WHY…?

From Tom Hopkins – Master the Art of Selling

“Why don’t I do what I know I should do?” Ask yourself this question seriously

because the answer controls your future. Until you start doing what you know you

should do, you’re living under a law against success that you imposed on yourself.

Behind the question stands this problem. How can I cause myself to do what I

know I should do? How can I cause myself to do what I know I should do.

When you began your new business career (selling whatever you sell), what did

you have a big supply of?

Enthusiasm!!!

Do you remember? Burning desire. Excitement. The feeling of “Watch out world

here I come. Now that I have this terrific opportunity in business, there is no

limit to what I can do.”

Then what happened?

Some months passed. You learned your product, your way around the territory,

how accounts are found, what the problems are. But, while you gathered knowledge

what happened to your enthusiasm?

It dwindled a bit didn’t it? But your product is still as fresh to new customers as it

was to you when you started – it’s just not fresh to you anymore.  Your gain of

knowledge merely matched your loss of enthusiasm, and balanced your

performance out to about average – far below your potential.

Motivating yourself to do what you already know you should do is the main problem.

Why is this true?

Because what you should do is not what you want to do. If it was you’d be doing

it.

Why don’t you want to do what you know you should do?

The reason you don’t do this, is that you are in conflict with yourself. This conflict

comes about because the push forward of your wants and needs can’t overcome

the push backwards of your fears and anxieties.

Wants and needs are motivators and everyone feels them. we’re also going to take

a close look at the de-motivators that everyone also feels. When you feel the

de-motvator, you feel fear or anxiety – which is why the de-motivators are so

powerful. they can dry your mouth, make your knees bang together and light a fire

in your stomach – or they can work in soft and subtle ways to kill your action.

Almost every success-seeking person has been torn by this conflict at some point

in their careers and most of us live with it all our active lives. Perhaps we can’t

eliminate this ongoing battle. But we can decide whether we’ll lose everyday,

loose usually,, win usually or win every time. We can’t of course win every sale.

But we don’t need to constantly lose out to our same old unresolved fears and

anxieties.

What is going to bring North America back?

This is what we need to concentrate on.

North America’s abundance was not created by public sacrifice to “the common

good” but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal

interests and the making of their own private fortunes. By Ayn Rand

It’s time for us to get back to our roots, to doing the things that made our countries

the dream place to live.

To be, to do, to have the things that once made us the greatest nations in the world.

A place where we can all be proud to live in either of our great counties.

“The Marketplace Is Trying To Beat You Down To A Commodity.

By Mark Coloasi

 Don’t Let That Happen. to You” 

When we go to the grocery store and there is nothing to

differentiate one onion from another onion, the ONLY thing

that we can differentiate it with is PRICE.

Why? 

Because it’s a commodity.

Price then becomes the only deciding factor.

Competitors who are less astute will try to sell only on

price, so they will try to beat you down and beat your

competitors down by simply pooh-poohing anything they do

that is different because they are trying to compete on

price. 

That’s also true for the marketplace if you are NOT giving

the criteria for what makes you different, what makes you?

special, what makes you premium?  Then the only thing they

can come back to is price, turning you back into a

commodity. 

Remember, the services you deliver in your business are not

the same as your competitor.

You MUST create the buying criteria for what sets you apart

from anyone else.  It is pretty powerful to develop this

mindset that everyone is trying to make you into an ordinary

commodity and your job is to make sure that you stand out as

extraordinary.

The #1 Factor in Losing Customers and Turning Them into Nay Sayers

In virtually every business, the number-one factor in losing customers and turning customers into bad news spreaders is actually very simple. It can be summarized as “stated or implicit promises not kept.”

One of this biggest Wealth Attracting Secrets ever invented is simply saying what you will do and doing what you say. When you become known for absolute reliability, customers, clients, opportunity, and money will flow to you in ever-increasing abundance. The word spreads because you are so rare. Price competition becomes irrelevant.

Like everyone else, I occasionally get myself into a situation where I can’t meet a deadline, can’t keep a promise. I am maniacal about every commitment, from simple punctuality to the more complex seriously, so the operable word is “occasionally.” It makes me nuts when this happens because, as a pragmatist, I know how detrimental to my interests it is. When it does occur, I’ve learned not to run and hide or ignore it and hope it goes unnoticed, but to confront it, apologize, and make it right. Again, not out of ethical or moral obligation, but out of pragmatism. I’m choosing the best business strategy.

And here’s something rather “advanced” that very few entrepreneurs ever discover: a less appealing promise kept serves you better than making a more appealing promise you can’t, won’t or don’t keep.

Not Everyone Buys on Price

Are YOU committing this common crime to your bottom line?

One of the worst mistakes you can EVER make is automatically assuming everyone buys based solely on price.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

If that were the case everyone would be driving, KIA’s and no one would be driving Lexus, Audi, Mercedes or even your everyday Ford, GM, or Dodge products.

Why do you see people lining up to buy iPhones and iPads when you can get comparable cellphones and tablets for much less?

The bottom line is only 10% of consumers make their buying decisions based on price. Think about it – if price really controlled buyer behavior, then broad range of prices would exist.

What does this have to do with your business? Plenty! If you are failing to get the maximum price the market will pay for your products or services, then you are leaving money on the table … and OUT of your wallet.

This simple fact is probably ROBBING you of the time and freedom you could be enjoying right now.

Instead, you have to work like a dog to sell more of your products or services and you have become a SLAVE to your business …instead of its master.

You’ll have to work harder endure more stress, uncertainty, lack of control that could rob you of peace of mind.

Another VERY important thing: You should NEVER, EVER, EVER be the low-cost provider in your industry!

You simply can’t keep it. There will always be someone else who will come into your market and compete head to head for your customers a

How You Deal With Failure Determines Whether Or Not You Ever Get To Deal with Success

So How Do You Convert Failure to Success?
By Dan Kennedy – The Ultimate Success Secret

First, just by hanging in. failure often transforms itself to success purely as a result of persistence.

Second, by diligently looking for the concealed opportunity. To quote the proverbs and adages: nothing is either good or bad as it first appears to be…and…whenever one door closes another one opens.

Third, by taking prompt, decisive action. Stopping is the absolute worst thing you can do. I wonder how many shots Michael Jordan MISSED (failures) in his pro basketball career? Even how many CRUCIAL shots he missed? Well, one thing’s for certain, when he did miss one, he didn’t rush over to the bench, get the coach to take him out of the game, sit down on the bench, put a towel over his head, and refuse to take another shot for the rest of the game. What did he do when he missed? As soon as possible, he took another shot. No stopping is not the answer. Instead, as with most problems, action is the only true antidote.

There is a Last Time for Everything

From Dan Kennedy – “The Ultimate Success Secret”

Tell your wife/husband/significant other/kids/grandchildren, you love them more often. And especially tell them today, because they might be gone tomorrow. There is a last time for everything.

Stop and have a friendly conversation with your Mom, Dad, a friend, the guy at the newsstand on the corner. Take just a few minutes for this more often than you do. And, especially today. They might be gone tomorrow. There is a last time for everything.

When you go to your job or place of business today, be thankful you’ve got one and give it the very best you’ve got. Tomorrow, thousands will lose their jobs – and then maybe, wish they’d done things differently. Tomorrow, a thousand entrepreneurs will close business doors – and then, maybe, wonder what might have happened if they’d advertised more creatively, sold more aggressively. There is a last time for everything.

Whatever you’re going to do today, give it your best, and take from it the best you can. There is a last time for everything.

The Keys to Strategic Planning

By Brian Tracy

Strategic planning is an essential part of a success formula. Your ability to create a clear and organized plan will greatly contribute to your success and wealth. In fact it’s virtually impossible to succeed greatly unless you have a clear idea of where you’re going and how to get there.

So here are the three key factors to remember when devising a strategic plan. Number one is to remember that you are in business for yourself. This means that everything that is ever going to happen to your personal success corporation – your personal business, is up to you. No one else can be expected to do it for you.

Now here’s a perverse law: the more you accept that you are responsible for doing whatever it is, the more others will step up to help you. Therefore, you say these words: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

Number two: your aim in strategic planning is to increase your return on energy (ROE). Now the purpose of strategic planning in business is to increase the return on equity; return on capital working in the organization. But your capital is mental, emotional, and human capital. Your job is to get the highest return on energy. My friend Ken Blanchard says that you want to get the highest return on the amount of your life invested in your work.

Number three: successful individuals also have good personal strategic plans, because a good strategic plan ensures that you will get the highest return on energy you invest in anything you do. Remember, some people work 20, 30, or 40 years, and end up poor. Others work the same number of years in the same business and often at pretty much the same salary, and end up getting wealthy.

Creating and implementing a strategic plan is essential to your success in business. The people who become wealthy have a plan and they stick to that plan. As they say, the key to success is to plan your work and work your plan.

Magnetic Marketing

By Dan Kennedy

Magnetic marketing is based on three simple foundations…

Message
Market
Media

Now most business people understand what these three elements are and the difference among them. But what almost every marketer fails to grasp is the “Message” must come first.

Most marketers skip right to the “Media.”

The Back-Ass-Wards Thinking Behind Most Marketing Decisions
The conversation in their head goes something like this, “I need more customers… So, maybe I should take out a newspaper ad… Maybe I should throw up a website… Maybe I should send out a direct mail sales letter.”

Whoa!

Today’s golden nugget of wisdom: Your message must be crystal clear and finely crafted before you even BEGIN to consider the media you will use to communicate.

Why do so many businesses jump right to the “Media” part of the equation?

Well, the main reason is they get “sold” on the media. Advertising agencies and media buyers are only concerned with selling you media that is profitable for them to sell. The message (and your results) are of little, if any, concern to them.

They buy up a bunch of media and put out “me too” messages that fail miserably because it doesn’t stand out and is not targeted at the right market.

Get a notepad and pen and answer the following questions…

What is unique about my product?
What is unique about my delivery?
What is unique about my service?
What industry norms does my company bend or break?
What is unique about my personality?
What is my story?
Who or what are my “enemies.”
What is unique about my best customers?

Do you see a common word these questions?

Unique.

Your very first priority as a magnetic marketing master is to get laser focused on what sets you apart. What makes you unique in your industry? Your Unique Selling Proposition. USP.

If you cannot come up with very clear answers to these questions, you’re going to need to make some changes to your business. Period. This is crucial. This is foundational.

Take a long hard look at your answers and then ask yourself “How can I incorporate this uniqueness into my marketing? How can I exploit it? How can I use it in every marketing piece I produce?” Then do it. Take action. Implement. Today.

PS: Here are two bonus questions to ask yourself everyday to help you grow your business.
1. What do you persist in doing that does not enhance your business
(or life)?
2. What do you avoid doing that would enhance your business (or
life)?

I’m overwhelmed by too many things too do, not sure what I should be focusing on next. How do I get more focused and productive?

Overwhelm and procrastination are parts of our lives.

From Adam Ubanski’s Attract Clients Like Crazy
Overwhelm and procrastination are parts of our lives. The problem is so huge there is entire industry focused on reducing stress and increasing productivity through training and tools. In my conversations, I found two major things that keep people spinning their wheels with no results.
1. Lack of clarity of goals and purposes. Most people can readily articulate what they don’t want, but few have stated what they desire in life and business.
2. Too much input with too little output. Continued learning is vital, but taking action in implementing what you learn is even more important!
Here are some things I found helpful in addressing this.
Get clear what you really want out of life and business. Write it down for yourself and review it regularly. Set specific goals – put it in writing and review it regularly. Great written action plans for every major project you undertake. Make daily list of actions you want to take. Don’t make things overly complicated. In fact, for the steps I’ve just described use a simple desk calendar and basic notepad – I found this low-tech approach to be the most effective. Finally, ask for help, outsource, and delegate whenever possible.
In addition, I found that understanding the value of your time often helps in getting better at not wasting it.
Action Steps:
1. Grasp the higher entrepreneurial thinking concepts and develop a good understanding of education/expertise-based marketing business. Then identify which area of your marketing isn’t working and focus your efforts on that area.
2. Understand the real value of your time and develop a more long-term strategic outlook on your life and business. Usually discovering how much each wasted minute is costing you provides a great motivation to stay focused and productive.
3. Study and develop good organizational skills that will help you manage your priorities (vs. trying to manage your time). I recommend two books I found very helpful Dan Kennedy’s No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs is exactly what the title suggests. And David Allen’s Getting Things Done will help you get more organized and thus more productive.