Times, They Are A Changing!

Happy Friday!   I was in a training session all day yesterday.  Not as the presenter or content expert - as a participant.  In order to sell their product, they require a face to face.   Was it easy sitting quiet for 5 hours when you are used to delivering rousing informational and inspirational sessions?   Yes...and no.   Yes, it was easy because I was learning.  Taking the information that I already knew and seeing it in a fresh light. Fully engaged and highly interested, I had 5 pages of notes when I left the meeting.   No, because I wanted to jump up and tell the 70 other agents, whose questions demonstrated they were missing some of the power of the product and opportunity, to stop majoring in the minor and see the BIG picture.   And there was a big picture.   I held my mule for the entire session (that means I kept quiet for the younger crowd!) and only after everyone had left, did I walk up to the presenters and engage a conversation. In less than a minute, our exchange "grew legs" as he understood that I understood the big picture.  He smiled the smile that only comes when you realize that someone in the audience "Got It".   I never name drop (even my own sometimes) but when I told him my name and background we instantly knew many of the same people and our paths had crossed before even though we didn't know it.   We talked a bit about the "good ole days", but quickly acknowledged that the opportunities and evolutions of our industry over the past decade were inevitable and, ultimately, good for the industry.  We also lamented that many agents were not staying abreast of the changes, choosing rather to complain and then move on when things changed too much.   The change we were describing was actually progress.    Change. Say "change" to most people and they revolt, fighting to keep things the way they were.   Progress.  A kindler, gentler version of the word "change".  It implies things get better, easier, more organized.    Old dog...new tricks. People fight change but they demand progress.  That paradox is what makes some people retreat back to their comfort zone and makes others push forward out of it!   Progress can only come from change and change can only come by breaking from the status quo.   Ever heard of Moores Law?  Gordon Moore is the founder of Intel (you are likely reading from a computer that has him inside!) and his law says that technology will double every two years.  Think back to 10 years ago and the price of computers, or the absence of tablets or smartphones.  Now, the new I-Phone 6 has more power then the best computer of just 10 years ago.   Change...and Progress    Next time, I will share 5 Things You Must Do To Ensure You Aren't Left Behind, but for today, take a look around you.  Think back to just two years ago in your life, business and industry.  Do things look like they did then?  Probably not, because...   Times, They Are A Changing!   Until Monday, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Here and Now!

If you can't tell from the last few days, I m excited about the fall harvest opportunity.  A lot of people have put in a lot of work to put themselves in a position to reap the rewards of their planning and execution.   Sure, things could be less than expected...but they could be more, too.   I would rather do the work and rely on the process of seed, time and harvest than to sit by and have to wait on luck.   "Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come."  Serena Williams        Hard work is NEVER wasted!   To those of you who have prepared and worked hard to finish the year strong and bring in your harvest of end of year opportunity...I salute you.   To those who did not give it their all, or find themselves in another cycle of missed opportunity...I challenge you.   I challenge you get your mind right.  Challenges are not always the result of having a poor mental attitude but how you weather them and how long they last are.  It is time to Elevate Your Mind and Get Yourself Together.  Shake off the doldrums and negative thoughts that have held you down.  Think higher!   "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."  Thomas Jefferson      I challenge you to set goals and begin building a plan and strategy to achieve them.  Sure, I know you know all about goals - probably have some.  The question isn't whether you have any, the question is are you committed to them?  The people who are most successful not only write them down, they build executable strategies to make them reality.  Setting goals should be fun...and so should working hard for them!     "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." Henry David Thoreau       I challenge you to take one BIG action today.  What do you know you need to do to get your life going in the right direction?   Most of us have one major thing that could change the trajectory of our future IF we did it.  I am not saying that you solve everything with one action.  A down payment on a house still leaves you with 30 years of payments.  Make the 20% down payment action today and then follow through with the "monthly payments" of continuous action.  Massive change convinces the mind that you are serious...get serious!   "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."  Dale Carnegie      I challenge you to find the joy in your work.  I know people who love to work out in the gym.  I hate it.  But put me on a 10 mile trail, with my running shoes and my 1980's music mix...I am in heaven.  Work is no different.  If you do not have a fundamental love for what you do, it will become drudgery.  Success can not come if you hate what you expect to bless you.  Reconnect with what you love about your work...or change it!    "We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile."  Earl Nightingale      Don't get it twisted, life is not fickle or preferential.  There are things that make it appear so, but human existence is based on seeds, time and harvest.  Food, money, relationships...everything.  If you want to be in the harvest next cycle, then you have to plant better seeds...    Here and Now! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Hurry Up and Wait!

When I was a little boy on the pews of church, I have to admit, I didn't really pay attention.  My momma used to put the "mojo" on me and bounced my head on her knee rapidly while patting my back.  I got the best sleep of my life in church.   Pray for me.   There is one thing the preacher used to say that even as I child I could relate to,   "As long as the earth remains, there will be seedtime and harvest." Genesis 8:22   As the theme of his message, he would draw out three words.    Seed - Time - Harvest.   A sound formula for life and for business.  There is the seed.  An Action, a Cause, a Tactic.  Then there is harvest.  The Reaction, the Effect, The Results.   Time is the bridge that brings those two things together.  Time is where most of us have our trouble.  We are impatient.  We need instant gratification.  We want our Oompah Loompah and we want it NOW!   Time means waiting.  We are not good at waiting.  In line at the bank or post office.  Waiting on the results of a medical test.  Waiting on the next episode of Scandal.   For a little over half of my daily readers, there are two weeks before the beginning of the Annual Election Period.  That means two weeks of waiting on the harvest.  Of course, that means you better have seeds in the ground as well.  But today, we are talking about time.  What do you do when you have planted seeds of activity and are waiting on the fruits of that labor?   You wait.   You have to think of waiting differently.  When you go to a fancy restaurant who takes care of you?   A waiter.   In that context, to "wait" means to serve.  That is what I want you to do while you wait in the time portion of seed, time and harvest.  I want you to "serve" your goals and dreams.  Here are 5 things that everyone should do with the time while waiting on their harvest;     You Learn.  Down time is the perfect time to get more knowledge.  Is there another product you can master or sales techniques for your industry?  The more you know, the more power you have.  The more power you have the more you can help your clients.  Yes, that means more income!   You Organize.  Harvesting is hard work.  Build a work flow that will allow you to maximize the opportunity.  Get all your ducks in a row.  Windows of harvest are usually small.  You have to be ready to make hay while the sun shines!   You Prepare  Do you have all the tools and resources you need ready to go when the time comes? Make a list of all the things you need to be ready to "go get it" and begin putting those things in line for when the action begins.  Nothing worse that squandering opportunity because you did not have the basic tools.   You Strategize.  The combination of organizing and preparing should tie in with building a strategy.  Begin working on your calendar of what you will do the first and second week.  Build in contingency plans if things don't go as you planned...or better than you planned!   You Visualize.  Get the mindset of harvest.  Start seeing the success you have planted seeds for and are working hard to harvest.  Get around positive people who are working toward the same goals.  Harvest is no time for negative water cooler talk.  Be focused and think yourself into excitement and bigger and better ideas!   Most of all, while there is still time before your harvest...    Hurry Up and Wait! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Seeds of Success!

Seeds of Success!

Remember in 1st grade when you did the lima bean experiment?   We wrapped up a single seed in a wet paper towel and set it on the window sill.   A week later we would go back to see the little seed split with the first signs of development.  Transfer the whole thing to a little cup with dirt and watch nature do its thing.   Appropriate that one of the first things you learn in life is the power of seeds.   I took that little cup home proud to show my momma.  She then took that little cup outside and we planted it into an small space in the yard where she grew vegetables.  In a few weeks, it was a flourishing bush.  Then we harvested, ate some (I actually loved them since I grew them!), gave some to family/friends and put some aside to plant next season.   In A Trail of Sales Crumbs I wrote a chapter Seeds of Greatness (click for entire chapter!).  It is a sweet exhange that actually happened with me and my mom at a critical time of my life when success seemed elusive.      In this chapter, the metaphor of the garden provides insight into the greatest law in nature - The Law of Reciprocity.  If you want a harvest in any form, you have to plant seeds.  Sara draws the parallels between her garden and Matt's journey of development in sales.    Philosophical...yes.  Practical - no doubt!  Here are some of the rules of sowing and reaping;   Soil has to be prepared.  I live in Georgia and we are known for hard red clay.  It is the kind of soil that needs "turning over" to break up the firm dense texture so you can even get a seed into it.  As a young boy, we would work up a sweat chopping it into small pieces.  Are you preparing the terrain of your business, relationships and goals to make it more receptive to your seeds?    Soil has to be analyzed and enriched.  My mother had a green thumb and instinctively knew the likelihood that the soil would grow certain things.  She also knew that if it was deficient in some key nutrient, she would need to add something to make it more conducive for growth.  Are analyzing the demographics of your territory and tweaking your target audience before you begin seeding the market?   Sow continuously - there is always a growing season.  Horticulture has advanced in such a way that seed packets now show where to plant and when to plant.  My mother (and now my wife) had something in bloom the entire year!  Even if your business is seasonal, there are seeds of activities that you can plant to ensure year round opportunities and harvest.  The "kiss of death" of any sales professional is to allow their pipeline to run dry and having to prime the pump from scratch each season.  Find other products to market in down times, or pursue other activities that can provide synergy.   Understand the growth process.  Good soil and good seeds are the foundation of the growth process.  Water and sun are also necessary.  Out of sight, a root system is burrowing its way beneath the soil.  Only when that foundation is sufficient does the "little shoot of struggle emerge".  Neither the root, or the shoot is fruit - you have to continue to be patient and allow the process of development to bring a full harvest - in due season.  That is where the persistence, determination and patience will pay off in your career.  You also have to trust the process - that if you are doing all the things a successful person does, then you have to receive the equivalent benefit!   The purpose of the harvest.  When you are successful there is a responsibility of that harvest.  First, is to give.  Yes, this could mean the tangible sharing of your income to church, worthy causes, people in need, or those trying to succeed.  You can give time and knowledge to help the next generation of professional sellers.  Next is to save.  You must invest in the future.  There will come a "rainy day" when you will need stored away resources.  Do you have at least 6 months of income in case of industry disaster?  Are you preparing for a scaled back work approach (some call it retirement!)?  Are you investing back into your business for expansion and explosion?  Finally, you need to enjoy the fruit of your labor!  You can begin to enjoy the material "whats" you expressed in your goals.    Everything you do is a seed.  Make sure that you are sowing the ...    Seeds of Success! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Toot Your Own Horn!

Happy Monday!   A few weeks ago, I talked about the coming of fall.  Sun up slow...moon up quick.   Football season is in full swing and the Ryder Cup (that's golf for those of you that don't care about such things!) just finished.  Hey, this weekend, I had to hit golf balls in long pants and a sweater.   Fall is really here.   Fall reminds me of something else - harvest time.  After a season of prepping, planting, and tending to the fields, some crops are ready for gathering.   As I have now mentioned on several occassions, October 15th represents the beginning of the busiest time of year for Senior Insurance Advisors as the Annual Election Period (AEP) for Medicare begins.  For those of you that don't know what that is, think Affordable Care Act...Obamacare...on steroids!   Unlike Obamacare, instead of driving people to websites (I hope they have that fixed!), or making them wait hours on the phone, with Medicare, the agents go and visit the homes of the Medicare beneficiaries.   Yes, it is quite a busy time...for some.   The other day, I had a new agent on the phone asking me what the big deal was about the AEP.  I told him it was a harvest.  A veritable Cornucopia of opportunity.  A horn of plenty.   He said he didn't see what all the fuss was about and that the certifying and credentialing process was too time consuming and he would focus on life insurance instead of getting caught up in the fray.    Then I explained the commission opportunity...in detail.   In a flash of revelation, he "saw the light" and he wanted in.  He asked what he could do to get ready. I told him about the process to get certified and contracted with carriers.  I told him about American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and how they govern the programs.  I told him the hot carriers in his market whose products he would need.   He was excited about all that I told him and eager to get started with only 3 weeks to go before the big dance.  He asked me where would he would get his clients.   Then I told him to get out his begging cup.    The phone went silent. I told him,   "Even though you are newly licensed, you have known about this opportunity for over 6 months.  At that time, I told you to prep, plant, and tend to the opportunity and then you would have people to harvest.   It is too late for that now.  Now, you will need leads.  Get in line.  Everyone that didn't prepare will be in that number."   Brandon the nurturer has left the building.  Brandon the optimist has turned into a realist. Brandon the encourager...you get the point.   Is this the first negative daily sales crumb?  No, and Brandon the nurturer, optimist and encourager is sending a positive message to those of you who have prepped, planted and tended to your business over the past year.   Your harvest is coming!   The good news is that all your labor has not been in vain and as you sow...you will reap.    That is the "justice" in the Law of Harvest - you can only take out what you put in.  If you have been sitting back, waiting on someone else, or if you have worked your butt off, when the harvest comes, everyone will have to...     Toot Your Own Horn! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!