You Can Quote Me On That!

Happy Friday! Each day, I sit down to write something that I hope inspires or instructs.  Allegory, metaphors, similes, parables - woven into how I see the world, and this great profession of sales.  Sure, sometimes you get me...sometimes you are left scratching your head...   I know I can't close them all...but I keep typing.   Today, I want to use some other voices with my own thrown in for good measure.  Just a few quotes and thoughts to help inspire;   "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." Zig Ziglar   What do you think the moment you get out of bed?  Possibilities, challenges?  There is an immediate battle for your mind and the first thoughts you think set the tone for the day.  Begin each day with something that lets the optimistic side of your brain "win" that battle! "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson I know many sales people that judge their day by their closed sales.  I understand as that is the goal and measuring stick.  I also know this business epitomizes "sowing and reaping" more than any other.  The calls you make, the people you see, and the things you do today, will turn into a harvest of sales in the future.  Then those sales will become the continual harvest as you get renewals. Sow some great seeds today!   "The best way out is always through." Robert Frost   Life is fair...and just. Doesn't always look that way, but it is.  When I think back over the struggles and obstacles, those were the things that forged my character...my will.  But I had to go "through" them.  Skipping steps is not fair...or just.  We instinctually know that we must pay our dues to merit success.    Facing something today that looks insurmountable? Go through it or outlive it!  "All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination."   Earl Nightingale  What makes some people "hopeless" is they are not following a plan...they are aimless.  What makes some people frustrated, is they have a plan that doesn't seem to be working.  What makes people depressed is when they give up on their plan.  Don't have a plan?  Get one.  Revive your hope! The plan you have is not working?  Refine it.  Get help! Ready to give up on your plan?  Infuse one more round of courage (encouragement!) into the plan.  There was a reason you believed in it once...give it one more try...and keep trying until it delivers its harvest!     "It is never too late to be what you might have been."  George Eliot  I will be 50 in a few months.  Funny, I don't feel it.  The hair might say 50, but my mind says 25, my body says 35, and my dreams say 5!  I still believe in things that I dreamed and wrote down to myself decades ago.   Some of it has happened...some awaits...but I am waiting and working for it.    Don't you dare give up on you or who you were designed to be.    I know that the rest of your life has more in store, but you have to reach out and rightfully take what belongs to you.  Nothing...and no one is holding you back...but you.   I know you can do it!  Yes, encouraging you, encourages me - that is the way it was designed to work.  Tell someone they are great today and that they can do it and watch the "courage" grow.  It will be a great day and ...   You Can Quote Me On That!     Until Monday, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Part-timers & Two-Timers!

I am working with an marketing organization that runs a great call center (morning Warriors!) and needs agents to run pre-set appointments for life insurance. Yes, you heard that right...pre-set...time/date and even know the name of the agent that is coming. They did an email blast in the region that said,  "Agents needed to run pre-set appointments." Simple enough concept...they have leads...agents needs leads...the makings of a great relationship...right?   Life (sales) is never that simple.   As you would imagine, the phone rang off the hook!  Between phone calls, emails and inquiries, over 400 people responded!  They asked me what the filtering criteria should be as they only needed 20 agents in order to provide the high quality opportunities that make it equitable for all involved;   Should we ask them about experience? Sure. Should we get a production history? Makes sense. Do we get references?  Why not.   The standard approach to selection would work if the pool of candidates was limited.  I recommended they tell potential candidates this is a full time position.  That appointments would be set 5-6 days a week/weekends and evenings. They began dropping like flies.   "I only wanted to work 20 hours a week." "Weekends?  I was looking for Monday-Thursday with 1/2 days on Friday." "I was hoping to supplement my income and do this on the side."   While the results are still being reviewed, I was amazed (but shouldn't have been) at the number of people who lacked the fundamental attribute to be successful in any business endeavor...  Commitment.   Hey, I get people needing to transition from their current career into sales and that it can be tough...but it takes commitment. I know people need to live a life of balance and not work 90 hours a week...but success requires commitment. I understand that the financial challenges are real (been there/done that!), but six-figure incomes can't be "phoned in"...it mandates commitment. Then there is that redeeming phone call from a candidate that says, "This sounds like the kind of opportunity I have been looking for.  I have been selling for 2 years with limited success.  I feel I have put in the effort but need guidance, coaching and opportunities to see people while I learn.  I am willing to go anywhere, anytime and will do whatever it takes to be successful.  I need this opportunity!" Reminded me of Matt from  Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table when he made his appeal to Leroy about needing help. It was sincere and heartfelt.   Snow job to get a job...could be.    I would rather take my chances on someone who can verbalize commitment and then let the process of monitoring, measuring and managing determine who says it...who means it...and who does it!   I also appreciate the people who told me of their lack of commitment...why waste their time, the marketing organizations time (and money...presets aint cheap!).  It's just a little disappointing that the industry is still filled with...   Part-timers and Two-Timers.   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Opportunity of a Lifetime!

Psssh!   "Hey, Brandon...do you have 5 minutes?  I want to tell you about an opportunity of a lifetime!"   I should have known when he used "Psssh" as his attention getter that I was in trouble.  I know the guy, so I politely said "sure".  Five minutes turned into 20, as I listened to him describe what had to be the most cockamamie scheme I have ever heard.  It wasn't that the product was bad (insurance), it was the "innovative" marketing and unique distribution model they employed that had me suspicious.    It was also the income claims.  Hey, I believe in six-figures just like the next guy, but when you tell me I can do it from the comfort of my home and in less than 3 months...yikes!   "Best thing, Brandon, there is no selling...the product sells itself."   At that point, I completely shut down mentally and waited for the door to open to let him down easy...when that didn't work...I let him down hard. "I wont slam this "big thing" you just outlined...somebody is actually going to make money with it.  The question is...will you?  I have known you for about 8 years and you have gone from opportunity to opportunity to opportunity."    "What do you have to show for it?"    "Yea, I know.  I need to stick to one thing and make it successful, right?" he said contritely.   "No.  Actually, you need to have multiple opportunities to generate revenue.  Things that compliment each other so you can serve a wider range of clients and smooth out the seasonal peaks and valleys of income.  But each opportunity has to be a genuine - one that you can leverage to make money."   "Makes sense," he responded.  "How do I know an opportunity is a real one?"    I thought he would never ask...What does opportunity look like?   Real opportunity should not be built on chance or "the next big thing". There are some fundamental elements that define success....the opportunity, the timing, and the people.   Regarding opportunity, a few things to review and research; What problem does it solve? Is it a new and emerging trend or an established industry? Are there barriers to entry so it doesn't get too crowded? What is the cost of entry? In business, timing is everything!  Windows of opportunity open and close every day. When you get in, and yes, when you get out, determines how well you do. There are some key questions to ask about timing; Is it going to grow year after year? Is it a "fad" that will not sustain focused effort? Is the market saturated with products and/or sales people? Is this a ground floor opportunity and "early adopters" will have an advantage? Is this the right time for your business? Are the right people in place?  Partnerships and relationships are both "ships" that can lead to Championships or sunken ships! This is the most dynamic of the three elements as human nature is sometimes unpredictable... especially when money is involved. A few things to consider before you build alliances;  Is there a training and development program to cut down the learning curve? Will you get assistance or guidance with business development? Are the financial models aligned so that everyone has a stake in the other's success? Can I protect myself? As humans, we will disappoint each other...agreements/contracts make sure we don't betray each other! As with all things, you have to do what is best for your particular situation. So as you evaluate the Opportunity, Timing and People, I want you to be mindful of two Latin phrases;   Caveat Emptor - "Let the buyer beware". For the opportunities presented, you must look at each one objectively, and not blindly, so that you enter into your business relationships with wisdom, and you don't look back on them with regret.   Carpe Diem - "Seize the Day". There are many sitting on the sidelines waiting for all the conditions to be perfect. That "paralysis by analysis" will keep them from leveraging the windows of opportunity that are present.   Do your due diligence, asks the right questions and then you will know if the next whisper you get is malarkey or the...    Opportunity of a Lifetime!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Life is a Juggle!

Life is full of choices.    There are things we have to do...things we want to do.   Things we love...things we hate.   Things we look forward to...and things we dread.   How do we decide that is priority and what can wait?    Sales is a self managed affair.  I brag about the fact that it brings Emancipation, but some people can't handle that much freedom.  The most successful people in sales, and life, have figured out how to get themselves to act "on schedule".    It can be called discipline, structure, or time management, but how do you get in the habit of getting "first things done first"?  You connect the DOTS!    "D" is for Desire - The driving force of the things we do each day should be based on desire...our goals.  Our goals are a combination of "what" we want combined with "why" we want it. If constructed properly, the two create a white heat of desire that compels us to act in a way that is consistent with the attainment of our vision. We are lackadaisical when our "Whys" are not of sufficient emotional importance/value to drive us to act in a consistent (habitual) manner.  For example, you are behind on your sales goal (sorry!).  It's been a few months and you are making ends meet, and no one has called you out for your performance.  You know meeting your quota is important but the emotional urgency (why) is not enough to make you do all the right things consistently.  Until the manager calls you into the office to tells you that if you don't make 10 sales in the next 2 weeks, they will have to let you go!   Now the "why" is huge!    We should not operate our lives in "crisis management" mode all the time, instead, each area of our lives should have sufficient value to mandate its inclusion in our daily routines. Make your goals compelling and important so they get done!  Hey...you can create your own desire...or someone else will!    "O" for Opportunity - When you have established that something is important to your quality of life, the opportunity to engage in it always presents itself.   If the business plan is critical to your future success and freedom from your current job, then you will wake up early, or stay up late to create the opportunity to pursue it. Same thing for your physical workouts...you will create the opportunity.   Things may not always get done at the optimum time of day or week, but until you have complete control of your time (which no one ever really does!), you will have to take advantage of windows of opportunity.   For the things that are vital, you will have to "get them in where they fit it", but look for the opportunities - they will emerge! "T" is for Time -  We are all working with the same 24 hours and 7 days a week. Of course, some people are maximizing that time and accomplishing amazing things. You may not be able to devote all the time you would like to everything you need/want/have to accomplish but you can you find better ways to accomplish more in the time you do have.   Can you delegate some of the things that require your time? As you increase financially, can you pay for someone to cook, clean, detail your car, or run errands? Can you begin doing the new, more intense physical workouts that take 20 minutes, rather than the standard treadmill for an hour routine?     The people that maximize their time, don't spend it in the mundane (chores), they utilize their time to create more life experiences. The important thing is to understand that time is a precious commodity and not to waste any of it!!!   What choices are you facing today?  What do you need to do...want to do?   Create a plan to make this day productive and feel good about that well deserved sense of accomplishment...then do it again tomorrow...and repeat often.  Sure some things won't get done but you will have moved the needle on other things.  You can only have so many plates spinning and bowling pins in the air because...   Life Is A Juggle!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Life Hangs In The Balance!

Life Hangs In The Balance!

Happy Monday!   I hope you had a great weekend...I know I did! What did I do so special?  I spent time with my family.   Faith had returned from 6 weeks in a Russian emersion program in California.  She was home and free on Saturday, so Natalie and I took her to lunch and we spent the afternoon together...we laughed, joked, caught up on life and had a great time. She was going back to her new apartment on Sunday and I had the idea of a group of us going with her for a spontaneous "house warming". She was so excited for everyone to see her first place.  As fate would have it, the wife and girlfriend of my boys couldn't make it, so it was  just the 5 of us...   That hadn't don't that in quite a while. That may not sound like a big deal except I had a "things to do" list the length of my arm... leg... neck...you get the picture. Publishing deadlines, time sensitive content, contracts...things that matter to my business.  More things than I could have completed if I had spent the whole weekend working.  But when the doors of opportunity presented themselves for me to spend time with people who matter most...I took it. The work...it will wait!  The deadlines...I will figure it out!  Being irresponsible?   No.  I simply understand that life hangs in the balance! Are you living a balanced life? Balance is key to a full, happy and joyful life.  Most people miss the concept of balance as they live out their lives in a series of "priorities". Chasing money for a while, then focusing on losing weight, and when it fits, being attentive to their spouse/family, etc.  The key to a life well-lived is pursuing all areas of the Fab Five (mental, physical, spiritual, social and financial), with balance, and progressing a little in each area every day.  Make no mistake, the Fab Five are interrelated, and pursuing one area to the detriment of others will create an imbalance.   Each area affects the others.   A majority of people put the most pressure on themselves financially. What usually happens in this single-minded pursuit, is they experience loss in the other four areas. If you are dealing with financial pressure it can be overwhelming as it presents a "get it now or else" ultimatum.   Playing with children, going on a date with your spouse, or visiting friends are things we will do "once we become successful". Life is about balance - finding time for those things that are too easily deferred. I know, because I have faced financial pressure...thankfully, I got through it and didn't loose anything...my health, my wife,.my kids...my joy. Time away from work should be filled with things that allow you to "decompress". You work hard and deserve to enjoy the time off, and the fruits of your success - even if with small pleasures!     You also have to make time for activities that focus on friends and family. It is too easy to get disconnected from the things that really matter. In The Sales Crumbs Trilogy, Erin tells Matt,   "I don't want us to be one of those couples who are financially successful, but matrimonially bankrupt."   It seems dramatic, but it happens - you probably know someone who is facing this dilemma right now (?).   I know it is just "Happy Monday" today, but I challenge you to do something special for yourself, your family and friends this coming weekend.  Yes, work hard the next 5 days.  Be productive, be effective, get it done, but connect with loved ones, hobbies and things you love this weekend, because...  Life Hangs In The Balance!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!