Disappointment and Forgiveness

Last week someone I have a great deal of respect for let me down. Their actions disappointed me. If the feeling had a flavor, it tasted like the color gray. This was hurtful. But the real disappointment came with my belief in this person.

The unfortunate fact is people will disappoint us throughout our life. Our strength will come when we forgive them. And I will grow to forgive them, too. [Read more…]

Who Defines the Marketplace?

Remember your first day at a new company? Maybe you started the company and were so excited you can hardly sleep. There was an unstoppable ambition fueled by a desire to succeed. Do you still have that desire? What changed?

A successful life is built on a daily commitment to optimism. Optimism has two parts. The first is maintaining a hopeful outlook before a decision is made; the other is dwelling on the most positive aspects of a decision afterwards. With all the life changes we experience, voluntary and involuntary, we must be optimistic. [Read more…]

Three Questions Begin with One Answer

Starting a journey begins with a desire of wanting and believing you deserve more or you decide to no longer accept the current status of your life.  Some steps will not be easy and you will often be tested and challenged.  Growing takes a strong commitment; enough to overcome all adversity.  A determined focus will prevent distractions from your goal.  As you begin this quest, ask yourself the following three questions. [Read more…]

Start or Wait…What should I do?

The summer of 2010 I took the StrengthFinders™ test and found my top strength was Learner. This means I feel strong when I’m learning (I also have Responsibility, Intellection, Empathy and Connectedness). As a Learner, I enjoy reading business and self-development books and have found a conflict in the advice from two positions. The conflict is in the mixed message of “Taking Action” and “Delaying Gratification.”

One position is taking action and getting started.  This has always been my axiom from Og Mandino as he stresses it in Scroll IX, “I will act now” from his book the “Greatest Salesman in the World.”  Supporting this position is David J. Schwartz in his book, “The Magic of Thinking Big” as he writes in chapter 10; “The way to combat any kind of fear is action.” [Read more…]

7 Assumptions – Which Ones to Make and Others to Avoid

We define our reality of a situation based on our past experiences, judgments, internal beliefs and bias. All mixed together and weighed differently, we create our perception. No two realities are the same.

But is our perception of reality true? It’s real? Yes. No one can take away your reality. But what’s real, may not be true. That is the questions we need to consider as we encounter new situations.

Below is a list of assumptions that may be part of our reality, and should be given a second thought to determine if they are true. Be conscious of them as we engage with others.

1) Prospect will only buy from me if I have the lowest price. If the prospect is making their decision on the lowest price, and not dealing in commodities, they are probably not talking to a salesperson, they are probably buying off the Internet. Salespeople add value to the purchasing process. And that is a benefit salespeople often forget when fighting a prospect on price. Prospects mask their vulnerability and lack of knowledge by putting up a front of buying on price. Prospect are guarded and their own skepticism and misconceptions prevent them from being open-minded and learning more about what makes a product different and the impact of that difference to them. [Read more…]

Believing Can Come True if You are Involved in the Believing

“Believing can come true if you are involved in the believing.”

I cannot remember where I heard this quote, but it stuck with me because it reinforces the axiom that your beliefs determine your behavior and your behavior (daily habits) determines the results you receive.  If you are not receiving the desired results in life, no matter the role you are playing, change begins with determining what you are doing and not doing (behavior) and then asking yourself why.  “Why am I doing this”? or “Why am I not doing that?”

Are your beliefs a choice?  Good question.  I guess now that I’m thinking about it, I would have to say YES.  We consciously decide what is true and what we want to believe as fact.  True would mean the means (behavior) justify the desired ends (results). [Read more…]

My Boss Told Me I Should Go – oh joy!

Before opening a seminar, I’ll hang around the registration desk to meet the audience and ask “how did you hear about the event and what made you decide to attend today?”  Two important questions will help me discover a successful source of marketing and uncover the motivation of the attendee.

Sometimes my audience attendees will say, “My boss told me I should go to this.”  At that moment, they have met their boss’ goal, but chances are that anything in their life will change is low. [Read more…]

FOCUS: Think Inside the Box.

How many times have you heard the saying, “Think outside the box?” I have to weigh in on a different perspective after hearing it recently and giving it some thought. After all perspective determines our truth and our truth is what we believe. Those beliefs influence our actions that deliver the met or unmet results and outcomes.

My proposal to you is that you consider; “Thinking inside the box.” Here is what I mean. Inside the box is defined by a set boundaries or walls. These walls are made up of rules that define the space inside and out. Within the box offers the freedom of creativity, and a specific focus. [Read more…]

Top 7 Mistakes Salespeople Make on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is like most business tools and sales techniques.  They are only as good as you use them.  And they want to be used.

Below are the top mistakes salespeople make when attempting to build credibility and demonstrate their professional commitment to their sales career, employers, clients and the marketplace.  All are possible with the free version of LinkedIn and you can start applying them today.

Attend our Workshop on Thursday, April 24th at the Better Business Bureau from 8:30 to Noon.  For more information  → CLICK HERE [Read more…]

Why Now?

It is common knowledge that people buy emotionally and justify the purchase intellectually.  And people will buy based in their reasons, not the salespersons; which is why you will want to focus your conversations on them, rather than yourself.

Rule #1 in sales is; “It’s about them.”  It is about their needs and wants, not what you have and offer.  When you focus on them, you will ask more questions, while you focus on listening.  You will let them talk and tell you their story.  People love to talk about themselves.  Let them be the storyteller, again, while you listen. [Read more…]