Mark Chatterton Sales Coach

2012-01-23T17:00:00.002+08:00

‎"Those who stand strong will stand forever."
Joshua D. Clark

Tragically, few people ever come close to discovering the wellspring of strength that flows inside of them. Rather than push themselves a little harder, a little farther in those make or break moments in life, they fold like a lawn chair. Instead of powering through the problems they encounter, they give in to the temptation to quit and consequently cave. They could have, should have and probably wished they would have been stronger than the moment - but weren't.

You don't have to make that mistake. Whenever the going gets tough, you need to get a little tougher. And wherever a problem attempts to overpower you, you need to stand a little stronger. Then power right through it with everything you've got.

Never, ever doubt, not even for a fleeting moment, that you do not have what it takes to overcome any adversity you face. You've got what it takes - and a whole lot more. Yes, you do.

When it counts, you need to make it count. Conquer your fears and you'll conquer the moment

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox

2012-01-17T16:53:00.001+08:00

A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene
She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"
With each cookie she took he took one too
And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half
He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude
Why he didn't even show any gratitude"
She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes
"If mine are here" she moaned with despair
"Then the others were his and he tried to share"
"Too late to apologize she realized with grief"
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief

A Course in Miracles - Light in the Dream

2012-01-13T09:38:00.001+08:00

If you knew Who walks beside you on THIS way, which YOU have chosen, fear would be impossible. You do NOT know, because the journey into darkness has been long and cruel, and you have gone deep into it. A little flicker of your eyelids, closed so long, has not yet been sufficient to give you confidence in yourselves, so long despised. You go TOWARD love, still hating it, and TERRIBLY afraid of its judgment upon you. And you do NOT realize that you are NOT afraid of love, but only OF WHAT YOU MADE OF IT.

Tao Te Ching

2012-01-13T09:25:00.001+08:00

The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things

Thus, constantly free of desire
One observes its wonders
Constantly filled with desire
One observes its manifestations

These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders

6 Steps To A Stronger Mind by Mark Victor Hansen

2012-01-13T09:13:00.003+08:00

Our minds are all we've got. They are the source of who we, both personally and professionally. They determine our success or failure. They are our strength and our weakness.

With the quality of our entire lives resting on our minds, it's unbelievable that we choose to fill them with so much garbage. The amount of negativity from television, newspapers, tabloids and other media that bombards us on a daily basis is amazing. We would never think to fill our bodies with only junk food, right? Heck no. We know that if we ate nothing but French fries and ice cream we would experience negative consequences like skin blemishes, weight gain and rotting teeth.

But with mental junk food we don't see the physical consequences right away. When our minds are constantly filled with negativity and bad news, our minds begin to decay. That's why we need to develop a strong, Herculean-esque mind.

Developing your mental muscles will give you the power to accomplish anything you want in life. Sure, it takes some discipline on your part, but look at the world's greatest bodybuilders. They don't show up at the gym every once in a while. They create a workout schedule and they are at the gym every day, no matter what.

Hire yourself as your "mental manager". Figure out how much you're going to pay yourself and make up a job list. Here are six jobs to assign to yourself to create a stronger mind.

1. Read Right
How much good news do you see in the newspapers? Editors usually say, "If it bleeds, it leads." Not much chance of positivity there. So, read something else. Read books - good books. Books that motivate you. Books that inspire you. Look up some of the great inspirational authors on amazon.com or in your local bookstore. Read them every morning and/or every night, before you go to sleep.

2. Share Your Mind
Find someone, or a group of someone's, who have the same desire to share positivity. This is called masterminding. Great successes are created when great minds come together and think about the same things.

3. Find A Mentor
My mentor was Buckminster Fuller and I learned more from that man about life than I ever hoped to. Who are the people you admire most, whether you know them or not? Figure out whom you'd like to emulate and study them. If they offer seminars, attend them. If they've written books, read them. Just a few I'd recommend are: Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer and Zig Ziglar.

4. Listen to Motivational/Inspirational CDs
This is one of the most important habits you can create for yourself. Find inspirational audio messages and listen to them over and over. Earl Nightingale, one of the most brilliant thinkers of our time, had this to say on the subject: "Tape listening is the most important advance in technology since the invention of the printing press." With audiotapes and CDs, speakers can reach 10 times as many people as the printed word ever could.

5. Sign Up and Attend Seminars
The motivational messages you hear at seminars, and the inspirational people you meet, reinforce your self-esteem and positive thinking. You can search out seminars via the internet, newspapers or local colleges and universities.

6. Turn Off the Television
On average, the television set in an American home is on over 7 hours a day. Just like any bad habit, it needs to be broken. I'm not saying that all television is bad. Heck no. I'm simply recommending that you cut back on your television viewing. Decide how long you're going to watch television and then turn it off when you're time is up. Try cutting back your television viewing one hour every day at first. You can use that time to read a book, listen to a motivational tape, walk your dog or spend time with your family.

After reading these six steps maybe you're saying, "But Mark, I can't do it. I just don't know if I can be this dedicated to bettering myself?" Who else are you going to be dedicated to if not yourself? Because when it comes right down to it, folks, you are all that you've got. Jobs and relationships come and go. Children grow up, leave the nest and get lives of their own. Then there you are, alone with yourself. Why not create a "you" you can be proud of.

'Amaze yourself; manifest your full potential.'

Dividing the Financial Pie by Jim Rohn

2012-01-13T09:12:00.003+08:00

I believe real-life economics must be one of the most glaring omissions in our educational system. I say this because in my travels to lecture throughout the world, I constantly run into otherwise well-educated people -- doctors, lawyers, top corporate personnel, even entrepreneurs - who haven't the vaguest idea as to how to manage their finances.

So if you will indulge me, I would like to share a simple formula of how money should be allocated for the creation of wealth.

Taxes -

Yes, I did say taxes. Now this is a topic that can get people pretty heated! Just the mention of the word makes people groan, sigh, panic or break out into a cold sweat! But we must deal with taxes. You know what they say, "The only sure things are death and taxes." I realize that the topic of taxes may seem like a strange place to begin the discussion of creating wealth. And yet throughout our lives, whether young or old, we must learn the necessity of paying taxes. And as soon as they have any money at all, our children, too, must learn that when they spend money they immediately become consumers. And all consumers of goods and services, no matter how young, must pay taxes. Why?

Because we have all agreed to live as a society, and for that society to function properly, there are some things we cannot do for ourselves alone. For example, we cannot each build a piece of the street. The machinery would be too expensive, and it would take too long to learn how to use it. So we have a government. And a government is made up of people who do things for us that we cannot or do not want to do ourselves. Because the streets, the sidewalks, the police, and the fire department must all be paid for, we've agreed to add some money each time we buy something and give it to the government.

We then move on to federal taxes. Here is a good way to explain federal taxes. I call it "The Care and Feeding of the Goose that Lays the Golden Eggs." It's so important to feed the goose -- not to abuse the goose or tear off its wings -- but to feed and care for it.

What's that you say? The goose eats too much? That's probably true. But then, don't we all eat too much? If so, let not one appetite accuse another. If you step on the scales and you're ten pounds too heavy, you've got to say, "Yes, the government and I are each about ten pounds too heavy. Looks like we both eat too much." No question about it. Every appetite must be disciplined -- yours, mine, and the governments'. Hey, we could all go on a diet!

My mentor, Mr. Shoaff urged me early on to become a happy taxpayer. Now, I must admit it took a while, but I finally did become a happy taxpayer. Part of this transformation occurred when I began to understand the function of taxes and that it is right for everyone to pay his or her fair share.

I finally decided I didn't mind picking up my share of the tab for defense. It's so necessary for our safety as a country to keep the international bullies away. Some people say, "Why bother with all that expensive equipment? They won't come over here." Obviously, those people haven't been reading their history books.

Others say, "We're not about to pick up the tab for defense." Well then, I suggest they go to a place which doesn't offer defense as part of the package. If one is going to enjoy the benefits, one should pay a share.

Now, let me add this: Don't pay more than you should. By all means take advantage of the incentives. They were given to you as a reward for channeling your money into areas the government thinks helps the economy.

All I'm saying is that when everything has been computed, all legitimate deductions have been taken, and you reach that last line on your income tax form, whatever the amount, pay it. And pay with happiness, knowing that you're feeding the goose that lays the golden eggs - the golden eggs of freedom, safety, justice, and free enterprise. Some goose! Some eggs!

The 70/30 Rule -

After you pay your fair share of taxes, you must learn to live on seventy percent of your after-tax income. This is important because of the way you'll allocate your remaining thirty percent. The seventy percent you will spend on necessities and luxuries. The thirty percent? Let's allocate it in the following ways:

1) Charity

Of the thirty percent not spent, one-third should go to charity. Charity is the act of giving back to the community that which you have received in order to help those who need assistance. I believe that contributing ten percent of your after-tax income is a good amount to strive for. (You may choose a larger or smaller amount -- it's your plan.)

The act of giving should be taught early in life. The best time to teach a child the act of charity is when he gets his first dollar. Take him on a visual tour. Take him on a tour of a place where people are truly helpless so that he learns compassion. If a child understands, he won't have any trouble parting with a dime. Children have big hearts.

There is another reason why the act of giving should be taught early and when the amounts are small: It's pretty easy to take a dime out of a dollar. But it's considerably harder to give away a hundred thousand dollars out of a million. You say, "Oh, if I had a million I'd have no trouble giving a hundred thousand." I'm not so sure. A hundred thousand is a lot of money. We'd better start you early so you'll develop the habit before the big money comes your way.

2) Capital Investment

With your next ten percent of your after-tax income you're going to create wealth. This is money you'll use to buy, fix, manufacture, or sell. The key is to engage in commerce, even if only on a part-time basis.

So how do you go about creating wealth with the ten percent of your income you set aside for that purpose? There are lots of ways. Let your imagination roam. Take a close look at those skills you developed at work or through your hobbies; you may be able to convert these into a profitable enterprise.

In addition, you can also learn to buy a product at wholesale and sell it for retail. Or you can purchase a piece of property and improve it. And if you're fortunate enough to work at a place where you're rewarded for additional productivity, you can work for more income and use this income to invest in an ownership position through the purchase of stocks.

Use this ten percent to purchase your equipment, products, or equity -- and get started. There is no telling what genius lies sleeping inside you waiting to be awakened by the spark of opportunity.

Here is an exciting thought! Why not work full time on your job and part time on your fortune? Why not, indeed? And what a feeling you'll have when you can honestly say, "I'm working to become wealthy. I'm not just working to pay my bills." When you have a wealth plan, you'll be so motivated that you'll have a hard time going to bed at night.

3) Savings

The last ten percent should be allotted to savings. I consider this to be one of the most exciting parts of your wealth plan because it can offer you peace of mind by preparing you for the "winters" of life. And through the magic of compounding interest, greatly aided by the new tax-free retirement programs available to every working person in this country, you can accumulate a princely sum over the years.

Let me give you the definition of "rich" and "poor." Poor people spend their money and save what's left. Rich people save their money and spend what's left.

Twenty years ago, two people each earned a thousand dollars a month and they each earned the same increases over the years. One had the philosophy of spending money and saving what's left; the other had the philosophy of saving first and spending what's left. Today, if you knew both, you'd call one poor and the other wealthy.

So, remember that giving, investing and saving, like any form of discipline, has a subtle effect. At the end of the day, a week, a month, the results are hardly noticeable. But let five years lapse and the differences become pronounced. At the end of ten years, the differences are dramatic.

And it all starts with the same amount of money -- just a different philosophy.

Challenge of Life by Jim Rohn

2012-01-13T09:11:00.004+08:00

Here's the great challenge of life - You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally, it would soon be back in the same pockets. However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads - unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got. The marketing plan won't do it. It's a good plan but it won't work without you. You've got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit - wouldn't that be lovely? The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says "If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off." If that is your philosophy you are destined to stay there. Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don't have much so I'm not generous. See, you've got to change that philosophy or you will never have "the lots of money". Unless YOU change, IT won't change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves - the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

The Awakening

2012-01-04T06:34:00.000+08:00

A time comes in your life when you finally get it... when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that neither of you is Prince Charming or Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself... and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties.... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the junk you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe your parents, family, and friends

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. And you learn that alone does not mean lonely. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK.... and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things you want... and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands

You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise. You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve... and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone...and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn the only thing you must truly fear is the greatest robber baron of all: FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes-bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things.

You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state-the ego.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

WOW !

Prayer of Saint Francis

2012-01-04T06:31:00.001+08:00

O LORD, Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace
Where There Is Hatred, Let Me Sow Love;
Where There Is Injury, Pardon;
Where There Is Discord, Unity;
Where There Is Doubt, Faith;
Where There Is Error, Truth;
Where There Is Despair, Hope;
Where There Is Sadness, Joy;
Where There Is Darkness, Light.
O Divine Master,
Grant That I May Not So Much Seek
To Be Consoled, As To Console;
To Be Understood, As To Understand;
To Be Loved, As To Love.
For It Is In Giving That We Receive;
It Is In Pardoning That We Are Pardoned;
It Is In Dying That We Are Born To Eternal Life.

"The Dyer Dozen" by Wayne Dyer

2012-01-04T06:29:00.003+08:00

1) Want more for others than you want for yourself. Whatever you perceive to be missing, want that MORE for others and it will automatically come to you as the first recipient.

2) Think from the end. Begin to see yourself surrounded by people and events and things that constitute your perfect life. "Act as if" it has already happened. Because all that you need, you already have.

3) Be an appreciator in your life. Look for that which is valuable rather than worthless. When you depreciate you take value away, when you appreciate, you add value. Make it a point therefore to always add value.

4) Stay in rapport with Source Energy. Constantly reminding you of connection is how Source thinks.

5) Resistance is deviation from the Source. Every thought you have that is different from the Source you originated from is resistance. Fear, anger, shame, depression, can't, won't, shouldn't, are all resistance. Love, happiness, joy, tenderness are all Source inspired. You are what you believe and you will have in your life whatever you believe you can have.

6) Contemplate yourself surrounded by the conditions you want to produce. You are one with Source and can create anything you desire. Source can't be anything other than it is, neither can you. Your base material is the All That Is.

7) Understand the art of allowing. Taking the path of least resistance. Every thought with resistance in it, creates path of least allowing. Are you pulling energy from Source or pushing against the Flow?

8) Practice radical humility. You are not the body or mind you are in. You are not the posessions you have, you are the Divine Source. Come home to your real self and realize that you are no better or worse than anyone else.

9) Stay in a constant state of gratitude: stay in a state of being generous and grateful. Rumi said: "Trade your knowldege for bewilderment" Be in constant awe and wonder at the generosity and beauty of life and be grateful for it.

10) Keep in mind that you can never resolve a problem by condemning it. When you use shame, you are using the lowest energy out in the universe. You can't shame your way into the Source just like no amount of poverty you live in can lift anyone else up out of poverty. Be the example you wish to see in the world.

11) Play the match game - always ask do I match Source in my intention?

12) Meditate: The quiet mind is your way of staying connected to Source. You cannot divide Source/God. Everything else has a polarity/dichotomy except for silence. You cut silence in half and you get more silence. Cut Source in half and you get more Source. You can't divide it. Stay in the Gap.

The above is from Dr. Wayne Dyer's PBS presentation on The Power of Intention.

The 4 Principles of Spirituality

2012-01-04T06:25:00.002+08:00

The 1st Principle States:

“Whomsoever You Encounter Is The Right One”

This Means That No One Comes Into Our Life By Chance. Everyone Who Is Around Us, Anyone With Whom We Interact, Represents Something, Whether To Teach Us Something Or To Help Us Improve A Current Situation.

The 2nd Principle States:

“Whatever Happened Is The Only Thing That Could Have Happened”

Nothing, Absolutely Nothing Of That Which We Experienced Could Have Been Any Other Way. Not Even In The Least Important Detail. There Is No “If Only I Had Done That Differently…, Then It Would Have Been Different…”. No. What Happened Is The Only Thing That Could Have Taken Place And Must Have Taken Place For Us To Learn Our Lesson In Order To Move Forward. Every Single Situation In Life Which We Encounter Is Absolutely Perfect, Even When It Defies Our Understanding And Our Ego.

The 3rd Principle States:

“Each Moment In Which Something Begins Is The Right Moment”

Everything Begins At Exactly The Right Moment, Neither Earlier Nor Later. When We Are Ready For It, For That Something New In Our Life, It Is There, Ready To Begin.

This Is The 4th Principle, The Final One:

“What Is Over, Is Over”

It Is That Simple. When Something In Our Life Ends, It Helps Our Evolution. That Is Why, Enriched By The Recent Experience, It Is Better To Let Go And Move On.

If These Words Strike A Chord, It’s Because You Meet The Requirements And Understand That Not One Single Snowflake Falls Accidentally In The Wrong Place

Be Good To Yourself

Love With Your Whole Being.

Always Be Happy

Three Principles for Great Success By: Brian Tracy

2012-01-04T06:23:00.001+08:00

Get Better Results than Ever Before

There are several principles of military strategy that you can apply to your business, every single day. These can help you to think better and get better results than ever before.

Do the Unexpected

One really helpful military principle that can be applied to business is the Principle of Surprise. The principle of surprise says, "do the unexpected!" In sales and marketing, this means to be continually seeking ways to out-flank or upset your competition.

Do the Opposite of Before

Sometimes doing exactly the opposite of what you have been doing up till now can turn out to be the perfect solution. The natural tendency for a person, when they find themselves in a hole, is to dig deeper. In many cases, the solution is to go and dig somewhere else. Remember, the first law of holes is, "When you find yourself in one, stop digging."

Follow-up and Follow-Through

A second military principle that applies to business is the Principle of Exploitation. The principle of exploitation emphasizes the importance of follow-up and follow-through. In business, this means that, when you get an opportunity, you exploit it to the fullest extent possible. If you have a great promotional idea or product or service, you sell all you can. You take advantage of your idea or breakthrough and use every opportunity to capitalize on it.

Work Harmoniously With Others

The third principle of military strategy that applies to personal and corporate thinking is the Principle of Cooperation. In business, this is often called the principle of synergy. In military terms, this is often called the principle of "concerted action." In business terms, your ability to work effectively and harmoniously with other individuals and groups is more responsible for your success than any other quality.

Win the Cooperation of Key People

A key part of strategic thinking is for you to identify the individuals, groups and organizations whose cooperation you will require to achieve your goals. Make a list of them and then organize the list in order of importance. Then ask yourself, "How am I going to win their cooperation?"

Answer Everyone's Favorite Question

Everybody wants to know, "what's in it for me?" The effective executive is always looking for ways to help or assist others knowing that this is the only sure way to create within them a desire to help you to achieve your goals.

By doing the unexpected, by following up and following through, and by constantly looking for ways to get other people to cooperate with you, you will accomplish more in a shorter time than you might ever have imagined.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to apply these ideas in your business and in your work:

First, look at your job, especially the areas where you are experiencing frustration, and question whether or not there is a completely different way of approaching your problem or situation. Do the unexpected. Perhaps you should be doing exactly the opposite of what you are doing today. All success in business comes from surprising the competition in some way.

Second, identify the people, groups and organizations whose assistance you will need to achieve your goal. Continually look for ways to earn their support and cooperation by thinking in terms of what is in it for them.

The Continuous Improvement Formula By: Brian Tracy

2011-12-06T06:17:00.002+08:00

Put Your Career on the Fast Track
There are many things you can do to put your career onto the fast track. You can set clear, specific goals for each area of your life and then make plans to accomplish them. You can plan your work and work your plan.

Ask For Greater Responsibility
You can accept 100% responsibility for everything you are and everything you become. You can refuse to make excuses or to blame others. You can tell your boss that you want greater responsibilities and then when you get them, put your whole heart into doing an excellent job.

Utilize Your Inborn Talents
In the parable of the talents in the New Testament, Jesus says, "Oh good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over small things. I will make you master over large things."

If you too will carry out every assignment to the very best of your ability, you will be given larger and more important things to do and you'll be paid more as a result.

"Master your time and master your life!"
Wouldn't you like to have more time to do the things you like, be with the people that make you happy, and also make more money?

It's easy… become the master of your time. I have created a practical and simple program on time management to help you achieve the outstanding life you deserve. Click for more >>

Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Improvement
The key to long term success is for you to dedicate yourself to continuous improvement. If you become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to 1/1000th improvement per working day. Is that possible? Of course it is!

Improve A Little At A Time
If you become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to one half of one percent more productive each week. One half of one percent more productive each week amounts to two percent more productive each month and 26% more productive each year.

The cumulative effect if becoming a tiny bit better at your field and more productive amounts to a tremendous increase in your value and your output over time.

How to Double Your Productivity
Twenty-six percent more productive each year, with compounding, amounts to doubling your overall productivity and performance every 2.7 years. If you become 26% more productive each year, with compounding, times 10 years, you will be 1004% more productive over the next decade. That is an increase of ten times over ten years.

The Reason For All Great Successes
This is called the Law of Accumulation, or the Principle of Incremental Improvement. It is the primary reason for all great success stories. By the yard, it's hard. But inch by inch, anything's a cinch!

Become A 1000% Person
Make a decision, right now, to be a 1000% person. Commit yourself to continuous personal and professional development. Read, listen to audio programs and take additional courses. This process will completely transform your life.

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

First, make a plan to become a little bit better every single day. Learn and apply one new idea each day to help you to become more productive and effective at your work. The incremental effect will amaze you.

Second, be patient. Don't expect overnight changes or instant results. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Become a little bit better each day and your future will take care of itself.

Change Begins With Choice by Jim Rohn

2011-12-03T05:43:00.003+08:00

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And 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. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

The four parts of visualization by Brian Tracy

2011-09-25T05:38:00.002+08:00

Did you know that there are four parts of visualization that you can learn and practice to assure that you use this incredible power to its best advantage all the days of your life.

How Often?

The first aspect of visualization is frequency, the number of times that you visualize a particular goal as achieved of yourself performing in an excellent way in a particular event or circumstance. The more frequently you repeat a clear mental picture of your very best performance or result, the more rapidly it will appear as part of your reality.

How Long?

The second element of visualization is the duration of the mental image, the length of time that you can hold the picture in your mind each time you replay it. When you deeply relax, you can often hold a mental picture of yourself performing at your best for several seconds, and even several minutes. The longer you can hold your mental picture, the more deeply it will be impressed into your subconscious mind and the more rapidly it will express itself in your subsequent performance.

How Clearly?

The third element of visualization is vividness. There is a direct relationship between how clearly you can see your desired goal or result in your mind and how quickly it comes into your reality. This element of visualization is what explains the powers of the Law of Attraction and the Law of Correspondence. The vividness of your desire directly determines how quickly it materializes in the world around you. Here is an interesting point. When you set a new goal for yourself, your image or picture of this goal will usually be vague and fuzzy. But the more often you write it, review it, and repeat it mentally, the clearer it becomes for you. Eventually, it will become crystal clear. At that point, the goal will suddenly appear in your world exactly as you imagined it.

How Intensely?

The fourth element of visualization is intensity, the amount of emotion that you attach to your visual image. In reality, this is the most important and powerful part of the visualization process. Sometimes, if your emotion is intense enough and your visual image is clear enough, your goal will immediately come true.

Of course, the elements of frequency, duration, vividness, and intensity can help you or hurt you. Like nature, the power of visualization is neutral. Like a two-edged sword, it can cut in either direction. It can either make you a success or make you a failure. Visualization brings you whatever you vividly and intensely imagine, whether good or bad.

Action Exercise

Continually feed your mind with clear, exciting, emotional pictures. Remember, your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions

WHERE DO GREAT SALESPEOPLE COME FROM? by Jeffrey Gitomer

2011-09-25T05:37:00.003+08:00

Which came first, the salesperson or the egg? This is the enigma (or should I say the eneggma) of the evolution of the right salesperson.

The mystery of finding, interviewing, hiring, growing, and retaining great sales people is critical to your success. Where do they come from? How do you hire the best one? How do get them to grow to be great?

At a recent seminar on the subject, I began by asking five questions, so I could understand the audience's needs better. To my surprise, the questions actually provided the solutions they were looking for. It gave the group an introspective look at their own sales people and sales process -- and at the same time gave them solutions.

I'm going to repeat that seminar introduction for you right now. If you want to find out the secret behind attracting and growing great salespeople in your organization, go get a flip chart or a blank computer screen and take this self-analysis.

Ask yourself these five questions. These five will lead to more questions and actions. The answers to these action items and questions (*) will define the sales person and
the sales process at your company. Those answers will lead you to the beginning of your search for the perfect salesperson, and will identify the strengths and weaknesses
of your existing team. All secrets will be revealed if you just take a hard look at yourself. WOW. Here goes:

1. What constitutes a great salesperson?

Someone with characteristics like: Has a positive attitude. Is hungry. Can communicate well. Is self-motivated. Takes criticism well. Has a good track record. Is solution-oriented. Looks professional. Is persistent. Can take rejection. Here are the action items and questions:

* List every characteristic you need in a great salesperson.
* Do your salespeople possess these characteristics?
* What are you doing to help them acquire them?
* Will you hire someone without them?

2. Where did you (do you) find your great salespeople?

Salespeople don't just appear -- and they usually don't respond to newspaper ads. Here are the action items and questions:

* List the places you're most likely to find a good person (competitor's parking lots are not a place).
* Where are you looking for yours?
* Where did you find your present team?
* Did advertising work?
* Where should you network to find good people?
* What is your game plan to find the right person?

3. Why did your present team join you?

What made your present staff say yes to the offer you made them? What are the biggest benefits of working for you? Here are the action items and questions:

* List the benefits and the lures of working for your company.
* Did you have to do a sales-job to get salespeople to join you?
* Are you attractive enough to get salespeople to call you?
* What do you need to add or change to attract the right salesperson?

4. Why did you fire them?

It was all their fault -- or was it? You're the one who hired them. At one time you thought they were great. What happened? Here are the action items and questions:

* List the reasons they were fired.
* What happened between the interview and the job performance?
* What could you have done differently?
* What do you need to add or change so that more don't get the axe?

5. Why did they leave (fire) you?

This is the toughest reality -- and the biggest area of denial. They left for a reason -- and it's critical you find the truth and deal with it. You create the legacy for the destiny of your sales force, not them. Here are the action items and questions:

* List the reasons you were fired (they left).
* What could you have done to prevent it?
* Will they continue to leave?
* Are you investing in your salespeople (to make them better)?
* What do you need to add or change so that more don't leave?

5.5 Take positive action. Salespeople are your most valuable resource. Invest time in writing the definitions; creating and cultivating the environment necessary to attract them; identifying who's right for your company's culture; and making a proactive, positive plan to keep them. (Keep in mind the reality that unless someone sells
something, there's no reason for anyone else to come to work.)

If you make your own chart of:

* what characteristics you want,
* where to search,
* why they'll join,
* how you'll interview them,
* why you will fire them and how to prevent it,
* why they fire you and how to prevent it --

Your answers will be apparent -- and the puzzle of getting great salespeople will be solved. Almost.

Integrity - Its gone Missing ...

2011-08-19T08:30:00.006+08:00

Adherence To Moral And Ethical Principles; Soundness Of Moral Character; Honesty.

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

The word "integrity" stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

A value system's abstraction depth and range of applicable interaction may also function as significant factors in identifying integrity due to their congruence or lack of congruence with observation. A value system may evolve over time while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies.

How can you adhere To Moral And Ethical Principles when there is NONE?

Moral Character? - There is only Lying, Cheating, Back Stabbing and My Favorite - RIPPING PEOPLE OFF - Do they qualify as morals now?

Honesty? - Now there's a good joke

Tired lah ...

Maintaining Honesty and Integrity by Jim Rohn

2011-08-19T08:30:00.002+08:00

For a leader, honesty and integrity are absolutely essential to survival. A lot of business people don't realize how closely they're being watched by their subordinates. Remember when you were a kid in grammar school, how you used to sit there staring at your teacher all day? By the end of the school year, you could do a perfect imitation of all your teacher's mannerisms. You were aware of the slightest nuances in your teacher's voice - all the little clues that distinguished levels of meaning, that told you the difference between bluff and "now I mean business".

And you were able to do that after eight or nine months of observation. Suppose you had five or 10 years. Do you think there would have been anything about your teacher you didn't know?

Now fast forward and use that analogy as a manager. Do you think there's anything your people don't know about you right this minute? If you haven't been totally aboveboard and honest with them, do you really think you've gotten away with it? Not too likely. But if you've been led to believe that you've gotten away with it, there might be a good probability that people are afraid of you, and that's a problem in its own right.

But there is another side of this coin. In any organization, people want to believe in their leaders. If you give them reason to trust you, they're not going to go looking for reasons to think otherwise, and they'll be just as perceptive about your positive qualities as they are about the negative ones.

A situation that happened some years ago at a company in the Midwest illustrates this perfectly. The wife of a new employee experienced complications in the delivery of a baby. There was a medical bill of more than $10,000, and the health insurance company didn't want to cover it. The employee hadn't been on the payroll long enough, the pregnancy was a preexisting condition, etc,etc,..

In any case, the employee was desperate. He approached the company CEO and asked him to talk to the insurance people. The CEO agreed, and the next thing the employee knew, the bill was gone and the charges were rescinded. Then he told some colleagues about the way the CEO had so readily used his influence with the insurance company, they just shook their heads and smiled. The CEO had paid the bill out of his own pocket, and everybody knew it, no matter how quietly it had been done.

Now an act of dishonesty can't be hidden either, and it will instantly undermine the authority of a leader. But an act of integrity and kindness like the example above is just as obvious to all concerned. When you're in a leadership position, you have the choice of how you will be seen, but you Will be seen one way or the other, make no mistake about it.

One of the most challenging areas of leadership is your family. Leadership of a family demands even higher standards of honesty and integrity, and the stakes are higher too. You can replace disgruntled employees and start over. You can even get a new job for yourself, if it comes to that. But your family can't be shuffled like a deck of cards. If you haven't noticed, kids are great moral philosophers, especially as they get into adolescence. They're determined to discover and expose any kind of hypocrisy, phoniness, or lack of integrity on the part of authority figures, and if we're parents, that means us. It's frightening how unforgiving kids can be about this, but it really isn't a conscious decision on their part; it's just a necessary phase of growing up.

They're testing everything, especially their parents.

As a person of integrity yourself, you'll find it easy to teach integrity to your kids, and they in turn will find it easy to accept you as a teacher. This is a great opportunity and also a supreme responsibility, because kids simply must be taught to tell the truth: to mean what they say and to say what they mean.

"Praise is one the world's most effective teaching and leadership tools. Criticism and blame, even if deserved, are counter productive unless all other approaches have failed."

Now for the other side of the equation, we all know people who have gotten ahead as a result of dishonest or unethical behavior. When you're a kid, you might naively think that never happens, but when you get older, you realize that it does. Then you think you've really wised up. But that's not the real end of it. When you get older, you see the long-term consequences of dishonest gain, and you realize that in the end it doesn't pay.

"Hope of dishonest gain is the beginning of loss". I don't think that old saying refers to loss of money. I think it actually means loss of self-respect. You can have all the material things in the world, but if you've lost respect for yourself, what do you really have? The only way to ever attain success and enjoy it is to achieve it honestly with pride in what you've done.

This isn't just a sermon, it's very practical advice. Not only can you take it to heart - you can take it to the bank.

Becoming a Person of Integrity By: Brian Tracy

2011-08-19T08:29:00.000+08:00

Integrity is a value, like persistence, courage and industriousness. Even more than that, it is the value that guarantees all the other values. You are a good person to the degree to which you live your life consistent with the highest values that you espouse. Integrity is the quality that locks in your values and causes you to live consistent with them.

Integrity is the foundation of character. And character development is one of the most important activities you can engage in. Working on your character means disciplining yourself to do more and more of those things that a thoroughly honest person would do, under all circumstances.

To be impeccably honest with others, you must first be impeccably honest with yourself. You must be true to yourself. You must be true to the very best that is in you, to the very best that you know. Only a person who is living consistent with his or her highest values and virtues is really living a life of integrity. And when you commit to living this kind of life, you will find yourself continually raising your own standards, continually refining your definition of integrity and honesty.

You can tell how high your level of integrity is by simply looking at the things you do in your day-to-day life. You can look at your reactions and responses to the inevitable ups and downs of life. You can observe the behaviors you typically engage in and you will then know the person you are.

The external manifestation of high integrity is high-quality work. A person who is totally honest with himself or herself will be someone who does, or strives to do, excellent work on every occasion. The totally honest person recognizes, sometimes unconsciously, that everything he or she does is a statement about who he or she really is as a person.

When you start a little earlier, work a little harder, stay a little later and concentrate on every detail, you are practicing integrity in your work. And whether you know it or not, your true level of integrity is apparent and obvious to everyone around you.

Perhaps the most important rule you will ever learn is that your life only becomes better when you become better.

All of life is lived from the inside out. At the very core of your personality lie your values about yourself and life in general. Your values determine the kind of person you really are. What you believe has defined your character and your personality. It is what you stand for, and what you wont stand for, that tells you and the world the kind of person you have become.

Ask yourself this question: What are your five most important values in life? Your answer will reveal an enormous amount about you. What would you pay for, sacrifice for, suffer for and even die for? What would you stand up for, or refuse to lie down for? What are the values that you hold most dear? Think these questions through carefully and, when you get a chance, write down your answers. Heres another way of asking that question. What men and women, living or dead, do you most admire? Once you pick three or four men or women, the next question is: Why do you admire them? What values, qualities, or virtues do they have that you respect and look up to? Can you articulate those qualities? What is a quality possessed by human beings in general that you most respect? This is the starting point for determining your values. The answers to these questions form the foundation of your character and your personality.

Once you have determined your five major values, you should now organize them in order of importance. What is your first, most important value? What is your second value? What is your third value? And so on. Ranking your values is one of the very best and fastest ways to define your character.

Remember, a higher order value will always take precedence over a lower order value. Whenever you are forced to choose between acting on one value or another, you always choose the value that is the highest on your own personal hierarchy.

Who you are, in your heart, is evidenced by what you do on a day-to-day basis, especially when you are pushed into a position where you have to make a choice between two values or alternatives. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, Guard your integrity as a sacred thing. In study after study, the quality of integrity, or a persons adherence to values, ranks as the number one quality sought in every field. When it comes to determining whom they will do business with, customers rank the honesty of a salesperson as the most important single quality. Even if a they feel that a salespersons product, quality and price is superior, customers will not buy from that salesperson if they feel that he or she is lacking in honesty and character.

Likewise, integrity is the number one quality of leadership. Integrity in leadership is expressed in terms of constancy and consistency. It is manifested in an absolute devotion to keeping ones word. The glue that holds all relationships together-including the relationship between the leader and the led-is trust, and trust is based on integrity.

Integrity is so important that functioning in our society would be impossible without it. We could not make even a simple purchase without a high level of confidence that the price was honest and that the change was correct. The most successful individuals and companies in America are those with reputations of high integrity among everyone they deal with. This level of integrity builds the confidence that others have in them and enables them to do more business than their competitors whose ethics may be a little shaky. Earl Nightingale once wrote, If honesty did not exist, it would have to be invented, as it is the surest way of getting rich. A study at Harvard University concluded that the most valuable asset that a company has is how it is known to its customers, its reputation.

By the same token, your greatest personal asset is the way that you are known to your customers. It is your personal reputation for keeping your word and fulfilling your commitments. Your integrity precedes you and affects all of your interactions with other people. There are several things you can do to move you more rapidly toward becoming the kind of person that you know you are capable of becoming. The first, as I mentioned, is to decide upon your five most important values in life. Organize them in order of priority. Then write a brief paragraph defining what each of those values means to you. A value combined with a definition becomes an organizing principle, a statement that you can use to help you make better decisions. It is a measure and standard which enables you to know how closely you are adhering to your innermost beliefs and convictions.

The second step to developing integrity and character in yourself is to study men and women of great character. Study the lives and stories of people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale, Susan B. Anthony and Margaret Thatcher. Study the people whose strength of character enabled them to change their world. As you read, think about how they would behave if they were facing the difficulties that you face.

Napoleon Hill, in his book, The Master Key to Riches, tells about how he created an imaginary board of personal advisors made up of great figures of history. He chose people like Napoleon, Lincoln, Jesus, and Alexander the Great. Whenever he had to make a decision, he would relax deeply and then imagine that the members of his advisory council were sitting at a large table in front of him. He would then ask them what he should do to deal effectively with a particular situation. In time, they would begin to give him answers, observations, and insights that helped him to see more clearly and act more effectively.

You can do the same thing. Select someone that you very much admire for their qualities of courage, tenacity, honesty, or wisdom. Ask yourself, What would Jesus do in my situation? or, What would Lincoln do if he were here at this time? You will find yourself with guidance that enables you to be the very best person that you can possible be.

The third and most important step in building your integrity has to do with formulating your approach based on the psychology of human behavior. We know that if you feel a particular way, you will act in a manner consistent with that feeling. For example, if you feel happy, you will act happy. If you feel angry, you will act angry. If you feel courageous, you will act courageously.

But we also know that you don't always start off feeling the way you want to. However, because of the Law of Reversibility, if you act as if you had a particular feeling, the action will generate the feeling consistent with it. You can, in effect, act your way into feeling. You can fake it until you make it.

You can become a superior human being by consciously acting exactly as the kind of person that you would most like to become. If you behave like an individual of integrity, courage, resolution, persistence and character, you will soon create within yourself the mental structure and habits of such a person. Your actions will become your reality. You will create a personality that is consistent with your highest aspirations.

The more you walk, talk, and behave consistent with your highest values, the more you will like yourself and the better you will feel about yourself. Your self-image will improve and your level of self-acceptance will go up. You will feel stronger, bolder, and more capable of facing any challenge.

There are three primary areas of your life where acting with integrity is crucial. These are the three areas of greatest temptation for forsaking your integrity, as well as the areas of greatest opportunity for building your integrity. When you listen to your inner voice and do what you know to be the right thing in each of these areas, you will have a sense of peace and satisfaction that will lead you on to success and high achievement.

The first area of integrity has to do with your relationships with your family and your friends, the people close to you. Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life. It means refusing to say or do something that you dont believe is right. Living in truth with other people means that you refuse to stay in any situation where you are unhappy with the behavior of another person. You refuse to tolerate it. You refuse to compromise. Psychologists have determined that most stress and negativity comes from attempting to live in a way that is not congruent with your highest values. It is when your life is out of alignment, when you are doing and saying one thing on the outside, but really feeling and believing something different on the inside, that you feel most unhappy. When you decide to become an individual of character and integrity, your first action will be to neutralize or remove all difficult relationships from your life.

This doesnt mean that you have to go and hit somebody over the head with a stick. It simply means that you honestly confront another person and tell them that you are not happy. Tell them that you would like to reorganize this relationship so that you feel more content and satisfied. If the other person is not willing to make adjustments so that you can be happy, it should be clear to you that you don't want to be in this relationship much longer anyway. The second area of integrity has to do with your attitude and behavior toward money. Casualness toward money brings casualties in your financial life. You must be fastidious about your treatment of money, especially other peoples money. You must guard your credit rating the same way you would guard your honor. You must pay your bills punctually, or even early. You must keep your promises with regard to your financial commitments.

The third area of integrity has to do with your commitments to others, especially in your business, your work and your sales activities. Always keep your word. Be a man or a woman of honor. If you say that you will do something, do it. If you make a promise, keep it. If you make a commitment, fulfill it. Be known as the kind of person that can be trusted absolutely, no matter what the circumstances.

Your integrity is manifested in your willingness to adhere to the values you hold most dear. Its easy to make promises and hard to keep them, but if you do, every single act of integrity will make your character a little stronger. And as you improve the quality and strength of your character, every other part of your life will improve as well.

Excellence Combined With Integrity by Brian Tracy

2011-08-19T08:28:00.002+08:00

How to set standards for excellence and back them with total integrity.
A Commitment to Excellence
Leaders have specific responsibilities and must fulfill certain requirements. One requirement of leadership is the ability to choose an area of excellence. Just as a good general chooses the terrain on which to do battle, an excellent leader chooses the area in which he and others are going to do an outstanding job. The commitment to excellence is one of the most powerful of all motivators. All leaders who change people and organizations are enthusiastic about achieving excellence in a particular area.

Be the Best!
The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to "Be the best!" Many people don’t yet realize that excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is just plain silly! It is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they don’t, they will go to your competitors so fast, people’s heads will spin.

Have A Vision of High Standards
As a leader, your job is to be excellent at what you do, to be the best in your chosen field of endeavor. Your job is to have a vision of high standards in serving people. You not only exemplify excellence in your own behavior, but you also translate it to others so that they, too, become committed to this vision.

This is the key to servant leadership. It is the commitment to doing work of the highest quality in the service of other people, both inside and outside the organization. Leadership today requires an equal focus on the people who must do the job, on the one hand, and the people who are expected to benefit from the job, on the other.

The Most Respected Quality
The second quality, which is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders, is integrity. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life.

Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, "Did you do your very best?" you can look him in the eye and say, "Yes!" Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, "No, I did everything I possibly could."

Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth, and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true.

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

First, identify the area of your work where excellent performance can contribute the very most to productivity and profits. Focus all your efforts in this area.

Second, do your very best on every task. Imagine that everyone is watching even when no one is watching. Imagine that everyone in your company was going to do their work exactly the way you do yours.

Never compromise your standards!

Misplaced Beliefs to Creating Wealth - By Warren Winston

2011-08-19T08:27:00.003+08:00

A famous billionaire once said that even ordinary streets are paved with gold if only one will spend the time to see why. Everyone could make wealth but the problem often is that a person is too preoccupied with negativity that the eye fails to see.

The following are misplaced belief systems that are firmly established in the human psyche that blinds the eye hindering the possibility of creating wealth.

1. The creation of wealth is directly proportional to the amount of hard work that a person is willing to take.
At the start yes, there is no substitute for that. After all, the person that desires to create more wealth will have to conceptualize, experiment, study and will, on many occasions be willing to make mistakes to learn more. Once the hard part is over, (for the most part it takes only a while) the person could hire hands to do the working for him. There is no one person on earth who is a depository of all knowledge after all. When that happens all that the entrepreneur has to do is provide directions based on lessons learned.

2. To amass wealth, you have to be in the right business.
But truly, what is right business and what is not? This principle drives people crazy. When the internet café for example was just starting, everyone scrambled to dip their fingers to have one. The result is to slice the pie thinner every time that ultimately results into weakened earning potentials for everyone concerned. Instead, start a business from things that you love most doing. The interest will be sustained that will be needed when encountering rough times. Even when a craze is started because of that, no one will do it better than the person who started it.

3. You cannot start a business without enough capital.
Again what is enough capital? There are businesses, lots of them that started from nothing. Capital is needed whenever available but when the idea is there, the enthusiasm and the energy is capital enough. No successful businessman today started with large capital. In fact most of them started with almost nothing. Big businesses are mostly inherited but they too started from almost nothing.

4. The idea has to be right.
Agreed, but if someone keeps on looking for it, a good idea will start somehow somewhere. The best person to be looking for ideas is the self. The things that the person loved doing or the make believe that the person enjoys when still a child is sufficient material for an idea.

5. Education is needed to start a business.
Wrong. Education is needed when seeking employment. When starting a business, goodwill is good enough. All successful businessmen for the last two hundred years were dropouts, have little education, or are simple sturdy people who refused to be satisfied with whatever chance and fortune came their way.

6. I am too old
Again, another fallacy. Many businesses have been established and made successful from retirement money. Age though has obvious limitations. The person may not be able to enjoy most of the fruits of the labor but who cares. When there is the desire to succeed, success it will be.

More than any of these, there should be a desire to do well. Successful businesses that lasted are anchored on that. It is the desire to make a change for the better. To spot a need and to fill that need is easy; to create wealth from filling the need is easier too. To maintain goodwill that aligns us all with every ideal that is best in us is not.

Finding A New Business Idea By: Brian Tracy

2011-08-19T08:26:00.002+08:00

Look for Opportunities
How do you find a new product or service, recognizing that 80 percent or more will be new in five years? Here's a series of ideas. Number one, begin with yourself. Begin with your own talents, your abilities, your experience, knowledge, interest, background, education, and so on. Look carefully at your current work, your current business, your current position, or your current product or service. Seek for what is called your own acres of diamonds. Look under your own feet.

Look Into Yourself
Here's a question. What qualities account for your greatest successes in life so far? What personal qualities and abilities have gotten you to where you are? And how could you apply those qualities and abilities to starting and building a new business?

If you already have a company, ask what are your companies' talents, abilities, experience, knowledge, interest, background, and so on. What qualities and talents and abilities have enabled your company to succeed up to now? Where can you specialize? Where can you make a difference?

Identify What You Really Enjoy
Number two is look for a product or service about which you can really become enthusiastic. Sometimes people become wealthy by translating or transforming their hobbies into a business. You will be most successful doing something or marketing something that you really love.

Every product must have a champion. Every product or service must have someone in the business who really, really loves the product or service and is eager to get out and tell other people about it.

Improve On Something Else
Number three, look for something that is an improvement on an existing product or service, not something brand new. Look for something that's cheaper or better quality. Or that has additional features or functions. Look for something that's an improvement.

Remember improving an existing successful product or service is the fastest and surest way to build a successful business. An idea only needs to be ten percent new and better to capture substantial market share. Brand new products or services are very risky.

Be Willing to Work Hard
The fourth key to finding a new product or service is this. Don't look for easy money. Don't look for gimmicks or useless knickknacks. Don't look for get-rich-quick schemes or rewards without working, because they're aren't any.

More people have wasted more time and more life and more money trying to find quick ways to make easy money than you can possibly imagine. So be willing to put in a lot of hard work before you start making real money in a business.

Success Takes Time
It takes two years to break even in the average business. It takes four years to show a profit. It takes maybe eight to ten years before it starts to generate real cash flow. So you have to be patient. If you're impatient, what will happen is you'll end up setting yourself further back than you can imagine.

Action Exercises
First, be prepared to research a lot of business ideas before you make a final decision. The first 10% of time that you spend doing your homework will save you 90% of the effort in getting results later on.

Second, look for something that you can make an improvement upon rather than something brand new. You are surrounded by ideas and opportunities for improvement if you can just identify them.

You cannot

2011-08-19T08:25:00.002+08:00

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

Abraham Lincoln

The Day Before You Go on Vacation By Zig Ziglar

2011-08-04T17:12:00.000+08:00

How do you achieve employment security in a world where there is no employment security? I start with a question. How many of you consider yourself to be honest and at least reasonably intelligent? Can I see your hands, please? Okay. How many of you honest, intelligent people, as a general rule, get about twice as much work done on the day before you go on vacation as you normally get done? Can I see your hands, please? Well... Glad to see so many honest folks. Now I am going to ask you a long question, so stay with me all the way through. If we can figure out why and learn how and repeat it everyday without working any longer or any harder, does it make sense that we will be more valuable to ourselves, our company, our family and our community? Does that make any sense at all? The answer is "Yes".

I want to make it crystal clear that I am going to be talking to you about you, not going to be talking about anybody that's not here, but to you about you. You have already confessed that you are honest and intelligent. Now how many of you on the night before the day before vacation, got your laptop out or a sheet of paper out and said, "Now tomorrow, I've got to do this and this..." How many of you did that? Can I see your hand? We coined a very clever name for that. We call that goal setting. So, you set your goal. Then you got them organized in the order of their importance.

Let me encourage you to make one slight change there. If you have got to go give Charlie the worst possible news, and he is the 5th on the list of gotta do's, when you finish the first one, the next order on your mind is "Gotta talk to Charlie." Finish the second one, "Gotta talk to Charlie." See Charlie first. Get the disagreeable things and difficult things out of the way first. Free your mind, so you can concentrate on what else you have got to do. You got it organized. You accepted responsibility. You made the commitments. You know some people are about as committed as a kamikaze pilot on his thirty-ninth mission. They just don't make it a serious thing.

Now commitment is important whether it is to get your education, make one more call, whether it's to keep the marriage together, whatever. Commitment is important because when you hit the wall, not if, when you hit the wall, if you made a commitment, your first thought is, "How do I solve the problem?" If you haven't made the commitment, your first thought is, "How do I get out of this deal?" And we find literally what we are looking for. When you make that commitment, things happen. It shows that you really care about the other people there. It demonstrates that you are dependable. Even though you're leaving town, you're not going to leave an unfinished task for the other people to do. Your integrity comes through.

Now the beautiful thing about integrity, when integrity is part of you as a person and is part of your life, you do the right thing. When you do the right thing, you have nothing to feel guilty about. With integrity you have nothing to fear because you have nothing to hide. Now think about it, with guilt and fear both removed from your back, doesn't it just make sense that you can function more effectively? You will be freer to do the right thing always. Not only that, but that's the way you take steps up. You know Emerson said, "If you would lift me up, you've got to be on higher ground". And truer words were never spoken. You also, when you look at this, what you decide to do is you're going to work smarter; and you're optimistic you're going to get it done.

How many of you ever participated in organized, team sports? Can I see your hands? How many of you ever went home one night and said to your parents, "Mom or dad, you can't believe the game plan the coaches worked out. Man alive, it was incredible. We're going to kill those suckers tomorrow. You can count on it." You were optimistic simply because you had a plan of action and so you were optimistic that the next day you were going to be able to get all of these things done.

Now some of us are born optimistic, and some are born pessimistic. For your information the 1828 Noah Webster does not have the word pessimist in it. It has the word optimist. Now I am a natural born optimist. I really am. I would take my last two dollars and buy a money belt with it. That's the way I'm put together; but the good news is if you are a natural born pessimist, you definitely, emphatically, positively can change. You are a pessimist by choice because you are what you are and where you are because of what's gone into your mind. You can change what you are; you can change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.

Anyway, the next day, you not only got there on time, you were a little early, and you immediately got started. You didn't stand around and say, "Well, I wonder what I ought to do now." You couldn't wait to get after it. You wanted to do the right thing, so you really got started in a big hurry. You were enthusiastic about it. You were highly motivated. You decisively move from one task to another. Now I am going to camp on this one for just a moment.

As a general rule, how many of you have noticed that people who have nothing to do want to do it with you? Can I see your hands? Okay. Now, on this day before vacation, when you finish one task, you move with purpose to another one. And people will not block you for that two-minute gossip session or four-minute or five-minute or six-minutes. I am absolutely convinced, no doubt about it that the listener has more to do with the gossiping than the speaker because if you don't listen, you're not going to have the guy or gal talking to you. They just aren't. When you move with purpose, people will step aside and let you go.

I will absolutely guarantee you, you will save a minimum of an hour a day in two-minute, three-minute, five minute things. An hour a day is five hours per week is 250 hours per year. That is six weeks of your life that you've wasted and six weeks of combination time that you have wasted with the people who were giving the gossip to you. What could you do with six extra weeks every year? You focus on the issue at hand. You are disciplined to stay with it until you finish, and the neat thing about discipline, Cybil Stanton gave me the best definition of it I have ever heard in her book, "The Twenty Five Hour Woman". "Discipline isn't on your back needling you with imperatives. It is at your side encouraging you with incentives."

6 Steps To A Stronger Mind by Mark Victor Hansen

2011-08-04T17:10:00.003+08:00

Why People Have No Goals Program By Zig Ziglar

2011-08-04T17:04:00.000+08:00

Everyone has individual goals but only about 3% have a well-balanced goals program. An individual goal could be something as simple as getting to work on time or losing ten pounds. It could be a negative goal like getting the next fix or the next drink. A goals program is an entirely different matter. There are four basic reasons people do not have a goals program. Number one is an unrealistic or imagined fear which causes one to believe that his/her efforts will produce failure, so it is “safer” not to try.
Consider this: You could generate genuine fear in a bank teller by covering your face with a handkerchief, putting your hand in your coat pocket, pointing your finger toward the teller and saying, “This is a hold-up.” The fear would be based on the teller’s imagination but the fear would be real. It is this fear, based on false assumptions, which prevents most people from setting realistic but worthwhile goals. Combine that with the fact that many people do not understand that failure is an event and not a person and we have another reason most people don’t have a goals program.

Admittedly, there is danger in many things. There is danger when an airplane leaves the ground, but there is more danger for the plane if you permanently park it because it will deteriorate faster sitting still than it will when flying, which is why it was built. There is danger when you rent a house, because the tenants might not take care of it; but there’s even more danger if you leave the house empty. Houses deteriorate faster when empty than when occupied, which is why they are built. There’s danger in setting goals because you might not reach them, but there’s infinitely more danger in not setting them. Think about it and next week we’ll look at the second reason most people do not have a goals program.

We identified fear as the first reason people don't have a goals program because fear of failure is a real dream-killer. Today we will discuss the second reason, which is a poor self-image. Too many people see themselves as either incapable of or undeserving of doing significant things and accomplishing great or even worthwhile things in their lives. The image or "picture" we have of ourselves dramatically influences our behavior.

As the tenth of twelve children raised by a widowed mother in a small Mississippi town during the Depression, I thought of myself as a little guy (as a child I was small for my age) from a little town who would struggle all of his life. I also saw myself as being mediocre as a student and it wasn't until I was in college, taking a course under a professor who was a friend of the family, that I made a serious effort to excel. I did so because I knew word would get back to both families about my performance. I valued the professor's opinion of me, as well as the opinions of the rest of his family. I spent extra time studying and made an "A" in the subject.

Problems

2011-08-04T17:03:00.000+08:00

Allowing Divine intervention always requires gratitude. Sometimes it is hard to be grateful, and when we are ungrateful, we are resisting, rather than allowing or co-manifesting. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “When God wants to send you a present, He wraps it in a problem, and when He wants to send you a big present, He wraps it in a big problem.”

Be Grateful then for Problems

Everyday, I meet people with problems. Problems are a part of life. Some of those people are skipping around them or jumping over them, but others are buried by them. That some were allowing Divine intervention, and others were resisting was clear, but I wasn't sure of how this was happening until recently.

I have been studying this phenomenon since I realized that more than half of those chosen for the movie, The Secret, were homeless at one time before realizing they already had what they needed to become wealthy. What made the difference?

Neale Donald Walsch makes the point in his movie (Conversations with God) that it wasn’t until he let go of feeling sorry for himself, and demanded that God respond, that he got an answer to his prayers. This was his way of allowing Divine intervention. When we sincerely ask for help and believe it must come, our request will be answered. We are co-creators with the One, God, Divinity, the Creator, but as long as we are depending on our ego earth bound brain) to solve our problems we will be limited in our abilities and solutions.

Brian Tracy quotes Norman Vincent Peale and speaks of being grateful for problems as they each help us to rise above our current status. Being grateful for all gifts, even those wrapped in problems, is the way we allow Divine intervention.

Rising Above Your Current Status

One of the most limiting responses to problems is to be angry at your self, yet this is common. I speak with people every day who believe they are accepting responsibility for their “problems” when they shower themselves with guilt and recrimination. There is nothing to be gained by doing this. Instead, accept responsibility for the desire to be in a better place, and then thank God for sending the problem that provides the escalator that will lift you to a new station.

That problem might hold knowledge that you need for your jump but more importantly, your gratefulness is absolutely the key that will open your creative lock. Without that trust and faith in your connection to the One, you will be stuck where you are with occasional gifts coming your way always disguised within problems.

Give thanks to the One for your success, and give thanks for your problems, and you will continue to grow in confidence, love and abundance.

Walking a New Road by Jim Rohn

2011-08-04T17:01:00.000+08:00

Here is a good question to ask yourself. Ten years from now you will surely arrive. The question is, where? We don't want to kid ourselves about where. We don't want to kid ourselves about the road we're walking.

At age 25, I had a day shortly after I met my mentor Mr. Shoaff called "do not kid myself anymore" day. I didn't want to be disillusioned anymore. Up until then, I had been using the crossed-finger theory. But after meeting Mr. Shoaff, I finally decided that the crossed-finger theory was not going to get me what I wanted. That it wasn't where the treasure lies. That I was going to have to make sure which way I was headed.

Then, with the help of Mr. Shoaff, I found with a few reading disciplines, and a few disciplines of mind, and a few disciplines of activity, that when exercised, can begin making all the difference in the world as to where you will arrive.

Just a few changes. Sometimes we get the idea that we're doing about 10 percent and there's about 90 percent more that we need in order to make the difference for our fortune, but probably the opposite is true. We're doing enough things to have bought and shared in the good life so far. And maybe all we need is that extra 5 percent or 10 percent of intellectual change. Activity change. A refinement of discipline. A refinement of thought. And all we need is the ideas to make those simple changes and the equity starts gathering in one year, three years, five years, 10 years.

I have a good comment for you: Now's the time to fix the next 10 years. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth; that's what was good for me when I met Mr. Shoaff. I was 25 years old, he was 44 years old. And he brought me a wealth of experience and he started asking me the tough questions. "Big question," he said, "Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go in the next five years?"

Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next five years, you are either reading the right books or you're not. You're either engaged in the disciplines or you're not. But, here's what we don't want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.

The key is to take a look and say, "Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want, the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don't want to make any more errors. Now's the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go."

In lecturing for more than 40 years, I've gotten letters and personal testimonies of people who have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, tapes and books can be so valuable. Here's a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's sometimes hard to see it all.

But the key is to start right now making these changes to walk this new road. And here's what's exciting to me: just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand-new road.

Character by Tim Connor, CSP

2011-08-04T17:00:00.002+08:00

Adversity is normal in life. It can develop character, strength, courage, self-confidence and self-belief.

The dictionary uses words like fortitude, honesty and distinctive to define character. I use words such as: persistence, courage and self-reliance.

For years I have had an on-going verbal battle with several people about the value and importance of letting people fail, not helping them at every turn of life's wheel and not giving them whatever they think they need or are entitled to for them to succeed, survive or even just make it through another difficult day.

Now, don't get me wrong folks, I believe in a safety net and support system at those critical times in people's lives when they really need it. It can often mean the difference between overwhelming discouragement and making it through another day. I know the feeling and frustration of turning to people for help when I really needed it and getting a sympathetic no. I also know how it feels to be on the bottom and have someone rescue you emotionally, physically or financially. Having said that I also believe that the more you help people the less you help them in the long run. I can hear some of you now... Tim you idiot, take me off your dumb email list! Hang on here for just a minute folks.

I ask you, if every time someone is in need or has a perceived need, you help them, what do they learn? They learn that their life outcome is always in someone else's hands. They learn that whenever you are in trouble, you pick up the cell phone and call for help. They develop the attitude that just because they are here - they deserve it. No one owes anyone anything. Parents don't owe children an education, they do it because they love them, can afford it or want to, but not because the children are entitled to it. Companies offer employees opportunities for growth, responsibility and opportunity for economic freedom but they do not owe the employee respite from life's troubles and challenges. Life is not easy. When you make it too easy for people they seldom develop the ability to handle those future tough times when those who helped them in the past are no longer here or are able.

The problem is that these people never learn self-reliance, self-confidence, the skill in handling life's difficulties or character. And, they will come sooner or later. I had minimal support in my life and career once I turned 18. Yes, my parents loved me but they taught me that if you achieve anything worthwhile in your life you will be able to look back knowing you did it, not us, not your friends etc.

I have failed, been broke, discouraged, alone, in need - I could go on and on but I won't bore you with the gory details. I am now, after all of this drama and trauma in the top 1% of income earners in the U.S., written 32 books and sold over one million books worldwide and I got there because of my effort, time, commitment, willingness to get up again and again. Yes, I have great clients, some really good friends and a few associates who have all been a joy in my life and have been there for me from time to time, but they were not always there when I needed help. I was recently asked, what could you have accomplished if you had had a better education, given a leg up, or had someone there for you every step of the way? Here is the crutch of the issue. I may have accomplished more, earned more but would I have also developed the character necessary for survival? One will never know. We can only guess what your life would have been like if........

I am reminded of Tom Hanks' role in Castaway. Would he have survived better, sooner with help? Maybe, maybe not, but would he have developed the same inner strength, courage and self-belief and self-reliance in the process? I seriously doubt it.

Factors of Risk in Selling By Brian Tracy

2011-08-04T16:58:00.002+08:00

The Critical Factor: Risk

The critical factor in selling today is risk. Because of the continuous change, rapid obsolescence, and an uncertain economy, the risk of buying the wrong product or service has become greater than ever before.

One of our powerful needs is for security, and any buying decision that represents uncertainty triggers the feeling of risk that threatens that security.

There are four main factors that contribute to the perception of risk in the mind and hear of the customer.

Risk Factor 1: Size of the Sale
The first factor that contributes to risk is the size of the sale. The larger the scale, the more money involved, the greater the risk.

If a person is buying a package of Lifesavers, the risk of satisfaction or dissatisfaction is insignificant. But if a person is buying a computer system for their company, the risk factor is magnified by hundreds of thousands of times.

Whenever you are selling a product that has a high price on it, you must be aware that risk enters into the buyer's calculations immediately.

Risk Factor 2: Number of People Affected
The second factor contributing to the perception of risk is the number of people who will be affected by the buying decision. Almost every complex buying decision involves several people.

There are people who must use the product or service. There are people who must pay for the product or service. There are people who are dependent of the results expected from the product or service. If a person is extremely sensitive to the opinions of others, this factor alone can cause him or her to put off a buying decision.

Risk Factor 3: Length of Life of the Product
The third factor contributing to the perception of risk is the length of life of the product. A product or service that, once installed, is meant to last for several years, generates the feeling of risk. The customer panics and thinks, "What if it doesn't work and I'm stuck with it?"

Risk Factor 4: Unfamiliarity
The fourth major risk factor is the customer's unfamiliarity with you, your company, and your product or service. A first-time buyer, one who has not bought the product or service before, or who has not bought it from you, is often nervous and requires a lot of hand-holding.

Anything new or different makes the average customer tense and uneasy. This is why a new product or service, or a new business relationship with your company, has to be presented as a natural extension of what the customer is already doing.

Overcoming Risk
In every case, you must overcome the customer's fear of risk if you are going to make the sale. Everything you do, from the first contact, through closing, the delivery and installation of the product or service, and the follow-up to the sale, must be done with the customer's perception of risk uppermost in your thinking.

Successful sales people are those who position their products or services as the lowest-risk product or service available to satisfy the particular need or achieve the particular goal of the customer.

Low-Risk vs. Low-Price
Your job is to be the low-risk provider, not necessarily the low-price vendor. Your job is to demonstrate clearly that your product or service represents the safest and most secure purchase decision rather than merely being the least expensive or highest quality.

Our customers today are the most experienced in customer history. They know that there is usually a close correlation between higher price on the one hand and greater security and after-sales satisfaction on the other. Your task is to make this differential clear in your sales presentation, especially when positioning you product or service against lower-priced competition.

Action Exercise
Identify the risks that a customer might find with your product or service. Once you have clearly defined those risks, it will be easier to find solutions for them to ease nervous customers.

Self-Image in Selling By: Brian Tracy

2011-06-17T17:34:00.000+08:00

Why Your Self-Image is a Key Part of Your Personality

Your self-image is the way you see yourself and think about yourself. It is often called your "inner mirror." You look into this mirror in every situation to see how you should perform on the outside. You always behave on the outside in a manner consistent with the picture you have of yourself on the inside.

How Do You See Yourself
For example, if you see yourself, as calm, confident and competent in any aspect of selling, when you are engaged in that activity, you will feel calm, confident and competent. You will be positive and happy. You will perform well and get excellent results. If, for any reason, it doesn't go well at that time, you will throw it off and dismiss it as a temporary situation. Your self-image is clear. In your mind's eye you see yourself as good and capable in that area, and nothing can interfere with your mental picture.

Change Your Self-Image
The most rapid improvements in sales results come from changing your self-image. The moment that you see yourself differently, you behave differently as well. And because you are behaving differently, you get different results.

My Own Story
Some years ago, when I was selling club memberships from office to office, I would end my presentation by giving the prospect a booklet outlining the membership benefits and encourage him to "think about it." My self-image was such that I could not bring myself to ask the prospect to make a buying decision. All day long, I would go from office to office giving my presentation and leaving a little book with descriptions to read. And as you might imagine, I was not making any sales. When I called people back after they had time to think about it, they would invariably say that they were not interested.

The Turning Point
I was getting desperate. I was living from hand to mouth at the time. Although I was seeing lots of prospects, I was making very few sales. Then I had a revelation which changed my career at the time. I realized that it was my fear of asking for the order that was causing all my problems. It was not my prospects. It was me. I needed to change my self-image and thereby change my behavior if I wanted results to improve.

Make A Decision
The very next morning, I made the decision that I would not call back on a prospect. The size of the purchase was small and, when I had completed my presentation, the prospect would know everything that he needed to know to make a decision. There was no benefit or advantage of leaving material behind or giving the prospect several days to think about it. At my very first call, and I still remember it, when I had finished my presentation, the prospect said, "Let me think it over." I smiled and told him that I did not make call backs because I was too busy, and then I said, "You know everything you need to know to make a decision right now. Why don't you just take it?" I remember him shrugging his shoulders and saying, "OK. I'll take it. How would you like to be paid?"

Double Your Earnings
I walked out of that office on a cloud. That very day I tripled my sales. That week, I sold more than anyone else in the company. By the end of the month, they had made me the sales manager with 42 people under me. I went from making one or two sales per week to making ten or fifteen sales per week. I went from worrying about money to a large salary with an override on the activities of all my salespeople. My sales life took off and, with few exceptions, it never stopped. And the turning point was that conscious choice to modify my self-image and make it more consistent with the results I wanted rather than the results that I was getting.

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

First, begin to see yourself the way you want to be. See yourself as strong, confident, competent and professional in every way. The person you see is the person you will be.

Second, identify an area of selling where your own ideas about yourself and the situation are holding you back. You always perform on the outside the way you see yourself on the inside.

The Principle of the Objective By: Brian Tracy

2011-06-17T17:30:00.000+08:00

Learn from the Lessons of History
The concepts of military strategy have been studied and written about for more than 4,000 years, going back to the early works of General Sun-Tzu in China more than 2,000 years BC. These principles of strategy that have been developed and perfected over the centuries have direct applications and implications for strategic thinking, both personally and corporately.

Decide In Advance What You Want
The most important military principle is the Principle of the Objective. This principle requires that you decide in advance exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish. What exactly is your objective? In my experience, fully 80% of all problems in personal and corporate life come from a lack of clarity with regard to objectives and goals.

Clarity Is Critical
Clarity of objective precedes all other elements in strategic thinking. Here are some questions that you can use over and over again to focus and clarify your objectives. The first question is, "What am I trying to do?" The second question is, "How am I trying to do it?" The third question is, "What are my assumptions?" And the fourth question is, "What if my assumptions were wrong?"

Question Your Assumptions
Having the courage to ask these questions, and to question your assumptions, both spoken and unspoken, is a key mark of the superior person. Sometimes individuals avoid questioning their assumptions for fear that they will have to change their minds or do something other than what they started out to do. However, false assumptions lie at the root of almost every failure. The only way that you can root out these wrong assumptions is by carefully analyzing them and discussing them, and then by demanding proof or evidence that these assumptions are still valid.

Project Forward In Your Mind
Another method for clarifying your objectives is for you to project forward and look backward. In other words, imagine that you have already achieved the objective that you are working toward. Project yourself forward in your mind and then look back to the present day, to the present moment. What do you see? What changes could you make looking back from this imaginary perspective of hindsight? This is a key peak performance thinking technique.

Determine Why You Want It
The final part of clarifying your objectives revolves around your identifying the reasons why you want to achieve this objective in the first place. Why is it important? Is it still as important as when you started off? Is this objective more important than any other objective that you could be working on? It is essential that you be clear about the answers to these questions.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to apply the principle of the objective to your personal and business life:

First, take out a piece of paper and answer the question: "What am I trying to do?" What are your goals? What are your objectives? Why are you doing what you are doing in the first place? Is this the very best use of your time and energy?

Second, question your assumptions. What things are you assuming are true about yourself, the people around you and the situation? What if one of these assumptions turned out to be false? What changes would you have to make if you found that your most cherished assumptions were not based on reality, or were contradicted by facts?

The Power of the Word By Zig Ziglar

2011-05-27T10:16:00.002+08:00

Charles Osgood, the “word merchant,” said that “compared to the spoken word, a picture is a pitiful thing, indeed.” C. J. Ducasse said that “to speak of mere words is much like speaking of mere dynamite.” The wisest man who ever lived said, “The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.” It has been said that the way people talk is the best indication of how they think, and the most powerful instrument for influencing a person’s thought process is the spoken word.

I have such great respect for the positive and negative power of words that for years I have been careful in private conversation and public presentations to use only “adult language.” Words like “dependable,” “commitment,” “dedication,” “discipline,” “responsibility,” “honor,” “integrity,” etc., and I am particularly careful to use a large number of four-letter words like “good,” “best,” “real,” “fair,” “hope,” “love,” etc.

The negative influence of words has been well-documented. Bill Glass says that over 90% of the men incarcerated in our penal institutions were repeatedly told by their parents, “One of these days you’re going to end up in jail.” Dr. Stephen Arterburn, cofounder of the world-famous Minirth-Meier Clinics, says that clinician Dr. Les Carter has never worked with an abuse situation that didn’t follow a pattern of verbal abuse before physical abuse. Dr. Carter also said that the more a person cusses, the less sensitive to the nature of their own behavior they become.

Yes, those words are important. Be careful of what you say, realizing the inherent power of words. Think and use the right words and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Quotes can be much then a source of inspiration and motivation

2011-05-23T08:53:00.001+08:00

When used as a contemplation or affirmation they can be transforming!

Contemplation – focusing on a single thought and asking questions about how this quote applies or can apply to your life. The contemplation should last 5 minutes and ONLY focus on a single quote and deeply think about it’s meaning, what it means to you, how you can use it, how it can help you. Keep creating deeper questions. If you can answer the question quickly go deeper. At some point you should “stump” yourself and have to wait for the answer. This is contemplation.

Affirmation/Incantations – Again, select one quote and repeat is out loud (to yourself) with emotion. This is not a simple memorization process; this is to create energy, passion and new belief. Also, select a different word to emphasize. Say that you select “Men’s best successes come after their disappointments.” For the first 5 times you say it out loud with energy on the entire phrase. Then emphasize the word “men’s”, for 5 times, then “best”, and so forth until you have repeated the entire phrase. I find this process very inspirational when I talk a walk.

If you really want to experience a shift this weekend, combine the contemplation and affirmations. Perform the contemplation first thing in the morning for 5 minutes. Then go out for a walk and use the same quote and perform your incantations.

I guarantee you feel a difference.

So…here are 40 very powerful mental strength quotes for personal empowerment and personal success.

1. Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. – Albert Einstein

2. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. – Henry David Thoreau

3. Inspiration and genius–one and the same. – Victor Hugo

4. To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says: “Leave no stone unturned.” – Edward Bulwer Lytton

5. If you would create something, you must be something. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6. Every artist was first an amateur. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. – Horace Bushnell

8. Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself. – W. C. Doane

9. Do we not all agree to call rapid thought and noble impulse by the name of inspiration? – George Eliot

10. No great man ever complains of want of opportunities. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. Men do less than they ought, unless they do all they can. – Thomas Carlyle

12. Men’s best successes come after their disappointments. – Henry Ward Beecher.

13. Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. – Leon J. Suenes

14. The power of imagination makes us infinite. – John Muir

15. First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. – Epictetus

16. It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. – George S. Patton

18. If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. – St. Clement of Alexandra

19. We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

20. Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day. – Thornton Wilder

21. The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke

22. Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks. – Johann Gottfried Von Herder

23. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle

24. Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire

25. If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. – Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe – Latin Proverb

26. Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. – Benjamin Disraeli

27. You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. – Author Unknown

28. The best way out is always through. – Robert Frost

29. o not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. – William B. Sprague

30. Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. – Samuel Johnson

31. Fortune favors the brave. – Publius Terence

32. hen the best things are not possible, the best may be made of those that are. – Richard Hooker

33. He who hesitates is lost. – Proverb

34. Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. – Albert Einstein

35. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

36. We are still masters of our fate. We are still captains of our souls. – Winston Churchill

37. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

38. For hope is but the dream of those that wake. – Matthew Prior

39. Constant dripping hollows out a stone. – Lucretius

40. Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose–a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. – Mary Shelley

50 Ways To Make Yourself Miserable

2011-05-06T08:39:00.000+08:00

1. Compare yourself frequently with others.
2. Belittle yourself.
3. Don’t believe in dreams. You believe dreams will only happen when you are sleeping.
4. Say yes to everybody and everything.
5. Work in a job you hate.
6. Complain about everything.
7. Complain about everything to your friends.
8. Suspicious of everything.
9. Counting your troubles.
10. Harbor negative thoughts.
11. Trying to please everyone and let everyone walk all over you.
12. Constantly thinking about the past.
13. Constantly thinking about the future.
14. Focusing on what you lack.
15. Focusing on what you don’t want.
16. Need others to validate you constantly.
17. Think of everything that can possibly go wrong in your life.
18. Get jealous easily.
19. Envious of others and is never grateful of what you have instead.
20. Imitating others due to lack of self confidence.
21. Lacking self esteem and cause others to dislike you.
22. Think the world revolves around you.
23. Judging others.
24. Absorbing all the bad news in the papers daily.
25. Eating junk food.
26. Exercising is your worst nightmare.
27. Believe that things can only go your way.
28. Do not accept others opinion.
29. Lack of sleep.
30. Lack of goals.
31. Worry consistently about the sky is falling.
32. Plan but never take action.
33. Fail to plan.
34. Feel that people around you are all jerks.
35. Thinking there is no purpose in living.
36. Being the “If Man”. If my father is the president, then I will be successful. If ____ then I will be _____. (fill in the blanks)
37. Lottery is the only way to success.
38. Trying to control everything that you can’t control.
39. Expect to be appreciated.
40. Expect others to be grateful to you.
41. Never forget about criticism.
42. Hate people around you to be successful.
43. Shirk responsibilities.
44. Receive and never give.
45. Do things that are easy.
46. Overworking.
47. Never forgive.
48. Never give your best effort in things you do.
49. Perfectionism.
50. Choosing to be miserable.

The Selling Legacy of Ben Feldman

2011-05-06T08:38:00.002+08:00

Ben Feldman was sustained sales greatness. Over his 50 year career selling insurance for New York Life, he sales volume exceeded $1.5 billion...a third of it coming after he reached the ripe, old, age of 65. During his peak year, he topped $100 million. His daily record was $20 million.
He didn't live in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles. He lived in East Liverpool, Ohio...a river town of 20,000. His looks were hardly out of central casting...he was short, stout, balding, and spoke slowly and deliberately with a distinct lisp. He was one of nine children of Russian immigrants. He never finished high school...at 16 his father put him to work at $5 per week.

Ben's first sales job was collecting small premium payments from the workmen in the many steel mills in the Youngstown area. Soon he began concentrating on the owners of privately-held companies within an hour's drive of East Liverpool. He didn't stress traditional protection, but emphasized the cash that owners would accumulate. He would say, "Wouldn't you like to save some money? How much have you saved in the last 5 years? Is there any reason to think that in the next 5 years, you'll do any better?

When Ben began his career with New York Life in 1942, the insurer would not insure a single life for more than $500,000. Ben helped push the limit to $20 million. Ben developed a niche target...the owners of small industrial corporations that were flourishing in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, after World War II. He worked 12-hour days, 6-7 days a week. He would set "unattainable" sales targets...and then broke them down into achievable steps.

Ben was a prospecting legend. He dominated his area, no business owner in the region escaped his notice. he would drop in on business owners without an appointment...he was a master of the "cold call." However, he never dropped in unprepared. Before his "cold calls" to business owners, he would gather information about their business from the standard Dun & Bradstreet reports. He would know the key players in the business, the values of the company, what each person was doing, and whether the company was profitable, or not. Ben often cold-called with an illustration already prepared for $1-2 million in coverage. He didn't always close on the first interview, yet he was incredibly dogged and persistent. He never discarded prospects, even after many refusals.

He was brash, even though he was innately shy. His presentation booklet was a big leather binder with a real $1000 bill displayed on the first page. He would say, "These come in packages of 100. How many packages do you want?"

Once, a man with a very large estate wouldn't see him. Feldman had estimated that the man's estate tax would be $30 million. Feldman wrote a check for $30 million...and indicated on the check where the business titan's family would need to sign...put the check in an envelope, sealed it, and gave it to the man's secretary. Soon thereafter, Ben wrote a case so large that one insurance company couldn't underwrite the entire amount.

Ben knew of a prominent Youngstown real estate developer. After weeks of trying, and failing, to get in to see the busy man, Ben asked the secretary to take five $100 bills into her boss, and said "If I don't have a good idea, he can keep the money." Ben got in...and sold a $14 million dollar policy on the first visit. A few years later, Ben figured that the same businessman needed an additional $20 million in coverage. However, the developer was busier than every...and wouldn't take the medical exam. Ben rented a fully-equipped medical van, hired a doctor, and sent both to wait for the tycoon. The man ended up with $52 million in coverage.

In 1992, New York Life marked Ben's 50th year with the company by proclaiming "Feldman's February," a national sales competition. Ben took this as a personal challenge. The winner of the contest was...you guessed it...Ben Feldman. At 80 years-old, while recovering from a brain hemorrhage in Boca Raton, Ben worked the phones and recorded sales of $15,150,000.

Ben Feldman was famously known for his "power phrases," slogans and sayings designed to woo clients and inspire himself. Here are some examples:

"Doing something costs something. Doing nothing costs something. And quite often, doing nothing costs a lot more."
"The key to a sale in an interview, and the key to an interview is a disturbing question."
"You'll have the same problems when I walked out as you had when I walked in...unless you let me take your problems with you."
Ben Feldman died in 1993 at 81. At few years before his death he was asked about the largest policy he had ever written. He responded, "I can't say. I haven't written it yet."

Clarify Your Values By: Brian Tracy

2011-05-06T08:37:00.002+08:00

Decide What You Stand For
What are your values? What do you stand for? What are the organizing principles of your life? What are your core beliefs? What virtues do you aspire to, and hold in high regard when you see them demonstrated by others? What will you not stand for? What would you sacrifice for, suffer for, and even die for? These are extremely important questions that are only asked by about three percent of the population, and that small minority tends to be the movers and shakers in every society. What are your values? What do you stand for? What are the organizing principles of your life? What are your core beliefs? What virtues do you aspire to, and hold in high regard when you see them demonstrated by others? What will you not stand for? What would you sacrifice for, suffer for, and even die for? These are extremely important questions that are only asked by about three percent of the population, and that small minority tends to be the movers and shakers in every society.

Write Out Your Key Values
When I first began this values clarification exercise some years ago, I wrote out a list of 163 qualities that I aspired to. I think I eventually came up with every virtue, value or positive descriptive adjective that referred to personality and character in the dictionary. And I agreed with all of them. I felt that they were all important and I wanted to incorporate every single one of them into my character.

Focus on Very Few Core Beliefs
But then reality sets in. I realized that it is very hard to learn even one new quality, or to change even one thing about myself, let alone dozens of things. So I scaled down my ambitions and began narrowing the values down to a small number that I could manage and work with. Once I had settled on about five core beliefs, I was then able to get to work on myself and start making some progress in character development.

You should do the same. You should write down the five values that you feel are the most important for you to live by. Once you have those five values, you then organize them in order of priority. Which is the most important value in your hierarchy of values? Which would be second? Which would be third, and so on?

Learn To Make Better Decisions
Every choice or decision you make is based on your values. Whenever you decide between alternatives, you invariably choose the alternative that you value the most. Because you can only do one thing at a time, everything you do is a demonstration of what you consider to be the most important at that moment. Therefore, organizing your values in an order of priority is the starting point of personal strategic planning. It is only when you are clear about what you value, and in what order, that you are capable of planning and organizing the other activities of your life.

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

First, clarify your core beliefs and your unifying principles. Write them down and compare your life today with the values that are really important to you. How are you doing?

Second, organize your values in order of their importance to you. Which of your values is most important? Which is second? And so on. Do your current choices reflect this order of values?

Two Rules for Business Start-ups By: Brian Tracy

2011-05-06T08:36:00.004+08:00

Entrepreneurship is the art of finding profitable solutions to problems. Every successful entrepreneur, every successful businessperson has been a person who has been able to identify a problem and come up with a solution to it before somebody else did. Here are the five rules for entrepreneurship.

Find A Need And Fill It
First, find a need and fill it. Ross Perot, when he was working for IBM, saw that his customers who were buying IBM computers, needed help in processing their data. He went to IBM with this idea and they said they weren't interested, so he started his own business. He eventually sold it out for $2.8 billion dollars. He found a need and he filled it.

Find A Problem And Solve It
The second rule is to find a problem and solve it. A secretary working for a small company began mixing flour with nail varnish in order to white out the mistakes she was making in her typing. Pretty soon, her friends in the same office asked if she could make some for them. So she began mixing it on her kitchen table. Then, people in other offices started asking for it, and she eventually quit her business and worked full time creating what is today called Liquid Paper. A few years ago, she sold her company to Gillette Corporation for 47 million dollars.

Look For Solutions
Find a problem and solve it. Find a problem that everybody's got and see if you can't come up with a solution for it. Find a way to supply a product or a service better, cheaper, faster or easier. Clemmons Wilson saw that there was a need for hotels that could accommodate families that were traveling, and he started Holiday Inns. And Holiday Inns has now become one of the most successful hotel chains in the world.

Focus On Your Customer
Here's the key to success in business. Become obsessed with your customer. Fixated on your customer. Think of the customer. Think of what the customer wants, what the customer needs. What the customer will pay for, what the customer's problems are. Thomas J. Watson, Senior, the founder of IBM, taught his people and built his company on this principle. See yourself as working for the customer. Once you've come up with a product or an idea, then start to invest your time, talent and energy instead of your money, to get started.

The Source of Most Great Fortunes
Remember this, most great fortunes in America were started with an idea and with personal efforts. Most great fortunes were started with the sale of personal services. This is called sweat equity. In other words, instead of cash equity, put in sweat equity. Put in the sweat of your brow to begin your business. You can learn valuable lessons operating on a small scale.

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

First, find a need and fill it. Look around you and search for needs that people have for products or services that are not being met. One small idea is enough to start you on the way to business success.

Second, find a problem and solve it. Look around you for problems that you or other people have that are not yet being solved. Look for solutions that nobody has thought of and give them a try. One good solution could change the whole direction of your life.

Principle-Centered Leadership 360° Quality by Stephen R. Covey

2011-04-14T07:06:00.001+08:00

Cultivating total stakeholder commitment will sustain the viability of your organization.

What business are you really in? Regardless of the products or services you provide, or whether you work in the private sector, government service, military or educational community, your organization has one overpowering quality need-building relationships.

Stakeholder relationships: Consider all the stakeholder relationships that influence your organization's performance. How important are all your employees? What difference does meeting your owners' financial and other needs make? How mutually interdependent are you with your suppliers

Are good community relations significant? How does the media influence your public image? Are your distributors your first-line customers? How are your relationships with your customers?

Which of these stakeholders can you alienate or treat with casual indifference, or afford to lose? Whose trust can you do without if you are to thrive as an enduring, world-class player in your industry?

Beyond total customer satisfaction: The high-performance organization of the 21st century must progress beyond the paradigm shift that marked the quality movement of the 1980s. Total customer satisfaction has been a battle cry taken up by organizations in all sectors of our economy. But this paradigm that provided a competitive quality advantage 15 years ago is today fundamental to survival.

What's next? What represents the next paradigm shift leading to higher levels of performance capability? It is the principle-based foundation of 360° total stakeholder commitment: understanding, anticipating, prioritizing, balancing, organizing and executing to meet and exceed the needs of all your key stakeholders.

This means achieving more than customer satisfaction. It means striving to cultivate the total commitment to your organization to customers and other essential stakeholders. It means developing stakeholder relationships built on total trust.

Your organization is a complex ecosystem of multiple, interdependent parts both inside and outside its formal boundaries-and your stakeholders are its most important elements. What ultimately happens when you conserve cash by stretching out payments to suppliers? Does it make a quality difference if your employees perceive that management neither walks their talk nor lives the organization's published mission statement? In these and many other scenarios, what happens to the trust and future commitment of your stakeholders and the future performance of your organization?

The process of building total stakeholder commitment is challenging. Stakeholders have needs in conflict: Employees want more pay, shareholders want higher dividends, and customers want lower prices and higher service levels. It is difficult for any one stakeholder group-even departments within the same organization-to appreciate or understand each other's needs and how they must all work together to maximize the long-term benefit for all. Ultimately, the system that principle-centered leaders need to optimize is the ecosystem, the entire organization.

360° feedback: A key to developing total stakeholder commitment is to institute "stakeholder information systems" that provide regular 360° feedback concerning the perceptions of your primary constituents in all aspects of your organization. These systems can become the core catalyst for catapulting your organization to its next level of high performance and quality by using this data to grow powerful, trusting relationships.

While traditional financial reporting is essential, it provides only a 90° perspective of your organization's past performance; it is a lagging indicator. Feedback meeting essential criteria from customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders can provide 360° feedback that becomes a leading indicator of future performance.

Courageous, principle-centered leaders can use 360° feedback to build 360° trust-based relationships and, ultimately, 360° quality. Cultivating total stakeholder commitment will sustain the viability of your organization within the risky, uncertain and turbulent environment now and into the next century.

Sixteen Commonsense Listening Tips

2011-04-14T07:05:00.004+08:00

"The reason you don't understand me, Edith, is because I'm talkin' to you in English and you're listenin' to me in dingbat!" - Archie Bunker

Archie was right about finding a common language or wavelength, but it takes two to communicate -- the speaker and the listener. Both need to make the effort to understand each other. According to a French proverb, "The spoken word belongs half to him that speaks and half to him who hears."

All skills require learned behaviors and rules.

The rules for good listening involve basic courtesy, sorely needed by Archie, and common sense. Some of the rules may seem obvious, but it is amazing how many people forget them and unintentionally insult the speaker.

Often, without intending to be rude, your enthusiasm for a subject and your own desire to hear yourself talk cause you to forget courtesy. At other times you may be so involved with your own point of view that you forget to listen to what your client is saying; you just plain stop listening!

So, when conversing with another person, be aware of and practice the following rules:

1. Let others tell their own stories first.

When others explain their situations, they may reveal interesting facts and valuable clues that will aid you in helping them solve their problems or satisfy their needs. By letting them speak first, you also save time. When their interests are revealed you can tailor your discussion to their particular needs, goals, and objectives and can dispense with inappropriate conversation.

2. It is impossible to listen and talk at the same time.

This basic rule of effective listening is most often broken, especially by Archie Bunker. People anxious to add their own views to the conversation try to interject comments while another person is speaking. They wait for a pause in the conversation and "rapid fire" their comments at the other person. This interjection of random comments is irritating to the speaker and actually slows the conversation because the initial speaker must dodge the comments and still keep his train of thought. Why not wait until the speaker's point is made? Then you will have your chance.

An enormous benefit of listening to your client is that he may "sell himself." He may solve his own problems or even come up with some product benefits that hadn't occurred to you. In addition, encouraging the client to talk keeps him from feeling pressured into a sale. Building confidence and reducing tension strengthen the trust bond between you and your client.

A client who "sells himself" is likely to be more fully committed and less likely to have "buyer's remorse." He may become a staunch defender of your product, be open-minded in future dealings, and be more likely to listen to you.

3. Listen for the main ideas.

Specific facts are only important as they pertain to the main theme. They can cause misinterpretation if taken out of context. Relate stated facts to the arguments of the speaker and weigh the verbal evidence used. Take advantage of the superior speed of thought over words and periodically review a portion of the discussion that has already been completed.

A good listener also tries to guess the points the speaker will make. Ask yourself: "What is the speaker getting at?" or "What is his point?" Then get feedback. If you guess correctly, your understanding is enhanced, and your attention is increased. If you are incorrect, you learn from your mistake.

4. Be sensitive to your emotional deaf spots.

Deaf spots are words that make your mind wander or go off on a mental tangent. They set off a chain reaction that produces a mental barrier in your mind, which in turn inhibits the continued flow of the speaker's message. Everyone is affected by certain words so it is important to discover your own individual stumbling blocks and analyze why these words Have such a profound effect on you.

5. Fight off distractions.

Train yourself to listen carefully to your customer's words, despite such external distractions as a ringing telephone, passersby, or other office noise. Localized distractions, such as the idiosyncrasies of the speaker, may also be irritating, but make a conscious attempt to judge the content of the message -- not the delivery. Focus your attention on the words, ideas, feelings, and underlying intent. Through practice you can improve your power of concentration, so that you can block out external and internal distractions and attend totally to the speaker.

6. Do not trust to memory certain data that may be important

Take brief notes because listening ability is impaired while you are writing. Remember -- you cannot effectively do two things at the same time. Write notes in words and phrases rather than complete thoughts. All you need is something to jog your memory later in the day, and then you can recall the complete content of the message. Read your notes as soon as possible to make sure you understand what you put down on paper and always Review them before subsequent contact with your clients.

7. React to the message, not the person.

Don't allow your mental impression of the speaker to influence your interpretation of his message. Good thoughts, concepts, and arguments can come from some of your least favorite people. George Jefferson planted the seeds of many ideas in Archie's fertile imagination.

8. Try to appreciate the emotion behind the words (vocal and visual messages) more than the literal meaning of the words.

Try to ask yourself these questions when another person is speaking:

a. What are the other person's feelings?
b. What does he mean by what he is saying?
c. What is his point of view?
d. Why is he saying this?
e. What is implied by what he says?

9. Use feedback.

Constantly try to check your understanding of what you hear. Do not only hear what you want to hear. In addition, check to see if the other person wants to comment or respond to what you have previously said. Archie and Edith could have avoided many misunderstandings by simply using feedback.

10. Listen selectively.

Critical messages may be hidden within the broader context of a conversation. Listen in such a way that you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Always ask yourself: "What is he telling me that can help me satisfy his needs, solve his problems, and accomplish his goals?"

11. Relax.

When another person speaks, try to put him at ease by creating a relaxed, accepting environment. Do not give the speaker the impression that you want to jump right in and speak. Give him a chance to speak his mind.

12. Try not to be critical, of the other person's point of view.

Hold your temper and your emotional feelings and try to listen to truly understand. Be patient, Archie. Allow the speaker plenty of time to fully finish his train of thought. You might find that what you were initially going to disagree with wasn't such a bad idea after all. Keep an open mind. If you give the other person half a chance to tell you his views, you might find that you have learned something.

13. Listen attentively.

Face the speaker with uncrossed arms and legs; lean slightly forward. Establish gentle, intermittent eye contact. Use affirmative head nods and appropriate facial expressions when called for, but do not overdo it. Occasionally respond to your customer with "uh huh," "go on," or "yes," to demonstrate that you are listening.

14. Create a positive listening environment.

Shoot for a private atmosphere away from sources of distraction. Make the effort to ensure that the environment is conducive to effective listening.

15. Ask questions.

Ask open-ended questions to allow the speaker to express his feelings and thoughts. A simple "yes" or "no" is not enough. Use development questions like "How can I help you?, or "Where do we go from here?" to ask the speaker for more details on specific subjects. Clarifying questions seek information by restating the speaker's remarks.

These techniques demonstrate that you're hearing correctly. If you keep the other person talking, potential ambiguities clear up. The effective use of questions also allows you to contribute to the conversation.

16. Be motivated to listen.

Without the proper attitude all the foregoing suggestions for effective listening are worthless. Try to keep in mind that there is no such thing as an uninteresting speaker, only disinterested listeners. Put out the extra effort to try to listen.

Learning to listen effectively pays off in stronger trust bonds and increased sales. Others feel relieved to find people who actively listen and try to understand what they have to say about their problems and needs. Once that occurs, the speaker generally reciprocates by listening when it's the other person's turn to speak. That leads to an open, honest information exchange; the kind Edith Bunker was yearning for. Isn't that what communication is all about?

Top Telephone Tips for Professional Offices - By Kate Tammemagi

2011-04-14T07:04:00.001+08:00

The impression a telephone caller forms when they first contact your Professional Office can have a direct influence on your success. The busy secretary or receptionist can quickly adopt attitudes and habits on the telephone that are, to say the least, discouraging to your Clients. Here we offer some core telephone skills tips and techniques to refresh your Office Team.

It often astounds me that a Professional will think nothing of spending huge amount of cash on acquiring his or her qualifications and setting up elaborate offices, and yet will be reluctant to spend an even a small amount on Telephone Skills Training for their staff. In my capacity as a Telephone Skills consultant and trainer, I have seen offices increase their revenue by 30% or more by introducing some basic Best Practice and some core Telephone Skills Training.

The Telephone Skill level of everyone who interacts with clients can be just as important to the success as the quality of the Professional Services.

The Impact of the Client Experience

It is important that everyone in your Office appreciates the importance of his or her role on each Client interaction. Each has the power to win or lose Clients. A Client can make a decision to go to a competitor or to stay with your service based on a negative experience on the telephone with a member of your staff. This almost certainly will not be intentional, the staff member had a low level of awareness of the small things that count on a telephone.

The goal with each Client is to meet and exceed expectations. This will ensure a positive experience that will keep the Client coming back. A negative experience could well mean that the Client will go to another Professional. 'Meeting expectations' means identifying clearly what a Client will expect -- in this case in a telephone interaction -- and delivering this. Failure to identify one of these essential elements on the telephone will trigger a negative experience.

At a very basic, but critically important level, a poor greeting will trigger a negative experience, and a warm, welcoming greeting will encourage our caller.

Triggering a Negative Experience on the Telephone

Things that quickly trigger a negative experience on the telephone include:

1. No-one home -- the phone rings and rings. Best practice is answer within 3-4 rings

2. The School Teacher Voice Mail -- A long, bureaucratic voice mail message giving you direct orders

3. The Sing Song Secretary -- whose greeting is so automatic you can't hear a word

4. The Reverse Obama -- instead of 'Yes, you can', the caller is met with, 'You can't', 'We can't', 'We won't be able to' and so on

5. The Computer Voice -- the cold, impersonal person who makes me regret calling at all!

How to Make that Positive Impression

Ensure your Team appreciate that your Professional Office WANTS Clients, that part of their role is to encourage our Clients to WANT to stay with us. Focus them on using all their skills to positively influence the Client. Don't nag them and nitpick over problems if you haven't explained clearly what you want from each of them. Praise and encourage good use of telephone skills, and of best practice procedures.

Key telephone skills & tips are:

1. A warm positive greeting -- change your greeting regularly so that it is still fresh. 'Good morning' or 'Good afternoon' is much more welcoming that other greetings. The general format is 'Good morning, Jones Consultancy, Mary speaking, how may I help you?'

2. Have a positive Voice Mail Message -- if voice mail is picking the call, ensure your message is positive, short and welcoming.

3. Get the Caller's name and use it -- failing to use the name, or using it inappropriately will give that cold 'computer voice' effect. Using the Caller's name makes the call warm and personal.

4. Give positive verbal nods -- let the caller know you are listening 'Sure', 'No problem, 'I see', 'I understand', repeating back information, etc.

5. Confirm understanding -- summarize the Client's request or query. This ensures you understand, and also sounds very professional to the Client. 'Certainly, You would like an appointment as soon as possible.'

6. Keep the caller informed -- let them know what you are doing, using a brisk but friendly tone. 'I'll just look up Mr. Jones diary for that date... Yes, I have it now.'

7. Use positive, definite language. Use positive words like happy, good, best and so on. 'Does that sound good?' is much better than 'Is that OK?' The more positive words used, the better impression your Client will get. Equally, more definite language such as 'straight away' or 'definitely' will also build confidence in your organization.

8. If you must state a negative, always finish with a positive option. 'Unfortunately, we don't have an appointment for that day, could I suggest the following week?'

9. 'Suggest' that the Client do something, rather than giving aggressive direct orders. 'Could you please send in...', 'It would be great if you could ...' 'It is important that we get ...'

10. Confirm all meetings, arrangements, and agreements at the end of the call and by EMAIL -- this avoids misunderstandings and looks very professional.

11. Have a warm, positive close. Remember that people remember the first and the last impressions on the telephone.

12. Record any notes or arrangements immediately.

Any Professional Office would be wise to refresh Telephone Skills and Etiquette 2 or 3 times a year. This can be done with a workshop where the Team discusses best practice and shares their own tips and techniques. Remember, each one of those staff members really does make a difference to your success!

Do you make mistakes?

2011-04-14T07:03:00.002+08:00

Of course you do! Everyone does, don't they?

Mistakes are not a problem unless you see them like that. A common problem I see a lot is that many people make a mistake and let it bring them down. They allow their self esteem to drop.

Let me ask you is your self esteem connected to how successful you think you are and do you demand high standards? What happens when you make a mistake? How do you react? How does it affect
you?

Having a healthy sense of self esteem means that you accept who you are with ALL your imperfections. Accepting does not mean saying to yourself "That's how I am" and then doing nothing to
change..

The difference that makes a person great is the ability to accept mistakes, admit them and determine to learn from them.

If how you feel about yourself depends on everything going well and not failing, and if you see mistakes as failures then you are trapped.

Understand the value of mistakes and the fact that there is something positive to betaken from almost every mistake. Very few mistakes are fatal and there is always hope that next time if you
keep trying you'll succeed.

So don't think about your mistakes and never regret them. Think about what you learned. Mistakes are just steps along the path of life. It is important only how you recover from them and move on.

Criticism: Bash or Boost? - Turning Gripes Into Growth by Patricia Fripp

2011-03-07T07:03:00.002+08:00

Absolutely no one enjoys being criticized! Yet, if you want to succeed, you've got to overcome all your natural instincts and actively seek out feedback, good and bad.

As a professional speaker, I know how it is. I face thousands of critics every week called audiences. Not only do they rate me with their applause and laughter (or lack thereof), but frequently they are asked to complete written evaluations, providing feedback for the meeting planners. I want those meeting planners to look like heroes, so I do everything possible to keep in top form. That means that I embrace and value criticism. I study those "evals" and listen to all comments, no matter how off the mark they may seem. And, even though I've been speaking professionally for more than two decades, I still pay speech coaches regularly to be my toughest critics.

If you want to advance, you need to develop a positive, flexible, and creative attitude toward feedback. Here are some practical ways to toughen your hide and change your perception.

1. Diffuse attacks. To give yourself breathing room, turn "attacks" of criticism into information exchanges. The natural human reaction is to become defensive and offer a list of reasons why the comment is untrue. This quickly locks both sides into fixed adversarial positions from which it is hard to retreat. Break the cycle. As hard as it may be, respond to any negative criticism by immediately agreeing it may be correct. Then ask for more specific details, enlisting the accuser as your ally in improving the situation. You'll get lots of useful feedback, both negative and positive.

2. Use the Olympic-scoring rule. Throughout your life, you'll get a wide range of commentary on how you're doing. Discard your highest and lowest ratings. Bill Gove, past president of the National Speakers Association, said "In any audience, ignore the ten percent who think you walk on water and the ten percent who think you are no good at all. Then listen to the middle eighty percent."

3. Consider the source. Do your critics have the right background and experience to judge your work accurately? Are they in a position to give you valuable input? You can't change to satisfy everyone. ("A camel is a horse designed by a committee.") In my career, I've been given some really good advice and some really bad advice. The key is deciding which is which.

4. Separate intent from content. Any negative comments about our actions, appearance, or attitudes automatically seem very personal. Yet, amazingly, the commenter may have had the best intentions. Recognize that different people have different personality styles and communication skills. They may sincerely mean to help, but deliver negative comments in a way that is hard to process and accept. On the other hand, an ill-wisher often provides valuable insights. Decide that it is never productive to take any comments personally.

5. Seek out criticism. Some jobs offer regular job performance evaluations where employees get feedback. If you don't have such a program, ask for personal feedback anyway, from both your manager and those you manage. One successful AT&T executive sits down on a regular basis with his staff and asks them, "What things am I doing well? What would like me to do more? What should I do less of or stop doing?"

Recruit your customers as allies by asking them to be your critics. Don't be defensive. Keep your clients happy by being as eager to please them as your competitors are. In any selling situation, you're still selling after the sale. It won't be long before a rival asks them, "What do you want that your current supplier isn't providing?" Get the jump by asking the same question. Seek out the criticism before your competitor does!

"When a customer offers a criticism," advises Bob Treadway, a Denver based speaker, "invite them to be more specific." For example, if they say, "This delivery should have come sooner!" ask them in a genuinely friendly tone, "How much sooner, specifically, would you like it?" If they say, "You could have done a better follow up," say, "Tell me how exactly you'd like us to follow up in the future."

Treadway advises asking open-ended questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no." For example, "How could we help you with that?" or "What improvements would you like to see?" Then summarize what they have said: "It sounds like we could do a better job if..."

6. Feed back your feedback. Paraphrasing what you've just been told helps to eliminate misunderstandings, honoring and acknowledging the criticism, and compelling you to really listen. "Nothing," Bob Treadway says, "demonstrates better to a client, boss or spouse that you have heard them than paraphrasing their statements." It also helps you to filter out and focus on the useful information.

7. Protect yourself. We're not always in shape to cope with negative comments. It's appropriate to give people feedback on the best time and way to offer you feedback.

People learn to treat you the way you teach them to treat you. Dear Abby once ran a letter from a slender, attractive woman whose Mother never failed to remind her of how fat and unattractive she had been as a teenager. Dear Abby suggested that she say, "Mother, let's not discuss that anymore." So simple, yet so hard to withdraw permission after years of negativity.

It's your job to communicate that you will respond better if you can receive the criticism in a different way, time, or place.

8. Don't expect everyone to love you. Praise and approval are wonderful. We all thrive on them. But we all need a dose of reality now and then. Just because people notice imperfections and point them out doesn't make them your enemies. If you've armed yourself with a positive attitude toward criticism, they are going to be your best friends.

Creating Your Character is Like an Artist Creating a Sculpture by Jim Rohn

2011-03-07T07:02:00.002+08:00

Could creating your character be likened to an artist creating a sculpture? In my opinion, I believe that character is not something that just happens by itself, any more than a chisel can create a work of art without the hand of an artist guiding it. In both instances, a conscious decision for a specific outcome has been made. A conscious process is at work. Character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you make that gradually turn who you are, at any given moment, into who you want to be. If that decision-making process is not present, you will still be somebody. You will still be alive, but may have a personality rather than a character.

Character is not something you were born with and can't change like your fingerprint. In fact, because you weren't born with it, it is something that you must take responsibility for creating. I don't believe that adversity by itself builds character and I certainly don't think that success erodes it. Character is built by how you respond to what happens in your life. Whether it's winning every game or losing every game. Getting rich or dealing with hard times. You build character out of certain qualities that you must create and diligently nurture within yourself. Just like you would plant and water a seed or gather wood and build a campfire. You've got to look for those things in your heart and in your gut. You've got to chisel away in order to find them. Just like chiseling away the rock in order to create the sculpture that has previously existed only in your imagination.

But do you want to know the really amazing thing about character? If you are sincerely committed to making yourself into the person you want to be, you'll not only create those qualities, but you'll continually strengthen them. And you will recreate them in abundance even as you are drawing on them every day of your life. Just like the burning bush in the biblical book of Exodus, the bush burned but the flames did not consume it. Character sustains itself and nurtures itself even as it is being put to work, tested, and challenged. And once character is formed, it will serve as a solid, lasting foundation upon which to build the life you desire.

A Creed To Live By

2011-02-21T05:37:00.002+08:00

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way.
Nancy Sims

Go Out & Live Your Life

2011-01-26T08:12:00.002+08:00

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there…to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.
And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never realize your potential, strength, will power or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test limits of your soul.
Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things. Make every day count. Appreciate everything that you possibly can, for you may never experience it again.
Talk to people whom you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to.
Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create you own life and then go out and live it.

Arrogance

2011-01-24T10:41:00.002+08:00

Those to whom much has been given sometimes suffer from arrogance; or rather the people around them suffer. Arrogance is doubly a pity, because the talents of the arrogant serve primarily themselves. The arrogant assumes his views and opinions are The Truth. In arrogance, natural confidence goes sadly awry. Rather than the self-assurance born of knowing his own strengths and limitations, arrogance admits no limits. The arrogant brooks no weakness in himself and may even secretly rejoice to find flaws in others. But imperfections are inherent in being human, so the arrogant, like everyone else, always has feet of clay, however well hidden they may be. Fearing exposure, haughtiness forms a hard shell masking inner emptiness.
The arrogant sees first himself. Rather than offering respect to all, arrogance demands respect from all. Dismissive, arrogance poisons all relationships: with himself, with others, and with the spiritual depths. Worshipping the grand but empty edifice of ego, the self-important sees others as less human, as cardboard cutouts, relating as I-It rather than as I-Thou, in Martin Buber’s apt phrase.
Like so many self-centered traits, arrogance in others activates the arrogance in us, or its opposite of timidity and self-doubt. Confronted with arrogance, we might erupt indignantly or we might lapse into dwelling piteously on our own limitations. We then infect others and the vicious cycle continues.
A subspecies of arrogance, spiritual arrogance, takes at least two forms. In the first, the victim concludes that he has made progress, perhaps due to having a few deep experiences. Or he prides himself for being part of the in-crowd, or for being friendly with the teacher, or for being the teacher. Whatever the reason, the spiritually arrogant mistakenly determines that he or she is special and then vaunts that assumed eminence over other people. This may be explicit in his outward behavior or implicit in his inward self-image. When a spiritual teacher contracts a case of spiritual arrogance, hubris typically leads to abuses of his unfortunate students.
In another form of spiritual arrogance, the true believer aggressively proselytizes, pushing his own path as the one and only way, browbeating people by claiming that they will not be saved without the chosen path, or that they are misguided. In actuality, this wide Earth harbors many valid and effective paths. The appropriate path for any particular person is a highly individual discovery, and cannot be decided by anyone else. It sometimes happens that when people first enter a path, an obsessive infatuation sets in. They may see their path as the one true way and attempt to convert others, even over protests of disinterest. Maturity brings respect for and acceptance of the validity of other paths.
All forms of arrogance lie well beyond the pale of true spirituality. Freedom from arrogance begins with seeing. At first we may only receive hints from how our behavior affects those around us. Then we might glimpse, in action, our overwrought and inflated assumptions about ourselves. Gradually, we learn to allow ourselves, in our own estimation, to be at the same level of importance as others: not higher, despite our gifts, and not lower, despite our defects - just ordinary. This is the antidote to arrogance and its second greatest fear: to be an ordinary person.

Teacher & Guru

2011-01-24T10:40:00.002+08:00

A Teacher Takes Responsibility of Your Growth
A Guru Makes You Responsible For Your Growth

A Teacher Gives You Things You Do Not Have and Require
A Guru Takes Away Things You Have and Do Not Require

A Teacher Answers Your Questions
A Guru Questions Your Answers

A Teacher Helps You Get Out Of the Maze
A Guru Destroys the Maze

A Teacher Requires Obedience and Discipline from the Pupil
A Guru Requires Trust and Humility from the Pupil

A Teacher Clothes You and Prepares You for the Outer Journey
A Guru Strips You Naked and Prepares You for the Inner Journey

A Teacher Is a Guide on the Path
A Guru Is a Pointer to the Way

A Teacher Sends You on the Road to Success
A Guru Sends You on the Road to Freedom

A Teacher Explains the World and Its Nature to You
A Guru Explains Yourself and Your Nature to You

A Teacher Makes You Understand How to Move About In the World
A Guru Shows You Where You Stand In Relation to the World

A Teacher Gives You Knowledge and Boosts Your Ego
A Guru Takes Away Your Knowledge and Punctures Your Ego

A Teacher Instructs You
A Guru Constructs You

A Teacher Sharpens Your Mind
A Guru Opens Your Mind

A Teacher Shows You the Way to Prosperity
A Guru Shows the Way to Serenity

A Teacher Reaches Your Mind
A Guru Touches Your Soul

A Teacher Gives You Knowledge
A Guru Makes You Wise

A Teacher Gives You Maturity
A Guru Returns You to Innocence

A Teacher Instructs You on How to Solve Problems
A Guru Shows You How to Resolve Issues

A Teacher Is a Systematic Thinker
A Guru Is a Lateral Thinker

A Teacher Will Punish You with a Stick
A Guru Will Punish You with Compassion

A Teacher Is To Pupil What a Father Is To Son
A Guru Is To Pupil What Mother Is To Her Child

One Can Always Find a Teacher
But A Guru Has To Find and Accept You

A Teacher Leads You by the Hand
A Guru Leads You by Example

When A Teacher Finishes With You, You Graduate
When A Guru Finishes With You, You Celebrate

When The Course Is Over You Are Thankful To the Teacher
When The Discourse Is Over You Are Grateful To the Guru

Unselling What You Just Sold - By Mark Hunter

2011-01-18T07:25:00.002+08:00

I'll never forget the first time it happened to me. The presentation with the customer was going well. I had prepared extensively. In fact, I had not just spent more time than normal, I had stayed up nearly all night to make sure I had every element covered perfectly in my presentation. For me, this sales call was going to be a huge success. My boss had told me this was going to be a difficult quarter, and that's all I needed to hear to motivate me to close this particular sale.

The customer I was meeting with was tough. In fact, using the word "customer" was simply too nice. This customer was the ultimate professional buyer who would routinely drive salespeople crazy with questions, bold accusations and flat out rejection.

For this sales call, I was prepared. The program I was presenting to him that day included a new item that I knew in the back of my mind he didn't need and would most likely flat out reject with some very colorful language. Shortly into my presentation, I noticed him giving me a high level of attention and agreeing with what I was saying. Before I was even half way through my presentation, he said he wanted what I was selling.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I couldn't believe it! I began to wonder if he knew what he had just agreed to. Yes, he did know and yes he said again he would take it. At this point, we all know as a salesperson that it is wise to take the sale and leave. Yet, I was a bit hurt. Remember, I had spent nearly the entire night preparing an incredible presentation, and suddenly more than half of it was never going to see the light of day. My ego took control and I felt that if I had spent hours preparing it, he was going to hear it, so I continued on.

Go ahead and say it - BIG mistake! You're right - it was a big mistake. The more I continued on with the presentation, the more the buyer was becoming upset; however, he was not upset enough to throw me out without the order. He listened, and honestly, I'm still not sure why. That's when I made the final mistake. I shared with him some information that I never should have had in my presentation, and suddenly he began asking me questions. It's not hard to imagine what happened next, as he decided not only to NOT buy what I was selling, he also went into a tirade about how I and the company I worked for didn't know what we were doing.

My mistake was very basic. I kept talking after the buying signal was given and in so doing, I lost the order and I lost credibility. The reason I'm sharing this is not to say this has happened to me only once in my more than 25 years of selling. I'm sharing it because it's one of many situations where I've unsold something. It's just that on this particular occasion I saw it coming like a slow-moving train and still didn't do anything to get out of the way.

When the buyer gives a buying signal, close the sale and leave. It's simple, yet we as salespeople allow our egos and our pride to get in the way. Let me share two rules I have regarding sales presentations. They're not complicated rules, but many times are overlooked.

Rule 1: Close the sale as early in the call as you possibly can. The only exception is if the price or quantity the customer wants is not within the range of your objectives. If the buyer's requests are in your range of expectations, then get the order.

Rule 2: Close the sale before you run out of presentation. I tell salespeople with whom I am working that the measure of success is to not have to go through your entire presentation to close a sale. This rule is extremely important. You always want to have information and questions you can share with the customer. I like to view it as always having a "back pocket" presentation - information I can share with a customer, but only if it is necessary. This gives me more flexibility and helps me close the sale earlier. My ego is saved and the buyer is not subjected to information they don't necessarily want to hear. The final benefit of keeping some of your presentation in your back pocket is it subconsciously gives you confidence and determination. You will have confidence in knowing you have more information if you need it, and you will have determination to close the sale with the initial round of information and questions.

It seems crazy that a salesperson could unsell what they have already sold, but it can happen. Do whatever you can to make sure it doesn't happen to you.

If you're wondering what happened to me and my relationship with the customer, here's the epilogue: He never did take the new item, and although he did continue to work with me on other activities, I never did get our relationship back to the level it was before my mistake.

10 Secrets of Millionaires Money Management

2011-01-18T07:19:00.002+08:00

It turns out millionaires are just like us--but they have a lot more money. When asked about their secrets to success, they don't cite anything magical or rare, but rather the steady application of wise investing
strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Here are 10 secrets of millionaires' money management

1. Start early to avoid financial pitfalls

Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years, made his fortune by living frugally while he built his technology-related business. People often get into trouble, he says, by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings. "Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there," he says.

2. Believe that you can do it.

Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. He says he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest. "What I found was they all had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful," he says. Corey says that embracing that level of self-confidence helped him get to the top.

3. Articulate your vision for success.

Jen Smith, author of the Millionaire Mommy Next Door blog, says that the saying, "I want to be rich," is too vague. Instead, she recommends imagining what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. Smith
offers this example: "I want to have $2,000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job so that I can volunteer, travel, learn to play tennis and watercolor, and enjoy picnics at the
beach with my family."

Smith's vision involved becoming financially-free before becoming a parent. She cut out images from magazines of beautiful places she wanted to visit and people doing fun things and put them near her desk to help her keep that vision in mind.

4. Insure against life's risks.

Bankruptcy is often caused by divorce, a death in the family, or a disability that renders someone unable to work. Conversely, protecting against those risks through insurance protects wealth. In The Quiet
Millionaire, financial planner Brett Wilder writes that many people either fail to get adequate insurance or pay too much for it because they don't understand it.

5. Work hard--and you'll get lucky.

In his new book, Think Like a Champion, Donald Trump attributes his success to his hard work, which to outsiders often appears to be luck. But Trump says luck only comes from working hard. "If your work pays off, which it most likely will, people might say you're just lucky. Maybe so, because you're lucky enough to have the brains to work hard!" he says. That same concept, of course, was advocated by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. He said, "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

6. Practice smart budgeting.

Smith recommends tracking how much you spend each month, something she does religiously. Every month, she downloads her transactions into a spreadsheet to keep her spending on track. Smith also says that, as prosaic as it sounds, maintaining a good credit score is essential to becoming and staying a millionaire. "A good credit score can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime," she says.

7. Do what you love.

Sure, a career in finance might come with a hefty annual salary, but you probably won't excel at something you don't enjoy. That's why Corey recommends going into the field that you find yourself reading about in your spare time. He asks, "Do you read fashion magazines? Get a job in fashion. Do you read gossip blogs? Get a job in celebrity-based enterprises. Do you read Car & Driver? ESPN.com? Yahoo Pets Forum?" Even if the field doesn't seem lucrative, there are ways to make it to the top--something that's more likely to happen if you love it.

8. Decide how much money you really want.

For many people, $1 million won't be enough. "For most Gen-X and Gen-Yers, retiring with a couple million when they are 65 won't be anywhere near enough to maintain even an average lifestyle, because that little pup called inflation is constantly nipping at your heels as you try to run towards building your own retirement nest-egg," says Cartwood. A more reasonable goal might be $3 million-- an amount that Cartwood considers the minimum to be a "bare bones millionaire" these days. Consider your ideal lifestyle and what you would like to be able to fund. A mortgage of a certain size? Exotic vacations? College tuition for your children? Having a concrete goal in mind makes it easier to get there, says
Cartwood.

9. Invest against the grain.

Corey recommends making investment decisions based on the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. Right now, for example, stocks are relatively cheap because so many people have sold off shares, which means anyone buying can get them at a discount to their values from a year ago. Corey's rule of thumb doesn't just apply to stocks. "Buy a foreclosed house, fill it up with roommates, and you can get a pretty good passive income," he suggests.

10. Live below your means.

Even Eminem, a celebrity and millionaire, scales back his purchases out of concern for frugality. In February, London's Independent newspaper reported that as Eminem considered buying a $15,000 watch he liked, he started worrying that he should save his money instead. Eminem reportedly
said, "I don't want to run out of money; I want my daughter to be able to go to college." And so far, at least, Eminem hasn't fallen victim to the financial challenges so many other stars, from Aretha Franklin to Annie Leibovitz, have faced.

On the same note, Smith says that even though she's a millionaire, no one would know it--and that's the point. She recommends saving at least 10 to 25 percent of your income. She also suggests avoiding buying "status" items, such as fancy sports cars or mansions. After all, bling doesn't make a millionaire--and in fact, too much of it can prevent you from ever becoming one.

How to Reengage Prospects By Eric Slife

2011-01-18T07:18:00.000+08:00

You finish your presentation, and your prospect says, "Everything looks great. I'll call you in a couple of days to move forward."

Several days pass, a week, then a month. They don't return you calls, and you have no idea why.

Sound familiar?

I'm not sure what's more frustrating; not getting the business, or not knowing why. Here are some easy tips to reconnect with your prospect.

1. Establish Guidelines
At the very outset, establish guidelines for the relationship you are about to enter. For example,

Mr. or Ms. Prospect, thanks for agreeing to speak with me today. I have some questions I'd like to ask, and I'm sure you probably have some questions you want to ask me. Before we get started, I just want you to know, it's okay to tell me "No." Sometimes, a client chooses to go a different direction, but they feel uncomfortable telling me. If at any point while working together, you determine my product or service isn't the right fit, will you please let me know?

2.Voicemail with Email
I don't expect people to return my voicemail. However, within my voicemail, I'll inform them I'm sending an email, because for many busy individuals it's easier to respond. In my email I will write,

Mr. or Ms. Prospect, upon our last discussion, you requested I follow up with you at this date and time
regarding... I've tried several times to call you, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to connect. I'm beginning to feel like I'm becoming a pest. Please let me if your situation has changed, so I know how and
when to best follow up.

Because many people aren't comfortable telling you "no" over the phone or in person, this approach gives the prospect a way out of the situation, and you can move on. Often, you find they have been slammed or you get some additional information as to why the delay.

3.Disengage Caller ID
Call your phone company and ask how to disengage your caller id. This way your prospect can no longer screen your calls.

4. Did I Do Something Wrong?
Mr. or Miss Prospect you asked me to follow up on... I've tried to reach out several times, but I never heard back from you. Did I do something that offended or upset you?

5. Copy Referrer on Email
If you were referred by another individual, copy them on your email. This is especially useful if you were
referred by a superior. Don't throw your contact under the bus, but apply a little pressure.

6. Discard Proposals

Finally, always be willing to walk away. I want to do business with adults, not children. If someone requests to call them back, but then never returns my calls or email when I'm following their directions, those aren't the customers I'm looking for.

However, I'll provide one final opportunity:

Mr. or Ms. Prospect, you requested I contact you on... I've tried several times, but I never heard back from you. The price (or proposal) was good for 30 days, so unfortunately I have to discard your file.

Put a time limit on all your proposals. This creates a sense of urgency, and it doesn't lock you into a price for an extended period of time.

Losing Yourself to Find Yourself by Anthony de Mello, SJ

2010-12-27T11:57:00.002+08:00

Lets get back to that marvelous sentence in the gospel about losing oneself in order to find oneself. One finds it in most religious literature and in all religious and spiritual and mystical literature.

How does one lose oneself? Did you ever try to lose something? That's right, the harder you try, the harder it gets. It's when you're not trying that you lose things. You lose something when you're not aware. Well, how does one die to oneself? We're talking about death now, we're not talking about suicide. We're not told to kill the self, but to die. Causing pain to the self, causing suffering to the self would be self-defeating. It would be counterproductive. You're never so full of yourself as when you're in pain. You're never so centered on yourself as when you're depressed. You're never so ready to forget yourself as when you are happy. Happiness releases you from self. It is suffering and pain and misery and depression that tie you to the self. Look how conscious you are of your tooth when you have a toothache. When you don't have a toothache, you're not even aware you have a tooth, or that you have a head, for that matter, when you don't have a headache. But it's so different when you have a splitting headache.

So it's quite false, quite erroneous, to think that the way to deny the self is to cause pain to the self, to go in for abnegation, mortification, as these were traditionally understood. To deny the self, to die to it, to lose it, is to understand its true nature. When you do that, it will disappear; it will vanish. Suppose somebody walks into my room one day. I say, "Come right in. May I know who you are?" And he says, "I am Napoleon." And I say, "Not the Napoleon . . ." And he says, "Precisely. Bonaparte, Emperor of France." "What do you know!" I say, even while I'm thinking to myself, "I better handle this guy with care."

''Sit down, Your Majesty," I say. He says, "Well, they tell me you're a pretty good spiritual director. I have a spiritual problem. I'm anxious, I'm finding it hard to trust in God. I have my armies in Russia, see, and I'm spending sleepless nights wondering how it's going to turn out." So I say, "Well, Your Majesty, I could certainly prescribe something for that. What I suggest is that you read chapter 6 of Matthew: "Consider the lilies of the field . . . they neither toil nor spin."

By this point I'm wondering who is crazier, this guy or me. But I go along with this lunatic. That's what the wise guru does with you in the beginning. He goes along with you; he takes your troubles seriously. He'll wipe a tear or two from your eye. You're crazy, but you don't know it yet. The time has to come soon when he'll pull the rug out from under your feet and tell you, "Get off it, you're not Napoleon." In those famous dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena, God is reported to have said to her, "I am He who is; you are she who is not." Have you ever experienced your is-not-ness? In the East we have an image for this. It is the image of the dancer and the dance. God is viewed as the dancer and creation as God's dance. It isn't as if God is the big dancer and you are the little dancer. Oh no. You're not a dancer at all. You are being danced! Did you ever experience that? So when the man comes to his senses and realizes that he is not Napoleon, he does not cease to be. He continues to be, but he suddenly realizes that he is something other than what he thought he was.

To lose the self is to suddenly realize that you are something other than what you thought you were. You thought you were at the center; now you experience yourself as satellite. You thought you were the dancer; you now experience yourself as the dance. These are just analogies, images, so you cannot take them literally. They just give you a clue, a hint; they're only pointers, don't forget. So you cannot press them too much. Don't take them too literally.

Consider the Consequences by Brian Tracy

2010-12-27T07:00:00.002+08:00

The mark of the superior thinker is his or her ability to accurately predict the consequences of doing or not doing something. The potential consequences of any task or activity are the key determinants of how important it really is to you and to your company. This way of evaluating the significance of a task is how you determine what your next frog really is.

Long Time Perspective
Doctor Edward Banfield of Harvard University, after more than 50 years of research, concluded that "long-time perspective" is the most accurate single predictor of upward social and economic mobility in America. Long time perspective turns out to be more important than family background, education, race, intelligence, connections or virtually any other single factor in determining your success in life and at work.

Your attitude toward time, your "time horizon," has an enormous impact on your behavior and your choices. People who take the long view of their lives and careers always seem to make much better decisions about their time and activities than people who give very little thought to the future.

Think About Your Future
Successful people have a clear future orientation. They think five, ten and twenty years out into the future. They analyze their choices and behaviors in the present to make sure that they are consistent with the long-term future that they desire.

In your work, having a clear idea of what is really important to you in the long term makes it much easier for you to make better decisions about your priorities in the short term.

Determine the Consequences
By definition, something that is important has long-term potential consequences. Something that is unimportant has few or no long-term potential consequences. Before starting on anything, you should always ask yourself, "What are the potential consequences of doing or not doing this task?"

The clearer you are about your future intentions, the greater influence that clarity will have on what you do in the moment. With a clear long-term vision, you are much more capable of evaluating an activity in the present and to assure that it is consistent with where you truly want to end up.

Make It a Top Priority
If there is a task or activity with large potential positive consequences, make it a top priority and get started on it immediately. If there is something that can have large potential negative consequences if it is not done quickly and well, that becomes a top priority as well. Whatever your frog is, resolve to gulp it down first thing.

Keep Motivated
Motivation requires motive. The greater the positive potential impact that an action or behavior of yours can have on your life, once you define it clearly, the more motivated you will be to overcome procrastination and get it done quickly.

Thinking continually about the potential consequences of your choices, decisions and behaviors is one of the very best ways to determine you true priorities in your work and personal life.

Action Exercises
Review your list of tasks, activities and projects regularly. Continually ask yourself, "Which one project or activity, if I did it in an excellent and timely fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my life?"

Whatever it is that can help you the most, set it as a goal, make a plan to achieve it and go to work on your plan immediately. Remember the wonderful words of Goethe, "Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!"

Positive Thinking Requires a Community of Support - By Susyn Reeve & Joan Breine

2010-12-27T06:59:00.000+08:00

It takes community to maintain a human.
Earon Davis

Most of us who are seeking greater happiness and joy in our lives have heard about, and probably experienced, the power of positive thinking. While it is easy to notice the negativity generated by others, when it comes to our lives we are often experts in giving reasons - rationalizing - why our negative mindset is justified. For this reason a community of support - people who care for us and believe in our greatness is vital as we step into and deepen our commitment to transform our negative mindset - I'm not enough; I can't do it; Nothing works for me - into a positive mindset - Life is on my side; I have the gifts, talent, skills, confidence and support to live my dreams; Challenges are stepping stones on the path to my heart's desire.

Humans are social animals. It is through our relationships that we find support, in both sharing the joys of life as well as journeying through heart wrenching experiences. And while you are probably familiar with the words, "Misery loves company," it is in the midst of misery that courage is necessary to reach out for company, both seeking and allowing support not to tell and re-tell your story of misery but to create your future anew.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
- Albert Schweitzer

The Power of a Community of Support
The power of group support has always been present - whether in the family group or tribe, the community church, women gathering at the well - but it wasn't until 1935 when Alcoholics Anonymous began that the power of a group of strangers sharing a common problem initiated the surge of the myriad of support groups available today.

We turn to a community of support when we feel alone and isolated, when we feel powerless in the face of our challenges. It is through this community of support that we re-connect with the Greater Field of Life that connects all people. We no longer feel alone and isolated. We are surrounded and encouraged by people who have journeyed through the misery we are feeling. We can use their belief in us, their stories of success as beacons that guide us to our personal North Star and nourish our positive thinking mindset: Life is on my side; I have the gifts, talent, skills, confidence and support to live my dreams; Challenges are stepping stones on the path to my heart's desire.

The Benefits of a Community of Support

A community of support:
• Acknowledges what you are feeling and provides a safe haven for you to express yourself.
• Is accepting and non-judgmental of who you are and the situation you are in.
• Believes in you, your dreams and your ability to evolve beyond the misery you are experiencing.
• Offers a shoulder to cry when you breakdown and celebrates your breakthroughs.
• Offers feedback, suggestions and advice when you ask for them.
• Nourishes you emotionally and spiritually.
• Focuses on moving forward and freeing your heart and mind from the wounds of the past.
• Sees your greatness.

Connecting with a Community of Support
If you are feeling challenged by life, whether in a particular area: your health, weight, finances, relationships, addictions; or you generally feel victimized and unable to breakthrough to a new possibility, we encourage you to explore being a member of a support group. Here are some steps to take reflecting your commitment to evolve, your thinking and, in turn, your life, from the patterns of the past into a future that nourishes your body, mind and spirit:

• Answer this question: Is there a specific problem/issue/addiction I would like to focus on in a support group or would l prefer support that is geared toward transforming my negative mindset (your version of I'm not enough) to a positive mindset (Life is on my side)? Remember: No matter which you choose, in order to empower your life you must transform your thinking. While changed behavior can be sustained for a while, in order for lasting change in your life, you must upgrade the software of your mind.

• Get information about Support Groups (that meet in person, in your area, via a tele-conference or as part of an online community):
- Google Support Groups - in your area, related to a specific topic
- Ask your friends if they can suggest a support group
- Talk with mental health professionals, clergy about their suggestions for a support group
- Learn about our Self Esteem Experts Support Groups

• If you are interested in starting a Support Group follow these guidelines:
- Have a clear focus, meeting date and time
- Have each member articulate her/his intention - goal for themselves, for the support group in general as well for each meeting
- Keep the attention on yourself, your feelings and the support you desire
- Do not give advice unless it is requested
- Consider following a specific program - for instance our Mind Manual System
- Respect confidentiality
- Focus on one another's greatness

Enterprise

2010-12-27T06:58:00.000+08:00

Human beings have the remarkable ability to turn nothing into something. They can turn weeds into gardens and pennies into fortunes.
Enterprise is better than ease.
Showing a profit means touching something and leaving it better than you found it.
Enterprise is the hope of our future.
Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living; profits make you a fortune.
We all know a variety of ways to make a living. What's even more fascinating is figuring out ways to make a fortune.

Practice Being Like a Child by Jim Rohn

2010-12-19T06:29:00.003+08:00

Remember the master teacher once said 2,000 years ago, “Unless you can become like little children, your chances are zero, you haven’t got a prayer.” A major consideration for adults.

Be like children and remember there are four ways to be more like a child no matter how old you get :

Curiosity
Be curious. Childish curiosity. Learn to be curious like a child. What will kids do if they want to know something bad enough? You’re right. They will bug you. Kids can ask a million questions. You think they’re through. They’ve got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They can drive you right to the brink.

Also kids use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are studying them? A child’s curiosity is what helps them to reach, learn and grow.

Excitement
Learn to get excited like a child. There is nothing that has more magic than childish excitement. So excited you hate to go to bed at night. Can’t wait to get up in the morning. So excited that you’re about to explode. How can anyone resist that kind of childish magic? Now, once in a while I meet someone who says, “Well, I’m a little too mature for all that childish excitement.” Isn’t that pitiful? You’ve got to weep for these kinds of people. All I’ve got to say is, “If you’re too old to get excited, you’re old.” Don’t get that old.

Faith
Faith like a child. Faith is childish. How else would you describe it? Some people say, “Let’s be adult about it.” Oh no. No. Adults too often have a tendency to be overly skeptical. Some adults even have a tendency to be cynical. Adults say, “Yeah. I’ve heard that old positive line before. It will be a long day in June before I fall for that positive line. You’ve got to prove to me it’s any good.” See, that’s adult, but kids aren’t that way. Kids think you can get anything. They are really funny. You tell kids, “We’re going to have three swimming pools.” And they say, “Yeah. Three. One each. Stay out of my swimming pool.” See, they start dividing them up right away, but adults are not like that. Adults say, “Three swimming pools? You’re out of your mind. Most people don’t even have one swimming pool. You’ll be lucky to get a tub in the back yard.” You notice the difference? No wonder the master teacher said, “Unless you can become like little children, your chances, they’re skinny.”

Trust
Trust is a childish virtue, but it has great merit. Have you heard the expression “sleep like a baby”? That’s it. Childish trust. After you’ve gotten an A+ for the day, leave it in somebody else’s hands.

Curiosity, excitement, faith and trust. Wow, what a powerful combination to bring (back) into our lives.

Never, Never, Never Quit

2010-12-19T06:28:00.003+08:00

If someone were to ask me to pick one word to best describe any success I've had in my life....I wouldn't hesitate; the word would be perseverance.

There have been a lot of potholes, detours and roadblocks along the way. I can only wish that I had BJ Gallagher's book to provide inspiration as I fought through my times of adversity. It is terrific!

The table of contents will give you a little "snapshot" of what it's all about:

Introduction

Persist no matter what.
Endure discomfort.
Request help.
Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.
Envision triumph.
Very consistently keep at it.
Embrace adversity as your teacher.
Refuse to give up.
Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

An Excerpt from ...
The Best Way Out is Always Through
by BJ Gallagher

Mary Kay Ash banged her head on the corporate glass ceiling one too many times. Working for several direct sales companies from the 1930's until the early 1960's, she achieved considerable success. She climbed the corporate ladder to become the sole woman on the board of directors of the World Gift Company - quite an accomplishment for a woman in the 1950's.

But life wasn't rosy at the top. Even though Mary Kay had the title and the track record, she was not taken seriously by her male peers. In board meetings, her opinions and suggestions were ignored, dismissed, or even ridiculed. Male board members minced no words in their judgment - pronouncing her guilty of "thinking like a woman."

Since the sales force was almost entirely female, Mary Kay thought that thinking like a woman was an asset. But her fellow board members disagreed. Finally, in frustration, she retired in 1963, intending to write a book to assist women in the male-dominated business.

Sitting at her kitchen table, she made two lists: one list was all the good things she had seen in the companies where she'd worked, and the other list was all the things she thought could be improved. As she re-read her lists, she realized that what she had in front of her was a marketing plan for her ideal company. In just four weeks, her "book" had become a business plan, and her retirement was over.

Both her accountant and her attorney did their best to discourage her, warning that she would be throwing her money away on this venture. But Mary Kay had heard enough male nay-saying in her corporate years - she ignored her advisors.

Her husband, unlike her accountant and attorney, was very supportive. With his help, Mary Kay developed the cosmetic products, designed packaging, wrote promotional materials and recruited and trained her female sales force.

Then the unthinkable happened; her husband of twenty-one years died of a heart attack. Another woman might have dropped her plans, or at least delayed them, but Mary Kay was a strong Texas woman. She stayed on track with the help of her twenty-year-old son, Richard Rogers and rolled out her new business in September of 1963.

Beginning with a storefront in Dallas and an investment of $5,000, Mary Kay Cosmetics earned close to $200,000 in its first year - quadrupling that amount in its second year. When Mary Kay took her company public in 1968, sales had climbed to more than $10 million.

Mary Kay's unusual corporate motto, "God first, family second, career third," was unconventional, to say the least. But she understood the need for women to have balance in their lives, and she was committed to providing unlimited opportunity for women's financial AND personal success.

Mary Kay authored three books, all of which became best-sellers. Her business model is taught at the Harvard Business School. She received many honors, including the Horatio Alger Award. Fortune magazine has named Mary Kay Cosmetics as one of the Ten Best Companies for Women, as well as one of The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.

At the time of her death in 2001, Mary Kay Cosmetics had 800,000 independent beauty consultants in 37 countries, with total annual sales of over two billion dollars. Never underestimate the power of a woman with a mission!

Despite What You Heard, Don't Sell Yourself. Let People Buy You Instead. By Jeb Blount

2010-12-19T06:27:00.003+08:00

Most of us, at one time or another in our careers, have heard some wise trainer or manager exclaim,

"You have to sell yourself."
"If you want to get that job, son, you have to sell yourself."
"The real key to sales is your ability to sell yourself."
"If you want others to like you, you'll have to sell yourself."

The phrase sell yourself has become an easy- to-use cliché. It just rolls off the tongue. Most people will nod their heads in agreement to the statement as if some prophet on a hill had just read it from stone tablets. Then, they go forth into the world and start selling at networking events, to clients, prospects, hiring managers, and anyone else they can get to stand still for more than five minutes. You've heard it. These are the people who tell you all about themselves, their accomplishments, and how great they are.

But it does not work, because people like to buy, they don't like to be sold, as Jeffrey Gitomer says. In fact, the harder you try to sell yourself to others the more you push them away. A conversation where the other person tells you all about how great they are is a turn off.

It is a features dump. You don't walk away from that conversation thinking how much you would like to spend more time with them. Instead you think, "What a jerk,"', or "How boring,", or "Wow, that guy is full of himself."

Of course, we do love the opportunity to sell ourselves. Most of us, if given the opportunity, will talk for hours about our favorite person, oblivious to the negative impact it has on how we are viewed by others.

You cannot sell yourself to others; you have to get others to buy YOU on their terms. Even if you are preceded by a great reputation and others are anticipating meeting you, your attempts to sell yourself can backfire.

People Buy You for their reasons, not for your reasons. So when we sell people on why they should like us, it backfires. However, when they choose to buy you for their reasons, it creates a powerful connection and a
relationship that makes almost anything possible.

Five Tips To Get People To Buy You

1. Be Likable: Likability is the gateway to connections and ultimately to relationships. If others don't find you likable, then it is virtually impossible to form profitable business relationships. If you are not likable,
people will not buy you or from you. Likability is responsible for first impressions because it happens in an instant, and it is responsible for ongoing impressions because it can be lost in an instant. When people find you likable, the door opens to emotional connections, to trust, and ultimately to business relationships that help you build a successful career and income. Smile and use your positive attitude and optimism to project a cheerful, smiling, outgoing personality. People love to be around happy, optimistic people.

2. Connect: The key to connecting is listening deeply with your eyes and ears. Listen to what your customers say and observe their emotions. There are things they are passionate about. Look for common ground here. When you truly connect with someone, you take rapport to the next level. You begin to move from a business relationship to a friendship. Connecting tears down walls that tend to get in the way of real communication and understanding. When people feel connected with you they feel more comfortable telling you their real problems. With this information in hand, you have the opportunity to solve problems that really matter. This ability provides real value and engenders true loyalty. Strong connections are hard to break and are the foundation of truly prosperous, long-term business relationships.

3. Solve Problems: One of the immutable laws of the universe is that when you give to others, you are rewarded ten-fold. Problem solvers are the champions of the business world. However, it is impossible to solve problems you do not know about, which is why connecting is so critical. The essence of business is one person solving another person's problem. A solved problem is the value that buyers pay for. It is the most important lever in the People Buy You philosophy. The most successful business people take problem solving to the next level. These individuals are constantly on the look-out for problems they can solve-even if it has no direct impact on their business. They live by the motto, "By helping others get what they want, I will get what I want."

4. Build Trust:Trust is the glue that holds relationships together and the foundation on which all long-term relationships rest. Trust is developed with tangible evidence that you do what you say you will do, that you keep promises, and that you maintain a consistent commitment to excellence. It means going the extra mile in everything you do. In a world in which most people are doing just enough to get by, those business professionals who consistently do more than they have to, will stand out. Buyers appreciate and reward this
commitment to excellence with repeat business, referrals, and ultimately with trust.

5. Create Positive Emotional Experiences:
Learn to make dealing with you fun, relaxing, and rewarding. You always want to leave your customers and prospects thinking about you and remembering you positively so it is imperative that you find ways to create
positive emotional experiences for your customers. The key is to focus on the little things. Remember birthdays, send handwritten notes, do the unexpected. Just as an anchor is used to hold a ship in place against currents, wind, tide, and storm,; positive emotional experiences anchor your relationships. They leave people wanting more of you.

Ability, Motivation and Action by Chris Widener

2010-11-29T15:40:00.002+08:00

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." —Lou Holtz

There are three primary aspects of your life that will determine whether or not you are successful in your endeavors. You will not be successful if you have only one or two. You must have all three working together. Consider them like the three legs of a "stool of success."

Ability
The level at which you are able to actually do things. Your skill level. If you have a high level of skill, that's good. And the better you get, the better it will be for you. To the degree that you can perform your actions at higher and higher skill levels, the more and more success you will find in your chosen field.

Motivation
The level at which you are able to find "a reason to act." This is the internal drive that you find that enables you to exercise your abilities. To the degree that you can find a way, or ways, to keep yourself motivated, you will see yourself right in the thick of things, carrying out your actions to the best of your abilities, and succeeding accordingly.

Attitude
This is the mental state that you have while carrying out your actions to the best of your ability. It is the way you view the world around you and choose to see it, either positively or negatively. To the degree that you can maintain a positive attitude about yourself, others, and the circumstances you find yourself in, you will see yourself achieving greater and greater things.

"But Chris, can't I get away with just two?"

No.

What if you have high skills and motivation but a rotten attitude? People will stay away and hinder your success. What if you have a good attitude and motivation but poor skills? People will like you, maybe even root for you, but go to someone else with the skills they need. What if you have great skills and attitude but no motivation? Well, you'll be sitting on the couch like a lazy slug while the go-getters are out there making your money and achieving your dreams!

No, it takes all three. So let's ask some questions:

Ability: How highly skilled are you? Is your skill level holding you back? How so? What could you achieve if you just took your skills to the next level beyond where they are right now? How would improving your skills improve the bottom line of your success?

Motivation: How motivated are you? Why do you answer that way? What would your spouse or close friends say? Would they say you are as motivated as you say you are? Why or why not? Why do you have the level of motivation that you have? What could you do to find a higher level of motivation? What would happen if you became super-motivated for the next period of your life? What great things would happen?

Attitude: Do you have a good attitude or a poor one? How would you rate yourself? What about when things go wrong? Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? What would happen if you took your attitude to the next level for the next 60 days? What if you just chose to have an incredible attitude? What would be the ramifications?

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts." —Booker T. Washington

This is so true. People will judge you on what you accomplish, not what you know or what you talk about. In fact, if you know a lot or talk a lot but do not accomplish anything, people will wonder what happened. So the question is whether or not you will take the actions necessary to deliver on your potential. To do so, you will need to focus on the three legs of the stool of success: Your ability, your motivation, and your attitude.

Take some time this week to give some serious thought to these three areas. Your success depends on it! And when you have done some reflection, put the conclusions you come to into action!

7 Ways to Life...

2010-11-29T15:38:00.002+08:00

1. Start Each Day with a Creative State of MinD
As you open your eyes to greet the new day, spend the first few minutes thinking of the things that bring you the most happiness and comfort. It can be your family, your faith, or a special goal or project you have set for yourself.

In addition, spend a couple of brief moments thinking about the most exciting thing that happened to you yesterday. Savor this experience and allow the feelings to spill over into the new day.

Create a picture in your mind of how you want the day to unfold. Visualize it clearly and attractively in your mind. Imagine the people you want to meet, the things you want to accomplish or experience, and the fun you want to enjoy. Then, no matter the problems or obstacles you encounter, keep this mental snapshot with you and refer back it to when needed.

2. Begin Conditioning Your Mind for a Good Day, Every Day

Just like what we pay attention to grows, we also become what we think. Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, A man is what he thinks about all day long.

So the question becomes how can we learn to develop the right kind of thoughts to get the most out of each and every day? It begins with starting your day with positive thoughts. Then it becomes very important to condition you mind to keep doing this. Consider the following:

Practice letting go of fear or any other self-limiting thought that keeps you from achieving what you want to have in your life. Practice replacing the negative thoughts in your mind with more positive ones. Fill your mind with what you want to have; not what you want to avoid. In fact, say aloud what you want. Allow your mind, and heart, to hear it. Surround yourself with positive people and activities. Attempt to avoid, or at least ignore, those folks and things that are toxic for you. Walk the talk: Be positive. Say nice things - and really mean them. Start each day with a prayer or a special request. You will be surprised how often you receive what you ask for when you condition your mind to focus on the positive.

3. Understand Every Day is a Gift

Make it a goal, a priority, to appreciate each and every day. Too often we get caught-up with planning and scheduling our lives, but not living our lives. Make a list, right now, of all of the things you want to see or do in your life.

Use this day to pick an item from the list and perform one action that will move you closer to achieving it. Confidence builds and motivation soars when we use our days to move forward to fulfilling our heart's desire. Today is a gift we have been given. Allow this day to live within your heart. Allow this day to move you closer to your life's purpose and passion.

4. Keep Your Emotions Under Control

Exerting your control is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to your emotions. The controlled person is a powerful person. He or she who always keeps their head will get ahead. I've seen numerous people ruin their whole day because of the lack of emotional control.

Pay attention to the times when you begin to emotionalize rather than to think. When you feel your emotions begin to trump logic, stop and regroup. Sit quietly and think: What would a logical and rational person do in this situation? You will get your answer if you pay attention and keep listening.

5. Do One Thing, Every Day, to Feel Healthier

There is a mind - body connection. It is difficult to have a good day when you do not feel well mentally or physically. Besides going to the doctor for check-ups and the like, there are emotional, mental and spiritual things you can do each day. Here are a few ways to begin feeling healthier today and every day:

Think health, not sickness. Remember, what you think about grows. Stop looking for things to go wrong with your health or body. Instead, think positively about your physical health. Mental images tend to reproduce themselves.
Attempt to free your mind of ill thoughts and attitudes. Learn to replace ill will with goodwill to create a healthier state of mind. The relationship between the mind and its influence on your physical conditions is significant. Purge your mind of resentment, frustrations and anger and you will release tensions that only exacerbate physical illness.
Make one deliberate choice each day regarding what you eat and drink. Opt for water instead of a diet cola, for example. Go with the salad for your combo meal instead of the French fries. Add up every reason for being happy, thankful and healthy. Also, add up reasons for your health and happiness. You will be surprised at how many reasons you will find. Place these reasons in your reserve tank and tap into them when you feel your energy getting low.

6. Give More Than You TakE

It is our responsibility to have a good day and to resist the temptation to surrender or simply give up. Just as we expect great things from Life; Life also expects great things from each one of us.

Think of your life as a bank savings account. Your job is to make meaningful deposits of love, grace and kindness every day. Your focus should not be in how much interest you are earning, but rather how many deposits you are making

There will be come a day, however, when you will need to make a withdrawal. By giving more than you take, you will have all the resources necessary to receive what you need; when you need it the most

7. Finish the Day Strong

It is important how we begin the day; it is also important how we end the day. Begin it right, live it right, think it right and end it right and you can have a good day every day.

At the end of each day, imagine there is a large balloon in your stomach filled with all of the day,s activities. Practice feeling the sensation of releasing the air in this balloon and with it, all of your responsibilities. Allow your mind to rest while your body rests and feel the day's tensions drift away.

As your drift off to sleep tonight, count your blessings and name them, one by one. Acknowledge them and give them life. When you do, these same blessings will be waiting for you tomorrow ready to help you get the most out of the new day

Opening the Lines of Communication - By Bill Sayers

2010-11-29T15:37:00.004+08:00

Communication is a key for the success of any sales person or leader. How you keep your customers, colleagues and staff informed will determine how easily you get things done. Communication comes in many ways. I just had a call with a colleague and he said: It was interesting what was said at our meeting and more interesting what wasn't said. We communicate by what we say (or don't say), the way we say things, the body language displayed, and how we communicate the written word.

How do you communicate?

How you communicate tells a lot about how you treat people and the expectation you have. As a leader you need to create a well thought out strategy and then tell your team on a regular and consistent basis what is happening and what you expect. You send e-mails, you communicate in person in meetings, one-on-one and on your intranet. My experience is that you can't communicate too often. Also your actions communicate a whole other set of messages. So make sure your actions align with your written and verbal messages.

As a rep how are you communicating with your customers? What information do you send them? How do you let them know when something is wrong and how do you communicate successes. Do you send thank you cards; do you keep your customer aware of all the issues going on? When was the last time you had a formal review with your top customers to share what has happened in the last six months and what is expected to happen in the next six months? When there is a change in delivery or fulfillment of the deal how do you communicate this to the customer? How does your organization connect with customers? While you don't control this you need to understand what it means to your customers.

How do you communicate with your team? Do you keep everyone connected and up to date. When there is an issue to be dealt with -- where are you? How do people know what is expected of them. Do you have regular and productive meetings with your team to update and make sure you have created the appropriate message? Do you take responsibility for your results and interpretation of your messages? When you take responsibility your communication and insights become clear and focused.

What is your communication strategy?

You need to have a strategy that is formal and informal and communicates what you need to have heard, read and understood. Human beings need to hear a new message as many as six or seven times before they "get" it. So if you communicate a new idea or concept once -- good luck at getting buy in and understanding. This can be frustrating, however, the aggravation from not communicating will be far more frustrating and divisive with your team.

So if you need to communicate a new message six or seven times how do you propose to make that happen. You can send a written document, an e-mail, marketing materials, verbal communication in speeches and meetings. How do you mix it up and keep the message the same and focused on what you want to accomplish.

One of the reasons customers and team members get confused is that your communication is non-existent, is inconsistent or the message changes each month to what staff fondly refer to as "the flavor of the month"! You want to be consistently consistent.

Your communication must be honest, truthful and communicated by you. It must sound like you and be believable. So write it, review it, think about and then say it out loud. Do you believe what you are saying? If you have someone else writing and communicating for you your team and customers will not get behind the message -- they won't trust you.

What works for you?

We all communicate differently and in different manners. Know what works for you. Barrack Obama is a great orator -- George Bush, not so much. How is your written word? Is your written message efficient and to the point -- or is it all over the place. Are you best in one-to-one meetings? When you are in a meeting - what is the goal of your communications? If you are consistent and communicate the same message over and over again, people begin to get behind you and your mission.

Remember -- Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.

Sayers Says...

What is your communication style? Are you being consistently consistent? Are your team and customers behind your message? What is your communication strategy? What are you saying and not saying? Do you believe what you are communicating?

Share with me what communication format works best for you.

Open the lines of communication...

Life

2010-11-29T15:37:00.001+08:00

A short walk is so difficult, when no one walks with you.
But a long journey is just like few steps when you walk with someone who loves and cares for you.

We always look and care for the person whom we love the most.
But we fail to look back at those who love us the most.

Death’s not the greatest loss in life..
The greatest loss is when relationships die inside us while we are still alive...

Life is not about the people who act true on your face..
Its about the people who remain true behind your back..

Time decides whom you meet in life…
Your heart decides whom you want in life.. but your behaviour decides who will stay in your life...

You can win life by all means.. Yes..

If you simply avoid two things...

1. Comparing - with others
2. Expecting - from other

Life will be more beautiful!!

The Key to Influencing Others by Brian Tracy

2010-11-29T15:36:00.002+08:00

Do nice things for others. One of the best ways to influence someone is to do something nice for him. I know many successful salespeople who make a habit of taking their prospects out to breakfast or lunch. During the breakfast or lunch, they do not talk about their products or services unless the client brings it up. They merely make small talk, ask questions and listen. They work on building trust, and they work on establishing a friendly relationship. At the end of the breakfast or lunch, they tell the prospect that they will be getting in touch with him sometime in the future with the possibility of talking to him about helping him in some way.

See them as friends and partners. The best salespeople and businesspeople in America today are those who look upon their customers and prospective customers as friends and partners. They always look for ways to help their partners improve their lives in ways that are not directly related to the products or services they sell. They sow seeds, and they reap a harvest. They trigger a desire in people to reciprocate. When the time comes for those salespeople to approach their prospects with the possibility of buying their products or services, the prospects are wide open to the questions and inputs of the salespeople. The prospects have a deep-down desire to reciprocate.

Send thank-you notes. One of the best ways to use this principle in your interactions is to continually look for ways to say and do positive things for people. Look for ways to do kind acts and favors for your friends and prospects. Send thank-you notes. Send birthday cards. Send clippings from newspapers about subjects that you feel may be of interest to them. Always keep your promises, and follow up on your commitments. Always do what you say you will do. Do everything possible to put in, knowing confidently that you will ultimately be able to get out far more. You will reap if you sow.

Be a go-giver rather than a go-getter. Someone has observed that no one ever built a statue to a person to acknowledge what he or she got out of life. Statues are built only to people to acknowledge what they gave. The most powerful, influential and successful people you will ever meet always look for ways to do nice things for others. When you meet someone under almost any circumstance, one of the best questions you can ask is this: "Is there anything that I can do for you?" Always look for ways to put in rather than to take out. The successful man or woman of today is a "go-giver" as well as a go-getter.

Be open and empathetic. The more that people feel that you are open and empathetic and sensitive to their needs and concerns, the more open they will be to your influencing them positively in some way. And the more you can influence others with the power and impact of your personality, the more you will accomplish, and the faster you will accomplish it—the more rapidly you will move toward the great success that you desire and deserve.

Have You Created a 3-Tiered Support System for Success? - By Joanna Lindenbaum

2010-11-17T19:01:00.002+08:00

Delegating is so incredibly important because the more successful you become and want to be, the more responsibility there is. However, you are not supposed to be doing it all on your own! In fact, any good leader knows that the way to accomplish all that you want to accomplish is by enlisting others to help you out.

By asking for support on your projects, soul-centered goals, and in your life, not only do you achieve what you want to achieve more quickly and easily, but you also avoid exhaustion and overwhelm. And here's the added bonus: when you enlist others to help you out, you are empowering those support individuals by putting responsibility and power in their hands.

What I've found is that, for the most successful results on any project or goal, it's important that you understand the different types of support that you need and enlist those different types of support from various individuals aligned for the job or task. I call this your 3-Tiered Soulful Support System:

Tier 1: Basic Task Support
Now, the first tier of your Soulful Support System includes those people you can delegate tedious, everyday tasks to. These tasks are the one that annoy you, distract you, or take up too much of your precious time. Examples of basic tasks to delegate are: cleaning your home, scheduling your clients, doing your accounting, doing the laundry, writing press releases and sending them out, doing research on just about anything, sending invoices, setting up your newsletter, etc.

Now, keep in mind that you don't need a ton of people in this tier. However, you do need some. The types of people in the delegation tier can be anyone from an assistant to a professional cleaning person, local dry cleaner, or a graphic designer.

Take a moment now and make a list of all of your everyday, menial tasks. Then make a list of people who could potentially fill those roles. Next: make those calls in order to get the help you need - trust me, you will feel a huge load off your shoulders!

Tier 2: Intellectual/Creative Support
The second tier in your Soulful Support System is a group of people who can help you brainstorm or provide you with new ideas or resources. These are your colleagues, mentors, Board of Directors, coaches, and teachers.

Coming up with fresh ideas or solutions to issues on your own in your career, business, creative work, relationship issue, or personal project can sometimes be a huge task. There are always more juicy and powerful opportunities to learn, stretch, move forward, problem solve and create when you have other people whom you judge as creative and smart to bounce ideas off of.
Take a moment now and make a list of people you respect who you believe could help you with the intellectual and creative aspects of your project. You will greatly enjoy hearing these choice peoples' words of advice and wisdom, and they might even be flattered at having been chosen to share them!

Tier 3: Emotional and Spiritual Support
The third tier in your Soulful Support System is an often overlooked group, however they are the true backbone to your success and your sense of connection and joy in the world. This group is your own emotional and spiritual support.

To use the words of one of my mentors, ALisa Starkweather: "Every woman needs her court of women." What ALisa meant by this is that each one of us needs our own court of supporters, our own group of trusted and beloved people whom we know will hold us up and keep us going and believe in us even in those moments when we don't believe in ourselves. Because those moments happen. People in this group can include: husbands, wives, sisters, parents, childhood friends, clergy members, coaches, and therapists.

So, first take a moment now and write down the three top fears, doubts or concerns that you know outside support and confirmation could really help you with. Next, write down your top two to five people that you believe could (or already do) support you in these areas. Remember, one person does not have to encompass everything, each person could be helping you with another area of emotional support.

With these three areas of support in your life and dream project covered, you are setting yourself up for maximum success!

Commitment

2010-11-17T19:00:00.001+08:00

“If your energy is as boundless as your ambition, total commitment may be a way of life you should seriously consider.”
Joyce Brothers

“Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep.”
Denis Waitley

“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”
Madame Marie Curie

“There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.”
Pat Riley

“It takes time to build a corporate work of art. It takes time to build a life. And it takes time to develop and grow. So give yourself, your enterprise, and your family the time they deserve and the time they require.”
Jim Rohn

“If you don’t make a total commitment to whatever you’re doing, then start to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking.”
Lou Holtz

“Make a strong commitment to reach your full potential as a human being.” Nido Qubein

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
Dale Carnegie

“Make a total commitment to your company, your job, and your career. Uncommitted people have no future.”
Brian Tracy

“What you commit yourself to determines what you are, more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday, or the day before.”
Dr. Anthony Campolo

Facing the Enemies Within by Jim Rohn

2010-11-17T18:55:00.002+08:00

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worst of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

Overcoming the Negative

2010-11-17T18:54:00.002+08:00

We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value.

Humility is a virtue; timidity is a disease.

If you spend five minutes complaining, you have just wasted five minutes. If you continue complaining, it won’t be long before they haul you out to a financial desert and there let you choke on the dust of your own regret.

You cannot take the mild approach to the weeds in your mental garden. You have got to hate weeds enough to kill them. Weeds are not something you handle; weeds are something you devastate.

The Time to Act by Jim Rohn

2010-11-08T05:59:00.002+08:00

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability to take action. You don't need to be hasty if it isn't required, but you don't want to lose much time, either. Here's the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong.

Let's say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you've got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don't, here's what happens:

YOU FALL PREY TO THE LAW OF DIMINISHING INTENT.

We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now, the passion is cold. A year from now, it can't be found.

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear and powerful. If somebody talks about good health and you're motivated by it, you need to get a book on nutrition. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold. Begin the process. Fall on the floor and do some push-ups. You've got to take action; otherwise, the wisdom is wasted. The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action. The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you've started a whole-new life process.

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don't connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit. Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you've started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth.

Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now! Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. Make the commitment: "I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes."

Time Management

2010-11-08T05:58:00.005+08:00

Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you. Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don't do well simply because they major in minor things. Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: Busy doing what? Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely. Sometimes you need to stay in touch but be out of reach. Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it. We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. Never begin the day until it is finished on paper. Learn how to say no. Don't let your mouth overload your back. Time is the best-kept secret of the rich.

Obstacles to Manifestation: Fear of Change - By Laura B. Young

2010-10-31T05:19:00.003+08:00

Since change is the only constant in our lives, why is it so frightening to choose to change? Often it is thrust upon us and we didn't see it coming. It may come in a way that cuts us off at the knees, like a tornado or hurricane. Time and time again we observe people having the courage and determination to reach down into their reservoir of resilience to deal with catastrophe. Where did all their courage, fearlessness, faith, determination come from? How were they able to do it? For most of us it takes a crisis, a howling hurt, to send us into that deep well of greater capacity. Certainly, we all have reservoirs of courage and sometimes in a big crisis we are able to activate that side of ourselves more readily. In such times we do not have time to weigh the consequence of change. Right along side of the source of our courage is our island of fear. On a day-to-day basis when we take time to examine the changes we need to make, fear tends to jump in and become "top dog". Instead of encouraging impulsivity, it is better to become more aware of our inner landscape. We need to make friends with that inner, fearful, part of us that is actually running the show.

Life altering changes occur swiftly, sometimes violently, without choice or plan. Often the small, necessary accumulative changes cause the most discomfort, leading to avoidance and procrastination. Anxiety mounts, because there is no guarantee that if we do this thing differently, there will be a certain result in a timely manner. In essence we have "the fear of change" as well as "the desire to change." Desire motivates while fear creates resistance, thus impending the process. Change, by its very nature, creates ambivalence. The desire to change and the desire to maintain the status quo coexist for a reason. We actually do have to know "when to hold them and when to fold them" (Kenny Rogers). Self-trust is integral to change because the changes we make will not be meaningful if they result from someone else's direction.

Every human has the impulse for growth, as well as the need to stay safe and stable. When facing change, should we change quickly or is it better to approach it cautiously? Each of us has our own personal signature, or pattern, when initiating change -- some slow, some fast.

Our culture is becoming increasingly obsessed with speed, fostering a belief that faster is better. Often forgotten is that change is a process and takes time. Changes need to be investigated in light of your needs and after some pursuit of self-discovery. Just because there is pressure to do things speedily, does not mean this way is right.

Superficial changes may occur swiftly. A spouse about to lose a marriage stops treatment after a couple sessions because things are "much better now." This is an example of superficial change that may last about six weeks. It is like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. The underlying problem has not been resolved, so it will return.

The degree of resistance experienced when serious change is being considered is often an indication that there are unexamined core beliefs that must be addressed. Core beliefs are ingrained early in life when we are indeed helpless, powerless, and unable to make conscious or intelligent choices. Although core beliefs can enhance the quality of our life they can also severely limit manifestation. It is those limiting beliefs that have wide ranging consequences that not only determine our level of self-esteem and self-worth; as well as influence happiness and satisfaction in life. So change is dependent on modifying faulty beliefs after examination.

When we are facing change, the conditioning and core beliefs that cause the most conflict are not really known to us. Everything that has happened to us since birth creates underpinnings that are held in the unconscious. The power of the unconscious mind can be used for us or against us, as an ally or an enemy.

A client, we will call Joe, illustrated the power of the unconscious and the conflict that became evident when tried to quit smoking. Joe, 37, had attempted to quit several times; however any progress made was short lived. Joe had made the conscious decision to quit smoking for health concerns. Although Joe was aware that smoking lessened or alleviated his anxiety, especially in social situations, he wanted to hold onto the "cool" imprint and did not want to gain weight. He associated weight gain with looking older, thus in conflict with being youthful and carefree. It was evident that there was a going to be a tug of war between conscious wanting and his unconscious beliefs.

Joe was harsh with himself and attributed his "failure" to a lack of willpower. We learned, through hypnosis, that although his conscious mind said, "yes" to quitting, his unconscious said "no." His earlier efforts to quit neither befriended nor addressed the obstacles in his unconscious.

Joe's history of smoking held clues that contributed to his conflict. He began smoking at 16, when he started to drive. Succumbing to peer pressure he found smoking to be a "grown up" prop, which helped to alleviate some of his anxiety around girls. Smoking was also associated with being "cool". In Joe's memory bank smoking had a strong association with the carefree days of youth.

Through hypnosis we worked together to create an agreement that was harmonious and accepted by the conscious and unconscious mind. Shortly thereafter, his unconscious released its hold on core issues, accepted some new beliefs, and modified the unconscious power that had been keeping him stuck. Strengthening new beliefs in keeping with his desire for a healthier life style, he learned other ways to lessen anxiety.

If you find yourself in a tug of war between changing and not changing, recognize that your conscious and unconscious are in conflict. There are ways of learning what is brewing in your unconscious, through reflection, dreams, journaling, meditation, hypnosis, to name a few. What methods are you willing to use? It might be a good idea to seek professional help if you have conflict that cannot be resolved by the above techniques.

Change! Even though you have fear in your belly or jelly in your knees. Change! Even though your heart is breaking, and the illusions have collapsed. If you wait until it is the right day and when the fears are gone to tackle change, it is unlikely to happen. If you are distressed with life, it is important to remember that uncertainties, adversities and disappointments in life are a given. Real life IS messy, painful, and alive; it is NOT neat, linear or controlled. Can you change in such a climate? Yes!

The Secret of Time by Jeff Olson

2010-10-31T05:18:00.004+08:00

There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

So you walk a little today, get your heart rate up a bit, you lift a few weights, you eat a little differently, then tomorrow morning you wake up and look in the mirror... and see the same old flubber. You have to be pretty well along the path to see any significant results. What keeps you doing this simple thing, day after day?

Willpower! It's like my dad (mom, teacher, boss, older brother, minister, self) always told me... I just need more willpower.

Really? I don't think so. (A friend of mine used to say that people on diets who complain that they lack willpower are usually suffering more from a lack of won't power!) Willpower is vastly overrated. For most people, willpower ends up looking and feeling like some sort of grim self-tyranny, and involves creating an elaborate, artificial reward-and-punishment system.

Do you want to change? If so, I can show you how to tap into the most powerful force for change there is. Would you like to know what it is? Are you ready? Here it is: TIME.

Position your daily actions so time is working for you instead of against you. Because time will either promote you or expose you.

What keeps you on the path is your Slight Edge philosophy, which includes your understanding of the secret of time. Knowing the secret of time, you say: If I stay on this road long enough, I'll get the result I seek. It's not a question of your mood, your feeling or your attitude. And it's not a question of willpower. It's a question of simply knowing.

When you enter a darkened room, why does your hand reach out for the light switch? Because you know that when you hit the switch, the light will go on. You don't have to give yourself positive self-talk about how you really ought to hit that light switch, or set up a system of rewards and punishments for yourself around whether you follow through or not with hitting the light switch. You don't need any rigmarole; you just hit the switch. Why? Because you know what will happen.

You know.

It's the exact same thing here; you walk a little every day, lift a few weights, eat a little better, and leave the penny in the purse (hit the light switch) because you know it will make you healthy and wealthy (the light will turn on).

What To Do When You're Feeling Blue - By Jacquie Hale

2010-10-31T05:17:00.002+08:00

Everyone has an occasional time of feeling down. Some people may be clinically depressed while others have bouts of feeling blue or times of low energy. Regardless of the frequency or the cause, and whether or not you are on medication, you can lift yourself out of the doldrums with a few techniques. I suggest that those who encounter such distressed feelings have a few of these antidotes ready for quick access.
Appreciate the Good Stuff
Acknowledging the good and beautiful in your life is a great daily practice. Making a list of what you appreciate can lighten your mood instantaneously. You can do it by yourself, or better yet, call a friend and inspire each other. Make the sky your limit! Think of events in history that have inspired you or people who have made you thankful just to have known them. Appreciate the person who cuts your hair exactly as you like, the school crossing guard who volunteers even during a torrential downpour, politicians whose values match yours, your boss, your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, and don't forget--appreciate yourself for all the things you accomplish!

Eliminate the Negative
In the short run, you can turn off news and TV programs that cause you distress and even stop reading the newspaper. Fill the space you create with media that is uplifting.

If your discouraged moods are significant or frequent, it might serve you to stop interacting with negative people. This may require a big effort and great ingenuity on your part. It may be that ultimately you would be doing yourself and the other people a favor by being truthful. You might say, "I'm having trouble keeping a positive outlook these days, and when you are always finding fault people, I start to feel down. So, I'm going to skip our weekly coffee klatch for a while."

If the weather or the short days are bringing you down, try to block the outside views and fill your space with as much light as possible. You might even get full spectrum light bulbs for your living and work space where you spend the most significant part of your day.

Distract Yourself
When you find yourself in the downward spiral of negative self talk, do something startling such as splashing cold water in your face or slamming your hand on a table and declaring, "Stop!" Other activities might include percussive activities like hoeing in the garden, chopping wood, jumping rope, or simply stomping around.

A fine way to distract yourself is to put on some favorite music and dance for a while. Some people find great release in planning and cooking a meal, baking cookies, or putting up a batch of jam. Others get lost in a complicated puzzle or computer problem. Keep a list activities you enjoy so that all you have to do is look at the list for a distraction when you're dragging along so low that ideas are hard to come by.

Have a ready library of uplifting media. This might include favorite movies, TV programs, music, poetry, or books. I often suggest that clients create fantasies that put their minds and hearts in a more favorable frame. You might remember a particularly wonderful event or create one in your mind. This kind of virtual vacation can brighten a very dull day.

Exercise
You don't have to run marathons to get the positive effects of exercise, you can feel revived and uplifted with as little as 20 minutes of brisk walking. Better yet, you can combine two of these techniques at once by putting on music you like and dancing.

Be of Service
Nothing takes you out of the blues as much as helping someone else. On the spur of the moment, you might call a neighbor and offer to take her kids to a movie or do the grocery shopping. You could cook dinner for a friend or take dessert to a colleague. For more extensive service, you could volunteer to work at a soup kitchen or deliver Meals on Wheels. One of my friends feeds babies at the local Children's Hospital and another tutors illiterate adults. I organize the volunteers for a local music group. That way, I get to hang out with the musicians and go to their concerts. Pick some service that interests you and it's likely to make you happy, even if you have to drag yourself out the door to do it.

Communicate Appropriately
If you notice that you have suddenly found yourself feeling grumpy or inexplicably down, review what was going on in the few hours prior to the feeling descending on you. You may find that you had a conversation that left you feeling unsettled. It might be that you didn't say what you meant to say or you withheld the truth of how you felt. Sometimes it might be that you didn't set good boundaries and you need to speak up.

This is not an easy thing to do. It takes finesse to tell the truth in a way that doesn't make the other person wrong. The best way to do this is to make "I" statements. Talk about how you feel, not about what the other person is doing. You can't say, "I feel you are a jerk!" because the jerkish person will simply get defensive. In this case, you could say, "When you act like that, I am afraid someone is going to get mad and start a fight with you." Another common boundary-setting statement is, "When you act like that, I feel that you don't like me or you are angry with me."

Challenge Negative Thoughts
If you have an Inner Critic that is giving you grief, start making a list of all the things this critic says about you. Then look at each statement and ask these questions:

• Is this true?
• How do I know it is true?
• How do I act because I believe this is true?
• How would I act if I didn't believe this was true?

Have a Buddy
It's wonderful to have someone who will support you when you are feeling down. You can discuss the ideas you develop from this article and enlist a friend to help you engage in the some of the uplifting activities.

You are ultimately responsible for your own happiness. Actually, no one knows better than you what satisfies you or makes you happy. You can help yourself far more than you think by being proactive. Some day when you are feeling particularly good, go through this list and create your own Antidote for the Blues Kit.

Evaluating Your Associations, Part 2 by Jim Rohn

2010-10-31T05:16:00.002+08:00

We took a look at the power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until, finally, we find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?”

We then asked three key questions:

“Who am I around?” You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

“What are these associations doing to me?” That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

“Is that okay?” Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

This week, let's discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.

1) Disassociate. This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential. You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you anymore. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.

2) Limited association. Spend major time with major influences and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don't fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn't it make sense to invest it wisely?

3) Expanding your associations. This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people who you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful. Now, this is not just about financial success; it can be someone who you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.

It is called association on purpose—getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Evaluating Your Associations Part 1 by Jim Rohn

2010-10-31T05:15:00.002+08:00

If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life. My mentor, Mr. Shoaff, gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.

Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing. If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until, finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.

With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.

Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going? What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man says, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something. You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.

Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying.

The owl said to the bird, "You are crying."

"Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye.

"Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye."

And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."

What Are The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do

2010-10-31T05:14:00.002+08:00

We all make mistakes and some salespeople seem to make a lot of them. What scares the hell out of me is that most salespeople keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Now in my book - that's just plain STUPID!

Maybe this list will serve as a helpful reminder. Maybe it won't. But at least you're curious to learn what these blunders are or why would you keep reading this? Okay - maybe you just wanted to subscribe to my No-Brainer Selling Tips newsletter, which you'll start getting with the very next issue.

In any case here's my list of the 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do:

1. Relying on one relationship to protect your account. Why in the world would you put all your eggs in one basket? Excuse me - with one person. It doesn't make any sense and the bigger the account is the more vulnerable you become. There are five reasons why you should develop more than one relationship in all your accounts, especially the major ones:

First retirement - people do retire. Second is death - yep some people actually die at their desk. Sure it's not common, but it does happen. Third is resignation - people do leave for better opportunities and that happens more than you might imagine. Fourth is termination - some people actually get fired. Finally - and sure this is a long shot - some people win the Lottery.

Action-step. Build and cultivate a network within every major account you have. The biggest Rolodex usually WINS!

2. Putting your fate with mid-level managers instead of starting with the top gun. The worst thing you can do is to follow your instincts on this one. Your instincts tell you to start at the easiest point of entry in any organization. Why - because it's easy! Once you gain access at this point your instincts continue to give you bad advice. Soon you'll be thinking you can't go over the head of the person you currently have the relationship with.

Here's my advice and it works. Your first call should be to the CEO or president of the organization. Simply ask them, or their assistants, for their help in directing you to the right person. If you're doing this over the phone you should also ask them to transfer you to this key decision maker.

Action-step. Make your first call to the CEO. It's easier to let him direct you down the organizational chart then to have some mid-level manager try to take you up the same organizational chart.

3. Telling prospects/customers that you’re NEW. I know this is a big one because I hear it all the time. Sad to say many years ago I even used this same mindless introduction. Imagine walking into an account and telling your prospect/customer that you are the new sales REP for your company. For a moment let's switch gears.

Imagine boarding an airplane scheduled to fly from Chicago to San Francisco. Imagine also hearing the pilot welcome everybody on board and announcing that he is new at flying the 757 you are seated on. Also imagine your dentist refers you to a specialist for your very first root canal. And imagine that the specialist lets you know he's a recent Dental School graduate and you're his first patient. Now, how does that make you feel? That's how everyone feels when they're working with somebody who announces they are "NEW."

Action-step. If you're new to sales or are an experienced sales REP just getting started with a NEW company give some thought how you will introduce yourself. Just don't say that you're "NEW."

4. Doing price-driven quotes instead of value-structured proposals. If you're in sales you're likely to get requests on a daily basis for product quotes. Somebody wants you to quote on a particular product or a particular service. So, like someone following the Pied Piper you do exactly what they ask, namely you send them a quotation. Then you go ballistic when you lose the deal because you did not have the lowest price.

Look Bubba - when you send somebody your quote all you are really doing is sending them a price to look at. If you don't like that approach get out of the quotation business. Do sales proposals. Load them with value. Make your sales proposal scream value and always include a benefits page. Your benefits page should be positioned ahead of your pricing page.

Action-step. If you don't know anything about sales proposals I strongly suggest you do a search on Google.com and Amazon.com using the keywords "sales proposals." This is too important to be flying by the seat-of-your-ants!

5. Making sales calls like a tourist. Anytime you show up on a prospect's/customer's doorstep without written sales call objectives you are nothing more than a well paid tourist. I think you'll agree most people most of the time are too busy to waste their valuable time. When you show up planning to touch base, catch up, check up, and see what's going on - that's called "Wasting time." To get you started in the right direction, here's an example of a written sales call objective for an account you're calling on for the very first time. Simply stated your sales call objective could be written as follows:

"My objective for this sales call is to establish rapport, build some credibility, ask 3-5 open-ended questions, attempt to identify one common interest we have, and if the person is qualified to secure a confirmed follow-up appointment. Note how numbers make this objective even "More specific."

Action-step. Never leave home without written sales call objectives. The key word is "Never!"

6. Getting mugged by your own mouth. This is a very easy trap for a salesperson to collapse into especially if you're extroverted and talkative. If you're not careful with the language you use, you run the risk of sounding like the "Mediocre majority." For example, you should avoid using these phrases: I think, can I be honest, can I ask you a question, I know you're busy so I won't take up much of your time, how soon do you need it, I agree with you - But, what do I have to do to earn your business today, so - what do you think, I was wondering etc. I hope you get the picture and recognize that these phrases aren't inherently sinister. They are however over-used by the salespeople who are in the "Mediocre majority" category. Avoid them like the Plague!

Action-step. The more you prepare what you'll say and how you'll say it during a sales call the less likely you'll end up getting mugged by your own mouth.

7. Making the sales call a virtual “Improvisation.” The way my twisted mind works is there are only two types of sales calls. One is prepared and the other is a total improvisation. Let me concede right out of the chute, it's inconceivable to totally prepare for a sales call - the way I define the word prepare. It should also be inconceivable to you from this point on, that your sales calls should be a 100% improvisation. In this example, when I use the word prepare, I mean in writing.

Here's a short list of what I recommend you thoroughly prepare - in writing: Prepare how you call for appointments. Prepare your elevator speech. Prepare at least 12 open-ended questions. Prepare how you will segue into your presentation. Prepare how you will deal with the price objection. Also prepare how you will ask for the customer's commitment to order your product/service.

Action-step. Prepare in writing the words you will use in each of these key steps in your selling process. Preparation always sounds better than improvisation. Always!

8. Forgetting to develop the “Brand Called You.” One of the cardinal sins I observe salespeople making is your complete reliance on the branding of your products and your company. Please remember this. Most people don't buy the product. Most people don't buy the company. Most people buy - because they buy the relationship with the sales professional working with them.

I just ordered the autobiography written by PT Barnum. I can't wait to get my hands on this book. If you want to be remembered you have to be memorable and PT Barnum wrote the book on this topic. Marketing will win more sales than selling ever can. To be a success today, and in almost any business, you have to be an extraordinary marketer! You might want to buy Peter Montoya's book, "The Brand Called You."

Action-step. I believe everybody is unique. Discover your uniqueness and parade it around your sales territory. Forget about being boring, bland, and benign. Blending in is out! Standing out is in! Do everything you can to be different in a memorable way!

9. Playing the win-lose instead of the win-win game. This point is easy to say and hard to do because it involves a dramatic change in your thinking. In some cases, it may involve a lobotomy! Never offer a price concession without getting a concession from your prospect/customer. To do so means he wins and you lose. Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned game of win-win?

What happened to it is quite simple and very easy to fix. When ever someone asks you for a better price - ask them for a better deal - which could mean a larger quantity, something else added to the order, an extended contract etc.

Action-step. This one takes courage. Do you have what it takes to do what it takes to make your selling game a win-win game?

10. Putting your families on the veritable back-burner. Most people don't think bad things can happen to them. I think it's called the theory of self-exception. Maybe it's because you're so optimistic. You think you'll live for ever. You think your families will live for ever. Take it from me it doesn't always work out that way. Now rest assured, I hope it does for you and your family.

I just don't want you to bank on it. You see stuff happens: My first wife Louise died when she was 34 from cancer. My brother John died when he was 46 from a brain tumor. My brother Ray, a New York City firemen, was killed on 9/11 at the age of 46. Enough said!

Action-step. When you put your family on the back-burner you're risking life's biggest regret - "I wish I had spent more time with my family." To avoid this potential tragedy make your calendar the centerpiece of your life and make sure every member of your family is on your calendar.

11. Living life in the multi-tasking lane. This thing called multi-tasking isn't what it's cracked up to be. Sure it looks impressive to a casual observer to see you driving your car with a headset on and nibbling on your morning egg McMuffin. How many tasks can you do at the same time and do them equally well? Some people, notably researchers writing on the subject, are now saying that tasks completed by the multi-taskers are losing out in the quality department.

Hey - it's a No-Brainer - how many things can you do at the same time and do them all exceptionally well? Go figure! Two months ago in the men's room of one of my major clients I heard someone behind that closed door, and presumably in a seated position, talking on his cell phone, munching on what sounded like potato chips and flushing at the same time. How do you explain that to a customer? Would you actually say you're passing through Niagara Falls, thus accounting for the noise in the background? I think you get the point and I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Action-step. This one is so easy it hurts! Start every day with a written list of what you want to get done during that day. Using numbers, be sure to prioritize your list. Do one thing at a time. Do the most important thing first. Don't do anything else unless it's more important than the next most important thing on your list. I told you this was easy - easy to say and hard to do.

12. Giving a “Gazillion people” your cell phone number. Man do I get a lot of heat when I talk about this in my No-Brainer Selling Skills Boot Camps and sales training programs. I've heard all the reasons why salespeople give every body their cell phone number. I know why people print their cell phone number on their business cards. I know why salespeople do this but I'm not sure it makes any sense.

Well it does make some sense if you're the kind of salesperson, who after giving 50 or more prospects/customers your cell phone number, goes immediately to a tattoo parlor and has 24/7 tattooed across your forehead. Maybe it would make some sense if you had the only cell phone in your sales territory. That would be a clear advantage for you. Whenever you give somebody your cell phone number it becomes the default number which people use to call you. The more people you give your cell phone number to, the more people will dial your cell phone number every time for every minuscule reason they want to talk to you.

You may like it this way but I sure don't. I have two cell phones- one in my car and one in my briefcase and I use them exclusively for making outbound calls. Until you experience this - you won't realize how much control over your life you give up every time you give someone else your cell phone number.

Action-step. Here's a suggestion. Get a stamp that allows you to print on the back of your business card the times during the day you check your voice mails and e-mails. Tell your customers, except for two or three of your biggest, you're disconnecting your cell phone number because it's taken over your life. My guess is you'll get some well deserved empathy and sympathy

Simple Comments May Destroy The Honor Of A Man/Woman

2010-10-31T05:13:00.002+08:00

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After he was released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, they were not meant to harm anyone.'

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home; throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.'

The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.'
The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.'

The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything.’

'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.'

Time Management

2010-10-13T04:35:00.007+08:00

Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you. Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don't do well simply because they major in minor things.
Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: Busy doing what?
Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.
Sometimes you need to stay in touch but be out of reach.
Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.
We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.
Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.
Never begin the day until it is finished on paper.
Learn how to say no. Don't let your mouth overload your back.
Time is the best-kept secret of the rich.

Ability

2010-10-13T04:35:00.005+08:00

If you have the ability to desire it, the Universe has the ability to deliver it. You've just got to line up with what you want, which means - be as happy as you can be as often as you can be there, and let everything else take care of itself.

Abraham

The Major Key to Your Better Future Is YOU by Jim Rohn

2010-10-13T04:34:00.000+08:00

Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It's really the open door to it all. In fact I'd like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is: "The major key to your better future is YOU."

Let me repeat that. "The major key to your better future is YOU." Put that someplace you can see it every day, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere you can see it every day. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day and think about it. The major key is YOU.

Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic, progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership, that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and, of course, if it doesn't storm, that will help. If your car doesn't break down, that will help. If the kids don't get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay halfway civil, that will help. If your relatives don't bug you, that will help. If it isn't too cold, if it isn't too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don't go much higher and if taxes don't get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I've just covered and many more—all put together—play a minor role in your better future.

The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. A friend of mine has always answered when asked, "How do you develop an above-average income?" He says, "Simple. Become an above-average person. Work on you." My friend says, "Develop an above-average handshake." He says, "A lot of people want to be successful, and they don't even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don't understand." My friend says, "Develop an above-average smile. Develop an above-average excitement. Develop an above-average dedication. Develop an above-average interest in other people." He says, "To have more, become more." Remember: work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn't have this figured out.

Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company, one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1,000?

Remember: here is the difference... the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.

You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, "The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn't a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you."

The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It's in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling, and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.

An Accumulation of Riches by Brian Tracy

2010-10-13T04:33:00.003+08:00

Little Things Mean a Lot
One of the greatest success principles of all is called the Law of Accumulation. This law says that everything great and worthwhile in human life is an accumulation of hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny efforts and sacrifices that nobody ever sees or appreciates. It says that everything accumulates over time. That you have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile. It's like a snowball. A snowball starts very small, but it grows as it adds millions and millions of tiny snowflakes and continues to grow as it gathers momentum.

Learn What You Need to Learn
There are three areas where the Law of Accumulation is important. The first is in the area of knowledge. Your body of knowledge is a result of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small pieces of information.

Any person with a large knowledge base has spent thousands of hours building that knowledge base one piece at a time. And what you see when you meet the individual is an expert in his or her field, with that high level of knowledge that makes him very valuable in the marketplace.

Save Your Money
The second area where the Law of Accumulation works is with regard to money. Every large fortune is an accumulation of hundreds and thousands of small amounts of money, and the place to start is to take any amount of money that you can right now and begin to save it. When you begin to save money, it sets up a force field of energy and it triggers the Law of Attraction. As a result you begin to attract to you even more bits of money to add to your savings.

Attract Riches into Your Life
I've spoken to many successful people and they've told me the same story: that as soon as you start to put savings aside, it starts to attract into your life and into your work all the money that you need to achieve your goals. The reason most people retire poor is they never put the initial savings aside to start with.

Get the Experience You Need
The third area where the law of accumulation applies is in the area of experience. You'll find that successful people in any field are those who have far more experience in that field than the average. And there is nothing that replaces experience, whether it's in business or entrepreneurship or management or parenting or selling or anything else. Many people do not take the risks necessary to move out of their comfort zone because they're afraid it won't work out.

Everything Counts
But the fact is that until you move out of the comfort zone and get the experience from making the mistakes, it's not possible for you to grow and become capable of earning the kind of money that you desire. Now here's the key to the Law of Accumulation. It says that everything counts. Everything that you do counts. The biggest mistake people make is they think that only what they want to count, counts. That when you read a book, when you listen to an audio program, when you go to a course, when you go to bed early and you get up early and you work, it all counts. And it's all going on the plus side of your ledger.

Use Your Time Well
But when you watch television, waste time, hang out, fool around and so on, all of that counts, as well, and it's going on the negative side. A person who has a great life, by the Law of Accumulation, is a person who's accumulated far more credits on the credit side than debits on the debit side. And here's an important point. If what you are doing is not moving you toward your goals, then it's moving you away from your goals. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you're doing is either moving you toward the things that you want to accomplish in life, the person you want to be, the wealth you want to accumulate, or it's moving you away. Everything counts. The Law of Accumulation says that everything counts.

Action Exercises
First, begin today to build your knowledge base in the subject that can be most helpful to you in achieving financial independence. Whether it takes a week, a month or a year to become thoroughly knowledgeable, it doesn't matter. Just get started today.

Second, get as much experience as you can in your chosen field. Start a little earlier, work a little harder and stay a little later. Take risks and try every different way you can think of to achieve your goal. This experience is invaluable and it accumulates over time.

Focusing and Acting on Your Dream by Les Brown

2010-10-13T04:31:00.003+08:00

Whatever dream you decide to go after, whether it is a family, or a career goal, you must consciously decide that it is your life's mission. Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success is constancy to purpose." You must go at it obsessively and set high standards for yourself along the way. There is no room for compromise when you are charting a course for your life or your career.

I spoke to a group of sharp young people not long ago, and when I finished, some of the fellows came up and said they were interested in becoming professional speakers. They invited me to go out with them that evening to have a good time. These fellows looked as though they knew how to have a serious good time.

I had planned to work on my delivery that night by listening to the audio of my speech. I record my speeches and listen to them later so I can study what works and what does not work with a particular audience. In effect, I listen to the audience listening to me.

I was tempted to go with these fellows, and back when I was their age I probably would have given in to that temptation and gone. But I have become more disciplined and more committed to my craft. A friend of mine, Wes Smith, wrote a humor book called Welcome to the Real World, and in it he offered advice to fresh high-school and college graduates. He had a line in the book that pertains to the situation I faced that night. It said, "Having a drink with the boys after work every night is a bad idea. Notice that the boss doesn't do it. That is why he is the boss, and they are still the boys."

Wes told me that he wrote that line with one particular group of hard-partying young businessmen in mind, and five years after the book came out, he ran into one of them. The guy volunteered that he'd read that line in Wes's book and decided never to go drinking after work again. It paid off, he said. He had risen to a vice-presidency at a savings and loan.

In my drive to become a public speaker, I developed that kind of focus, too. There is not a lot of time for hard partying if you are pursuing greatness. It was not that these young fellows weren't serious about their interest in professional speaking, but they were just as serious about having a good time. I don't believe they were focused on their goals. They were seeking a profession, but they were not on a mission to make a dramatic difference in the world. I am. You should be too.

Rather than the party crowd, I prefer to seek out people with knowledge that might be useful. I like to find out what books successful and intelligent people are reading. I want access to the information that contributes to their success and intelligence.

5 Steps to Real Improved Listening By Lea Dev

2010-10-13T04:31:00.000+08:00

The three things that prevent us from being superior listeners -- leadership-quality listening wonders, mavens of listening excellence -- are our deference to our emotional triggers and filtering, our attitude about listening in general, and our facility at remaining tied to both.

Chief among these is our deference to our emotional triggers and filtering. In many listening articles and courses, we are urged to "be open", "not to interrupt", "encourage others to speak", "don't judge".

The fact is we are not being told or shown how to effectively do the things that are supposed to transform us into an individual of quality listening ability. We are simply being told to do them.

Understanding and managing our emotional triggers and filtering will provide us with the foundation for becoming superior listeners. Why? Because with this knowledge we can give ourselves the opportunity stop compromising our listening ability by judging at the wrong time. In our case, the wrong time is when we should be attending.

The Solution:

Emotional triggers and filtering, and our almost automaton devotion to them, are single-handedly the key reasons why we tend to be listening-depraved.

Emotional filtering is the change in our willingness to pay attention to the speaker as a result of our affective interpretation of the speaker's words, phrasing, or non-verbal expression.

Emotional triggers are the attitudes, beliefs, and psychological associations and interpretations that we, individually, have acquired and kept since childhood right through to this very minute. (They are our effective interpretation of the speaker's words, phrasing, or nonverbal expression.)

We judge the speaker's expression, and sometimes, even the speaker, based on how we manage our emotional filtering process, which is directly proportional to how we manage our emotional triggers.

Once we wade, knowingly or not, into the judgment pool in a conversation, we have effectively shunted our ability to sincerely "be open", "question", "maintain eye contact", "encourage others to speak", "don't interrupt", etc., and, of course, "don't judge". In other words, we have shut down our ability to implement the tenets of superior listening because we have violated the "don't judge" rule, which directly influences how well we implement the other tenets.

We tend to judge. It's a shortcoming of the human condition. Live with it. Understand it. Embrace it. Shake it loose. Let it fall.

The best way to shake it loose and let it fall during conversations occurs in two steps: 1). identify our emotional triggers and understand our emotional filtering process; 2). manage them both so they stop making listening Neanderthals of us.

To identify our emotional triggers, we first ask ourselves what words, expressions, and acts cause us to become excited. Secondly, we explain to ourselves why the word, expression, or act causes us to become excited.

To understand our emotional filtering process, we simply replay a few of our last conversations and figure out the words, expression, and acts that made us stop listening to the speaker.

Does this sound like you, too? My emotional triggers are the words, "everybody" and "nobody". Why? Because my view of the world is that "everybody" and "nobody" ever did a damned thing, and anybody who thinks they did is not telling me the truth.

Let's take this further into how this impacted my emotional filtering process.

An example of a phrase that could place a Vulcan death-grip on my ability to pay attention was if the speaker said something like, "I'm honest with everybody." Why? Because as soon as I heard it as I was listening, my emotional trigger would kick in, directing my emotional filtering process. In rapid succession these things would occur: 1) my association with the word gained focus; 2) my attention shifted from the conversation to the speaker who was now trying to make me believe something that simply could not be true; 3) my effort to defend myself against the speaker's arrant and aggressive attempt to control my very mind became my number one purpose for existing at the moment!

The issue is not our emotional filtering process; it is how well we manage that process during conversations. Why? So that we can "listen without judgment", "be open", "encourage others to speak", "not interrupt", and so on and so on.

As long as we are reacting to our emotional filtering process, we are not directing it. We are overriding our success at listening and probably a lot of other opportunities that we can't possibly see because we're reacting like a worker-bee, instead of directing like a leader.

How do we stop being kidnapped by our emotional filtering? How do we start to enact the sage instruction for significantly improved listening ability?

STEP #1: Acknowledge that we have emotional triggers.

We all have something. It isn't new or unique.

STEP #2: Identify our emotional triggers.

The easiest way to identify our emotional triggers is to observe ourselves while we're listening to somebody else. As soon as we change our willingness to pay attention to the speaker, we have just elevated our emotional trigger ahead of our emotional filtering management.

Find a comfortable spot to reflect on the conversations of the day. Make a list, mentally or physically, of what you reacted to and why.

We can't manage our emotional filtering unless we know what our emotional triggers are.

STEP #3: Manage our emotional triggers out of our emotional filtering process during conversations.

This is the heart of a how we actually implement the tenets of superior listening. We have acknowledged and identified our emotional triggers in the first two steps. Now, we want to nip them the bud and tuck them out of sight during conversations with others.

The nip. During conversations, when we feel ourselves becoming agitated, do a quick examination of what's going on with us. Our goal is to pinpoint the word, phrase, or expression that now has our attending wandering away from the speaker.

The tuck. Since we really are the masters of our emotional triggers and the architects of our emotion filtering, we have dominion over both at all times. Take control of this thing that bothers us by directing it away from the conversation and our focus. In this way, we manage this word or phrase out of our emotional filtering process. We effectively ignore it.

STEP #4: Accept and embrace the fact that listening is much more important than speaking.

Do you know that we spend 80% of our day in situations in which we are required to listen in order to:
• Make decisions
• Take instruction
• Provide input or feedback

That makes listening our most daily used communication skill.

Therefore, it is more important to listen than to speak.

STEP #5: Make managing our emotion filtering process a habit, not a novelty.

Implement these five steps all day, every day. In the beginning you may slip more times than you're comfortable with, but keep at it.

Whatever It Takes—The Keys to Unlocking a Can-Do Attitude by Dr. John C. Maxwell

2010-10-01T13:13:00.003+08:00

A faint but discernable dividing line separates achievers from dreamers. At first glance this line may be difficult to distinguish. You may be tricked into believing that talents, titles, or resources draw the line between the doers and dreamers. However, if you spent a significant length of time with a group of leaders, the line splitting the achievers from the dreamers would become crystal clear.

What makes the difference? Attitude. Achievers have a can-do attitude that sets them apart from mere dreamers. Achievers are sold out to success—no matter the obstacles—and they are willing to put forth the effort and pay the price of success.

In my days observing leaders, I have identified four main groups.

Cop-outs
These people set no goals and make no decisions.

Holdouts
These people have beautiful dreams, but they are afraid to respond to challenges because they lack the self-confidence to overcome difficulties.

Dropouts
These individuals clearly define their goals, and, in the beginning, they work hard to make their dreams come true. However, when the going gets tough, they quit.

All-Outs
These are the stars. They want to shine out as an inspiration to others. Once all-outs have set their goals, they never quit. Even when the price gets high and the challenges mount, they're dedicated. Their can-do attitudes carry them to greatness.

Here are 10 keys to cultivating a can-do attitude.

Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness
Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them.

Key #2: Take the Bull by the Horns
Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their every effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don't wait, they initiate.

Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone
Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, "Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses."

Key #4: Put On Another's Pair of Shoes
Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person's perspective in order to make the best decisions. In my book Winning with People, one of the 25 People Principles is the Exchange Principle, which says that instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place.

Leaders see the world from their perspective and others' perspectives. They use their own perspective to give direction, and they use others' perspectives to forge relational connection. Both direction and connection are indispensable to taking the team on a successful journey.

Key #5: Nurture Your Passion
Can-do people are immune to burnout. They love what they do because they've learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. In leadership, the prize is not given to the person who's the smartest, nor to the person with the advantages in resources and position, but to the person with passion.

Key #6: Walk the Second Mile
Can-do people exceed expectations. While others settle for an acceptable solution, they aren't satisfied until they have achieved the unimagined. They set expectations for themselves higher than what is dictated by the people or situations around them.

Key #7: Quit Stewing and Start Doing
Can-do people take action. While others are crippled by worry, fear, and anxiety, they have the fortitude to press forward. The perfect moment when all is safe and assured may never arrive, so why wait for it? Can-do leaders take risks.

Key #8: Go With the Flow
Can-do people can adjust to change. They don't get caught griping about an unexpected curve in the road. They accept transition with an optimistic outlook. They realize it's less important what happens TO them, than it is what happens IN them.

Key #9: Follow Through to the End
Can-do people not only initiate, they finish. They are self-starters with the capacity to close the deal.

Key #10: Expect a Return as a Result of Your Commitment
If you make an all-out commitment with a can-do attitude, expect a return. Passionate commitment is contagious, and resources follow resolve. Committed leaders will reap rewards and find open doors as others are drawn to the excitement and energy emanating from them.

Love the Opportunity by Jim Rohn

2010-10-01T13:06:00.000+08:00

Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that's not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity. The opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune. Knocking on someone's door or making that extra call may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door or call.

For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, ‘I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and I'm going to do it so well; I won't be here long.' "

You can be inspired by having found something, even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline. You don't have to love it; you just have to learn to appreciate where you live, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news—that found you.

Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself; appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."

If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity, you will soon find your self-confidence starting to grow—that you're changing from a skeptic to a believer. And soon, when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world. Every person…. What could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It's big-time stuff. And sometimes, in the beginning, when we are just getting started, we don't always see how big it is.

So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember all success is based on long-term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few steppingstones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.

Whatever It Takes—The Keys to Unlocking a Can-Do Attitude by Dr. John C. Maxwell

2010-10-01T13:05:00.002+08:00

The Gift

2010-09-07T04:40:00.002+08:00

The Gift of Listening:
But you must really listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

The Gift of Affection:
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and hand-holds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

The Gift of Laughter:
Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "1 love to laugh with you."

The Gift of a Written Note:
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime and may even change a life.

The Gift of a Compliment:
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone’s day.

The Gift of a Favor:
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

The Gift of Solitude:
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition:
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to anyone, really it’s not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

Failure

2010-09-07T04:39:00.000+08:00

Failure doesn't mean - You are a failure,
It means - You have not succeeded

Failure doesn't mean - You accomplished nothing,
It means - You have learned something

Failure doesn't mean - That you have been a fool,
It means - You had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn't mean - You don't have it,
It means - You have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean - You are inferior,
It means - You are not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean - You've wasted your life,
It means - You have a reason to start afresh

Failure doesn't mean - You should give up,
It means - You must try harder

There's an old saying that says... by Brian Tracy

2010-09-03T16:11:00.002+08:00

"If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"

Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one you're most likely to procrastinate on; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.

In Eat That Frog!, Brian cuts to the core of what is vital to effective time management: decision, discipline and determination. In 21 practical steps, he will help you stop procrastinating and get more of the important tasks done...today!

Brian is one of America's leading authorities on development of human potential. He speaks to over 250,000 people a year and has written over 25 books. Eat That Frog! is an international best seller, with over 500,000 copies sold.

Here's a small sampling in Brian's chapter titled: Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything. Enjoy! ....

An excerpt from Eat That Frog!
by Brian Tracy
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.

He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.

Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.

Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.

Focus on Activities, Not Accomplishments
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.

Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"

The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.

Motivate Yourself
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.

Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.

Personal Philosophy Is Like the Set of the Sail by Jim Rohn

2010-09-03T16:10:00.000+08:00

In the process of living, the winds of circumstances blow on us all in an unending flow that touches each of our lives.

We have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why, then, would each of us, in our own individual ship of life, all beginning at the same point, with the same intended destination in mind, arrive at such different places at the end of the journey? Have we not all been blown by the winds of circumstances and buffeted by the turbulent storms of discontent?

What guides us to different destinations in life is determined by the way we have chosen to set our sail. The way that each of us thinks makes the major difference in where each of us arrives. The major difference is the set of the sail.

The same circumstances happen to us all. We have disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and those moments when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not events reserved for the poor, the uneducated or the destitute. The rich and the poor have marital problems. The rich and the poor have the same challenges that can lead to financial ruin and personal despair. In the final analysis, it is not what happens that determines the quality of our lives, it is what we choose to do when we have struggled to set the sail and then discover, after all of our efforts, that the wind has changed directions.

When the winds change, we must change. We must struggle to our feet once more and reset the sail in the manner that will steer us toward the destination of our own deliberate choosing. The set of the sail, how we think and how we respond, has a far greater capacity to destroy our lives than any challenges we face. How quickly and responsibly we react to adversity is far more important than the adversity itself. Once we discipline ourselves to understand this, we will finally and willingly conclude that the great challenge of life is to control the process of our thinking.

Learning to reset the sail with the changing winds rather than permitting ourselves to be blown in a direction we did not purposely choose requires the development of a whole new discipline. It involves going to work on establishing a powerful, personal philosophy that will help to influence in a positive way all that we do and that we think and decide. If we can succeed in this worthy endeavor, the result will be a change in the course of our income, lifestyle and relationships, and in how we feel about the things of value as well as the times of challenge. If we can alter the way we perceive, judge and decide upon the main issues of life, then we can dramatically change our lives.

Three Rules For Turning Stress Into Success By Denis Waitley

2010-08-14T17:21:00.001+08:00

1. Accept the Unchangeable - Everything that has happened in your life to this minute is unchangeable. It's history.

The greatest waste of energy is in looking back at missed opportunities, lamenting past events, grudge collecting, getting even, harboring ill will and any vengeful thinking. Success is the only acceptable form of revenge. By forgiving your trespassers, you become free to concentrate on going forward with your life and succeeding in spite of your detractors. You will live a rewarding and fulfilling life.

Your enemies, on the other hand, will forever wonder how you went on to become so successful without them and in the shadow of their doubts.

Action Idea: Write down on a sheet of paper things that happened in the past that bother you. Now crumple the paper into a ball and throw it at the person teaching this program at the front of the room (or at the computer screen).

This symbolizes letting go of past misfortunes.

2. Change the Changeable - What you can change is your reaction to what others say and do. And you can control your own thoughts and actions by dwelling on desired results instead of the penalties of failure. The only real control you have in life is that of your immediate thought and action. Since most of what we do is a reflex, subconscious habit, it is wise not to act on emotional impulse. In personal relations, it is better to wait a moment until reason has the opportunity to compete with your emotions.

Action Idea: Write down in your diary one thing you will do tomorrow to help you relax more during and after a stressful day.

3. Avoid the Unacceptable - Go out of your way to get out of the way of potentially dangerous behaviors and environments. When people tailgate you on the freeway, change lanes. If they follow you at night, drive to a well-lighted public place.

When there are loud, obnoxious people next to you at a restaurant or club, change tables, or locations. Also, be cautious of personal relationships developed via the Internet. With the massive number of individuals surfing
the net, the number of predators increases in like proportion. Always be on the alert for potentially dangerous situations involving your health, personal safety, financial speculation and emotional relationships.

Action Idea: What is one unacceptable behavior you have or allow others to do to you that you will avoid starting tomorrow? Example: The way you drive, being around negative people, walking down dark streets alone late at night, etc.

Sixteen Commonsense Listening Tips

2010-08-09T05:34:00.000+08:00

"The reason you don't understand me, Edith, is because I'm talkin' to you in English and you're listenin' to me in dingbat!" - Archie Bunker

Archie was right about finding a common language or wavelength, but it takes two to communicate -- the speaker and the listener. Both need to make the effort to understand each other. According to a French proverb, "The spoken word belongs half to him that speaks and half to him who hears."

All skills require learned behaviors and rules.

The rules for good listening involve basic courtesy, sorely needed by Archie, and common sense. Some of the rules may seem obvious, but it is amazing how many people forget them and unintentionally insult the speaker.

Often, without intending to be rude, your enthusiasm for a subject and your own desire to hear yourself talk cause you to forget courtesy. At other times you may be so involved with your own point of view that you forget to listen to what your client is saying; you just plain stop listening!

So, when conversing with another person, be aware of and practice the following rules:

1. Let others tell their own stories first.

When others explain their situations, they may reveal interesting facts and valuable clues that will aid you in helping them solve their problems or satisfy their needs. By letting them speak first, you also save time. When their interests are revealed you can tailor your discussion to their particular needs, goals, and objectives and can dispense with inappropriate conversation.

2. It is impossible to listen and talk at the same time.

This basic rule of effective listening is most often broken, especially by Archie Bunker. People anxious to add their own views to the conversation try to interject comments while another person is speaking. They wait for a pause in the conversation and "rapid fire" their comments at the other person. This interjection of random comments is irritating to the speaker and actually slows the conversation because the initial speaker must dodge the comments and still keep his train of thought. Why not wait until the speaker's point is made? Then you will have your chance.

An enormous benefit of listening to your client is that he may "sell himself." He may solve his own problems or even come up with some product benefits that hadn't occurred to you. In addition, encouraging the client to talk keeps him from feeling pressured into a sale. Building confidence and reducing tension strengthen the trust bond between you and your client.

A client who "sells himself" is likely to be more fully committed and less likely to have "buyer's remorse." He may become a staunch defender of your product, be open-minded in future dealings, and be more likely to listen to you.

3. Listen for the main ideas.

Specific facts are only important as they pertain to the main theme. They can cause misinterpretation if taken out of context. Relate stated facts to the arguments of the speaker and weigh the verbal evidence used. Take advantage of the superior speed of thought over words and periodically review a portion of the discussion that has already been completed.

A good listener also tries to guess the points the speaker will make. Ask yourself: "What is the speaker getting at?" or "What is his point?" Then get feedback. If you guess correctly, your understanding is enhanced, and your attention is increased. If you are incorrect, you learn from your mistake.

4. Be sensitive to your emotional deaf spots.

Deaf spots are words that make your mind wander or go off on a mental tangent. They set off a chain reaction that produces a mental barrier in your mind, which in turn inhibits the continued flow of the speaker's message. Everyone is affected by certain words so it is important to discover your own individual stumbling blocks and analyze why these words have such a profound effect on you.

5. Fight off distractions.

Train yourself to listen carefully to your customer's words, despite such external distractions as a ringing telephone, passersby, or other office noise. Localized distractions, such as the idiosyncrasies of the speaker, may also be irritating, but make a conscious attempt to judge the content of the message -- not the delivery. Focus your attention on the words, ideas, feelings, and underlying intent. Through practice you can improve your power of concentration, so that you can block out external and internal distractions and attend totally to the speaker.

6. Do not trust to memory certain data that may be important

Take brief notes because listening ability is impaired while you are writing. Remember -- you cannot effectively do two things at the same time. Write notes in words and phrases rather than complete thoughts. All you need is something to jog your memory later in the day, and then you can recall the complete content of the message. Read your notes as soon as possible to make sure you understand what you put down on paper and always review them before subsequent contact with your clients.

7. React to the message, not the person.

Don't allow your mental impression of the speaker to influence your interpretation of his message. Good thoughts, concepts, and arguments can come from some of your least favorite people. George Jefferson planted the seeds of many ideas in Archie's fertile imagination.

8. Try to appreciate the emotion behind the words (vocal and visual messages) more than the literal meaning of the words.

Try to ask yourself these questions when another person is speaking:

a. What are the other person's feelings?
b. What does he mean by what he is saying?
c. What is his point of view?
d. Why is he saying this?
e. What is implied by what he says?

9. Use feedback.

Constantly try to check your understanding of what you hear. Do not only hear what you want to hear. In addition, check to see if the other person wants to comment or respond to what you have previously said. Archie and Edith could have avoided many misunderstandings by simply using feedback.

10. Listen selectively.

Critical messages may be hidden within the broader context of a conversation. Listen in such a way that you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Always ask yourself: "What is he telling me that can help me satisfy his needs, solve his problems, and accomplish his goals?"

11. Relax.

When another person speaks, try to put him at ease by creating a relaxed, accepting environment. Do not give the speaker the impression that you want to jump right in and speak. Give him a chance to speak his mind.

12. Try not to be critical, of the other person's point of view.

Hold your temper and your emotional feelings and try to listen to truly understand. Be patient, Archie. Allow the speaker plenty of time to fully finish his train of thought. You might find that what you were initially going to disagree with wasn't such a bad idea after all. Keep an open mind. If you give the other person half a chance to tell you his views, you might find that you have learned something.

13. Listen attentively.

Face the speaker with uncrossed arms and legs; lean slightly forward. Establish gentle, intermittent eye contact. Use affirmative head nods and appropriate facial expressions when called for, but do not overdo it. Occasionally respond to your customer with "uh huh," "go on," or "yes," to demonstrate that you are listening.

14. Create a positive listening environment.

Shoot for a private atmosphere away from sources of distraction. Make the effort to ensure that the environment is conducive to effective listening.

15. Ask questions.

Ask open-ended questions to allow the speaker to express his feelings and thoughts. A simple "yes" or "no" is not enough. Use development questions like "How can I help you?, or "Where do we go from here?" to ask the speaker for more details on specific subjects. Clarifying questions seek information by restating the speaker's remarks.

These techniques demonstrate that you're hearing correctly. If you keep the other person talking, potential ambiguities clear up. The effective use of questions also allows you to contribute to the conversation.

16. Be motivated to listen.

Without the proper attitude all the foregoing suggestions for effective listening are worthless. Try to keep in mind that there is no such thing as an uninteresting speaker, only disinterested listeners. Put out the extra effort to try to listen.

Learning to listen effectively pays off in stronger trust bonds and increased sales. Others feel relieved to find people who actively listen and try to understand what they have to say about their problems and needs. Once that occurs, the speaker generally reciprocates by listening when it's the other person's turn to speak. That leads to an open, honest information exchange; the kind Edith Bunker was yearning for. Isn't that what communication is all about?

PLEASE DO THESE 3 THINGS By Ron White

2010-08-09T05:31:00.000+08:00

I am extremely leery of any quick fix solution or overnight formula for success. In my opinion, they don't exist. With that said, the following formula is one that I have recently shared with 2 members of my family to encourage them to break through the rut they are in and experience success. Therefore, if I would share it with my family, I must believe in the principles.

I suggested that they begin to regularly do these three things:

1. Surround themselves with positive people who believe that this life is not all that there is. Personally, I find this at my local church. This email goes out to thousands of people all over the world. I know we don't share the same faith in all cases. This message is not about my faith. It is about you finding a group of people who regularly meet together and have a belief that there is more to life than what we see. This is the first step to a positive outlook on life.

2. You must exercise weekly in order to stimulate endorphins and maintain an energetic life. The exercise of walking to the kitchen or curling 12 ounces does not count as exercise. I run 1 mile twice a week and 2-3 days a week do strength training. This is nothing difficult but it makes a major difference on my attitude.

3. You MUST educate yourself through reading. The average CEO in America reads 4-5 books per month. The average America reads one book per year and 60% of us don't get past the first chapter! Make a promise to yourself to read at least one book per month. Read anything!

Regardless, of what you read... develop a passion for reading and learning and you will see your attitude and outlook on life begin to change.

Leadership

2010-07-31T06:17:00.005+08:00

“Lead by example. Imagine everyone around you is looking at you as a model of excellent time management.”
Brian Tracy

“A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.”
Joel Arthur Barker

“If you wish others to believe in you, you must first convince them that you believe in them.”
Harvey Mackay

“Personal leadership is the quiet determining factor of all success. You must personally lead you to success... every day.”
Doug Firebaugh

“Leadership is not a right—it’s a responsibility.”
John Maxwell

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.”
Tom Landry

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
Jim Rohn

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”
John Welch

“Don’t tell people how to live, demonstrate by example.”
Denis Waitley

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.”
Lao Tzu

The Best Ways to Multiply the Extraordinary Leadership in Your Organization by Chris Widener

2010-07-31T06:17:00.001+08:00

Extraordinary Leaders are those who understand that, in order for the organization to grow and make the maximum impact that it can, the leadership base in the organization must grow first and grow strong enough to hold the growth. If this does not happen, the organization will either not grow or will grow and then crumble because there is no solid foundation of leadership. The effort to multiply leadership must be ongoing and purposeful. Here are some ways to get your leadership base growing strong and wide!

Get Current Titled Leaders Growing in the Right Direction
If you want to increase the level and effectiveness of your leadership right now, then the first thing you should do is start with those who already have a title of leadership. You will find that many of the people you have as "leaders" really aren't leaders at all, so you have your work cut out for you! Sit down with your leadership team and let them know that you are going to be pushing them to grow in the area of leadership. It is imperative that the titled leaders get on board. If they don't or won't, then they have to go. No effective organization can continue with dead weight in leadership positions.

Establish a Plan of Action for Leadership Development
Once you have decided to move forward with leadership development, you need a plan. I would suggest a one-year plan of reading and activities. I've often taken groups of people through a 12-month (one meeting per month) plan of leadership development. Each person has to read a required book for the month. Each person takes responsibility in a given area. Each person will give a verbal presentation to the rest of the group on an aspect of leadership. They are accountable to another person in the group for their development. This is the plan of action.

Identify Untitled Leaders
You also want to identify the leaders you have who may not necessarily have a title of leadership. Know this though: they are leading! They are influencing the direction of your company or organization. They are leading and influencing others. Find out who they are and invite them into the official leadership process. How do you find these? Here are a few ways: Notice at your meetings who the other people look to for their opinion. That is the leader. Ask people who they think has leadership potential. A few names will come up over and over. They are your leaders. Ask people to tell you who has the most influence outside of the titled leaders. Again, a few names will come up over and over. They are your leaders. Now, get them on board with you!

Develop a Culture of Leadership
Call your leadership development group something like "Emerging Leaders." Get T-shirts made up. Have special events for them. Get them involved. Honor their commitment and growth. Above all, let it be known throughout the organization that you value leadership development and you are willing to invest in people that way. Not only will you invest in them, but you will honor them and make it fun too!

Enable Leadership Attempts: Let Them Try, Let Them Fail
This is where most groups fail. They will let people try, but they won't let them fail. Once they fail, they take responsibility away from them again. Leadership development must be a long-term commitment, and this means you will have to put up with some short-term failures. As you do, the leaders you are investing in will be growing and learning how to do it right in the long run. Those are the people who will grow your organization for years.

Establish Mentoring: Watch Me Do, Do with Me, Do Alone, Teach Another
Get the current leaders to teach the newer leaders. Have them take people along as they do their everyday activities. Invest time in them, developing the relationship while they see how it is done. Then let them do some of the work themselves while you are there. As that gets better, then it is time to let them do it by themselves. Tell them you can't make it that day but they can go make the meeting without you. Once they have mastered the task, have them turn around and mentor others. This way you are developing more and more layers of competent, Extraordinary Leaders!

Show the Benefits: Both Individual and Corporate
The fact is that people will do those things that will bring them benefits and rewards, so go all out to show them what they will get from it as individuals and as a group. Show them that leadership development will help them make more money, have better relationships with co-workers and have better job satisfaction. Show them that leadership development will show itself in all areas of their lives, not just at work. Show them how the whole organization will grow, become more efficient, accomplish the goals they have established and really make a difference in the world around them. Show them the benefits and you will get their hearts for leadership!

The First Step for Getting Better Results by Jim Rohn

2010-07-31T06:14:00.000+08:00

How dramatically we can change our results is largely a function of imagination. In 1960, it was a technological impossibility for man to travel into outer space. Within 10 years, however, the first man stepped out onto the surface of the moon.

The miraculous process of converting the dream into reality began when one voice challenged the scientific community to do whatever was necessary to see to it that America "places a man on the moon by the end of this decade." That challenge awakened the spirit of a nation by planting the seed of possible future achievement into the fertile soil of imagination. With that one bold challenge the impossible became a reality.

The same principle applies to every other area of our life!

Can a poor person become wealthy? Of course! The unique combination of desire, planning, effort and perseverance will always work its magic. The question is not whether the formula for success will work, but rather whether the person will work the formula. That is the unknown variable. That is the challenge that confronts us all. We can all go from wherever we are to wherever we want to be. No dream is impossible provided we first have the courage to believe in it.

Seven Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Competition By JK Harris

2010-07-31T06:12:00.002+08:00

Business is war and the competition is the enemy--right? Wrong. Though competition is a fundamental aspect of being in business, savvy entrepreneurs know that viewing competitors exclusively as adversaries is not only shortsighted, it's potentially damaging. A better strategy is to build alliances with your competitors and let them help you become better and stronger. Here's how:

1. Know who your competitors are. This sounds basic--so basic that it's often overlooked by many business owners and salespeople. If you have a retail store, your competitors are obviously other retailers who sell similar merchandise, both brick-and-mortar and online. But that's not all. Less visible competitors are the businesses that are meeting the needs of your customers with products and services that you don't offer and haven't thought about, or that might even make your products unnecessary and obsolete. You need to know who your competitors are--not just the obvious ones, but the ones that are flying under the radar.

2. Find out everything you can about the competition. Don't allow yourself to be blindsided by anything your competitors do. Pay attention so you see it coming. Set up intelligence files on each competitor. Look for articles about them in trade journals, newspapers, and magazines. Study their websites. Use programs like Google Alerts to track what's being said about them online. If possible and practical, "secret shop" them regularly to observe their operations firsthand.

3. Develop relationships with your competitors. Once you've identified your competitors, reach out to them. Join industry and business networking associations so you can get to know the people who own and work for competing companies as individuals. You never know where those relationships might lead.

4. Be prepared to cooperate and collaborate when necessary. If something is going to have a strongly positive or negative impact on your industry group or community, reach out to your competitors so you can join together with appropriate action. For example, you may want to speak with one voice on pending legislation that could help or harm your companies. Depending on your particular business, you may find that competitors can also serve each other by functioning as backup resources. For example, you may get an order that is too big for you to handle alone. If you have good relationships in place, you may be able to outsource part of the work to a competitor. Or if a competitor suffers a disaster of some sort, whether natural or manmade, that prevents them from serving their customers, you can step up and help out. That's just good business, but more important, it's the right thing to do.

5. Let your competitors make you better. When a competitor is beating you, do the best you can to figure out why--but don't use that as an excuse to accept defeat. Once you understand what they're doing that the market prefers, take a look at what you could change that would make you even more attractive. Don't automatically copy everything your competitors do; take their best ideas, test them for true effectiveness, and improve on them.

6. Resist the urge to compete on price. Especially in today's challenging economy, it's tempting to cut prices to gain market share, but it's a strategy that doesn't work in the long run. Instead, focus on providing greater value.

7. Be prepared for the competition to play dirty. Fair competition is great because it forces everyone to operate at their best, but you will have competitors who don't play fair. There are always people who think that the best way to build their own companies up is by tearing others down or by cheating in some way. When that happens, consider the situation and take fitting action. Don't delay legal action if it's appropriate. One of the most common places for competitive dirty tricks is the internet. Monitor what's being said about you online and have a proactive online reputation management plan in place in case you become the target of an internet attack.

Competition is a natural part of being in business in a capitalist economy. There will always be someone who wants a bigger piece of the pie and you must always be vigilant if you are to maintain and grow your market share, so let that work to your advantage. Your best competitive tactic comes from Sun Tzu, a Chinese general and military strategist from about 400 B.C., who said, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." And if in the process you happen to turn an enemy into a friend, all the better.

Ambitiously Pursuing Your Own Self-Direction by Jim Rohn

2010-07-14T06:37:00.002+08:00

What is the origin of true ambition? There exists really only one place to find true ambition and that is within you—in every thought, in every movement, in every motivation. Your ambition is an expression of who you truly are, your own self-expression.

Isn't self-expression really self-direction? How you think, how you move, how you motivate yourself. Ambition is a result of self-direction, and self-direction is one of the six key principles necessary for building ambition. Positive self-direction says, "I know who I am and I know where I want to go. I'm accumulating knowledge and experiences and feelings and philosophies that will help prepare me for opportunities that I know will show up without notice or any help on my part." Because you know where you want to go, you have already been working on the parts of your personality that will make you better. Working on your attitude, working on your health, working on your time management skills. Putting it all down on paper. And you constantly see yourself in the place you want to be, going in the direction you want to go.

Direction determines destination. So here is a question you must ask yourself: "Are all the disciplines that I'm currently engaged in taking me where I want to go?" What an important question to ask yourself at the beginning of the month, the beginning of the week, the beginning of the day. Because here is what you don't ever want to do: kid yourself. Kid your neighbor, kid me and kid the marketplace, but don't kid yourself, fingers crossed hoping you will arrive at a good destination when you're not even headed that way. You have to ask yourself often, "Am I?" Am I doing the disciplines that are taking me in the direction I want to go? Don't neglect to ask these important questions, questions that help determine your direction, the set of your sail, your destination.

Is this the direction I want for my life?
Is this someone else's direction?
Is this a goal I have been ingrained with since my childhood?
Is this goal my parents', my spouse's, my boss's, my children's, or is it MINE?

Ask yourself these questions and then debate them. After you have answered these questions within yourself, then take it one step further and ask, "What am I doing that is working or not working?" Debate it all. Work with your mind to figure out the best possible direction for you—your self-direction. And then ambitiously pursue your own self-direction. Let the power of your own ambition take you where you want to go, to do what you want to do, to create the life you want to live!

Desire/Motivation

2010-07-14T06:36:00.003+08:00

Humans have the remarkable ability to get exactly what they must have. But there is a difference between a “must” and a “want.”
The best motivation is self-motivation. The guy says, “I wish someone would come by and turn me on.” What if they don’t show up? You’ve got to have a better plan for your life.
When you know what you want, and you want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it.
Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.
Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.

Stress

2010-07-13T04:34:00.004+08:00

Stress has become a problem of pandemic proportions. I keep hearing people tell me how “stressed out” they are. It’s time to eradicate this disease of the mind.
I came across a transcript by a journalist who interviewed me for a national newspaper a while back. I thought you might benefit from some of these ideas and tips as well.

Tips on Avoiding and Preventing Stress
1. In your opinion, is stress an unavoidable consequence of life?

DARREN HARDY: Stress is a part of life. Life requires stress. As a muscle needs resistance to grow stronger, so do we. Many times, stress awakens our greater potential and makes us rise to the performance we were capable of all along, but we needed the challenge.

2. Why do some people seem to stress out more than others? Do some people just naturally tolerate stressors more easily than others?

DH: Ultimately, stress is a mental illusion, an interpretation and a perception. What is stressful to one person is blissful to another. Heights might be stressful for one person, while free-falling out of an airplane is sheer bliss for another. Public speaking might completely debilitate one person but be the most empowering activity for another. Losing $100,000 in the stock market might be less stressful for one person than having a bad hair day is for another. Stress is a mental perception, chosen by the perceiver.

3. Please give some of your favorite tips for managing existing stress (assuming the stressors can’t be prevented).

• DH: Don’t major in minors. Ask yourself, In 20 years, will this matter? Will I even remember this? If not, it is minor and you shouldn’t fret. Do you remember what you were stressed out about on Oct. 21, 1988? My point exactly.

• This too shall pass. There are ebbs and flows to life; some call them seasons. Spring follows winter. How regularly? Every time. Keep your mind on the spring that is coming as you move through the winter.

• What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This is the way of growth. The great trials of our lives awaken the greater potential inside of us. Welcome stress and difficulty, as they may be the alarm clock that awakens the greatness that lies sleeping inside.

• “At least I don’t live in Bosnia.” I remember feeling stressed and sorry for myself one time in the past. I turned on the TV and saw images of the way people lived and suffered in Bosnia. I felt pretty guilty about my pitiful “stresses.” Now every time I think I have it bad or am feeling stressed I say, “Well, at least I don’t live in Bosnia—so, this isn’t so bad after all.”

If that doesn’t do it, read Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. He depicts the level of stress the human condition can handle; yours is probably minor in comparison. Now I say, “Thank God I am not Gary Boyd.” Click here to read why.

• Get over yourself! You are not the only one to experience stress, difficulty, frustration and pain. What happens to you happens to all of us. There is no conspiracy against you. We all experience hurt, disappointment, heartache, loss, failure, sadness, misfortune, setback, defeat, distress, despondency, despair… or whatever else is causing you stress.

Something I learned from Jim Rohn goes like this: It is not what happens to you that makes the difference in how your life works out. What happens to you happens to all of us. It’s how you respond to what happens to you that determines the major outcome of your life.

The Key to Overcoming Procrastination

2010-07-12T05:58:00.002+08:00

Don't Think, Just Do

I need to write that marketing report. But first, let me clear out my inbox. I’ve got big action items I need to tackle in my inbox, so let me make headway there first…
And so it goes. Thinking, or overthinking a task, leads us quickly to procrastination, explains Stever Robbins, author of Get-It-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More (St. Martin’s Griffin, September 2010): “When you think before you act, you can talk yourself out of anything, no matter how important it might be.”

The easiest way to overcome procrastination is to make your tasks into habits. Establish a habit by making it a regularly scheduled event that’s posted on your calendar. Many writers, for example, establish a habit of writing at the same time every day, for the same length of time. Once the habit is in place, they can crank out the copy.

Next time you complete a daily, weekly or monthly task, set a reoccurring task or appointment in your calendar to schedule it and make it a habit.