The Golden Hour

By: Brian Tracy

You become what you think about most of the time. And the most important part of each day is what you think about at the beginning of that day.

Start Your Day Right
Take 30 minutes each morning to sit quietly and to reflect on your goals. You'll find when you read the biographies and autobiographies of successful men and women that almost everyone of them began their upward trajectory to success when they begin getting up early in the morning and spending time with themselves.

Feed Your Mind With Positive Ideas
This is called the Golden Hour. The first hour sets the tone for the day. The things that you do in the first hour prepare your mind and set you up for the entire day. During the first thirty to sixty minutes, take time to think and review your plans for the future.

Use Your Quiet Time Effectively
Here are four things that you can do during that quiet time in the morning. Number one is to review your plans for accomplishing your goals and change your plans if necessary.

Number two is think of better ways to accomplish your goals. As an exercise, assume that the way you're going about it is totally wrong and imagine going about it totally differently. What would you do different from what you're doing right now?

Number three, reflect on the valuable lessons that you have learned and are learning as you move toward your goals.

Practice Daily Visualization
Number four, calmly visualize your goal as a reality. Close your eyes, relax, smile, and see your goal as though it were already a reality. Rewrite your major goals everyday in the present tense. Rewrite them as though they already existed. Write "I earn X dollars." "I have a net worth of X." "I weigh a certain number of pounds." This exercise of writing and rewriting your goals everyday is one of the most powerful you will ever learn.

Fasten Your Seatbelt
Your life will start to take off at such a speed that you'll have to put on your seatbelt. Remember, the starting point for achieving financial success is the development of an attitude of unshakable confidence in yourself and in your ability to reach your goals. Everything we've talked about is a way of building up and developing your belief system until you finally reach the point where you are absolutely convinced that nothing can stop you from achieving what you set out to achieve.

Everything Counts
No one starts out with this kind of an attitude, but you can develop it using the law of accumulation. Everything counts. No efforts are ever lost. Every extraordinary accomplishment in the result of thousands of ordinary accomplishments that no one recognizes or appreciates. The greatest challenge of all is for you to concentrate your thinking single-mindedly on your goal and by the law of attraction, you will, you must inevitably draw into your life the people, circumstances and opportunities you need to achieve your goals.

Become A Living Magnet
Once you've mastered yourself and your thinking, you will become a living magnet for ideas and opportunities to become wealthy. It's worked for me and for every successful person I know. It will work for you if you'll begin today, now, this very minute, to think and talk about your dreams and goals as though they were already a reality. When you change your thinking, you will change your life. You will put yourself firmly on the road to financial independence.

Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do every single day to keep your mind focused on your financial goals:

First, get up every morning a little bit earlier and plan your day in advance. Take some time to think about your goals and how you can best achieve them. This sets the tone for the whole day.

Second, reflect on the valuable lessons you are learning each day as you work toward your goals. Be prepared to correct your course and adjust your actions. Be absolutely convinced that you are moving rapidly toward your goals, no matter what happens temporarily on the outside. Just hang in there!

Honesty is the Best Policy

Your mom said it. You heard it in school. You’ve probably heard it all your life. You may think it has nothing to do with sales, but it does because in sales: Honesty is Always the Best Policy

Last evening I was speaking with a friend of mine. She’s the assistant dean at the business school of a very large university in the Northeast. She told me this real life story.

My friend, let’s call her Jane Jones, had recently attended a seminar and exhibition. There she met an exhibitor with a very interesting service that she thought would be a good fit for the business school. Jane told the exhibitor that she was not the person to talk to but that she would be happy to facilitate an introduction to the correct person—the decision-maker. Ta-duh! Jane then handed over a business card.

Yesterday she received a call from a representative of that exhibiting company. Jane has a secretary who actually answered the call. The secretary asked the representative the usual, “What is this in reference to?” The representative answered, “I’m returning Jane’s call.” Hmmmm…

Here is the lesson part: Jane was actually happy to help this company make the right connection until their representative called her and lied. Jane was quite offended and instead of speaking with the representative, Jane asked her secretary to tell the caller that she was not available. She will probably not be available for a very long time—if ever. This sales representative may now have to find the decision-maker all on his own.

So what might this sales representative have said instead? How about:

“Please tell Jane that (representative’s name) from (company) is calling.”

Or

“Jane met (exhibitor’s name) at (name of seminar/exhibition).”

Or

“I’m from (company name.) Jane said she’d be able to help us.”

Any of these responses would have been fine. Jane would have recognized the company name and either taken the call or asked her secretary to convey a message of the correct decision-maker’s name and contact information. Instead, this representative will have to find his own way through the organization’s maze.

There is no reason to ever lie to a prospect. There is no reason to make up stories, or phone calls or connections that do not exist. Ever. While these types of tactics may occasionally work, more often than not they’ll backfire and you’ll lose out.

I am not suggesting that when faced with the gatekeeper question, “What is this in reference to?” that you should blurt out every detail of everything that you wish to discuss with your prospect. Your posture should be that of a peer of the prospect you are calling. In that posture, give the gatekeeper the minimum amount of information that she would need to put your call through. Frequently, simply your name and company name will suffice.

The suggested responses are short and to-the-point giving a minimal amount of information, just enough that the gatekeeper will feel comfortable passing you along.

And remember: Just like mom always said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

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Thoughts Create Behavior by Vic Johnson

"Cause and effect are as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things." - As A Man Thinketh

We remember from science class Newton's physical law that "every action creates an equal and opposite reaction." Or, every cause has an effect. And because it is a law, it is absolute and undeviating. It always happens - in every circumstance, under every condition.

James Allen says the same law that applies in the physical also applies in the world of thought. Every effect must have an originating cause. Our life does not develop as a result of chance but as a result of causes.

In the thought world, a thought (the cause) creates a feeling (the effect). Feelings can eventually materialize in the physical world because they create actions or behavior. These actions cause results or outcomes, and thus our life goes.

When we say a person "looks worried" what has taken place? A negative thought of some kind (the cause) triggered a feeling of worry (the effect) that materialized in the physical world through the person's facial actions. Those feelings may also materialize in other ways. For instance, by increased blood pressure or nausea. All of these "effects" originated from the original cause which was a thought.

Dr. Wayne Dyer writes that "all of our behavior results from the thoughts that preceded it…so the thing to work on is not your behavior but the thing that caused your behavior, your thoughts."

That was so liberating to me because I was so frustrated in trying to change the behaviors that I knew were causing the pain in my life. But I had been working on the wrong thing.

We cannot change anything in our life without first changing the originating cause. And everything in our life originates in our thoughts.

As Jim Rohn says: "If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause."

And that's worth thinking about.

-- Vic Johnson

Seven Steps to Success

By: Brian Tracy

Discipline yourself to do what you know you need to do to be the very best in your field. Perhaps the best definition of self discipline is this: "Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." It is easy to do something when you feel like it. It's when you don't feel like it and you force yourself to do it anyway that you move your life and career onto the fast track.

What decisions do you need to make today in order to start moving toward the top of your field? Whatever it is, either to get in or get out, make a decision today and then get started. This single act alone can change the whole direction of your life.

Seven Steps to Success
There is a powerful seven step formula that you can use to set and achieve your goals for the rest of your life. Every single successful person uses this formula or some variation of this formula to achieve vastly more than the average person. And so can you. Here it is:

Decide What You Want
Step number one, decide exactly what it is you want in each part of your life. Become a "meaningful specific" rather than a "wandering generality."

Write it Down
Second, write it down, clearly and in detail. Always think on paper. A goal that is not in writing is not a goal at all. It is merely a wish and it has no energy behind it.

Set a Deadline
Third, set a deadline for your goal. A deadline acts as a "forcing system" in your subconscious mind. It motivates you to do the things necessary to make your goal come true. If it is a big enough goal, set sub-deadlines as well. Don't leave this to chance.

Make a List
Fourth, make a list of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. When you think of new tasks and activities, write them on your list until your list is complete.

Organize Your List
Fifth, organize your list into a plan. Decide what you will have to do first and what you will have to do second. Decide what is more important and what is less important. And then write out your plan on paper, the same way you would develop a blueprint to build your dream house.

Take Action
The sixth step is for you to take action on your plan. Do something. Do anything. But get busy. Get going.

Do Something Every Day
Do something every single day that moves you in the direction of your most important goal at the moment. Develop the discipline of doing something 365 days each year that is moving you forward. You will be absolutely astonished at how much you accomplish when you utilize this formula in your life every single day.

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

First, decide exactly what you want, write it down with a deadline, make a plan and take action - on at least one goal - today!

Second, determine the price you will have to pay to achieve this goal and then get busy paying that price - whatever it is.

How to Get Prospects to Take Immediate Action

By Jim Klein

Are you tired of excuses? Looking for a technique to get people to take immediate action?

Are prospects saying things to you like: "I'll think it over and get back to you?" "I need to talk it over with my wife." "Call me next week and we'll set up an appointment."

Then create a sense of urgency and get your clients to want what you have now!

The first step in getting people to take immediate action is for them to perceive your product or service as being in demand or in limited supply. People want what is "hot" right now.

Psychologists have proven, people find more value in things they have a difficult time obtaining. If you're told you can't have something, you want it even more.

Infomercials tell you that if you call now they will give you another one free or knock $20 of the original price. Shopping networks use a time limit or tell you they only have so many left. Marketers know how to create a sense of urgency.

Have you noticed when you are starving for new business you have an attitude that you would do anything to get business. You make promises you normally wouldn't make. You're practically on your knees begging them to do business with you. You can feel it and so can your customers.

They see the look in your eyes and hear the tone of your voice and will do anything to get rid of you.

People figure if you're desperate for business then you must not be any good, because if you were you would be in high demand. People want to do business with successful people.

How do you put this technique in action and create a sense of urgency?

First, don't be so accessible. Make it difficult for people to get an appointment with you. What I mean is, don't say I can do it any day this week. Instead use a more persuasive technique by saying, I'm very busy this week, however, I might be able to squeeze you in.

Give them a deadline. If people think they have unlimited time to make a decision about your product or service they will stall and procrastinate. Set a time limit for your offer and stick to it.

Be selective about who you work with. Set standards for the type of client you are willing to work with. You will give people the impression that you are busy and that you don't work with just any one. Some people will even go out of their way to conform to your standards to work with you.

Use the technique of "take away selling". What I mean is say something like, I'm not sure that our product is right for you. Or maybe our service isn't the right match for your company. Remember, people want what they can't have. By taking it away from them they will search for reasons why they want it now.

Creating a sense of urgency in sales is a win - win for both you and the client. For the client it helps to move them to make a decision to buy something they wanted anyway. For you, it means more sales and the sense of accomplishment for moving people to make a decision that will benefit them.

Get a New Attitude by Chris Widener

One of the first and foremost things to do to change your life is to change your attitude. Attitude is fundamental to the success or failure that we experience in our life.

Are you less successful than you would like to be? Do you have the money you want? Do you have the family you want? Do you have the job that you want?

If you answered "no" to any of the questions above, then you may want to take a look at your attitude, because so much depends on it!

"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it," says Irving Berlin. It is true. Now don't get me wrong, that 10 percent is M-A-J-O-R, but even bigger than that is what your attitude is. So, do everything that you can – action wise – to make your life an absolute success. But when you are done acting, you will only have what you have. It may be big and it may be little. But it is what you have to live with. Now the biggest key will be what your attitude is toward what your actions have brought to you. One person will work and be happy with it. Another will work, achieve the same thing and have a terrible attitude about it. Who will achieve the most successful life? My bet is on the one with the best attitude.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that "To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven." It is all in what value you give to it! You see, you may look at one thing and say "That's terrible," while another person may say, "That's great!" A simple example would be a half a ham sandwich. Now, if you are used to filet mignon, you are going to think, "A measly old ham sandwich? Is that it?" But a starving person would have a very different viewpoint! They would think, "I won the lunch lottery!"

Another reason to keep in mind that our attitude is so very important is because often times the attitude we demonstrate is exactly what we will get back to us. The great Earl Nightingale said, "Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." Think about it. You walk into a store and say to the clerk, "Hey lady, do you think you could get off your duff and tell me where I can find the milk?" What kind of attitude do you think you will get back? Instead, we should go in and say, "Excuse me, but would you be so kind as to tell me where I could find the milk?" You will get a good attitude back from that! The same is true in every area of our lives. Do you find that others have a bad attitude toward you? Then maybe you have a bad attitude toward them. The old saying is true that you reap what you sow. If you are reaping bad attitudes, you are probably sowing bad attitudes. Take a closer look, and you may find the key to turning your life around.

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." W. Clement Stone

Let's face it; there is little difference in people physically or intellectually. But what does make the difference is the attitude. You can take two people of similar background, education, skill and intelligence and find that one is the kind of person you are looking for because of a positive attitude while the other is a complete dud – the eternal pessimist! Your attitude is the big difference.

What is your attitude? Is it positive or negative? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I guarantee you, no matter what your attitude is, it is affecting you – and your success. Take this test: Purposefully upgrade your attitude for 90 days and see if life doesn't begin to change for you! Pick a few areas where you can make a change. For example, begin to trust people and believe the best in them and see if your relationships begin to change!

If you're stuck or if you just want to go to the next level of success, it's time to "Get a New Attitude!"

5 Proven Steps To Selling Anything Face-To-Face – By Dave Mason

Fuller brushes and encyclopedias are some of the "iconic" items
That we all think of when the topic turns to door-to-door sales (I.e. Face-to-face). And when we think of face-to-face salesmanship be it door-to-door, on a showroom floor or in an office.

Whether the product is a vacuum cleaner, pharmaceuticals or a "widget", these are the iconic aspects of "the pitch":

* Capture interest - To get your “foot in the door”, you need to get it out of your mouth immediately and offer the most interesting, compelling, irresistible "hook" you can imagine. Here’s a hint, focus on the benefits of your service. People buy based on emotion and justify later with logic.

* Build on that interest - Once you've got someone "hooked", you have to make sure that they don't jump off and swim away. You've got to build on your foundation non-stop, or your prospect will tune out

* Present Features and Benefits - During the "show and tell" of an in-person pitch, you explain exactly how your product or service will benefit the consumer and make life better.

* Make Time A Factor - Be ready with a bonus, guarantee, or incentive that will reward the consumer for making a decision to "Buy Now". You can use a “take away” approach by letting them know that you have only a limited number of products or that your schedule can change at anytime. You should encourage the prospect to buy or book as soon as they are sure this is the right product or service for them, so that you can make sure they don't miss out on the opportunity.

* Seal the Deal - If you've sold well, the consumer may prompt you with an "Okay, I'm ready to purchase/commit." But always remember to ask for a direct response -- a sale.

Direct response success is easy to track. A response means you've succeeded; a non-response means you've failed. That sounds harsh but don’t give up, it gets easier with practice. The more you work on your pitch the more ingrained it becomes. Eventually you will get to the point when you can anticipate the objections and read the prospects personality in order to adjust how you roll out your offer. We will discuss this in depth at another time.

Until next time, to your success!


About the Author:

David Mason is president of Mason Performance Development Inc., a Speaker, Trainer, Performance Development Coach and internationally best-selling author.