REMEMBER THAT PROSPECT WHO TURNED YOU DOWN?

 

Major changes can happen at your prospect's company without notice. Management turnovers, new offerings, and disruptions in the marketplace can all open up new opportunities for you that might not have been present the last time you were told no.
 Find out what's changed in your prospect's world since you last talked. See if there are changes that shook up the status quo that could push your contact to rethink his position about what you can do for his organization.
 If you haven't already, nurture a coach from within the prospect's organization who can give you a sense of what's changing internally. Keep asking, exploring, and searching for a good fit between a need and what you can offer.
 What you're doing is developing a strategic plan to go back to that old prospect. Use the new information you gathered to create a compelling case why it would be a good idea to talk to you again. Doing so proves to your contact that you've given some thought to his current challenges and that you have a solution that could help his organization alleviate a potential threat or use a market trend to its advantage. You're positioning yourself as a partner rather than just a vendor who was shown the door some time ago.
 Just because a prospect said no the first time doesn't mean all is lost with that potential customer. Pay attention to your prospect's environment so you don't miss out on the tides that might turn in your favor.

WRITING THE HISTORY OF 2014

Six days ago, you began writing the history of 2014. What
kind of year has it been so far? Has it been filled with
clarity, enthusiasm and purpose, or are you "easing into
it"? Are you the sort that jumps in with both feet, making
a splash and starting strong? Or do you prefer to test the
waters one toe at a time?
Either style is absolutely fine! I have no reason to
believe one personality style or preference is better than
any other, but I do observe that highly successful people
have a bias for action and a preference for clarity. They
usually know what they want, where they're going, and how
they plan to get there. And they prefer movement and action
to dreams and wishes. How about you?
This is Monday, January 6th. By my count there are
359 days left this year. Multiply that by 24 and my
calculator says we have 8,616 hours. Now, speaking for
myself, I plan to spend about a third of those hours
sleeping, and at least 350 hours (15 days!) eating. Then I
have to subtract birthdays and holidays and anniversaries,
which don't count. And beyond that, I'll take some time off
and flat-out "waste" an astonishing amount of time, all of
which still leaves a pretty big block of time that I will
use precisely and exactly the way I choose.
The problem, of course, is that most of the time, most of
us quibble with that last word. We resist the idea that
some three or four thousand hours of 2014 will be used
exactly the way we "choose."
We prefer to argue that we'll "have to" shop or clean
house. We "must" attend the kids' soccer games and music
recitals. And, clearly there's "no choice" but to have
dinner with the in-laws and deal with a thousand other
"necessities." And I sympathize with all of that. I live
with the same pressures and obligations and paperwork as
everyone else.
And yet there is that philosophical conundrum of Free Will.
This is my life and in large measure, I am both blessed and
cursed with the ability to live it as I choose.
Sometimes freedom is a horrible responsibility!
Which brings me back to my opening paragraph, above. For
the past six days, have you lived with clarity and
purpose, with energy, excitement, passion and direction, or
not? There's an old saying that "If we keep on keeping on,
we're likely to end up exactly where we're headed." So,
where exactly are you headed in 2014?
 Every moment of every day, we are "at choice."
We decide to do one thing instead of another. Every
morning, we decide what sort of day we want to have. We
decide where to focus our time, our energy, and our
enthusiasm.
What are your words and phrases for 2014? As you make your
choices and use your time, as you write your personal
history of 2014, what words and images will guide you? What
phrase or image will keep you on-track and on-task through
the dark days of winter and the warm, tempting days of
summer?
At the start of a New Year, I'm always humbled at the huge
gift a year represents. In 52 weeks, you can re-invent
yourself. You can learn a language, start a business,
transform a family, make (or squander) a fortune! Twelve
months is an enormous opportunity! Who will you be next
December?
Decide now the kind of year 2014 will be. Decide now to
write a history that is worth reading, a history that will
go down as the stuff of legends and inspire awe in those
around you. You can do this!
In the next 359 days, you'll make thousands (millions?) of
choices. You'll choose "this" but not "that." You'll spend
time in old, familiar ways and generate old, familiar
results. But, miracle of miracles (!) you'll also make
thousands of new, daring, unfamiliar choices and create new
and previously unimagined results. As you explore the
unknown territory of this new year, I wish for you an
extraordinary and rewarding adventure. This year, determine
to write an incredible history for yourself!

THE BEST TOOLS FOR THE JOB

A critical distinction that determines the future of almost
any business is your willingness to invest in equipment and
training.
I cringe when I hear a professional talk about the "cost"
of new equipment, hiring or training better staff, or
attending a conference or training. These things almost
NEVER "cost," they pay!
We live in a world of immediate cost and quality
comparisons. Trust me, whether you own a restaurant, run a
law office, or manufacture widgets, your customers talk to
each other! There are no secrets and the truth about your
quality, your level of innovation, and your performance is
known to every one of your customers, and to virtually
every potential customer.
Whether you invest in new software, new furniture, or
training, if it makes even a slight difference in your
performance, it can make a HUGE difference in your bottom
line. It's called leverage!
Attending a training or conference to meet the best people
in your profession, or to learn new skills, or to review
the best "old tricks," can be worth a fortune. Customers
want it done right the first time, and they will pay a
premium for the confidence that you know what you're doing.
Even buying a new laptop can pay for itself almost
instantly if it makes you slightly faster, slightly more
creative or more productive. You only need a slight edge to
enormously increase your results.
Invest in the right tools for the job. Invest in your
future.

THREE STEPS TO WIN IN LIFE IN 2014

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!