Better is always an improvement. It increases value. It
defeats complacency. It moves us forward.

Ever heard anyone say, “Please, don’t make it
better!” Nope

Customers want better. They like it when they get more in the way of services and benefits, especially when they don’t have to pay more to enjoy them.

Sometimes we get better quickly…in a big way…but not usually.More often than not, better is small and steady. Lots of little things done better over time create a big improvement.

Want to be 200% better? Good luck. Go ahead and try, but you’re fighting tough odds.

Why not be 5% better each week for the next 20 weeks? That’s much more realistic. Much more doable.

To get better, ask better questions.

Here’s the first: what is “better”?

Like the Germans say, all progress is change but not all change is progress. “Different” and “better” aren’t always the same.

Define the improvement. Quantify “better.” You can’t hit a target you can’t see. You don’t get better by accident.

Who decides what is better? You can, for starters. How do you want to improve? What do you want to become?

In the marketplace, customers want a say in defining better. Ever had a brilliant idea that you thought was amazing and the customer thought was…not so good?

Ask your customer or client what better looks like. They’ve probably got some good ideas.

Understand what better is before you start pursuing it.

Then ask this question: what would make me better?

Ask yourself. I’m sure you’ve got ideas. But ask others. Others who know.

Coworkers. Colleagues. Your boss. Family members.

Just make sure they care for you enough to tell you the truth. Many people will dodge the question or blow smoke. They don’t want to offend you.

If you don’t want to know, don’t ask. But if you’re really committed to improving yourself, those who truly love you can give you some suggestions.

Finally, in this simple one word exercise for dramatic improvement, ask this question: what will I do better today?

Doing everything better is practically impossible (even though it seems like a great idea to over-achievers).

Consider: not everything needs to be improved. Really. Sometimes good is good enough. You can only submit accurate expense reports. If they’re done neatly and on time, there isn’t much room for doing them better.

Pick at least one thing you can do better today. Don’t pick 3 or 4. Too many priorities aren’t much better than no priorities at all.

Commit to doing one thing better today, and you’ll improve. And you’ll have a better day…and a better life.

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to read the entire article go to http://assuredlease.lifestyleezine.com

Have you ever heard this? “It isn’t whether you win or lose. It is how you play the game.” I am sure you have. But do you know who said it? Some guy who came in second place!

With all of that… here are some thoughts on being in the game—to win!

Any “game” worth playing is a game worth pursuing a win in. If I get into a game, I play to win. What nobility is there in playing like a slacker? What virtue is purposeful mediocrity? None! I live my life to be a winner—spiritually, financially, physically, emotionally, relationally—every area of my life! If it is worth doing, it is worth playing for the win!

It is good to win. We live in an age now where people have reacted to sore winners by saying that we shouldn’t strive for winning. Many of our schools have abandoned the idea of competition, and our educational scores show that. Kudos to all of the teachers out there who still tell their kids that they can be winners! It is good and noble to win! It is something to strive for. It is good to push ourselves, to stretch and reach for victory. It is a grand thing to want to win!

There doesn’t have to be a loser in life. Yes, in teamed competition, there are always losers (but more on that in a bit), but in life, we can all win! We can all strive for the best and give it our all to win.

Winners are the ones who move families, businesses, organizations, cities and countries ahead. Winners are the ones who push progress. You don’t think that couch potato is the one who will cure cancer or open up the next great technology do you? No. It will be a person who has chosen to be a winner!

Losing can mean winning. Just because your score in a game or contest is the least at the end of the game doesn’t mean all is lost. You can still be a winner in that you gave it your all, you competed at your highest level, you learned new skills and strategies, and you became a better player and person. That is winning in my book!

Winners help others win. That is right, good people, people who pursue winning by excellence, are also people who stop to help others so that they, too, can enjoy the spoils of victory. Pursue the win, but help others achieve all that they can as well!

Winners make everyone better.When I get into athletic matches I want to play against the best. Yes, I may come up short in the score, but I will be better because that winner will make me grow in every area of my game! Winners stretch the losers so they can become winners too!

If your business needs help becoming a winner, give us a call. We’re here to help.

I once heard of a book called I’d Rather Eat Nails than Set Goals. I never read the book, but I certainly understand the sentiment. Goals make us accountable, and lots of people avoid setting them for that reason.  There are many good reasons for becoming a goal setter, and here are just a few of them.

Six Reasons to Set Goals

1. Goals bring the future into the present, and the present is the only time we can take action. Setting goals makes it possible to do something today to create the future you want.

2. If you don’t plan your time, someone else will help you waste it.

3. People get twice as much done on the day before they go on vacation, because they plan (set goals) and prioritize what they intend to do.  Thought: if you lived every day like it was the day before vacation, how much would you be able to increase the total productivity of your life?

4. Goal setters make more money than people who don’t set goals. When Dave Jensen was the Chief Administrative Officer at UCLA in 1992, he conducted a study on goal setting. He learned that people with a balanced goals program earned an average of $7,411 per month. In 2011, those numbers showed earnings of $11,632.73 per month. Dave discovered that individuals without a goals program earned an average of $3,397 per month, or $5,332.13 in 2011 dollars and cents. Those with goals programs were also happier and healthier and got along better with the folks at home.

5. Goals keep you focused on the things that really matter and help you avoid wasting time on things that are unproductive. Focus helps you change from being a “wandering generality” to being a “meaningful specific.”

6. Setting goals gives direction and purpose to all that you do.

No More Excuses

People make a lot of excuses for not being willing to set goals, but the benefits of setting goals far exceed the excuses for not setting them. There is something about the goal-setting process that makes people approach it in fear, and they can find lots and lots of reasons to avoid it. The biggest reason is an unwillingness to be accountable for results. After all, if you set a goal and fail to reach it, some people will consider it failure. But there is an old saying that goes, “It is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all!” I would alter that concept slightly and say, It is better to set goals and have direction than to not have goals and wander around in confusion. Ultimately, people who do not set goals are just making up their life as they go long, which results in unreached potential.

Know Where You’re Going

A young couple, lost on a rural road, spotted an old farmer, so they stopped the car and asked him a question. “Sir, could you tell us where this road will take us?” Without a moment’s hesitation the old farmer said, “Son, this road will take you anywhere in the world you want to go, if you are moving in the right direction.”  This little story makes a big point. From wherever you are, you can go anywhere you want to go if you pick the right roads to travel. The roads you travel in life are selected and determined by the goals you set for each area of your life. The key is to pick the right roads!

Now you might be thinking, how do I know what goals to set, and how do I know they are the right goals that will put me on the roads I need to travel to get where I want to go?” Well, I’m glad you asked, because I most certainly plan to tell you! I have a proven seven-step process you can apply to your goal setting, and if you follow each step correctly, you will create goals that are tailor-made for you and what you want to achieve.

The Seven Steps of Goal Setting

1. Identify the goal. If you don’t identify a target, you will never hit it. When you identify a goal, it means that you write it down and describe it clearly. Don’t set any nebulous targets. If you want to have specific success, you must have specific targets. A goal “to increase my annual income” or “to spend more time on my spiritual life” is not specific. A specific goal would be “to increase my current income by 20 percent” or “to read the entire Bible from cover to maps.”

2. List the benefits: what’s in it for me? Once you identify a specific goal, you need to list the benefits you will receive when you reach that goal. Let’s face it, we only do the things we want to do and are willing to do. If there are no personal benefits, your motivation for completing the goal will be diminished.

Remember that changing your life is not always easy, and you will hit some rough spots in the road as you move forward. You will need all the personal motivation you can muster, and understanding what’s in it for you is vitally important. Don’t skimp on this step!

3. List the obstacles to overcome. I believe I just mentioned that there might be some rough spots on your journey as you work to achieve your goals. Many of them can be anticipated, and if you can anticipate something, you can prepare yourself in advance to overcome it. So think it through and make a complete list of all the things that can prevent you from being successful. Ask a trusted friend who knows you well to help you finish the list. 

4. List the skills and knowledge required. Knowledge gives us the power to accomplish things we would not otherwise be able to do, and skills give us the tools to take advantage of our knowledge. There is a direct relationship between knowing and doing, and successfully accomplishing your goals will require that powerful combination. For example, if your goal is to increase your proficiency on the computer, you will need to know specifically what the computer can do for you (knowledge). Once you know what you want the computer to do for you, the skills you will need to be successful must be identified. The skills might include learning to type on a keyboard with two hands instead of finger pecking. This would trigger setting another goal of learning to type! Never forget that knowledge and skill will be required to successfully complete any goal.

5. Identify the people and groups to work with. We do a better job when we have the help of others.  They can help us with knowledge and skill and can offer valuable advice we need to be successful. So when you set your goals, always consider the people and the groups you can work with that can help you be more successful.

6. Develop a plan of action. This is the most critical step, and it involves thinking through the details of how you will achieve your goal. In my younger years I was twenty pounds overweight.  I had put that weight on one bite at a time, and I was going to have to lose it the same way. That required a plan! I wanted to lose my weight over a ten-month period and that was the first step of the plan. twenty pounds sounds like a lot, but when you realize it’s only 2 pounds a month over a ten-month period it sounds a lot better. So, I planned to lose 2 pounds a month for ten months. Then I included a daily running and exercise plan in the goal, as well as a diet that would limit my caloric intake. With those details planned, I clearly knew how I was going to have to live each day to be successful. I prepared diligently to succeed. I stuck to my plan (which means I never made the first exception), and ten months later I had lost the 20  pounds.

Success would have eluded me had I not planned the details of what I would do each day to reach my goal. In this case, reaching my goal may not have changed the world, but it surely did change my world.

7. Set a deadline for achievement. In the example above, you notice I gave myself ten months to lose the weight I wanted to lose. I had a great reason for setting that deadline-I believe in goal setting, and all goals need a completion date to be effective 

If you don’t set a deadline for completing your goals, you will not be accountable to yourself or anyone else.  If you are not accountable for your goals, you will not achieve them.

Goal Setting is About Becoming

I want to be certain you have the right attitude about setting your goals. Don’t think of goal setting as a tiresome activity that requires you to do things that are difficult. The real benefit of having goals is what you become by reaching them. When you successfully complete your goals, you change specific things in your life. I can tell you factually that your life will be radically changed for the better, and the person you become will be highly successful in all that you do.

Are you convinced that you need to become a goal setter? Have you started thinking about where you are and where you would like to be? Have you started listing the obstacles that stand between you and success? I hope you are sufficiently motivated to begin the goal-setting process, because goals represent the action tools you need to be able to plan to win. I teach people you have to be before you can do, and you have to do before you can have. Being a successful goal setter is the process that enables you to be the person you need to be, by doing what you have to do, so you can change yourself and the world for the better.

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to read the entire article go to http://assuredlease.lifestyleezine.com

It could be something obvious, like taking profits or sales tenfold, or perhaps something more creative, such as doubling your results with one-fifth the clientele or having 10 times more time off. What it looks like is totally up to you, as long as it amounts to a 10x greater result in some area of your entrepreneurial life.

Now what if I were to tell you that your chosen 10x goal was not an end unto itself? Rather it would just be the means by which you could develop and hone a new set of capabilities to enable you to go 10x in any area you choose in the future. Sound appealing?

This is essentially the challenge I’ve been offering to my most advanced clients—all highly successful, growth-focused entrepreneurs—over the past year and a half, and not surprisingly, almost all of them have taken me up on it.

Nonetheless, some entrepreneurs still think that 10x is too daunting or overwhelming to think about, and I understand how that might be the case, especially for those struggling with the complexity of the day-to-day in a tough economy. For those people, even growth by 2x may seem like a stretch.

My commitment to 10x thinking comes from my conviction that 10x is the only guaranteed way that entrepreneurs can ensure their continued freedom and success in a world where change happens at an exponential rate, led by technology. Incremental growth simply isn’t enough to stay ahead of the curve anymore. You and your team have to be able to think in terms of 10x improvements, 10x growth and 10x innovation in order to continually thrive. The future belongs to 10x companies. The good news is that growing one is probably much easier and more enjoyable than you think.

One reason is that 10x thinking immediately takes you out of the box of your current limitations and obstacles. The rewards of 10x thinking and 10x learning, driven by 10x goals, are immense and often surprising. Here are some of our observations so far from going through the process, as 150-plus top entrepreneurs from more than 50 industries have done.
1. As soon as you start thinking 10x, everything automatically speeds up.

Thinking 10x has a wonderful way of creating clarity that allows you to make greater progress more quickly. This happens because a 10x goal is a powerful filter for decision-making and action.

It immediately sorts out what parts of your business are or aren’t in alignment, and makes it clearer and easier to make decisions about what belongs in the future versus the past. You begin to ask yourself, “Does this relationship, this project, this activity have 10x potential?” or, “Is this process going to take us 10x?” or even, “Is this how I want to be spending my time to go 10x?”

Think for a moment: What would you have to stop doing to go 10x? There’s a 25 to 50 percent productivity increase just from stopping certain things that aren’t supporting your future growth. As you start to filter your activities, decisions and relationships through 10x, you can quickly begin to transform everything in your life that doesn’t support exponential growth, and create and attract everything that does.
2. Thinking 10x moves you into purely entrepreneurial decision-making, creativity, risk-taking and teamwork.

Bureaucracy is like kryptonite to entrepreneurs. Because there’s nothing bureaucratic about 10x thinking, it becomes a kind of protective shield: Any bureaucratic thinking, structures or processes that may have crept into your business can’t survive for long when you’re committed to 10x.

The reason for this is that 10x requires innovation, risk-taking and a level of entrepreneurial teamwork. Everyone on your team has to be creative on the spot and has to innovate and make continual improvements. This is the essence of what entrepreneurs do. A 10x company makes the ability to grow 10x part of its DNA. Its approach is always 10x, its systems and structures are built to create and support 10x growth, and its team members share its leaders’ 10x thinking. In such a company, if a new opportunity doesn’t have 10x potential, it’s likely to get rejected as a game not worth winning.
3. With 10x progress in mind, you start seeing an increasing number of 10x factors that can contribute to that progress.

Have you ever noticed that the eyes only see and the ears only hear what the mind is looking for? It’s just like when you buy a car, and at first you think you’re the only one with that model of car, and then you start noticing it everywhere. There are all kinds of 10x opportunities within and surrounding your business, but you have to look for them to see them, and then, all of a sudden, they’re obvious.

Great people with incredibly useful capabilities, strategic relationships, unique technologies and innovative shortcuts surround you. They’re what you need to go 10x, and your mind should see the project clearly to find them and put them to use.
4. As your team gets involved in 10x progress, leadership emerges, relationships strengthen and creativity increases.

Many entrepreneurs don’t love being in charge of developing, training, managing and motivating their teams. But when you focus your team on a 10x goal, all of these things become much easier. In fact, you may see much of it happening without any extra effort on your part.

Growth-oriented people, the ones you want on your team, are energized by big goals, and 10x gives them a big project on which they can work together. On the other hand, anyone who’s just there to collect a paycheck is likely to opt out. In a 10x company, every team member is always looking for things they can do 10x faster, easier, cheaper or bigger in their own areas of responsibility and knowledge. Adding up these small and perhaps big 10x improvements, the whole company eventually goes 10x. Think of it like a pot of water heating up on a stove. Each 10x innovation represents one of the small bubbles that eventually combine with others to bring the whole thing to a rolling boil.
5. Striving for 10x progress is faster, easier and cheaper—and is far more enjoyable and satisfying—than striving for 2x progress.

The statement above may seem counterintuitive, but going 2x is something that can happen without actually changing much of what you’re already doing. When we think about doubling our progress, we often just try to leverage our current capabilities, whereas going 10x engages a different level of creativity, energy and excitement.

Going 10x requires real change—leaps in value creation, in efficiency, in resourcefulness and in productivity. It can also put you at the forefront of change, driving it rather than struggling to keep up with constant, unpleasant surprises. Evolving technology is going to change you anyway, so why not say, “I’m going to adopt a level of thinking right up front that makes it a profitable, enjoyable trip.”

If your business needs some 10x thinking, give us a call. We’re here to help.

You would think every salesperson would be proficient at handling price objections, considering how often customers push back on price. In my experience, though, most salespeople can strengthen their skills in this regard.  Sorry to be blunt, but too many salespeople are quick to leave profit on the table when they really don’t need to. 

1. They don’t respond. “What?!” you may be thinking.  It’s true, though!  When a customer first asks for a reduction in price or makes a comment that the price is too high, skilled salespeople simply ignore this.  The goal is to determine if the customer is serious.

 It is not unusual for customers to ask for a lower price simply because they think that’s what they are supposed to do as a customer.  They haven’t genuinely given any thought to whether the price is accurate or not.  Knowing this, skilled salespeople will not even entertain a conversation that focuses on price reduction the first time the customer brings it up.

 I have found that this one tactic alone is often enough to move the customer off the price issue.

 2. They ask “need-based” questions. Your goal as a salesperson is to always bring the customer back on track to focusing on what they want and need.  Through effective questioning, not only will you uncover surface needs, you will discover needs and desires the customer possibly hadn’t even considered.

The more you can do this, the more likely it is the customer will see value in what you offer – and be willing to pay for it.  I know it sounds obvious, but it is ridiculous how many selling situations end with a salesperson offering a discount because he or she didn’t take the time to understand the customer’s needs.

The key to effective questioning, of course, is body language that clearly conveys your confidence in your product and price.  If your words are saying one thing, but your body language is conveying hesitancy, the customer will gravitate toward the message from your body language.

3. They don’t waste time on customers who aren’t willing to buy. This sounds harsh, but let me explain.  Skilled salespeople develop an almost uncanny ability to differentiate the customers who are serious about buying from those who perpetually prolong making a decision.

If a customer is persistent in pressing for a price reduction or seems stuck in an unwillingness to buy, your “go to” method should not be to sabotage your profits.   You should stop investing time and resources in this customer and instead turn your focus toward prospects and customers who are willing to buy.

The only way this point works is if you have a pipeline full of prospects.  I always tell salespeople that if they start banking all their sales numbers on one or two big customers, they are headed into dangerous territory. 

The most profitable salespeople are wise about who they spend time with – and they make sure they have plenty of solid prospects and customers with whom to invest that time.

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to read the entire article go to http://assuredlease.lifestyleezine.com

If you’ve ever played baseball or softball or your kids do, you have witnessed a player chasing a wild pitch – to high, to low, or way out side of the strike zone. The results are predictable and embarrassing. It is sometimes even funny to watch, but most times, the fans, coaches and players just echo a collective groan and wonder to themselves how in the world could he swing at that pitch.

It is no different is sales. Every day salespeople go out on the street and swing at ugly deals. Deals that are unprofitable, unqualified, not in the buying window, don’t have a budget, don’t have an identified decision maker, or because of contracts don’t have the ability to buy. From the outside looking in it is obvious that these low probability, ugly deals will never close and will be a drain on energy, emotions and time. Yet in spite of the obvious signs salespeople forge forward placing these deals in their pipelines and projections, spending endless hours working on ugly deals that will never close. The results are predictable. The vast majority of these salespeople strike out.

Meanwhile, frustrated sales managers look on in dismay pleading with their salespeople to let go of these ugly deals. It is an ongoing battle that is a core part of the sales manager’s job as a coach (just as it is the job of the baseball coach to keep players swinging in the strike zone). In Monday morning sales meetings and one on ones, in their own way, good sales managers coach their sales pros, “Don’t swing at nothin’ ugly.” And sadly, this advice is ignored more often than not.

So what can Sales Professionals do to keep from chasing ugly deals and how can sales managers help them.

First, it is critical that you clearly define the strike zone. Far too many companies and sales organizations have failed to develop the profile of an ideal prospect or customer. This is especially true in small entrepreneurial organizations. But here is a blinding flash of the obvious, if you don’t define the strike zone you will waste a lot of time chasing ugly deals. This process shouldn’t be difficult. Just analyze your best customers, the deals you are closing, and your market place. Then develop a profile of the prospect that is most likely to do business with you and, over the long-term, be a profitable, happy customer.

Next, make a commitment as a team to measure every prospect, deal, and customer against this profile. When they don’t fit, develop the discipline to walk away.

Now I not saying that every deal is going to fit your profile perfectly. This is not how the real world works. In some cases it makes sense to take some risk and swing outside of the strike zone. But there is a difference in taking a risk and chasing an ugly deal. That is where the sales manager plays a key role in discussing the opportunities with her salespeople and helping them make the right call. I also suggest using getting the entire team involved. You’ll find out quickly how powerful analyzing pipelines as a group can be.

And salespeople, you have to pay attention. You are often so close and so committed to the deal that you can’t see the obvious. Trust me on this one, if others are telling you that your deal is ugly – it is ugly.

The end goal is to keep your pipeline full of viable, qualified deals that have a high probability of closing. When you do your pay check will get bigger, you will have more fun, and ultimately you will have more time to spend on other things in your life.

This week when you hit the phones, get in your cars, or board airplanes to meet with prospects and customers remember Coach Sandro’s words, “Don’t swing at nothin’ ugly”

We have all heard them, read them or even chosen to live by them, mission statements, but do they really mean anything?

Can you recite your mission statement?

Come on! You’ve seen it a hundred times, maybe a thousand times. It’s some
drivel about being number one, exceeding expectations, and building shareholder
value that contains other nonsensical words that mean nothing to anyone except
the marketing people who dreamed it up one afternoon.

I often wonder if there is anyone actually in charge of implementing the
mission statement. I think you could find such a person over at Disney World
heading up the “Fantasyland” department.

REALITY: Why is your mission statement always put in terms
of you, rather than what you might do for others?

As a customer, or potential customer, I don’t really care about you
unless you can do something of perceived value for me.

Which brings me to my prime question of the day, maybe of the decade:
Is it a mission or a promise? And in the end, which is more powerful?

Several years ago I created a list of customer promises. The promises
revolved around what would be done in favor of our customers. And all of the
sudden, I didn’t need a mission statement because the promises, when enacted,
automatically created achievement, memorability, WOW!, and loyalty.

Jeffrey Gitomer, Buy Gitomer, and TrainOne, customer promises and
commitments:

■We will be friendly.

■We will be professional.

■We will provide the highest quality products.

■We will provide the highest quality training.

■We will do what we promise.

■We will keep you informed as we progress.

■We will keep our technology state-of-the-art.

■We will think long term in all our endeavors.

■We will be an expert resource for you.

■We will provide prompt service.

■We will maintain great attitudes toward service.

■We will earn your loyalty with quality and value.

■We will use creativity to differentiate and dominate.

■We will customize and personalize all enterprise training.

■We will increase your sales.

■We will cultivate relationships by paying attention to individual needs and
interests.

■We will take as much pride in your business as you do.

■We will maintain our dedication to lifelong learning.

■We will recover memorably when an error occurs.

■We will respond in a heartbeat or faster.

■We will serve with a smile.

■We will serve memorably – service is an opportunity and a priority, not a job
function.

■We will make providing you the best service our top priority.

■We will treat all customers the same – LIKE GOLD.

■We will collaborate with you every step of the way.

■We will become an expert in your business to grow your business, and ours.

■We will be your BEST partner.

■We will not just lead by example – we will set a standard.

■We will always go the “Extra Mile.”

■We will kiss ass.

■We will practice what I preach.

One of the nicest compliments I receive is a single sentence: You
walk your talk. That’s the reaction of customers when they receive
what we promise. We don’t tell them what the promises are. No one says, “We are
going to be friendly.” Everyone is just genuinely friendly.

It’s taken me years to finally decide that these promises should be made
public. The main reason I’m doing it is that service around the world is rapidly
declining.

BIG PICTURE: All of these promises and commitments
favor the customer, our relationship with them, and what actions we have to
take in order to EARN their business, repeat business,
loyalty, referrals, and testimonials.

NOTE: None of these promises and commitments are “missions.”
They’re all “actions.” They are all about what outcome the customer
needs and is hoping for. In other words, what does the customer want AFTER we
take an action or they buy a product?

If your mission statement is all about you, get
rid of it. Take this list of promises and commitments and revise them to suit
your business, your employees, and especially your customers. When you do,
everyone will have a mission – not just the marketing department.

…

to read the entire article go to http://assuredlease.lifestyleezine.com

Here’s what we must ask constantly, “What for me would be a good life?” And you have to keep going over and over the list. A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I’ve got a short list.

The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a bank account or a home. Here’s the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living the good life.

1) Number one, productivity.
You won’t be happy if you don’t produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity. What’s the reason for the seasons and the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and the miracle of life? It’s to see what you can do with it—to try your hand. Other people have tried their hand; here’s what they did. You try your hand to see what you can do. So part of life is productivity.

2) Next are good friends.
Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don’t deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It’s extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you. A few years ago, I lost one of my dearest friends. He died at age 53—heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if they would allow me one phone call, I would call David. Why? He would come and get me. That’s a friend. Somebody who would come and get you. Now we’ve all got casual friends. And if you called them they would say, “Hey, if you get back, call me and we’ll have a party.” So you’ve got to have both, real friends and casual friends.

3) Next on the list of a good life is your culture.
Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.

4) Next is your spirituality.
It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don’t be careless about the spiritual part of your nature; it’s what makes us who we are, different from dogs, cats, birds and mice. Spirituality.

5) Next, here’s what my parents taught me.
Don’t miss anything. Don’t miss the game. Don’t miss the performance, don’t miss the movie, don’t miss the show, don’t miss the dance. Go to everything you possibly can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possibly can. This has served me so well to this day. Just before my father died at age 93, if you were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn’t be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at church, he was somewhere every night.

Live a vital life. Here’s one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.

6) Next are your family and the inner circle.
 Invest in them and they’ll invest in you. Inspire them and they’ll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He’d have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho. So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I’d call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel, I’d have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I’d call Papa and they’d bring him the phone. I’d say, “Papa, I’m in Israel.” He’d say, “Israel! Son, how are things in Israel?” He’d talk real loud so everybody could hear. “My son’s calling me from Israel!” I’d say, “Papa, last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.” He’d say, “Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.” Now everybody knows the story. It only took five or ten minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93.

If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter’s kiss on his face all day, he’s a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife’s arms around his body, he’s invincible all day.

It’s the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don’t miss that opportunity. Here’s the greatest value. The prophet said, “There are many virtues and values, but here’s the greatest, one person caring for another.” There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that’s one of life’s greatest expressions.

So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that you desire.

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Everyone knows that a positive attitude is key to a successful life. But what happens when things go wrong?

“Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be!”

What happens when circumstances deal us a blow? We have a tendency to let our attitudes take the dive along with our state of affairs. Life deals us setbacks, both minor and major, but if we are going to be successful, we need to know how to deal with them and keep our attitudes intact! We need practical tools to help us understand how we can go about keeping our attitude up when the circumstances are down. Here are some thoughts to help us do so:

Take some time out.

I’m sure you are aware of what happens. You are going about your day and everything seems to be going well, when out of nowhere disaster strikes. All of your best-laid plans begin to tumble. Sometimes circumstances surprise us and we react. Unfortunately, this often compounds the problem because by reacting we tend to operate out of our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We make decisions that are not well thought out. We function with a bad attitude that says, “I can’t believe this is happening!”

The next time circumstances turn against you, take some time to just step back from the problem and think. This will enable you to deal with the issue at hand rationally, instead of emotionally. It will allow you to put your state of mind back into its proper place. It gives you the opportunity to choose your attitude as you face the circumstances at hand. Remember that we don’t have to do something right now. Go grab a cup of coffee and relax little bit. By doing this you function with you being in control and not the circumstances.

Keep your eye on the goal.

A second step in keeping our attitude in the proper place is to make sure we keep the important things important. One of the biggest problems with trouble is that it gets your focus off of where it should be. When I experience difficult circumstances and people ask me how it is going, I tell them, “I am just keeping my eye on the goal.” It has always been fascinating to me that when race car drivers get into trouble, they keep their eyes straight ahead and do not move them away. There is just too much chance of wrecking that way. Instead, their eyes are on the goal, and this keeps them out of trouble. If you find yourself getting down about circumstances, sit down and write out what the goal is. Give some thought to how you can achieve that goal or others you may have.

A man was asked how he was doing and he responded, “Pretty well, under the circumstances.” The other man asked, “What are you doing under the circumstances?” Good question. We shouldn’t be under the circumstances. We should be focused on the goal and moving forward.

Focus on solutions, not problems.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, the old saying goes. Negative circumstances don’t sit idly by. They scream for our attention. When we face difficult circumstances, we tend to dwell on them. We talk about them, fret about them, and give them way too much attention. Instead of talking about problems, talk about solutions. Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be! Don’t have family or staff meetings about the problems and how big they are. Have meetings on the solutions and how you will implement them. Don’t let yourself or other team members complain. Encourage them to solve, with an emphasis on the positive results that will come from doing so. Then take some time to put these solutions down on paper, so you can monitor your progress.

Get some positive input.

The mind tends to build on itself, so when we begin to go in one direction, i.e. worry, it can be a slippery slope. One thing we must do is get our thoughts back on track with positive ideas. When circumstances have got you against the emotional wall, get with a good friend who can encourage you. Listen to a tape by Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar or another motivational speaker. Pick up a good book and give it a read. Whatever external influence you can get to put your attitude back on the positive side of the tracks, do it! It must be one of our first goals to start plugging good things into our minds to fuel our attitudes.

Tell yourself the good.

One of the greatest internal powers we have is the power to control our thoughts. Spend time dwelling on the good things about your life or job instead of the problems. Think about positive things, things you enjoy and give you a sense of happiness and peace. There is an old childhood song that says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” That is great advice! Let your positive attitude develop from within as well as from without. This makes all the difference!

Remember that circumstances are not forever. Sometimes it seems like we are going to be up to our eyeballs in the situation forever, when in reality, this too shall pass. There will be a time in the future when circumstances will change and you will be on the mountain instead of in the valley. This will give you a sense of hope as you live and work that will change your attitude, make you feel better and put you on the fast track for growth and success!

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The best sales Leaders and sales professionals understand clearly that the number one reason for failure in sales is not experience, skill, talent, desire, training, market…
conditions, product knowledge, or even the company you work for.

Failure in sales can almost always be tied back to inadequate sales activity. Lack of activity has led to the demise of salespeople in every industry. It has even taken out some of the most talented sales people I’ve ever known. Why? Because in sales talent doesn’t matter if your pipeline is empty.

And it is when pipelines are empty that salespeople find themselves face to face with the Universal Law of Need. 

The Universal Law of Need simply states that the more you need something, the less likely it is that you will get it. This law comes into play, in sales, when lack of activity has left the pipeline depleted. When all of your hope for survival rests on one, two or even a handful of accounts the probability of failure increases exponentially.

Here is an example: Sales Representative Janice failed at consistent daily activity. Now she has only a handful of opportunities in her pipeline. Several of the deals she was counting on have pushed off decisions or have signed with a competitor. Now, with the end of the quarter looming, and only a couple of viable prospects left in her pipeline, Janice is under tremendous pressure. She desperately needs one of these deals to close! And as Janice becomes more desperate to get a sale she comes face to face with a cruel reality: desperation magnifies the impact of the Universal Law of Need and virtually guarantees that she won’t get the sales she must have to survive.

There are several reasons why desperation diminishes the probability that Janice will get the sale she needs. The first is governed by the Law of Attraction which states that what you focus your thoughts on you are most likely to get. When you are desperate you no longer focus our thoughts on what is required for success, instead, you focus your thoughts on what will happen if you don’t get what you need, thereby attracting failure. The next problem with desperate need is that other people can sense your desperation. Through our actions, tone of voice, words and body language you send the message that you are desperate and weak. Prospects and customers naturally repel salespeople who are needy and desperate, gravitating instead to Sales Professionals who are confident and exude success. Finally, when you are desperate you become emotional, illogical and make poor decisions. These poor decisions exacerbate and already bad situation leaving us stressed, miserable and deeper in your hole.

Now consider another Sales Professional, Sandra, who is consistently prospecting, networking, getting referrals, and systematically moving her accounts through her pipeline. Her hard work has resulted in more than thirty opportunities in her funnel. Will they all close? Not likely, but Sandra feels little pressure. She is consistently replacing the prospects that fall out her pipeline and as a result her sales have been regular and on target. She knows exactly what she will close tomorrow, next week, and next month. Under little pressure she gets a huge boost this quarter when several of the accounts that were long shots suddenly go her way. She blows away her quota and earns a huge bonus. She didn’t need these extra sales, yet because she was disciplined in her activity, they were delivered right into her lap 

Three Tips for Recovering from an Empty Pipeline

1) Take Responsibility: Sooner or later we will all let down our guard and find ourselves in desperate need of a sale. Our poor decisions, procrastination, fears, lack of focus, and even laziness have added up and suddenly we are desperately scrambling to survive. There is hope though and you can recover but first you must acknowledge where the blame for your predicament lies. You see, often when we find ourselves in desperate situations we fall on human nature and blame everything and everyone for our plight except, of course ourselves. The Universal Law of Need doesn’t punish others though; it punishes you for your failures in executing the daily disciplines required for success. Once you look in the mirror and accept your responsibility you have a chance.

2) Relax: The next step to recovery is to relax and get back to the basics. Don’t spend a moment in thought about what might happen to you if you don’t get what you need. Worry won’t change the future. And like wise, don’t get mired down in regret over what you have failed to do. Your future does not lie in your past. Instead put all of your energy, emotion, and effort into actions that you control. Success in sales is a simple equation of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activity. In other words, you are in complete control of your future. Even in a desperate situation if you go back to the basics and focus on the right activity soon the results will come.

3) Take Action Now to Keep Your Pipeline Full: Success in sales and life is paid for in advance with hard work. When you have a clear understanding and plan for your activities and you develop the self-discipline to do a little bit of the work every day you feel no desperation, you prosper, and you create abundance in your life and career.

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