ARE YOU REALLY SUCCESSFUL? 8 "WISE" WAYS TO TELL

- By Christine M. Prevete

Charging into adulthood was all I had dreamed about for 18 years. Daydreams of independence and a successful career were the thoughts in my youth. I pursued education and employment opportunities with such fervor that I was sure I would learn it all to have it all. Knowledge of people, places and things was most important to succeed in life. I set off to one of the best colleges to learn the right things and meet the right people.
Two years of unfulfilling experiences found me transferring home to attend school. It turned out that the very situation I was trying to escape was the setting of my greatest strength. Shortly after the return, my grandmother passed on and my mother was diagnosed with a life threatening illness. My world of achievement was turning upside down.
Thoughts and feelings endlessly raced through my mind. I needed to keep going with my mission of independence and success, but the daughter in me was terrified at losing the leader of this family. As the new reality settled in, she began her journey and as such, changed the destiny of mine.
At the time I saw life as a series of strategic maneuvers to know all the right things for great success. Conquering mom's disease was no different. We needed to be strong and knowledgeable and so I immersed myself in the education of treatments for this disease. I went straight to the library and brought much of it home with me. I was sure I could find help in these books. I studied and applied many things which were helpful, but mom continued to be ill. The further I dug to save her life, the more difficult life was becoming around me. Still working, still studying and determined to save her life. Sleep was a thing of the past. My heart was growing hard and angry. I still wanted to pursue my dreams and I wanted mom to pursue her dreams. She was too young for this. I was too young for this.
Years of struggling passed us by and in the last months came my awakening. My mother was a brilliant woman filled with love and energy. I watched her love our family and do the "right things" to the point of her own ultimate exhaustion. She spent her life trying to get us to the best schools, have the best of everything and obsessively keep us safe from any harm. She was fierce in her convictions of what was right and wrong and shared her knowledge every day without fail. Her knowledge and enabled me to gain even more from the opportunities she provided for me. What she didn't know was that these months we were spending together were imparting wisdom to her daughter...and that would be the most valuable and lasting gift of all.
8 authentic elements of Wisdom were not gained through study, achievement or travel, but revealed through experience right where I was in the moment.
1. Pure - The best choices I made in those months were those requiring the least amount of force. They were pure and instinctual. The result was some of my greatest memories created by being present and compassionate.
2. Peaceful - I found the best decisions were those that created the most peace for all involved.
3. Gentle - After years of forcing our opinions in arguments, I experienced a most rewarding piece of wisdom in choosing to be kind rather than needing to be right.
4. Yielding - I learned the futility of being quick to speak or quick to anger. Wisdom yields to receptivity and reflection for the highest good of all concerned.
5. Merciful - After a lifetime of bickering, we found the ultimate Truth. Each of us had always been right, in our own world, based upon our own thoughts and feelings. It was liberating to forgive and be forgiven.
6. Good fruits - Acting from wisdom produces only good works. Of all that I had "achieved" in life, I learned back then the wisdom of knowing when to let go. I stopped the constant doing and sat, rubbed her feet and legs and just talked and laughed. Knowledge applied through an awakened heart allows great works to occur.
7. Impartial - There is no prejudice in life or death. Life is enriched by recognizing we are many, yet we are One. What any one of us experiences is possible for us too. The wise shall lay down the arms of judgment in all circumstances.
8. Sincerity - Without exception, Truth shall always set you free.
Over fifteen years ago I used all of my gathered knowledge to seek a brand new path to success. There was nothing about her life that I could remember on the day she left, except for the moments that were rich with these "8 Elements of Wisdom". We spent so much time disagreeing, working, trying, achieving and ultimately the greatest checklist for lasting success arrived when we weren't seeking it at all.
Personal relationships, business decisions, physical fitness, financial investments are always ripe with the potential of success. Making choices from this timeless "Wisdom Checklist" will always lead you along the path of your most authentic and permanent success. You'll recognize "Wisdom" because life will feel lighter, choices will benefit all, and the legacy you are living right now will be shaped by the wisdom of the ages, creating lasting value for life!
There is a richness to the word "Wisdom". It cannot be explained in one word. Hearing it connotes an endless spectrum of possibilities. It grounds us in feelings of certainty. It inspires us from the lessons of our ancestors. It expands us to think new ideas. The word itself is so enriching, that we can allow it to soar us to new heights. When we are thinking and acting from the perspective of Wisdom, there's a spark from within that assures us...we are living our best life right now.

THE HEART OF THE SALE

What is selling? In its simplest terms, selling is the process of persuading a person that your product or service is of greater value to him than the price you are asking for it. Our market society is based on the principles of freedom of choice and mutual benefit. Each party enters into a transaction when he feels that he will be better off as a result of the transaction than he would be without it.
Convince the Customer
For the customer to buy your particular product or service, he or she must be convinced, not only that is it the best choice of product or service available, but also that there is no better way for him to spend the equivalent sum of money that it costs. Your job as a salesperson is to convince the customer that these conditions exist and then to elicit a commitment from him to take action on your offer.
The Critical Factor: Risk
The critical factor in selling today is risk. Because of the continuous change, rapid obsolescence, and an uncertain economy, the risk of buying the wrong product or service has become greater than ever before. There are four main factors that contribute to the perception of risk in the mind and hear of the customer.
1. Size of the Sale
The first factor that contributes to risk is the size of the sale. The larger the scale, the more money involved, the greater the risk. If a person is buying a package of Lifesavers, the risk of satisfaction or dissatisfaction is insignificant. But if a person is buying a computer system for their company, the risk factor is magnified by hundreds of thousands of times. Whenever you are selling a product that has a high price on it, you must be aware that risk enters into the buyer's calculations immediately.
2. People Affected by the Decision
The second factor contributing to the perception of risk is the number of people who will be affected by the buying decision. Almost every complex buying decision involves several people. There are people who must use the product or service. There are people who must pay for the product or service. There are people who are dependent of the results expected from the product or service. If a person is extremely sensitive to the opinions of others, this factor alone can cause him or her to put off a buying decision.
3. Length of Life of the Product
The third factor contributing to the perception of risk is the length of life of the product. A product or service that, once installed, is meant to last for several years, generates the feeling of risk. The customer panics and thinks, "What if it doesn't work and I'm stuck with it."
4. Unfamiliarity
The fourth major risk factor is the customer's unfamiliarity with you, your company, and your product or service. A first-time buyer, one who has not bought the product or service before, or who has not bought it from you, is often nervous and requires a lot of hand-holding. Anything new or different makes the average customer tense and uneasy. This is why a new product or service, or a new business relationship with your company, has to be presented as a natural extension of what the customer is already doing.
Action Exercise
Identify the risks that a customer might find with your product or service. Once you had clearly defined those risks it will be easier to find solutions to them to ease nervous customers.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

Every successful business leader has a clear answer to this
vital question: Why are you building this company? Who does
it serve and what's your greater purpose? Answering these
questions costs you very little, and it can pay huge
dividends.
For some entrepreneurs, the primary purpose is simply to
create a business that can be sold. They have a talent for
designing systems to meet a real need while making a
profit, and they love starting new businesses. Once the
company is established, they often sell it and may repeat
the process again and again through the years.
Most business owners, however, have some other purpose in
mind, and it is often deeply personal. Some want to build a
company they can pass on to their children. Others want to
see how large and profitable they can make it, and they
dream of a vast enterprise with thousands of employees.
Still others, want a business that expresses their values
or contributes to society in some way.
In coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs, I am struck that it
does not seem to matter what the reason actually is. What
matters is the ability to keep it in sight at all times.
Knowing your personal vision, your purpose or mission, the
"reason why we do this", is absolutely critical.
The solution is simple: Keep your eyes on the prize! Step
back, gain perspective, renew your commitment. Remember WHY
you are doing this! If you are clear about the "why,"
you'll figure out "how."

Quotes of the Week
"Happiness is that state of consciousness which
proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
-- Ayn Rand
"Inspiration grows into full-scale creation
through persistence and imagination."
-- Carol Lloyd
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream
deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
-- Pamela Vaull Starr
"Nothing happens unless first a dream."
-- Carl Sandburg

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

Every successful business leader has a clear answer to this
vital question: Why are you building this company? Who does
it serve and what's your greater purpose? Answering these
questions costs you very little, and it can pay huge
dividends.
For some entrepreneurs, the primary purpose is simply to
create a business that can be sold. They have a talent for
designing systems to meet a real need while making a
profit, and they love starting new businesses. Once the
company is established, they often sell it and may repeat
the process again and again through the years.
Most business owners, however, have some other purpose in
mind, and it is often deeply personal. Some want to build a
company they can pass on to their children. Others want to
see how large and profitable they can make it, and they
dream of a vast enterprise with thousands of employees.
Still others, want a business that expresses their values
or contributes to society in some way.
In coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs, I am struck that it
does not seem to matter what the reason actually is. What
matters is the ability to keep it in sight at all times.
Knowing your personal vision, your purpose or mission, the
"reason why we do this", is absolutely critical.
The solution is simple: Keep your eyes on the prize! Step
back, gain perspective, renew your commitment. Remember WHY
you are doing this! If you are clear about the "why,"
you'll figure out "how."

Quotes of the Week
"Happiness is that state of consciousness which
proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
-- Ayn Rand
"Inspiration grows into full-scale creation
through persistence and imagination."
-- Carol Lloyd
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream
deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
-- Pamela Vaull Starr
"Nothing happens unless first a dream."
-- Carl Sandburg

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

Every successful business leader has a clear answer to this
vital question: Why are you building this company? Who does
it serve and what's your greater purpose? Answering these
questions costs you very little, and it can pay huge
dividends.
For some entrepreneurs, the primary purpose is simply to
create a business that can be sold. They have a talent for
designing systems to meet a real need while making a
profit, and they love starting new businesses. Once the
company is established, they often sell it and may repeat
the process again and again through the years.
Most business owners, however, have some other purpose in
mind, and it is often deeply personal. Some want to build a
company they can pass on to their children. Others want to
see how large and profitable they can make it, and they
dream of a vast enterprise with thousands of employees.
Still others, want a business that expresses their values
or contributes to society in some way.
In coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs, I am struck that it
does not seem to matter what the reason actually is. What
matters is the ability to keep it in sight at all times.
Knowing your personal vision, your purpose or mission, the
"reason why we do this", is absolutely critical.
The solution is simple: Keep your eyes on the prize! Step
back, gain perspective, renew your commitment. Remember WHY
you are doing this! If you are clear about the "why,"
you'll figure out "how."

Quotes of the Week
"Happiness is that state of consciousness which
proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
-- Ayn Rand
"Inspiration grows into full-scale creation
through persistence and imagination."
-- Carol Lloyd
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream
deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
-- Pamela Vaull Starr
"Nothing happens unless first a dream."
-- Carl Sandburg

DECIDE TO LIVE YOUR IDEAL LIFE

What is your most ideal day? Do you know exactly how you want to live your life for the next five days, five weeks, five months, and five years? When was the last best day of your life? When is the next?
The best day of our lives is today. The past is no longer here. To dwell on the past to waste the opportunity to enjoy the present. The future is a promise, a time that will not come because what we have is only today. When tomorrow comes, it will not be tomorrow anymore; it becomes your today. I am not trying to sound philosophical. You cannot enjoy tomorrow unless you know how to enjoy your today.
If you were live to thirty more years, you are going to experience 10,957 todays. Given that you have that many more days to live, it is easy to waste time. But every day that passed without your notice is day cut off from your life.
How many of these days will be given to building relationship with your family, friends, co-workers, and the people around you? How many of these days will be invested to learning new things, to increasing your value in the society, to making a difference in the world of one or one million? How many of these days will be spent for knowing yourself and your God? And how many of these 10,957 days do you intend to spend with worry, anger, fear, and frustration?
Each day is a decision.
Whatever we do today is our decision. Some people plan for the future as if the future is something that you can reach by following a straight line. No; every moment is a moment of decision. There are moments that we make bigger decisions, but we only reach these bigger decisions because of the small decisions we made before.
Some people cry when they stumble. Others laugh. And there are those who pretend that nothing happened. Each action is a decision.
Do you know of people who are always late? Have you realized that these are also the same people who blame the traffic, the drivers, and the weather? Have you realized that these are the same people who complain a lot? And yes, the same people who find their days very toxic? Being late in the workplace is a decision.
Avoid the complainers. They are making their lives stressful and miserable. And they want you to feel the same. You need to accept that the way you spend your days and live your life is your responsibility. Each day is a decision. And you are the decision maker.
Each day is a decision to live.
Today is a gift. How you use this day is up to you. At each new day, you decided whether to unwrap that gift, or let it stay in the corner and spoil. There are people who exist but do not live. They wake up each morning not knowing what to do. Ask them why they go to school, and they will be surprised by you asking that question. They say that's what you are supposed to do to have a good job. Ask them why they go to work, and they say because everyone goes to work. So, they go to work, spending a portion of their valuable days for work they don't want to do, with people whom they don't want to see, for a place they don't want to stay. And then they complain about being stressed. So, they attend stress management seminars and learn stress management techniques for a day. Go back to work expecting to be able to handle the stressors in the workplace. And being stressed further because they will find out that techniques do not work.
Stress for those who do not know why they live is suicide in slow motion. Stress for those who live with purpose serves a good purpose.
Each day is a decision to live your ideal life.
One great tragedy of our generation is that most people do not even pause to think about life. Deep within you is the desire to live an ideal life. Again, how do you intend to live each day of your life? What are the things which are important to you?
A favorite bible verse says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given unto you." This is my guide. Every day is opportunity to seek my real purpose. To live my purpose is my ideal life. Every day is a chance to live an ideal life.
I believe that worry and frustrations have no place in my ideal life. To truly live my purpose, I must do everything that will realize my purpose each new day. It does not take ten seconds to decide. How about you, how do you like to spend your next hour? Will it help you realize your purpose?
You may still worry about your boss getting angry with you. But then again, you will realize that worrying won't help solve a problem. And who says that you have to be affected by your boss' anger. You may not be able to make the day of your boss any better on that day (of course, you can always try), but you don't need to ruin your day either.
You may still worry about angry and difficult clients. There are those who call you names. But wait, you are in control! This client is just one of the many souls you will meet on this day, or in your lifetime. Your role for today is to help this customer solve his problem. You cannot allow him to ruin your day (and that is not really his purpose).
You sleep late. You love watching that TV show until the wee hours. I don't have to counsel you. But as for me, I know that sleeping very late will not really help me. First, there is really no TV show or night party which is more important that doing the things that I love doing. Second, I spend a lot of energy when I sleep late. I wake up late and start late and oftentimes am not productive. So, why waste the opportunity to be at my best for something that will not really add a minute to my life, to my self-esteem, or even my value to this world.
I challenge you to be clear about your purposes in life. Decide to live your ideal life.

THE SEVEN P FORMULA FOR MARKETING SUCCESS

Once you have developed your marketing strategy, there is a seven P formula you should continually use to evaluate and reevaluate your business activities. These seven are: product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning, and people. As products, markets, customers, and needs change rapidly, you must continually revisit these seven P's to make sure you are on track and achieving the maximum results possible for you in today's Market.
Product
To begin, develop the habit of looking at your product as though you were an outside marketing consultant having been brought in to help your company decide whether or not it is in the right business at this time. Ask critical questions such as: Is your current product or service, or mix of products or services appropriate and suitable for the market and the customers of today?
Prices Deserve Attention
The second P in the formula has to do with price. Develop the habit of continually examining and reexamining the prices of the products and services that you sell to make sure they are still appropriate to the realities of the current market. Sometimes you need to lower your prices. At other times, it may be appropriate to raise your prices. Many companies have found that the profitability of certain products or services does not justify the amount of effort and resources that go into producing them. By raising their prices, they may lose a percentage of their customers, but the remaining percentage generates a profit on every sale. Could this be appropriate for you?
Promotion
The third habit in marketing and sales is for you to develop the habit of thinking in terms of promotion all the time. Promotion includes all the ways you tell your customers about products or services and how you then market and sell to them. Small changes in the way you promote and sell your products can lead to dramatic changes in your results. Experienced copywriters can often increase the response rate from advertising by 500 percent by simply changing the headline on the advertisement.
Place
The fourth P in the marketing mix is the place where your product or service is actually sold. Develop the habit of reviewing and reflecting upon the exact location where the customer meets the salesperson. Sometimes a change in place can lead to a rapid increase in sales.
Packaging
The fifth element in the marketing mix is packaging. Develop the habit of standing back and looking at every visual element in the packaging of your product or service through the eyes of a critical prospect. Remember, people form their first impression about you within 30 seconds of seeing you or some element of your company. Small improvements in the packaging or external appearance of your product or service can often lead to completely different reactions from your customers.
Positioning
The next P is positioning. You should develop the habit of thinking continually about how you are positioned in the hearts and minds of your customers. How do people think about you and talk about you when you are not present? How do people think and talk about your company? What positioning do you have in your market, in terms of the specific words that people use when they describe you and your offerings to others?
People are Everything
The final P is people. Develop the habit of thinking in terms of the people inside and outside of your business who are responsible for every element of your sales and marketing strategy and activities. Your ability to select, recruit, hire, and retain the proper people, with the skills and abilities to do the job you need to have done, is more important than everything else put together.
Action Exercise
Position yourself in everything you say and do as the most credible and believable supplier of your product or service to your ideal customer.

CHOOSE TO SKIP THIS RECESSION

I hear that “times are tough.” People say “the banks

aren’t loaning money” and “unemployment is at record
highs.” People are suffering and things are bad. And
perhaps most insidious of all, I hear, “the Government
ought to do something.”

Well, yes the statistics and the economy are bad. You can
get all the data and “proof” of that you want. If you
look for bad news, it’s easy to find.

But so is good news.

One piece of good news is that in hard times, opportunity
abounds. It always has! When lots of people have lots of
needs, the opportunity to meet those needs is greater
than ever. When things are darkest, the person or
business that holds a lantern quickly becomes the leader.
Remember the old saying that “In the land of the blind,
the one-eyed man is king”? It’s true!

If your business can provide a better product or quicker
service or a lower price, this is your chance to dominate
your market! Fortunes have been made in every recession
and even during the Great Depression of the 1930’s,
people got rich! Find a way.

Second, more people are starting businesses than ever
before. Many people have grown tired of “looking for a
job” and decided to create their own. Some are solo-
preneurs and do what they have always done, but now work
for themselves instead of a corporation. Others launch a
small business and open the firm they’ve always wanted.
And some work with partners and investors to launch
something much, much bigger!

Choose not to “go along” with this recession or the
ordinary wisdom of the masses. Do something remarkable!
Opportunities abound.

Quotes of the Week

"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a
sundial in the shade?" -- Ben Franklin

"In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only
by pressing the limits do you ever find them." -- Dr. Joyce Brothers

“It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the
limits of our abilities do not exist.” -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“The way we live our days, is the way we live our lives.” -- Annie Dillard

PUMP UP YOUR PROFITS

There is a truism that 50 percent of advertising is wasted, but no one ever knows for sure which 50 percent it is. As a result, advertising budgets always seem higher than necessary. This problem persists in many areas of business today. Money is being wasted, but no one is exactly sure where and how it is happening.
Low Profits or No Profits
Many companies today are earning low profits or no profits because their costs of doing business are not coordinated with their sales. Many products and services are priced by people who are completely unaware of the real costs involved in bringing these products or services to the market. These mistakes in pricing are then buried in the overall operations and general revenues of the business.
Conduct a Profit Analysis on Every Product
One of the most important parts of the Turbostrategy process is for you to conduct a complete profit analysis on each product or service you sell. Very few companies have ever done this. But when you begin applying profit analysis in your company, you can often increase your profits dramatically.
High-Volume vs. High Profit Customers
As you examine these numbers, you will find that, in many cases, your biggest customers are not your most profitable customers, and your biggest selling products or services are not your most profitable ones either. You may find that your costs of doing business with some customers and with some products are so high that it is hardly worth the investment of people are resources. This can only be determined by taking a hard look at the numbers.

Focus on Cash Flow
You need to be your own turnaround specialist all the time, and most especially when business slows for any reason. To pump up your profits, you do a complete profit analysis on your business and move immediately to focus the energies of the company on those areas that represent the very best sources of net cash. This process requires that you continually analyze your business so that you know exactly the profitability of every product or service you sell in comparison with every other product or service you sell, right down to the penny.
From Most to Least Profitable
The fact is that with a little effort, every single product or service can be organized on a scale from the most profitable to the least profitable, both on a per item or per hour basis, and in net dollar amounts. There is always one that is more profitable than any other.
Determine Profitability
You begin your profit analysis by determining the exact gross sales revenuesthat you receive from a product or service after all subtractions for defects, returns, breakage, loss, wastage, and bad debts. Take every single deduction so that your gross dollar amount is completely accurate, and you are crystal-clear about the exact amount you are netting from sales.
Face the Bitter Truth
You will probably find that fully half of your product and service offerings are generating very little profit or even causing you to lose money with every sale. A turnaround specialist would immediately either raise the prices of the low-profit items or discontinue them altogether. You must do the same.
Action Exercise
Do a complete profit analysis on every product and service you offer. Rank them from highest to lowest.

GOOD VS BAD DEBT

Debt is an amazing tool. It has the power to make you rich and it has the power to ruin you financially. Like any tool, the secret is knowing how to use it properly to get the results you want. Most people don't realize that there are two kinds of debt - good debt and bad debt.
There are many programs to help you learn how to create good debt in a way that will get you out of the rat race much faster. This article, however, will focus on tips you can use to reduce your bad debt. Bad debt is anything you buy that doesn't help increase your assets. We call them "doodads."
When you find yourself deep in a hole, you need to stop digging. And that means curbing your spending - avoiding the temptation to buy doodads like a robot lawn mower, a car that gets ten miles per gallon, or a second pair of high-end athletic shoes. Admittedly, this requires willpower. Even today as people are realizing that they need to cut back due to difficult economic times, most people still have not been able to learn the old-fashioned virtue of delayed gratification.
By cutting back on doodads, you'll increase the percentage of income you keep. It's important not to consider this a temporary step. If you truly want to stay out of debt and enjoy security, comfort, or riches, you ought to make purchasing assets instead of doodads a life-long practice. Once you've built up your assets that provide you income, then you'll have the extra money you need to buy as many doodads as you want.
There are hundreds of ways to trim a budget. If you save $25 a week- and most people can easily trim that much - you'll have $1,300 a year to put towards your credit card balance. Save $40 a week and you'll have $2,080!
The Waste-Watchers Diet
Take a couple minutes to do a simple exercise. In the table below, write down enough belt-tightening measures to yield at least $150 in savings each month (or even more if you're able). Some of these may seem hard, but ask yourself what you could truly live without if you absolutely had to. Next, figure out which of these items you can commit to in helping you shed your budgetary flab. Your financial health depends on it. You may not miss that extra cup of gourmet coffee or trip to the movies nearly as much as you'll love having that extra money in your pocket each month.

I AGREE TO CUT BACK ON FOR A MONTHLY SAVINGS OF
1................ $.....................
2................ $.....................
3................ $.....................
4................ $.....................
5................ $.....................
6................ $.....................
Signed...................TOTAL $...............

Eliminate All Unsecured Debt
In addition to good and bad debt, there is also secured and unsecured debt. Secured debt is debt with collateral behind it, such as your home mortgage or car loan. Unsecured debt is debt with no collateral behind it, for example, personal loans, medical bills, and the charges on your credit card. Once you've cut expenses, the debt you should attack first is unsecured debt. While some unsecured debt is unavoidable - most is unnecessary, the result of unbridled spending. Review your unsecured and secured debts to see if they are good or bad debts. I would consider most unsecured debt bad debt. Remember, good debt is debt that buys an asset, so it is usually secured debt.

CREATING, LIVING AND LOVING A GREAT LIFE!

What does a GREAT life mean to you? That is one of the most important questions an adult can ask – and answer.
Too many of us never really consider the question. We fantasize about having money or fame or perhaps owning a house in the Hamptons or retiring young enough to do what we "really want to do," but we never rigorously decide exactly what our one and only, unique, GREAT LIFE should look like.
We all know that a great life does not happen by accident. A great life is not easy and it does not come with a diploma, a promotion, getting married (or divorced), having kids or retiring early. It cannot be inherited and it never comes as an accessory with the "goodies" of life. Sure, lots of money, a penthouse apartment, political power or winning the Nobel Prize are wonderful things and I encourage you to aspire to ALL of them.
But none of them will guarantee you a great life.
It seems to me that a GREAT life has a grand purpose, a central theme and a unifying vision. A great life is a lifestyle that is chosen "on purpose" and is lived in the service of a vision greater than itself. A great life is living "a life of one's own" and it is invested, not merely spent.
Second, it seems to me that a GREAT life makes a great contribution. A great life uses its talents and abilities to make the world better for all of us. A great life stands up, speaks out, and gets things done. A GREAT life makes a difference and leaves the world better than we found it.
Third, it seems to me that a GREAT life leaves a path for others to follow. It is good to do great things; it's even better to do great things and teach others to follow your lead. A GREAT life leaves a legacy. A GREAT life inspires the next generation to go further, reach farther, dream bigger and achieve more.
I am convinced that every one of us has the right to a GREAT life. Greatness is not reserved for a lucky few, for the rich or the powerful, for the artistic or for any other category of people. A GREAT life is the birthright of every human being, whether we express greatness by designing tall buildings, or by teaching children to stand tall.
Greatness is our birthright, whether we express ourselves in business or government, in art or music, in parenting, or in any of the thousands of so-called "small" things. Most people remember a special teacher, and many of us had an uncle who taught us to whistle or a grandmother who taught us to read. Perhaps there was a neighbor who taught us to fish, who gave us our first job, or dared us to persevere when things were hard.
I love the story of the "star thrower," about a man walking on a beach after a storm, throwing starfish back into the ocean so they won't die on the shore. Someone criticizes him for wasting his time, noting there are millions of starfish, and the few he saves won't make much difference. The man silently bends over, throws a starfish into the surf and replies, "It made a difference for that one."
Set it as your minimum standard to live a GREAT life, to make a difference and to have fun doing it! Eventually, down the road one day, we all look back and assess our life and when that time comes, we want to smile, knowing we did it right. Set that as your standard, and go for it!
Quotes of the Week
"We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility." -- Albert Einstein
"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not." -- George Bernard Shaw
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T. S. Eliot
“Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash.”
-- Harriet Rubin

KEEPING YOUR SALES FUNNEL FULL

Professional selling has three stages, which have been the same throughout history. They are prospect, present, and follow up. These three phases constitute the three parts of the "sales funnel." If your sales and income are down, it is because you are not prospecting enough, presenting enough, or following up and closing enough. The way to increase your sales is usually for you to increase the quality or quantity of your activities in one or more of these areas.
Imagine Your Funnel
Imagine the basic sales model as a funnel. At the top of the funnel, you put in prospects. You have to call on a certain number of people, or suspects, to get a certain number of prospects. This number varies depending on the market, your product or service, your individual skills in prospecting, advertising, and many other factors.
Presenting
The second part of the sales funnel is presenting. There is a direct ratio between the number of people you call on initially and the number of people who will agree to meet with you. Let us say, for example, that you have to call on twenty prospects to get five presentations. This would give you a ratio of 20 to 5 for your prospecting activities. Selling is very much a numbers game.
Follow Up and Close
In the third part of the sales funnel you have following up and closing. Let us say that you have to follow up with two prospects to get one sale. What this means is that you have to put twenty prospects in the top of the funnel to get one sale out of the bottom of the funnel, a ratio of 20 to 1. The rule therefore is this "keep your funnel full."
Prospecting Power
The definition of a good prospect is "Someone who can and will buy and pay within a reasonable period of time." Do not waste your precious selling time with nice people who do not have the authority, money, or ability to buy from you. Think continually about your personal income, and always be sure that the person you are talking to can contribute to that income soon enough to justify the time you are investing in him or her.
Qualities of a Good Prospect

*The prospect has a genuine need that your product/service can fill.

*The prospect is friendly toward you and have a favorable impression of your company and industry.

*The prospect is willing and able to make a buying decision in the near future.

*The prospect is a good potential source of further sales and referrals.

Qualities of Poor Prospects

• The prospect has no money or need for your product or service.
• The prospect is critical of you, your company, or your product.
• The prospect immediately haggles and complains about your price.
• The prospect is indecisive about purchasing from you or anyone.

Action Exercise
Develop a powerful opening statement or question that will immediately grab the attention and interest of a good prospect for what you sell. Try it out and test it until it works every single time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - You wanna start somethin'?

I certainly don't want to start any fights, but I am wondering how many people are hoping to "start something" in 2010? I'm wondering how many people are hoping or wishing to "start something" and make 2010 better and richer than ever before. And, I'm sad because I suspect most of them will fail.

First, they'll fail because most people, most of the time, don't really change their lives in any dramatic way. Most of the time, the new year looks pretty much like the one before because we are less willing to change than we think. We tell ourselves we are eager for change, but change is hard. We like safety, familiarity and routine and most of the time, most of us are pretty comfortable.

Second, it's rarely enough to want to start "something." You must be specific!

I love the story Tony Robbins tells, that after one of his seminars a man came up to Tony all excited and said his goal was to have "more money." Tony says he looked at the man sadly, gave him a dollar and told him to go away. A huge part of achieving your goals is to be specific!

"You wanna start somethin'?" I love that phrase, in part because it reminds me of my childhood, but more importantly because I love the INTENTION! I love the idea of starting, building and creating something new and big and bold and rewarding! I LOVE STARTING THINGS!

So while the phrase has some limitations, it's not all bad. You wanna start somethin'? Let's do it!

1. Be Specific. What, exactly do you want to build, create, expand, learn, or do in 2010? Make a list. Check it for passion and excitement. Check it for boldness and joy! Write it down. Make a list. Put it on your calendar. Set a budget, write a check, make the reservation.

2. Start small. The first step in building a mansion is to dig a foundation. The biggest most impressive buildings start in the mud, with a hole in the ground. We all like big, dramatic, daring "starts" but the truth is that most things start small. And safe. And easy. Life's most rewarding events start small. Hewlett-Packard and Apple and Nike started in garages. Microsoft started in a dorm room. Start here, start now. Start small, but start somethin'!

3. Persist. Most "over-night success" stories take about 20 years. "Rome wasn't built in a day." It only takes a few minutes to create a baby, but it takes years to raise a child, and a lifetime to develop character. Most New Year's Resolutions die an ugly death for lack of persistence.

4. Use Good Systems. Success is the result of systems, not effort and certainly not "luck." Mansions are built with systems and teams. Successful businesses have systems and organization and procedures that create predictable results time after time. Most people try to achieve goals with "will power" or "discipline" or "effort." That's admirable, but seldom effective.

Systems work. They support us when we're tired. They do tasks we don't, won't or can't do by ourselves. Systems eliminate the guess-work. Systems succeed!

If you have goals and outcomes you really want in 2010, write them down,make a list and organize it. You'll need a calendar and a budget. You'll need some new behaviors, and you'll want to change some old, limiting habits. You'll need a team to support you, and benchmarks to measure your progress. Goals are good! But by themselves, they are just lists that often lead to frustration. Systems work!

Quotes of the Week

“Big shots are little shots who kept shooting.” -- Christopher Morley

“It sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents." -- Eric Hoffer

“To fight fear, act. To increase fear, wait, put off, postpone.” -- David Joseph Schwartz

"We have much to do together. Let us do it in wisdom and love and joy. Let us make this the human experience." -- Gary Zukav