Success Would BeLost... By Daniel Decker

Did you know that…

1. Lucille Ball’s (I Love Lucy) career didn’t start off so well. She was once dismissed from drama school for being too quiet and shy.

2. Big companies that have gone bankrupt:
- Quaker Oats (3 times)
- Pepsi-Cola (3 times)
- Borden’s
- Aunt Jemima
- Wrigley’s (3 times)

3. Clint Eastwood was once told by a Universal Pictures executive that his future wasn’t very promising. The man said, “You have a chip on your tooth, your Adam’s apple sticks out too far, and you talk too slow.”

4. Albert Einstein did poorly in elementary school, and he failed his first college entrance exam at Zurich Polytechnic. But he became one of the greatest scientists in the history of the world.

5. Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.

What if these people listened to the naysayers and gave up? What if they let their negative experiences stop them from pushing on?

Many of their great contributions and successes would be lost.

How does that fit into your life? Are you letting the negative setbacks pull you down? There are always going to be people who can’t see what you see. There will always be circumstances that shape your thinking and slowly begin to cause you to lose that drive and determination you may have once had. The key though, is to never give up and do what you feel is right. Constantly reinvent yourself and what you do. If you come across someone who doesn’t believe or share the same vision you have, be reminded that God gave YOU the vision to fulfill a certain purpose. Sometimes others just don’t see the same thing because God gave them a different vision to pursue.

Live out your dreams, stay focused and change the world.

Daniel Decker is the founder of GiftofKindness.com, a nonprofit initiative with one primary purpose… to inspire others to be kind, compassionate and loving to one another… at home, at work, and in every interaction throughout the day. To learn more and request free Kindness Cards that you can share with others, visit http://www.giftofkindness.com/

5 Tips to Improve Your Business Communications

By Andrew Brown

In today’s day and age of e-mail, Blackberrys and text messaging, business environments are relying on technological advances to facilitate communication. Certainly, operations have become more efficient. However, are interactions becoming more effective as a result?

Continuing to develop interpersonal communication skills is never something that should take a back seat. Simply put, how you communicate is just as important - if not more important - than the product or service you are trying to sell. In our rapidly changing and fast-paced business environment, building relationships is critical to the success of any business. For small businesses in particular - that may not have a formal communications function - every individual in the business is a part of the communications effort.

From the Experts:

1) Pay attention to physical cues. Experts say that when you meet someone, you have just ten seconds to make an impression on them. Elements such as eye contact, a firm handshake and a calm speaking voice are all part of the communication you are delivering or the interaction you are facilitating. Keep checking the other person’s non-verbal cues as well to adjust your approach, mirroring their style - are they friendly or formal? Do they appear open to closer talking or prefer to have more space between each other? By answering these questions in real time and adjusting your physical style appropriately, you can easily make a potent first impression.

2) Employees come first. Meet with employees one-on-one at regular time intervals. Experts recommend weekly meetings and advise both parties to come prepared with updates or issues for discussion. This is a perfect time to discuss career path strategies for your employees as well. You can also take the time to inform employees of any performance issues that have arisen, giving them time to mark improvements before any formal reviews.

3) Take advantage of presentation training. Group speaking skills are critical, and especially important for small businesses looking to grow referrals and network in their industry or market. In addition, be able to effectively communicate to employee groups to build credibility and ensure consistent messaging about your expectations.

4) Be careful with emails. Know the difference between what messages can be delivered via email and what must be discussed in person. As a rule, save more emotional matters for face-to-face discussions. On the flip side, learn how to become more succinct with your e-mail communications to ensure you’re delivering the facts and outlining appropriate action steps so that everyone is clear on your requests. A good rule of thumb: write the way you speak and remember that longer is not necessarily better.

5) Use logic to construct your communications. Whether speaking or writing, state the facts to support your opinions. Avoid limiting your credibility by using statements like, “I feel.” Instead, use goal-oriented language and avoid unnecessary storytelling.

Andrew Brown and Small Business Guru provide Coaching, Inspiration and Practical Advice for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs. Subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter at http://www.small-business-guru.com/.

Playing to Win By Zig Ziglar

Anything can happen - and it often does! One of the old clichés in professional athletics is that on any given day in any given city, one professional athletic team can beat another team. Their standings in the won-loss record at that moment don’t really matter. That’s equally true in individual competition when you have players who are skilled and determined to do their best.

Kathy Horvath is a classic example. Kathy Horvath had every reason to believe that she would lose when she faced Martina Navratilova on May 28, 1983. Kathy was rated 45th in the world; Martina was ranked number one and had not lost a match all year. Martina had won 36 straight matches. Her record in 1982 was 90 victories with only three defeats. Her defeats were to highly-ranked players like Chris Everett Lloyd and Pam Schreiber. Furthermore, Kathy Horvath was only 17 years old and they were playing in front of 16,000 people.

As it often happens in matches like this, Kathy got off to a fast start and won the first set 6-4. Martina came storming back in the second set and blew her off the court, winning that set 6-0. They started the last set and it was truly nip-and-tuck. They were tied at 3-3 and Martina was serving. To everyone’s surprise, Kathy Horvath, the overwhelming underdog, won the set and the match. Someone asked Kathy about her strategy and she replied very simply, “I was playing to win.”

That’s significant. Too many people play not to lose; Kathy was playing to win. The message is clear. Play to win, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther.

Zig Ziglar

6 Steps to Closing a Sale

By Jim Klein

When it comes to closing a sale do you really know how to close? Do you freeze up afraid to close or don't know what to say? Do you know how and when to close a sale or even if the prospect is interested in your product? Well, read on and I'll share with you six ways to overcome these common challenges and increase your closing ratio.

Your Attitude Makes a Huge Difference

Before going to any appointment get yourself in the right frame of mind. Go in with the attitude that you will close the sale.

When I'm driving to an a appointment I'm not listening to the radio, I'm imagining how the sale is going to end up, me closing the sale. When I arrive at the appointment I sit in my car for a few minutes, close my eyes and visualize every thing happening just as I want it to. I see the prospect approving the contract, giving me the check and us shaking hands and smiling.

If your attitude going in is negative you might as well get back in your car and go home.

ABC - Always be Closing

Be prepared to close the sale at any time. Be ready to close when you walk in the door. The sales process doesn't have to continue through all the steps. You can close a sale at any time.

I have seen many salespeople with a prospect who is ready to buy, money in hand, waving it in the air, however, the salesperson stops them and says wait, I haven't finished my presentation yet, let me tell you how great I am.

They've been taught to go through all the steps so they keep talking and many times talk themselves out of a sale.

At any point during the sales process the prospect is ready to buy...close the sale.

Understanding What They Want and Need

"Closing is the process of helping people make decisions that are good for them"

Closing a sale begins when you qualify the prospect. Make sure you are qualifying every prospect thoroughly. Determine their emotional wants and their motives.

It's at this stage the prospect will tell you their hot buttons and give you the road map to close them. Also they will become comfortable with you and by showing an interest in their needs you will set your self apart from all the other salespeople.

How to Recognize Buying Signs

Buyers will often give you signs they want what you're selling. These signs can either be verbal or visual. Let's start with the verbal.

A buyer may start asking more questions. They nod their head in agreement. They require more in depth information. They start talking about how things will be when they own the product.

Some visual signs to watch for are a smile, a raising of the eyebrows or moving closer to you so they can see better. If it's a couple they may show more affection or they may look at each other in a certain way.

When you have memorized your presentation you can be more aware of these buying signs and your closing ratio will increase dramatically.

When you know what you are going to say and don't need to think about it, your sales will increase dramatically because you can sit back and watch their body language and buying signals and you'll know when they're ready to buy.

How to Make the Decision to Close the Sale

When you have qualified the prospect properly, the buying signs are there and you know they want to buy, make the decision that the best thing for them is to buy.

Then focus your attention on talking about the things they like or feel are important as you close the sale. Put your personal feelings about your product or service aside and focus on the buyer.

Assume the Sale

If you've done everything right and the buying signs are there, assume the sale and begin filling out the order or what ever the next step is. Keep moving ahead until they stop you. If you did your job and your closing the sale at the right time, they won't stop you.

I have given you an overview of the closing process, however there is much more to closing a sale. Far to many details to discuss in this article. So I have created a free 4 day e-course to give you more in depth strategies and closes.

Do you have only one or two closes in your arsenal? Is your best close, well, what do you think? or the real powerhouse, can I put you down for one? Or do you just want to master the closing process so you can increase your sales?

人的一世

我们一出世，就被教导做个好孩子

拼命的读书，好了读完书了。大学也毕业了。
拼命的做工，赚多多的钱。。。
拼命的存钱，买房子，车子，保险

不小心找到了老婆，好了，结婚了，钱也用完了

再拼命的做工，好了 30岁了，开始瓶颈。。。
再拼命的读 PARTTIME，好了，学位高了。。。

拼命的抚育孩子，好了，孩子读书了。。。

拼命的灌输孩子要努力读书。。。。

自己拼命的做工。。。学位高了，压力也高了。。。

回到家，妻子照顾孩子，不得空理你。。
孩子忙着读书，不得空理你。。

月头，样样都是钱。

孩子和你拿钱。
妻子和你拿钱
房子和你拿钱
保险和你拿钱
车子和你拿钱


过年了，更加多钱

除了以上，

母亲和你拿钱
红包和你拿钱
旅行和你拿钱
NIKE， LEVI， PRADA， GUCCI， REEBOK， PADINI。。。和你拿钱
海外天也可能和你拿钱

40岁，男人危机。。。
拼命的工作，保住职位。。。
成了大家眼中的势利同事。。。
开始害怕失去工作，开始留意年轻同事。。。
想读书，钱，没有了，想换工，薪金高，岁数大，难讨新工
想尽办法，还是不能爬上经理职位，还被一个年轻人上了位。。

孩子开始读中学了，和你拿更多的钱。
父亲节，拿你给的钱，买了你没有用的东西。。。。
房子还是和你要钱
车子旧了，开始不听话了。。。还是要给钱
妻子也是一样和你拿钱，旦绝对没有收条给你看。夫妻要信任

好不容易熬过 50了，要退休了，无风无浪。。。虽然压力大，新上司意见多多，不要紧。我顶！

就要拿功积金咯！但是孩子要出国读书 --« 200千！

好了，功积金拿完出来了，一大半给了孩子，剩下的给了妻子

还是回到零。。。退休了，不用做？？？不能
几十年没有呆在家，忽然和妻子相处。。。
妻子看不顺眼丈夫无所事事，命令丈夫开始学做家事，！

扫地，抹地，剪草，洗车，样样都要做。。。

好了，房子供完了。。。车子也没有什么驾了。。。

开始觉得人生很无奈，自己从一个提款机，最后变成了一个佣人。

孩子出国回来了，拍了一些照片。。。开始找工了。。。

毕业 =失业 ， 工难找，最后找到一份只可以养活自己的工作。还是要住在家里。。。吃，交通。去的薪金的一大半。。所以只是意思意思的给 RM100给父母做伙食费。。。

3年过去了，孩子好不容易累计的工作经验，薪金高了。。。但是却开始要买辆汽车代步。。。母亲帮助 +自己储蓄，给了头期。。。有了汽车，费用也多了。。还是意思意思给 RM200作伙食费

好不容易的工作开始稳定了，但是却认识了一个女朋友。。。开始了人生计划。。。要买房子了。。。

由于车子 +女朋友费用太大，还是不能给伙食费太多，而且女朋友说 3年计划，全部钱要储蓄。。。

2年后，终于买了房子，买了房子，开始要结婚了。。。

我终于有用处了，被叫去提亲。。什么都不可以多说，全部老婆讲。自己讲些客套话就行了。。。

摆酒，婚礼，旅行。。。用了一大笔 +母亲储蓄 + 我剩下的功积金。

我还是回归零，。。。继续的剪草，扫地，做家务。。。

结婚了后，孩子很少会来了，忙着自己的家庭。。。偶尔假日才回来看看父母。。。每个月意思意思的给 RM200 。孩子自己也困难了。要维持自己的家庭

好了， 30年前的计划希望能够开始，旅行！！

大事不妙，媳妇怀孕了，生了个孩子。。。母亲代抚养，因为媳妇孩子都做工

本来平静的退休生活又再次起了涟漪。。。每天就要照顾孙子，晚上他哭我就跟着醒，开始学习新的技术，喂奶，包尿片，唱歌，拍手掌。。。

孩子每个月意思意思的给多 RM300，当着是孙子的伙食费。。。


照顾了 5年后，孙子大了，孩子抱回去了，一切回归平静。忽然想起 30年前的约定，决定和妻子去旅行。。。。

还是去不成了，妻子年级大了，病痛也多了。。。自己的腰骨也常闹别扭。。。医生说要多休息。。。孩子已经抱回孙子，每个月意思意思的给回 RM300 伙食费


惟有呆在家里看电视。。。。一天早上，妻子看见为什么老头没有起来扫地。。。想去房里骂我，但我已经回到天国去了。。。

孩子为我做了后事。。。

最后我成了一张照片。


人生就是如此讽刺。。。呵呵

Daily Disciplines for Effortless Success

by Jack Canfield

Hand’s down, one of the most popular questions I’m asked by students is this… “Jack, what are your most important daily actions that you correlate with your success.”

In fact, Oprah Winfrey asked me a similar question just days before appearing on her show. She asked me to come up with some easy-to-apply steps for her viewers to start applying The Law of Attraction in their lives.

One of the basic first steps is to determine, write down and talk about what you do want, not what you don’t want. Be as specific as possible. Once you have clarified what you want, do the following each and every day.

1. Morning Intention, Visualization and Releasing

As soon as you wake up in the morning, take about 5 minutes to focus your mind on your desires, goals and intentions. Start by sitting in a comfortable position, closing your eyes and visualizing your desires and goals as already being fulfilled. Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each of your core desires and goals. You can also take a few moments to visualize your day going exactly as you would like it to.

When you do this, you will often find negative limiting beliefs that are the result of negative programming from your childhood will come up. You may hear thoughts like “I could never afford that,”“there’s no way I’ll ever get that,” or “who am I kidding?” coming up. If you do, use one of the many releasing techniques that are available (see the list below) to release the negative thought. Don’t fight or argue with the thought; just release it.

Remember to also spend several moments feeling the feelings you would feel if you had already manifested your desire in your life. The intensity of the feeling is what fuels the intensity of the attraction.

If you're interested in learning a powerful releasing technique, check out the new documentary movie about the emotional freedom technique (EFT) I use, Try it On Everything; I highly recommend it.

2. Use External Images to Keep you Focused on Your Desires and Goals

Keep yourself focused on what you want to manifest by surrounding yourself with visual images of the things and experiences you want to create in your life. There are many tools you can use for this, including creating a Vision Book from our Dream Big Collection

Cut out pictures of the things you wish to own (like your ideal car or home) and pictures that represent the experiences you want to have (like the perfect relationship, your ideal job, perfect health, being at your ideal weight, more joy, inner peace or balance in your life) to remind yourself of how you want it to be. Put them somewhere where you will see them every day—on the mirror, the refrigerator, or in your Vision Book.

For even greater impact, combine your pictures with words that reflect your desired outcome, such as abundance, romance, fun, vitality, etc. I think you get the picture.
When you look at any of these pictures, do what Bob Doyle, who is featured in The Secret teaches— think the thought, “THIS IS MINE NOW! THIS IS WHO I AM!”

3. Think a Better Feeling Thought

Start paying attention to the many times during the day that you have emotional responses (to other people, experiences, or your own thoughts) that are not in alignment with having or producing your desires. Pay special attention to when you feel disappointment, resentment, frustration or anger about your experiences and circumstances.

Remember, it’s your feelings (which are created by your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs) that are creating your current circumstances. You must make a shift by changing your thoughts to ones that make you feel better (i.e., raise your vibration). Remember that you must become a vibrational match for the things and experiences that you want to attract into your life.

It is especially important to focus your thoughts and behaviors on things that cause you to feel joy. Focus your thoughts on thoughts that bring you joy (your lover, your best friend, your grandchildren, your favorite vacation spot) and your actions on doing the things you love to do (pet your cat, work in your garden, listen to your favorite music).

4. Have an Attitude of Gratitude

It is critical to take time each and every day to focus on what you are grateful for! Some people do this in the morning before or after they visualize their desires; others prefer to do it in the evening. Focus on all of the things in your life (most of which you take for granted) that you are grateful for—your health, your children, your job, the nice weather, electricity, running water, a nice stereo system, your flower garden, your pets, your friends).

No matter what your situation, there are always things to be grateful for. The more you focus on what you are grateful for, the more things and experiences you will attract to be grateful for. You may wish to carry a “gratitude rock” like the one Lee Brower talks about in “The Secret”, or log your findings in a Gratitude Journal.

5. Take Action

There are two kinds of actions you can take. Obvious actions are things like, if you want a better car, going to test drive all of the models you are interested in and choosing the exact car you want to have, and saving 10% of your income in a “car account.” If you want to be a doctor, apply to medical school.

There is also what I call “inspired actions.” Once you begin to do the things described above, the universe will start responding by sending people, resources and opportunities you need to manifest your desired result. You are going to find that you have inspired ideas; you must act on them. You must follow those gentle proddings from the universe. Often these intuitive impulses will have no seeming connection to achieving your goal, but if you follow them, they will lead you down a path of wonderful fulfillment.

Here’s a quick way to know if the actions you’re taking are taking you closer to the fulfillment of your dreams and desires.

If you are feeling joy while you are doing them, then you are on the right path. Remember, joy is your internal guidance system, just like the GPS system in a car, telling you are taking the right actions. Follow your joy.

6. Acknowledge That it's Working

If you start to see something change for the better, acknowledge that it is happening. Appreciate it. When you find the perfect parking space, acknowledge it. When you get the table you want in the restaurant, acknowledge it. When you receive unexpected income, acknowledge it. When you meet someone who can help you achieve your goal, acknowledge that Law of Attraction is working. The more you acknowledge that it’s working, the more it will work. It’s that simple.

If you are attracting things into your life that you don’t want, remember that the Law of Attraction is still working. Instead of thinking or saying, “It’s not working,” ask your self, “What am I focusing on, thinking about, talking about, feeling or doing that is bringing this into my life?”

If you want to know what you are thinking about, notice the results you are producing in your life. To change those results, you will first have to change your vibration by changing your thoughts and feelings.

When you make a commitment to take these actions each day, you’ll start to move forward, with confidence, in the direction of your dreams. Believe that they are not only possible, but that they are already in progress.

I'll be back in two weeks with another edition of Success Strategies. Until then, see if you can discover ways to immediately implement what you discovered from today's message into your life.

© 2009 Jack Canfield

The Qualities of Skillful Leadership by Jim Rohn

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life.

What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:

1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.

2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.

3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.

4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.

5) Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.

6) Develop humor without folly. That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.

Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.

-- Jim Rohn

Taming Time by Dr. John C. Maxwell

Time is precious. Ask the coach whose team is behind in the final seconds of a game. Ask the air traffic controller in charge of scheduling takeoffs and landings at a major airport. Ask the news reporter who has just received a breaking story from the AP wire. Ask the cancer patient who has recently learned they have only two months left to live.

Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have. Our days are identical suitcases—all the same size—but some can pack more into them than others. No one has a magical ability to make time, but if our lives have direction, we can make the most of the moments we have been given.

Time is more valuable than money, because time is irreplaceable. “You don't really pay for things with money,' says author Charles Spezzano in What to Do between Birth and Death. “You pay for them with time.' We exchange our time for dollars when we go to work and then trade our dollars for everything we purchase and accumulate. In essence, all we possess can be traced back to an investment of time. Time stewardship is perhaps a leader's greatest responsibility. In the words of Peter Drucker, “Nothing else distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.'

Let's look at five characteristics of people who use time wisely. The goal is for us to understand how to maximize the precious minutes given to us each day.

Five Characteristics of a Wise Steward of Time

#1 Purposeful

People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life. By consistently channeling time and energy toward an overarching purpose, a person most fully realizes their potential.

We cannot reach peak performance without a peak purpose. Purpose enlivens all that we do. In fact, I believe the two greatest days in a person's life are the day they are born and the day they discover why. Uncovering purpose helps to refine passion, focus efforts, and sharpen commitments. The cumulative result is to amplify the achievements of the wise steward of time.

#2 Committed to Values

People who use time correctly underscore their values with the time they spend. By acting in accordance with their beliefs, they find fulfillment. Failure to identify values leads to a rudderless existence in which a person drifts through life, uncertain as to what they hold dear. Clarity of values is like a beacon of light, guiding the way through life's twists and turns.

When extended to an organization, values inspire a sense of broader purpose. They make work worthwhile. In an organization, if vision is the head and mission is the heart, then values are the soul. Values endow day-to-day operations and transactions with meaning.

#3 Attuned to Strengths

People who use time correctly play to their strengths. By doing so, they are most effective. People don't pay for average. If your skill level is a two, don't waste substantial time trying to improve since you'll likely never grow beyond a four. However, if you're a seven in an area, hone that skill, because when you become a nine, you've reached a rare level of expertise. As Jim Sundberg says, “Discover your uniqueness; then discipline yourself to develop it.' You are blessed with a unique set of skills and talents. Find them, refine them, and let them carry you toward success.

I have identified four main strengths in my life. I lead well, create, communicate, and network. That's it. I stick with those strengths and avoid getting caught up in commitments outside of those areas. By narrowing my focus to four strengths, I gain the greatest return on my investments of time.

#4 Choosers of Happiness

People who use time correctly choose happiness by prioritizing relationships and recreation. While choosing happiness may seem simple and obvious, far too many leaders are trying to prove themselves and validate their worth. These leaders chase after power and prestige, and along the way, their friendships wither, their family is ignored, and they skip vacation after vacation. In the end, any success they earn is a hollow and lonely achievement.

Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness. Prioritizing time to cultivate relationships is a hallmark of a healthy leader. Likewise, scheduling leisure combats stress and allows us to delight in the hobbies that bring us joy. However, in the end, happiness is an inside job. We are wise to surround ourselves with family, friends, and fun, but ultimately we determine our internal response to the people and circumstances in our lives.

#5 Equippers

People who use time correctly equip others in order to compound their productivity. They realize the limitations of individual attainment, and they build teams to expand their impact. By developing an inner circle of leaders and investing in them, wise time-users multiply their influence.

Equippers recognize that legacies are carried on by people, not trophies. They pour themselves into the lives of others and watch the ripple effect of their leadership spread through those they have taught and mentored. Equippers seek significance over the long term, which causes them to have a vested interest in the success of their successors.

Review

As much as we would like, we can't find more time—it's a finite and constantly diminishing resource. However, we can learn to spend time wisely.

People who use time correctly are…

1. Purposeful
2. Committed to Values
3. Attuned to Strengths
4. Choosers of Happiness
5. Equippers

-- Dr. John C. Maxwell

How To Close For The Appointment

By Brian Tracey

If you use a telephone to get appointments, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Many people do not use the telephone because they've been rejected and turned down so many times. The very thought of telephoning triggers feelings of anger and frustration. As a result, they seek every other way possible to make contacts. The telephone however is the finest and the fastest way to get good appointments, if you know how to use it properly.

In approaching the prospect by telephone, the first thing that you say has to be something that breaks preoccupation, grabs attention, and points to the result or benefit of the product. Here is an example. I used to sell sales training programs. I would qualify my prospects when I called to make appointments. I found that I could get appointments nine out of 10 times with qualified prospects using this very simple technique.

I would call up and ask the receptionist, "Who is the person who makes the decisions regarding sales training in your company?" She would say, "That would be Mr. Jones." I would say, "Thank you. What is his first name, please?" Bill Jones. I would ask, "Could I speak to Mr. Jones?"

I would then say, "Hello Mr. Jones, this is Brian Tracy. How would you like to see a method that would enable you to increase your sales by 20 to 30 percent over the next 12 months?"

If you're speaking to the right person, your opening question will be aimed at something that is relevant and important, and at something that the other person needs or wants. What do sales managers sit around and think about all day long? Increasing sales!

When you say, would you like to see a system that would enable you to increase your sales by 20 to 30 percent over the next 12 months, the first question that the prospect asks should be, "What is it?

That is where you go into the close for the appointment. And when you are telephoning for an appointment, you are telephoning to sell an appointment, not to sell a product. The biggest mistake you can make is to start describing your product on the telephone. The prospect will almost always say, "Well, no, I'm sorry, I'm not interested, I can't afford it, I don't have the time," and so on.

All you are selling is 10 minutes of his time. When the prospect says, "What is it?" You respond by saying, "that's exactly what I want to talk to you about. I need about 10 minutes of your time."

"I'll show you what I've got, and you can judge for yourself if it's what you want." If the prospect asks, "How much is it?" This is the way you handle it. You say, "Mr. Prospect, if it's not exactly what you're looking for, there's no charge at all." This is a very powerful response. Get the price issue out of the way immediately. "If it's not exactly what you're looking for, it doesn't cost you anything."

If the prospect then asks, "Well, could you tell me a little about it," I'd say, "Well, that's exactly why I need just 10 minutes of your time. In 10 minutes, I'll be able to show you what I've got, and you can judge for yourself if it's what you're looking for.

Remember that good prospects are always busy and hard to get to. Poor prospects are not busy, and they're easy to get to. If you call up somebody and you ask for an appointment, and they say, sure come on over anytime, you can be sure the person isn't going buy anything from you.

The prospect may say, "Well, could you tell me a little bit about it?" You say, "Yes, I would like to, but there's something I have to show you." As soon as you say the word show, you've sidestepped the request to describe it on the telephone. If the prospect says, "Well, could you send me something in the mail?" I would say, "I would like to send it to you in the mail, but you know how bad the mails are. Why don't I drop it off personally some time this afternoon?"

If the prospect is at all interested, he will say, "Okay, drop it off personally sometime this afternoon." I would then ask, "Will you be there?" "Yes, I'll be there." I would say, "Okay, about 3:00, I'll be in your neighborhood. I'll drop it off personally."

Don't mail information. When people say, "Send me some information in the mail," what they're really saying is, "Go away. I'm not interested." When you send it to them in the mail, it usually goes right into the wastebasket. If you're going to send things in the mail, it is better that you put it in the envelope, throw it in your own wastebasket, and save yourself the cost of a stamp.

Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking that when we mail information, we're actually making sales. But only sales are sales, not mailing out sales information that no one reads. You ask for 10 minutes of his time, and this is the key expression, "You be the judge."

"You decide for yourself if this is what you're looking for." You repeat, "All I need is 10 minutes of your time and you can judge for yourself." This assures him that you will only be there for a short period of time.

You assure him that you will put no pressure on him. You will just show them what you've got, like an Arab trader bazaar lays out his wares. If the prospect doesn't express some interest within 10 minutes, you'll be going.

I have found that if you ask for 30 minutes, you will have to wait for weeks, maybe forever. If you ask for 10 minutes, you can almost always be slipped in. Don't make the mistake of using the old high-pressure salesman's trick of saying, "How about 10:00 today or 2:00 tomorrow?"

This alternative close has been used so many times that it just insults the prospect.

Just say, "Sometime this afternoon, or maybe sometime tomorrow?" Be very flexible. Sometimes the prospect says, "Why don't you call me on Monday, and we'll set up an appointment?" What you say to him is this, "Look, I've got my calendar right here. Is your calendar handy?" Of course, the prospect is sitting at his desk, with his calendar handy. You say, "Let's set up a time right now; how about 10:00 Monday morning?

Don't allow yourself to be put off with this, "Call me back on Monday." It is just another way of getting out of seeing you face to face. The very best customers you will ever have are the ones you're going to have to fight to see the first time. They are also the ones who buy the most. When they try to put you off, when they try to avoid you make excuses, what they're saying is that this may be a very good prospect. Somebody is going to get to that prospect, and sell that prospect, and it might as well be you.

Be persistent, be polite, be firm. Say, "All I need is 10 minutes of your time. Just 10 minutes will be enough. Give me 10 minutes and you'll be able to decide for yourself." Just sell 10 minutes. If he asks you for details about your product or service, you say, "It's too involved to go into on the phone, but it'll just take 10 minutes, and I'll show you what I've got." Sell only that 10-minute appointment. If you cannot close on telephone appointments, you can't even get to first base.

Resolve to become very good on the telephone. If you are tense about using the phone, if you're nervous, it's because you've had frustrating experiences in the past. You will become more confident as you become more competent.

This article is an excerpt from Brian Tracey's, "24 Techniques For Closing The Sale". This is just a taste of the powerful information contained in the streaming video files hosted by Brian Tracy himself.

Click the link below and find out all the phenomenal information contained in this program by one of the masters in sales training, Brian Tracey.

http://sn.im/egshc

See you next week...

Make It A GREAT Day!

Allowing Setbacks to Spur You On by Denis Waitley

Many times, we look at high achievers and assume they had a string of lucky breaks or made it without much effort. Usually, the opposite is true, and the so-called superstar had an incredibly rough time before he or she attained any lasting success.

It may motivate you more toward your own goals to know that some of the most famous and well-known people in modern times had to overcome as difficult obstacles as anyone before they finally reached the top It takes persistence and total commitment to your goals, but it's possible!

You may not know the background of a certain laundry worker who earned sixty dollars a week at his job but had the burning desire to be a writer. His wife worked nights, and he spent nights and weekends typing manuscripts to send to publishers and agents. Each one was rejected with a form letter that gave him no assurance that his manuscripts had even been read. I've received a few of those special valentines myself through the years, and I can tell you first hand that they're not the greatest self-esteem builders.

But finally, a warm, more personal rejection letter came in the mail to the laundry worker, stating that although his work was not good enough at this point to warrant publishing, he had promise as a writer and he should keep trying.

He forwarded two more manuscripts to the same friendly-yet-rejecting publisher over the next eighteen months, and as before, he struck out with both of them too. Finances got so tight for the young couple that they had to disconnect their telephone to pay for medicine for their baby.

Feeling totally discouraged, he threw his latest manuscript into the garbage. His wife, totally committed to his life goals and believing in his talent, took the manuscript out of the trash and sent it back to Doubleday, the publisher who had sent the friendly rejections. The book, titled Carrie, sold over five million copies, and as a movie, became one of the top-grossing films in 1976. The laundry worker, of course, was Stephen King.

The main message - believe in your ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. Too often people try to storm their obstacles as if they're forts that need to be taken. It's better to step back and ask yourself: "Did I cause this obstacle by my own actions or lack of them? Did someone else cause this obstacle? Is this obstacle one that grew out of the natural progression of circumstances?"

This last question may seem complex, but it holds a secret to the way you can set and reach your goals and achieve your destiny!

-- Denis Waitley

Appointment Setting: An Introduction, Not a Lifetime Commitment

By Wendy Weiss

No matter how one initially finds a lead, whether from a referral, a networking event or simply a cold list, at some point you must pick up the telephone and speak with that prospect. If that initial telephone conversation does not go well, you will not move to the next step in your sales cycle.

Every sale has a cycle. Step one is always the introduction. Step two is “getting in the door.”

I’ve never cared for the term “cold call”—it sounds scary. I prefer “introductory call.” Your call is to introduce yourself, your company and your products or services. This is simply an introduction that takes place over the telephone. The concept includes cold calls, warm calls and referral calls.

Most commonly, people use introductory calling to set new business appointments with prospects. They use the telephone to “get in the door” and be able to sit down face-to-face with a prospect and have a selling conversation.

In order to effectively set new business appointments, it is important to determine the goal of your initial telephone call. The goal of your initial call may actually differ from your ultimate goal. Many of you would say that your goal is to close the sale. And that is true—closing is your ultimate goal. Closing, however, is not usually the goal of your first telephone call. This is an important distinction. If you want a face-to-face meeting with a prospect then your goal on that first call is to set the appointment and only to set the appointment.

On that introductory call, you are not selling whatever you are selling, you are selling a meeting. You want your prospect to give you 10 to 15 minutes, so that you can introduce yourself, your company and your product or services. And that is it. At this point, you are not asking the prospect to do anything but give you time. You are not asking her to buy anything, change vendors, commit to or change anything that she normally does.

Approaching your calls this way changes the entire conversation. Suppose your prospect tells you that she already has a vendor. It doesn’t matter. You are not asking her to change vendors, you are asking her to meet with you so that you can introduce yourself, your company and your product or services, and that way, in the future, if her situation changes, she’ll know you. Certainly, it never hurts to have a backup source. This is entirely reasonable and is an effective response to the standard prospect objection; “I have a vendor.” (By the way, if your prospect already has a vendor, that makes her a qualified prospect—she buys what you are selling.)

It is frequently difficult to have a comprehensive selling conversation with a prospect on the telephone. That is why the face-to-face meeting is so vital. That meeting is your opportunity to assess need, look for opportunity, continue to build rapport and ask for the commitment to the next step in your sales cycle. Your goal on the telephone is scheduling the meeting and only scheduling the meeting. The fact that your prospect has a vendor (or several vendors) is totally irrelevant to your goal. (If your prospect tells you she has no vendors, you either just got incredibly lucky—or more realistically, she probably buys very little of what you are selling.)

If you think about introductory calling in this manner, the entire tenor of your conversation with your prospect changes. There is less pressure, both on you and on your prospect. It makes your manner more relaxed, and it relaxes your prospect and allows them be open to what you are saying. This works. Once you are in the door, the sales cycle can move forward.

The biggest and most pervasive mistake in introductory calling is not asking for the meeting. Last year I had a coaching client who called me in desperation. He said, “Wendy, I don’t know what to do. I have spent hundreds of hours making calls. I have dialed the telephone hundreds of thousands of times. I do not have a single new business appointment to show for all that work! I’ve reached the end of my rope.”

In our coaching session we reviewed his approach. I took him word by word through his introduction and how he would handle those prospecting conversations. It turns out that my client never, ever asked for the meeting. And my client never, ever got the meeting. Once, however, he started asking for those meetings, one out of every two or three phone calls resulted in an appointment.

In the interest of encouraging all my readers to ask for the meeting I offer the “Appointment Setting Mantra:”

“I’d like to introduce myself and (your company name goes here) personally. I need 10 to 15 minutes, whenever is good for you. Can we carve out a few minutes next week or is the week after better?”

Note: It is important to offer choices of time. It changes the conversation from if your prospect will meet with you to when your prospect will meet with you.

The lessons here are basic. Know your goal. The appointment. Focus on your goal. The appointment. Ask for what you want. The appointment.

Approach your prospect with a manner that says this is an introduction--not a lifetime commitment.

Go forth and prospect!

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, Cold Calling College, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com.

© 2007 Wendy Weiss

Becoming a Motivational Leader

By: Brian Tracy

Create a Big Vision
To become a motivational leader, you start with motivating yourself. You motivate yourself with a big vision, and as you move progressively toward its realization, you motivate and enthuse others to work with you to fulfill that vision.

Set High Standards
You exhibit absolute honesty and integrity with everyone in everything you do. You are the kind of person others admire and respect and want to be like. You set a standard that others aspire to. You live in truth with yourself and others so that they feel confident giving you their support and their commitment.

Face Your Fears
You demonstrate courage in everything you do by facing doubts and uncertainties and moving forward regardless. You put up a good front even when you feel anxious about the outcome. You don't burden others with your fears and misgivings. You keep them to yourself. You constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and in the direction of your goals. And no matter how bleak the situation might appear, you keep on keeping on with a smile.

Be Realistic About Your Situation
You are intensely realistic. You refuse to engage in mental games or self-delusion. You encourage others to be realistic and objective about their situations as well. You encourage them to realize and appreciate that there is a price to pay for everything they want. They have weaknesses that they will have to overcome, and they have standards that they will have to meet, if they want to survive and thrive in a competitive market.

Accept Responsibility
You accept complete responsibility for results. You refuse to make excuses or blame others or hold grudges against people who you feel may have wronged you. You say, "If it's to be, it's up to me." You repeat over and over the words, "I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible."

Take Vigorous Action
Finally, you take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. It's not what you say but what you do that counts. The mark of the true leader is that he or she leads the action. He or she is willing to go first. He or she sets the example and acts as the role model. He or she does what he or she expects others to do.

Strive For Excellence
You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, see yourself as an outstanding person, parent, coworker and leader in everything you do. Pattern your behavior after the very best people you know. Set high standards and refuse to compromise them.

Second, be clear about your goals and priorities and then take action continually forward. Develop a sense of urgency. Keep moving forward and you'll automatically keep yourself and others motivated.

What Can Watching a Fly Teach You About Selling?

By Tessa Stowe

At the beginning of the book " You Squared", by Price Pritchett, Price tells the following story about a fly.
I'm sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden back amongst the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It's just past noon, late July, and I'm listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.

There's a small fly burning out the last of its short life's energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly's strategy - try harder.

But it's not working.

The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has stacked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.

This fly is doomed. It will die there on the window sill.

Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could free itself of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.

Why doesn't the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort, offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing to, until death, to seek a breakthrough with "more of the same"?

No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it's an idea that will kill.

"Trying harder" isn't necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes in fact, it's a big part of the problem.

If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.

Great story. Poor fly. So what is the sales lesson?

There are some prospects that no matter how hard you try they are simply not going to buy from you. They may not have a problem you can solve. Even if they do have a problem you can solve, they may not want to solve it. Also maybe they can't afford your solution or justify it. There are lots of very valid reasons why someone is not going to buy from you.

With these prospects 'trying harder' is simply going to exhaust you and take you away from focusing on prospects that are going to buy from you.

So find the easy route - the open door - and determine which prospects are highly likely to buy from you and focus on them.

_____________





You determine which prospects are highly likely to buy by putting them through a qualification process. Stop trying harder. Hard work won't win you sales. Selling only to qualified prospects will. Sell only to qualified prospects and you'll make more sales - faster - and it will require a lot less effort.

If you want to learn a qualification process, I highly recommend you attend the teleseminar which is being given by Tessa Stowe from SalesConversation.com. For all the details, click HERE.

UTC 如何增加拜访次数？

业务员如何增加拜访次数？

1。提早出门

Appt 1: 10.00am - 11.00am

Appt 2: 11.30am - 12.30pm

Appt 3: 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Appt 4: 2.30pm - 3.30pm

Appt 5: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Appt 6: 5.30pm - 6.30pm

2。集中拜访区域

避免从一个区域移动到令一个区域。 移动距离以10KM以内为准。

4。在市区，尽量利用公共交通工具如，LRT， Monorail。

5。在前晚就做好拜访计划，准备。

6。每个星期保留一天做电话约访， 目标：为每天至少设下3-4个Appt。

7。严厉控制每个面谈时间，每个面谈以一小时为准。

Ice Breaking & Fact Finding: 10 Mins

Presentation : 40 Mins

Closing : 10 Mins

KK Chin 陈求广

Unit Trust Consultant

012-201 8375

Blog : http://chinkk98.blogspot.com/

Gap Analysis

By: Brian Tracy

Identify the Real Need of the Prospect
As a salesperson, you are in the business of gap analysis. You are a "problem detective." Your job, somewhat like a police inspector searching for suspects, is to find problems for which your product or service is the ideal solution. In a way, your product or service is a key. You make calls looking for locks that your key will open. In the prospecting phase, you insert the key and find that it fits. In the presenting phase, you twist the key and open the lock. In the closing phase, you turn the handle and push the door open.

Use Questions As Sales Tools
Like a verbal detective, the tools of your trade are questions. You use them to get appointments, uncover problems, and discover gaps between where the prospect is now and where the prospect could be by using your product or service. You then show the prospect how much better his situation could be by owning and enjoying what you are selling.

Clarify the Need
There is an old saying, "No need? No presentation!" Before you begin your presentation, it must be clear to the prospect that there is a distance between where he is and where he could be. The prospect must recognize that he has a need that is unsatisfied or a problem that is unsolved. The prospect must also feel that the gap between the real and the ideal is large enough to warrant taking action.

Build Buying Desire
Buying desire is in direct proportion to the intensity of the buyer's need on the one hand, and to the clarity of the solution represented by your product or service on the other. This process of taking the prospect from cold to Luke warm to hot is accomplished by the skillful use of questions that uncover the gap and then expand it to the point where the customer is ready to take buying action.

Putting these Ideas into Action
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, ask good questions aimed at uncovering the real need or problem the customer has. Listen attentively to the answers. Never assume that you know already.

Second, the larger the gap the customer sees between where he is today and where he could be by using your product or service, the greater is his desire to buy. Show him continually the size of this gap.

Resolutions By Zig Ziglar

I still workout on a regular basis and I am noticing that the crowds at the gym are thinning out. At the beginning of a new year the gym will be packed but usually by this time the “resolutioners” have left the gym never to darken its door again — until next January!

My good friend and mentor Fred Smith used to say that New Year’s resolutions are nothing but New Year’s confessions. “I confess I’ve got to lose some weight.” “I confess I must quit smoking.” “I confess I’ve got to go back to school and get my degree.” “I confess I need to get on an exercise program and spend more time with my family.” The list is endless.

Most New Year’s resolutions last about three weeks. We maintain them as long as they’re convenient, not time-consuming or painful, and we remember them. Having said that, let me emphasize that New Year’s resolutions are extremely important. If we will repeat those resolutions often enough, they will lead us to make a decision. Once we’ve made the decision to lose that weight, quit smoking, start exercising, spend more time with the family, get that degree, etc., then we quickly realize we must develop a plan of action. Once we’ve developed a plan of action, we must be sure it is a sound and logical one. Only then does a responsible person make the commitment to reach that objective.

The process is clear: We start with a resolution which we repeat until it becomes a decision. Once the decision is made, we develop the plan of action which leads to the commitment. When the commitment is made, the chances of accomplishment go up substantially. Commitment is the key and, as you may have heard, most people are about as committed as a Kamikaze pilot on his 39th mission. With commitment, when you hit the “wall,” as you always will, you immediately start planning the best way to solve the problem. Without the commitment, when you hit the “wall” you will immediately start thinking about how you can “get out of this deal.”

So, if you have already lost your zeal for your New Year’s resolutions, start again today - you don’t have to have the fireworks and party hats to get going again. Think about it, take the steps I’m suggesting, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

Has the economy derailed your Sales & Income? Have you had Rejection after Rejection? Is it possible to Close More Sales in this Economy? Yes, you can close more sales today with Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale. Book. Check it out! Plus FREE Bonus MP3 seminar with Bryan Flanagan, Selling with Certainty in An Uncertain Economy. Buy Zig’s Book Today!

“If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.”

Zig Ziglar

Why Traditional Time Management Techniques Are Not Enough -- and What You Can Do to Find More Time - By Michael Erwin

Thousands of people all round the modern world struggle to manage their time each day. Why? Why is it that we are always running out of time, running late, and unable to find time? I suggest it is because traditional time management techniques don't work anymore.

In my first year of coaching, ALL my clients and many other potential clients complained about not having enough time. I changed my business name to Time Creation, and I focused on the niche of helping people create more time.

Everyone I work with finds more time. Some people work 20% less per week. Some reduce their stress from 9.9/10 to 3/10. Others improve their productivity by 50%.

What was happening in my programs that made so much difference to these people when all the time management tools they tried didn't help? I believe there are three main reasons:

* Responsibility
* Personalization
* Letting Go

This was the starting point for the Time Management from the Heart principles.

THE TRADITIONAL TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES ARE NOT ENOUGH

The time management techniques that are being taught now have essentially been based on the same principles for nearly 100 years.

The BIG question to ask is "Are these techniques effective today, in the 21st century?"

Let's have a look and see. Here are some of the most popular techniques that form the basis of most time management courses:

* Daily to-do lists
* Prioritized lists
* Allocating specific times for tasks

Let's see how these approaches really work. Many, many people use daily to-do lists. You ask yourself, "What do I need to do today?" and then write it on your to-do list. In my experience, this does improve most people's use of time, initially. Brian Tracy (author of "Maximum Achievement") suggests that a to-do list can improve your effectiveness by up to 25%. I have seen this happen for a short time.

Rhonda is a great example. She wanted to stop reacting to everything that came her way, both at work and in her personal life, and to feel more in control. She tried using a to-do list and felt better.

THEN things started to change. Her to-do list got longer and longer. The list continued to grow. The list got so long that looking at it made her feel stressed and under time pressure. Rhonda actually felt overwhelmed by her to-do list -- the very tool that was supposed to help her. Rhonda gave up on her have-to-do lists. Her stress levels came down by not using a to-do list.

Rhonda's story is very similar to many hundreds of people who have been through our coaching or DIY programs.

The simple fact is that in the 21st century, there are too many tasks to do. You can't do them all. You will never catch up. Each day the list grows, the stress builds and you feel worse.

Some people who have this experience then try prioritizing the list. Like Glen. Glen used the A, B, C, D method for prioritizing. At the end of the day, Glen had added more tasks to his list than he had completed. Glen didn't feel this was working, but he decided to try it for a full week. By the end of the week, he had gone past 100 tasks; nearly 50% were 'A-priority.' Glen considered using A1, A2, A3, but he decided it was too complex.

Prioritizing tasks does NOT help you get things done. And it seems to create more stress and time pressure because you see a growing list of A-priority tasks that are not getting done.

A to-do list does not help you get more done or manage your time. A to-do list only lets you know all the things that you think you need to do and haven't done. It is really a have-to-do list. How do you feel about a task when you are told you have to do it?

Another method that many people use is to allocate a time to do a task. David is one client who used this approach. He would look at his to-do list and then pick a time to do the next task on the list.

Well, what do you think happened? The same thing that happens to almost all people who try this. He did NOT do the task at the time allocated. Why? Because "stuff" came up, and David didn't remember the task, or he didn't remember to look in his diary, or it just didn't fit in to do the task at that time anymore.

It was very clear to me that the majority of people are not able to use these systems to help them improve their time management. The other factor is that most people have far too much to do than they can actually do in the time available.

I did some research and uncovered that most time-effective people have a simple time management system that takes an hour or so a week to update, rather than a complicated system that takes hours to keep up to date each week.

All of these people have a system they had worked out for themselves. The systems had some similarities but many differences.

The BIGGEST factor I noticed was their use of what I initially called intuitive time management -- and this became a major part of Time Management from the Heart.

Here are Time Management from the Heart principles. These principles are the foundation for the Time Management from the Heart system.

1. Let Go - You can't get everything done. You need to accept this is true.

2. Responsibility - Take full responsibility for how you spend your time.

3. Whole Life - Whole in one.
a. Structure - Use a structure and your intuition.
b. Capacity - Know your capacity.

4. Personalize - Develop your personal version of the approach.
a. Style - Recognize your thinking style and adapt your approach to suit your style.
b. Values - Get clear on your top 5 values and the behaviors that reflect these values.

5. Instincts - Trust your instincts.

6. Feel Success - Success is about how you feel, NOT how much you get done.

7. Build Your Personal Time Management System.

About the Author:

Michael Erwin is one of Australia's leading executive coaches, specializing in the areas of return on time, emotionally intelligent leadership, and work/life balance. Michael has an impressive list of clients that he has successfully helped to achieve their desired results in less time with less effort. http://www.time-management-central.net

Check out the Experts page for Michael Erwin, the SelfGrowth.com Official Guide to Time Management.

Focus on Key Result Areas

By: Brian Tracy

The Key Question for You to Ask
Why are you on the payroll? This is one of the most important questions you ever ask and answer, over and over again, throughout your career.

As it happens, most people are not sure exactly why they are on the payroll. But if you are not crystal clear about why it is that you are on the payroll and what results you have been hired to accomplish, it is very hard for you to perform at your best and get paid more and promoted faster.

Determine the Results Expected of You
In its simplest terms, you have been hired to get specific results. A wage or a salary is a payment for a specific quality and quantity of work that can be combined with the work of others to create a product or service that customers are willing to pay for.

Define Your Key Result Areas
Each job can be broken down into about five to seven key result areas, seldom more. These are the results that you absolutely, positively have to get to fulfill your responsibilities and make your maximum contribution to your organization. Your failure to perform in a critical result area of your work can lead to failure at your job. There is essential knowledge and skill that you must have for your job. These demands are constantly changing. There are core competencies that you have developed that make it possible for you to do your job in the first place. But there are always key results that are central to your work and which determine your success or failure in your job.

You Are Responsible
A key result area is defined as something for which you are completely responsible. This means that if you don't do it, it doesn't get done. A key result area is an activity that is under your control. It is an output of your work that becomes an input or a contributing factor to the work of others.

Give Yourself A Grade
Once you have determined your key result areas, the second step is for you to grade yourself on a scale of 1-10 in each of those areas. Where are you strong and where are you weak? Where are you getting excellent results and where are you under performing?

Here's the rule: Your weakest key result area sets the height at which you can use all your other skills and abilities.

This rule says that you could be exceptional in six out of seven key result areas but really poor in the seventh. And your poor performance in the seventh area will hold you back and determine how much you achieve with all your other skills. This weakness will act as a drag on your effectiveness and be a constant source of friction and frustration.

Decide to Become Excellent
The fact is that everybody has both strengths and weaknesses. Refuse to rationalize, justify or defend your areas of weakness. Instead, identify them clearly. Set a goal and make a plan to become very good in each of those areas. Just think! You may be only one critical skill away from top performance at your job.

Here is one of the greatest questions you will ever ask and answer: "What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?"

You should use this question to guide your career for the rest of your life. Look into yourself for the answer. You usually know what it is.

Action Exercises
First, identify the key result areas of your work. What are they? Write down the key results you have to get to do your job in an excellent fashion. Give yourself a grade from 1-10 on each one. And then determine the one key skill that, if you did it in an excellent manner, would help you the most in your work.

Second, make a habit of doing this analysis regularly for the rest of your career. Never stop improving. This decision alone can change your life.

The Formula for Failure and Success by Jim Rohn

Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. We do not fail overnight. Failure is the inevitable result of an accumulation of poor thinking and poor choices. To put it more simply, failure is nothing more than a few errors in judgment repeated every day.

Now why would someone make an error in judgment and then be so foolish as to repeat it every day? The answer is because he or she does not think that it matters.

On their own, our daily acts do not seem that important. A minor oversight, a poor decision, or a wasted hour generally doesn't result in an instant and measurable impact. More often than not, we escape from any immediate consequences of our deeds.

If we have not bothered to read a single book in the past ninety days, this lack of discipline does not seem to have any immediate impact on our lives. And since nothing drastic happened to us after the first ninety days, we repeat this error in judgment for another ninety days, and on and on it goes. Why? Because it doesn't seem to matter. And herein lies the great danger. Far worse than not reading the books is not even realizing that it matters!

Those who eat too many of the wrong foods are contributing to a future health problem, but the joy of the moment overshadows the consequence of the future. It does not seem to matter. Those who smoke too much or drink too much go on making these poor choices year after year after year... because it doesn't seem to matter. But the pain and regret of these errors in judgment have only been delayed for a future time. Consequences are seldom instant; instead, they accumulate until the inevitable day of reckoning finally arrives and the price must be paid for our poor choices - choices that didn't seem to matter.

Failure's most dangerous attribute is its subtlety. In the short term those little errors don't seem to make any difference. We do not seem to be failing. In fact, sometimes these accumulated errors in judgment occur throughout a period of great joy and prosperity in our lives. Since nothing terrible happens to us, since there are no instant consequences to capture our attention, we simply drift from one day to the next, repeating the errors, thinking the wrong thoughts, listening to the wrong voices and making the wrong choices. The sky did not fall in on us yesterday; therefore the act was probably harmless. Since it seemed to have no measurable consequence, it is probably safe to repeat.

But we must become better educated than that!

If at the end of the day when we made our first error in judgment the sky had fallen in on us, we undoubtedly would have taken immediate steps to ensure that the act would never be repeated again. Like the child who places his hand on a hot burner despite his parents' warnings, we would have had an instantaneous experience accompanying our error in judgment.

Unfortunately, failure does not shout out its warnings as our parents once did. This is why it is imperative to refine our philosophy in order to be able to make better choices. With a powerful, personal philosophy guiding our every step, we become more aware of our errors in judgment and more aware that each error really does matter.

Now here is the great news. Just like the formula for failure, the formula for success is easy to follow: It's a few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Now here is an interesting question worth pondering: How can we change the errors in the formula for failure into the disciplines required in the formula for success? The answer is by making the future an important part of our current philosophy.

Both success and failure involve future consequences, namely the inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets resulting from past activities. If this is true, why don't more people take time to ponder the future? The answer is simple: They are so caught up in the current moment that it doesn't seem to matter. The problems and the rewards of today are so absorbing to some human beings that they never pause long enough to think about tomorrow.

But what if we did develop a new discipline to take just a few minutes every day to look a little further down the road? We would then be able to foresee the impending consequences of our current conduct. Armed with that valuable information, we would be able to take the necessary action to change our errors into new success-oriented disciplines. In other words, by disciplining ourselves to see the future in advance, we would be able to change our thinking, amend our errors and develop new habits to replace the old.

One of the exciting things about the formula for success - a few simple disciplines practiced every day - is that the results are almost immediate. As we voluntarily change daily errors into daily disciplines, we experience positive results in a very short period of time. When we change our diet, our health improves noticeably in just a few weeks. When we start exercising, we feel a new vitality almost immediately. When we begin reading, we experience a growing awareness and a new level of self-confidence. Whatever new discipline we begin to practice daily will produce exciting results that will drive us to become even better at developing new disciplines.

The real magic of new disciplines is that they will cause us to amend our thinking. If we were to start today to read the books, keep a journal, attend the classes, listen more and observe more, then today would be the first day of a new life leading to a better future. If we were to start today to try harder, and in every way make a conscious and consistent effort to change subtle and deadly errors into constructive and rewarding disciplines, we would never again settle for a life of existence – not once we have tasted the fruits of a life of substance!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn