The Parable of the Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. 


”There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.” 



“One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.” 



“Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.” 


“Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.” 


”Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.” 



“And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.” 



The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. 




Moral of the Story: Put yourself in the place of the pencil. Always remember these five things, and you will become the best person you can be. 



One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held to a higher standard.  And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess. 



Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. 



Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside. 



And Five: Every day and in every situation, you must leave your mark.

Rags to Riches

Rags to riches stories are nothing new in American culture, it is the foundation of what our nation was built on and the inspiration for many immigrants seeking today’s version of the American Dream. Arguably, there are few industries where this type of rags to riches story is more prevalent than in the world of professional sports. No one’s story stands out more than that of Usain Bolts. Growing up in Trelawney, Jamaica his child hood was a lot different to his life now. With no street lights and intermittent running water in his neighborhood, he was far from normal suburban life.


True stardom came at the 2008 Olympics, when he became the first sprinter since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win three gold medals at one event. The following year he broke his own records at the World Championships in Berlin, setting astonishing times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds in the 100m and 200m respectively.


This is what the gold medalist had to say on his successes and how he got there.


Be prepared to make sacrifices.
When I was starting out I had to stay at home and maintain my focus rather than going out with my friends. When you're training as hard as you can, you have to try to get your rest in the evenings. It was hard saying, 'I'm going to stay in' while my friends were going to clubs such as Quad or Fiction in Kingston. But you have to do it. I got my own back, though  -  when I'm not racing I go back there, but now I know the DJs and they let me mess around on the decks at the end of the night.

The biggest motivator in the world is the fear of losing.

I don't want to lose; I'm very competitive. My greatest fear as a professional athlete  -  in fact, the only fear I've ever had when racing  -  is the fear of losing. It's always there, and the only way you get over it is by focusing and by working harder and training harder than anyone else.

It's important to have role models.

When I was younger mine were Michael Johnson and Don Quarrie. Johnson was pretty much the best runner in the world, particularly at the 200m  -  my favorite event  -  and Quarrie was one of the best Jamaican sprinters in history, so I just wanted to be like them. I still have people I look up to even now. At the moment it's Kevin Durant, the basketball player. Kevin is a good leader; he's very strong and very determined. Whatever he does, whether he's tired or injured, he works through it, pushes on and challenges his team-mates to do their best.

Learn to be street-smart.

Education is important, but being street-smart is just as useful  -  to my mind it's what gives me an edge. And it's something that's always come naturally to me. There are a lot of people out there, and to be the best you have to make the most of every advantage. It's about experience, and I've found travelling a lot has really helped.

Enjoy whatever you do.

The best advice I was ever given was to always enjoy the sport. My coach told me that when I was starting out. If you enjoy what you do you can really put your heart into it.

No matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. 

Getting a good start in sprinting is very important, and it's something that's hard for me because I'm tall (6ft 5in). It doesn't come naturally, so I've had to practice a lot. Being tall really helps when I get going, as I've got a long stride, but it's not ideal for starting. It took me a while, but I finally got there, and now my start's a lot better.

Control your aggression.

In sport, if you're too aggressive, you don't know how it'll end. Although I'm still competitive on the track, I don't believe in aggression  -  I don't take those kinds of risks. I'm not that kind of guy. I'm a calm, laid-back person; I prefer to just wait to see what will happen. I don't believe in gambling with any part of my life, and I think that aggression is a gamble.

Never write anyone off.

I can't think of anyone I admire more than my coach, Glen Mills, and what he does that's so great is that he gives everyone a chance. Whereas other people might say, 'You're not going to make it,' he makes sure that everyone has the best chance to succeed. He puts in a lot of effort and work for everyone he coaches and that's the most admirable thing I can think of.

Make sure your money works for you.

I think regardless of what you do, it's most important to invest wisely. If you don't know what you're doing then hire someone who does. I have a financial adviser, and he and my manager make sure everything's OK. Having said that, I do like to treat myself when I win - and I buy cars in particular. I bought a BMW back in 2008, and last year I bought myself a Nissan Skyline. I crashed the BMW, but I've still got the Skyline.

Relish a good rivalry - it helps push you harder.

I don't really see myself as having big rivals nowadays  -  although there are a couple of guys out there who are getting close  -  but there was a guy at high school who beat me in the first year we were together. The next year, I worked harder than ever before.

5 Tips for Overcoming Sales Objections

I Recently came across this great article by Dale Carnegie.  For those of you that are not familiar, Dale Carnegie was an American writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Born in poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), a massive bestseller that remains popular today.  Below are Dale Carnegie's "5 Tips for Overcoming Sales Objections". 


Objections are one of the most common obstacles salespeople face.  Anyone in sales will tell you that only a portion of objections are legitimate; the rest are stall tactics to unconsciously hide the real objection.  That being said, how you handle them will determine whether you make the sale or not. 

Responding "effectively" to a prospect's objection, supported by logical evidence and reasoning, will help you gain a new client.


The 5 Tips For Overcoming Sales Objections Are:

1.      Thank Someone For Making A Good Point - Thanking a prospect for asking a good question or making a statement will go a long way in breaking down their defenses.  Also, complimenting a prospect will help them have good feelings about themselves and your company. 

2.      Find Out What A Prospect Wants - The easiest way to find out what a prospect wants is to ask them!  It sounds simple, but some salespeople forget to do this and tend to answer questions for the prospect.  Instead, ask: "Is _____ what you want?"

3.      Counter Point - Counter the objection with information about your product or service that overcomes a prospect's objection.

4.      Attempt To Close Again - After you have dealt with the objection, try to close the sale again with a "trial close."  The prospect will likely respond with either buying signals or more objections.  Once you know where they stand, you will know how to proceed.

5.      Practice - Practice handling objections before you talk to a prospect.  You may want to write down the last 15 objections you have heard from recent prospects and develop a natural-sounding reply.  Practice reading these to yourself and others.  Before you know it, you will be more confident handling objections and you will close more sales.


The 5 Competencies For Overcoming Sales Objections Are:

1.      Customer Acquisition - Great salespeople are able to identify and convert prospects into customers and customers into referral sources.

2.      Stress Management - Great salespeople are able to handle stress and maintain a positive attitude.

3.      Interpersonal Skills - Great salespeople display a consistent ability to build solid relationships of trust and respect inside and outside the organization.

4.      Communication - Great salespeople are able to communicate well; both orally and in a written format.

5.      Become A Trusted Advisor - Great salespeople create an environment with customers to maintain a positive long-term relationship.  They develop programs to create customer loyalty and referral sources.  By becoming a trusted advisor, sales research has determined that you will walk away with a sale 70% - 100% more often than your competition!

Summary: The proper techniques and preparation will help you overcome a prospect's sales objections so you can close more business.  Objections are always going to be part of the selling process. How you handle them can make or break you. 

"When life hands you lemons, don't just make lemonade. Open up a lemonade stand."

Deserving Victory

Hoping for success is not enough. Deserving it is what really matters. What does it mean to deserve success?

Success only comes to those who work long and hard, who we are really willing to pay the price in blood, sweat and tears. Hard work is the basic building block of any kind of achievement. Without it everything else is pointless. If you look closely at all great organizations, great teams, all great people, the one common denominator is a second to none work ethic. The intense effort to achieve is always there. This is the one given if you want to be successful. When it comes to work ethic, there can be no compromises. Any other promise of achievement is fool’s gold.

There is evidence of fool’s gold all around us, people looking for a quick weight-loss plan or a get-rich quick scheme. Short-cuts fail.

Outwork everybody in sight. Sweat the small stuff. Sweat the big stuff. Go the extra mile. Put your heart and soul into whatever you do, no matter what it takes.

Success is not a lucky break. It is not a birth right. It is not an accident. Success is a choice.

Here are some quotes from other hard workers:

• "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."  Vince Lombardi

• "Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted." - David Bly, American politician

• "Nothing will work unless you do." - John Wooden, American college basketball coach

• "Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer, American professional golfer

• "The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day." - Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player

• "Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory." - Mohandas Gandhi, Indian religious leader

• “Good things might come to those who wait, but only what’s left over from those who hustle” - Abraham Lincoln, American President

• “I've never viewed myself as particularly talented. I've viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. Where I excel is with a ridiculous, sickening work ethic. While the other guy's sleeping, I'm working. While the other guy's eating, I'm working. While the other guy's making love, I mean, I'm making love, too, but I'm working really hard at it!” – Will Smith, Actor

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

by Heidi Grant Halvorson 

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Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

1. Get specific. When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. "Lose 5 pounds" is a better goal than "lose some weight," because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you'll "eat less" or "sleep more" is too vague — be clear and precise. "I'll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights" leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you've actually done it.

2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it's not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.

To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., "If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I'll work out for 30 minutes before work.") Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.

3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don't know how well you are doing, you can't adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.

4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.

5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won't improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The good news is, if you aren't particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don't have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking .... well, there's no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.

7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control "muscle" is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn't get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.

To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you'd honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don't. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur ("If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.") It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that's the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.

8. Don't tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it's important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don't try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don't put yourself in harm's way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.

9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., "Don't think about white bears!") has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.
If you want change your ways, ask yourself, What will I do instead? For example, if you are trying to gain control of your temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like "If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down." By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely.

It is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage from now on. Remember, you don't need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It's never what you are, but what you do.

Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. is a motivational psychologist, and author of the new book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals (Hudson Street Press, 2011). She is also an expert blogger on motivation and leadership for Fast Company and Psychology Today. Her personal blog, The Science of Success, can be found at www.heidigranthalvorson.com. Follow her on Twitter@hghalvorson

Tips to Help Make Your Job Interview Successful

The Vause Group Inc. has been experiencing a lot of growth in the Central Florida Market since opening our doors in October of 2009.  In the beginning of 2011, our largest client increased our companies budget and our territory in Central Florida.  Generating nearly 9,000 accounts in 20 short months, they are looking for us to triple in size in Orlando by the beginning of 2012, with the expectation of National expansion coming before the end of the year. 

We are currently interviewing candidates for Entry Level positions that can start with our company in an Outside Sales Account Management position, but that we can train and promote from within our organization into more of a Sales Management position.  For our company to be able to meet the demands of our clients and exceed their expectations we need more managers within our organization.  With the current state of the job market we have had an overwhelming amount of responses to our opportunities.  We thought it would be helpful to outline some key points of advice to help make your interview succesful. 


TIPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR JOB INTERVIEW SUCCESSFUL

1. Research.
Find out a little bit about the company you want to work for. Visit the location in person if it is a store or building open to the general public. Visit the company’s Website and talk to anyone you might know who works there. What kinds of products or services does the company make or sell? What types of people work there? What are the typical hours this position requires? What are some of the day-to-day tasks that the job involves?
Make notes of things you want more information about and ask the employer about them at the end of your interview (it’s always a good idea to have a few questions to ask the employer, anyway!). Researching a company and the position make you stand out in an interview. It shows that you are really interested in working there.

2. Practice
It sounds funny – and it looks even funnier – but practicing out loud for your interview will help you sound more polished and concise and less nervous in the actual interview. List a few key things you want the employer to know about you, and review common interview questions. Formulate answers to those questions and answer them out loud while looking at yourself in the mirror. This exercise prevents you from rambling in the interview and sounding unpolished and unsure. It also helps you discover what really does make you the best candidate for the job!

3.Dress to Make a Good First Impression.
In an interview, first impressions do matter. The best way to ensure a good first impression is to dress smart. If you are interviewing for a job in an office, it is usually best to wear a dark-colored, conservative suit (for both men and women). If you are interviewing for a job where the dress code is more casual (at a factory or a construction site, for example), nice slacks and a collared button-down shirt with a tie for men and a nice dress or blouse and slacks or skirt for women are usually appropriate. You should avoid wearing excessive jewelry, perfume, and flamboyant clothes. Good personal hygiene is also important.
If you are unsure what to wear, you should always go with the most conservative, professional option. Most experts agree it is better to be overdressed than dressed too casually. What you are wearing tells employers a lot about how serious you are about getting the job.

4. Be Conscious of Good Interview Etiquette.
This list could go on forever – there is literally an endless array of “dos” and “don’ts” for an interview – and not everyone agrees on every aspect of that list. There are, however, some basic “interview etiquette” tips that are important to remember.
Be on time for your interview. This is, perhaps, the most important. Employers expect employees to arrive on time to work. They may see a person who is late to an interview, when he or she is supposed to be showing his or her best side, as someone who will have difficulty arriving on time to work or meeting deadlines if hired.
Be aware of your body language. When shaking hands, make sure your grip is firm and confident. Have good posture, but avoid appearing like you’re as stiff as a cardboard cutout. Even the most experienced professionals get nervous in an interview – it’s normal. However, if you appear too nervous, the interviewer might draw the wrong conclusions about your ability to do the job – especially if it involves interacting with people! Conversely, make sure you don’t slouch – this could give the impression that you are lazy or uninterested in the position. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer to convey confidence. When speaking, be polite and professional and avoid using slang and profanities. The more confident and polished you appear the more likely you are to leave the interviewer with a positive impression of you.
Keep the interview positive. Avoid making negative remarks about any previous jobs or employers. Also, refrain from complaining about any job-related tasks or responsibilities you were given in a previous position. Employers want to hire someone who is positive, enthusiastic, and able to meet and deal with challenges.

5. Be Prepared to Ask the Interviewer Questions.
This is where your research comes in. Employers want to know if you’re truly interested in the position. They also want to know that you have all the information you need to make a decision, if offered the job. It isn’t a good idea to turn the tables and “interview” the interviewer, but it is a good idea to go into the interview with a few questions in mind. This is your chance to ask additional questions about the business, the position, the requirements, and the expectations of the person who will fill the position.   Remember to ask questions that are relevant to the company and position for which you are interviewing.

6. Follow up with a Thank-You Note.
Make sure you let the interviewer know how pleased you were to have the chance to interview with him or her. Immediately after the interview, send the interviewer a thank-you note, thanking him or her for taking time to interview you. This is not only proper etiquette and a common display of appreciation, but it also allows you to reaffirm one or two key points of the interview. It also lets the interviewer know how interested you are in working for the company. Being polite and professional always makes a good impression.

All of this advice comes down to three important things to remember when you're interviewing: being prepared, professional, and polite is the best way to make the right impression!

Don't Die Until You're Dead

“Make today your masterpiece.” – John Wooden


Wooden’s quote reminds us to stay focused on the present. Don’t live in the past; don’t be overly concerned or worried about the future. Live in the moment and live a life of excellence. This is great advice, however it’s easier said than done.

If only we could live our lives backwards… (article found on-line)

• You start out dead and get that out of the way
• Then you wake up in an old age home feeling better every day
• Then you get kicked out for being too young and healthy
• Enjoy your retirement and collect your pension
• Then when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day
• You work 40 years until you’re too young to work
• You get ready for High School: drink alcohol, party, and date
• Then you go to primary school, you become a kid, you play,
• and you have no responsibilities
• Then you become a baby, and then…
• You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, in spa-like conditions – central heating, room service on tap, and then…
• You finish as a twinkle in another person’s eye.

 

“Don’t die until you’re dead!

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘NO’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment of failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the rap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

- Steve Jobs

Success in Athletics Vs. Success in Sales. Do They Go Hand & Hand?

The President of The Vause Group Inc, Joshua Vause,  played baseball his entire life all the way into College.   As a successful college athlete, he has found that a lot of the same things that made him successful on the baseball diamond, have made him successful with his career in Sales.   Below is an article written by Jeffrey Gitomer, the Author of The Little Red Book of Selling.     

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the sale!

Here are the lessons in baseball you can apply to your sales game and your business game once you understand their importance and their impact:

• The baseball team is made up of individual players who know how to play together. Their individual skills contribute to the team’s success. They cannot win alone. The best team wins.
• Every great ball player was once a beginner. They started at a young age because they loved to play. They were encouraged by their parents and coaches.
• Every pro ballplayer starts in the minor leagues. In baseball, like sales, there are no shortcuts. One step at a time. Before they got to the minors, it’s probable they had already been playing some form of organized ball for 15 years.
• Ballplayers are coach-able. Being coached and listening to coaches are key factors in a ballplayer’s success. Most great coaches were once players.
• Ballplayers warm up and practice before every game. They get ready. Even if they’ve been playing for years, they practice before EVERY game.
• Ballplayers learn the fundamentals of the game until they’re automatic. Then they practice them every day. Fundamentals like: Keep your eye on the ball. Know the rules. Know the strategies. Execute the plays. They understand that defense is just as important as offense.
• All ballplayers, even great ballplayers, get into a slump. Coaching, watching films, and practice gets them out of the slump.
• All ballplayers make errors. Sometimes an error can cost you the game. Take errors seriously, NOT personally. Learn from them and don’t repeat them. The secret to error free: More practice.
• Ballplayers love the game. They love what they do, and they play to win.

 HARSH REALITIES OF SALES AND BASEBALL:
• Very few players make it to the major leagues.
• Very few major league players can lead the league.
• Very few players can hit a home run, or even get a hit in the clutch.
• Small errors in judgment can cost you your career.
• All cheaters eventually get caught.
• There is no prize and no champagne for second place.
• Fans have become disenchanted because players have less of a sense of loyalty to them. Sad. But there’s still a lesson: To get loyalty, you must GIVE loyalty.

There are the unspoken rules of the game – both in baseball and sales. You gotta believe in your team and teammates. You gotta believe your team will win. You gotta believe in your coach, your leader.

And as one of the title songs from the epic Broadway musical Damn Yankees says, “You’ve gotta have heart.”

NOTE WELL: Millions have played the game. Maybe even you. Thousands have played in the major leagues. But there are only 289 players in the Hall of Fame. It’s all about their ability, their devotion, their dedication, and their practice. How’s yours?

Who are you playing for?
Are you a winning player?
How much do you practice every day?
How much of your heart is in the game?
Who are you giving your loyalty to?

--Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Little Red Book of Selling and eight other business books on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development at www.trainone.com. Jeffrey conducts more than 100 personalized, customized seminars and keynotes a year. To find out more, visit www.gitomer.com. Jeffrey can be reached at 704.333.1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com

The Champions On Your Side

 

April 27, 2011

by Amber Rae

 

Resistance is the enemy to great work, says author Steve Pressfield. But with enemies come allies. Consider, who and what will push you through the dips and help you do the work that matters.

Here’s an excerpt from Do the Work about the champions on your side:

1. Stupidity
2. Stubbornness
3. Blind faith
4. Passion
5. Assistance (the opposite of Resistance)
6. Friends and family

 Stay Stupid

The three dumbest guys I can think of: Charles Lindbergh, Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill. Why? Because any smart person who understood how impossibly arduous were the tasks they had set themselves would have pulled the plug before he even began.
Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies. She must be clueless enough to have no idea how difficult her enterprise is going to be—and cocky enough to believe she can pull it off anyway.
How do we achieve this state of mind? By staying stupid. By not allowing ourselves to think.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.
Don’t think. Act.
We can always revise and revisit once we’ve acted. But we can accomplish nothing until we act.

 Be Stubborn

Once we commit to action, the worst thing we can do is to stop.
What will keep us from stopping? Plain old stubbornness.
I like the idea of stubbornness because it’s less lofty than “tenacity” or “perseverance.” We don’t have to be heroes to be stubborn. We can just be pains in the butt.
When we’re stubborn, there’s no quit in us. We’re mean. We’re mulish. We’re ornery.
We’re in till the finish.
We will sink our junkyard-dog teeth into Resistance’s ass and not let go, no matter how hard he kicks.

 Blind Faith

Is there a spiritual element to creativity? Hell, yes.
Our mightiest ally (our indispensable ally) is belief in something we cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or feel.
Resistance wants to rattle that faith. Resistance wants to destroy it.
There’s an exercise that Patricia Ryan Madson describes in her wonderful book, Improv Wisdom. (Ms. Madson taught improvisational theater at Stanford to standing-room only classes for twenty years.) Here’s the exercise:
Imagine a box with a lid. Hold the box in your hand. Now open it.
What’s inside?
It might be a frog, a silk scarf, a gold coin of Persia. But here’s the trick: no matter how many times you open the box, there is always something in it.
Ask me my religion. That’s it.
I believe with unshakeable faith that there will always be something in the box.

 Passion

Picasso painted with passion, Mozart composed with it. A child plays with it all day long.
You may think that you’ve lost your passion, or that you can’t identify it, or that you have so much of it, it threatens to overwhelm you. None of these is true.
Fear saps passion.
When we conquer our fears, we discover a boundless, bottomless, inexhaustible well of passion.

 Assistance

We’ll come back to this later. Suffice it to say for now that as Resistance is the shadow, its opposite—Assistance—is the sun.
Friends and Family
When art and inspiration and success and fame and money have come and gone, who still loves us—and whom do we love?
Only two things will remain with us across the river: our inhering genius and the hearts we love.
In other words, what we do and whom we do it for.

Get your copy now. Do the Work is available for free on Kindle for another three weeks only (thanks to GE) and for purchase in hardcover, 5-pack, 48-pack and audio.

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Article by Amber Rae

Amber Rae is The Domino Project's chief evangelist. A creative catalyst and starter of meaningful things, she lives for inspiring people to act on their ambitions. You can find more of Amber at heyamberrae.com or on Twitter @heyamberrae.

16 Principles of Influence in Sales

Sellers know they can help buyers succeed if they would only buy. And if they don't buy, you can't really help, can you?

Thus it's contingent upon us--when we  know that what we bring to the table will make a great and positive difference for customers--to do whatever we can to influence them to buy.

If you want to increase your ability to influence, you must first understand the underlying components of it. The best sales people employ sixteen influence principles. We list them below, somewhat in the order that they flow in sales. 

For our purposes here, we only outline what the influence principles are; we don't cover  how to succeed in each one. As you read, you should ask yourself, "Do I need to be better at this principle?" If the answer is yes, you have some exploring to do.

1.     Attention. You must capture the attention of today’s busy buyers. You can’t influence someone if they’re focused on something else.

2.     Curiosity. People know what they have, but they want to know what they are missing. Give them the sense they might be missing something and they’ll naturally want to know more.

3.     Desire. When buyers start to see what’s in it for them, they start to become emotionally involved in wanting whatever it is. Develop that into dissatisfaction and you’ll see action in sales.

4.     Envy. If you can get your buyer to want something that other people have, their unhappiness will eat away at them until they get it.

5.     Emotional Journey. People remember how they feel. Top sales people take prospects on an emotional journey using stories that help prospects to feel the pain of where they are, and feel what the happiness and fulfillment will be like in their better future.

6.     Belief. The more convinced they are that your solution will succeed, the more willing they will be to move forward.

7.     Justification. People buy with their hearts and justify with their heads. Emphasize your value using a return on investment (ROI) argument.

8.     Trust. Belief is faith that something will work. Trust is faith in you. Trust is the foundation of sales. No trust, no sale.

9.     Stepping Stones. Think of buying as a leap of faith. If you’re always trying to sell something “big” then that leap can be too much. Shorten the leap of faith with stepping stones first, like smaller projects and propositions that buyers will perceive as less risky.

10.   Ownership. Until an individual takes ownership over decisions, actions, and results your ability to influence them is limited. Your job is to make it the buyer’s agenda to move forward, not your own.

11.   Involvement. When you have a hand in creating something, you’re more likely to be a passionate advocate for its success. Involve your buyers in in the selling process, and they’ll be much more attached to implement the solution.

12.   Desire for Inclusion. People don’t want to be left out. If you can show that others are doing it, the more they’ll want to move forward.  

13.   Scarcity. People value things that are rare and hard to get. Highlight differentiation, and make sure that buyers know when they may miss out on an opportunity if they don't act now.

14.   Likeability. People pay attention to, talk to, and buy from people they like. They want to see people they like succeed.

15.   Indifference. The more you seem like you need the sale, the less likely a buyer will view you as a peer, and the more difficult it will be to sell. Maintain equal business standing, and be prepared to walk away if a sale at good terms is not in the cards.

16.   Commitment. Written and public commitments are stronger than verbal and private commitments. Gain written, public commitment for each next step in the buying process to ensure a close of the deal.

These are the 16 Principles of Influence in Sales—understand them, learn to use them, and you’ll close more deals.

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Mike Schultz and John Doerr

Mike Schultz and John Doerr are Co-Presidents of RAIN Group, a sales training, assessment, and sales performance improvement company that helps leading organizations improve sales results.They are coauthors of Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade and Sell in Any Situation (Wiley, 2011) and speak to audiences worldwide on how to achieve breakthrough sales results. John and Mike publish RainToday.com, write for the RAIN Selling Blog, and are world renowned as experts in sales. The two can be reached at their emails, Mike: mschultz@raingroup.com, and John: JDoerr@raingroup.com.