“Leadership is not a right—it’s a responsibility.” —John Maxwell
“Leaders know one thing… if they have no one following… it’s gonna be a long walk.” —Doug Firebaugh
“Leaders set high standards. Refuse to tolerate mediocrity or poor performance.” —Brian Tracy
“A person in authority is not necessarily a saint, an artist, a philosopher or a hero, but he respects truth, appreciates what is beautiful, knows how to behave himself and is courageous in meeting his obligations.” —Earl Nightingale
“Those who will lead in this life must start against the crowd and lead forcefully until the crowd sees the results and changes their direction.” —Chris Widener
“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” —Sam Walton
“Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.” —Jim Rohn
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Success Is Easy, But So Is Neglect
by Jim Rohn
People often ask me how I became successful in a six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do.
I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to be around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I was a millionaire and they were all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money—banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity—America, and much of the Free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books—libraries are full of books—and they are free! It is not the schools—the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when given the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy" but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines
People often ask me how I became successful in a six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do.
I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to be around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I was a millionaire and they were all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money—banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity—America, and much of the Free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books—libraries are full of books—and they are free! It is not the schools—the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when given the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy" but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Problem Solving
Fortunately, problems are an everyday part of our life. Consider this: If there were no problems, most of us would be unemployed. Realistically, the more problems we have and the larger they are, the greater our value to our employer.
Of course, some problems are small, like opening a ketchup bottle. Others are monumental like a seriously ill or injured child or mate, which present ongoing, daily complications. Successful living comes when we learn to handle those business and personal problems with as little fanfare as possible.
The successful business executive can handle challenges and solve problems at a remarkable clip. He/she makes quick and final decisions as a result of years of experience. The homemaker with small children at home handles many “catastrophes” each hour with the same dispatch.
Many people use counterproductive methods to deal with problems: They refuse to recognize them, deny responsibility for them, pretend they will go away if they ignore them, or are just flat insensitive to them.
The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist. Next, we determine whether the problem is our responsibility. If the answer is yes, we must determine how serious and/or urgent it is. When that last determination is made, we either take immediate action if the problem is simple and quickly solvable or develop a plan of action and prioritize it if the solution is more difficult and time-consuming.
Problem solving becomes a very important part of our makeup as we grow into maturity or move up the corporate ladder. I encourage you to take the time to define the problem correctly, learn the skill of quick analysis, and remember—if it weren’t for problems in your life, your position might not be necessary in the first place. Ironing out the wrinkles and solving the problems is what most jobs are about.
by Zig Ziglar
Of course, some problems are small, like opening a ketchup bottle. Others are monumental like a seriously ill or injured child or mate, which present ongoing, daily complications. Successful living comes when we learn to handle those business and personal problems with as little fanfare as possible.
The successful business executive can handle challenges and solve problems at a remarkable clip. He/she makes quick and final decisions as a result of years of experience. The homemaker with small children at home handles many “catastrophes” each hour with the same dispatch.
Many people use counterproductive methods to deal with problems: They refuse to recognize them, deny responsibility for them, pretend they will go away if they ignore them, or are just flat insensitive to them.
The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist. Next, we determine whether the problem is our responsibility. If the answer is yes, we must determine how serious and/or urgent it is. When that last determination is made, we either take immediate action if the problem is simple and quickly solvable or develop a plan of action and prioritize it if the solution is more difficult and time-consuming.
Problem solving becomes a very important part of our makeup as we grow into maturity or move up the corporate ladder. I encourage you to take the time to define the problem correctly, learn the skill of quick analysis, and remember—if it weren’t for problems in your life, your position might not be necessary in the first place. Ironing out the wrinkles and solving the problems is what most jobs are about.
by Zig Ziglar
It Is a Challenge to Succeed by Jim Rohn
It is a challenge to succeed. If it were not, I’m sure more people would be successful, but for every person who is enjoying the fruit from the tree of success, many more are examining the roots. They are trying to figure it all out. They are mystified and perplexed by what seems to be some strange, complex and elusive secret that must be found if ever success is to be enjoyed. While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily engaged in designing and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them, while the much larger group sits in awe at how life can be so unfair, complicated and unjust.
“I am a nice person,” the man says to himself. “How come this other guy is happy and prosperous and I’m always struggling?” He asks himself, “I am a good husband, a good father and a good worker. How come nothing seems to work out for me? Life just isn’t fair. I’m even smarter and willing to work harder than some of these other people who just seem to have everything going their way,” he says as he slumps into the sofa to watch another evening of television. But you see you’ve got to be more than a good person and a good worker. You’ve got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You’ve got to see the future finished in advance.
You’ve got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You’ve got to learn to enjoy the process of disciplines and of putting yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. You’ve got to be prepared and willing to attack the challenges if you want the success because challenges are part of success. Now that may sound like a full menu of activities, but let me assure you that the process of going from average to fortune isn’t really all that difficult. Thinking about it is the difficult part. Anticipating all the effort and the changes and the disciplines is far worse in the mind than in reality. I can promise you that the challenges you’ll meet on the road to success are far less difficult to deal with than the struggles and the disappointments that come from being average. Confronting and overcoming challenges is an exhilarating experience. It does something to feed the soul and the mind. It makes you more than you were before. It strengthens the mental muscles and enables you to become better prepared for the next challenge.
I’ve often said that to have more, we must first become more, and to become more, we must begin the process of working harder on ourselves than we do on anything else. But in addition to gathering new knowledge, new skills and new experiences, it is also important to discover new emotions. It is how we feel about what we know that makes the biggest difference in how our lives turn out. How we feel about the chances we have and the choices we have determines the intensity of our effort. Whether we try or don’t try. Join or don’t join. Believe or don’t believe.
I’d like for you to discover some strong feelings about your life and about what you want to do with that life. You probably have much of the knowledge and a lot of the experience and perhaps most of the skills that it takes to become successful. What you may be lacking are the strong feelings about what you want and what you want to do. You may be one of those who have become so involved in the process of earning a living that you’ve forgotten about the choices and the chances you have for designing your own life.
Let these strong feelings help you take a second look at your life and where you’re headed. After all, you’ve only got one life, at least on this planet. So why not make it an adventure in achievement? Why not discover what you can do and what you can have? Why not discover how many others you can help, and in the process, how that can help you?
Why not now take the Challenge to Succeed!
“I am a nice person,” the man says to himself. “How come this other guy is happy and prosperous and I’m always struggling?” He asks himself, “I am a good husband, a good father and a good worker. How come nothing seems to work out for me? Life just isn’t fair. I’m even smarter and willing to work harder than some of these other people who just seem to have everything going their way,” he says as he slumps into the sofa to watch another evening of television. But you see you’ve got to be more than a good person and a good worker. You’ve got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You’ve got to see the future finished in advance.
You’ve got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You’ve got to learn to enjoy the process of disciplines and of putting yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. You’ve got to be prepared and willing to attack the challenges if you want the success because challenges are part of success. Now that may sound like a full menu of activities, but let me assure you that the process of going from average to fortune isn’t really all that difficult. Thinking about it is the difficult part. Anticipating all the effort and the changes and the disciplines is far worse in the mind than in reality. I can promise you that the challenges you’ll meet on the road to success are far less difficult to deal with than the struggles and the disappointments that come from being average. Confronting and overcoming challenges is an exhilarating experience. It does something to feed the soul and the mind. It makes you more than you were before. It strengthens the mental muscles and enables you to become better prepared for the next challenge.
I’ve often said that to have more, we must first become more, and to become more, we must begin the process of working harder on ourselves than we do on anything else. But in addition to gathering new knowledge, new skills and new experiences, it is also important to discover new emotions. It is how we feel about what we know that makes the biggest difference in how our lives turn out. How we feel about the chances we have and the choices we have determines the intensity of our effort. Whether we try or don’t try. Join or don’t join. Believe or don’t believe.
I’d like for you to discover some strong feelings about your life and about what you want to do with that life. You probably have much of the knowledge and a lot of the experience and perhaps most of the skills that it takes to become successful. What you may be lacking are the strong feelings about what you want and what you want to do. You may be one of those who have become so involved in the process of earning a living that you’ve forgotten about the choices and the chances you have for designing your own life.
Let these strong feelings help you take a second look at your life and where you’re headed. After all, you’ve only got one life, at least on this planet. So why not make it an adventure in achievement? Why not discover what you can do and what you can have? Why not discover how many others you can help, and in the process, how that can help you?
Why not now take the Challenge to Succeed!
sales: Do you have the character and characteristics of sales success?
Do you have the character and characteristics of sales success?
Last week I asked you what it took to be a great salesperson. I asked you questions, and then gave examples of both right and wrong ways to approach and capture the customer.
I promised you a more complete list of characteristics, so you could judge yourself- measure yourself against the elements that make salespeople who they are and successful at what they do. And for those of you who hire salespeople, a checklist of the real things to look for in a potentially successful person.
NOTE WELL: If you want to succeed, you better be somewhere between 8 and 10 (on a 1-10 scale) on every one of these characteristics.
With that in mind, here's a list of 12.5 individual characteristics that would make any person a "hire-able" and "succeed-able" salesperson (you included).
1. Smart. Salespeople have to be smart enough to think on the spot and deal with every kind of situation as it happens. CAUTION: Very experienced salespeople, who think they know everything, are most vulnerable to be beaten by a smart person with hustle.
2. Self-starting. Great salespeople don't need "motivation." They have a built-in fire that's somewhere between a double espresso and a Red Bull. Nobody has to tell them what to do. They know what to do. And they do it. They make the first call of the day and the last call of the day.
3. Great Attitude. Great salespeople believe they will make every sale. Great salespeople take "no" as "not yet." Great salespeople accept every lemon thrown at them by management, customers, and accounting-and they use those lemons to open up a lemonade stand. A great salesperson is able to take everybody else's crap and somehow turn it into money.
4. Excellent Communication Skills. Great salespeople are not "good" communicators. They're great communicators. Their message is both compelling and transferable. Their passion and their belief system are as contagious as their enthusiasm. And they're able to articulate in a way that gets customers to buy more often than not.
5. Physically and Mentally Fit. The statement speaks for itself and implies that you work out on a regular basis by working your mind and your body. You exercise your mind and body before you get to work (push-ups and brain-ups) so you feel good- and that good feeling is projected every time you interact with a customer.
6. Computer Literate. There's no excuse for a lack of computer literacy other than stubbornness and laziness. The Internet will rule the economic world in less than a decade. And those who ignore this fact will find themselves completely unemployable after they get fired from their present job.
7. Focused and Goal Driven. Having a goal is a basic fundamental element. Having a plan is a basic fundamental element. Keeping your eye on the prize, and steadily working toward it, is what separates those who do and those who don't. "Goals without focus," is like an automobile without gasoline. It looks pretty, but it can't get you anywhere. Focus is the fuel that will take you from where you are to your goal: your destination to where you want to be.
8. Dedicated to Succeeding. With great salespeople, it's not just a matter of goals- it's a matter of achievement. Multiple achievements lead to success and a self-confidence that keeps the momentum going from sale to sale.
9. Past History of Success. Every time a great salesperson makes a sale, it remains in their self-confidence memory bank and can be called upon for positive energy in any situation. The more you succeed, the more your success is likely to continue.
10. Looking For a Career, Not a Job. If a salesperson has a base salary and a commission, the person with a "job" wants a raise in base pay. The person with a "career" wants a raise in commission.
11. More interested in personal success and personal development, than money. Salespeople who work for money rarely achieve it. Great salespeople work to be their best and dedicate themselves to that process every day. And as a result, they earn tons.
12. A Constant Student: Willing to Learn and Adapt. Great salespeople know there is always more to learn. They dedicate themselves to being better, being best. Great salespeople know that learning from their past allows them to adapt and be ready for new encounters and new challenges. It's the difference between "already knowing everything" and "lifelong learner."
12.5 Taking Joy in Serving Others. This is the "master" quality. One of the best salespeople I've ever known is Mark McDonald. He signs his letters, "I love to serve." And he does.
Notice one characteristic missing? Sales skills. I'd rather have attitude and brains than selling skills any day. I can teach someone to sell. I can't teach them to be smart or happy.
Easier answer. Compare these qualifications to the best salesperson you ever knew. Compare them to the best salesperson you ever had. Compare them to yourself. Ouch.
Now that you know the criteria, you have some work to do.
Happy Selling
By J. Gitomer
Last week I asked you what it took to be a great salesperson. I asked you questions, and then gave examples of both right and wrong ways to approach and capture the customer.
I promised you a more complete list of characteristics, so you could judge yourself- measure yourself against the elements that make salespeople who they are and successful at what they do. And for those of you who hire salespeople, a checklist of the real things to look for in a potentially successful person.
NOTE WELL: If you want to succeed, you better be somewhere between 8 and 10 (on a 1-10 scale) on every one of these characteristics.
With that in mind, here's a list of 12.5 individual characteristics that would make any person a "hire-able" and "succeed-able" salesperson (you included).
1. Smart. Salespeople have to be smart enough to think on the spot and deal with every kind of situation as it happens. CAUTION: Very experienced salespeople, who think they know everything, are most vulnerable to be beaten by a smart person with hustle.
2. Self-starting. Great salespeople don't need "motivation." They have a built-in fire that's somewhere between a double espresso and a Red Bull. Nobody has to tell them what to do. They know what to do. And they do it. They make the first call of the day and the last call of the day.
3. Great Attitude. Great salespeople believe they will make every sale. Great salespeople take "no" as "not yet." Great salespeople accept every lemon thrown at them by management, customers, and accounting-and they use those lemons to open up a lemonade stand. A great salesperson is able to take everybody else's crap and somehow turn it into money.
4. Excellent Communication Skills. Great salespeople are not "good" communicators. They're great communicators. Their message is both compelling and transferable. Their passion and their belief system are as contagious as their enthusiasm. And they're able to articulate in a way that gets customers to buy more often than not.
5. Physically and Mentally Fit. The statement speaks for itself and implies that you work out on a regular basis by working your mind and your body. You exercise your mind and body before you get to work (push-ups and brain-ups) so you feel good- and that good feeling is projected every time you interact with a customer.
6. Computer Literate. There's no excuse for a lack of computer literacy other than stubbornness and laziness. The Internet will rule the economic world in less than a decade. And those who ignore this fact will find themselves completely unemployable after they get fired from their present job.
7. Focused and Goal Driven. Having a goal is a basic fundamental element. Having a plan is a basic fundamental element. Keeping your eye on the prize, and steadily working toward it, is what separates those who do and those who don't. "Goals without focus," is like an automobile without gasoline. It looks pretty, but it can't get you anywhere. Focus is the fuel that will take you from where you are to your goal: your destination to where you want to be.
8. Dedicated to Succeeding. With great salespeople, it's not just a matter of goals- it's a matter of achievement. Multiple achievements lead to success and a self-confidence that keeps the momentum going from sale to sale.
9. Past History of Success. Every time a great salesperson makes a sale, it remains in their self-confidence memory bank and can be called upon for positive energy in any situation. The more you succeed, the more your success is likely to continue.
10. Looking For a Career, Not a Job. If a salesperson has a base salary and a commission, the person with a "job" wants a raise in base pay. The person with a "career" wants a raise in commission.
11. More interested in personal success and personal development, than money. Salespeople who work for money rarely achieve it. Great salespeople work to be their best and dedicate themselves to that process every day. And as a result, they earn tons.
12. A Constant Student: Willing to Learn and Adapt. Great salespeople know there is always more to learn. They dedicate themselves to being better, being best. Great salespeople know that learning from their past allows them to adapt and be ready for new encounters and new challenges. It's the difference between "already knowing everything" and "lifelong learner."
12.5 Taking Joy in Serving Others. This is the "master" quality. One of the best salespeople I've ever known is Mark McDonald. He signs his letters, "I love to serve." And he does.
Notice one characteristic missing? Sales skills. I'd rather have attitude and brains than selling skills any day. I can teach someone to sell. I can't teach them to be smart or happy.
Easier answer. Compare these qualifications to the best salesperson you ever knew. Compare them to the best salesperson you ever had. Compare them to yourself. Ouch.
Now that you know the criteria, you have some work to do.
Happy Selling
By J. Gitomer
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Control – The first Step in Growing a Phenomenal Business
Whether you’re a formula one driver, an F15 fighter pilot…or a business owner, you can’t accelerate and go faster unless you have sufficient control.
Even the likes of Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso (for race fans like myself) would not be able to drive round the track at amazing speeds if their cars were uncontrollable and didn’t handle well, or the drivers didn’t know what the dials and indicators were showing them on the dashboard! Pilots need to be able to control their planes and get feedback from their instruments regularly.
And it’s much the same in business. Business owners need to have their “dashboards” set up so they can get feedback on their business performance on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis.
A successful business needs to be a constantly evolving entity, moving and changing with the times. Today particularly, it’s important to be continually trying new things to remain competitive. You won’t hear Steve Jobs of Apple saying “well that’s it, we’re not trying any new stuff, we’ve gone about as far as we can go now…” No, you can bet he’s thinking about the next new thing after the iPad.
However if the manager or leader doesn’t know what effect new things are having on the business quickly, things may be going wrong for a while before they get noticed and may end up being disastrous!
So how?
Get control…set up a dashboard consisting of at least:
• Your money indicators: Understand what your balance sheet, profit and loss statements and cash-flow statements are telling you (or get an accountant to interpret them with you).
• You marketing and sales numbers (how many leads each week, how many prospects, how many sales, the conversion rate (%) from prospect to customer, your average transaction value)
• and others depending on what business you’re in
That way, you’ll get feedback as to what’s happening in the business quickly and effectively – and the numbers never lie! When you have control of your business you can then progressively increase your pace, accelerate your growth……..and make more money!
Even the likes of Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso (for race fans like myself) would not be able to drive round the track at amazing speeds if their cars were uncontrollable and didn’t handle well, or the drivers didn’t know what the dials and indicators were showing them on the dashboard! Pilots need to be able to control their planes and get feedback from their instruments regularly.
And it’s much the same in business. Business owners need to have their “dashboards” set up so they can get feedback on their business performance on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis.
A successful business needs to be a constantly evolving entity, moving and changing with the times. Today particularly, it’s important to be continually trying new things to remain competitive. You won’t hear Steve Jobs of Apple saying “well that’s it, we’re not trying any new stuff, we’ve gone about as far as we can go now…” No, you can bet he’s thinking about the next new thing after the iPad.
However if the manager or leader doesn’t know what effect new things are having on the business quickly, things may be going wrong for a while before they get noticed and may end up being disastrous!
So how?
Get control…set up a dashboard consisting of at least:
• Your money indicators: Understand what your balance sheet, profit and loss statements and cash-flow statements are telling you (or get an accountant to interpret them with you).
• You marketing and sales numbers (how many leads each week, how many prospects, how many sales, the conversion rate (%) from prospect to customer, your average transaction value)
• and others depending on what business you’re in
That way, you’ll get feedback as to what’s happening in the business quickly and effectively – and the numbers never lie! When you have control of your business you can then progressively increase your pace, accelerate your growth……..and make more money!
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