Words of Wisdom

Weekly Success Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
~ Reggie Leach

Many people go through their lives, relationships and careers in auto-pilot. Being in auto-pilot is when we make decisions, take actions, and respond to outside stimuli unconsciously or automatically without conscious thinking. These responses or actions are generally performed out of learned, conditioned or repeated beliefs, attitudes, values or re-actions. When people go through life in this way, they miss most of the color, beauty, excitement, joy and happiness of being alive.

For some people living this way, sort of emotionally detached, is easier and less stressful. But what you sacrifice on one hand you also may lose on the other hand. Life is filled with trade-offs. So live your days in auto-pilot and you are guaranteed to lose much of the adventure of life.

Life is lived one moment at a time in the present. When we react unconsciously, we turn the power over the quality of our life to past experiences, other people’s expectations, remarks or deeds, or whatever we feel is beyond our control.

People who live one moment at a time have more fun, accomplish more, learn more, and generally enjoy the experience of life. People who spend most of their time in auto-pilot are always wishing, hoping and dreaming that life and people would be different.

So, how do you get out of auto-pilot or living life unconsciously?

1. Accept the reality of life. It isn’t perfect. It isn’t all good or bad. It just is.
2. Spend time observing nature.
3. Relax. You can’t have it all, do it all, see it all, experience it all, or learn it all in one lifetime.
4. Be where you are when you are there, not somewhere else.
5. Be with whom you are with when you are with them, not with someone else.
6. Learn to see life through the eyes of an explorer, not a victim.
7. Recognize that nothing in-and-of-itself is positive or negative. It just is. And it often becomes what we choose to see.
8. No one can make you feel, act or think how he wants you to feel, act or think. You have total control over your own emotions, feelings, thoughts and attitudes. All you have to do is exercise it.

How are you doing today? Living most of your life’s moments in auto-pilot, or are you basking in the sunshine of every sunset, problem, experience, failure, success, achievement, risk, emotion and feeling as it crosses your path – breathing it in – whether it seems negative or positive?

Weekly Sales Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Action is eloquence.”
Shakespeare

Is there any such thing as luck? The luck of the Irish? You lucky stiff… I never win anything…

Everywhere people seem to have different views of luck or good fortune. I believe in timing and I also believe in synchronicity – that concept where certain things seem to happen and we are at a loss to explain how or why or when.

I also believe in preparation, effort and persistence. Isn’t it is amazing how so many people who work hard, study diligently, commit to their goals and purpose often have more than their share of good luck?

There is a great old saying: that luck is – nothing more than preparation meeting opportunity.

I can’t tell you how to prepare, what to study, how hard to work or how long it will take. If I could, I wouldn’t be sitting at this computer right now slugging away. I’d be a genius cruising the Caribbean on my 75ft. sailboat.

I can tell you however, that most of this doesn’t matter. Surprised? Well, I have seen people have good fortune without a lot of work and I have seen many people toil their entire lives and not once get a single lousy break. I have known PhD’s who struggle financially and I know many high school drop-outs who have become multi-millionaires. And, I have read about lottery winners who bought just one ticket, hit the jackpot and then spent the rest of their lives in misery.

So what does matter? Six things…

• the belief in yourself and your goals, purpose, mission or destiny – for the long haul
• the courage to weather the lows and failures when they come
• the humility and gratitude when you reach the top of the mountain
• a support system of people who care, believe in you and are will to be there when you need them
• action and direction – you have to do something – and you have to keep moving in the right direction without worrying about the final destination
• a positive and optimistic outlook and positive expectancy

I am sure there are more and that many of you might take issue with the six. I believe in education and learning. I believe in hard work. I believe in persistence against all odds and I believe in faith and hope. I even believe in a little good fortune and luck – now and then. But, I also believe that chance favors the fertile mind, active body and willing spirit. The Quakers have a wonderful saying: Pray, but move your feet!

So, while you are waiting for your ship to come in and good fortune to bless your life why not get to work,

• setting and moving toward your goals
• learning new skills
• refining your attitudes
• strengthening your beliefs
• taking action
• letting go of old baggage
• improving relationships
• learning to love and enjoy what you do

Weekly Success Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“We magnetize into our lives whatever we hold in our thoughts.”
~ Richard Bach

Sooner or later, in life, each of us experiences some form of emotional pain due to:

• the loss of a loved one
• the break-up of a relationship
• the change of a job, career or business
• and any number of other life experiences.

Some people, when in the midst of pain, become emotionally immobilized and take varying amounts of time to complete the healing that comes naturally with the passage of time. Other’s tend to spend their time feeling sorry for themselves, blaming, or feeling any number of negative emotional responses. And some use this time to tap into the creative opportunities that can come with emotional pain.

Let me explain.

The continuation and maintenance of emotional pain takes lot’s and lot’s of energy. When this energy is used for negative purposes i.e. guilt, blame, anger, etc. you steal from your creative side. Consider. Redirect this negative energy into creative thinking, planning, writing, selling – whatever.

My first book of self-help fiction, The Ancient Scrolls was written following a rather unpleasant divorce. I spent several months feeling sorry for myself, whining, and generally out of sorts with the world. Then I read an interesting book by Eric Butterworth. In it he said, (not an exact quote here folks, but the gist of his message) “Use your pain to get in touch with who you really are, what you firmly believe and what you feel – not to delve into the depths of depression, anger, remorse and any other negative emotion responses that keep you locked in a prison of darkness.” After I read that, I immediately sat down and began to create my first novel. It took three months to write but, it did four things for me:

1. It took my focus off my negative circumstances.
2. It opened up an entire new side of my writing.
3. It helped speed up my healing, forgiveness and surrender.
4. It released all of the energy that was being used to maintain my negative emotional state and freed it up to be used elsewhere in my life.

Pain can help you tap into your soul’s creative genius if you will only take the first step. Be willing to let go of the negative emotional pain that is filling your consciousness. If you like any of the books by Og Mandino, Richard Bach or James Redfield, I guarantee you’ll love Ancient Scrolls, it’s a really great book! Click the PayPal button to order your autographed copy using your credit card (no PayPal account required). It would also make a great gift for someone special.

Weekly Relationship Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Its not the life that matters, but the courage you bring to it.”
~ Yogi Bhajan

Over and over again, I am sometimes subtly and at other times with a 2×4, brought to the reality that much of my behavior, attitudes, fears, needs and desires stem from some experience deeply rooted in my past. For example – how some people can push my buttons (even when I don’t want them pushed or want to give the power to be able to push them) and bring me to tears, anger or any number of emotions without my knowing why or often being able to control them.

Partners, spouses, siblings, parents or close friends who know us well have this potential ability. They can push these buttons knowingly to solicit a reaction (to manipulate us) or they can do it unconsciously. The result is always the same; We get angry. We become afraid. We feel out of control. We feel stressed.

Somewhere in my past, and I don’t know how far back I need to go: to yesterday or to when I was a child (I am not a Psychologist and I don’t have a couch in my office so I will just have to figure this out on my own) there must be some clues; some unmet needs, unfulfilled desires, hidden or repressed pain or grief – something – anything that gets me closer to the truth.

It is not easy to look back. It is difficult to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: what has caused you to react the way you did, feel the way you do or cause you to experience whatever reaction some person or event has been able to create within you.

I only know that in the end, after the emotional upheaval has subsided and I have taken the time to consider how I gave up the power to the other person or event, I felt weak and small, knowing that I gave up that one thing that is truly mine: my ability control me and not turn that responsibility over to anyone or anything else – my personal power.

So, I spend the next several hours looking at the history of my relationships with people in my past to see If I can discover the reasons for my reactions, beliefs, attitudes or feelings.

Ever had anyone push your buttons and after ‘getting over it’ wonder why they had the power or why you gave it to them? Did you just give it a casual thought or did you ever take the time or had the courage to look honestly without blinders, to what may have made you susceptible to life’s – button pushers? Some food for thought this week…

Weekly Quote
“Courage consists, not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing and conquering it.”
~ Richter

Weekly TimBit
Is the glass half full or half empty? Will this product, policy, strategy work or fail? Can I really achieve my dreams or am I living in fantasy-land? These and hundreds of questions are asked every day by well meaning and hard working people in all walks of life.

Lionel Tiger in his great book, Optimism, the Biology of Hope, written over 30 years ago discusses how optimism impacts a person’s attitudes, outlook, success and health. He suggests that people who are less optimistic about life, the present and the future tend to get sick more frequently and often die sooner. In the book, Learned Optimism by Segleman, he discusses how each of us begins every project, activity, task, relationship, career etc. with either a YES or a NO. YES I can and I will or NO I can’t and I won’t.

Question for the week
Do you bring a yes or a no to each of life’s circumstances?

Recommended reading
Fail Often So You Can Succeed Sooner, Connor & Mitchell

Weekly Sales Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.”
~ Glenn Clark

Getting a fast start out of the box in January is one of the best ways to ensure a successful sales year. Many salespeople get lulled into the holiday spirit (and there is nothing wrong with that), but tend to get a slow beginning after January 1st. We are well into the new year so the question is – are you charging ahead like there’s no tomorrow?

Why not get an edge on your competitors this year? Get to those good clients first. Follow-up on late December calls now. Call several new prospects each day before this month ends.

Pour it on. Make this month your most productive of the past previous several months. The quick start concept is a valid way to ensure a great year. It is called momentum. Don’t wait. Do it now.

In order to accomplish this (a great January), you have to be prepared. You have to plan. You have to be ready. And when is the best time to get ready? You guessed it – the last 2 weeks of December. Did you wait to do this?

I have never understood why salespeople believe they have to wait a week or two to get back into gear. If you have had a great 2010, fantastic. Celebrate. Enjoy some well-deserved rest, relaxation, fun, etc. But end this month on high, and you will be amazed at the positive results you can achieve just by being ready and willing to GO FOR IT.

This is an ideal time to beat your competitor to the punch, but the window doesn’t last too long. Around the 15-20th of the month, they are also getting into action.

Why not steal some business from them while they are still in the holiday mode? Why not close that tough sale while they are just getting started?

Believe me, you will be glad you did. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by using the quick start approach to your new selling year. You may even surprise yourself, as well as your boss. Wouldn’t that be kicker?

Here is a simple formula to follow if you want to exceed last year’s sales results:

Self-evaluation + plus planning + plus preparation + plus extra effort + plus a winning attitude = equals SUCCESS.

Weekly Management Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Every man takes the limit of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.”
~ Arthur Schopenhauer

What do I mean by ‘who’ or ‘what’ in your organization? Corporate culture is one of the significant driving factors that contributes to and determines an organization’s success, profitability and position in the market place. Corporate culture is the heartbeat of any enterprise. It is:

• how people behave when no one is watching
• the rites, rituals and unwritten rules of a company
• the driving philosophy of a department
• the predominant underlying reason for why people do what they do and behave the way they behave
• how people treat each other day in and day out
• …and so much more.

One of the consequences of culture is: who delivers a message, or who says it and how vs. what the message is. Let me explain.

A new employee walks into the VP’s office questioning a procedure. The gist of his/her remark is that it doesn’t make sense and is costing the company time, resources, etc. The VP’s response goes something like, “You are new here, later you will better understand what we do and why this procedure will make sense, but thanks for your opinion.”

The next day the president walks into the same VP’s office questioning the same procedure, and the VP agrees and jumps on a solution for making a change.

The above example is a clear-cut case of – it depends on who is delivering the message that determines the other person’s response. In an organization where it is ‘what’s the message and not “who” is delivering it,’ it wouldn’t matter who was delivering the message, i.e. the janitor, a new employee or a V.P. The response would be the same – let’s look at it, fix it, change it or – whatever – but let’s take some action on it.

The problem with a ‘who’ culture is that politics and personal agendas can tend to take the lead. In a ‘what’ culture, it is the problem or challenge and ultimate solution that matters, and not the source of the information.

Is your organization or department operating in a ‘who’ or ‘what’ environment?

Weekly Relationship Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Act happy, feel happy, be happy, without a reason in the world. Then you can love, and do what you will.”
~ Dan Millman

Sooner or later each of us needs some private time away from the expectations, demands and even the support of our partner. I am not suggesting here what many people commonly refer to as “I need some space.” This is usually a way people who cannot communicate their feelings honestly say to their partner, “I want to end this relationship.” Not always, mind you, but more often than not.

The private time I am referring to here is quite different. It is not designed to be an escape, but a period of introspection, contemplation or just looking at some aspect of your life or relationship where positive changes might be in order.

People who are in relationships where one or both of the partners travel a lot, have time apart, but they don’t necessarily use it for the above listed reasons. There are meetings, travel issues, career responsibilities, errands, children etc. that prevent the quiet private time that each of us craves and needs for inner peace, physical and emotional health as well as an opportunity to reduce our stress.

There are many ways to find this quiet time. You can meditate, take walks in the park or woods, you can take a drive along a scenic highway or you can just walk your dog. You can attend a retreat, vision quest or any number of spiritual events that last from an hour to several days.

Or, as an alternative when life seems to be overwhelming, you can just drop out and walk away from the pressure, stress, responsibilities of life, your career and/or your relationship for a few hours or days.

Over the years I have discovered that people who find outlets for the stressors in their life and take the time to have ‘private’ time, tend to have better and more positive and nurturing relationships than those who don’t. Why is this? One reason is that there is no need to ‘take out’ their frustrations, anxieties or issues on their partner or even bring them into the relationship at all. Relationships are hard enough as it is with their own unique challenges – why make them even more difficult by bringing all of your pent-up career or life issues to your partner for them to solve. There is nothing wrong with discussing career or life issues, problems, challenges etc. with your partner, that is not what I am saying – so don’t work yourself into a twit here and email me that I have gone over the edge.

We all have the answers to life we need inside us that we need to; survive, prosper and experience a joyous life that was meant to be, but we need to quiet our outer world from time to time so that we can hear this inner guidance. It would be like trying to write a serious letter with any number of external distractions going on at the same time. Yes, the letter might get written, but how good would it be? Why not take some time this week for yourself to listen to your hearts inner urgings, dreams, desires or even fears. They might just surprise you!

Weekly Quote
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”
~ JFK

Weekly TimBit
Passion is the great equalizer. It can make up for a lack of experience and knowledge. I am not suggesting that you not develop your knowledge or experience, only that until you do your passion will be interpreted by others as a strong belief in yourself, your mission and your purpose.

Passion is different than enthusiasm. The old outworn cliché says, “Act enthusiastic and you will become enthusiastic.” I have never subscribed to this philosophy. The reason is that if enthusiasm is an act that you use when things are going well, how do you behave when your life is falling apart? Just as enthusiastic about failure, more problems than you deserve and any number of disappointments, frustrations and adversities? Passion is not an act. It is a way of believing.

Question for the week
Are you losing or have you lost your passion?

Recommended reading
Fail Often So You Can Succeed Sooner, Yours Truly

Weekly Sales Tips

Words of wisdom for this week.

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
~ Einstein

People buy when they are ready to buy, not when you need to sell! Many salespeople push, prod and manipulate in an attempt to convince the buyer that their agenda should be as important as the salesperson’s agenda. Having said this, it doesn’t mean to imply that you should not use every professional and ethical sales technique and approach at your disposal to persuade the buyer that your product/service is a good decision for them to make at this time.

Buyers often buy what they want (desire) and sometimes need not only because of your sales methods but because they have convinced themselves that your product/service makes sense to them or solves a pressing problem now. Often they will share this want/need without any prodding from the salesperson but many times they will need some guidance, increased knowledge or rationale before they can justify the purchase now.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the prospect’s buying agendas or motives. Here are a few for you to consider.

1. Ego need. Someone else they know recently purchased something similar, so they feel they need it now.
2. Pain level. Some people put off purchasing until the pain level of not having the product or service is so great that they can wait no longer.
3. Disposable cash. Many people (organizations) buy what they don’t need because they feel they have extra discretionary resources available (Tax return, best sales month the company has had in a year etc.)
4. Instant gratification. Some people buy what they don’t need or want simply because it is available.

The thing to remember when prospecting and probing is to understand that you can not always change the personal issues, concerns or needs confronting the buyer. Just because you manager or company wants you to sell more this month or this year does not necessarily mean that your prospect is going to honor or even care about your personal or corporate needs or concerns.

This does not mean however that you should not:

• continue to prospect
• improve your persuasive skills
• probe deeper for the real motivation of the buyer now or in the future
• determine their real buying motives
• give professional and persuasive sales presentations
• ask for the business

Every prospect and their circumstances, issues and challenges are unique and it’s vital that you discover these prior to launching into your sales message.