KEY TO SALES SUCCESS IS LISTENING

Did you know that a vital key to sales success is listening?

The ability to listen well is absolutely indispensable for success in all human relationships. The ability to be a good listener in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of selling. It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater enjoyment from the sales profession.

Being A Good Talker is Not Enough

Many salespeople have been brought up with the idea that, in order to be good at your profession, you must be a glad-hander and a good talker. You have even heard people say, "You have the 'gift of the gab'; you should be in sales!"

Focus On the Other Person

Nothing could be further from the truth. As many as 75% of all top salespeople are defined as introverts on psychological tests. They are very easy going and other-centered. They would much rather listen than talk. They are very interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people and they are quite comfortable sitting and listening to their prospects. They would much rather listen than talk in a sales situation. Poor salespeople dominate the talking, but top salespeople dominate the listening.

Practice "White Magic" With Everyone

Listening has even been called "white magic." It is too rarely engaged in by business people. When a salesperson develops a reputation for being an excellent listener, prospects and customers feel comfortable and secure in his or her presence. They buy more readily, and more often.

Practice the 70/30 Rule

You've heard it said that God gave man two ears and one mouth, and he is supposed to use them in that proportion.

Top salespeople practice the "70/30 rule." They talk and ask questions 30 percent or less of the time while they listen intently to their customers 70 percent or more of the time. They use their ears and mouth in the right ratio.

Action Exercises

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

First, resolve today that, from now on, you are going to dominate the listening in every sales conversation. Become comfortable with silence.

Second, practice the 70/30 rule in every sales conversation. Listen 70% of the time and only talk and ask questions 30% of the time.

6 WAYS TO SURVIVE A FINANCIAL CRISIS

Though a financial crisis in your life might not be the expected apocalyptic turn, the upheaval it brings feels like the very sky is falling. Job loss. Fraud. Legal problems. Debt. These negatives eating away at your stability can also devour your happiness.
Unfortunately, you cannot simply pause and rewind back to when you had finances. You have to keep it all and come out stronger. A financial crisis is not the time to give up. It is the time to start fresh and make things right. Here is how:

1. Do not spiral into fear

Of course you are probably thinking, “What about my house? My pets? My car? Life? Food?” You will be walking around looking at the lives continuing on while yours seems to have slipped into a swirling void of desperation.
It is important to remember this: do not react without thinking through all the consequences first. It might sound crazy, but you need to look at this in a neutral light. Find meaning in the ability to reinvent yourself and your situation. From there, the only way to go is up.

2. Think about what is available to you

Depending on the degree of severity, you may have several options. First, consult with your family or partner. Plot out a course that helps you decide how you will keep paying the necessary bills, what expenses you can remove, and what to do if something unfortunate happens – like foreclosure. Figure out who has your back, because if you need to hit them up for some coach surfing, you need to know they are cool with it.

3. Determine your assets

Typically, assets are anything of financial value on your person or in your home. Create a list by separating investments, cash funds, checking/savings accounts, and bonds from things like your car, collections, jewelry, anything made out of metal, and so on.
Attempt to appraise what you have personally (as paying for someone to do so may not be available to you), and get some help selling off what you can give up. Talk to your financial advisor if you have one to see what stocks can be immediately liquidated.

4. Create a plan

You can also call number 4, “survival mode.” This is where you plan out your personal necessities, then see how much every single cent can be stretched. Remember, while your life might seem like it is raging out of control, you can still control how much you spend by making decisions based on needs, not wants.
Learn how to live sustainably, as in making your own meals, budgeting utilities, downgrading your phone, recycling and up-cycling your belongings. Sign up for debt forgiveness programs or government assistance if it applies to you. Do whatever it takes for you to reduce your spending while simultaneously increasing your income.

5. This is not the time for ego

If you thought you were never going to be one of those people standing in line at the soup kitchen, think again. The reality is that while you can retain your dignity as a human being, never assume you are too good for anything. If you qualify for food stamps or SNAP, get them.
If you can get a bowl of soup on Sunday, get it. If you have to sell your supercharged gas guzzler for public transportation or carpooling, you do it. Because, keep in mind, you may not be the only one struggling through this crisis, especially if you have children.
That also means you may have to seek out job opportunities you would have never dreamed of doing. I am not suggesting you take on stripping – only if you want to. But scouring Craigslist and applying to be a cashier at the local grocery market is a good start.
Odd jobs with flexibility, like landscaping, bar-tending, baby-sitting, and dog-walking can help you supplement whatever income you have, such as unemployment or disability, so you can cushion yourself a bit more.

6. Acknowledge emotions

A financial crisis is hectic. You are going to feel as if you are going through a roller-coaster of emotions. Understand how the negative emotions, like frustration, guilt, blame, and irritability, can impact those around you who are trying to help. Rather than lashing out, try to talk about how you feel with loved ones. Seek their advice and counsel.
Also, do not blame anyone, not even yourself, for the situation you are in. Whatever caused this to happen, the result has already taken place. Therefore, blame will only throw boiling water on the wound. Instead, transform that anger into quiet reflection. Ask yourself why this happened and how you can stop it from happening again. In time, you will learn a great deal about resilience and tolerance.

Financial crises hit like lightning. You are going to be frazzled and out of sorts for a while, but you can recover. Follow these steps – plot out a budget, seek support when you need it, and reduce your spending. Remember, the most essential part of this plan is to never give up hope, because finances can be regained.

UNLOCK THE KEYS TO POSITIVITY

Did you know that the most important thing you can do to ensure success is to take control of the suggestive elements in your environment?

What do I mean by that?

I mean, make sure that what you are seeing and listening to is consistent with the goals you want to achieve.

Listen Your Way to Success

Listen to educational audio programs in your car. The average person drives 12,000 to 25,000 miles per year which works out to between 500 and 1,000 hours per year that the average person spends in his or her car. You can become an expert in your field by simply listening to educational audio programs as you drive from place to place. It literally is your education on wheels.

Take Courses in Your Field

Attend seminars given by experts in your field. Take additional courses and learn everything you possibly can. Learn from the experts. Ask them questions, read their books, blogs and articles, and listen to people with proven track records in the area you want to be successful.

Get Around the Right People

Associate only with positive, success-oriented people. Get around winners. As we say, fly with the eagles. You can't fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with turkeys.

Get away from the go-nowhere types and above all, get away from negative people. Get away from negative coworkers. If you've got a negative boss, seriously consider changing jobs. Associating on a regular basis with negative people is enough to condemn you to a life of underachievement, frustration, and failure. Associate only with positive people. Always.

Visualize Your Goals

The last thing before you go to sleep and the first thing in the morning, think about and visualize your goals as realities. See your goal as though it already existed.

Your subconscious mind is only activated by affirmations and pictures that are received in the present tense. See your goal vividly just before you go to sleep. And see yourself performing at your best. Visualize the situations that you're facing working out exactly the way you want them to. And guess what... if you do this, 9 times out of 10, things will turn out in your favor.

Feed Yourself Mental Pictures

See yourself living the kind of life that you want to live. Picture yourself with the kind of relationships, the kind of health, the kind of car, the kind of home you really want.

Visualize just before you fall asleep at night and when you get up in the morning. Those are the two times of the day when your subconscious mind is most receptive to new programming, so use this to your advantage. Feed your mind with positivity and mental pictures that will aspire you to greatness.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do, all day long, to keep your mind and emotions focused on your goals and financial success:

First, listen to audio programs in your car and when you travel around. Continue feeding your mind with a stream of high-quality, educational, motivational material that moves you toward your goal.

Second, resolve to associate with positive, optimistic people. Get around winners and get away from negative people who criticize, condemn and complain.

This can change your life as much as any other factor.

7 WAYS TECHNOLOGY RUINS YOUR RELATIONSHIP

We live in the high-technology world full of wonderful gadgets that make our lives simpler. When it comes to building a strong and healthy relationship, technology may play a fatal role. Each day I see many couples sitting in a cafe or park and each of partners looking at their tablets and phones. We often spend more time with our gadgets than with our partners and complain about relationship problems.
Communication is one of the most important things in any relationship. It helps build a happy relationship and start a happy family. Just ask your grandma about how she spent her youth without modern gadgets and how she met your grandfather. I’m more than sure that she will tell you that her youth wasn’t boring and the dates she had with your grandpa were fun and happy. Stop updating your social media accounts each day. Instead, spend more time communicating with your significant other. Here are seven ways technology ruins your relationship:

1. Online flirting

Flirting online is a good way to kill time and make new friends. However, it’s also a number one killer of even the strongest and happiest relationship. My neighbor, who had been with his ex-wife for more than 20 years, found his second love online. This second love wasn’t successful and he couldn’t make up with his ex wife so now he is absolutely lonely. If your partner is talking intimately to his female friend online, you may think it’s not cheating, but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

2. Video game addiction

If your partner spends too much time playing video games, it’s a warning sign. Studies show that many couples break up because of video game addiction. Women can also become addicted to video games so pay attention to how much time you spend playing games daily. But the best thing you and your partner can do is to go for a walk and have a small picnic in the park, without any video games and “smart” devices.

3. Health

It’s not a secret that technology affects our health, especially mental health. You may become anxious, nervous and depressed because of technology. You may snap at your partner when you don’t really mean to, and this can ruin your relationship. Try to unplug from TV, tablet, computer, and smartphone use as often as possible to save your relationship and health. 

4. Phone addiction

Are you addicted to your smartphone? Does your partner spend too much time with his phone? Phone addiction is a common thing these days. Many people are trying to get rid of this addiction but it’s not that easy. Recently I had a trip and stayed in a hostel with a couple who spent the whole evening looking at their phones. I couldn’t even speak to them because they were busy with their gadgets. Do you think their relationship will last for long? I think no. Turn off your phones every time you spend time together to improve your relationship.

5. Fights

Fighting with your partner is okay at times, but when you fight with him over technology it’s not healthy. Not only do you waste your precious time on the unimportant things like snooping into your partner’s social media account or his or your friends’ pages, Facebook stalking his ex’s girlfriend or your ex’s new girlfriend, and going through your partner’s phone.

6. Affects your sleep patterns

Whether you suffer from insomnia or your partner has trouble falling asleep every other night, it may be because of technology. Checking your phone or tablet right before sleep is a bad habit that can affect your relationship as well as your sex life. Watching TV before going to bed is a bad habit too.

7. You share too many details on social media

Nowadays it’s trendy to share each detail of your life on social media. But before posting any intimate details of your relationship, consider how your significant other will feel about that. You should also avoid posting any details of your fights. Keep things private to have a long and happy relationship.
Although technology has many benefits, it has much more disadvantages. Use it wisely to avoid any misunderstandings, fights and other problems in your relationship. After all, what’s is more important your expensive smartphone or your partner? Remember, technology addiction is similar to drug cravings – it can ruin your whole life.

HARNESSING EGO FOR THE GREATER GOOD?

Self Confidence & Ego… can it be harnessed for noble purposes? Let’s explore the concept of ego and how it can help your legacy.
Have you ever noticed that people who have reached a high degree of fame have a sense of ego, perhaps even an inflated sense of ego? I’ve observed this dynamic while working with famous speakers over the last decade. Professional speaking is a profession which requires an extra dose of ego. These individuals need to strut onto a stage under the hot lights and command the attention of an entire stadium.
I’ve observed professions which actually require ego. With this idea in mind, let’s think about a surgeon: If someone is performing an operation, it helps if they believe they are the best — and if you’re the one on the operating table, you want them to be the best. Or how about an airline pilot — you want someone who can take control and manage an emergency with authority. In a symphony orchestra, the conductor needs to be able to command the symphony with utmost confidence (including those pesky trombone players… the old joke amongst symphony conductors is to never look at the trombone section, as it simply encourages them).
At a Boston concert for an evening concert at the park, and discovered an important lesson in ego. Boston is famous for mega-hits like More Than a Feeling, Foreplay and Peace of Mind.  The lead singer of the band, Brad Delp, committed suicide at age 55, so the band found themselves needing to find a replacement lead singer in order to tour… and pronto! The tricky part of their job was that Brad Delp’s vocals were extremely difficult to replace. After a broad search, the band settled on a singer who could mimic Brad Delp’s style almost flawlessly, Tommy DeCarlo. He was discovered after his teenage daughter posted a MySpace page of DeCarlo singing karaoke to Boston songs, and in an instant, he was hired to tour with Boston.
But here is where ego enters the story: Tommy DeCarlo was working at a Home Depot as a credit manager at the time he was discovered. When he was on stage, his vocals were great, but his skills as a rock performer were completely flat. Meaning, the band’s presentation was vanilla as the lead singer was glued to one spot, almost hiding behind the mic. The end effect was a static performance. Why? It is likely that DeCarlo didn’t have the ego, or the drive, to learn how to command a crowd — not only had he not developed stage presence, but visually he didn’t believe that he was a star.
So as you craft your legacy, do you need to develop a greater sense of ego in order to cement your legacy in the minds of others? Let’s look at 3 crucial tips for harnessing ego for success.

Practice

As we think about the example of a surgeon or an airline pilot, it is obvious that a high level of confidence in their skill set, decision making, and steady hands is incredibly important. So, what creates confidence in our profession? It boils down to practice. You wouldn’t expect that a surgeon would skate by on their ability alone, would you? The same goes for us as we endeavor to develop a legacy as an author and / or speaker. The more times you perform an action, the easier it becomes. It’s important to not only rehearse speeches, podcasts and videos for the sake of memorization, but also to free you up to practice stage presence. If you are confident in what you are presenting, you can focus on presenting your personality to captivate the audience.

Authority

When you listen to someone speak about something they have purposefully studied for hours, you can hear the authority in their voice and feel the passion in their hearts. This authoritative quality is derived from being intentional about learning. We see this clearly in movies and plays: The actors will spend time “getting into character”, putting themselves in the shoes of the role they are playing. Military leaders like General Colin Powell, took voice lessons to learn how to present authoritatively. This paid off for General Powell throughout his career as a military leader and professional speaker.

Self-Esteem

Similarly, if we don’t believe in ourselves, it is painstakingly apparent to our audiences. It is likely that Tommy DeCarlo didn’t have the confidence in himself it takes to be a rockstar. Some people have an innate high level of confidence, or have developed confidence from massive amounts of repetition. However, a large segment of the population struggles with self-esteem. How can we overcome these issues? Here are two practical tips:

• Declarations: Write out statements of confidence, such as: “My voice is meant to be heard, and I am born to do this.” Or, “My writing is clear and concise, and this message will change the world.”
• Ask People Around You: Sometimes our friends and family can see the valuable things inside us when we can’t see it for ourselves. Ask them what it is that is special about you, and receive it as truth.

It may have been embedded in your mind that ego is a negative thing. However, as we examined the examples above, there are very specific reasons that we actually need to develop a healthy ego in order to succeed. Put these tips into practice, and you are well on your way to harnessing your ego for good — both for yourself, and the world around you as you create a meaningful legacy.

THE "INTERNET OF THINGS". WHAT IS IT?

Although the phrase was first coined in 1989, it's only in recent years that there's been a rush to connect up the world's devices. Research company Gartner predicts that by 2020 more than half of all major new business processes and systems will incorporate some elements of IoT, with more than 20bn "things" connected and talking to each other across the world.
The Boston Consulting Group also predicts that by 2020 B2B spending on IoT technologies, apps, solutions and systems is likely to have reached a whopping $223bn.
IoT technology is already pushing fundamental transformations in many different industries - from energy, with creation of smart networks and smart homes, to agriculture, where sensors in the soil can control irrigation systems and help save water.

7 PROBLEMS WE ENCOUNTER IN A TECHNOLOGY RICH WORLD

Even though technology is supposed to make our lives easier, it often causes us even more problems. Do you often use a tablet or a smartphone? Do you spend most of your time online? Of course, you do, as almost everyone has gadgets and waste hours web surfing. Internet addiction disorder is currently one of the most serious problems humanity has to deal with. Regardless of how many disadvantages technology has, there are many problems we encounter besides the Internet addiction disorder. Check out some of them below.

1. Time

Living in a technology rich world seems to help us save time. It’s true… partially. Think about how much time do you spend chatting with friends online, watching videos or just leafing through some colorful pictures? Your phone can suddenly break for no reason and your laptop can hang and you can lose important information. Look at the kids – they are all obsessed with social media and computer games. So do you still believe technology helps us get more done during the day? Maybe we could spend our time even more efficiently without all those innovations.

2. Discontent

The biggest problem of all technologies is that we`re never fully contented with them. No matter what laptop you have, there`s a better one you`d like to get. Even if today you have the newest gadget, there`ll be the improved one to buy tomorrow. We often have misunderstandings with computers and their softwares that need to be fixed and it also annoys a lot. The more people improve their technology, the more problems they encounter.

3. Friends

Are you a social media user? Nowadays most people are and everyone has hundreds of online friends. You probably also have about 200, 500 or 700 so-called friends that you haven`t even seen ever in your life. Do you feel the difference between online friends and real friends? Friends are people whom you can rely on and share grief and happiness with. Can you rely on your online friends? 

4. Children

Today’s young generation can`t imagine their life without smartphones, tablets, computers and the Internet. Most children lose their sight at a very early age because of modern technology. They suffer from the lack of movement and many of them have already forgotten how the sunshine looks like. Furthermore, children now have an access to all that adult stuff that effects them badly and can even cause psychological frustrations.

5. The screen size really matters

The screen size of your phone is another irony in a modern world of technology and here`s why… Do you remember when cell phones only started to appear? That time cell phones were huge sized and that was a real problem. Then they gradually became smaller and thinner. The smaller size of cell phone you had the cooler you were. Now we need the bigger screens and again our smartphones become bigger. What`s actually going on?

6. Buy, buy, buy!

In truth, old things work better and longer than new ones. My parents bought an iron when they were teenagers. Even though they don`t use it now, that iron is still ready to work after twenty five years. You wouldn`t find the thing of the same quality on the modern market. Nowadays it`s easier to buy the new one if something is wrong with your gadget as it`s extremely expensive to fix them. 

7. Naive expectations

Do you remember those old movies about the estimated future? More than 30 years ago people thought that the humanity would have flying cars and robot-workers in 2000s. It`s so funny to compare old naive expectations with the current reality. This is probably the biggest irony of a technology rich world.
Technology is an irreplaceable part of every modern person`s life. Technology definitely helps us yet there are so many ironic things about it too. Perhaps we will never stop using our smartphones and laptops, but it’s critical to realize that living in a technology rich world isn’t as simple as it seems. Avoid spending too much time online and remember about your real family and real friends. What things do you hate about technology?

THE 5 STEPS TO A 100 YEAR LEGACY

I would be willing to bet that this is probably the first “how to” article you’ve read on how to become a legend. When we’re speaking of legends, I define it as a person of influence (author, speaker, musician, etc.) who is talked about 100 years from now.
Recently read about a legend in the making, a man with an amazing story. His name is Robert Katende, who grew up in a Ugandan slum after being orphaned at the age of 7. However, he didn’t allow his lack of resources to stop him from pursuing big dreams! He navigated life as a child to get an education by playing soccer, then proceeded to teach children in the very slum he vowed to escape how to play chess. One of his students, Phiona, became the Ugandan National Champion chess player at just 13 years old. Robert not only overcame his own adversity of raising himself with nothing to his name, but used his story to inspire and teach children life lessons through the game of chess. Now, his students have their own story to share with kids in their community.
But Robert’s story doesn’t stop there. His story is so deeply inspiring to all walks of life that Disney released a movie inspired from his work called Queen of Katwe. Disney found the inspiration for this story through a book, written by an author who was inspired by what he saw in Uganda. Robert went on to open a non-profit which provides impoverished kids a path out of poverty, catching the imagination of billionaires — supported by the likes of Paul Allen and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
It is amazing that through the story of Phiona, she has empowered millions of women of what can be accomplished. Raised in a society where it is a typical for a woman to simply ride a bike, Phiona’s story demonstrated that women can master intellectual challenges such as chess.
Then, much to my delight, enters one of Robert’s supporters. This supporter is a retired government worker who saw the movie and decided to express her legacy by supporting Robert’s work to end the poverty cycle in Africa. One of her contributions was to encourage Robert to focus his energies on the non-profit, while ensuring that Robert’s 3 girls would have their college expenses paid. What an amazing woman with a caring heart — knowing exactly how to give Robert peace-of-mind, so he could spend his days in the slums reaching children through teaching chess. We can see from Robert’s life that true legacy will draw the attention of future legacies, and that support often comes out of nowhere.
This is a picture of Legacy. Will Robert’s story pass the demands of time and still be discussed 100 years from now? Only time will tell.
So, what’s the recipe, or the step-by-step instructions, for creating a lasting legacy?

1. It Starts with Your Why

The bigger your why, the better your odds of success. Ensure that your vision for the future is linked to serving others in a selfless way. Once you establish what your vision is, then it is time to spread the message!

2. Write a Book, and Write it Well

Why a book? Books are timeless, last for generations and are a proven mechanism for spreading ideas. Publish it confidently, and watch your vision catch fire.

3. Speak to Others

Do media appearances, give speeches and get into the public eye. Invite others catch your vision. People are drawn to passion, authenticity, and vulnerability. Make sure you are being true to who you are, and you will find that soon, other like-minded individuals will start rallying with you to support your vision.

4. Ask People to Join Your Cause

We call this a Tribe. Your Tribe can have 3 members or 3,000… it all depends on your vision. Bottom line is, people want to serve a picture of the future that is bigger than themselves. You are empowered to lead this group, just like Robert. As you live your story, you will see your story impact lives around you.

5. Lead with Confidence

Lead regular meetings for your Tribe and give them the benefit of being in your inner circle. Partner with people that can reach people you wouldn’t be able to reach by yourself. Give people a reason to become passionate about your cause, who you can train up to support their own vision.

This is the stuff of legends. Using your life story to impact, empower and raise up the next generation to follow in your footsteps. May we all strive to leave a legacy through our lives. Think about this idea this week: Creating a ceiling through your life story, which serves as the floor for the next generation.

SOLVE PROBLEMS AND MAKE YOUR MILLIONS

Entrepreneurship is the art of finding profitable solutions to problems. Every successful entrepreneur or business person has been able to identify a problem and come up with a solution to it before someone else did. Here are the 5 Rules for Entrepreneurial Success.

1. Find a Need and Fill It

Human needs and wants are unlimited. Therefore, the opportunities for entrepreneurship and financial success are unlimited as well. The only constraint on the business opportunities available to you are the limits you place on your own imagination.

2. Find a Problem and Solve It

Wherever there is a widespread and unsolved customer problem, there is an opportunity for you to start and build a successful business.

Once upon a time, before photocopies, the only way to type multiple copies of a letter was with carbon paper placed between sheets of stationery. But a single mistake would require the typist to go through and erase the mistakes on every single copy. This was enormously clumsy and time-consuming.

Then a secretary working for a small company in Minneapolis began mixing flour with nail varnish in order to "white out" the mistake she was making in her typing. Soon, people in other offices began asking for it. The demand became so great that she quit her job and began working full-time manufacturing what she called “Liquid Paper.”

A few years later, the Gillette Corporation came along and bought her out for $47 million cash.

3. Unlimited Opportunities

There are problems everywhere. Your job is to find one of these problems and solve it better than it has been solved in the past. Find a problem that everyone has and see if you can’t come up with a solution for it. Find a way to supply a product or service better, cheaper, faster, or easier. Use your imagination.

4. Focus on the Customer

The key to success in business is to focus on the customer. Become obsessed with your customer. Become fixated on your customer’s wants, needs, and desires. Think of your customer all the time. Think of what your customer is willing to pay for. Think about your customer’s problems. See yourself as if you were working for your customer.

5. Bootstrap Your Way to Success

Once you have come up with a problem or idea, resolve to invest your time, talent, and energy instead of your money to get started. Most great personal fortunes in the United States were started with an idea and with the sale of personal services.

Most great fortunes were started by people with no money, resources, or backing. They were started by individuals who came up with an idea and who then put their whole heart into producing a product or service that someone else would buy.

Action Exercise

Look for business opportunities everywhere, develop, an entrepreneurial mindset, and continually be open and curious about the needs not satisfied and problems not solved.

One idea is all you need to make your first million.

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR DREAM JOB

Finding the perfect job is a big challenge that everybody has, and it can persist throughout their lives. The majority of working people, by their own admission, do not feel fully challenged by their current jobs. Getting into or staying at a job which you are not ideally suited is one of the greatest wastes of time in life. It can rob you of some of your most productive years.
If you find yourself in that position, it’s a good idea for you to consider a new career path. It can be scary, but with some guidance, that decision can become more within your reach.
Here are 4 tips to help you find your dream job.

1) Evaluate What Drives You

First, before making any decisions, you need to look into yourself and think about what you like to do, and what you are good at.
After, it’s time to ask yourself a key question.
The question you’ll want to ask yourself is: “What do I really enjoy doing and what kind of a job can I do that will allow me to do what I enjoy doing?”

2) Informal Interviewing

The next step in this process is called: Informational Interviewing. You do this by setting informal meetings or having coffee with prospective employers and people in the industry you’ve identified as a potential fit for you. Find out as much as you can from them about the business, their specific company, the position you have in mind, and other aspects of the industry.
This will supply you with a lot of information to make the decision process easier, as well as some contacts in the industry. Networking sites like LinkedIn are a great way to reach people in a specific industry that you might want to meet with.

3) Put Your Whole Heart Into Your Work

After you have gone through the informational interviewing process, it’s time to find a place to land. When you do, it is crucial to dedicate your whole heart to doing your job really, really well.
When you commit to doing your job to the best of your ability, one of two things will happen.
The first thing that might happen is you will find that this is the right career for you, which is rare in the beginning, but will become more clear as you progress.
Or, you will find that it is not the right career for you and that you need to continue searching.
Either way, by putting your whole heart into doing an outstanding job at the career you are trying out, you will find the answer to these questions much quicker. Then, you can come out the other side and decide if this is something that you can see yourself doing for the foreseeable future or not.
If it’s not, you simply repeat the process until you find the career that suits you best.

4) Find Your Dream Job

One of your primary responsibilities to yourself is to select the kind of work that you enjoy and are best suited to do. It is to find a job where you can use your natural talents and abilities at a high level.
Your duty to yourself is to work at something that gives you joy and satisfaction. You must find a job that brings out the very best in you and inspires you to want to become excellent at what you’re doing.
I’d like to leave you with a thought to share with your friends and followers:

“Selecting your major definite purpose in life is the starting point of personal greatness”- Brian Tracy.

Conclusion

These are my strategies for choosing a career. Now I’d love to hear from you.
My question is: If you had all the resources you needed to build the company of your dreams, which kind of company would you build and what would that company do?

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS STIMULATE THEIR CREATIVE JUICE

Technology is a great thing, and we have come so far in our technological advances that it is no wonder why kids spend a great deal of time in front of screens. However, the screens can be limited to a child’s creativity.
So, what happened to the days when kids used their imaginations? I believe it has just been swept under the rug and can easily be exposed under the right conditions. Want to get your kid’s creative juices flowing? Here is how.

1. Gather some junk

Do you have any empty boxes around the house? How about empty plastic containers, nuts, bolts, wood scraps, string or rope, broken toys, or anything else that you could throw away? Put these things in a designated spot or storage container instead. Take your child by the hand and together create something out of the junk you have gathered.
Set parameters such as a minimum time frame in which they must spend time inventing new things. Make it more challenging by only giving them a few items to use. That way they will not just spend a few minutes creating, and then get bored and head back to the screens.

2. Head outside

Get your child outside whether it is the yard, a park, or somewhere bigger. Go camping, hiking, exploring, and along the way notice things you have never noticed before. Keep a journal or make a list of all the observations.
Use that information for writing stories, building forts, and whatever else you can dream up. I guarantee that spending time out in nature will get their creativity flowing. Fresh air and a little exercise are always good for the body and the brain.

3. Grab some art and craft supplies

Construct an arts and crafts supplies box and include paints, crayons, markers, Playdoh or clay, glitter, glue, paint brushes, stencils, a variety of paper, string, yarn, and whatever other crafty items you can put in the box. You could even include coloring books or craft kits. Hand it over to the kids and let them design and produce new things from their imagination. Provide ideabooks if needed.

4. Use technology

Wait, what? You heard me right. Technology can aid in creativity, but you have to be very selective. Find apps that take kids’ original ideas further. For example, find an app that will take the clay creature they made and help them develop a claymation video. Or, search for apps that help the kids write stories and illustrate them. Be very selective and again, set parameters.
Creative juices flow when children are uninhibited. They are not limited to what is on the screen in front of their faces or the video games in the house. They can put the controls down, head outside, or open the craft box and just go crazy! Join in on the fun, and together you will be dreaming up and making amazing things just from pure imagination.

WILL THEY BE TALKING ABOUT YOU 100 YEARS FROM NOW?

In the business of creating or shaping legacies in the speaking business I explored ideas while touching-on the names of influential authors/speakers whose ideas are still active a century after they wrote their books. Names like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill and Earl Nightingale entered the discussion.

So what do these influential people have in common? They all built successfully communicated their ideas, communicated unusually well and leveraged the tools available to them during their time whether it was a pulpit, books, record albums or the media.
Branding is what sets ideas apart; it is what showcases who you are and clarifies that for which you are known.
Just as big companies create slogans, logos, and ads to support their brand, you can apply some of these tools to build your own legacy. As you consider the values that set you apart, you are well along your way to establishing a presence that people will gravitate towards. So let’s ask this – what can you offer the world which will be irresistible to discuss with friends & neighbors?
Let’s say you’ve already landed on a specific vision for branding yourself, and have carved-out a persona that is unique to you. How do you then use your brand to successfully spread your ideas and life philosophy? Better yet, how can your personal brand do your work for you in spreading your message?
In reality, your brand is like a simple device. You use this device over and over again to put across the essence of your being. It’s boiled down to a simple image of what you represent. The operative word here is simple.
Let’s take a look at a couple modern-day authors who have built a successful brand in the speaking business, and evaluate how they’ve done it.
Dan Waldschmidt is an international business strategist, speaker, author and extreme athlete who has built a brand that is both memorable and captivating. Upon first glance at his website, you can tell what his mission is: “Radical help for people who want it.” Doesn’t that make you feel like you can trust him? There are millions of brands, companies and people that are attempting to serve and care for people like you and me.

What makes YOU stand apart?

People need to feel like they can trust you. Dan plays on this in a number of ways you can observe from his website alone, the first being a bold move: putting his personal email and cell phone number for people to contact him. When you take a big risk such as disclosing personal information, you are creating a space where someone feels like you are inviting them in. Dan and I talked about this recently, as his previous Brand seemed unapproachable to his fans. So to break down this perceived barrier, Dan choose to open himself up to his fans. When people feel like you are taking a risk for them, then trust is quick to follow.
Another way that trust is instilled is when you are a living example of your slogan / life philosophy. Let’s look at another example.
Former professional major league baseball player Todd Stottlemyre offers this: “Dream big, set big goals, and go for it. It’s time to awaken the champion that lives inside of you.” Since he is a 3x World Series champion, you can trust that he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to what he has branded as “Major League Achievement.” He candidly admits that he’s had both failures and success, and in doing so knows how to work with you through both extremes.
Branding is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Your brand needs to reflect the needs of your marketplace. It needs to be both classic and timely. It begins with your startup phase and never stops. Because it’s simple, your brand needs to be repeated to be effective. Conversely, because it needs to be repeated, it must be simple. Here’s why:
The average person has to be exposed to information 7 to 15 times before acting on it. Even a highly intelligent person requires at least 3 exposures to that same information in order to retain it and internalize it. That means if you’re not reinforcing your brand, you’re leaving money on the table.
Consider your customers’ experience as they go through their day to day activities. Your message, sales proposition and your brand are a blip in a sea of messages. The athletic company Lululemon has done this exceptionally; to the point where you can simply see their swirly logo on a pair of pants and automatically know who designed them.
Your brand needs to be powerful enough to rouse your customers into action, and at the same time it needs to actively express you — what you’re about and the uniqueness of your offering. In fact, for people to decide to hire you to speak or buy your book, your brand needs to be crystal clear, exciting and alluring. It needs to stand up to relentless reinforcement.
So it goes with branding. Once you design your message, carry it forward through all your promotional materials. Consistently use your slogan, logo and other brand elements throughout your marketing materials and other types of customer communication. Let it be persistent.
We see this with Waldschmidt’s “EDGY” acronym. You can see it not only in his book title, but branded on shirts, wallpapers, blogs, and all across his website. His brand is reinforced by the life-size sword with the words “STAY EDGY” etched across the blade that he presents to key clients. It’s short, to the point, and it “sticks.” There is no doubt that you will remember EDGY after you’ve browsed his website, as it is mentioned a handful of times and referenced in every Tweet, blog post and podcast episode he publishes.
In order to get your message across in all its subtle glory, it needs to be simple and seamlessly circular… like the wheels on a bike. It needs to go around and around in your prospect’s head like that song on the radio. You may feel a bit self-conscious about repeating yourself, thinking that your prospects might become bored with your message if you use it too often. In reality, brand repetition equates to consistency in the vast majority of consumers’ minds.
Using this tactic lends a sense that your business is bigger than it actually is. It also lends consistency to your message, regardless of which rookie on your staff is trying his/her level best to louse it all up (LOL). Brand repetition means consistency.
Now go out and start crafting your own personal brand, and watch the world take shape around your ideas!

THE TRUE TEST OF SELLING

In golf, there is a saying that, "You drive for show, but you putt for dough."

In selling, you prospect and present for show, but you overcome customer skepticism and gain commitment for dough. Your ability to answer objections and get the sale is the true test of how good you really are as a salesperson.

The True Test of Selling

This is perhaps the most stressful and challenging part of the sales process. It's where the rubber meets the road. It is your ability to answer the questions that the prospect puts to you and overcome his natural reluctance to make a commitment that wraps up the sales process. It is also the part of the sales process that salespeople dislike the most and which customers find the most stressful.

Plan It in Advance

The end game of selling must be carefully thought through and planned in advance so that you are thoroughly prepared to bring the sales conversation to its natural conclusion at the earliest and most appropriate moment. Fortunately, this is a skill, like riding a bicycle, that you can learn through study and practice.

Handling Objections Comes First

Handling objections and closing the sale are two different parts of the sales process but they are so close together that we'll discuss them as a single function. Just as there are reasons why people buy a product, there are reasons why they don't. Often answering an objection or removing an obstacle is the critical element in making the sale. You can answer the objection and close the sale simultaneously.

Make It a Reason to Buy

Objections can be turned into reasons for buying. Just as there is a primary reason for buying a product, a hot button, there is a primary objection that stops the person from buying it. If you can emphasize the one and remove the other, the sale falls together naturally.

Smaller Products Versus Larger Products

In selling smaller products or services, where you can prospect and make a complete presentation in the first meeting, your approach to closing will be different from that required if you are selling a larger product in a multi-call sale that stretches over several weeks or months.

Ask For the Order

In the shorter, smaller sale, the prospect knows everything necessary to make a buying decision at the end of your presentation. Your aim should be to answer any lingering questions and then ask for the order. In the larger sale, you may have to meet with the prospect several times before the prospect is in a position to make a buying decision. You will have to be more patient and persistent.

Action Exercises

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

First, prepare yourself in advance for the endgame of selling by anticipating anything the customer might offer as a reason for not buying. Be ready.

Second, look for the hot button, the reason the customer will buy, and press it. Meanwhile, find out his major reason for not buying and remove it.

5 TRAITS OF A GIFTED CHILD

All parents feel their children are gifted and talented. I agree. I believe all children have their own special gifts, but some children exhibit the high levels of abilities in the following areas: intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership capacity, or specific academic fields.
These children qualify for services that are not available to all students. If you wonder if your child has characteristics of giftedness, consider these traits of a gifted child. If your child shows high performance levels in more than one of these areas, your child might be gifted.

1. Intellectual traits

Intellectual traits of gifted children include large vocabulary, problem-solving skills, intense curiosity, being an independent learner, having diverse interests, early reading skills, keen observation, excellent memory, critical thinking, and more.

2. Creative traits

Gifted children who exhibit creative traits will show several of the following characteristics: willing to take risks, inventiveness, flexibility, ability to create new ideas, produce a variety of ways to solve problems, high level of wonderings and questioning, a great or unusual sense of humor, intense concentration, persistence, and more.

3. Artistic traits

Artistically gifted children are a little harder to identify, but children who show these types of characteristics might be artistically gifted: unending imagination that builds upon ideas, do not need to stimulate imagination, easily perceives space, color and other artistic values, many draw well before the age of two, may have a favorite art form like watercolor painting or sculpture, extended ability to concentrate, and more.

4. Leadership capacity traits

Children who show giftedness in the area of leadership will present the following characteristics: automatically assume the leader role and it is responsibilities, are liked among peers, highly organized, confident, have high expectations, are deep thinkers, keen sense of justice, and more.

5. Specific academic fields

When looking at specific academic fields in the area of giftedness, children will usually focus on one specific field, like science for example, or more specifically within that area. Here are other traits that may be seen: excellent memory, early skill development in the specific area, focused attention and interest in reading on the specific area, knowledgeable about that specific field, and may display enthusiasm and expertise within the specific area.