Isn’t is amazing that we can be indecisive, even when something fantastic is right in front to us, we hesitate, even when all we have to do is reach out and accept. I have noticed this phenomenon in myself at times, as well as in others. More often than not I have seen people walk away from something potentially life-changing than to make a decision that could radically change their life that had little to no risk involved.
What causes us to be indecisive? This is a deep, and potentially insightful question that could have a variety of causes. Here are a few thoughts.
- Lacking information sufficient to make a decision
There are as many levels of sufficient information as there are people. How much information is sufficient for you? Great decisions are based on information, but have you set the bar at a height where you make few decisions?
In some situations we will never have “enough” information. That puts in a bind, IF, we are not willing to make some decisions by faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Start practicing a little bit of faith with some of your decisions. Take a leap every once in awhile and see where it takes you.
- A fear of doing something differently (change)
There is a subtle comfort in our current situations, even when we know, deep down, that those situations are not serving us well. Some people think, “the devil I know is better than the devil I don’t” is the best way to proceed.
We often give far more credit to fear than we should. The fear of failure is at the root of our indecision many times. Shift your focus then. Failure is an event and not a person. If something fails, it is not the end, but merely the beginning. Learn to laugh at the fear of failure.
- Not feeling enough pain
Many of us are indecisive up until that point where we really begin to feel the pain of our indecision. You were unable to make the decision from a pleasure perspective, and now it has almost become unbearable. Time to make a decision, yet the reside of pain lingers long into the process.
Don’t wait until you are in severe pain to make a decision. Next time you start feeling discomfort about something in your life or business, decide to made a decision to do something different. Don’t continue abusing yourself mentally and physically.
- Limited world-view
Sometimes we have never been taught, or learned through experience, that there are better options, approaches, processes, or designs. If a person does not acknowledge the possibility of something greater, they will never make the decisions that will lead them to it.
Socrates felt himself to be one of the wisest men in the world. Why? He stated, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” You should come to grips with the fact that you will never come to the place where you know everything. In fact, it is best to state that we know very little. This type of humility will keep up open to learning great truths.
- Belief that they do not deserve better
This belief mentally cripples and maims people, and will be an anchor on our soul until you are liberated from its hold.
The only difference between those that achieve great things and those that don’t is how those two groups think. Beliefs are the culmination of the thoughts that we keep thinking. Start learning about the power of thoughts and how they create our existence. Read “The Science of Getting Rich”, or “The Secret”. Then move on to Bob Proctors book, “You Were Born Rich”. Teach yourself how to think correctly.
It is imperative that we learn to overcome the above limitations. Not only is it imperative, but it is also possible regardless of your age or education level.
I remember a lesson from a trust mentor several years back, when he challenged us to practice being decisive. The challenge was the next several times you visited a restaurant, instead of poring over the menu for a long time and asking for additional time to make a decision, you were to wait until the wait staff arrived, pick up your menu, open it, and then immediately place your order. The purpose was to learn to make decisions quickly and with purpose.
The journey to be freed from indecision can start today. I trust it will be today for you. Mental freedom is right around the corner, and much closer than you can even imagine.
Dawson Trottman, the founder of Navigators said, “If you go through life and you haven’t changed people’s lives, then you haven’t accomplished anything at all.”
I can’t find a better way to describe what drives me as a business coach, sales trainer, and speaker.
As you think upon your own life and business, begin to identify the ways in which you have changed people’s lives. Recognize them, CELEBRATE them, and then brain-storm how to increase their impact.
Our free webinar series has become very popular, so I want to give you the information for our next in the series on May 16th.
We will be conducting an overview of Wallace Wattles book, “The Science of Getting Rich” that was written in 1910, but still incredibly applicable today.
Wallace contends that you can follow well established principles to move along a path of increase in your life, particularly in the acquisition of more wealth.
You can register for this webinar at: http://www.skillfulbusinessowner.com/the-science-of-getting-rich/
Each person that attends this webinar will receive a free PDF copy of the book.
“The daily practice of gratitude is one of the conduits by which your wealth will come to you.” – Wallace Wattles
I touched on the attitude of gratitude in a prior post, and revealed the importance of gratitude in achieving our goals and dreams in our business and personal lives.
What I want to share with you today is the benefits of practicing gratitude on a daily basis. Develop the habit of giving thanks periodically throughout the day. Upon waking, while getting ready for the day, as you drive, during lunch, etc.
Remember to be grateful for what you have NOW, as well as for what is coming to you.
I have been contemplating why many of the business owners I come into contact with have a negative first impression of the “Law of Attraction.” This is not the time to go into the law as a definition, but those that believe and practice this believe it to be a natural law just like the law of gravity is.
I wonder if one of the primary reasons for the negative response is that the law of attraction appears to them to be a “new age” concept or teaching. To others it may not seem rational to them.
While reading a text on the law of attraction, I noticed that the law used to be called the “low of love” in many circles of adherents. Maybe, just maybe, some of the resistance might be to what it is called. It would be hard for someone to be initially resistant to something called the “law of love.”
I recommend that you explore this subject. Rhonda Byrne has a book entitled, “The Secret”, and Wallace Wattles wrote a book, “The Science of Getting Rich.” Both books can be found in bookstores, or ordered online.
For myself, I have decided to live by the principles of the law of attraction. Anything that is an uplift to mankind, and focuses on positive qualities like this law is beneficial to mankind. Enjoy the journey!
Each business owner has one or more products and/or services that they offer to potential customers and clients. And each business owner has a sales path or process to bring their potential customers and clients to a buying decision.
If you think about it closely, what we are in effect doing is helping the prospect travel down a “possibility – probablility – certainty” path.
Through the use of pain/pleasure and proof, we want the prospect to move from the possibility of buying from us, to entertaining the probability, or eventually helping them feel certainty about their decision to buy from us. Mastering this process is a direct contributor to success.
The initiation of this process involves recognizing if the prospect is in a mode of resistance, and creating an environment where they are fully engaged in order to begin hearing what you have to say.
Our upcoming free webinar addresses this issue in large part. The title of the webinar is “Debunking the Sales is a Numbers Game Lie.” This is where it all starts. I want to invite you to attend the webinar, and you can register at the following Go To Webinar link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/876378032
I wanted to let my blog readers know about an upcoming webinar entitled, “Debunking the Sales is a Numbers Game Lie”. In particular, we will be looking at effective ways to lower resistance in our prospects.
It is all about getting off the roller coaster sales profession ride and realizing that it truly is not a numbers game if you have the right tools.
Date: April 25, 2012
Time: 11:00 AM CDT
You can register at the link below:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/876378032
Creating a powerful mindset is one of the keys to achieving your business dreams. One way that helps me in this regard is reciting a declaration very early in my day.
One declaration that has become a favorite is,
“I CAN succeed! All that is possible to anyone is possible to me.
I AM successful. I do succeed, for I am full of the Power of Success.”
I want to invite you to add a morning starting declaration to your day.
Sometimes even thinking about the possibility of massive change in your business, or life, can shut you down. Be prepared mentally for just how much of a challenge success will bring to your psyche.
Have you every experienced, or seen someone sabotage themselves like this? Give some thought to this concept and after having identified if it has happened to you, make a vow to learn how to not let it happen ever again.
Give us a call if you would like to explore this topic, and others that will give you the best opportunity to create your ideal business, and ideal life.
A question was asked of the group I was in yesterday that proved to be quite difficult to answer. The question was, “What is the greatest hindrance in gaining trust with your clients?” Blank stares ensured. Heads were scratched. Several feeble attempts to answer were made. I was stumped.
What comes to mind when you address that question? I think you might be as surprised as we were when we finally came up with the answer. Give up yet? Want me to share?
Here you go. The answer to the question of what is the greatest hindrance in gaining the trust of your clients is …. “The trust that you have in yourself.” If you do not trust yourself in whatever it is you are doing, your prospect or client will pick up on that right away and sabotage your best intentions. Tony Robbins calls this your level of “certainty.” This is a major challenge for a large number of business owners and sales professionals, and it is critical that it be addressed and resolved.
I am totally stoked to be leaving tomorrow for a four-day intensive immersion based training in Jacksonville, Florida. Coaches and Trainers, new and old, will come together to sharpen skills, absorb wisdom, and share best practices and success concepts.
I was thinking as I prepped for the trip, (yes, even advance reading and exercises), how important it is that even Coaches and Trainers continue to be coached and trained. When is the last time you have availed yourself to either business coaching, or sales training? Has it been a long-time, or maybe even never?
Tony Robbins frequent states that, “Repetition is the mother of all learning.” We need reminders of prior lessons learned, as well as exposure to new and life changing concepts in both business, and sales. Wallace Wattles teaches fervently that like all living creatures, we have a strong NEED to increase, or advance in life. If we quit growing, we die.
Many business owners and sales professionals know on an emotional level that ongoing education and being challenged is a need that should be addressed. Often the barrier is the logistics and time required to engage in coaching and training, and not necessarily the training itself. I can understand that, as I am a business owner myself, and am challenged in the same way.
I have concluded that my success in business is dependent upon being challenged to increase, or improve through being coached and trained. How about you? What decision will you make?
There are many “keys” to successful business, but let me share with the one of the fundamental questions that you must answers multiple times, every day.
“Is what you are doing right now helping you succeed in sales, or business?”
Marvin Himel – President of Tiger Quest shared this concept recently with webinar attendees from around the world. The question, once again, “Is what you are doing right now helping you succeed in sales, or business?”
How can we be reminded on a regular basis to deal with this concept? Let me share Marvin’s idea.
- Take a sheet of paper and pencil
- Write this question out on the paper three times
- Put one copy in your billfold or purse
- Put one copy in your pocket
- Put one copy on your desk or in your desk drawer
Now, each time you reach into your wallet, in your pocket, or into your desk drawer, ask yourself the question and give an honest answer. Commit now to cut all activity out of your business life that does not help you succeed in sales or business.
Your business, profession, relationships, and quality of life depend upon your discipline in this area.
Give me a call to see how you can help you leverage information like this through business coaching or sales training.
We had a wonderful time with business owners and professionals at “The Science of Getting Rich” webinar. Wallace Wattles’ book, originally written in 1910 is full of incredible truths that are as applicable today as they were when it was originally penned.
Remember that you not only have a right to acquire riches in order to live life to it’s fullest, but you actually have an obligation to do so.
You can find a PDF copy of this book at Archive dot Org, or I would be glad to email you a copy at your request.
Wallace Wattles wrote the book, “The Science of Getting Rich” in 1910. It might boggle your mind to find out that is is still the absolute best prosperity model on the actual science of getting rich. His treatise on this subject is the most balance I have encountered.
Join me on a webinar, where we discuss the principles of the book, and as a thank you, I will make sure that your receive a copy.
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/562498217
Join us as we discuss Wallace Wattles’ book “The Science of Getting Rich.” This principles of this book contain timeless wisdom and a practical, step-by-step prosperity program.
We will discuss the core elements of his work, and discuss how it is still the best approach to wealth.
As a way of saying thanks for sharing your time with us, we will make sure you receive a copy of this incredible book
Title: The Science of Getting Rich
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2012
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Decide who you serve (and focus on them intensely)
Who do you serve with your business? Do you have a clear picture of those in your target market, if you have one? Can you describe your ideal buyer/client in detail?
Answering this question is predicated on answering the first basic business principle, which was “Decide What To Do“. It would serve you well to read that one first.
You must decide who it is that you serve with your business. You have no choice, if your intentions are to be successful. The reason relies in the fact that we must bring focus on that group intensely. You cannot be all things to all people, you cannot focus with intensity on an unlimited selection either, as those approaches find themselves becoming an unsustainable business model.
Once the question of who you serve is answered, you can go about creatively planning how to reach, touch, and impact that group in the most efficient manner. Being freed up in this area is liberating, and much if not all of the guessing is removed from the process at this point.
There are resources and organizations available that can help you to identify who you serve. If you have been in business for any amount of time, you have the added advantageous of possibly having data to work with. There are even some web tools that can help you gain initial data very quickly.
Next time around, we will look at the Deciding What Makes You Different. In the meantime, I value your feedback.
“Beliefs are the cumulative product of our thoughts.” – Michael Richards
Thoughts will make us, or break us, in business. What we think about enough times will become beliefs.
I ran across this cartoon while surfing, and it struck me how true the saying is.
In business, what used to be “up”, is many times “down” now. A willingness to look at things from fresh perspectives can produce great outcomes.
POWERUP Strategy is Coming!
“Knowledge is the engine that powers great decision making.”
“Rightly applied knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.”
Business owners are always looking for access to great information that will help them grow their business. Unfortunately, many times you have to wade through a massive amount of information to gather up the “golden nuggets” that have value to you.
POWERUP Strategy is being created to cut through the fluff, and deliver the critical information that you need as a business owner very quickly. Topics are selected carefully in order to deliver the most valuable information possible.
There will be three knowledge and informational tracks, and each will be incredibly valuable to business owners.
Keep an eye out for the awesome offers that will be available to you at our launch.
This is first in the series of Top 10 Basic Business Principles, and it is important that you get this one right.
One of the more difficult decisions to make in business is what am I going to do within the business, and even more importantly, what am I NOT going to do. This decision will impact your business in a significant way.
One area of deciding what to do is in trying to answer the question, “What am I going provide as a product or service, and what are the limits to that product or service?” It is very easy to try to be “all things to all people.” Problems occur when we stretch ourselves so thin doing so that we lose our ability to do anything in a great way.
Most small business owners have been hit with the dilemna of needing revenue, (sometimes desperately), and being tempted to take on something outside of their core competency. The pressure to do so can be great. I’ve even done it. What usually results is that the project becomes profitless due to the extra time and resources needed to come up to speed on how to do it, and do it well. You, or your people may not possess the skills to pull something like this off.
It is hard, if not impossible, for any business, let alone a small business to develop core competency in many areas. Focusing on what you do well is most often the path to profitability and growth. It is not always wrong to take on a new product or service, but it must be done carefully and strategically.
It is worth it to become ruthless in this area. Be willing to walk away from a sale if need be. Instead, look for the potential clients that you know that you will be able to service well.
Another area where you need to ask yourself this question is in the roles that you will fill within your company. What are you good at? What do you like to do? Who can I get to handle some of the other things? Once again, it is impossible for the business owner to do everything that needs to be done in a business. If you try to, you will get mediocre results, or you will burn out and quit!
Even small business owners can afford to hire a virtual assistant, a commissioned sales person, or a key person to help pick up the slack in the areas that you cannot, and probably should not, be involved personally.
What is boils down to, is figuring out what to specialize in. Find the right niche for you, and then work hard to become the very best within that niche. You can focus your human resources, as well as your marketing to become the very best in that area. This will give you the best chance for success, and help you keep your sanity on the journey.
I recently had someone ask me what I thought the most important fundamental business principles were, so in order to provide that insight to others, I have decided to publish a series of articles on the “Top 10 Basic Business Principles.”
There is great benefit to reviewing the basics. Being fundamentally sounds makes it possible to build upon a rock-solid foundation.
Here are the principles that I will be addressing over the next several weeks:
- Decide what you do (and what you don’t do)
- Decide who you serve (and focus on them intensely)
- Decide what makes you different (and do it)
- Manage cash flow (very closely)
- Manage employees (incentivize them for success)
- Manage customer expectations (under promise and over deliver)
- Set goals (and go after them)
- Expose yourself (tell the market what you do)
- Persevere (through the tough times)
- Always maintain your integrity (in everything you do)
As each article is written I will turn the items above into a link that will take you directly to that topic. This way, you can bookmark this page, and when you return, you will have access to each topic from this page if you so desire. Another option is to subscribe to my RSS feed.
How do you see yourself?
Every person I have interviewed has some level of what I call “self-talk” going on in their mind that helps to formulate their impression of themselves. The issue with most is that their “self-talk” is not positive and uplifting. For some, it is caustic and critical.
You perception of yourself plays a huge part in how you interact with the world. It will impact your spouse, children, friendships, as well as your professional career. So how we think about ourselves is very important to our success.
What, and how, we think is our foundation. How sturdy, or healthy is your foundations? Do you talk to yourself with positive and uplifting words, or is it the other way around? This is a topic that goes much deeper than this post, but I want to mention that our business coaching service has a eight-week segment on the power of our beliefs, and deals specifically with not only this issue, but others as well.
Two things are for certain.
- You want your business to be a success, and
- I want your business to be a wildly successful.
Give me a call, and let’s discuss how to strengthen your belief structure to support your business success.
There are many new and innovative ideas for business that we will be taking advantage of in 2012, and many of those things will become incredibly helpful.
That being the case, I want to bring our attention back though to what some might say are antiquated and old-fashioned elements to business that continue to be indispensable. Let’s take a look at the first of these.
It is old-fashioned in many quarters to greet your clients and customers cheerfully, with a big smile on your face. Having a sincere desire for their success is a part of this apporach as well. The warm, caring approach is the antithesis of dealing with a grump that barely makes eye contact with you, and acts like they would rather be anywhere else than with you at that moment. I’ll bet you have experienced people like this, and remember the experince well for its unpleasantness.
My business bank reminds me of the value of this old-fashioned approach every time I visit. I am greeted warmly at the door, many times opened for me, and then when I walk into the lobby all the personnel give a second greeting. One of the staff asks me if I want coffee, and then takes me to the Keurig machine to make sure I pick a great blend.
My local restaurant/bar took the time from the very beginning to memorize our names, and then learn what our favorite drinks and entrees were. We are greeted cheerfully each time we visit, not only by the hostess, but by the servers, and even the managers. Needless to say, we have developed a strong loyalty to this restaurant.
I imagine you have begun to think back upon some exemmplary examples of being taken care of as well. You know that something special is happening when it occurs.
Let’s internalize this for a few minutes. How would you rate your interactions with your internal staff, clients, and prospects? Try to judge this realistically. If you are having trouble, ask your spouse, or trusted advisor for their opinion. It is important for your business to be completely honest with this assessment.
Is their experience “memorable”, or do they go away mumbling and grumbling internally. All it takes is one bad experience to place their interactions with you on the “back-burner” of priorities. Remember, this is not just applicable with prospective customers, and clients, but your existing client base as well. There are plenty of competitors out there for your customers, and it is likely that someone is embracing this old-fashioned philosophy that would just “love” to have that customer and revenue.
There is nothing wrong with embracing the new. Just don’t let that cause you to lose sight of the tried and tested.
What is one of the primary advantages of “painting word pictures” when we communicate about products and services?
Painting word pictures impacts the intellect of course, but it also can powerfully touch the emotional part of our being. A person can know intellectually that a solution is viable, but many times that is not enough to close the business. Closing business will more often occur when they begin to internalize the solution emotionally. Stories that utilize great word pictures will take them to that place.
Make your stories come alive!
Any business has products or services, and the business owner has to communicate how these will benefit the prospective client or customer. A great way to do this is through word pictures. With that in mind, it bears us the asking of the following question.
What is the best way to convert benefits into vivid word pictures?
If you can tie your benefits to stories that illustrate the awesome results others have received from those benefits, then you will help the prospect make the mental connection that they themselves can receive the same benefits.
Making that connection is critical for gaining new customers.
There is an old express, “The buck stops here”, that represents the attitude we should own regarding whether our business succeeds or fails.
Having interacted with dozens of business owners over the years, I am still amazed at the excuses I hear for business difficulties and failure. Some say the economy is down. Others talk about financial institutions that won’t work with them. Franchisees have complained about, and faulted their franchisor. The common denominator is that the business owner is pointing to someone, or something, other than themselves as being responsible. It doesn’t work that way.
I have yet to run into a successful business owner who does not take responsibility for their success or failure. The “buck” truly stops on their desk.
The smart business owners learns to avial themselves to every available resource in order to help them make the best decisions, but in the end, they “own” it. They are responsible for the results.
Resist the temptation to point the finger when things don’t go as well as you anticipated. Dig in, and enlist any and all help to assist you to turn it around. Be responsible. It is liberating!
What are some things we can do to reduce the 10 percent that is in the negative column?
- Identify potential solutions that you have control over. Many of the negative things are beyond our control, and the first step is identifying whether we have a measure of control over the issue.
- If we have some ability to move the negative into the positive column, create and execute some action steps to see if they produces the results you are looking for. If there is no ability to influence, then recognize that, and release yourself from the issue in order to move forward.
- Spend time in your meditation and prayer activities, focusing on the positive and making your gratitude expressions.
- See if there is someone else who can deal with the negative issues on your behalf. If so, enlist their services with the purpose of bringing healing to that area.
Making the effort is cathartic, and almost more important than the end result. Remember that even when you are attempting to deal with the negative, that the overwhelming positive in your life is not forgotten.
Why are people who are in a good mood more likely to buy?
A person’s bad mood is a fundamental objection to the sales process. Once the mood of a person lifts, they become more receptive to what the salesperson is communicating.
In effect, a bad mood is another mode of resistance that must be removed before real communication can occur.
We also associate our purchases to a feeling of pleasure. It is much harder to move someone from a bad mood to feelings of pleasure than it is to move someone the shorter distance between being in a good mood to one of pleasure and contentment.
Laughter is a fantastic tool for mood transfer.
Why is it important to remind ourselves that about 90 percent of the things in our lives are right, and about 10 percent are wrong?
The “wrong” is what generally plants itself “front and center” in our minds. Negative sells on the news, it carries itself on the barbs of gossip, and tends to settle uncomfortably in our gut.
If we don’t have a strategy to put the wrong in proper perspective, we will doom ourselves to unbalanced thinking. We must consciously “give thanks” for what is right on our lives, business, or profession. Positive thoughts tend to be less “sticky” in our minds, therefore we focus on the more powerful 90 percent to combat the persistent 10 percent.
I saw this humorous picture on Facebook, and after I got done chuckling, my thoughts turned to how the poor lab in the lower right corner portion of the photo has represented me, and undoubtedly, other business owners who have looked at a humongous “to-do” list and “freaked out” at one point or another.
It is no fun to feel like you are out of control. There are only so many hours in a day, and trying to figure out the 20% of activity that will accomplish 80% of what needs to be done is not always easy.
Our company was designed to help small business owners get a handle, not only on time management, but the other key areas that will relieve stress and focus attention on what will make small business owners incredibly successful.
Fill out our contact form, and write “free executive briefing” in the message section to learn more.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned in life was that I had the power within myself to accomplish whatever it was that I wished with my life. You must first of all believe in yourself, even before you entertain believing in your business, products, and services.
Your level of “certainty” is a critical factor for success. If this concept is foreign to you, a business coach can help you achieve this important goal.
Why do optimists exude positive energy?
An optimist believes that they worthy of every challenge they encounter. A pessimist is constantly looking for the roadblock,
or the objection, or the rejection that they have already envisioned.
An optimist is constantly looking for the positive in every situation, and as a result has a tendency to find the positive quite frequently. This influences every aspect of an optimists life, which ends up having a powerful impact on those they encounter.
If you are not a naturally optimistic person, it will require a strategic approach to turn that around. One exercise you might use is to spend a few minutes each day to speak out the positive things in your life. Speaking these verbally increases the impact of these blessings. If you the adventurous type, you might even recite your blessings to another person.
It is essential in business to relieve tension. Tension can crop up in many ways. It might show itself in the sales process, or in delivering a product or solution. It might even occur if you have not been paying attention to a valued client, or customer.
Relieving tension can also be relieved several ways, and the one that I want to reference now is laughter! How does laughter relax us?
Laughter ends up being our sixth sense. The “sense of humor.” Laughter has the tendency to “dissolve” things like tension, objections, and the types of emotions that weigh us down. Even the Bible talks about laughter being “better than medicine.” It takes us back to childhood, where the weight of the world was not resting on our shoulders.
According to science, laughter helps to integrate both hemispheres of the brain. You can use laughter to help the analytic get in touch with their creative, and vice-versa.
I an not advocating that you learn a stand-up routine, especially if that is not your strong suit. Make it a point to be on the lookout for the “sublime” elements in life, and be ready to share those. Some of the funniest things in life are derived from the mundane.
“What are the potential rewards of being willing to take risks and surprise prospects?”
Differentiation.
Standing out from the crowd engages the imagination, and initiates curiosity in the prospect.
Many prospective clients are just “going through the motions” when they meet with you. By taking a risk, you break through their monotony, and engage their mind and emotions.
What can we do to differentiate ourselves, not only a human beings, but also as business owners?
Business is no longer about who has the cheapest, or even the best “widget.” Business is now built on relationships. Do you believe this? I hope you do, since it is reality, whether we wish it to be or not.
Let’s take a peek at one way you can almost instantly stand out from a relationship perspective.
A couple of characteristics that are in short supply amongst businesspeople and salespeople is honesty and integrity. People are desperately looking for the old-time “straight shooters”, where their word was their bond, and they delivered on what they said they would. It can be almost that simple to separate yourself from the pack and show that you desire relationship.
The reason that this can become a game changer is that one of the fundamental needs of human beings is relationship. When you consider how many of your clients and prospects may have come from broken homes, blended families, or have even experienced the break up of a marital relationship, you will begin to understand the void of relationship in many peoples lives. It is not a question of dysfunction, but rather the degree of dysfunction in relationships that is in question.
Can a single relationship bridge all of these potential gaps? Of course not, but reaching out will benefit both parties in tangible ways. Our reaching out in relationship must be genuine activity though, and not a tactic designed to make a sale. Authenticity is a must in relationship. We humans have a way to “sniff out” if something is not authentic.
Relationship helps all of us create and maintain a level of certainty regarding our “worth.” We all have the opportunity to deliver powerful medicine to the soul with each person we create a relationship with, yes, even a business relationship.
Go forth and spread the healing.
“What are the advantages to finding time for family and friends as well having an interest outside of work?”
We have a need to grow in all aspects of our lives, not just in our profession, since success is comprehensive instead of compartmentalized. The most successful businesspeople and salespeople are well-rounded. Their growth in their personal lives provides residual benefits for their professional lives as well, but that should not be the primary motivation.
We use our profession to create an environment that makes our personal lives, and the standards by which we want to live them possible. The objective is not an isolated domination of our profession, but rather the fulfillment of a life that uses the profession to make additional opportunities for fullness of life possible.
You most probably have a vision, and definite goals for your work, but have you put as much energy and effort into having the same for your personal life? If not, I challenge you to make it a priority in the coming year.
To me, one of the biggest benefit to a career in sales is being able to determine just how much money I want to make, and how much time I want to spend making that money so that I can enjoy what life has to offer while I am still young enough to appreciate it.
I really believe that there are two areas in which a person can “write their own ticket.”
- The first is in a sales career.
- The second is as a business owner.
If you combine the two, then you have a powerful synergy.
How can we make ourselves so compelling that the prospect has the desire to buy?
IF we can demonstrate that we are “THE” solution to that which causes our prospect to lose sleep, the likelihood that the prospect buys rises exponentially. IF we have engaged their intellect, and their emotions, as well as brought the solution in a unique and engaging way which personalizes the relationship, then we can clearly identify the buying signals that gives us the best opportunity to win the business.
Preparation and proof are the strongest tools to help us accomplish these goals.
Is the almost 100-year old way of chasing sales DOA (Dead on Arrival)? I was reading a article by Jeffrey Gitomer yesterday that asserted that this was indeed a fact. Truth be told, I agree with him, and have felt this way for over a year. If you intend to be a sales superstar in 2012, you are going to need to learn a new approach. You can continue in the old ways if you are content with the crumbs that will be left over by the master salesperson.
How can you tell if you are stuck in the past?
Do you ask yourself any of the following questions?
- How do I make a better cold call?
- How do I close a sale?
- How do I get to the decision maker?
If you answered yes to any of these, you are still using a deprecated form of salesmanship. Unfortunately you are beating your head against a wall, with very little hope of the success you are looking for and deserve.
Learn me ask you a series of better questions?
- How many Twitter followers do you have?
- Do you have an updated and informative Facebook page?
- Do you network on Linkedin?
- Do you know what your Social Promotion Score is?
- Are you involved in a significant way in your community?
The way to get in front of decision makers has changed for good. Cold calling may get you in front of a business owner occasionally, but if you analyze your performance with cold calling, you will begin to see that your conversion rate is at best quite anemic.
For better or worse, we live in an age where relationships and reputation rule the day in business. The world has turned social, and many of us didn’t notice. At least we didn’t notice right away. Now is the time for action!
I would be happy to get you a nudge in the right direction. Just use our contact form to let us know you would like to discuss selling in 2012.
- When was the last time you felt intensely enthusiastic about a topic, pursuit, or activity?
- Have you recently been in the presense of someone who was enthusiastic about a subject?
- What did it feel like?
- How did your, or their enthusiasm impact others?
- Has it been awhile since you have been truly enthusiastic about anything?
Just in case there is any confusion as to what a constitutes enthusiasm, I want to share what dictionary dot com puts forth as a definition. “Absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest.” The word comes from a Greek origin which meant, “having a god within, or god-possessing.” WOW, that is a powerful way to describe enthusiasm.
People who are enthusiastic have an INFECTIOUS way of sharing their interest that pulls you into their world, creating an environment of wonder and possibility. Would you agree at the very least that there is power in enthusiasm? People can discredit what people say, but it is fruitless to discredit enthusiasm.
From a business owner perspective, I would like to humbly ask you if you still possess the sort of enthusiasm that led you into entrepeneurship and business ownership? Have the rigors of business sapped you of your enthusiasm? If so, would it alarm you if I mentioned that a loss of enthusiasm teeters you on the edge of ultimate failure?
The prospect may seem dire, but the final chapter has yet to be written on you, and your business. Thankfully so.
Unfortunately many today look suspiciously upon the enthusiast in business. We seem to accomodate musical, sports, and hobby enthusiasts, (even the fanatic) as being normal, but there is just something a bit suspect about someone who is truly enthusiastic in business. We may even internalize thoughts like, “what is this person trying to put over on me?” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let me share with you a couple of quotes from men who are imminently qualified to speak on the subject of enthusiasm.
Napolean Hill famously quoted, “Enthusiasm is the power that turns knowledge into action and moves you towards your definite purpose.”
The best laid plans, and the greatest visions in life will not get off the launching pad without enthusiasm. If your business is lagging, why not give the rekindling of enthusiasm a shot. Do a little real-life A/B testing in this area and see what happens. It can be as simple as recapturing the vision you had for your company.
Need more encouragement to take back up the mantle of enthusiasm? How about Charles M Schwab then?
“A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”
If there is anything I can be sure of, it is the fact that YOU want to succeed beyond your wildest dreams with your business. That puts you into an appropriate category for Schwab’s assertion.
Out thoughts will migrate towards the things we focus on. So here is my challenge for you. Spend 10-minutes a day focusing intensely on your vision for your business, and why you headed down that path in the first place. It is alright to see things as they are right now, but keep that vision handy so that you can see things as you truly want them to be.
Developing the skills to augment our natural talents requires massive effort on our part, as well as constant action to develop. Do you believe this? Can the label of mastery pursuit be made truthfully about you as you think upon your own career or personal path?
My 50-years upon this beautiful orb has brought me into the path of relatively few people who have made this type of investment in order to truly master their life or craft. The ones I have encountered have been truly extraordinary individuals. They are the type of people who draw you to themselves like a magnet draws iron.
Tony Robbins talks about repetition being the mother of all learning. Repetition is fundamental to skills development and mastery. As a child I remember the saying, “practice makes perfect”, when in reality it is truly, “focused practice
makes perfect.” Even the second saying is a bit flawed in one way, since I don’t believe that we should strive to be perfect. Instead we should strive to be outstanding, which is far superior to the pursuit of perfection.
What types of skills activities do you focus on that will lead you to becoming a master? What takes up the bulk of your time? Do you spend more time on these activities than you do watching television, reading magazines, responding to non-important emails, and other time wasting activities that are probably coming to your mind right about now?
It will take laser-like focus for you to succeed in the pursuit of mastery. It will take a great deal of willpower to not take the path of least resistance, if indeed you truly want to experience the fulfillment of mastery. One of the keys to that type of focus is to visual the outcomes that you want to achieve. The Whats and the Whys will give you the mental ability to figue out the Hows.
Jump on the narrow path that leads to personal and career fulfillment. Decide today that you will no longer allow yourself to suffer in the pit of mediocrity. If you make the decision to become like the masters of yore, would you give me a shout and let me know. I would be honored to celebrate with you!
