THE SECRET TO ACHIEVEMENT & ULTIMATE SUCCESS

Each of us has the potential to achieve far more than we
have imagined. We know that human beings use only a tiny
percentage of our potential. We waste time, we get
distracted, we "spin our wheels", and we get frustrated.
Yes, accomplish many good things, but only a small portion
of what we are capable of achieving.
At the same time, other people are reaching huge goals and
achieving vastly more than us. I find it humbling that
Bill Gates, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods
are so young! Whatever you think of him or his politics,
isn't it astonishing that Barak Obama is our president?
With all due respect, he's still a "kid"!
What are the secrets to that level of achievement?
After studying thousands of highly effective people over
the years, I believe it comes down to only four key
essentials. Here they are:
1. Self Discipline. Self discipline has a terrible
reputation because most people think of it as pain and
deprivation, but nothing could be further from the truth!
Self discipline is the key to ultimate freedom! It means
taking charge of your life, being an adult and deciding
how you will live. It means you are not dependent on
circumstances or convenience or other people's opinions.
It means choosing your own course, taking responsibility
and going where YOU want to go and DOING what you want to
do with your life. It means doing what makes sense in the
long run, rather than what is popular or comfortable or
easy. Self discipline is the first essential for massive,
extraordinary levels of personal success.
2. Effective Resource Allocation. High achievers don't
waste time, squander opportunities, or "wish their lives
away". They use their talents and abilities wisely. They
focus their efforts on their most important next steps.
We have limited resources. High achievers concentrate
their best efforts on their most important projects. They
are very careful about time, because life is short. They
are careful about money, knowing that if they spend it,
it's gone forever, but invested wisely, even a few dollars
of "seed money" can create literally millions of dollars
over time. High achievers use resources wisely.
3. Environmental Perfection. To a remarkable degree, our
surroundings determine our results and high achievers
create environments that support them all day long, every
single day. They care about their offices, and they take
care of their bodies. They dress well and keep their tools
sharp and well-maintained.
There is a reason extraordinarily successful people have
elegant offices, and live orderly, structured, simple
lives. These are the habits that MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL!
4. Hard Work. Extremely successful people work harder
than the rest of us. Yes, sometimes they simply work more
hours and stay more focused, but sometimes it's the subtle
things. They pay attention and listen to the people they
meet. They network effectively. They read and use what
they learn to achieve better outcomes. They get more and
better results!
Self-made millionaires routinely work 50, 60 or even more
hours per week. Often they are doing work they love so it
doesn't feel like "work," but they show up early, stay
late, and work all day long. They take care of the "little
things" and it shows up in their results and in their bank
accounts at the end of the year.
Set your course. Decide what you want and the life you
prefer, then focus your time, energy and effort to that
end. There are no alternatives.
Extraordinary achievement is the result of those four
simple steps.

Quotes of the Week
“The question is not whether we will die, but how we will
live.“ -- Joan Borysenko
"It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the
limits to our abilities do not exist." -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can
circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a
determined soul.” -- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in
the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is
what we do.” -- John Ruskin

THE 'QUICK FIX' METHOD FOR SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE.

When you are not satisfied with your life, you try to find a quick fix solution to make things better. You want something to happen right now! Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. You have to take action and you actually DO need to work and most of the time work hard in order to find success in your life.
Before I was on my road to success I tried to find that “quick fix”… I used to watch lots of TV and I used to actually stop and listen to those infomercials and purchase the “rich quick” product they were selling because I thought it was the answer to all of my concerns.
When I received the package in the mail I was so excited. I would open it and start reading the information right away. But after a few pages I would realize that it wasn’t as “easy” as the commercial said. I would actually need to work to achieve the success that all those people in the infomercial said they achieved… That’s when I threw the program in the garbage.
And you want to know what the worst part was? I did this many times and wasted a lot of money. To be honest with you I was really pathetic… Every time I saw a new infomercial I thought: “this is it, this is the answer to my problems.” But you guessed it; I threw it away as soon as I got it.
But do you know what? All of those programs could have been the answer to my problems. Because I didn’t want to work or what I like to say: “Taking Action”, I was wasting time and money! Sometimes I think about how my life would’ve been if I actually started investing my time and energy on the programs I purchased instead of trying to find a “quick fix”.
Here’s the hard truth, and you’ve probably even heard it before: life is not easy! I wish I would have learned this “life truth” years ago. Now when I mean ‘learned’ I don’t mean “Oh ya I heard that before”… But I mean really understand it: “‘Life is not easy’ means that I need to take action and work hard to make it ‘easy’”
But the reality is that we all know that we need to take action and work hard but for some reason we don’t and we complain about how other people have found success and we didn’t.
No one and I mean no one has gone through life without having to struggle or work hard towards success. I challenge you to think of anyone and really research that person to see the struggle they’ve had to face in order to find the success that they can now enjoy. Here are a few people you can look-up if none come to mind: Donald Trump, Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey, George Foreman, Ted Rogers, Paul Desmarais, Cindy Klassen, Micheal Phelps, just to name a few…
I hope you get inspired when you are researching the life and struggle of the successful person that you have chosen. And you realize that there is no “quick fix” solution for successful people. Hopefully you’ll even use that person as “mentor” to help you find success in your life.
CHEERS TO YOUR GOOD LIFE

THE LAW OF POSITIONING

The customer's perception of you and your company is his reality and determines his buying behavior with you. The way your customer thinks about you, talks about you, and describes you to others determines everything he does or does not do in relation to you and what you sell.
Customer Perception
Every product or service must be perceived positively by the customer before the customer can make any kind of buying decision. The most successful products and services are those that the customer perceives are from the most desirable and trustworthy suppliers of these products or services.
Proper Positioning
With proper positioning, your product or service will be seen by the customers as the product or choice, against which others are compared. Some examples of excellent positioning are Coca-Cola, Kleenex, and Xerox. In each case, these products are the standard. When you refer to a drink, you say, "I feel like a Coke." If you have a runny nose, you ask someone to "get a Kleenex" for you. If you need a copy of a document, you ask someone to "make a Xerox of this." This dominant positioning gives these products an edge in the market, which translates into more and easier sales at higher prices with better profit margins.
Appearance
Every visual element of dress, product, packaging, printing, and promotion creates a perception of some kind. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you do or neglect to do, everything that the customer sees or fails to see, hears or does not hear, contributes to the customer's perception of you and your company. Everything counts.
Position Yourself at the Top
Top salespeople position themselves as the preferred suppliers of their products and services. Everything you do adds to the customer's perception of you as the ideal person to do business with when it comes to buying your particular product or service. The customer will often pay more for a similar product or service for no other reason than that it is you who is selling it and backing it up. Your position in the customer's mind can be so strong that no other competitor can get between you and the customer and replace you. The most successful companies and the more successful salespeople are those who have developed such strong positioning in their marketplaces that they are considered to be the standard against which competitors are compared.
Action Exercise
Determine the words that your customers use to describe you to others. How do they think about you, your products, your services, and your company overall? Do you know? Find out your exact positioning in your marketplace, and then decide what you could do to take maximum advantage of it.

TAKE A RETREAT

I've tried to take at least one,
and usually two or three retreats every year. Here are my
Top 3 Reasons:
1. It lets me find myself.

At first, being in a strange
environment, with new people (or alone) always feels a bit
strange. Then, something wonderful happens. I start to
breath. And think. I walk or sleep or sit by the fire. I
find myself. It's a good thing! (And something totally
weird: no matter what I eat, or how much, I always lose a
little weight on these trips. Very curious -- but nice!)
2. It adjusts my compass.

We all need to know where we're
going in life and personal retreats provide time and space
to re-set your direction, consult your dreams, affirm your
values and verify your direction in life. I love the
metaphor of a personal "North Star." We all need to know we
are living our lives "on purpose" and "on course." Personal
retreats can be disruptive (if you've gotten off-course) but
they are always affirming.
3. It's incredibly profitable!

Usually, I come home with
wonderful new ideas, new energy and new enthusiasm that
apply directly to my work. Often I come home with new
products or new insights about how to give more value to my
clients and customers. Sometimes I come home with joint-
ventures or partnerships. But in the broader sense, I always
come back focused and "ready." The ROI (Return on
Investment) is amazing!

THE LAW OF PERSUASION

The purpose of the selling process is to convince customers that they will be better off with the product or service than they would be with the money necessary to buy the product. When you make sales presentations, you are asking customers to engage in a trade.
You are telling customers that if they give you their money, you will give them a product or service in return that will be of greater value to them than the money they pay. In addition, it will be of greater value than anything else that they could buy with the same amount of money at the same time.
Satisfied Needs
The customer always acts to satisfy the greatest number of unmet needs, in the very best way, at the lowest possible price. A major part of your job is to demonstrate that customers will get more of what they want, faster, by purchasing your product or service than they would get if they bought something else.
Credibility
Proof that the other people similar to the customer have purchased the product builds credibility, lowers resistance, and increases sales. Every bit of information that you can present showing that other people, similar to the customer, have already wrestled with this buying decision, have decided to purchase, and have been happy as a result, moves you closer to making the sale.
One of the most powerful of all persuasion techniques in our society is called "social proof." We are all influenced by what others have done or are doing. We are much more open to buying a product or service when we know that other people like us have already bought it and are happy with it.
Testimonials
Testimonials of any kind increase desirability and lower price resistance to a product or service. Testimonial letters or photographs of happy customers using and enjoying your product or service, or lists of satisfied customers, are powerful influence factors in persuading a person to buy. You should persistently solicit testimonials from your customers.
Acquire them from every source possible and every way you possibly can. Testimonials can make your sales work much easier. You will find that almost all top salespeople use testimonials that praise and support the product or services they are selling and that are relevant to the customer they are selling to.
Action Exercise
Gather testimonials of every kind from every satisfied customer you possibly can. Build your sales presentation and your sales materials around these testimonials. Continually prove to your prospects that other people, just like them, are happily using what you sell.

ADVERTISING, PROMOTION & MARKETING

I've been struck by the glut of advertising coming my way.
Spam and junk mail are full of it, television is full of it,
even magazines seem to have more. And, I don't buy it.
I've often written that businesses cannot "advertise their
way to success." Of course there is a time and place for
advertising. You have to let people know you exist, and you
need to make a splash with new products or new services.
Advertising is a good thing. But most businesses can't buy
enough of it to build lasting success.
And promotion, particularly self-promotion, has a similar
limitation. Obviously, if you believe in a product or
service, you must tell people about it and invite them to
buy. You owe that to yourself, and to customers who need and
want your service. Promotion has its place
But in the end, marketing is a different animal. Marketing
is about your reputation. It's about customer satisfaction
and retention. It's about your relationships. Marketing is
about letting people know who you are, what you do and what
you offer. (Never keep yourself a secret! There is no
advantage in being shy!) Marketing is about YOU more than
your product or service. It's about your reputation, your
level of responsibility and your follow-through.
In the end, most marketing is free. It's the natural result
of being proud of who you are and doing your work to the
best of your ability.
Many small businesses would be far ahead to scrap their
advertising budget entirely and invest the money in
themselves, their skills, the quality of their products, and
their relationships.

WHAT YOUR SMALL BUSINESS CAN LEARN FROM TOYOTA

The car giant, Toyota, is facing shall we say a tough few months. Unless you’ve buried your head in the sand, you’ve noticed that Toyota has had a series of recalls on some of their popular vehicles. And the critics are pretty split whether Toyota is handling this well.
Every company has communication and public relations crises to deal with. The larger the company, the more likely these crises play out in the media. And there’s nothing like a crisis, coupled with a lot of media coverage, to start the negative word of mouth cycle. So what can your small business learn from Toyota’s troubles?
1. Focus your message.
Toyota did a good job of answering questions in the media, but ignored some of their traditional advertising and their website, which were still promoting the quality and value of the brand. While many consumers understand how difficult it is to shut down traditional advertising, there is no excuse for not updating your online presence to show you understand and care about problems consumers face.
2. The owner of the business must take responsibility.
People want to hear from ‘someone in charge.’ Recently, the president and COO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Jim Lentz ook questions from the public online. Interestingly, the company let consumers use the Digg.com engine to let users vote up those questions that they felt were the most important.
This is great: letting consumers set the agenda helps them feel more in control. However, consumers still want to hear from the person seen as really in charge, Toyota President Akio Toyota.
3. Energize your base.
If you have a group of loyal customers, both online and offline, use them to get the message of what you’re doing out to others in their social networks.
4. Explain both sides of the picture.
Toyota is doing a great job of getting information out about how to fix the problem. Where they’re falling off is looking at why the problem happened in the first place. Customers want to know the ‘how’…as in ‘how did this happen.’ You’ll be a more authentic company if you address both sides of the story. And people will share this information, as they’ll feel more ‘in the know.’
5. Monitor the buzz.
Don’t stop with seeing what people are saying at your website or on your Facebook page. Use the twitter search engine to search for your business name, or set up an alert using ‘social mention.’. The Internet is all about transparency, and you need to be part of that.
Every business will face some trouble at some point…and the sign of a well run business is how you’re prepared when trouble happens.

FACTORS OF RISK IN SELLING

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.
One of our powerful needs is for security, and any buying decision that represents uncertainty triggers the feeling of risk that threatens that security.
There are four main factors that contribute to the perception of risk in the mind and hear of the customer.
Risk Factor 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.
Risk Factor 2: Number of People Affected
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. Risk Factor 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?"
Risk Factor 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.
Overcoming Risk
In every case, you must overcome the customer's fear of risk if you are going to make the sale. Everything you do, from the first contact, through closing, the delivery and installation of the product or service, and the follow-up to the sale, must be done with the customer's perception of risk uppermost in your thinking.
Successful sales people are those who position their products or services as the lowest-risk product or service available to satisfy the particular need or achieve the particular goal of the customer.
Low-Risk vs. Low-Price
Your job is to be the low-risk provider, not necessarily the low-price vendor. Your job is to demonstrate clearly that your product or service represents the safest and most secure purchase decision rather than merely being the least expensive or highest quality.
Our customers today are the most experienced in customer history. They know that there is usually a close correlation between higher price on the one hand and greater security and after-sales satisfaction on the other. Your task is to make this differential clear in your sales presentation, especially when positioning you product or service against lower-priced competition.
Action Exercise
Identify the risks that a customer might find with your product or service. Once you have clearly defined those risks, it will be easier to find solutions for them to ease nervous customers.

REFUSE TO BE SEDUCED BY OPPORTUNITY!

High achievers say no to more opportunities than they
pursue. That may seem paradoxical, but it's consistent with
the observation that success comes from doing "one thing and
doing it well."
Over the years of coaching hundreds of successful people,
I've noticed this pattern. Failures (let's call them what
they are) usually see a world with few opportunities and
often claim that "luck" never came their way. They are
constantly looking for the next "Big Thing" or "ground floor
opportunity." In short, they repeatedly start over, spread
themselves too thin, and chase rainbows.
High achievers, on the other hand, see a world full of
opportunities, most of which they politely decline. They
know that the job they already have, the business they are
currently building or the profession they love is where the
REAL opportunities already exist.
Let's face it. Peak performers are very attractive people
and they receive thousands of invitations. People pursue
them, asking for their endorsement, their investment or
participation in some new venture, but high achievers do not
have the time or the desire to chase every phantom that
comes along. Successful people are not easily distracted,
and decline more invitations than they accept.
So should you!
Do one thing and do it well. "Stay the course." Find the
fortune that already exists in your own back yard rather
than chasing the one that may (or may not) lie over the
horizon, out of sight and too often, out of reach. Finish
what you've started and make your fortune doing what you
already know.

GOALS, DECISIONS, PROCRASTINATION AND COMMITMENT.

On our Git 'er Done call this week we talked about systems
to keep us focused, on-track and productive. I thought I was
being clear and using plenty of illustrations, when one of
the participants asked, "Can you give us an example?"
Like teachers from the beginning of time, I admit to being
momentarily stumped, but then I heard myself talking about
the common example of "setting a goal to get up earlier in
the morning." It seemed to clarify things and people sent
emails saying how helpful the discussion was. I'd like to
share some of it with you.
1. Goals versus Decisions.
Most of the "goals" we set aren't actually goals in any
meaningful sense of the word. Many goals are just decisions
people aren't ready to embrace.
Getting up extra early to exercise or read, or bike to work
is NOT a goal! It's a decision. Admittedly, if you aren't
used to get up that early, you may be tired or uncomfortable
in the morning. It may be a difficult decision to execute,
and some mornings you may change your mind and sleep longer.
But adjusting your morning routine is not a "goal." It's a
decision you make and implement, depending on how important
it is to you.
Also, knowing that follow-through may be difficult some
mornings, you will need an effective SYSTEM to support your
decision day by day.
2. Procrastination versus Commitment.
If getting up early is merely something you "should" do or
"might" do, you'll think about it, perhaps set an alarm
clock, or list it as a "goal" so you can prepare for it in
the future. This is a sophisticated form of procrastination.
Most of us, most of the time, avoid doing "hard" and if
getting up early is difficult or painful, we tend to turn
off the alarm and doze a few more minutes.
The truth, however, is that we have all gotten up in the
middle of the night to catch an early flight, leave on
vacation or whatever. For fifty years, my mother got up at
five o'clock on every major holiday so she could get the
turkey in the oven or handle whatever needed to be done. Why
did she do that? Because it was sufficiently important to
her!
We do the things that are important to us.
So here's a SYSTEM for getting up early if you make the
decision to do so. Remember, this is not a goal. You can
decide this today, tomorrow, or next month. It's a decision
and here's a system you can implement whenever you're
sufficiently committed:
Do not set an alarm clock! Decide you will get up at a
specific time and then set SEVERAL alarm clocks. Set one
alarm beside your bed for the time you want to get up. Then
set several other alarms to go off five minutes later. Put
one in the bathroom. Set a larger, louder and more obnoxious
one in the kitchen (next to the coffee pot?). And if you are
truly committed to doing this and suspect you may have a
problem, set a really loud one next to the baby's crib! If
you have a good-enough SYSTEM, I guarantee you will get up
and stay up for the rest of the day.
If, on the other hand, you merely want to "think about"
getting up, set one alarm and you're good to go.
I love goals! We are goal-achieving creatures and successful
people use effective goal-setting techniques to transform
their lives. But we also tend to procrastinate, and we can
use that to our advantage. Never set a "goal" when a
decision is the more appropriate tool. Powerful decisions,
matched with effective systems, can change your world faster
than you can imagine! Decide to go for it!

Quotes of the Week
“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get
even less than you settled for.” -- Maureen Dowd

"My success just evolved from working hard at the business
at hand each day." -- Johnny Carson

“The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The
great opportunity is where you are.” -- John Burroughs

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent
or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”
-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

ELIMINATE THE TIME WASTERS IN SELLING

The first major time waster in selling is procrastination and delay. This occurs when you find every conceivable reason to put off getting there with people who can and will buy from you. Everyone procrastinates. There is always too much to do and too little time. The difference between successes and failures is determined by people's choices about what they put off. Losers put off the important things that could make a difference in their lives. Winners put off low-value tasks and activities.
Stop Wasting Time
According to Robert Half International, half of all working time, in all fields, is wasted. Most of this wasted time is taken up with coffee breaks, phone calls, and personal business, or other useless activities that make no contribution to your work.
Resolve to Overcome Procrastination
The best way to overcome procrastination is to plan each day in advance, set priorities on your activities, and then make your first sales call as early as you possibly can. Get up and get going. When you launch quickly into a workday, doing something important as early as possible, you will work at a higher level of effectiveness all day long.
The Incomplete Sales Call
Another major time waster is the incomplete sales call, requiring a callback. This occurs when you have not thoroughly prepared your presentation or taken all the materials you need for your sales call. When you are with the customer, you find you're missing the correct order forms, or other materials needed to close the sale. You then have to make arrangements to go back and see the prospect a second time, something that often does not happen.
Inaccuracies and Deficiencies
You waste a lot of time in selling when you find yourself with a prospect, but without all the information needed to make an intelligent presentation. You may have the wrong facts, the wrong figures, or the wrong specifications. You have misunderstood what the prospect said she wanted and made a proposal that does not solve the prospect's problem or satisfy her need.
Lack of Product Knowledge
This weakness can cost you hours of hard work. It boils down to ignorance of the product or service you are selling. This is invariably caused by laziness on the part of the salesperson. Fortunately it can be very easily overcome with time and study.
Poor Preparation
Thorough preparation separates the sheep from the goats among sales professionals. The top salesperson takes the time to diligently study every detail of her product or service. She reviews and then reviews again. She takes notes. She decides in advance that no one will ever ask her a question that she cannot answer intelligently and completely.
Unconfirmed Appointments
Here's a common scenario. A salesperson sets off across town to see a prospect for an appointment. It was arranged in advance, so everything should go as planned, right? But when the salesperson arrives, the prospect has been called out of town, is in a meeting, or cannot see him for some reason. As a result, he has wasted the entire trip, including the time it now takes him to get back to the office. Sometimes a salesperson can lose half a day because he did not reconfirm an appointment.
Action Exercise
Plan every day in advance; make a list of everything you have to do, and then set priorities on your list; always start with your number one, most important task.

ELIMINATE THE TIME WASTERS IN SELLING

The first major time waster in selling is procrastination and delay. This occurs when you find every conceivable reason to put off getting there with people who can and will buy from you. Everyone procrastinates. There is always too much to do and too little time. The difference between successes and failures is determined by people's choices about what they put off. Losers put off the important things that could make a difference in their lives. Winners put off low-value tasks and activities.
Stop Wasting Time
According to Robert Half International, half of all working time, in all fields, is wasted. Most of this wasted time is taken up with coffee breaks, phone calls, and personal business, or other useless activities that make no contribution to your work.
Resolve to Overcome Procrastination
The best way to overcome procrastination is to plan each day in advance, set priorities on your activities, and then make your first sales call as early as you possibly can. Get up and get going. When you launch quickly into a workday, doing something important as early as possible, you will work at a higher level of effectiveness all day long.
The Incomplete Sales Call
Another major time waster is the incomplete sales call, requiring a callback. This occurs when you have not thoroughly prepared your presentation or taken all the materials you need for your sales call. When you are with the customer, you find you're missing the correct order forms, or other materials needed to close the sale. You then have to make arrangements to go back and see the prospect a second time, something that often does not happen. Inaccuracies and Deficiencies
You waste a lot of time in selling when you find yourself with a prospect, but without all the information needed to make an intelligent presentation. You may have the wrong facts, the wrong figures, or the wrong specifications. You have misunderstood what the prospect said she wanted and made a proposal that does not solve the prospect's problem or satisfy her need.
Lack of Product Knowledge
This weakness can cost you hours of hard work. It boils down to ignorance of the product or service you are selling. This is invariably caused by laziness on the part of the salesperson. Fortunately it can be very easily overcome with time and study.
Poor Preparation
Thorough preparation separates the sheep from the goats among sales professionals. The top salesperson takes the time to diligently study every detail of her product or service. She reviews and then reviews again. She takes notes. She decides in advance that no one will ever ask her a question that she cannot answer intelligently and completely.
Unconfirmed Appointments
Here's a common scenario. A salesperson sets off across town to see a prospect for an appointment. It was arranged in advance, so everything should go as planned, right? But when the salesperson arrives, the prospect has been called out of town, is in a meeting, or cannot see him for some reason. As a result, he has wasted the entire trip, including the time it now takes him to get back to the office. Sometimes a salesperson can lose half a day because he did not reconfirm an appointment.
Action Exercise
Plan every day in advance; make a list of everything you have to do, and then set priorities on your list; always start with your number one, most important task.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY

I rarely find something that is both "instant" and the
"ultimate" guide to anything. In general, I find the
important things in life take some time, some effort and a
bit of skill, and that while "instant" fixes may be fast,
they seldom last.
This week, however, my reading and thinking have focused on
something that is so fast, so obvious and so powerful, I
want to share it with you. In preparing the Git 'er Done
tools and coaching call for next week, I've focused on the
fact that it's what we achieve or master in life that actually
endures. It's not what we intend, or dream or hope. It's what
we do that matters and lasts.

So, with that premise, I've focused on productivity. I've
been asking, "What specific conditions help us get the most
done with the least effort and the most fun?" Here are five
key steps:
1. Time Management. This is the most common and the least
effective way to increase our results. We're trying to
manage something we don't own and that fundamentally cannot
be managed or changed. Time just is. It's here, it flows,
and it's gone. Time management is a non-starter and if you
aren't managing your priorities, energy, physical space,
and personal environment, trying to manage time is just one
more source of frustration.
2. Activity Management. This at least has the virtue of
being "do-able." We can choose our priorities and manage
our actions through the day. We can say no to distractions
and focus our efforts. Practice "single handling" and avoid
the fallacy of "multi-tasking!" Do one thing at a time and
do it well. Refuse to engage in dead-end activities. Plan
your activities and stick to your plan!
3. Energy Management. This is what most people are actually
hoping for when they talk about time management. They want
to get more done with less effort and have something left
for "me" or "we" at the end of the day. Manage your energy.
Sleep well, rest often, be efficient. Do your most
important work when you are most awake. Put your "best
stuff" into your most important priorities and let things
of secondary importance get secondary effort. It's not the
quickest or easiest path to the good life, but it's a
reasonable start.
4. Space Management. Now things get interesting! Manage
your environment so it's hard (and rare) for people or
things to interrupt you. Close the door, turn off the phone
and focus until your most important work is complete.
Eliminate distractions. Fix, replace or junk anything that
annoys or frustrates you. Make your office, car, kitchen,
bedroom and bathroom "perfect!" Clean them up. Surround
yourself with beauty! Make everything around you attractive
and inspiring. You'll get more done and have more fun doing
it.
5. Eco-System Design™. This is what we're looking for! Why
“manage” chaos when you can create the life of your dreams?
The key is a system that effortlessly (and inevitably)
pulls you toward your most important goals and most
exciting outcomes every single day. You don't have to
"think about it" or "work at it." Design a life that simply
"makes it so!"
Surround yourself with things and people that inspire you,
that give you energy and support you to be your best, most
productive and most joyful. Fill your life with things and
people that pull you forward. No distractions! No
annoyances, no break-downs, no crises. Use pro-active
maintenance in every area of life so you live well and do
the work you are called to do!
Fortunately, this is not hard! People say they can't have a
perfect eco-system because they can't afford it or don’t
have time, or their family or friends won't allow it.
Nonsense! Creating a great life is not hard -- living with
frustration is "hard!" Creating a perfect life may require
some investment or learning new habits, but living well is
not nearly as hard as living with problems!
This is the ultimate (and ultimately the only) solution to
maximum productivity!