BETTER GOALS GET BETTER RESULTS

Every subscriber knows the importance of setting clear
goals. We've all heard that only a very tiny percentage of
people actually set and use written goals. We've also heard
that those with written goals achieve more than everyone
else. We know this!
We also know, or think we know, all about goals and how to
use them. Most of us have taken a goal-setting workshop,
perhaps many of them. We've read about goals. We've read
newsletters like this one, encouraging us to set goals.
And the yet the statistics don't change: Only about 5% of
the population use written goals to create the life they
want.
Why do so many smart people fail to use a tool which holds
so much promise? We know about goals and goal-setting--or
think we do. Goal-setting holds incredible promise, and yet
year after year, the numbers don't change: only 4-5% have
and use written, organized goals.
My sense is that there are two powerful reasons why people
fail to take advantage of this amazing tool. And these
reasons make perfect sense, once we understand them.
First, most people do not really understand the process of
USING goals. We may understand how to SET goals without
ever learning how to USE them to transform our lives. It's
a bit like saying because someone knows how to buy
groceries, they must be a gourmet cook. I submit there is a
huge and vital difference between knowing how to shop (or
how to eat) and being a great cook--I've tasted the
difference!
Second, most people are (or think they are) allergic to
using goals and avoid running their life based on formal
goals. Most people have had terrible--frustrating,
disappointing, even painful--experiences with goals and we
tend to avoid things that cause us pain.
Let's change that!
Goals are powerful tools but they are more complex and
require more skill than is generally appreciated. "Just set
goals and change your life!" It sounds so easy! But it's
not.
Defining emotion-packed, challenging and life-changing
goals is, in most cases, hard work. It takes thought. It
challenges our values and priorities. It may disrupt our
schedule, change our behaviors, even cause conflict with
friends or family. Effective goals demand our best efforts.
And, while most people routinely achieve 99% of all the
goals they set, very few of us appreciate that. Most
"goals" are small, daily targets or objectives we set and
achieve with little or no special effort. We identify
something we want to change, we make a casual plan, take
action and achieve almost immediate success. My "goal" (or
desire) to have friends over for dinner Friday night works
out almost every time.
But that doesn't seem like a "real" goal. I only give
myself credit for a real goal if it's big and impressive,
if it increases my income by at least 25% next year. And
those are the goals that fail and frustrate me. Thus, my
(false) sense that goals "don't work" for me.
Effective goals require a rigorous, thoughtful process of
identifying four things:
1.  What do I want to do, achieve, have or become? (Be
precise!)
2.  Why do I want it? What's my motivation? What value does
it have for me?
3.  Is it a priority? What will I sacrifice, change or
trade in order to achieve my goal? How important is it,
really?
4.  What is my specific, measurable PLAN for success? Do I
have a budget and a schedule? Am I accountable for success?
Now is the time to begin planning your goals for 2015.
Don't let your 2015 goals become mere New Year's
Resolutions, chosen in the rush of the holidays and the
confusion of events. Take time to think. Take time to jot
notes. Take time to review your results for 2014, then
build on them!
And join us on the phone Monday evening to talk it over!
Goal-setting is a vital skill. To a large degree, our goals
determine our long-term results. Our goals predict the
future and describe the life we want. Let's talk about
that!

HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF INDISPENSABLE

 

So what does all this discussion of big brands mean to you and your career? How can you establish a personal brand that has meaning, relevance and recall for the people you meet? What can you put across about yourself that moves people to consider you and your personal brand as identical – and indispensable?
The key is to take your single most exemplary skill, hone it, and become known for it. Let it be your personal brand. Each one of the household names listed above has done just that. Think about what unique offering you have, and let it become your brand.
Do you have a talent for analysis? Are you particularly creative? Are you almost always the smartest one in the room? Perhaps you have an eye for detail that always seems to be a cut above the rest. Maybe you’re the taste maker on your block. Whatever it is, let people know about it and let your excellence speak for itself.
 

PERSONAL BRAND: ARE YOU COMING ACROSS? THE TRUTH MAY SURPRISE YOU

What is the power of having a personal brand? And why does this matter to you?Just as a corporate brand is often the literal heartbeat of a company, your personal brand is at the core of how people remember what you are about as a professional.
I may not need to say this, but I’ll lay it out there anyway: A corporate brand is worth a LOT of money.
Bryan Heathman said "In my own experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with companies whose brands ranked among the top 10 brands in the world. Professionally speaking, their branding opened countless doors for me during the course of my tenure with them. For me personally, engaging with them as an employee and later as a consultant has meant prestige, as a touch of their magic branding dust rubbed off on my C.V. It came in handy when I started my own company and 3 years later sold it for a cool 7-figures. Branding counts.
At Kodak during a time when its brand was ranked 4^th in the world. The brand alone was worth billions of dollars. Though the company failed to change rapidly enough during the explosive technology revolution, the Kodak brand is still recognizable today.
Generations grew up marking special events in their lives as “Kodak moments”. Kodak’s brand meant not merely some thin chemical strip to load into your camera, but the deep joy and freedom of fresh air on a Saturday morning with a world of possibilities ahead. The Kodak brand stood for the beauty of life’s precious little moments.
There’s no question: brand name recognition means power.
Take for example the case of Apple, the #1 brand in the world: their brand means innovation. Even before his untimely death, former CEO Steve Jobs had iconic status as the genius who pulled the company from the verge of extinction to the top of the charts through uncompromising innovation. Apple is the cutting edge. Owning Apple products means owning cutting edge technology that’s both simple and powerful. It’s geek snob appeal at its finest.
As the #1 website in the world for more than a decade, the Google brand has become so ingrained in our culture that it’s now used as a verb. If you want to find something online, you Google it. Google has joined the ranks of Xerox, Kleenex and a host of other brands that became part of the national lexicon: the brand and the product are perceived as one, inseparable and indispensable. There’s no more compelling benchmark for corporate success than that.
What we can say about these big brands and what they represent is that a company’s greatest skill, or its essence, can be distilled into just a few words. Anyone can latch onto the focus of the business in a matter of seconds. As an individual, you can leverage this kind of thinking for potent results in your work and in your life.

PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE AND MASTERY

Like most people, I get excited about things that are "new
and improved." Anything that is bigger, faster, better and
cheaper, gets my attention. I love new technology! But,
while it can be great fun, it can also be a path to
failure.
Recently, I spoke with the owner of a martial arts training
center who has achieved financial success by providing
classes for people who want to learn self-defense in a
short amount of time. He loves his success, but has also
discovered a level of sadness in it.
He said that "in the old days," students spent many years
mastering a small number of basic throws, punches and
blocks, practicing them many thousands of times, until they
became a type of mediation and the repeated practice
created a sense of inner peace. He told me that attaining
the honor of a "black belt" was traditionally based on
mastering only 5 basic movements.
Today, students want a 6-week course. They want to learn as
many different kicks, throws and punches as possible, earn
a degree in self-defense, and move on to the next big
thing. In the old days, karate masters learned to avoid
conflict and walk away from violence. Unfortunately,
today's students, confident in their new skills, sometimes
get into fights that could have been avoided. Too often,
they get hurt.
The distinction is between success that comes quickly and
easily, and another kind of success that requires patience,
persistence, discipline and effort. They are different
things, and should not be confused.
It is easy to get caught up and be impressed by those who
achieve early success. It is exciting to see athletes,
actors and entrepreneurs become famous, win awards, and
build large companies in their 20's and 30's. I celebrate
that this is possible. It is a good thing.
But, it is not the same thing as "mastery."
In her book, "The Writing Life", Annie Dillard talks about
spending hours over a single sentence, wrestling with a
paragraph or a page, only to tear it up and throw it away,
rescuing a single phrase at the end of the day. She is
talking about a different experience than the writers who
crank out pulp novels in 30 days, or produce controversial
biographies in 6 months.
Some things take time. And work, repetition, persistence
and mastery.
As a success coach, my job is to help individuals achieve
peak performance and reach their goals quickly, with less
frustration and less wasted effort. I love helping clients
cut through the clutter, eliminate distractions, and create
the life they truly want, doing it as quickly as possible.
It's exciting stuff!
But sometimes, the greatest success in life is invisible.
I'm talking about the inner discoveries, the quiet
insights, the joy of living a life of one's own.
There is a critical distinction between having more stuff,
and living well. There is a distinction between giving our
children more toys, and giving them more of our ourselves.
There is a distinction between going faster, and savoring
the journey. There is a distinction between making more
money, and having more joy.
There are wines that ought to be drunk soon after they are
bottled. But there are also wines that require time to
mature and to achieve a level of greatness. They sit in
cool, dark cellars. They gather dust, and to the casual
observer, it appears nothing much is happening. But to the
connoisseur, they are precious and can not be rushed.

3 STEPS TO POSITIONING SUCCESS AS A LEADER

Anyone can use a simple 3-step process to crystallize their unique perspective and position themselves as a leader in their field. 

1. Define: Take some time to get clear about what it is you stand for. What expertise do you have in your field? If you had just one hour to share your most valuable information with someone starting out in your field today, what would you tell them? Get your thoughts together on this, and give yourself the gift of clarity in this area. 

2. Execute: Write your thoughts in a well-organized, carefully crafted form. it can be anything from a a series of blog posts, to a longer form such as a white paper, or even a full-length book. Whatever form it takes, get your thoughts into a format that will give you both leverage and credibility.

3. Publicize: Once you’ve gotten your ideas into print form, get the word out. Tell the world just what you believe and how people can go deeper on your topic. Share links to your good works, and don’t be afraid to promote your ideas through multiple exposures.

It’s not that complicated to prepare for your big opportunity, but it does require some focused effort. It takes a willingness to invest the time to get clear on the things you stand for as a leader in your own particular field. Whatever you have to say, you can be sure that someone is waiting right now for your own brand of expertise.

Why not get started today?

WHEN FORTUNES FINDS YOU, WILL YOU BE READY?

There are many styles of Leadership, as any glance at a Google search will tell you. Try typing the term “Leadership Styles” into your browser and see what comes up. You’ll find close to a million results.
That means the experts have a lot to say about Leadership, as well they should. The topic is as ancient as tribal warfare, and requires as much cunning to effect as a slick Silicon Valley tycoon. Leadership is fundamental to us as individuals, as family members, as a society.
Yet no other topic is quite as individual as your own personal Leadership style. The way you comport yourself on a daily basis and the way you lead groups of people is a direct expression of who you are as a unique human being. The choices you make express your own brand of integrity, your values and goals, your opinions and beliefs.
Is your legacy coming across clearly? Do people understand what you’re about? And if so, is your message as captivating as it could be? Sharing your own unique vision – communicating it clearly and concisely – is one of the most important things you can do as a leader. Making sure your message is credible is also crucial for your effectiveness.
Whether your personal style of Leadership is laid back Laissez-Faire, or your regularly scheduled meetings take on a more Autocratic tone, there is one thing you can count on. Opportunity will find you. The real question is: when it comes, will you be ready?
The answer to this question can be debated in the context of whether or not the premise is actually true – whether Fortune really will find you, or if Fortune only favours a few. In my decade of service as a publisher, working alongside some of the world’s foremost minds in the Personal Development industry, my response is as simple as the words found inside a Chinese fortune cookie: “Fortune will find you. It is certain.”
They say that luck is merely the condition created when preparation meets opportunity. If you’re pursuing any goal with focused, consistent application, you will indeed meet your opportunity. So how can you be prepared when opportunity truly does come your way? The answer is more simple than you might think.
In my line of work, I’m privileged to know and read an assortment of society’s most thought-provoking leaders. My reading range from Olympic gold medallists to former Navy Seals, and from successful business owners to single moms who tell inspiring stories of their fresh start.
All of them are Leaders. But not all of them are successful in getting the rest of the world to view them as they’d like. Some of them have the light of brilliance shining inside them, but they have a tough time gaining the credibility they so richly deserve. What I tell them is that a simple choice to meet opportunity with preparation will bring them all the luck they need.
What I’ve discovered is that there are basically two types of professionals. There are those who are prepared for opportunity; and those who aren’t.
Are you ready?
 

THE JOY OF LOGISTICS

This week, I was surprised to see an ad the American
package delivery company, UPS, was running on television a
year or more ago. I consider it one of the best television
spots I've ever seen. A woman sings about the joy of
"logistics," to the music of a famous Italian melody. (I
always think of Dean Martin singing "That's Amore" when I
hear it.)
The ad is very well done, with music that swells and grows
through the 30 seconds. It's a twist on an old familiar
love song, and there's a delightful absurdity about the joy
of package delivery!
I draw two vital lessons for every business from this
simple ad:
1. Make your advertising memorable or don't bother. This is
the season when we are swamped with political ads of all
kinds. That may be good (we want educated, informed voters)
but it definitely gets tedious. It's especially tedious
because so many of the ads are so badly done! They are
negative, unhappy, dark and somber. But far worse from an
advertising perspective, they are so forgettable!
When you advertise your business, take the time and spend
the money to stand out in a positive way! Make your ads
memorable, humorous, inspiring or educational. An ad that
merely says you exist probably won't do much for your
business. Tell folks about the problems you solve or the
benefits you provide. And add some punch to it!
2.  It's the fundamentals that make all the difference. The
best businesses, the ones that earn our loyalty, are very
good at what they do. They may not be flashy or sexy or
"new" but we depend on them. They get things done on time,
every time. They keep their promises and take pride in what
they do.
Package delivery is not sexy or "new." It's a business we
all hope to take for granted because we never have to worry
about it. It's basic grunt type work and for UPS to create
such a powerful ad about such a mundane business model
should inspire every business leader.
What can you do to make your business stand out? If you
advertise, do it with flair and creativity, but perhaps
even more important, do your work on time, on budget, with
class and enthusiasm. Every time. Loyal, repeat customers
will make you rich.

FAT AND SKINNY WORDS TO MATCH YOUR AUDIENCE

Nothing can turn your audience or prospect off faster than using fat words when they’re hungry for skinny ones. Or vice versa.
I learned this exciting concept from Dr. David Palmer, a Silicon Valley negotiations expert. In his talks on negotiations, he describes “levels of abstraction.” Unless you can match your message to the expectations of your audience, or talk at the same level at which they are listening you won’t connect as well as you would like to.
This is true whether your audience is one person or one thousand. Suppose you write the word “automobile” on a pad. A simple concept. Going up to the next level of abstraction, you could write above it that the car is a “wheeled passenger vehicle,” then “surface transportation,” then “major force in the world’s economy.”
This is making the word “automobile” fatter and fatter, larger and larger. These big ideas and abstractions are “fat words.” They are great for conveying the big picture, inspiring ideas, motivating.
Now, let’s make the word skinnier. Underneath, you might write “sedan,” “Ford sedan,” “red four-door Ford sedan.” Eventually, you would be talking about a specific car. Those are “skinny” words. They are essential for conveying instructions and solving technical problems. No one holding a screwdriver, camera, or have a blank screen on their computer wants “fat” words. You’ll just frustrate them, maybe make them furious. They want to know minute details and specific who, what, when, how.
Many of my clients hire me to coach their sales teams. After giving them the automobile illustration, they learn to be more effective by evaluating each other by saying, “your words are too fat” or “those words aren’t skinny enough.”
“When you are presenting a sales overview to an executive or senior management,” I ask, “Should your words get fatter or skinnier?” Upper management needs fat words. After a successful initial interview with an executive you will be invited to present your offerings to a middle management team. For this group, your ideas need to be brought down the level of abstraction by using “skinner words and phrases.”
Let’s assume you were very effective and persuasive. You made the sale. Now you are dealing with the individuals that make the technology work. That is when the words and phrases need to get “skinny.”
The who, what, how, where do I turn it on?
At what level should you present your information so that you get your message across? It all depends on the audience.
As a professional speaker and trainer I ask my clients, “What do you want the theme of my remarks to be. What is the purpose of the meeting?” For years I have been hearing, “Get them to sell more,” or “Motivate them?” My reply would be “How much are they sell now? How much more?” or “Motivate them to do what?”
Can you see the challenge? Their words are too fat for me to get a clear picture of how to meet and exceed their expectations. With my questioning I need to drive their comments and expectations down the level of abstraction by saying things like, “Can you help me understand specifically what you mean by that?”
 

NETWORKING FOR FUN AND PROFIT

There's an old saying that "it's who you know that counts,"
and for better or worse, it's often true.
Yes, there is a cynical aspect to the phrase, referring to
favoritism that is unfortunate. More often, however, people
get the referral or the promotion precisely because (in a
positive sense) of "who they know." Knowing and liking
someone makes a difference.
When it comes to networking, however, I've noticed two
unfortunate patterns that are generally NOT helpful:
First is the person (to be honest, it's usually a male) who
views networking as some strange contest to see who can
trade the most business cards in the shortest period of
time. There's a frantic, phony energy that is a huge turn-
off. Their quick handshake, exaggerated smile and exchange
of business cards is usually a waste of time.
The second is the person who attends networking functions
but fails to connect in a meaningful way. Often they spend
the entire time chatting with a friend, and leave without
meeting anyone new, or making any lasting impressions.
Effective networking means connecting with a few people in
an honest, sincere way that says you would like to help
them if you can, and would appreciate the other person's
support in exchange.
Get to know people. Call them up, go to lunch, and if
appropriate, certainly exchange business cards! But what
you're looking for is a relationship. Get to know a few
people well, rather than collecting dozens of cards from
strangers. Follow-up with a phone call to touch base. And
for goodness sake, if you can, be sure to send some
business to the other person. Nothing will grow your own
referral business like the gratitude of people who have
benefited from your genuine support.

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED ALL THE TIME!

The most common problem people talk about when they request
coaching is "staying motivated." Sometimes they talk about
losing focus, being discouraged, having too much to do, or
"procrastination," but what it boils down to is that they
aren't achieving as much as they would like.
We all have things that are important to us. We have goals,
or a dream, or maybe some obligations we are duty-bound to
complete, but we aren't making the progress we know we
could. Some people work hard for a while, then slack off.
Others procrastinate and "never get to it." Some "don't
know how to get started" or are too tired.
At bottom, the issue is motivation.
The fact is that we always do the things we are intensely
motivated to do. Ask a teenager how hard they'll work to
make the team or get their driver's license. Ask yourself
how many all-nighters you pulled to pass an important test
or to complete a term paper in college. Ask yourself about
the times you've worked impossibly hard to achieve
something you "had" to get done!
There's a wonderful story about a young man who travelled
the world and climbed a mountain to get an interview with a
famous guru. When they finally met, the man said, "I'll do
anything to find wisdom. Will you help me?" Without a word,
the guru silently led the young man to a nearby lake and
suddenly pushed his head under water. After the man
thrashed and fought for a moment, the guru let him up,
where he immediately gasped for air. The guru then said,
"When you desire wisdom as badly as you wanted that breath
of air, you'll find it."
Isn't that the truth? When we are motivated, nothing can
stand in our way!
So, how do we stay motivated? Here are a few keys:
1.  Be clear! You can hit almost any target if you define
it clearly enough. It's hard to stay motivated for a vague
or distant goal. Be specific. Be precise and concrete. You
will be far more motivated to increase sales by 10% than to
make "more" this month.
2.  Have an action plan. If you have a "map" and know the
next step, you are much more motivated to do it. "Baby-
steps" less sexy and exciting, but are always easier and
more do-able than "giant leaps." It's relatively hard to
stay motivated for years to put a million dollars in the
bank, but it's easy to start saving $500 this month. Have a
clear, do-able action-oriented plan. Then, consistently
take one step after another.
3.  Surround yourself with positives. Zig Ziglar made a
wonderful observation that "people complain motivation
doesn't last. Well, neither does a shower. That's why I
recommend both every day." Read, listen to audio programs,
talk with exciting people and surround yourself with things
that energize you! We live in a "bad news world." It wears
everyone down! To counter this, surround yourself  with
things that energize, challenge and excite you.
4.  The "Breakfast of Champions." With apologies to
Wheaties™, you've got to re-commit to your most important
priorities, goals and plans every single day. Personally, I
begin every morning with about 20 minutes focusing on my
major priorities. If I don't, the day "gets away from me."
In the rush of the day, minor "emergencies" will beat
strategic action every time. Start every day by reviewing
and re-affirming your most important objectives. What one
or two things absolutely, positively MUST get done today?
5.  Have lots of cheerleaders! I think this may be the most
important, easiest, and most-often over-looked item.
Recruit friends and partners to hold you accountable. Teach
them to support and encourage you. Pick their brains for
good ideas, and report back to them regularly. Form and use
a MasterMind team! Hire an expert coach! With
the right team of cheerleaders, you can accomplish
anything!

3 STEPS TO WIN IN LIFE

Step One: Planning to Win
There are lots of steps and sub-steps you have to put together when you begin to plan your success, but a few things are foundational. Planning has to be based on getting a clear vision of what you want, because without a vision you don’t know which goals to set. Without goals you have no targets, and without targets you have nothing to measure how you’re doing. So you can see how important a vision is. Getting a clear vision for your future is also important because it plays a huge role in the creation of desire! Did you know that desire is the mother of motivation? Desire is the “want to” and the motor that fuels and powers sustained success.
Desire is important and vision is critical, but there are some personal qualities you must have or acquire to get the best possible results. As a matter of fact, there are six qualities: honesty, character, faith, integrity, love, and loyalty. I have called these qualities the foundation stones to any lasting success. You can develop each of these qualities in your life as you prepare to become the winner you were born to be.

Step Two: Preparing to Win
At first glance, you might think planning and preparing mean the same thing. I admit they might look like they are first cousins, but I see preparation as much different from planning. Preparation is a matter of equipping yourself to win with the right tools, knowledge, and support it will take to turn your dreams into plans that will make your vision into reality. So, you must equip yourself in the best possible way to insure your planning efforts will be successful.
Equipping and preparing yourself to win requires five things:
• You need the right knowledge to win.
• You must continually raise your personal performance bar.
• You must acquire tools that help you work better and faster.
• You have to practice your skills.
• You have to surround yourself with positive influences and people.
In summary, you have to train yourself to become a twenty-four-hour champion. Winning involves planning and preparing. Both are a constant-improvement, never-ending process. When you stop planning and preparing . . . you stop winning. Twenty-four-hour champions continually equip themselves to win!

Step Three: Expecting to Win
I’ve always said that when you have planned and prepared to win, you then have the right to expect to win. The ultimate fruit of positive expectation is hope, and it is hope that pulls you forward in all you attempt to do. I’m always hopeful and I never worry. I can say that because I expect the best possible result in all that I do. I expect the best because I planned my success, prepared myself to execute my plans, and earned the right to expect the best.
Desire is the mother of motivation, because that is where your motivation is born. Properly planning and preparing heightens your expectations, which fuels your desire and drives you to become even more motivated. Through the years I’ve continually heard from individuals from all walks of life whose lives were in a downward spiral—until they heard something in my audio products or read something in my books that gave them the will and the skills they needed to change their circumstances and transform their lives. They testify that by putting my simple suggestions into practice their lives were transformed. Sometimes the transformation was mental, sometimes it was spiritual, and other times it was material. Whatever the transformation, there was a commonality to the core changes they made. These people changed the way they viewed themselves. They became willing to make significant changes, and they came to believe they were born to win! What they really did is develop the skills and take the necessary actions they needed to plan, prepare, and expect to win!
You were born to win. But to be the winner you were born to be you have to plan to win, prepare to win, and only then can you expect to win. Go out and be the winner you were meant to be today!
 

5 WAYS TO PINPOINT WORTHWHILE OPPORTUNITIES

When a salesperson is considering whether to spend time and resources pursuing an opportunity that may or may not come to pass, what it really comes down to is making a choice between chasing every opportunity and managing your territory like a business. This is why the salesperson, with their manager’s guidance, needs to do a thorough analysis of the opportunity as follows:

Ability to Deliver:
First, understand if your company has the ability to deliver a solution that satisfies the needs of the client:

• Are we able to deliver?
• Are my organization’s capabilities compatible with the customer’s needs?
• Will my products/capabilities satisfy these needs?

Cost of Sale:
Then, analyze the cost to capture and maintain the account:

• Is this opportunity worth the time?
• Will servicing this account allow sufficient time for me to work with other customers or prospects
• Will my organization be able to handle the demands resulting from this sale?

Relationship:
Review your relationship with the account:

• Is it positive?
• Have sound relationships with key players been established?
• Have buying roles, decision-making style, business goals and needs been uncovered and analyzed?
• Have strong negative influences been won over?
• Can you count on support from positive influences?

Value of Win:
And finally, ask yourself, Is this opportunity worth winning?

• Will the short-term revenues meet or exceed my account goals?
• Does this opportunity represent an acceptable return on investment?
• If the revenue is less than desired, will the prestige or strategic value associated with the account create other opportunities?

Salespeople must manage their territory as a business—able to assess the win-ability of an opportunity before committing expensive resources and wasting valuable time pursuing barren opportunities.

REALITY NEVER LIES

I recently listened to an old recording of coach and
author, Laura Berman Fortgang’s speech to the International
Coach Federation several years ago. In her presentation,
she talked about the fact that reality never lies.
While her focus was on coaching, I immediately connected
her words to the fact that our sales, productivity, profits
and customer satisfaction are ALWAYS precisely accurate
measures of the service we provide.
From the dawn of history, human beings have searched for
bargains. We love getting goods or services at a fair
price, delivered on time, and hopefully, with an extra
"bonus." In the words of the old saying, "build a better
mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."
Because of this, your bank account is an accurate
reflection of the value the world places on your products
and services. The facts and numbers do not lie. They may
contain a message you don’t like, or one with which you
disagree, but they do not lie.
To increase your sales and profits, you must increase the
value of your services to your customers. Advertising may
help in the short-run. Laying employees off, or hiring
better people may help briefly. Cutting costs or raising
prices may give the illusion that things are better, but
illusions never last.
The key to the growth of your enterprise is providing more
value, at a lower price. Fortunately, this is not
difficult. Perceived value can be many things, from faster
delivery, to larger quantities, to more pleasing colors.
The opportunity to innovate, add value, and increase sales
is endless.
Reality does not lie. Study the numbers, notice where you
can increase value to your customer, and adjust
accordingly. Your financial future depends on it.
Often, the best and least expensive way to add value and
improve your bottom line is with the help of an expert
consultant or coach. Thousands of entrepreneurs and
business leaders have learned that an extra set of eyes and
ears, and an objective point of view can quickly make a
huge difference.