be ready. But always remember it is your job to follow up. Say something like, “This afternoon …” And be prepared to ask a few questions if you do connect.

• Follow up vigorously. If it is a good lead, call back daily.

• Also, if you have the prospect’s e-mail address, send a short e-mail: “Bill, thank you for contacting us about _____________. We … (capability and benefit). I look forward to learning more about your objectives and how we may … Please let me know any times that may be convenient for me to contact you.” Make it easy for the client to respond. Do this in conjunction with a phone call.

• Even when you are fairly sure the client won’t qualify, call back or send an e-mail. You may be surprised. It is courteous. And it may become an opportunity within the year.

• Check out which prospects have visited your website and be proactive in turning them into leads.

Leads are the precious metals of sales. Maximizing leads takes a sense of urgency. And a sense of urgency is one of the sure signs of a sales star.


About the Author:

Linda Richardson is the Founder and Chairman of Richardson, a global sales training business. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence for 2006 and in 2007 she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.”

7 Simple Tips for Success Every Entrepreneur Should Know by Jeff Usner

Apply these 7 tips to increase success in your networking marketing business, or MLM business (Multi-Level Marketing) and recruiting efforts. Learn to increase your positive results over the phone or in person.

Effectively turning leads into a sale or new recruit may seem difficult at times. But by implementing 7 simple suggestions for success, it becomes easy. These techniques were learned the hard way by individuals who made thousands of dials. You can save yourself time and effort by applying the following tips:

1. Get Rid of the “Lead Poverty” Mindset. Many people get a few leads and call those people again and again. It’s like they are looking for pearls in a set of oysters, but they keep checking the same oysters over and over. Similarly, you can’t call leads from a place of need and desperation. Instead, you need to talk to so many people you don’t have enough time to get back to them all. Why? When you have an abundance of leads, you won’t care if they buy. You will need people to decide quickly so you can move on to the next lead. When people sense the urgency and confidence you have, they are more likely to interact with you and take advantage of your offer. People do not want to miss out on a great opportunity.

2. Smile. It sounds simple, but it is important. You need to make it a habit. When you smile people notice, even over the phone. This is crucial to the success of any presentation.

3. Use Mirrors. Watch yourself when you are making calls to see what you are projecting. It will remind you to smile and helps you improve your nonverbal communication.

4. Posture. This is how you carry yourself. Motion creates emotion. Are you slouching and discouraged or upright and confident? Make sure you posture displays positive, upbeat energy and confidence.

5. Invest in a Headset – This allows you to move around, stand up or to hold the script you are using in your hands.

6. Record Yourself – Use a tape recorder or video camera. You may want to ask your client if you can tape the conversation so you can improve yourself. People will lower their walls because now they see you as more than a salesperson. You need to review the recording to see where you can improve your presentation. Were you smiling? Did you sound excited and confident? What was your nonverbal communication and body posture?

7. Be EXCITED!!! Most people are not excited about their lives. If your energy and excitement level is equal to theirs, they won’t be motivated to follow you. On the other hand, if you are motivated and excited, they will notice and want that energy in their life. When they compare you to their current coworkers you have got to prove that you have something that they want.

MLMStrategicProfits.com provides individuals and companies with MLM training and network marketing help. Our focus is to create results for your business. You may need more MLM leads or network marketing training on how to deal with your prospects. You may want a full MLM software package or just need a few minor adjustments to your current MLM marketing. Whatever you require, we will assist you in getting to the next level.

Author's Bio
In just over 18 months, Jeff successfully developed a 7-figure-income by creating systems which recruited over 30,000 people into his organization! Jeff has been retired from the home business industry for 6 years now and has assisted 10,000's of home business owners by offering MLM training, MLM Leads and MLM Software, helping them increase profits by achieving tremendous results. Jeff's companies provide media solutions ranging from MLM Software to MLM leads to assist the MLM & home business owner in accomplishing their goals. To learn more, visit www.MLMStrategicProfits.com!

Tear Up Your “To Do” Lists! by John Di Lemme

Most of you have those tedious “To Do” list that you create in an effort to get more things done in your day. But let’s take time to really look at your “To Do” list. The actual words “To Do” have a negative connotation, and when you look at that list on a daily basis you think to yourself, “I MUST get this stuff done!”. It’s like meeting a deadline on a daily basis. You absolutely dread it! You should just call it your “To Don’t” list, because it’s not something that you even look forward to doing.

So, what kinds of things are on these “To Do” list?

1) Go to the gym
2) Take the kids to baseball practice
3) Make (3) new contacts for my business
4) Pick-up the laundry
5) Coaching session w/John Di Lemme
6) Tele-Class at 8:30pm
7) Book flights for upcoming seminar

That’s right, this is an example of the infamous “To Do” list that you write out every day, and you drive yourself crazy trying to get everything done. Then at the end of the day, you wad up your list and throw it away. No matter if you finished everything or not. Does this make sense? No. Why should you torture yourself by making a list of things that will ultimately hang over your head all day long. Plus, most of the time the things on your “To Do” list are important to you and you should feel a sense of accomplishment after you complete them.

I know that you are saying to yourself, “John, I have to write things down or I won’t do them, and these things are important.” I agree with you 100%, but there is another way...something you won’t hate and resent doing on a daily basis. You must make this list important to you and feel good about yourself when you complete it or even most of it.

Develop a Champion Checklist!
Doesn’t that sound better and more powerful? How would you feel at the end of your day if you accomplished the majority of things on your “Champion Checklist”? Here’s another tip. Don’t throw it away day after day after day. Keep your Champion Checklist in a journal or simply a notebook. This will allow you to look back at your lists at the end of the week and see all of the things that you achieved. On the other hand, it will also act as your guide to things that you can do better such as time management.

My challenge for you today is to commit to tearing up your “To Do” list and replace it with a “Champion Checklist”. Will you do it or will you continue to begin everyday staring at a list that haunts you all day long? It’s up to you! This simple change will produce drastic results for you.

Motivating champions worldwide!
John Di Lemme

Author's Bio
John is an International Motivational Speaker who shocks millions globally by exposing the truth about how to achieve monumental life success despite the labels that society has placed on you. Through his award winning live seminars, powerpacked training programs, live tele-classes and websites John Di Lemme has made success a reality for thousands of people worldwide.

John wants to give you a FREE copy of his e-book, 177 Motivational Quotes to Live the Championship Life.

For updates on live events, teleclasses and more, visit john-dilemme.com.

Single Handle Every Task

By: Brian Tracy

Eat that frog! Every bit of planning, prioritizing and organizing comes down to this simple concept.

Your ability to select your most important task, to begin it and then to concentrate on it single mindedly until it is complete is the key to high levels of performance and personal productivity.

The Requirement for Every Great Achievement
Every great achievement of mankind has been preceded by a long period of hard, concentrated work until the job was done. Single handling requires that once you begin, you keep working at the task, without diversion or distraction, until the job is 100% complete. You keep urging yourself onward by repeating the words "Back to work!" over and over whenever you are tempted to stop or do something else.

Reduce Your Time By 50%
By concentrating single mindedly on your most important task, you can reduce the time required to complete it by 50% or more.

It has been estimated that the tendency to start and stop a task, to pick it up, put it down and come back to it can increase the time necessary to complete the task by as much as 500%.

Each time you return to the task, you have to familiarize yourself with where you were when you stopped and what you still have to do. You have to overcome inertia and get yourself going again. You have to develop momentum and get into a productive work rhythm.

Develop Energy and Enthusiasm
But when you prepare thoroughly and then begin, refusing to stop or turn aside until the job is done, you develop energy, enthusiasm and motivation. You get better and better and more productive. You work faster and more effectively.

Never Waste Time
The truth is that once you have decided on your number one task, anything else that you do other than that is a relative waste of time. Any other activity is just not as valuable or as important as this job, based on your own priorities.

Action Exercises
Eat That Frog! Take action! Resolve today to select the most important task or project that you could complete and then launch into it immediately.

Once you start your most important task, discipline yourself to persevere without diversion or distraction until it is 100% complete. See it as a "test" to determine whether you are the kind of person who can make a decision to complete something and then carry it out. Once you begin, refuse to stop until the job is finished.

Looking Out for List Number One - By Jamee Tenzer

You know those things you want to do someday? Here is my partial list: learn to speak Spanish; write a book; take belly dancing lessons; complete a baby scrapbook for each of my three children; read the stack of books by my bed; help my daughter with her knitting; and so much more. My list continues indefinitely.

You know those things you do every day? Here's my partial list: be wife, mommy, daughter, sister, coach, trainer, and friend; answer emails; exercise; manage pets; call the plumber; call the phone company; buy more dog food; change the light-bulb; pay the bills; manage the family calendar; and so much more. This list goes on indefinitely, too.

And, if I am not careful, these two lists shall never meet. List number one will forever be dominated by the hands-on-hips glare of self-important list number two. And list number two does have a point. She is filled with the items that MUST get done. Her tasks concern "real" issues such as getting food on the table, running a business, getting the kids to violin and ballet, making doctor's appointments, putting the kids to bed at night, and getting them up in the morning, on TIME.

List number one has none of these serious issues to offer. All she has is her commitment to balance, love, fun, creativity, and living life to the fullest. List number one does have a secret, though. She knows how important she is. Unlike list number two, she doesn't need to prove herself. She just patiently waits for her opportunity to shine. So how do we let our number one list shine when days, weeks, and months fly by, filled with the concerns of list number two?

Well, I have recently implemented a strategy. I have begun to put my list one items in my calendar. I started with belly dancing lessons. No, I am not a dancer, but if the presence of a "belly" is a requirement, then after 3 kids, I've got that one covered. In fact, the last time I took a dance class was ballet when I was 7. So, to say I am a beginner is an understatement. On top of that, when my daughter saw me watching a belly dancing "how-to" DVD and trying to practice some of the "moves," she suggested that I stop it immediately. This gives you an idea of my natural talent.

Luckily, list number one does not care about what people think or whether things make sense. I forged ahead with my strategy. I made a note on a particular day to find a class and sign up. Each time I came across that note and didn't have time to do it, I moved it forward to the next day, the next week, and yes, the next month.

It took three months, but finally there was a day in which I was able to take the time to find and sign up for a class. That set the wheels in motion. I found someone to stay with the kids, purchased a beginner's skirt and set of finger cymbals, and blocked out those Wednesday classes in my calendar.

As soon as I make lunches for the kids, start dinner, and get my little one in the tub, I'm going to practice my moves!

COACH ME QUICK TIPS FOR LIST NUMBER ONE:

1. Identify one item that you have wanted to do, take care of, learn about, or research, for some time.

2. What is the first step on that project?

3. When can you take that step? Next week? Next month? Whenever it is, just put it in your calendar. If you use an electronic calendar, you can always move it forward digitally. If you use a handwritten calendar, write it on a post-it so that it can be moved forward if needed.

4. Allow list number one to shine!

About the Author:

Prior to becoming a coach, Ms. Tenzer worked as a talent executive and producer in the television industry. During those years, she found that one of the most meaningful aspects of her work was the opportunity to coach her team members and colleagues as they faced and overcame challenges in the workplace. It was this enthusiasm for coaching that inspired her in 2001 to establish Life Works Coaching, a company dedicated to serving busy women.

Ms. Tenzer is a busy woman living in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. Visit her at http://www.lifeworks4ucoaching.com

Member: International Coaching Federation, Producers Guild of America, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

Check out the Experts page for Jamee Tenzer.

The Secret to Letting Go of Every Fear - By Guy Finley

Are you afraid of some condition in your life? Here's a life-transforming secret: that seemingly scary condition, whatever it may be, is not the problem. It is your reaction that is fearful. This is why if you will become conscious of your condition instead of afraid of it, you will change forever your relationship with fear.

It is only within this special kind of inner-relationship that there is real safety, because now you are interacting with fear in an entirely new way. You are no longer letting it dictate to you how to act or what to do. Instead, you are aware of the fear. You are learning to quietly observe and study it. And, each day, as you discover something new about the strange and shaky nature of your own fearful reactions, they begin to lose their power over you.

Why? Because you are at last seeing them for what they have always been: unintelligent mechanical forces. You are slowly becoming stronger than they are because by seeing them as they are -- not as they would have you see them -- you have helped yourself to climb above and outside of their influence. This self-insight is the difference between trembling through your life and being in command of it.

To be consciously afraid means that you know you are frightened, but at the same time you know that these very fears, as real as they may seem, are not you. And no wrong reaction can keep you captive once you begin to see it for what it is.

Fear is, and has always been, nothing but a self-limiting reaction that we cling to in the darkness of our present life-level, having mistaken it for a shield of self-protection. But, just as the faintest of early morning sunlight can dispel the night-long darkness, so does the smallest of insights into a persistent fear lead to letting it go.

You can prove this powerful principle to yourself anytime you want. Just dare to proceed even while being afraid. But remember, your new aim isn't to be courageous or to try and act strong in the face of fear. No. We've seen that this won't work. You simply want to be more curious about your frightened thoughts and feelings than you want to believe in them.

If you will follow this simple but higher instruction, not only will you start to see these habitual reactions that have been keeping you scared and running, you'll actually start seeing through them. This is where the real miracle occurs.

Each new insight into the actual nature of these negative reactions removes some of their power over you. And their loss is your gain. You are stronger now and you know it. You also know this new strength will never fail you because it isn't just the temporary appearance of a bold opposite. This new strength of yours is the absence of an old weakness.

Let's look at just one of the ways in which this principle of putting self-illumination before psychological self-protection can turn fear into fearlessness.

Do you know someone who you would rather run from than run into? Most of us do! Nevertheless, starting right now, resolve never again to avoid any person that scares you.

In fact, go ahead and walk right up to that critical man or aggressive woman and say or do exactly what you want instead of letting the fear tell you to do what it wants. Have no ideas at all about the way things should or shouldn't go. You are there to watch and learn about yourself, not to win an ego victory. Let that person see you shake if that is what starts to happen. What do you care? Besides, it is only temporary. That unpleasant person before you can't know it, but you are shaking yourself awake.

For the first time, you are letting your reactions roll by instead of letting them carry you away. As you stand there, momentarily apart from your usual self and working hard to remain as inwardly watchful as you know how, you can see that this flood of previously unconscious reactions has its own life story -- a shaky sort of story that up until now you had embraced as your own. But now you are beginning to see the whole story. The fears do not belong to you. Here is the explanation:

You have never been afraid of another person. The only thing you have ever been frightened by is your own thoughts about that person. Yes, you did feel fear, but it wasn't yours and it wasn't toward someone stronger than you. The fear you felt was in what you thought he or she was thinking about you.

Amazing, isn't it? You have been afraid of your own thoughts! And seeing this ends this. Now you can let this thought-self go, because no one holds onto terror.

Excerpted from "The Secret of Letting Go," Rev. Edition, Llewellyn, 2007

Increase Your Revenue By 107% Through Incremental Improvements - Rod Moore

I am often asked by people how it is that I am able to help my clients to dramatically increase their business in a short space of time. Today I want to give you the answer. It is learning to focus on the fundamental drivers of your marketing .... and the good news is anyone can do it.

Jim Rohn once said that there is usually about a half a dozen things that make up for 80% of the difference in results. If you want to improve the results then you need to go to work on these half a dozen things.

So it is with the marketing system in your business. I have found that there are usually about 5 key areas in your marketing system that you need to go to work on. The good news is that you do not need to make massive gains in these five areas. In fact I am about to show you how making incremental improvements will lead to a 107% increase in your revenue.

So what are these five key areas?

1/ Size Of Your Database - This is a key element of any marketing system. As it gets more difficult to gain the ATTENTION of your target market, the need to build your own database of prospects that you can market to repeatedly is critical. So the sizre of your database today will effect your marketing results. Usually with clients there is not much I can do about the current size of their database ... it is what it is.

2/ Monthly Growth Of Your Database - The next most critical element is how many people are you adding to your database on average each month. Now this is definitely an area we can go to work on to generate some immediate results. If your database is not growing each month then chances are good your revenue is not growing as well. Now just because someone is in your database does not mean they will turn into cash in the bank. At this stage they are just suspects.

3/ Conversion To Leads - Next we look at how many of the people in our database do we convert into leads. It is important to know the % conversion rate you have and the number of actual leads you generate for your business. Key question is ... do you have a system to convert suspects into leads? The way we do this at Profit Minute is to offer a complimentary Marketing Audit valued at $297 to people on our database. If someone requests this marketing audit it usually indicates they are a good lead for us.

4/ Conversion Of Leads To Clients - The next key area then is what percentage of these leads do you now convert into paying clients. In a sales sense this could be thought of as the closing rate. Now the key thing here is that if you have the right marketing systems in place then most of your leads will already be pre-sold which reduces the need to use to many closing techniques.

5/ Average Value Of A Client - Lastly we need to look at the average value of a new client to your business in the first year. The good news here is that there are many ways to increase the average value of a client. It usually comes down to how you package your products and services.

So now that we know what these five key areas are lets look at an example. This is a hypothetical example of Mary a Life Coach who has been in business for a year and is doing reasonably. This is how here key numbers look currently in this example:

Starting Database	1000
Monthly Growth Of Database	50
Forecast Database in 12 Months	1600
X Conversion % To Leads	5%
Number Of New Leads	80
X Conversion % To Clients	33%
Number Of Clients	26.4
X Average Value Of Client	$2,000
Revenue	$52,800

I have highlighted our 5 key indicators. Now if we just go to work to improve each of these (remember we can't do much with the size of the database at the start) then through some small increments we can achieve a huge difference in the total revenue.

Wacth what happens if we just achieve a 20% increase in these key indicators:

	Current	20% Increase
Starting Database	1000	1000
Monthly Growth Of Database	50	60
Forecast Database in 12 Months	1600	1920
X Conversion % To Leads	5%	6%
Number Of New Leads	80	115.2
X Conversion % To Clients	33%	39.6%
Number Of Clients	26.4	45.62
X Average Value Of Client	$2,000	$2,400
Revenue	$52,800	$109,486

That is a 107% increase in revenue simply by increasing each of the four key indicators incrementally by 20%. Imagine if we increased each of these key indicators by say 30% or 40% what happens to your revenue.

Now the obvious question is ... how possible is it to increase these four key indicators by 20%?

Well lets look at it. First we have increased the number of new suspects coming into our database each month from 50 to 60 ... or an increase of 10 more suspects. Thats 2.5 a week on average. Do you think with better marketing strategies in place you could ATTRACT an additional 2.5 suspects each week? Of course you could.

Next is our Conversion % to Leads ... here we have increased this from 5% of the database to 6%. This is a 1% increase and is easily achieved simply by helping you to put in place a more effective marketing system. The key here is to know how to lead the people entering your database systematically to wanting to enquire about your product or service. We can easily achieve this sort of improvement in your marketing system.

Then we come to the Conversion % of Leads To Clients ... or closing rate. This is an area that many small business owners feel uncomfortable with. They think that they have to close the prospect. This is really old school thinking and is rarely effective today. A much better approach is to implement a system that allows the prospective client to sell themselves on wanting to do business with you. If you had such a system do you think the above increase from 33% to 39.6% would be achievable? Absolutely it would. You just need the right marketing system in place.

Finally we come to the Average Value Of a Client. This is one area that most small business owners could improve immediately ... simply by putting your prices up. Most small business owners simply do not value your product or service highly enough. But there is so much more you can do .... the key is to look at how you package your products or services together. Think of this ... people do not want to buy your product or service ... rather they are looking to buy SOLUTIONS to their PROBLEMS. So start packaging what you do into solutions and you can easily increase the average value of a client by 20%.

So as you can see ... if you make a few simple incremental improvements in your business you can achieve a 107% increase in your revenue. Will this work for you? Yes of course. Often though we need an independent third party to asisst us to work through our marketing systems to make these improvements.

If you want to find out if your business could achieve a 107% increase in revenue (or better) then the next step for you is to request a complimentary Marketing Audit. We will look at your business and identify where we could improve your business. Find out more here

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Get your copy of The Attraction Marketing System by going here www.TheAttractionMarketingSystem.com

Brand Yourself for Career Success by Judy Downing

In today’s world, a successful career will go through many unexpected twists and turns. Being laid off or even fired doesn’t mean much if you can keep coming back stronger than ever. Branding yourself helps you stay in touch with what is happening and attract offers when you need them.

Your personal brand is all about how you establish and guide your reputation. If you haven’t thought about it, start with these five steps to create an effective and successful brand.

1. Decide how you want to be perceived.
People don’t have a lot of time to get to know others these days. Help them along by presenting an attractive, concise picture of who you are, what you can do for them, and why they should work with you. Catch their attention in 25 words or less and most people are willing to spend some time developing a relationship and exploring options.

2. Find your neighbors.
In the old days, people operated with their neighborhoods, towns, or cities. Today you can go global sitting at your computer. Remember that people still judge you by the company you keep. Be selective about what groups you join and who you link with online. You may find potential clients, employers, competitors, and partners. It’s all good as it all helps to establish who you are.

3. Be active.
Networking and relationship-building is a great way to get known and to stay current. Think about joining fewer groups and doing more with each one. Ask and answer questions, start your own conversation, volunteer for a leadership position. Remember that “givers get.” Helping someone else when things are going well for you can pay huge dividends later on.

4. Start now.
If you haven’t already started developing your personal brand, do it now. Create your 25 word summary and sign on to some of the online social networks like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) or Facebook (www.facebook.com). It’s free. It’s easy. And opportunities will open up as you go.

5. Build your brand as your go.
Worried that branding will take too much time or that you won’t get it right immediately? Don’t be. Start now with your best effort. Make changes and tweaks as you see what works and what doesn’t. Whenever you do something that fits with your brand, make sure you let all of your new friends know about it.

Personal branding can be an amazing tool for helping you navigate the career you deserve. Managed properly, it can also be great fun and immensely rewarding.

Author's Bio
Judy Downing is a speaker and freelance writer. She can be reached at judy@customerapproach.com or 909-855-7467.

Four Important “Yes, Buts…” About Success to Keep in Mind

By Bill Cottringer

“Success is often what is left when you empty your toolbox of the failed solutions that are past their opportunity, but hard to give up.” ~The author.

Two very good cases have been made about our main purpose for being here in life. One comes from the best wisdom of early philosophy, theology, and spirituality and the other comes from the current positive psychology movement. The first says our main purpose is to live a good life by worshiping God and treating our neighbors as ourselves. The second says our purpose is to be genuinely happy. I believe that our primary purpose is really more about growing, learning, and discovering how to be truly successful in what we are doing (in either of these three things or any other ones) and how we are using our life to live out that purpose.

There is certainly no shortage of good information about the topic of success (undoubtedly too much; nearly 400 million hits on Google now), but here are four important “yes, buts…” about success to keep in mind.

1. Our main purpose in the ‘game of life’ is to be successful, but often our whole life is a series of efforts to first define what success is and to secondly discover how to go about being successful, both by the painful trial and error method. Most of the confusion has to do with clarifying what our purpose really is. And then the challenge becomes figuring out how to live out that purpose for the best results, and staying focused on that single priority without getting sidetracked with all the amusing distractions that can easily capture our wandering attention.

2. There is no getting around the practice of defining our own success in comparison with what others achieve, but that “keeping up with the Jones’s chase” seems never ending. And, sooner or later we all have to find our own private, personal definition of what success really looks like in our own back yard. In the end, success, just like happiness, turns out to be what you get from doing what you have to do to get it. Like anything else of great value, we are the only ones who know if we really have it our not; it either is or it isn’t and there really is no in between that somebody else can judge for you.

3. The rules to being successful in this game of life have already been pre-established and a major challenge in life is to discover what these rules are, especially how to do that. Using the right rules in the right way leads to success, and not doing that leads to everything else. It really is that simple, but we can waste a lot of valuable time by trying to invent our own rules with subtraction or addition or waste even more time by not learning from our failures and continuing them. But then again, the way to know what something really is, is to know what it really isn’t first. The road to that path can be long, windy, bumpy and full of dead ends for some of us. And of course our ego pride in being right about all of this, often keeps us from seeing the real truth, in spite of our incorrect and incomplete perceptions, beliefs, thinking and conclusions which we rarely want to confront or admit to.

4. Being positive, optimistic and hopeful about success is crucial in bringing it about with whatever purpose you have or whatever means you are using; but being this way all the time is easier said than done. Often, you have to become more aware of your own thinking and feeling and start catching yourself in the act of thinking and feeling subtle hints of negativity and doubts, which are sabotaging your success efforts. Revising such subtle negativity into more positive energy can be a slow and painful process (just like I am trying to do here!)

Sure, there are degrees of success, but when these four “yes, buts…” are recognized, accepted and put into practice, the shades of doubt begin to dissipate.

Here are four useful tips on how to keep these four important “Yes, buts…” in mind to be more successful:

1. Keep thinking about what it is that you ultimately want from life (asking why until there is nothing for the answer to hide behind), or what you are now doing at hand, until it becomes crystal clear beyond any second-hand agendas. Then ponder upon how successful you are being in knowing what that really is, what progress you are making getting it, and how all that makes you feel.

2. Start weaning yourself away from the popular “bell-curve” mentality of comparison with others and begin to focus on what it takes to make self-improvements to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Be sure and appreciate any gains you make, no matter how small.

3. Think about the value of slowing down and noticing the connection between what you currently think your purpose is, what you are now doing to live it out, and the actual results you are getting—all in a completely open, frank and honest way. Do this with all your thinking and feeling to notice the presence and impact of subtle negativity.

4. Never forget where the potential and opportunities for being successful come from and continually grow your humble appreciation of this ultimate reality that makes everything possible, including this article.

Author's Bio
William Cottringer, Ph.D. is President of Puget Sound Security in Bellevue, WA and also a business and personal success coach, sport psychologist, photographer and writer living in the mountains of North Bend. He is author of several business and self-development books, including, The Prosperity Zone, Getting More By Doing Less, You Can Have Your Cheese & Eat It Too, The Bow-Wow Secrets, Do What Matters Most, “P” Point Management, Reality Repair, and Reality Repair Rx coming shortly. He can be contacted with comments or questions at 425 454-5011 or bcottringer@pssp.net

Wisdom from Lee Kuan Yew's Daughter

Gong Xi Fatt Chai!!!

I wish to share this wonderful new year message with everybody.

Wisdom from Lee Kuan Yew's Daughter

My house is shabby, but it is comfortable

There is no end to wanting - after the Ferrari and the Birkin bag, what next?

By Lee Wei Ling

In 2007, in an end-of-year message to the staff of the National Neuroscience Institute, I wrote: 'Whilst boom time in the public sector is never as booming as in the private sector, let us not forget that boom time is eventually followed by slump time.

Slump time in the public sector is always less painful compared to the private sector.' Slump time has arrived with a bang.

While I worry about the poorer Singaporeans who will be hit hard, perhaps this recession has come at an opportune time for many of us. It will give us an incentive to reconsider our priorities in life.
Decades of the good life have made us soft.

The wealthy especially, but also the middle class in Singapore , have had it so good for so long, what they once considered luxuries, they now think of as necessities. A mobile phone, for instance, is now a statement about who you are, not just a piece of equipment for communication. Hence many people buy the latest model though their existing mobile phones are still in perfect working order.

A Mercedes-Benz is no longer adequate as a status symbol. For millionaires who wish to show the world they have taste, a Ferrari or a Porsche is deemed more appropriate.

The same attitude influences the choice of attire and accessories.

I still find it hard to believe that there are people carrying handbags that cost more than thrice the monthly income of a bus driver, and many more times that of the foreign worker labouring in the hot sun, risking his life to construct luxury condominiums he will never have a chance to live in.

The media encourages and amplifies this ostentatious consumption.

Perhaps it is good to encourage people to spend more because this will prevent the recession from getting worse.

I am not an economist, but wasn't that the root cause of the current crisis - Americans spending more than they could afford to? I am not a particularly spiritual person. I don't believe in the supernatural and I don't think I have a soul that will survive my death. But as I view the crass materialism around me, I am reminded of what my mother once told me: 'Suffering and deprivation is good for the soul.'

My family is not poor, but we have been brought up to be frugal.

My parents and I live in the same house that my paternal grandparents and their children moved into after World War II in 1945. It is a big house by today's standards, but it is simple - in fact, almost to the point of being shabby.

Those who see it for the first time are astonished that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's home is so humble. But it is a comfortable house, a home we have got used to. Though it does look shabby compared to the new mansions on our street, we are not bothered by the comparison.

Most of the world and much of Singapore will lament the economic downturn. We have been told to tighten our belts. There will undoubtedly be suffering, which we must try our best to ameliorate. But I personally think the hard times will hold a timely lesson for many Singaporeans, especially those born after 1970

who have never lived through difficult times. No matter how poor you are in Singapore , the authorities and social groups do try to ensure you have shelter and food. Nobody starves in Singapore.

Many of those who are currently living in mansions and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle will probably still be able to do so, even if they might have to downgrade from wines costing $20,000 a bottle to $10,000 a bottle. They would hardly notice the difference.

Being wealthy is not a sin. It cannot be in a capitalist market economy.

Enjoying the fruits of one's own labour is one's prerogative and I have no right to chastise those who choose to live luxuriously. But if one is blinded by materialism, there would be no end to wanting and hankering.

After the Ferrari, what next? An Aston Martin? After the Hermes Birkin handbag, what can one upgrade to? Neither an Aston Martin nor an Hermes Birkin can make us truly happy or contented. They are like dust, a fog obscuring the true meaning of life, and can be blown away in the twinkling of an eye.

When the end approaches and we look back on our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lived lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill, that we have helped some of our fellow voyagers along the way and that we have tried our best to leave this world a slightly better place than how we found it?

We know which is the correct choice - and it is within our power to make that choice.

In this new year, burdened as it is with the problems of the year that has just ended, let us again try to choose wisely.

To a considerable degree, our happiness is within our own control, and we should not follow the herd blindly.

The writer is director of the National Neuroscience Institute.

Solve The Problems and Assume The Sale

By Jim Klein

Last week I shared with you how to create tremendous value in yourproduct or service and eliminate the objection that your price is too high.

This week I will teach you the final steps in your presentation and how to assume the sale.

At any point in your sales presentation, if you receive a strong response to a trial close, and you feel the prospect is ready to buy, close the sale. Some sales people will not close at this time thinking "I haven't finished my presentation yet".

Many times they will then proceed with the presentation and talk themselves right out of a sale. There's an old saying, "strike while the iron is hot".

Trial closes are an excellent way to see if your prospect is ready to be closed, or if you need to give them more information before they're ready.

You have gotten the prospect involved in feeling and experiencing your product or service. She understands the benefits and how they will solve her problem and either relieve her pain or give her pleasure.

Now it's time to;

- Summarize the primary points in the body of your presentation.

- Review the major benefits.

- Tell her about any bonuses or discounts she may receive for buying today.

- Assume the sale and ask the prospect;

"What do you see as the likely next step"?

"When would you like to take delivery"?

Shut your mouth, and wait for them to answer. Even though it may seem like an eternity, don't speak until the prospect speaks first. Remember, the first one who opens their mouth and speaks loses!

This is the time in the presentation when the prospect will be either sold on your product or service, or raising some objections. One important point to remember; objections are not as bad as many sales people think.

An objection is actually good. It means the prospect needs some more information or clarification before they can make a decision. If the prospect is raising objections it means your still in the game.

However, what's not good is if at this point they are trying to get rid of you. That means you haven't done your job properly at some point in the sales process.

If the prospect is not raising objections and is in agreement with what you are proposing, move on to the final step in your presentation and assume the sale.

Don't ask for the sale, don't close the sale, ASSUME the sale.

Move forward and begin filling out the order form, or what ever paper work is required to finalize the sales of your product or service. Keep moving through the steps you would take on any sale until the prospect stops you, or the sale is complete.

Don't wait for the prospect to ask you where they sign. This is a mistake many sales people make, because they are afraid or don't know how to ask. Some prospects will ask you how to proceed, however, most of the time this won't happen.

If you've done all the steps in the sales process and the prospect is sold on your solution to their problem, you have earned the right to assume the sale and earn your commission.

When you are sitting with a prospect either building repore, qualifying or presenting your product or service as the solution, you are in the heart of the sales process. The heart is where your personal preparation meets selling opportunity, where you are in front of someone who can say "Yes" to you and your product or service.

With all this at stake, wouldn't it make sense to make perfecting these skills one of, if not your highest priority? The average sales person doesn't think so. They spend their free time watching TV instead of working on bettering their skills.

If you want to be among the top 5 or 10 percent of sales people, put down the remote and get to work studying and perfecting your skills. I know I talk a lot about practicing, and practicing is good to get you prepared to go to battle so to speak. However, the best way to really hone and fine tune your skills is in front of real live prospects.

Next week, I will share with you the major reason why prospects don't buy. You won't want to miss this!

Make It A GREAT Day!

How to make unit trusts work for you

MANAGING finances is a very personal thing, and financial consultants and planners will tell you that different people have different risk profiles and criteria where managing their finances and investment is concerned.

Investors today have a number of financial products to choose from to fit their risk profile and criteria for returns and one of the more straight-forward ones is the unit trust fund.

A unit trust fund is an investment trust formed to invest in a portfolio of securities in which retail investors can participate by buying units of a fund. The trust fund is managed by professional fund managers.

However, investors may be put off by unit trusts due to the current turmoil in the equity and financial markets. Furthermore, unit trusts require long-term investment and patience, which at this point is a hard-sell because of the volatility of the markets.

In fact, according to the Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers’ (FMUTM) website, the industry has seen its net asset value (NAV) drop by 20% over the year to RM135bil as at Oct 31, 2008.

However, the FMUTM says concurrent with the drop in the NAV, the industry NAV compared to Bursa Malaysia’s total market capitalisation increased to 20%.

This may be due to the KLCI having dropped 39.84% year-to-date because of the impact of the economic slump and the financial crisis that took a turn for the worst in mid-September when Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc collapsed and American International Group Inc needed a bailout.


A worker is seen carrying a box out of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers offices in the Canary Wharf district of London after it collapsed. – Reuters

Several financial planners StarBizWeek spoke to recently counselled that dollar-cost averaging or investing a fixed sum over a long period is the trick to reducing exposure to risk rather than making a single large investment.

The idea behind this is that the fixed sum can be spent on investing in a portfolio regardless of the price because the investment will eventually balance out in terms of cost.

These experts have heard stories of how investors have put all their money in one basket, thereby violating the most basic of investment rules, which is to diversify into different asset classes and also to diversify within a particular asset class.

In this respect, unit trust funds are generally divided into three types – fixed income, balanced/diversified and equity unit trusts.

“It all falls back on why you want to invest,” CTLA Financial Planners Sdn Bhd managing director Mike Lee said. “If you feel that the 5% dividend on average that you’re getting from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is not enough, than you may want to take a bit of a risk by taking money out from the EPF and invest long-term in unit trusts,” he says.

Lee says the issue is what type of unit trust to invest in. “At this point, due to the volatility of the equity markets, it is better to put more money in fixed income or balanced trust funds. I would advise to put at least 80% into fixed income,” he adds.

Lee says another way to secure a fairly stable income but that involves more risk is to invest in a mix of unit trusts where fixed income make up half the basket, balanced unit trust funds made up 30% and equity unit trusts made up another 20%. “This way you’ll be able to get a gross return of 7% to 8%, which is fair considering the fact that the KLCI is down by nearly 40%,” he says.

Lee says investing in the mix will allow for some risks and conservatism without speculating or trying to time the market. “At the same time you don’t want to miss the boat,” he says.

Gary Low, a senior financial consultant with Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd, says Malaysians in general prefer to invest in short-term, high-risk products that give higher returns than conventional savings such as fixed deposits or EPF dividends.

“You need to have invested at least five years before you can see any meaningful returns,” he says, adding that in more financially-matured markets, people invest for at least three years.

Low says a lot of people here are aggressive in their investments even though they say they are conservative. “These investors, if they had put their money into equity funds, would have lost it since the KLCI is down up to 40%,” he says.

“It’ll take them the next five years just to break even assuming an average 8% return on investment,” Low points out. His advice is to put 80% into fixed income and the rest into balanced trust funds. “Lets wait and see what next year would be like,” he says.

Getting Past Gate Keepers - Sam Manfer

Gatekeepers and Blockers

As a salesperson, your toughest assignment when starting in an account is getting to executives. Administrative assis­tants, receptionists, and subordinate employees protect execu­tives from you. In addition to them, you will block yourself by thinking that people don’t want you going around them to get to the executives.

Admins block you because they feel their mission is to keep salespeople away from the boss. You pose a threat to their duties. The quicker they can get rid of you, the faster their fear is relieved. You’re a stranger. You’re a threat. Besides, you are extra work for them. They have to explain you to the boss and they have to schedule you. It is easier to say “No – not inter­ested.” There is no risk.

Receptionists block you because they have been read the rules not to give out information. Besides, they have calls coming

Take Me To Your Leaders

Through and they don’t have time to play 20 questions with you. However, if you have a name they will pass you through. If you don’t, they’ll either not allow you to go further or pass you to an admin. Receptionists may know a little about the company, such as the names and titles of some people, but they don’t know what these people’s responsibilities are and how they fit with your offering. I question why you even start with them. Go to an admin of a senior executive.

Now if you get past the receptionist and the admin, you will probably have to deal with voice mail. Most executives are in meetings or traveling and not around to pick up the phone. Actually they will answer if they are in their office, unless the admin is set to intercept. It is more interesting to talk to some­one new than face what’s on their desk. Some companies even have caller ID and the Exec decides to answer or pass it to voice mail.

Another line of defense is the subordinates and lower level buyers. These could be administrative people who called you in, e.g., purchasing agents. They could be functional people who you know will be involved and you either called them or they called you. It could also be people you were passed off to. These subordinate types are not going to let you through to the exec’s office without effort. Besides, they need to be sold.

Finally the most debilitating blocker is you. You feel that the person or people you are talking with don’t want you to go beyond them, so you stop yourself. Successful salespeople never think that way. They approach the situation with the confidence that the executives want to see them and knowing that these subordinates will help them get there. Successful salespeople feel that until the subordinate says, in no uncertain terms, “You are not allowed to approach the executives,” the objective is the executives.

So it’s tough dealing with blockers. However, if we know why we’re being blocked we can develop strategies, tactics, and techniques to get through them.

Section II: Barrier Relief – Getting to Executives

Reason for the Blocks

People block you because they have nothing to gain by let­ting you pass; more importantly, they stand to lose by letting you pass.

Admins could be afraid their boss will be irritated, or they feel that if I were my boss I’d be irritated. Who knows what’s going on with each admin, but suffice it to say that they sense a loss with no potential for a gain. After a go around with an admin or receptionist, I catch myself saying, “Why is she so tight with information such as the boss’ name or email address? Is she afraid I’ll send a letter bomb?” When I become rational, I real­ize that she is afraid of a bomb – something that could hurt her in her job or with her boss. Why should she help me? What’s in it for her? If her boss finds out, she could get reprimanded – maybe even lose her job. Even if it is not that significant, it’s eas­ier to say no and give nothing than to work with you. Again, working with you is an effort and effort is a loss unless there is a reward for her. The same applies to the receptionist. Why extend myself – for what?

Subordinates to the execs are basically the same; however, their loss may take a different spin. They could be afraid of losing control. They could be afraid of losing the allusion that they are the final decision-maker – the Power. They may feel they have been given the task to investigate and decide and if you get by them, they have done a poor job with their task. They may also be afraid that their bosses will get angry if you get past them. They may feel it is their job to deal with you. Whether it is true or not, it is their fear and it is real to them. If you get through, they lose.

It may be that the subordinates are not interested in what you have to offer, so why should they let you go further? It may be they don’t want what you have to offer because they don’t like change or they don’t like your solution. They believe that if you get through to the bosses you could sway them and this will not be good. They may also like your competitor and want to stop you from making any in-roads with them or their boss­

Take Me To Your Leaders

es. No matter how good you think it will be for them or their company, it is their perception of the loss that is blocking you.

Self-imposed blocks are another matter, but similar. Here you feel you will lose if you go around, so you block yourself. You have to take a different approach to selling. Your objec­tive is to get to and work with all the decision-makers, includ­ing the executives. Tell everybody along the way that this is your mission and you want these subordinates to help you get to the executives. This is about confidence and purpose. We’ll discuss this later.

The voice mail blocks or screens are also all about losses or gains. Voice mail is really a great way to get to someone. However, it only works well if that person is interested in what you have to say or in who you are. Think about yourself. Your significant other or a good friend calls and leaves you a voice mail. You will listen intently and probably call back as soon as you can. A telemarketer calls, you probably skip or fast for­ward. But if the telemarketer hits a nerve right away, then you might listen and may even call back. Even if you know the per­son, or the person calling refers to someone you know, they may capture your attention yet the message will have to hit something sensitive before you’ll call back. Bottom line, you will call back if you see something in it for yourself to make it worth calling back – otherwise it is a loss to make the effort to call back or even talk to a telemarketer. So with voice mail, if you want a call back you’ll have to know what’s in it for the person (gain or loss avoidance).

Now another big reason you can’t get through these block­ers is because you don’t have credibility with them. In other words, they don’t trust you to take care of them or keep them safe. However, this too, is about gains and losses. Can they trust you to do something that will be good for them or are they afraid you will do something that will cause them to lose? For example, I could use some help with investments, but I’ll never talk with a ‘cold call’ stockbroker. He could be great, but there is no trust and there is a risk of losing my money.

Section II: Barrier Relief – Getting to Executives

Admins, receptionists, and subordinates block us because we have no credibility with them. If you had some positive his­tory with any of these people, they would do a lot to help you (Golden Network). If they don’t know you, they immediately default to, “I can’t trust you. Therefore, I can’t let you through and I’d like to get rid of you.”

Actions to Overcome Blocks

Since the main reason people block you is fear of a loss and/or that there’s nothing in it for themselves, your best action is to show them how they will win or at least not lose with you. For example, if an admin knows and trusts you she’ll tell you anything, including the gossip. So your strategy is to develop credibility with her by getting her to feel com­fortable with you so she feels she will lose nothing. The more secure this individual is the farther you will go. High level admins feel very secure about their position and the people below their boss. They will give you information about lower level people because they have nothing to lose. Getting info about their bosses is another story.

The same is true with subordinates. If they trust you they will be the first to let you get in front of their bosses, because they know they won’t lose with you and that you will help them get what they want – your offering.

If they feel they will lose control, for example, you’ll have to show them how they will maintain control of the decision and how it is good for both of you to see the executive. You might say, “It would probably be good for both of us if I knew your boss’ expectations of my products/services. This way I could structure a proposal that would make both of us look good. So why don’t you set a meeting and you can run it. I’ll be there for support if you need me. But more importantly, I can hear it directly and we won’t miss something and disap­point your boss. This could make both of us look badly.”

I was working with CNA, a very large insurance company. I knew I’d never get the consulting deal I was working until I met with the Sr. V. P., and the SalesTraining VP was blocking

Take Me To Your Leaders

me. However, in an earlier interview I found out that the Training VP was concerned about his credibility. He had spent many years building credibility with the managers of the sales department and he did not want anything to jeopardize it. Establishing the credibility of training managers is very difficult because they are perceived as not out on the front line. Training is more theoretical than practical, so why listen? Well, this VP had earned his credibility and he was not going to recommend something that could fail and jeopardize losing his credibility.

Knowing this, I talked with the sales managers whom I had already met with and developed a relationship (Golden Network). I explained the problem and they agreed to conference call the VP Training and tell him that they liked my services and wanted to pursue it further. Well this eliminated the credibility issue for the VP Training and he quickly got me in front of the Sr.VP. I got the assignment and this VP Training helped me to get more deals. He learned that I delivered for him. He continued to build his credibility (win) and he continued to help me.

Had I not known his loss issue, I would have done all sorts of things to circumvent him or to please him (such as lower the costs). These would have accomplished nothing and could have cost me time and money. Knowing the loss helped me build the strategy to make it a win for him.

Turning a loss into a win is the best way to approach a block. Have an open, up front conversation with the blocker to find out what he is afraid of losing, or what he would like to gain by working with you. You can also get help from your Golden Network. Have these people get you information or get you a meeting with the blocker. Be careful, however, about getting loss information from other people. Losses are person­al and others usually don’t know the personal details.

Another strategy is to go around the blocker. We’ve all done our share of this. Calling early or late is a way to go around the admin. This and many other techniques are out there for you to find and try, but the problem is that you could get peo­ple annoyed or upset with you. It could be the blocker, the

Section II: Barrier Relief – Getting to Executives

executive, or your own company. It depends on the ramifica­tions. So be careful with this strategy.

Another strategy is to go along with the blocker. Sometimes people block you for your best interest. Just keep the dialogue going. Be sure it is in your best interest and not for other rea­sons. Set a plan with dates and work it together.