Here's a great video; short and powerful.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
Identifying Top Salespeople
By: Brian Tracy
Here's a key point. A higher order value always takes precedence over a lower order value. If you place one value higher than another, and you have to choose between doing one thing or doing another, you will always select the action that is consistent with your higher value. Once you are clear about your order of values, decision making becomes much easier.
How can you determine what your values really are? Simple. Just observe your behaviors, especially the things you do when you are under pressure. Your values are always expressed in your actions. It is not what you say, or wish, or hope, or intend that expresses your true values. It is only what you do.
If you want to know what your values are at this moment, you can examine your recent past and notice the choices you made when you could have gone one way or another. Your choices, and your subsequent actions, demonstrated to yourself and others what was of greatest value and importance to you.
Here is an example. Imagine you have two people who have the same three values. The values are family, health and career success. The only difference between these two people is the order of importance that they placed on these values, their priorities.
The first person, Bill, says that, "My family comes first, my health is second and career success is third." Tom, on the other hand, has the same values, but he says, "Career success comes first for me, then my family, and then my health."
Would there be a difference in character and personality between these two people? Would there be a small difference or a large difference? Which of these two people would you like to get to know and become friends with? Would you be able to tell these two people apart in conversation? Which one do you think you would like and trust more? The answers to these questions are clear.
The person with the higher values in a better order of priority will invariably be a better person than the person whose values are in a different order. Your choice of values determines the quality of your character. When you select values such as integrity, love, courage, honesty, excellence or responsibility, and you live your life consistent with those values, every hour of every day, you actually become a superior person.
It is your values that determine the kind of person you really are. Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, think about how you behave, how you choose, whenever you are under pressure.
Remember, it is only what you do, your actions, that tell who you really are. Second, observe how other people around you behave when they are forced to choose. You will only be compatible with people whose values are similar to yours. What are they?
---------------------
About the Author: Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.
Here's a key point. A higher order value always takes precedence over a lower order value. If you place one value higher than another, and you have to choose between doing one thing or doing another, you will always select the action that is consistent with your higher value. Once you are clear about your order of values, decision making becomes much easier.
How can you determine what your values really are? Simple. Just observe your behaviors, especially the things you do when you are under pressure. Your values are always expressed in your actions. It is not what you say, or wish, or hope, or intend that expresses your true values. It is only what you do.
If you want to know what your values are at this moment, you can examine your recent past and notice the choices you made when you could have gone one way or another. Your choices, and your subsequent actions, demonstrated to yourself and others what was of greatest value and importance to you.
Here is an example. Imagine you have two people who have the same three values. The values are family, health and career success. The only difference between these two people is the order of importance that they placed on these values, their priorities.
The first person, Bill, says that, "My family comes first, my health is second and career success is third." Tom, on the other hand, has the same values, but he says, "Career success comes first for me, then my family, and then my health."
Would there be a difference in character and personality between these two people? Would there be a small difference or a large difference? Which of these two people would you like to get to know and become friends with? Would you be able to tell these two people apart in conversation? Which one do you think you would like and trust more? The answers to these questions are clear.
The person with the higher values in a better order of priority will invariably be a better person than the person whose values are in a different order. Your choice of values determines the quality of your character. When you select values such as integrity, love, courage, honesty, excellence or responsibility, and you live your life consistent with those values, every hour of every day, you actually become a superior person.
It is your values that determine the kind of person you really are. Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, think about how you behave, how you choose, whenever you are under pressure.
Remember, it is only what you do, your actions, that tell who you really are. Second, observe how other people around you behave when they are forced to choose. You will only be compatible with people whose values are similar to yours. What are they?
---------------------
About the Author: Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, December 22, 2006
You've got to see this...
Woah! If you are serious about commissions and residuals, you have GOT to see this video:
http://payplan.us. You can even start right away if you'd like.
Get the whole story here.
http://www.globalresortsnetwork.com/goodtimes/biz
http://payplan.us. You can even start right away if you'd like.
Get the whole story here.
http://www.globalresortsnetwork.com/goodtimes/biz
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
How to Become a People Person
by: Antony Mosley
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/
Have you ever come across a person who is so naturally friendly that they can becomes friends with almost everyone in a room of strangers in no time? We call such a people person, someone so unbelievably nice and charismatic that they can virtually charm anyone at any time.
It's pretty basic; if you know your social skills and make use of them, you will reach self-empowerment. Self-empowerment is making a general overhaul in your life and turning yourself into a happier and more successful person. Anyone can become a people person. You just have to know how to start.
1. Be genuine.
Hypocrisy will just bring you down. Be genuinely nice and interested in people. If they perceive that you are Mr. Hypocrite with selfish intentions, you might as well say goodbye to self-empowerment.
2. Be the greatest listener you can be.
To earn the love and trust of the people around you, listen to their problems and sympathize with them. Do not just hear them out, listen to them with your heart. Make eye contact when the person talks to you. Listen as if every word matters, and it does. Brownie points when they find out that there is a confidante in you.
3. Laugh out loud.
This does not mean that you need to force yourself to laugh at every joke you hear. This means finding humor in things and not being too serious. A person oozing with an awesome sense of humor attracts crowds and eventually, attracts success.
4. Don't forget yourself.
In the process of fluttering around like a social butterfly, you might forget yourself, sometimes allowing others to push you over. It just makes sense that you'd have to love and value yourself to bring out the best in those around you. If you deem yourself respectable and worthy of affection, people will flock to you and not trample on you.
5. Do random acts of kindness.
This doesn't mean you have to do the Warren Buffet and give everything to charity. Little acts of kindness matter the most, and this can be as simple as giving someone a surprise you-take-care card or helping an elderly person cross the street. When we were kindergarten students, we were taught kindness, and we practiced kindness. Now is the time to revive those good deeds and this time, let them stay for good.
6. Contact your old friends.
It is sad the way some friendships end up in a ‘goodbye’, but thanks to technology, you can do something about it. Relive the good old days by flipping through your yearbook and look for those great people that you want to communicate with again. Adding those old friends to your roster of support peers will surely make you feel good all over.
7. Develop your personality.
Are you grouchy, grumpy and generally morose? Whoa, you can't go through life with those qualities. Get rid of the bad traits and habits that perpetually hamper your growth. And really, who wants a grouchy friend anyway?
8. Be confident.
Be able to stride to the other corner of the room and introduce yourself to people with that winning smile of yours. Be confident, not arrogant.
9. Practice self control.
When angry, don't snap at anyone. Never throw a tantrum. Stay calm and collected. Be adult enough to take control of a situation and transform your anger into something more productive and passive. As soon as people learn that your anger goes to volcanic proportions easily, they will automatically alienate you when they have a problem. Conversely, a person that remains calm under stress wins big points from all onlookers.
10. Keep nurturing your relationships.
Relationships with your family, friends and spouse is so precious that you can't afford to neglect it under any circumstances. Go out and have fun with them. Do things together. Happiness will never fly from your side as long as the people who matter the most are close to you. Using people for self-empowerment means becoming a better and more lovable person. It's a win-win situation: the people know they can turn to you anytime, and you know you can turn to them anytime as well.
So there you have it; ten simple steps to becoming a people person. It's not as difficult as most people think. You just have to know where to start.
---------------------------
About: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area is included in your publication.
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/
Have you ever come across a person who is so naturally friendly that they can becomes friends with almost everyone in a room of strangers in no time? We call such a people person, someone so unbelievably nice and charismatic that they can virtually charm anyone at any time.
It's pretty basic; if you know your social skills and make use of them, you will reach self-empowerment. Self-empowerment is making a general overhaul in your life and turning yourself into a happier and more successful person. Anyone can become a people person. You just have to know how to start.
1. Be genuine.
Hypocrisy will just bring you down. Be genuinely nice and interested in people. If they perceive that you are Mr. Hypocrite with selfish intentions, you might as well say goodbye to self-empowerment.
2. Be the greatest listener you can be.
To earn the love and trust of the people around you, listen to their problems and sympathize with them. Do not just hear them out, listen to them with your heart. Make eye contact when the person talks to you. Listen as if every word matters, and it does. Brownie points when they find out that there is a confidante in you.
3. Laugh out loud.
This does not mean that you need to force yourself to laugh at every joke you hear. This means finding humor in things and not being too serious. A person oozing with an awesome sense of humor attracts crowds and eventually, attracts success.
4. Don't forget yourself.
In the process of fluttering around like a social butterfly, you might forget yourself, sometimes allowing others to push you over. It just makes sense that you'd have to love and value yourself to bring out the best in those around you. If you deem yourself respectable and worthy of affection, people will flock to you and not trample on you.
5. Do random acts of kindness.
This doesn't mean you have to do the Warren Buffet and give everything to charity. Little acts of kindness matter the most, and this can be as simple as giving someone a surprise you-take-care card or helping an elderly person cross the street. When we were kindergarten students, we were taught kindness, and we practiced kindness. Now is the time to revive those good deeds and this time, let them stay for good.
6. Contact your old friends.
It is sad the way some friendships end up in a ‘goodbye’, but thanks to technology, you can do something about it. Relive the good old days by flipping through your yearbook and look for those great people that you want to communicate with again. Adding those old friends to your roster of support peers will surely make you feel good all over.
7. Develop your personality.
Are you grouchy, grumpy and generally morose? Whoa, you can't go through life with those qualities. Get rid of the bad traits and habits that perpetually hamper your growth. And really, who wants a grouchy friend anyway?
8. Be confident.
Be able to stride to the other corner of the room and introduce yourself to people with that winning smile of yours. Be confident, not arrogant.
9. Practice self control.
When angry, don't snap at anyone. Never throw a tantrum. Stay calm and collected. Be adult enough to take control of a situation and transform your anger into something more productive and passive. As soon as people learn that your anger goes to volcanic proportions easily, they will automatically alienate you when they have a problem. Conversely, a person that remains calm under stress wins big points from all onlookers.
10. Keep nurturing your relationships.
Relationships with your family, friends and spouse is so precious that you can't afford to neglect it under any circumstances. Go out and have fun with them. Do things together. Happiness will never fly from your side as long as the people who matter the most are close to you. Using people for self-empowerment means becoming a better and more lovable person. It's a win-win situation: the people know they can turn to you anytime, and you know you can turn to them anytime as well.
So there you have it; ten simple steps to becoming a people person. It's not as difficult as most people think. You just have to know where to start.
---------------------------
About: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area is included in your publication.
How to Map Your Life
By: Antony Mosley
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com
Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. When considering how to map your life, as with any hiking excursion, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A life map
has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior high school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status.
Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
“Who do I want to be?” This is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear.
Your destination should cover all aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen. The exact same criteria is needed for a person wanting to plan for wealth. Without addressing all aspects of your being, reaching your destination will become more complex.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself.
Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude
Food, drinks, medicines, and other traveling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way.
This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: Smart objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success.
These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years.
Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes; thus we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.
-------------------
About the Author: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional with the Global Resorts Network. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area is included in your publication.
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com
Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. When considering how to map your life, as with any hiking excursion, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A life map
has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior high school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status.Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
“Who do I want to be?” This is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear.
Your destination should cover all aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen. The exact same criteria is needed for a person wanting to plan for wealth. Without addressing all aspects of your being, reaching your destination will become more complex.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself.
Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude
Food, drinks, medicines, and other traveling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way.
This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: Smart objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success.
These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years.
Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes; thus we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.
-------------------
About the Author: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional with the Global Resorts Network. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area is included in your publication.
How to Become a Man of Genius
By: Antony Mosley
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com
No, not one of the Men of Genius in the Bud Light commercials (although I like them very much). I want you to become a man, woman or child of genius by taking a brief look at your true capacity for creativity. You see, many have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative and genius ideas. That is not true at all.
Creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently produce great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will atrophy into inexistence. Continue working on it, and this skill will soon come to you in a snap. Of course, this applies to women and children, too.
So would you like to know how to unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, I’m not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living thing around. I’m saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as possible. Read everything available; good news as well as bad news, self improvement, science, and poetry just to name a few.
Keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add more and more bits of color to your life.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere."
So why don't you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it regularly.
Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.
Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.
Try something new every day and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Chat with someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life.
Think about it: When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could have added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why not try something new today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.
Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself to the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Fortunately, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by their ideas. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally. Within limits, creativity is essentially breaking through barriers.
I'm not saying that you should develop a creative personality that might go haywire. A good example of a creative personality would be James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "arch nemesis.")
And of course, one of my favorite creative thinking examples is the Bud Light Real Men of Genius
series of commercials. It's important to have fun with your creativity, and that your creativity not detach you from the real world completely. In fact, you can speed up your creative juices by spending more time with people that are interested in self improvement and creative thinking.
I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking creatively. If you follow these steps, pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living.
-------------------
About the Author: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area and links are included in your publication.
http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com
No, not one of the Men of Genius in the Bud Light commercials (although I like them very much). I want you to become a man, woman or child of genius by taking a brief look at your true capacity for creativity. You see, many have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative and genius ideas. That is not true at all.
Creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently produce great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will atrophy into inexistence. Continue working on it, and this skill will soon come to you in a snap. Of course, this applies to women and children, too.
So would you like to know how to unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, I’m not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living thing around. I’m saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as possible. Read everything available; good news as well as bad news, self improvement, science, and poetry just to name a few.
Keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add more and more bits of color to your life.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere."
So why don't you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it regularly.
Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.
Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.
Try something new every day and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Chat with someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life.
Think about it: When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could have added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why not try something new today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.
Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself to the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Fortunately, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by their ideas. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally. Within limits, creativity is essentially breaking through barriers.
I'm not saying that you should develop a creative personality that might go haywire. A good example of a creative personality would be James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "arch nemesis.")
And of course, one of my favorite creative thinking examples is the Bud Light Real Men of Genius
series of commercials. It's important to have fun with your creativity, and that your creativity not detach you from the real world completely. In fact, you can speed up your creative juices by spending more time with people that are interested in self improvement and creative thinking.I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking creatively. If you follow these steps, pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living.
-------------------
About the Author: Antony Mosley is a technical writer and part time sales professional. Visit his sales training blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com/. Feel free to bookmark the blog, and redistribute any article you would like, as long as the About area and links are included in your publication.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Be a Doctor of Selling
By: Brian Tracy
Top sales professionals see themselves as "Doctors of Selling." They see themselves as professionals, well educated, acting in their "patient's" best interest, and bound by a high code of ethics. The medical process is the same everywhere. Whenever you go to any doctor, of any kind, for any condition, he will follow the three part sequence of examination, diagnosis and prescription.
Just as a medical professional would never think of treating you without following these three steps in order, you as a doctor of selling, would never allow a customer to force you to sell without your going through your three stages as well. This is as applicable to selling magazines door-to-door as it is to selling oil tankers to Exxon. In the examination phase, you ask excellent questions, carefully prepared, in sequence, which are geared to give you a thorough knowledge of the patient's condition, or the customer's situation.
The second phase is that of diagnosis. In the diagnosis with a customer, you would repeat back the results of your examination and double check to be sure that the symptoms that you had detected were the real symptoms being experienced by the patient. You would ask additional questions to confirm and corroborate. You and the patient would mutually agree that this diagnosis seems to be an accurate description of the condition or problem.
Once this mutual agreement has been reached, that a treatable condition exists and that you have identified it accurately, you can move on to phase three. This is the prescription phase, where you show the patient (customer) that your product or service is the best available treatment, taking all the factors of the patient's situation into consideration for the ailment that you have diagnosed. You show that, on balance, what you are suggesting is the best of all possible solutions. Professionals who sell in the way that doctors treat patients find that their sales activities proceed far more smoothly and result in better sales in less time.
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, take the time to do a thorough examination by asking excellent questions and by listening carefully to the answers. Second, repeat back and check your diagnosis with the customer so that you both agree on the need or problem — before you recommend a solution.
------------
About Brian Tracy: Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.
By: Brian Tracy
Top sales professionals see themselves as "Doctors of Selling." They see themselves as professionals, well educated, acting in their "patient's" best interest, and bound by a high code of ethics. The medical process is the same everywhere. Whenever you go to any doctor, of any kind, for any condition, he will follow the three part sequence of examination, diagnosis and prescription.
Just as a medical professional would never think of treating you without following these three steps in order, you as a doctor of selling, would never allow a customer to force you to sell without your going through your three stages as well. This is as applicable to selling magazines door-to-door as it is to selling oil tankers to Exxon. In the examination phase, you ask excellent questions, carefully prepared, in sequence, which are geared to give you a thorough knowledge of the patient's condition, or the customer's situation.
The second phase is that of diagnosis. In the diagnosis with a customer, you would repeat back the results of your examination and double check to be sure that the symptoms that you had detected were the real symptoms being experienced by the patient. You would ask additional questions to confirm and corroborate. You and the patient would mutually agree that this diagnosis seems to be an accurate description of the condition or problem.
Once this mutual agreement has been reached, that a treatable condition exists and that you have identified it accurately, you can move on to phase three. This is the prescription phase, where you show the patient (customer) that your product or service is the best available treatment, taking all the factors of the patient's situation into consideration for the ailment that you have diagnosed. You show that, on balance, what you are suggesting is the best of all possible solutions. Professionals who sell in the way that doctors treat patients find that their sales activities proceed far more smoothly and result in better sales in less time.
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, take the time to do a thorough examination by asking excellent questions and by listening carefully to the answers. Second, repeat back and check your diagnosis with the customer so that you both agree on the need or problem — before you recommend a solution.
------------
About Brian Tracy: Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
