10 HABITS OF THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

1. They are goal setters

Rich people set goals that make them rich. People don’t become rich by accident. Rich people are very deliberate: they set goals to become rich and they eventually achieve those goals. The act of goal setting itself is a very rewarding exercise because it helps you to see and feel the money you want to have even before you get it.

2. They focus on one thing at a time

A laser beam can cut through very hard objects—it can cut through almost anything, in fact—and this is because of its unusual ability to concentrate all its power on a particular spot on the object until it begins to melt. Rich people are usually like laser beams. They set outrageous goals, but they stay focused on that one goal, directing all their activities and efforts towards achieving that goal until they accomplish it. Average Joes, on the other hand, often have no focus; they just tend to do whatever comes their way and take whatever life hands them. If you want to be rich, be goal oriented and stay focused.

3. They have great respect for time

Brian Tracy said that rich people think in terms of what they earn hourly rather than monthly or annually. Because they think hourly, whenever they are spending time on unproductive activities, they think about how much they are losing with every passing moment. Rich people don’t spend too much time on social media or watching TV. They work around the clock and cannot afford to waste any minute of their day.

4. They spend less than they earn

As simple as this may seem, it is the secret to getting wealthy: always spend less than you earn. The problem with poor-thinking people is they increase their expenses as their income increases. They buy better cars, bigger houses and they remain poor or average. Think about this in terms of percentage; if you want to be rich then follow the motto, “Save 10% of whatever you earn.” But be smart about it. As Warren Buffet said: “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” I also advise that you work with a budget and that you keep an income and expenditure statement.

5. They work very hard

Except for people who inherited great riches, I have not seen any lazy rich person. Rich people work very hard and they also work constantly. People that work hard can’t be behind, they are always on top of their profession whether they are business people, self-employed, or even employees. They always do things that ordinary people cannot do.

6. They continually learn and grow

The more you know is the more you earn. Your learning power determines your earning power. As much as it is important to work hard, hard work alone will not make you rich. Before money can be earned, value must be given in return, and the only way to add more value to your clients is by first adding more value to yourself. This can only be done through continuous learning. Make up your mind to develop new skills and gain more experience every day.

7. They keep rich company

Rich people don’t have poor friends. As the old saying goes, “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.” Let me tell you something: you may not have so much money right now, but as long as you keep walking with rich people or those with the potential to become rich, you will someday become very rich yourself.

8. They are persistent

Rich people don’t give up. About 90% of rich people today did not become rich the way they originally thought or intended. They tried, they failed, and they rose up again many times before they eventually succeeded. You may lose a lot of money in the process, but you’ll keep getting better by learning from your mistakes and experiences until you get the financial independence you desire.

 

9. They take calculated risks

Rich people are fond of taking risks. Once they decide they want to get something, they will give whatever it takes to get it, even if it means risking their lives sometimes. If you want to become rich, don’t be afraid of taking risks. Be bold and courageous, but also be calculative. Know what each decision will cost you and never put all your eggs in one basket.

10. They are generous

Rich people are very generous. If you look at the lives of the richest people in modern history, you will discover that a lot of them are great philanthropists: people like Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, to name a few. Make giving one of your habits today and you will become very rich someday, too.

 

GREAT SERVICE, BIG SALES

Dan Hinson has been my computer guru for years and this
week we installed some new machines and up-graded our
network, and he was fantastic! Dan has been around
computers for a long, long time and I suspect he could
easily charge more than he does.
Every time we call, he shows up on time, works very hard,
and always does more than we ask--he answers all my, "Oh,
and what about?" requests without hesitation and usually,
without charge.
What makes this noteworthy is that Dan has never done a
lick of advertising. He is a member of the Chamber of
Commerce and attends their breakfast on Friday mornings,
but that's all the marketing he’s ever done. A weekly
breakfast with friends, strong word of mouth, and great
service have built his business.
In contrast, too often I see people showing up a day late
or being a little bit greedy about price, and they wonder
why their sales don't grow.
Dan cares about people. When he attends a Chamber meeting,
he remembers people's names, he says hello, and he
contributes to the organization. He greets people at the
door, volunteers for committees and does the little extras
like setting up chairs or starting the coffee. People
appreciate these things, and when they need computer
services, guess who they call?
There is no mystery here. This is not rocket science! It's
about "putting in before you take out." How does Dan's
commitment to service work out? Here’s part of the answer:
He tells me he’s not taking new customers because he has
all the work he can handle, and he won’t let work distract
him from time with his bride of 37 years! Way to go, Dan!

IN 2014: START SMART TO FINISH STRONG

There's truth in the old saying that, "Well begun is half-
done!" How we start a project determines, to a large
degree, how well we finish. Whether it's fear, confusion,
hesitation, a lack of resources or whatever, starting badly
robs us of momentum and excitement and undermines us all
along the way. Even if we eventually reach our goal, too
often it's with a reduced level of satisfaction and poor
over-all performance.
"Well begun is half-done!"
Today, I'm writing with specific reference to your goals
for the New Year. Even if that's a new idea for you,

I encourage you to "try it on"
and see if it works for you! Take the next few weeks to
review your successes and failures for 2013. Notice what
worked and what didn't. List the opportunities, challenges
and changes you want to make in 2014. Ponder them! Talk
them over with your partners and loved ones.
And by January 1st, have a clear list, a calendar and a
budget for 2014.
"Well begun is half-done!"
I encourage you to consider your priorities and
plans in these five areas:
1.  Start Smart: Income and Spending
Review your income and expenses this year. Any surprises?
Any frustrations? Any changes you want to make for next
year? What do want to earn in 2014 and how does that break
down by quarter, by month or even (in some cases) by the
week? What will you do with the money you earn? Will your
spending reflect your values and priorities?
2.  Start Smart: Business and Career
How did you do this year? Did you hit your goals, grow you
business or advance your career? What did you learn? What
do you need to learn next year? What will you expand or
duplicate? What needs to be changed or cancelled? What are
your Top 3 Opportunities in 2014? List them.
3.  Start Smart: Community and Relationships
Were your most important relationships rich and satisfying
in 2013? If so, how will you keep that momentum going in
2014? Or, if you are not satisfied, what will you change
(what will you Do Different!) in the new year? How about
your friends and extended family? Your community
involvement, circle of influence, and other contacts? What
do you want in 2014?
4.  Start Smart: Fitness, Health and Wellness
How well did you care for yourself in 2013? Are there
changes you should make in your weight, fitness, sleep or
nutritional habits? I'm not talking about fad diets or 30-
day make-overs. I'm asking if you are healthier now than 12
months ago. Your health and fitness are key assets for
achieving all your other goals. What do you want to see
when you step on the scale or visit your doctor a year from
now? Start Smart and finish stronger than you are today.
5  Start Smart: Spirituality and Personal Growth
This is a broad area, but who do you want to become and how
will you grow as a person in 2014? What do you believe
about the Big Questions in life, and how are your beliefs
expressed in daily life? What skills or habits do you want
to adopt in 2014? What do you want to eliminate or over-
come? What books should you read? What classes or
conferences will you attend? Start Smart to create a Brand
New You in 2014.
I've listed five broad areas to consider as you plan for
2014. You may have other areas, or you might want to break
some of them into your own sub-points. But whatever you
dream or desire, the new year gives you unlimited
opportunity to "make it so." Fifty-two weeks is a long
time. Three hundred and sixty-five brand new mornings is an
astonishing resource. Don't blow it!
Focus on the truth that "Well begun is half-done." What
will you achieve in 2014? Who will you become? What
miracles will you and your loved ones create in the New
Year? Define your outcomes, develop clear and measurable
plans, and Start Smart! Habits and routines are powerful
things. They are so powerful that without concrete,
specific action the future tends to look an awful lot like
the past, only more so. Do not let that happen!
Decide now that in 2014 you will Start Smart and Finish
Strong.

BUY YOUR 2014 CALENDARS

Have you scheduled your 2014 vacation yet? How about your
continuing education, or the up-grade for your computer?
How about your tax planning or that trip you’ve always
wanted, or opening the new office?
It’s time to get your new calendar up on the wall and
prepare your budgets, goals and targets for the new year.
I put up our 2014 year-at-a-glance wall calendars last
weekend. I encourage you to do the same!
I know it may sound early, but Halloween is over, the
leaves have fallen (and "down under" spring is sprung!) and
the New Year will be here before you know it. NOW is the
time to plan and prepare.
I am a huge believer in large, year-at-a-glance wall
calendars to keep us focused and make things happen. Of
course, there is nothing magical about wall calendars! But
they do create a visual reminder of our most important
priorities and we have used them for many years.
We use a simple color-code system, with vacations and
holidays in green (a life-affirming color), major business
events and deadlines in red, blue for travel, and other
colors for specific conferences and miscellaneous events.
Every day, my assistant, my wife and I see the calendar,
note the color-codes and are reminded to stay on track,
keep our promises and finish our projects.
NOW is the time to plan your most prosperous, most exciting
year ever. NOW is the time to review your performance for
2013 and set new goals for the year ahead. Sure, your goals
be refined and perhaps even changed as you finalize plans
in the coming weeks, but begin the process now.
Get your 2014 calendars, schedule your most important
personal and professional dates, and mark them down. Decide
NOW that 2014 will be your best year ever!

TROUBLE AND TRIUMPH

The biggest difference between winners and losers is their
ability to cope with adversity.
Life will throw problems in your path. Sometimes the
challenges will be physical, other times they will be
financial. Sometimes they will be difficult people, or a
natural disaster like a fire or earthquake, but sooner or
later, life challenges each of us. And here's a key point:
Our response to small daily challenges is a much better
predictor of our long-term success than our response to the
few real disasters in life.
Disasters are big! We can't deny or avoid them; we MUST
deal with them. When our home burns down or an accident
puts us in the hospital, everyone understands that we MUST
deal with these things.
It is no accident that Winston Churchill described the
Battle of Britain as "their finest hour." When emergencies
strike, we drop everything and rise to the occasion.
The real test in terms of life success is how we deal with
the "termites," the little things that are easy to ignore.
Things like living within our means. Things like managing
our weight and staying fit. Things like time for loved
ones, time for rest and for renewal.
These things are not dramatic and they are not urgent. We
can delay taking time for our kids. We can neglect our
health for a long time before obvious problems occur.
Recently I saw a biography of Donald Rumsfield, and one of
the points they made is that he "moves toward problems; he
never turns his back or walks away." That is a sound
strategy!
High achievers expect challenges. They know that as they
move forward, problems will occur. Unexpected things will
happen, and they maintain an attitude of optimism, humor,
strength and resolve in the face of difficulties. They know
that as they become ever more successful, the size and
complexity of their problems will only grow. How could it
be any other way?
So, here are a couple of keys to solving problems:
1. Expect difficulty! This is no surprise, it is not unfair
or unusual. Life is complicated. Get good at it.
2. Keep a buffer around the edges of your life. Maintain a
reserve of extra time, savings in the bank, and a bit of
energy to handle the unexpected.
3. Attitudes of optimism and enthusiasm are essential.
4. View difficulties as challenges or learning
opportunities rather than as problems. How we talk about
our difficulties makes a huge difference in how we handle
them. Words matter!
5. "We get by with a little help from our friends." Have a
team of cheerleaders, experts and colleagues on stand-by to
help you over-come any challenge.
6. Be proactive. Take care of difficulties while they are
small. Preventive maintenance is good for your car, your
relationships and your heart.
7. Learn from every experience and (try) not to have the
same problem twice. Learn from difficulties, make changes,
and move on. Never repeat the same life-lesson!
The key is understanding that challenges are how we learn
and grow. Life is about what we learn and what we learn to
do. Expect interesting situations! Taking them in stride
builds your confidence. Never fear trouble; learn to
triumph over it!

BE A DOCTOR OF SELLING

Did you know that there are three keys to building relationships? Top sales professionals see themselves as "Doctors of Selling." They see themselves as professionals, well educated, acting in their "patient's" best interest, and bound by a high code of ethics.

The medical process is the same everywhere. Whenever you go to any doctor, of any kind, for any condition, he will follow the three part sequence of examination, diagnosis and prescription.

Begin With a Thorough Examination

Just as a medical professional would never think of treating you without following these three steps in order, you as a doctor of selling, would never allow a customer to force you to sell without your going through your three stages as well. This is as applicable to selling magazines door-to-door as it is to selling oil tankers to Exxon.

In the examination phase, you ask excellent questions, carefully prepared, in sequence, which are geared to give you a thorough knowledge of the patient's condition, or the customer's situation.

Diagnose the Customer's Need Accurately

The second phase is that of diagnosis. In the diagnosis phase with a customer, you would repeat back the results of your examination and double check to be sure that the symptoms that you had detected were the real symptoms being experienced by the patient. You would ask additional questions to confirm and corroborate. You and the patient would mutually agree that this diagnosis seems to be an accurate description of the condition or problem.

Make the Right Prescription

Once this mutual agreement has been reached, that a treatable condition exists and that you have identified it accurately, you can move on to phase three. This is the prescription phase, where you show the patient (customer) that your product or service is the best available treatment, taking all the factors of the patient's situation into consideration for the ailment that you have diagnosed. You show that, on balance, what you are suggesting is the best of all possible solutions.

Professionals who sell in the way that doctors treat patients find that their sales activities proceed far more smoothly and result in better sales in less time.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take the time to do a thorough examination by asking excellent questions and by listening carefully to the answers.

Second, repeat back and check your diagnosis with the customer so that you both agree on the need or problem - before you recommend a solution.

THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT FORMULA

Did you know that the key to long term success is for you to dedicate yourself to continuous improvement?

There are many things you can do to put your career onto the fast track. You can set clear, specific goals for each area of your life and then make plans to accomplish them. You can plan your work and work your plan.

Ask For Greater Responsibility

You can accept 100% responsibility for everything you are and everything you become. You can refuse to make excuses or to blame others. You can tell your boss that you want greater responsibilities and then when you get them, put your whole heart into doing an excellent job.

Utilize Your Inborn Talents

In the parable of the talents in the New Testament, Jesus says, "Oh good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over small things. I will make you master over large things."

If you too will carry out every assignment to the very best of your ability, you will be given larger and more important things to do and you'll be paid more as a result.

Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Improvement

The key to long term success is for you to dedicate yourself to continuous improvement. If you become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to 1/1000th improvement per working day. Is that possible? Of course it is!

Improve A Little At a Time

If you become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to one half of one percent more productive each week. One half of one percent more productive each week amounts to two percent more productive each month and 26% more productive each year.

The cumulative effect if becoming a tiny bit better at your field and more productive amounts to a tremendous increase in your value and your output over time.
How to Double Your Productivity

Twenty-six percent more productive each year, with compounding, amounts to doubling your overall productivity and performance every 2.7 years. If you become 26% more productive each year, with compounding, times 10 years, you will be 1004% more productive over the next decade. That is an increase of ten times over ten years.

The Reason for All Great Successes

This is called the Law of Accumulation, or the Principle of Incremental Improvement. It is the primary reason for all great success stories. By the yard, it’s hard. But inch by inch, anything’s a cinch!

Become A 1000% Person

Make a decision, right now, to be a 1000% person. Commit yourself to continuous personal and professional development. Read, listen to audio programs and take additional courses. This process will completely transform your life.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do to put these ideas into action immediately.

First, make a plan to become a little bit better every single day. Learn and apply one new idea each day to help you to become more productive and effective at your work. The incremental effect will amaze you.

Second, be patient. Don't expect overnight changes or instant results. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Become a little bit better each day and your future will take care of itself.

5 TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR SOCIAL SKILLS

There are many different social skills and the impact they have on other people varies. Acting on two or three "easy" skills isn't enough. The best results are achieved when several skills are used in combination with one another. The expression "the total is greater than the sum of its parts" resonates loudly with respect to social skills. When individuals combine various skills such as listening, making small talk, giving compliments, maintaining eye contact, greeting others warmly, and many others, they will experience more social success in many different situations.
Strong social skills include (among others):
- active listening
- knowing how to greet others
- conversing and making small talk
- building a friendly rapport
- complimenting others
- offering praise and encouragement
- showing support and understanding
- acknowledging others
- saying 'thank you'
Techniques and methods are available to develop all social skills. Knowing what to say and how to act are basic social skills that anyone can learn. Here are five tips for improving social skills:
1. Start with the skills that feel the most comfortable to you.
There is such a wide variety of social skills to learn that you can begin with the skills with which you feel the most comfortable.
It can be as simple as constructing a meaningful "thank-you," a compliment or using a technique to remember names. Practicing these skills in situations where a comfort level already exists builds confidence and, as more skills are added, begins to establish good interpersonal relationships.
2. Work on your social skills before you're in a situation where you really need them.
When you're using skills such as giving quality feedback or negotiating, it's better to have established a rapport, whenever possible, with the individuals involved prior to beginning these discussions. These kinds of situations have the potential to be difficult and intimidating, so having positive interactions before these situations come up will make them much easier to approach.
Constant maintenance of good relationships builds a strong foundation so there's a better chance of weathering challenging times. These interactions can be very simple - from greeting colleagues in the elevator to acknowledging others on the workshop floor to making small talk at staff meetings. Over time, these small interactions make a big difference in your relationships and ongoing success.
3. Make a point of interacting with others in familiar situations.
When you've learned some techniques, start practicing your new social skills in your daily life. This could be at a work meeting where you speak to someone you haven't talked to before or to someone with whom you've never had any significant conversation. You could be at your vet's office talking to another pet owner about their pet or picking up your child from daycare and beginning a conversation with another parent.
These situations are based on common ground so a topic for discussion already exists and you're not trying to establish one. As well, you'll meet up with most of these people again - at work, in another meeting, the next day at daycare - so you can start to establish a friendly rapport with them.
4. Attend Events, Accept Invitations and Join Clubs or Associations
Once you have learned a few social skills techniques, challenge yourself by attending events or social gatherings to try out your new skills.
It's probably easier and less stressful for the beginner to go to an event where there is a main attraction - such as a keynote speaker, panel discussion or performance - so that the pressure to interact is lessened, but the opportunity to meet people and to interact is still there. If the occasion focuses solely on the interaction between guests, such as a dinner party, it may put more pressure on the beginner to be "on" for the entire evening.
Alternatively, if you're already comfortable in the company of others, a dinner party would be ideal to practice your social skills and reunite with friends and acquaintances, make new friends, have good conversations and simply have a good time with everyone else.
Membership in clubs and associations brings together individuals who share common interests and is a basis for mutually satisfying conversation and ongoing interaction. Implementing social skills in these situations is easier than having to discover areas of interest or expertise from scratch - although this is easy to do when you have the skills.
When working on your skills, it's very important to put yourself in situations where you can act on them - even if it makes you uncomfortable. Keep the techniques in mind, knowing that with practice the skills become easier and easier to use.
5. Practice
The more frequently you interact with others and put yourself in situations where you're meeting, working or getting to know someone, the more your skills will develop and the easier they become. Continual practice as you go about your daily activities is never time wasted - you're building and strengthening your interpersonal relationships as you improve your skills.
Social skills are, and will always be, an important part of ongoing, daily interactions. They're not something learned one day and forgotten the next. They require a continuous, conscious awareness of the various skills. Fortunately, it doesn't take a long time nor a lot of effort to develop good social skills; the rewards are certainly worth it.

LEADERSHIP IS JOB ONE!

There's a saying that you can manage things, but you must
lead people, and it is absolutely critical for leaders to
profoundly "get" that distinction.
In the companies I've led, we have never used the title of
"Manager" because I felt it was essential for every member
of the organization, from myself and members of the Board,
down to the newest hire, to know they were hired and paid
to be leaders. If you want to build your business, there is
no alternative.
Many years ago I worked in our County Mental Health
department and (to avoid any hurt feelings) I want to say
that I worked for and with great people. But the system
encouraged us to be "worker bees," and the managers were
primarily paper-shufflers. They were trained to manage the
budget, manage the staff and manage the clients. They were
good at those things, but they were not LEADERS, and morale
and productivity suffered accordingly.
Achievement comes from leaders. Leadership sets the
direction and the pace. Leaders model appropriate
attitudes, behaviors, and values. Great leaders never have
to refer to the company policy manual or explain the
mission statement because from a new employee's first day
they see, taste, smell and "get" what the company is all
about.
Ford Motor Company used to have a slogan that "Quality is
job one", and it's a great slogan, but here's an even
better slogan when it comes to selecting, promoting and
rewarding people in executive and decision-making roles.
I recommend: Leadership is Job One!
To grow your business, select, train, support and empower
leaders. They'll take you places!

YOUR 3 TOUGHEST COMPETITORS IN EVERY SALE

Customers have more choices than ever before in what they buy, how they buy and from whom they buy. Most salespeople worry about selling against their direct counterpart or a competing company.
That’s not always your biggest competition.
 Let’s take a look at it from the customer’s perspective. In their eyes, the top choice for solving the challenge at hand may not be between you and a rival vendor. In every sale, customers will consider at least one of these options:

1. The customer decides to solve the challenge internally. This is also the “I can do it myself, cheaper” solution. After seeking bids and evaluating various vendors, the customer does a cost-benefit analysis on outsourcing and decides they can do it as well – or well enough – internally, usually for less money.
2. The customer decides not to buy at all. This “do nothing” option is ever present – and sometimes the toughest competition to overcome. It can be based on  various factors, including:
   • The customer may have perceived a real need for change but shifts in internal or external circumstances cause them to pause or cancel the entire initiative.  
   • The customer may have been “kicking tires” all along, which means they never really intended to buy an outside solution, but felt compelled to research possible products or services as a way of confirming their own concept.
3. The customer defunds the initiative. Basically, the challenge your solution addressed falls down, or off, the priority list.

What you can do
 Factor these competitors into your strategy from the start. As you meet with customers and begin to discuss the issues they are trying to address, consider whether the customer could resolve the situation one of these ways.
 You can ask your Coach on the opportunity if the customer is considering these options. If they are, you may consider changing the conversation with the customer by:

• Directly asking the customer about these options
• Highlighting specific strengths your solution offers vs. the above options
• Evaluating the cost/benefits of continuing to pursue this opportunity
•   ooking for other types of opportunities to pursue

SELF IMAGE IN SELLING

Did you know that your self-image in selling is a key part of your personality? Your self-image is the way you think about yourself and is often called your "inner mirror."

You look into this mirror in every situation to see how you should perform on the outside. You always behave on the outside in a manner consistent with the picture you have of yourself on the inside.

How Do You See Yourself

For example, do you see yourself, as calm, confident and competent in any aspect of selling? If you do, you will feel calm, confident and competent. You will be positive and happy. You will perform well and get excellent results. If, for any reason, it doesn't go well at that time, you will throw it off and dismiss it as a temporary situation. Your self-image is clear. In your mind's eye you see yourself as good and capable in that area, and nothing can interfere with your mental picture.

Change Your Self-Image

The most rapid improvements in sales results come from changing your self-image. The moment that you see yourself differently, you behave differently as well. And because you are behaving differently, you get different results.

My Own Story - Brian Tracy

Some years ago, when I was selling club memberships from office to office, I would end my presentation by giving the prospect a booklet outlining the membership benefits and encourage him to "think about it." My self-image was such that I could not bring myself to ask the prospect to make a buying decision. All day long, I would go from office to office giving my presentation and leaving a little book with descriptions to read. And as you might imagine, I was not making any sales. When I called people back after they had time to think about it, they would invariably say that they were not interested.

The Turning Point

I was getting desperate. I was living from hand to mouth at the time. Although I was seeing lots of prospects, I was making very few sales. Then I had a revelation which changed my career at the time. I realized that it was my fear of asking for the order that was causing all my problems. It was not my prospects. It was me. I needed to change my self-image and thereby change my behaviour if I wanted results to improve.

Make A Decision

The very next morning, I made the decision that I would not call back on a prospect. The size of the purchase was small and, when I had completed my presentation, the prospect would know everything that he needed to know to make a decision. There was no benefit or advantage of leaving material behind or giving the prospect several days to think about it. At my very first call, and I still remember it, when I had finished my presentation, the prospect said, "Let me think it over." I smiled and told him that I did not make call backs because I was too busy, and then I said, "You know everything you need to know to make a decision right now. Why don't you just take it?" I remember him shrugging his shoulders and saying, "OK. I'll take it. How would you like to be paid?"

Double Your Earnings

I walked out of that office on a cloud. That very day I tripled my sales. That week, I sold more than anyone else in the company. By the end of the month, they had made me the sales manager with 42 people under me. I went from making one or two sales per week to making ten or fifteen sales per week. I went from worrying about money to a large salary with an override on the activities of all my salespeople. My sales life took off and, with few exceptions, it never stopped. And the turning point was that conscious choice to modify my self-image and make it more consistent with the results I wanted rather than the results that I was getting.

Action Exercises

Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, begin to see yourself the way you want to be. See yourself as strong, confident, competent and professional in every way. The person you see is the person you will be.

Second, identify an area of selling where your own ideas about yourself and the situation are holding you back. You always perform on the outside the way you see yourself on the inside.

THE WORLD'S BEST TOOLS

This week I was talking with a colleague about technology
and computers, and told her about my policy of replacing
our office computers every 18 months, or sooner. She
exclaimed that she couldn't afford that, and my comment was
that I couldn't afford not to.
The rule is that the most productive workers, and
ultimately the most successful people, always have the best
tools. Period.
To earn more, you must know and produce more, and that
requires better tools. For most of us, our key tools are
our knowledge, our computers, and the colleagues we
associate with every day.
1. That means you must learn more. Continuous learning is a
must. Brian Tracy points out that if you read one book per
week, in ten years you will have read 500 books, and then
he asks this question: "Would reading 500 books give you an
edge over your competitors, knowing that most people never
read at all?" I think the answer is obvious.
2. It means investing in the best equipment. I replace our
computers because I do not want "down time." I replace them
as insurance against failed hard drives and burned out
chips. I replace them (and up-grade our software) because I
trust Murphy's Law that if systems can fail, they will
fail, and at the worst possible moment. I want our office
to be a "problem-free zone" where we work without
frustration or distraction. Get good equipment.
3. Expand your network. There is great truth that "it's who
you know that counts". My network of amazing people have
the answers to almost any question, they assist me, and
they support my clients. It's the network that provides me
with what I need, when I need it, virtually every time.
To earn more, get better tools.

RE-EVALUATING YEARLY GOALS

Note: This article was originally written at mid year so it is good reminder around June but the principles are applicable anytime even at this month of November.
In a sporting event, the players are given a break at the half in order to refresh themselves, look at how they played in the first half, and set strategy for the second half. So as you approach halftime, here are some thoughts. Do you have a vacation planned in the next two months that will give you the needed break and refreshment? If not, schedule one this week! How did you “play” in the first half of this year? Have you met your goals that you established at the beginning of the year? Here are a few ideas to evaluate where you are at with your goals as you approach the halfway mark.
Take some time to sit down alone and review your goals. How many are you on mark to make? How many have you not even begun on? How many have you achieved?
For those you haven’t even begun, my suggestion would be to reset your goal at 10 percent of the original goal. Obviously this goal hasn’t been a priority, for whatever reason, and most likely won’t suddenly become so. But you can make some ground. Set a small increase for the remaining six months and get ahead a little in these areas.
For the goals you are on pace to achieve, try to stretch about 10 percent. So, to give it a numerical value, if your original goal was 10 and you have already reached 5 after halfway, stretch yourself to try to achieve 11 by the end of the year. This will give you a good reason to kick into high gear as the year progresses.
For those goals you are on pace to break strongly through, try an increase of 50 percent.
And finally, for the goals you have already reached, try to set the new goal at 100 percent of the original goal.
In all of these remember that it is better to try hard, and even fail at a higher goal, than to take the easy route and attain nothing at all!
Best of luck as you re-evaluate your goals!