Eight Choices You Can Make Today That Will Change Your Life Forever by Chris Widener

The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and add up to our ultimate destiny. Here are eight choices you can make—choices that will create for you abundance and prosperity in all areas of your life.

1. Choose to grow personally. This sounds simple but many people only wish to grow personally. They never choose to grow by taking action, such as actually exercising, saving more money, etc. Make a decision today to be a person who is on the never-ending journey of personal growth.

2. Choose to always treat others right. We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When they lie, we will tell the truth. When they cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick sometimes, but in the long run we will win. And most important, we will be able to sleep at night.

3. Choose to break a bad habit. Take the biggie first. Tackle it head on. If you don’t know what it is, ask a friend. Then spend every effort you can to break that habit. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt, lose your excess weight. Exercise the power to choose!

4. Choose to work smarter. Many people I work with feel like they are out of balance. One of the first things I do is try to find out how much time they are wasting at work, which makes them work longer, which throws the rest of their life into chaos. Getting your work done by diligently working in the time you have will free your life up extraordinarily.

5. Choose to see your work as a way to help others, and not a way to make money. If you put your heart into helping others, the money will most assuredly come. Spend time helping others grow and your finances will grow with it.

6. Choose to become balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. Our lives are best when we have these three major areas in balance. Spend some time cultivating your spirituality, becoming emotionally healthy, and physically fit.

7. Choose to sow more than you reap. There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. The world will become better as we become givers. Give away your time, give away your money, give away your love.

8. Choose to get home for dinner more often. The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to grow in your relationship with your parents, siblings, spouse and children. This one choice you will never regret.

One of my favorite quotes: “The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice; their choice.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower

—Chris Widener

Take Control of Your Life Your happiness is in your hands.

Take Control of Your Life

Your happiness is in your hands.

Deepak Chopra Richard Eyre Robert Kiyosaki Dave Ramsey Jim Rohn Brian Tracy August 31, 2009

We can’t do it all, so we do most things poorly—on a good day. And we’ve lived like this for so long that we don’t even realize how very far we are from reaching our potential!

Most times, we’re just reacting, as though we’re being jerked to and fro by some gigantic remote-control device. We’re trying desperately to keep one thing or other from crashing and burning. And we’re doing well just to make sure the kids are off to school wearing matching socks, and we don’t forget the big proposal on the kitchen table after working on it most of the night, and we’re getting most of our bills paid before they’re 30 days overdue.

Goal-setting? Forget about it. Attitude? Do you really want to know? Happiness? Come on!

And what about managing our money and taking control of our income? How’s that possible when we live paycheck to paycheck? As for our relationships—who would know? We hardly see each other or talk.

The signs of a life out of control may seem subtle: Your kids are growing up before your eyes, yet you hardly know them; you dread going to work at a job you’ve had for years; you want to say “no” before you even hear the question because saying “yes” means adding something to your plate.

Does any of this sound familiar? Is it normal to live a life out of control? Does it have to be?

The first step toward regaining control is examining your life and determining where you have problems. So take the self-assessment quiz that follows. Then read the insights offered by some of the best-respected experts and thought leaders.

You can change your attitude so you’re open to opportunities, so you feel it’s possible to chart your own course and drive your life forward. You can set goals—and you can reach them! Despite the economic chaos, you can take control of your income and start your own business. You can build wealth. You can reconnect with your family. And you can be happy.

Is Your Attitude Your Challenge?

1. Do you believe that now is the perfect time to seize opportunities?
2. Do you feel confident that your future is full of prosperity?
3. Do you believe that you have the skills and abilities to meet your goals?
4. Do you look at the challenging people in your life as teachers rather than enemies?

If you answered NO to 0-1 questions, congratulations! You have a winning attitude that inspires others and keeps you on track to your goals. If you answered NO to 2-4 questions, you may have a great attitude when things are going your way but struggle to stay positive in challenging times. Check out Jim Rohn’s advice for changing your attitude to change your life.

Are You Pursuing Your Goals?

1. Have you written down your long-term goals?
2. Have you written down a few things you want to achieve by the end of the year?
3. Have you developed specific steps to meet your larger goals, plus a way to measure your progress?
4. Do you meet your goals regularly and set new ones?

If you answered NO to 0-1 questions, congratulations! You are a champion goalsetter. If you answered NO to 2-4 questions, you could be settling for status quo instead of reaching for your dreams. Read Brian Tracy’s advice on goal-setting and achieving.

Is Your Life Fulfilling?

1. Do you feel like something is missing from your life?
2. Do you neglect your hobbies or interests in favor of daily tasks?
3. Do you find yourself watching the clock, waiting for the day to end?
4. Do you fill your downtime with mindless distractions like too much TV?

If you answered YES to 0-1 questions, congratulations! You balance your personal interests and passions with your responsibilities to stay happy and fulfilled. If you answered YES to 2-4 questions, it’s time to make a change and bring the joy back into your life. It’s never too late! Read Deepak Chopra’s advice on creating happiness.

Do You Need a Relationship Checkup?

1. Do you opt out of family activities because of work?
2. Do you think you’re too busy to connect with old friends?
3. Has your social life dwindled down to your spouse or co-workers?
4. During stressful times, do you avoid “burdening” others with your problems?

If you answered YES to 0-1 questions, congratulations! You’re doing a great job of making relationships a priority in your life. If you answered YES to 2-4 questions, don’t let another day go by without refocusing your daily life on what’s truly important: people. Read Richard Eyre’s advice on relationships.

Do You Have a Grip on Your Finances?

1. Do you know where your money goes each month?
2. Are you allotting money each month to your savings goals?
3. Do you feel in control of your credit card spending?
4. Are you on track to build wealth with your income?

If you answered NO to 0-1 questions, congratulations! Your money management skills are in top form. If you answered NO to 2-4 questions, you could be creating unnecessary financial stress and keeping yourself from achieving true wealth. Read Dave Ramsey’s advice on money management.

Do You Control Your Income?

1. If you face a layoff, do you have an alternate income source?
2. Do you feel you have just as much control over your financial situation in an economic downturn as you do in a boom?
3. Do you have a plan for building wealth?
4. Have you taken steps toward starting that business you’ve always dreamed of owning?

If you answered NO to 0-1 questions, congratulations! You understand the secret to building wealth is owning your own business. If you answered NO to 2-4 questions, there has never been a better time to take control of your life and your income. Read Robert Kiyosaki’s advice on entrepreneurship.

Perverse Motivation

By Brian Tracy

Everyone likes to buy, but no one wants to be sold. People don't like to feel that they are the recipients or the victims of a sales presentation. Most customers are independent in their thinking, and they don't like to think that they are being manipulated, pressured, or coerced into doing anything. They like to feel as though they are making up their own minds based on good information that has been presented to them.

Sales Helper

The best salesperson is perceived as a helper who assists prospects in getting what they want and need. Remember, it is the perception of the customers that, more than anything else determines how the customer behaves toward a salesperson. You must do everything possible to appear to be helping rather than selling.

Salespeople are Teachers

Top salespeople are teachers who show their customers how products and services work to satisfy their needs. The more you are perceived as a teacher, the more likely it is that you will also be perceived as a consultant or an advisor. You will be seen as a trusted counselor who can be depended upon to help customers get what they want by means of the product or service that you are selling.

"Brian Tracy Testimonial Contest-- Ends Sept. 30th!" Learn how you can win a personal phone call from Brian Tracy, a $500 Gift Certificate to BrianTracy.com, an iPod with 20 Brian Tracy 1-hour MP3's of your choice, AND a FLIP Video Camera… All by simply submitting your success story of how Brian has helped you change your life or business! Learn more here >>

Don't Pressure the Customer

If ever your customers feel, even for a moment, that you are trying to sell them into buying something, they will instantly resist and withdraw. The most important part of selling is the quality of the trust bond that exists between you and your customers. You can't afford to do anything that threatens that trust bond. It is important that the customer feels that they are being informed about something that will benefit them, rather than feel pressured to buy a product that is being pushed upon them.

Design Presentation

Design your presentation in such a way that you are always showing, explaining, and asking questions to assure agreement and understanding. See yourself as a teacher with a willing and able student, eager to learn.

Action Exercise

Think of yourself as a teacher and your sales presentation as a "lesson plan." Always begin your presentation with agreement on the value or benefit that the customer seeks that your product or service can deliver.

"24 ways to close more sales now!" Now you can double, triple, or even reach 100 percent on your closing rate using 24 of the finest closing techniques ever devised. When you start using these easy to learn techniques, the customers will buy from you. Sales will be easier and you will make more money. Learn more here >>

How To Quickly Build Rapport With Your Prospects!

By Jim Klein

I'm sure you'll agree, building rapport and trust with your prospects is one of, if not the most important presentation skills you can learn. It's been said many times, people only buy from people they like and trust.

Have you ever had an experience with a salesperson and you have said to yourself "I will never buy anything from that person"? You have probably also had the experience where you hit it off with a salesperson and you would buy just about anything they recommend.

Why?

Because you didn't like or trust the first salesperson and you did like and trust the second. Why did you like and trust the second person so much? Because they took the time to build rapport with you. In simpler terms they probably showed a sincere interest in you and/or were like you.

The last sentence sums up the points I want to discuss in this article.

The first point you should learn in building rapport and trust with your prospects is, show a sincere interest in them. How do you do that? The first thing to remember is you have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk. Sales really is all about asking the right questions and then shutting your mouth and waiting for the answers. Then ask another question and so on and so on.

The questions you ask initially should be about them, their interests, how many kids they have, what kind of car they drive, where they work, etc. Get to know them like you would a new friend and you'll build a deep rapport.

Find out as much as you can about them, all the time looking for common interests. You see the second point I talked about earlier was people like people who are like them. So find the common interests and expand on them.

Don't take this step lightly. This is very important! People love to talk about themselves. Don't you agree? So let them talk as long as they like. The more they talk and you show a sincere interest, the better the rapport.

The second way to establish rapport with your prospects quickly is called mirroring and matching. This rapport technique can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

One way is to pay attention to their communication style. Do they like to get right down to business, tell stories or joke around? Do they talk soft, loud, quick or slow? Do they communicate visually (use words like see, clear, reveal), or auditory (use words like hear, clear as a bell, tune in), kinesthetic (use words like feel; get a handle on, concrete).

The second way is pay attention to how their sitting or standing. Are their legs crossed, arms folded, do they use their hands when they talk, do they lean forward with their arms on the desk.

Then once you understand their communication style, mirror and match them, in other words, do what they do. If they talk loud, then you talk loud. If their visual, use visual words in your communication.

If they cross their legs, then you cross your legs. Now, I'm not talking about right away, use some discretion. Don't immediately cross your legs when they do. Use a slight delay. This will take some practice. However, in time you can become a master at this.

Once you build rapport with them and they like you and trust you, and feel you care about them, then and only then should you begin to ask qualifying questions.

Many salespeople fail to build rapport and then can't figure out why the prospect won't buy.

There is so much more I could teach you about building rapport, however, there isn't enough space here to do it.

If you interested in learning more about how to build rapport, check out my personal sales training program. Building rapport is one of the many parts of the sales process I can assist you in becoming a master at.

See you next week.

Make it a GREAT day!

The Power of the Right Coach

Throughout history, most of the great achievements and incredible comebacks have been the result of an individual whose motivation to persevere was influenced by a coach or mentor. In science, art, politics, sports and business, there is a common thread of having been coached among those who achieve greatness. A coach doesn’t need to be a professional consultant or counselor. He or she could be someone within your organization or industry, or it could be someone from your personal life whom you respect or admire.

A study was undertaken on the Hawaiian island of Kauai by two researchers named Emily Werner and Ruth Smith. This study, which followed more than 450 people from childhood through their adult lives, was an attempt to learn why some people are motivated to overcome severe disadvantages while others from the same background seem to have been overwhelmed by their problems. This research continued for an incredible length of time: 40 years, to be exact.

According to the research, one of the most interesting qualities of these motivated individuals is their ability to recognize potential sources of support in other people, to look beyond the walls of their homes to find relatives, friends, teachers or other role models who can provide help. This very important finding illustrates the benefits of forming mentor relationships to encourage achievement.

Choosing a coach or mentor is like having an additional correctional device to keep you on target. An analogy of this premise comes from aerospace technology. Years ago, the military used inertial guidance systems on missiles. Unfortunately, once the course of an inertially guided missile is set, it proceeds along that path with no capability for adjustments. It’s like a bullet fired from a rifle. Even when the aim is good at the outset, if the target moves unexpectedly once the projectile is in flight, the shot is going to miss. And if there’s one thing you can count on in life, it’s that the target is going to be moving! In the Gulf War of 1992, the Patriot missile that defended Israel and Saudi Arabia was introduced. Unlike previous defenses, this system had an advanced self-adjusting navigation system that continuously monitored the missile’s trajectory as well as the path of its swiftly moving target. The Patriot was able to make whatever corrections were necessary, regardless of changes in the position or speed of its objective.

A highly motivated person uses a coach or mentor in the same way when he or she has targeted a worthwhile goal. A coach or mentor can assist you in making adjustments and navigating through difficult times.

Finding coaches and mentors is an important mission, and you will no doubt have several over the course of your life. It is critical that you choose them wisely. Your mentor is someone to whom you’ll be committing a great deal of time and attention, and who ideally will take a very focused interest in you as well.

—Denis Waitley

The Power of One-on-One

The secret to being a good role model and mentor is in finding out what others want and helping them succeed. The secret to being a good and wise communicator is the patient listening for those desires in others, and also in learning from the experiences of others by questioning and listening thoroughly, so that we may learn from their successes and failures.

Frank Sinatra learned his superb breath control in singing from his first band leader, Tommy Dorsey. In large part, the person Helen Keller became was because of Anne Sullivan. Plato learned from Socrates. Jesse Owens credits his winning of the long jump in the 1936 Olympics to a tip given to him by his top German competitor, Luz Long. In the middle of the event, after Owens had already fouled twice on takeoff, Long gave Owens a helpful hint on how to correct his takeoff point. The result was a record breaking leap of over 26 feet, which stood for more than 20 years.

Artists have always learned more from observing other artists than from going to classes or observing nature. In a sense, you and I are master artists who have the opportunity to breathe new colors, shading and perspective into the lives of other artists who are struggling with their oils, brushes and canvases. Think back to the people who have had the most influence on you. You will likely find that they have been people who really cared about you—your parents, a great teacher, a coach, business associate, a good friend—someone who was interested in you. The only people you will influence to any great degree will be the people you care about. When you are with people you care for, their interests, rather than your own, will be uppermost in your mind.

Our success in getting along with others and communicating effectively with them depends solely upon our ability to recognize their desires and needs, and help them fill those desires and needs with positive actions.

In the communication process, knowledge is not always wisdom, sensitivity is not always accuracy, and sympathy is not always understanding. All customer service and the ability to gain trust and repeat business is based on empathy. Empathy is “feeling with” and never assuming anything until you have “walked a mile in the other person’s moccasins.” Since it is impossible to know the road another has walked, the best alternative is to ask questions with interest and respect, and listen for the hidden agendas and desires.

In this way, you can be a Renoir to the next Monet!

—Denis Waitley

Perverse Motivation

By Brian Tracy

Everyone likes to buy, but no one wants to be sold. People don't like to feel that they are the recipients or the victims of a sales presentation. Most customers are independent in their thinking, and they don't like to think that they are being manipulated, pressured, or coerced into doing anything. They like to feel as though they are making up their own minds based on good information that has been presented to them.

Sales Helper

The best salesperson is perceived as a helper who assists prospects in getting what they want and need. Remember, it is the perception of the customers that, more than anything else determines how the customer behaves toward a salesperson. You must do everything possible to appear to be helping rather than selling.

Salespeople are Teachers

Top salespeople are teachers who show their customers how products and services work to satisfy their needs. The more you are perceived as a teacher, the more likely it is that you will also be perceived as a consultant or an advisor. You will be seen as a trusted counselor who can be depended upon to help customers get what they want by means of the product or service that you are selling.

"Brian Tracy Testimonial Contest-- Ends Sept. 30th!" Learn how you can win a personal phone call from Brian Tracy, a $500 Gift Certificate to BrianTracy.com, an iPod with 20 Brian Tracy 1-hour MP3's of your choice, AND a FLIP Video Camera… All by simply submitting your success story of how Brian has helped you change your life or business! Learn more here >>

Don't Pressure the Customer

If ever your customers feel, even for a moment, that you are trying to sell them into buying something, they will instantly resist and withdraw. The most important part of selling is the quality of the trust bond that exists between you and your customers. You can't afford to do anything that threatens that trust bond. It is important that the customer feels that they are being informed about something that will benefit them, rather than feel pressured to buy a product that is being pushed upon them.

Design Presentation

Design your presentation in such a way that you are always showing, explaining, and asking questions to assure agreement and understanding. See yourself as a teacher with a willing and able student, eager to learn.

Action Exercise

Think of yourself as a teacher and your sales presentation as a "lesson plan." Always begin your presentation with agreement on the value or benefit that the customer seeks that your product or service can deliver.

"24 ways to close more sales now!" Now you can double, triple, or even reach 100 percent on your closing rate using 24 of the finest closing techniques ever devised. When you start using these easy to learn techniques, the customers will buy from you. Sales will be easier and you will make more money. Learn more here >>