Choose the right words

Why are some people “glass half empty” and some people “glass half full” kind of folks? Why do some see only the negative in a situation while others see opportunity?

The fact is we choose the words we use to describe our situation. So if we describe a situation as a problem or a disaster that is exactly what it is.

Describe a situation as an opportunity and that is what it is.

The language we use reflects a certain reality but it also deflects a competing reality. So the person who chooses negative words to see a situation as a disaster is unable to see it any other way. There are no opportunities in that situation.

And vice versa.

Start looking at your situation as an opportunity. It may not be the best situation you could want but look for the positives. Maybe you've cut your spending to bare bones and found yourself more appreciative of what you have. Or you've been able to devise some new low cost marketing strategies to reach your target market. Take action to move yourself toward those new opportunities.

Believe

When no one else believes in you, believe in yourself and watch the magic happen!
Enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Inevitability Thinking

In yesterday’s post, I stated that “We live our lives differently when we know the outcome.”

You might ask, though, how do we know the outcome?

By utilizing inevitability thinking.

If it is inevitable (in our own minds) that we succeed, we will create all of the conditions necessary for that success to be inevitable. It’s a paradox but one with a positive outcome.

Be careful, though. Inevitability thinking can have negative outcomes, too, as it already does for so many. We think it is inevitable that we fail, that we don’t make the sale, that we struggle in our business.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Find it inevitable that you succeed and you will know the outcome.

We live our lives differently when we know the outcome

Ever watch a sporting event on tape when you already know the outcome? Chances are, if you already know your team or player had won, you tend to treat their set-backs in a different way. “It’s ok, better shot next time,” you might say. Or “You’ll turn this around.” And, sure enough, your team or player does. Most likely, you didn’t get upset or mad. You didn’t yell at the tv or berate the player. You remained pretty calm and you were able to enjoy the game.

Now imagine you are able to do that with your own life. You already know the outcome. You know that the steps you take toward that outcome will, in most cases, move you closer. But, occasionally, there will be a misstep and you’ll find yourself having to make an adjustment or re-group in a different direction. But it’s ok because you know that, in the end, you will reach your goal.

Wouldn’t you feel better when life throws you a curve ball? You wouldn’t waste time getting angry or sad or depressed. You wouldn’t waste your energy complaining or wishing for something different. You’d just move on. “It’s ok, I’ll do that better next time,” you might tell yourself.

Truth is we do know the outcome.

As Napoleon Hill said, “There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

With that definiteness of purpose and that burning desire, we know the outcome. We will succeed.

That’s a life-altering change in our thought process.

How would you live your life if you already knew the outcome?

To Your Success,
Annette

P.S. “Where’s John?” some of you want to know. John has been busy selling. But I promise you he will be back this week with a great post. Check it out!

Getting beyond set-backs

Sometimes things just don’t go our way. It’s true in our personal as well as professional lives.

Somehow we need to find ways to get beyond it. It’s tough, though. We tend to dissect the issue. Could we have done something different? Did we make a mistake along the way? Our focus re-directs inward and stays there, sometimes making it difficult to move on. We can begin to feel sorry for ourselves.

So how do we move on? If the issue was caused by you or someone else, forgive. If it’s an issue beyond your control, forget it. To turn your focus outward, begin by helping others.

Problem Solving Leads to Success

I love Brian Tracy. I have read many of his books and continue to listen to his tapes. He is an inspiring and encouraging speaker.

I found this video, Four Steps to Getting Past Obstacles, and thought it is quite appropriate for these times. Enjoy!

Gloom or Boom? You Decide

The naysayers, specifically the media, would have you believe that our economy has ground to a halt. Run and hide, Chicken Little. The sky is falling!

If you choose to listen to their messages of gloom, the sky will fall for you. But if, instead, you choose to believe that our economy can and will support your business, well then it’s a whole different ballgame.

The most important thing you can do right now is to be flexible. Be willing to change your business model. Tweak your products so that you offer those that your market wants to buy. Add or subtract services so that you can reach the most consumers. Be willing to do what it takes to survive and thrive.

Don't Participate

Don’t let this current recession determine your fate! Choose not to participate in the current economic crisis.

Now I’m a sales guy but I know that my company has to keep marketing in order for me to get in front of someone to make a sale. The more people I’m in front of, the more sales I make. It’s a pretty simple formula.

December is turning out to be a pretty good sales month for me in my remodeling company. That’s because I’m not letting the recession or the government or the media tell me what I’m going to do. I’ve got some pretty good leads because my company has been marketing all along. I’m selling and that’s that!

It's Official! We're In a Recession

Yep. The group tasked by the Federal Government with determining whether or not our economy is in a recession has agreed with what most analysts have been saying all along. We’re in a recession.

Here’s a clip from their news release:

The NBER — a private, nonprofit research organization — said its group of academic economists who determine business cycles met and decided that the U.S. recession began last December.

Folks, it only took them 12 months!

So I’m going to look at the bright side of this. We’re already 12 months into it!

Remember, chin up and smile!

Make December One to Remember!

When I first started selling remodeling, I did not look forward to the holidays. After all, nobody buys remodeling during the holidays! I might as well save my time and breath and not even see anyone. From the week of Thanksgiving to after the first of the year, sales were dead, dead, dead! We shouldn’t even waste our money on advertising or marketing during that time. After all, everyone knows that consumers don’t buy remodeling during the holidays!

Wait! What if that’s not true?

I started thinking about that. What if I changed my belief system? What if instead I thought that I could sell a lot of remodeling during the holidays? After all, people are thinking about their home, their families. They might even be off work.

And that change in my belief system started me on a December sales record. One of my top 10 sales months in company history was a December. And out of the last 10 years, I have blown out my goal more than half of those years. The others were pretty darn close.

So this year, try changing your belief system about selling remodeling during December. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that there are definitely buyers out there.

Happy Selling!
John

Focus on the Value of Your Products and Services

During an economic downturn, consumers naturally tighten their purse strings. The media talks about this phenomenon as if it were a mysterious ailment that has suddenly struck our nation. But if you really think about it, isn’t this what we should do in an economic downturn? Shouldn’t we be more careful with our money? Shouldn’t we watch our budgets? Shouldn’t we be careful about going into debt?

I think, though, that with all the ballyhoo from the press we forget that consumers are still willing to buy. They just need to see the value in the product or service. Show them the value and they are more willing to open those purse strings.

The Economy That Matters

Yes, the world economy is on shaky ground. Stock markets all over the world are behaving erratically. Credit markets are tight. And you know what? You have absolutely no control over any of it!


But you do have control over your own economy. And, right now, that’s the only economy that matters.


It’s the economy that’s inside your head. The one that’s telling you that times are bad . . . or good . . . depending on how you look at it.


And it’s the one that’s telling you to keep plugging along in your own business, no matter what.


We’ve all been through tough economic times before. And history shows that tough economies help resourceful people find incredible opportunities. So look around you today. There are opportunities out there in your economy. Go find them.

Sell More Remodeling in a Down Economy

Whether you do the selling in your remodeling company or you have salespeople to do it, it is critical that all salespeople be at the top of their game.

Make sure salespeople are up-to-speed on product knowledge. If you need a refresher, call in your manufacturer’s rep or building supply rep right away.

Keep your sales skills strong by reviewing your own sales system and practicing. Do a mock sales call with a family member or friend.

Listen to sales training tapes or read sales literature. The first sales book I ever read was “How to Sell Anything to Anybody” by Joe Girard. Joe was a car salesman and became known as the World’s Greatest Salesperson by selling, on average, six automobiles a day. Joe’s 13 Rules to Success are a must-read and must-follow for any salesperson.

Don’t skip steps in your sales process. Remember when sales were easy? It wasn’t that long ago. You may have been able to get away with leaving out a step or two then. No longer. Be thorough.

Focus on sales and keep your skills in peak condition to help you weather this economic downturn.

Happy Selling!
John

Stay Healthy During These Stressful Times

A by-product of the economic turmoil swirling around us is stress. We constantly hear about the economy, bank collapses, and the stock market decline. We may be nervous about the future, concerned about our jobs and businesses, or just plain worried about the unknown. That stress we are feeling can cause anxiety, depression, and illness.

So how do we combat stress? Hang out with positive, upbeat people and you are more likely to have the same attitude. Try to get enough sleep. Working hard without giving your body and mind the time it needs to repair itself will only wear you down. Keep your energy reserves high by exercising and taking breaks that really take you away from your work. And don’t forget to eat healthy meals throughout the day.

And now, more than ever, it is important to focus on the good in our lives. Try to come up with one positive thing each day.

Book Review: Thought Vibration

Written in 1906, Thought Vibration by William Walker Atkinson, is as current and relevant today as it was a century ago. Atkinson, a somewhat forgotten New Thought pioneer, was also an attorney, merchant, publisher, editor and author of more than 100 books, many under pseudonyms.

Without being preachy, Atkinson explores the ideas of increasing willpower, mastering the real self, living fully, ridding the mind of negative thought, training habits, harnessing emotions, and developing new brain power. His older writing style is still lively and surprisingly refreshing 100 years later.

I love Atkinson’s “in your face” attitude about will power. (If you don’t have any, you’re mentally lazy!) And his thoughts on what he calls “asserting the life-force” or really living and experiencing each moment of every day, call us to stop doing things half-hearted. Take an interest, man!

Atkinson spends a lot of time discussing fear and how it affects our attitudes and, eventually, our ability to succeed. Fear, he says, is an expectancy of the feared thing. To banish fear, start to do some of the things you could do if you were not afraid to try. Assert courage and, eventually, the fear will recede.

Atkinson leaves us with some thoughts on our views of successful people. We imagine successful people to be superior. And if we ever get the chance to meet someone we deem as superior, many times we are disappointed to find that they are the same as ourselves! The difference, Atkinson asserts, is the successful person’s belief in themselves and their ability to concentrate. Resist the urge to undervalue ourselves and overvalue others.

Amazing how the world around us is so different yet the human element remains the same!

It's All In Your Head

I was recently in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for an event with my daughter. Chapel Hill is a beautiful college town with great restaurants and lots of things to do.

Annette and I were watching the local morning newscast when the traffic report came on. The newscaster noted in a voice filled with tones of dread that traffic was moving slow today. There were the usual backups and just prepare yourself.

Then she cut to a live shot of the worst back-up. The screen showed cars moving at steady moderate speeds. Annette and I turned to each other and burst out laughing!

You see, we live in a metropolitan area with some of the worst traffic in the country. And this? This was a cakewalk!

But then I started thinking. This is their reality. To residents of Chapel Hill, yes this is rush-hour traffic.

One person’s reality may not be another person’s. But whose reality is the real reality?

It’s safe to say that the true reality is the one that exists in our own head. But who is to say that we can’t change that.

Don’t let your reality be the doom and gloom that the media casts on the remodeling industry. There are people out there who want to buy remodeling. Make your reality the one that finds them!

Healthy Sales from a Healthy Attitude

I recently had my best sales month. It was my best sales month in the history of my company. Yes, the most I’ve ever sold in one month in 22 years of selling remodeling.

And it was right in the middle of the current economic crisis. And did I mention that my county has the highest foreclosure rate in the state?

How did I do it? It has a lot to do with my attitude. You see, Annette and I decided that we are not going to participate in the current economic downturn.

Sound silly? It’s not. Our attitudes have a lot to do with how we view the world around us. And we decided that we are not going to view it through a lens of doom and gloom. Instead we know that there are people out there who need and want to buy remodeling services. And then we set out to find them!

It felt great to reach a very high goal. And we rewarded ourselves with a nice dinner out. And then it was back to work on the next month.

Book Review: Fearless Living

I recently read the new book, The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley. Guy says that we have an insatiable desire to be someone in the world. What drives that? The wish for power, he asserts. We think that power will put us above the world of the ordinary. It will move us out of our unremarkable daily lives and into a life of excitement and pleasure. We are running from the fear of being no one. But, as Guy points out . . .”what we resist persists.” So by living in fear and discouragement because we are unable to move away from the fear, we are only bringing more of the same feelings! It’s a vicious, never-ending circle. We try using power to control and possess others – a really bad idea Guy points out because by trying to control another person, we are, in fact, giving our power over to that person. So not only are we not in control, someone else has control over us! Not exactly what we had in mind. So instead of trying to control others, give to others what we ask from them. That is the secret to receiving what we wish for from others

Most of us automatically resist the unknown. But in order to become fearless, we must practice self-liberation. We live in negative states of self-doubt and fear. But if we realize that these states are voluntary, not mandatory, we can begin to free ourselves from their imprisonment. The more we think negative thoughts, the more we sink into negativity. And the more we live in negativity, the more we react negatively. We must realize that negative reactions make nothing better!

So how do we become fearless? By letting go of those limiting beliefs. And how do we find our limiting beliefs? Through self-reflection and thought. Put a question to ourselves – such as, what do I fear? – and really think about the response. Self-awareness puts us in touch with the higher intelligence that already lives within all of us.

Stop trying to change the world that we see. Instead begin by changing the way we see the world. Work on the inner first and the outer will follow.