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March 15, 2007
Respect For Others by Tony Alessandra
When I was in high school back in 1960's, everyone always divided themselves into self-contained, often exclusive, groups. These groups followed all the old clichés -- you had your greasers, your jocks, your nerds, your college prep kids, and your vocational kids -- and everyone was always careful to stay within their own group.
Although I was technically in the athletic group (or jocks) and the college prep group, I always tried to go out of my way to get along with everyone -- no matter what group they were associated with. I always got good grades, so I fit in with the smart kids. I was born and raised in New York City, so I got along with the greasers. I tried to find my connection with everyone, which was not hard at all. After all, we were all high school kids -- we had plenty to bond over with the shared experience of going to the same school.
However, the reason that I was able to build on those commonalities -- the reason people from other groups were friendly back to me -- was that I treated everyone with respect. I never gossiped about the popular crowd, never teased or taunted the nerds. I made an effort to see everyone's positive aspects, and I focused on those. In essence, I treated others the way they wanted to be treated, and it gave me the ability to adapt and be liked by just about everybody.
I have carried that philosophy throughout my whole life: I am as polite to a janitor as a CEO. As people, they both exist on the same level -- and both deserve the same amount of outward respect.
My mantra: "What goes around, comes around."
What do you have "coming around" for yourself?
Here's to more personal insight,
Tony Alessandra
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 14, 2007
Conceptualize Your Purpose by Mark Victor Hansen
What were you put on earth to do? That's a mind-blowing question, because most people don't know the answer. Lots of folks get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, sit in front of the television and go to sleep. That's their day. That is not anyone's purpose in life. That's not a life at all.
Don't get me wrong – I'm not throwing blame or fault. In most cases, they probably don't know any better. This was how their parents lived each day; this was how they grew up. Maybe they think this is it – this is all life has to offer.
Well, I'm here to sound the wake-up call.
There's a great scene in the movie "The Matrix" between Morpheus, a mentor, and Neo, his student. Neo has just woken up and discovered that what he thought was reality was just a world 'that had been pulled over his eyes to shield him from the truth.' Morpheus wants Neo to let go of what he used to think of as "reality," his mundane, day-to-day existence, where his true purpose was neither recognized nor realized. I want you to create a new world, a new reality, where you recognize that you have a purpose for being on this planet, and realize that your purpose is waiting for you to figure it out.
If you don't know your purpose, then your first purpose is to get a purpose.
When you look at the lives of the most successful people who ever lived, you can see that they had a definite purpose and they knew it. Some examples are: Christ – His purpose was spiritual, and stated in John 10:10, which reads: "I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly."
Walt Disney's purpose: "To make people happy."
Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller's purpose: "Humanity's comprehensive welfare on spaceship earth."
Henry Ford's purpose: "To mass produce, mass distribute and have cars mass consumed."
Andrew Carnegie's purpose: "To manufacture and market steel."
Mother Teresa's purpose: "To care for and comfort the poor, sick and needy all over the world."
I don't want you to confuse a purpose with a goal. Goals are great! I teach goal setting, and believe it is crucial to achieving any kind of success. But goals alone, left by themselves, can be indiscriminate and undirected. We can have hundreds of goals (and I hope you do), but we may only have one purpose that we work for our entire life. That purpose should be the underlying core that gives our goals direction and meaning.
Discovering your purpose will put your life into crystal-clear perspective. You won't see the world you once knew. You will see another world, one in which you are a necessary and intricate spoke in the wheel.
The saddest places on earth are graveyards. Not because people are buried there, but because dreams, talents and purposes that never came to fruition are buried there. Graveyards are filled with books that were never written, songs that were never sung, words that were never spoken, things that were never done.
You have talents and gifts that no one else can offer. There are things you can do that no one else is capable of doing quite the way YOU can do them. Don't rob this earth of your purpose by taking it to the grave with you. You see, we all have a purpose, a reason for living, breathing and existing. We all have unique talents and gifts that were created and given to us to be shared. Our task is to understand this and figure out what our purpose is. We owe it to the Universe AND to ourselves!
"You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant aspiration."
Mark Victor Hansen
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 13, 2007
Five Sure-Fire Tips for Great Speeches by Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE
1. Come out punching!
Grab your audience's attention. One way is to make a startling statement. For a recent speech to the National Speakers Association, I walked out and immediately started building a word picture: "Columbus, Ohio, December, zero degrees, 2,000 people trudging through the snow to hear four speakers..."
Don't waste your audience's time with trivialities. I heard a speaker addressing a San Francisco Sales and Marketing Executives audience, starting with how nice it was to be there, how great the weather was, and how he loves our restaurants. Who cares? I didn't race across town to hear him talk about weather and restaurants. I was there to hear about sales and marketing ideas and he was supposed to be an expert.
2. Monitor your "who cares?" factor
Tape your talks, then listen to them, asking "Who cares?" after every statement or segment of material. If no one really does, don't say it. This is a great way to see if you are saying anything of value.
3. Be funny...maybe
Humor can add a lot to your speech, but it must fit you and your topic. If humor is appropriate to your topic, use it, but go for laughs that grow naturally out of your content. Avoid old, tired jokes that may not be appropriate, or that everyone has heard before.
A friend from AT&T called me late one evening. "My boss is giving a speech tomorrow. He needs a joke."
"Is your boss funny?" I asked.
"Well... not really," he replied.
"Then don't try to make him funny," I said. "Get him to be inspiring." I looked through my reference books and found quotes that fit the speaker's points much better than any joke could.
If you decide to risk humor, ask yourself and others, " ... but am I really funny?" Be brutally honest.
4. Organize with a three-part outline
A good way for both beginning and advanced speakers to organize their material is to use the three-part Alcoholics Anonymous format:
a. This is where I was.
b. This is where I am now.
c. This is how I got from there to here.
It is a great structure because it is so easy for both speaker and audience to remember. A woman in Yuma, Arizona called me. "I have to give my first speech in three weeks," she said. "Would you send me one of your tapes so I can learn how to do it."
"It doesn't work quite like that," I told her, "but tell me, what group are you addressing?"
"The Yuma Board of Realtors." she said.
"Why have they invited you to speak?" I asked.
"Because I have been very successful in the real estate industry." So I suggested she use the three-part Alcoholics Anonymous outline. (The first two points can be reversed.)
1) This is where I am: "Last year I sold $18 million dollars in real estate in a slow market.
2) This is where I was: Eight years ago when I got my license, I had never sold anything but Girl Scout cookies.
3) This is how I got here: "First I..."
5. Develop your content
Content I suggested:
Advice from her sales manager that worked,
What she learned from other agents,
What she did well naturally,
What she did not know that amazed her once she had learned,
Sales she fell into,
Sales she almost lost,
Sales that were out of the unusual,
What she would do differently based her 8 years experience,
Anything really entertaining.
I also suggested she keep a pad on her desk and as ideas came to her she jotted them down. Then, when it came time to sit down and put it all together, it was fine if she lacked some creativity as most of her ideas were written down.
She used the structure and reported later that the talk was a big hit.
Even if you add more sections to your speech, keep your outline simple. You'll remember what you intend to say, and your audience will remember what they heard.
Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based professional speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want! and Past-President of the National Speakers Association.
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 12, 2007
Confidence: You Sell Only You by Dr. Denis Waitley
This article is written to help keep you ahead of the pack and on the inside track in your business and personal life. Our focus is on self-confidence and self-esteem.
In my opinion, there is nothing more important than your belief in your own potential for success and happiness, regardless of your age, gender, ethnicity, looks, education or background. The truth is, every day "You only sell you. You don't sell products or a business concept. You sell the value of the person offering the products and services. The decision of the buyer is based on the value of the seller. Just as products are branded as "the best", "cheap", "ineffective", "trustworthy" or "unreliable", so, too, are individuals branded by others as "winners" or "also-rans." Who you are shouts so loudly, that people either can't hear, don't want to hear, or listen carefully to what you are saying. Everybody loves a winner, and we all want to buy from winners who pass their own value on to us.
Self-confidence isn't something you were born with. It's something you develop. Many of us were cultivated like weeds as children. We played inferior roles to the adults around us, who frequently reminded us of our faults and shortcomings more than our successes and abilities.
If you had that type of childhood, as I did, you face a special challenge in building up your self-confidence as an adult. Here are some basic points to remember about yourself:
Realize that the most important opinion about you is the one that you hold. Ultimately, nobody else is responsible for your life but you. Nobody else is accountable for your actions but you. Therefore, nobody's opinion about you is more important than yours.
Recognize that the most important conversations are the ones you have with yourself. Whether or not you are aware of it, you have a running conversation with yourself from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. Your thoughts and ideas are "you talking to you." Have daily conversations with yourself that are supportive and reinforcing. We know the value of talking to people who praise us, reward us, recognize us, are happy to see us, and let us know they genuinely enjoy talking with us. Talk to yourself with those same qualities – silently as well as audibly.
Develop a strong system of internal values. Weigh what you hold to be true, good and lasting. Write down some of your values for periodic review. Read material that reinforces what you hold to be significant in life. Know what you believe and why you believe it. At times, have discussions – even debates – with yourself. Draw conclusions about life. Think about deeper issues. Your values will greatly affect how you relate to others. The stronger your values are, the greater the impact. If you are lacking in internal values, you will tend to draw from and even use other people to try to mimic their behaviors, if only superficially. Instead, seek to become a model, one who can help and give strength to others.
Don't reinforce your failures. Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street. Failure is a temporary setback, not a residence. Failure is a learning experience, not a person. Like success, failure is a growth process, not a status. Don't wallow in your mistakes. Correct them and move forward.
Don't demand perfection of yourself. An A is usually awarded to the person who scores 90 percent or better, and sometimes the score doesn't need to be that high. Professional basketball players only make half their shots. Professional quarterback complete only half their passes, and professional baseball players reach first base less than 40 percent of the time, and that includes walks. And we all know what our averages are in picking stocks to invest in that are always going up. That would be never! Give your best effort every day and keep ratcheting forward. Perfection is not only totally unrealistic to expect and virtually impossible to achieve, but it greatly deters your ability to move forward. The person who is constantly looking over his or her shoulder at what might have been done better can't possibly be focused on the future. Drive with your eyes ahead; don't drive by concentrating on the rearview mirror.
Give each job or task your best effort. Countless individuals say, when confronted with a chore, "I'm too good to be doing this." They have contempt for their current situation and position, and get discouraged easily. Success is an accumulation of what you do in the minutes of each day. No task is too unworthy to do well. There are no small parts – only small actors.
View the big picture of life. Step back from the landscape of your life today and take a long walk, ride a bike, or just sit silently, observing the wonder and abundance of God's creation in nature. You are a part of a much bigger whole. Listen to the subtle rhythms of your environment. Recognize that you have rhythms and cycles of change in your life. Relax and open up to the vast creative and interrelated world around you.
To develop confidence, you must see yourself ultimately as a unique part of creation. You must recognize, with pleasure, that nobody else is just like you. No one else has exactly your temperament, history or experiences. No one else has your footprints, your finger prints, your voice print or your genetic code. No one else has precisely your set of talents, capabilities and skills. You are one of a kind. The value is there. It just needs to be dusted off and polished.
To Finding Greatness Within You,
Denis Waitley
Reproduced with permission from the Denis Waitley Weekly Ezine.
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March 11, 2007
BECOME A GOOD OBSERVER by Jim Rohn
We must never allow a day to pass without finding the answers to a list of important questions such as: What is going on in our industry? What new challenges are currently facing our government? Our community? Our neighborhood? What are the new breakthroughs, the new opportunities, the new tools and techniques that have recently come to light? Who are the new personalities that are influencing world and local opinion?
We must become good observers and astute evaluators of all that is going on around us. All events affect us, and what affects us leaves an imprint on what we will one day be and how we will one day live.
One of the major reasons why people are not doing well is because they keep trying to get through the day. A more worthy challenge is to try to get from the day. We must become sensitive enough to observe and ponder what is happening around us. Be alert. Be awake. Let life and all of its subtle
messages touch us. Often, the most extraordinary opportunities are hidden among the seemingly insignificant events of life. If we do not pay attention to these events, we can easily miss the opportunities.
So be a good observer of both life and the world around you.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine.
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March 10, 2007
The Daily Dozen Disciplines for Massive Success in 2007 & Beyond! by Jerry "DRhino" Clark
The following is the Daily Disciplines you will want to apply for the next 30 days.
For Mental Development:
Take the negative input out of your life.
1. Read at least 15 minutes from an empowering & uplifting book... The Key words are Empowering & Uplifting. Most of the Novels that are out there don’t count… Did you know that research has found that 58% of High School graduates never read another book from cover to cover the rest of their adult life. Approximately 78% of the population has not been in a book store in the last 5 years. The Average child spends less than 1% of their free time reading and about 54% of their free time in front of the Television (either watching it or playing video games)… Speaking of TV, that’s the next point… Turn it Off!
2. That's right, for those of you who are paying attention, #2 is Unplug your TV… Now wait a second… before you get too excited let me make a quick point… If your company offers a Satellite program that has training and company information on it, of course you can watch that… Just stay away from the Sitcoms, the Movie Channels, and especially the News… Please stay away from the News… What if you miss something important you may ask. Trust me, if something really important happens, you don't have to watch the news to find out about it… Someone will call and let you know soon enough… OK, let's move on to the next point.
3. Listen to a Tape…One that Educates & Empowers… This means Turn off the Radio and turn on the Audio when you're driving in your vehicle… Turn your automobile into a Moving University.
4. Don’t read the Newspaper… The Newspaper publishers understand that Negativity sells so that tends to be the first thing you see on the Cover and woven throughout the Newspapers… Stay away from this.
5. Read your Goals & Affirmations. Get clear about what you want to create in your life and affirm it daily.
6. Limit or Disassociate from negative people… I remember Les Brown saying that there are Toxic Relationships and there are Nourishing Relationships… The Toxic Relationships are Poisonous and can drain you of every bit of energy you have… And trust me, if you want to be massively successful in this business, you are going to need plenty of Energy… Speaking of Energy let's move on to a couple of points that could help out in that Area…
For Physical Development:
7. Exercise… Do something. Walk, take the stairs, park a little further away than usual, go to the gym, etc.
8. Drink Plenty of Distilled Water… Go for 8 -- 12oz. Glasses per day. You will be surprised of the Health benefits you will derive just from drinking plenty of water…
For Business Development:
9. Use your Product Daily… You want to become your own best customer and you want to personally get the benefits your product offers on a daily basis… Don't expect anyone else in your organization to do it if you’re not.
10. Add One New Name to your List. Everyday you should be talking to people. Forget about them joining your opportunity or buying your products… Just think about meeting new friends.
11. Expose the Opportunity or Conduct a Follow Up
12. Give a positive story or word of encouragement to someone in your Success Team (Downline) or Support Team (Upline)… Just include something positive everyday… Say something that shows respect, appreciation, approval, and so on… It could be with a Card, A little Note, A Fax, an E-mail, or by using a Voice Communication system you may have set up with your organization.
Here’s a Bonus one which will make it a Baker's Dozen:
13. Take Time for Reflection…At least 15-30 minutes per day… Take a few moments to just be alone without other disturbances and distractions around… Even if you have to go in your closet… Or take a nice hot bath… Meditate, Seek Wisdom, Courage, Forgiveness, Pray… Give Thanks & Gratitude for already having accomplished that which you want… Call it your Quiet Time or your Spiritual Time or whatever you want… The point is just to spend some time connecting with whatever you want to connect with… Focus on the positive because what you Focus on will expand.
Well, that’s the "Daily Dozen"…Baker's Dozen that is…
I shared the Daily Dozen with a guy who said he wanted to get his Bonus Check up & he said "Jerry, that sounds nice and I think it could even work but I just don't like to read." I said, "Where did you hear me say that you have to Like to Read… I didn't say that, I don't think it says that in your distributor Manual, I'm sure your Support Team Leaders didn't tell you that… You don't have to like to read…That's Optional… You just have to read…. In fact, you don't have to like any of what I've mentioned. Always remember that the requirement is not that you like it, but that you do it… If you repeat the Simple Discipline of the Daily Dozen for the next 30 days, it will help you develop new Habits… Habits that will be conducive to you getting what you want from life… And here's an insight: First we make our Habits, and then our Habits make us…
Until next time
Go, Go, Go
Jerry "DRhino" Clark
PS. Remember you don't have to like this to get the results, you simply have to do it!
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 9, 2007
The Power of Your Beliefs by Lisa Jimenez, M.Ed.
Your beliefs are the driving force behind your behaviors. Beliefs send powerful messages to your brain that affect your actions (and their outcome) in either a positive or negative way. Your beliefs will cause you to do one of two things:
Be fearful and RETREAT, or
Be empowered and ACT!
That's how powerful your beliefs are. Your beliefs about failure, risk-taking, and success will either cause you to repel success, or act and attract it to you. Success takes two ingredients: belief and time. The more belief you have, the less time it takes.
How can you ensure your belief system is empowering and is actually attracting success to you? Three things:
First, it is imperative that you are making daily efforts to get the negative messages out of your life. You need to create an obsession with filtering what you allow in. Television, newspapers, some movies and songs, negative thoughts and people, all need to be limited – even banned from your day.
Second, you need to expose and replace the negative beliefs you presently have. Think about what you say on a daily basis. Observe your habitual behaviors in different situations. Tell the truth. Expose these negative beliefs. Only then will you be truly free. Then, replace these negative beliefs and bad habits with empowering ones. Think on these new thoughts and beliefs about success and over time you will retrain your mind and change your heart.
Lastly, create a compelling vision of your success. Craft a picture of you – as the person you want to be – in your mind and THINK ON THIS throughout your day. Not only with this vision put a smile on your face, this habit will actually create success.
Remember middle school science class? You learned the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is energy waiting to happen. Not until it's moving and active will you see it in its kinetic energy state. When it's in the kinetic state it is a reality. Wow! That means you can create reality (the kinetic energy) with your thoughts and beliefs (potential energy). Never underestimate the power of your beliefs!
Change Your Beliefs and You Change Your Behavior
Change Your Behavior and You Change Your Life!
Have a great day!
Lisa Jimenez M.Ed.
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 8, 2007
Leaving a Legacy - Principles to Live By by Jim Rohn
You know me, I am a philosopher. I love principles. Yes, actions are great and I talk about them regularly, but the important stuff is what lies underneath--the principles. Here are what I consider to be the principles that we must commit to if we are to leave the legacy we desire:
1. Life is best lived in service to others. This doesn't mean that we do not strive for the best for ourselves. It does mean that in all things we serve other people, including our family, co-workers and friends.
2. Consider others' interests as important as your own. Much of the world suffers simply because people consider only their own interests. People are looking out for number one, but the way to leave a legacy is to also look out for others.
3. Love your neighbor even if you don't like him. It is interesting that Jesus told us to love others. But he never tells us to like them. Liking people has to do with emotions. Loving people has to do with actions. And what you will find is that when you love them and do good by them, you will more often than not begin to like them.
4. Maintain integrity at all costs. There are very few things you take to the grave with you. The number one thing is your reputation and good name. When people remember you, you want them to think, "She was the most honest person I knew. What integrity." There are always going to be temptations to cut corners and break your integrity. Do not do it. Do what is right all of the time, no matter what the cost.
5. You must risk in order to gain. In just about every area of life you must risk in order to gain the reward. In love, you must risk rejection in order to ask that person out for the first time. In investing you must place your capital at risk in the market in order to receive the prize of a growing bank account. When we risk, we gain. And when we gain, we have more to leave for others.
6. You reap what you sow. In fact, you always reap more than you sow--you plant a seed and reap a bushel. What you give you get. What you put into the ground then grows out of the ground. If you give love you will receive love. If you give time, you will gain time. It is one of the truest laws of the universe. Decide what you want out of life and then begin to sow it.
7. Hard work is never a waste. No one will say, "It is too bad he was such a good, hard worker." But if you aren't they will surely say, "It's too bad he was so lazy - he could have been so much more!" Hard work will leave a grand legacy. Give it your all on your trip around the earth. You will do a lot of good and leave a terrific legacy.
8. Don't give up when you fail. Imagine what legacies would have never existed if someone had given up. How many thriving businesses would have been shut down if they quit at their first failure? Everyone fails. It is a fact of life. But those who succeed are those who do not give up when they fail. They keep going and build a successful life - and a legacy.
9. Don't ever stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Many people have accomplished tremendous things later on in life. There is never a time to stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Sometimes older people will say, "I am 65. I'll never change." That won't build a great life! No, there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and serve more, to teach more and to learn more. Keep going and growing that legacy!
These are core principles to live by if you want to become the kind of person who leaves a lasting legacy.
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 7, 2007
Seven Qualities of Master Achievers by Brian Tracy
If you think the way successful people think and adopt their success habits, you too can be successful. Here are seven qualities of the top 1% of successful people.
1) They are Ambitious.
They see themselves capable of being the best. They see themselves with the capacity of being really good at what they do. This was a really big thought for me. It held me back for many years. When I saw people who were doing better than I was, I naturally assumed they were better than I was. And if they were better than I was, then I must be worse than them, so that would mean they were superior and I was inferior. That is a big problem in our society. We have feelings of inferiority, and these feelings of inferiority are often translated into feelings of undeservedness. We don't feel we deserve to be a big success. The word "deserve" comes from two Latin words meaning "from service." You deserve 100% of everything you make and enjoy as long as you get it from serving other people. Your rewards are in direct proportion to your service. If you serve better and serve more and serve at a higher level and serve more enthusiastically and serve a higher quality, then you'll have a wonderful income you'll deserve every penny of it. You must see yourself capable of being the best.
2) They are Courageous.
They work to confront the fears that holds most people back. The two biggest enemies to yours and my success is fear and doubt. Eliminating fear and doubt is the key. The key to eliminating fear: If you want to develop courage, then simply act courageously when it's called for. When you do something repeatedly, you develop a habit. Make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear. If you do the thing you fear, the death of fear is certain. To overcome fear of rejection in prospecting, you must realize that rejection in selling is not personal. Top salespeople do not fear prospecting. Face your fear. Do the things you fear. The ability to confront your fear is the mark of the superior person. If you have high ambition and you decide to be in the top 10%, and you can confront your fears and do the things that are holding you back, those two things alone will make you a great success.
3) They are Committed.
The top people in every field, especially the top salespeople, are completely committed. They believe in themselves; they believe in their companies; they believe in their products and services; they believe in their customers; they have an intense belief. We know that there is a one-to-one relationship between the depth of your belief and what happens in your reality. And if you absolutely believe in the rightness and the goodness of what you're doing, you become like a catalyst. You create what is called a transfer, like an electrical transfer of enthusiasm. People like to buy from people who truly believe in what they are doing. People who are not committed to what they do lead very empty lives. The second part is that caring is the critical element in modern selling. Caring is a critical element in life, as well. All men and women who enjoy great lives care about what they do! They have passion about what they do. They love what they do.
4) They are Professional.
Top salespeople see themselves as consultants rather than as salespeople. When you think of the word "consultant," what words come to mind? When do you call a consultant? A consultant is a problem-solver. What word does not appear when you think of a consultant--the word "salesperson". We don't think of consultants as salespeople. The most successful consultants in America are the very best salespeople of their services. When a person is positioned as a consultant in the mind and heart of the customer, he is not seen as a salesperson. Do people like to be sold? Do people like to be helped to improve their lives and work? So they look upon a salesperson as someone who sells them. Selling is something you do "to" someone, and people don't like to be done "to". So when you think of being a consultant, here is the key. How do you position yourself as a consultant with your customers? Of course, you act like a consultant, but even before you get the chance to act like a consultant, you build a rapport. And the most simple answer of all, and this is the most profound principle: People accept you at your own evaluation of yourself. Consultants come in and have a cup of coffee. Salespeople wait in the waiting room and have a glass of water. If you say you're a consultant, your customer will accept you as a consultant. >From now on, position yourself as a consultant. Think of yourself as a consultant. Remember, 80% of what you accomplish on the outside is determined by who you are on the inside. How you see yourself determines how the customer responds to you. The customer's perception of you determines how much they buy and how much they recommend you to other customers.
5) They are Prepared.
They review every detail in advance. To be in the top 10% requires additional efforts. It requires doing things that the average person is not willing to do. It requires making sacrifices the average person is not willing to make. It requires reviewing every detail of every call or situation before every business meeting. But the difference it makes is extraordinary. Before you go into a meeting, do your homework. Successful people are more concerned about pleasing results than they are about pleasing methods. When you sit down with a client, there is nothing more complimentary to a client than the feeling that you have prepared for the meeting.
6) They are Continuous Learners.
They recognize that if they're not continually getting better, they're getting worse. They read, they listen to CDs and they take additional training. The professional never stops learning. So read, listen to CDs, take continuous training.
7) They are Responsible.
They see themselves as President of their own personal services corporation. The top people in our society have an attitude of self-employed. 100% of us are self-employed. We are presidents of our own personal services corporation. You work for yourself. The biggest mistake we can ever make is to think we work for anyone else. We work for ourselves. The person who signs our paycheck may change; our jobs may change, but we are always the same. We are the one constant--we are always self-employed. The fact of the matter is -- this is not optional, it is mandatory -- you are the president of your own company, you're the president of your own career, your own life, your own finances, your own body, your own family, your own health. You are totally responsible. We are responsible. No one will ever do it for us. It's the most liberating and exhilarating thought of all, to think that you're the president of your own life.
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 6, 2007
The "Ben Franklin Method" For Winning People Over by Bob Burg
So often I make the point about giving before getting, and that is certainly a very important aspect of helping a person to feel comfortable with you, and want to do for you. Whether in social relationships or sales, being the first to reach out is an extremely effective human relations strategy, as well as just a generally nice way to be. But we learn from one of America's more well-known founders, Benjamin Franklin, how taking the opposite approach can have excellent results as well.
In his book, "Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Other Writings", the inventor, statesman, and diplomat tells of an incident with a man who opposed his being re-chosen as Clerk of the General Assembly of the Pennsylvania House. Although he did manage to keep the office, Ben knew that this person, whom he described as "a gentleman of fortune and education with talents that were likely to give him, in time, great influence in the House," could be trouble later on. He aimed to insure that didn't happen by making, of an enemy, a friend.
Let's let Ben tell us how he did it:
"I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but after some time took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him expressing my desire of perusing that book and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately - and I returned it in about a week with another note expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility. And he ever afterwards manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death.
"This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, 'He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.' And it shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings."
Understand that both ways work (giving first, and getting first); it's just a matter of judging the method that will work best depending upon both the situation and the other person involved. Either way, what Ben said in his final sentence makes a whole lot of sense. To paraphrase: We're better off making a friend than keeping an enemy.
Have an awesome WINNING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION week!
Bob Burg
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 5, 2007
Conceptualize Your Success – Whatever You Want Wants You! by Mark Victor Hansen
What you can conceptualize in your mind will materialize in your life. WOW! Think about that for a minute. Whatever you focus your powerful mind and energy on, will manifest itself into physical form. This has been going on your whole LIFE and you may not have even noticed it.
Have you ever been on your way to a meeting and said, "There is no way I'm going to get this deal?" Then, sure enough, you didn't get the deal. You probably thought, "See, I knew I wasn't going to get that deal." You're right, you didn't stand a chance, because you had already created a self-fulfilling prophecy and declared that there was no way you were going to succeed. You have no one to blame but yourself. Failure was pre-conceived by you, through you, and out into the Universe. It simply gave you what you asked for!
Your mind is that powerful. You don't even have to speak what you are thinking in order to see it come to fruition. Think of your mind as having the Universe on speed dial. It is THAT powerful.
Because your mind is such an amazing instrument, you must use it with care. Remember, great thinking creates great results. Mediocre thinking creates mediocre results. Which do you want?
Artists absolutely amaze me! They start with a blank canvas – not a splatter of color on it – and they create phenomenal masterpieces with just their minds, brushes and paint. How do they do it? How do they know what to paint?
Before they ever picked up a brush they had already conceived in their minds exactly what they were going to paint. It is already there. Their job is to make sure that the artistic concept is transferred from the mind to the physical form. That's what I want you to learn to do – to conceptualize your dreams, whatever they may be, and change them from mental into physical. Because – just like an artistic masterpiece waiting for the artist to create it – your dreams are waiting for you to make them into your reality.
We all have a calling. We all have a purpose in life. Not all of us are meant to be artists who paint on canvases, but we all have a gift. Sometimes it is presented to us early in our lives, and other times we realize our special gifts later, when we least expect. Take Mother Teresa, for example. She heard her calling in 1947 when she was already acting in service to God as a principal of a Catholic high school. At that point, she discovered her purpose in life and decided to live in the Calcutta slums with "the poorest of the poor." She knew what she wanted to do, what she had to do, and she did it.
How do YOU do this? Well, just like Mother Teresa, before you can achieve it, you have to conceive it.
The word "conceive" means "to cause to begin life; to form or develop in the mind; to understand; to put in words, to express." And that is the order that your dreams will be realized in.
First, you conceive an idea, your dream or goal. The first moment that you decide that this thing – this goal, this dream – is what you want, it begins to live.
You feed your dream by thinking about it, turning it over and over in your mind. As you develop the idea you begin to understand it, to know what it is that you want – the thing that wants you. Once you express it by writing it down, putting it into words, it's like pouring fuel onto a fire. You have made a request from the Universe. After that your dream takes on a life of it's own.
"It's not that people want too much, it's that they want too little."
Mark Victor Hansen
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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March 4, 2007
The Four Emotions that Can Lead to Life Change by Jim Rohn
Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.
Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around.
1) DISGUST
One does not usually equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!" That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25, I said. "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying."
Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."
The "guy" has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is not going to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it" day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!
2) DECISION
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making
except this:
Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.
3) DESIRE
How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:
a. It comes from the inside not the outside.
b. It can be triggered by outside forces.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"
Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.
4) RESOLVE
Resolve says, "I will." These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop him.
The mountain climber says, "I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying."
The best definition for "resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can tell me what "resolve" means?" Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP.
Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!" No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes." That's what these four emotions are all about.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine
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March 3, 2007
Einstein's Formula for Success by Ron White
Albert Einstein had a formula for success. Can you believe that? One of the greatest minds of all time developed a math formula for success! I suggest you read this carefully -- this may be the most important math equation that you will ever see.
Einstein said, "If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut."
Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Let's look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!
1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times
2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't play.
3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formal is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I don't know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isn't able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person that I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the "Chatty Cathy" he could have been with his knowledge. It wasn't important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.
Shift your mind set from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in 5 minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in 5 years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!
Dale Carnegie wrote a best selling book entitled 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' One of the key premises of this book was that everyone's favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.
-- Ron White
Reproduced with permission from the Ron White Ezine.
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March 2, 2007
The "Best" Test by Chris Widener
Some time ago, I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work.
The topic they assigned me was "Simply the Best." So as I prepared, I asked myself, "What characteristics would help someone pass the "Best" test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the "best" at what they do? Here are the thoughts I shared with them:
The Best are Optimists.
You can't get to the top if you don't think that there is a top or if you think you can't make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.
The Best have Vision.
They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren't locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.
The Best Relentlessly Pursue Excellence.
The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.
The Best have a Life Long Habit of Personal Growth.
They don't want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn't "just happen." You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in "Automobile University." Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth tape or CD. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the "Best" test.
The Best Understand that They will be Pushed by the Competition - and They Welcome It.
Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more - to remain the best by forging ahead.
The Best have a Quest for Leadership.
Someone has to lead - it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.
The Best Leave a Legacy.
They aren't in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.
The Best are Adept at the Two Most Important Pieces of Time and Personal Management: Prioritize and Execute.
Just like weight loss boils down to eat right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.
The Best Focus on Building Relationships.
Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.
The Best Make no Excuses.
When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.
The Best Understand that the Good is the Enemy of the Best.
Yes, they could say, "this is good." But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the
Best.
The Best Dare to Dream.
While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt's quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Want to be the best at what you do? Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the "best." Then when you get to the top you will know that you have passed the "Best" test.
Chris Widener
Reproduced with permission from the Chris Widener Ezine.
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Are You Aware? by Ellie Drake
"Awareness Precedes Action."
Common Pitfalls to be Aware of in Business:
Here are some possible resistances along the way, not necessarily for us to avoid and resist, but most importantly to be aware of and know that they are there. Even the most dedicated traveler on this journey, will come across pitfalls.
First pitfall: Obsessive goal orientation -
Although it is great to set ambitious goals, the best way to reaching them is to cultivate modest expectations along the way, and most importantly to celebrate every small achievement. Remember every step in this journey is it's own destination. As an example, when we are climbing a mountain, we must be aware of where the peak is, however if we keep looking at the peak, we might become overwhelmed and enter the state of judgment and analysis. This by the way, will cause a reverse effect, sometimes making us go backwards. Let's make sure that we keep our eyes on the path, enjoying every step in this process, understanding that the peak is only a land mark. By the way, we must also realize that the peak is only a step in the journey from which we choose the next peak. Life is full of peaks for a person who wants to live their potential as a human being. Therefore, we might as well enjoy the process of getting to each of them.
Next pitfall: No goal setting -
Sometimes as human beings, we tend to refuse to set goals merely because we are carrying the burden of having set them in the past, but not having accomplished them. We must realize that if we do not accomplish a goal, it's only because we are human. But as long as we learn from it, and keep on setting healthy step by step goals, we will end up accomplishing a majority of them in the long run. Those who have succeeded, have also failed. The only difference is that they succeeded more than they failed. Therefore, setting healthy goals along the way can sharpen and empower us. Persistent healthy goal setting will end up being persistent goal getting!
Next pitfall: Little competitiveness -
A healthy level of competition is essential in business. It provides some spice. It sometimes brings about that extra level of willingness. It is true that the most important competition should be to compete with ourselves. However, it is important for us not to resist competition especially if we resist it because of not wanting to be disappointed. This is perhaps another subconscious pattern. So let's welcome a healthy level of competition understanding that we can be on the right track, but if we don't move, we might get run over.
Next pitfall: Over competitiveness -
Competition can provide the spice. However, when the spice becomes the biggest ingredient in the meal, then the player will get sick. A person who thinks about nothing but winning, will end up losing. The focus should be on one's purpose, and also enjoying the process. A healthy level of competition is good. An obsession with winning and competing will take us out of the flow. After all, we know by now that the Ego is never in the flow.
Next pitfall: Inconsistency -
Consistency is the only way to grow. Inconsistency takes energy and time. Being consistent, even on a part time basis, is much more powerful than coming in and out of this flow. Remember the example of the Rabbit and the Turtle? Sometimes in business, it is better to have a turtle mind set, than that of a Rabbit. I remember to create in my business, I had a rabbit-turtle combo. That means have the mind set of a turtle, with the motor skills of a rabbit. But that is perhaps another Article. One step at a time! Starting with consistent steps.
Next pitfall: Perfectionism -
For me, being a perfectionist brings about an instant self criticism component. I am glad to say that I have learned to be good to myself. Therefore, I have realized that to let go of perfectionism, means to get out of the way, and perform to the best of my ability in the moment. This also brings in an understanding that the next level will be more effective, and more efficient than this level. However, the next level will not occur, unless the current level is experienced fully without judgment and attachment. It's to believe that we can not merely wait till we are good. We must first do, and then we will be good. I have truly learned that perfectionism is one of the biggest blocks to creativity. I have also learned when I am creative, I accomplish more. When I accomplish more, I feel good. But to be creative, I now know that I must first feel good. So in this equation, the enzymes that catalyze the reaction are feeling good and being creative. This equals accomplishment. Perfectionism is the stop sign. It is the resistance in the way. Once again, I want to take the road of least resistance. So in the world of creativity, flow, and accomplishment, perfectionism is not an enzyme. It is a fungus! That should give you a nice mental picture! Ok. Moving right along!
Next pitfall: Plateaus -
In business, we so often resist plateaus. We feel that if we experience a plateau, then that means that something is not quite right out there with our business or our company. Although that sometimes can be true, but this definition can end up being one that exhausts and drains us. I have learned in my business to not resist the plateaus, but rather have them be an indication of perhaps an internal modification that might be required. That means that during a plateau, we could look inside and improve or change something that could allow us to grow. One step toward internal growth can sometimes end up being hundreds of steps toward external growth. Therefore, one will realize that a plateau can now be embraced rather than resisted. Building a business is so much more fun as well when a thing such as a plateau is looked at differently.
Reproduced with permission from Your Achievement E-zine
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