Archive for Personal Development
Are you REALLY helping people? Find out
Posted by: | CommentsMy best friend is personal trainer… actually, he’s one of the top rated personal trainers in the country. He’s incredible at what he does and his clients get serious results. So one day I asked him to show me a few things. Here is roughly how that conversation went;
I said: “Hey bud… I’d like to buff up a bit, why don’t you show me a thing or two?”
He said: “sure, come on in to the gym and we’ll get you set up on a program.”
I said: “No no… I mean right now… just show me a few exercises.”
He said: “didn’t you say that you want to buff up?”
I said: “yes”
He sail: “well, in order for you to reach your goal, we need to set you up on a program”
Of course at the time I was a little annoyed, but I understand now. If he were to show me a couple exercises and I did not get any results, I may be tempted to say that “It doesn’t work“. Or even worse, someone could be watching and ask me where I learned my poor technique and that would be very poor advertising for my friend.
What I mean is that when we are helping our customers use our products to achieve results or when we are helping our new distributors to build a business, it is a package deal. We are selling a solution to their problem. We need to find out what their goal is and help them reach it by following the system that works! Just as it is not enough to go to the gym once and claim that it “doesn’t work”, we do not make one phone call to promote our business and then quit when we get a no. It is not fair to anyone.
In order to succeed, you need to set expectations properly and get commitment to following a plan.
Set Goals, NOT Desired Outcomes
Posted by: | CommentsI attended an excellent seminar last evening and I had an epiphany. I have been setting goals for myself for years and I did not realize that I was doing it all wrong. I wasn’t actually setting goals. I was setting desired outcomes.
Allow me to explain.
For the last few years, most of my goals have been dependent on other people. I had goals to grow my business to a certain income, to increase my presence as an artist by landing gigs in specific bars, etc. The problem is that those goals depended on me convincing other people to do something and as we know, other people are unpredictable. So when things don’t work out as expected, what did I do? I became discouraged and set another “lesser” goal. Of course, this does not make me feel confident and productive.
A goal is an action that you take that is only dependent on you. Otherwise, it is a desired outcome.
That means that my desired outcome was to increase the profit of my business. The goals were to make 20 prospecting calls per day. If you rely on statistics, then by accomplishing your goals, you will likely hit your desired outcome. However, the important thing is that you do the best you can to hit your goal.
In sports, you rarely hear professionals talking about how they are going to win the game. Typically, you hear them say that they will “go out there and perform at their personal best”. This is a goal. That way, if they end up losing the game, there is no reason for them to feel bad about themselves as long as they performed at their personal best. The desired outcome is out of their control.
I found this new way of looking at goals to be very liberating. I can now focus only on what I can do in order to move forward and reach my potential. If I set a goal and I do my best to achieve it, then if I fail, I have only myself to blame. However, by setting goals that I can control by simply performing the actions to the best of my ability, then I will hit more of my goals and will likely also get my desired outcome.
Something to think about!
Dress for Success.
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I’ll never forget my first major success in Network Marketing. It wasn’t really that big of a deal by my standards today, but at the time it was monumental. I had run through my warm market and I had run out of people to talk to. I started prospecting out in public and I was pulling in some leads here and there, but nothing substantial enough to keep me afloat. So like so many of us, I bought a batch of leads.
I have to say, these leads were horrible. I must have called a hundred numbers and barely got through to ten. When I did reach a person on the other line, I definitely met some serious resistance. I learned the hard way what an “incentive lead” was.
Then a breakthrough: I had just gotten ready for one of the regular hotel meetings and I was looking all spiffy in my new suit. I had my tie on and I felt sharp. I was a few minutes early and I thought I’d just pick up the phone and make a couple calls. I couldn’t believe it. Maybe it was a coincidence, but the first person that I got through to was not only receptive, but I booked a follow up and she eventually joined my business.
I thought of the significance of this for quite some time. Was it just luck? Or was it the suit that got me the deal?
Let’s remember for a second how we feel when we are looking good. Have you ever had a good hair day and it seemed that everything you touched turned to gold? What about when all of your pants were dirty and you had to wear a pair that was just an inch too short.
The way you look has a serious impact on your outward confidence. If you know that your first impression (your looks only) is going to be favorable, then you will exude that confidence out every pore and you will no doubt be far more persuasive in your message.
Just a thought!
Are you really “Open Minded”? I guess NOT
Posted by: | CommentsI was having a conversation the other day with a friend who is in the industry. He was trying to get me on a conference call with his upline. I ended up listening to his upline’s recorded training call. This is a friend of mine and I suspect that he is probably struggling but I’m sure he’s making a little bit of money.
I listened to the first half of the call, and there was no training whatsoever, it was all about “how to choose a company”. I pinged him and asked him if this was just about picking a company. He said “yes, it’s the most important step”. I respectfully dissagreed.
These programs are not new… It’s an apparent “training” call supposedly designed for people in the industry, but really it is just a “bait and switch” designed to lure a prospect with the promise of “help with their business” and then bash their companies to convince them to join yours. This was a fantastic idea a few years back when it was new, but now it is old and overdone. I suggested he look at the Prospex program, since it is actual real training that could actually help him grow his business. Not surprisingly, he declined and told me that he’s already in the “best deal”. Too bad. However, I understand why he declined. It’s because he’s already in a “bait and switch” training program, he just thinks I’m doing the same thing.
I’ll never quite get used to the hypocrasy in this industry. Here we have a guy who want’s to “help me” build my business by putting me on a call that is NOT designed to teach me useful training like; 3-Way Calls, Effective Prospecting, or Branding Strategies (which are all prospex training articles). Instead it just tells me how bad all other companies are and why I should join his company. Then when I try to use this same approach with a REAL training company, he rejects it.
Maybe people should look in the mirror. If someone rejects your own sales lines, what does that say about the validity of what you are doing? Let me tell you a little bit about a better way.
Firstly, offer real training. Do not offer anything designed to make a person switch companies. That will only put them on the defensive. Instead, if you offer something that can actually help them, then they feel as though you actually care about their success. If they believe that you care, then they will care about what YOU are doing. Guess what! This is relationship building! Once you have a FRIEND then you have a hot prospect. The rest of the equation is simple.
Think about it!
What is your brand?
Posted by: | CommentsI just got another article published at Prospex about branding.
After attending a seminar for small business, one of the topics struck a chord with me. It’s all about branding. Your brand is much more than just your logo or your colors. It is the uniform experience that you offer your customers no matter how they reach you. Very cool stuff.
Here’s the article; What is your brand?
What is your Karma footprint?
Posted by: | CommentsI was having a deep moment of thought the other day. Actually I was writing some lyrics for a song and I thought of a concept that I think is quite useful in life.
I think that there are a lot of people that believe in Karma and that “what goes around comes around.” However, I was thinking about the karma that you create that you don’t know you create.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you are out at a restaurant having dinner with a couple friends. Maybe there is a lot going on and you aren’t really paying attention. What if you end up getting home and realizing that the waitress gave you an extra 20 bucks back in change? Or maybe you don’t even notice it. Chances are the waitress will have to pay that money back from her tips. She may not know who she gave the extra money to… but you can be sure that she’s sending some seriously bad karma your way.
I think that it’s important to be more aware of what kind of mess we are all leaving behind in our day to day lives. The more often people are “cleaning up” after you, the more bad karma they are sending your way.
I think that there is something very good about this too though… I think that the more “gifts” you leave behind, the more good karma is sent your way. I think a lot of people don’t perform good deeds unless they are noticed… Haven’t you ever heard that “no good deed goes unnoticed.” Maybe the opposite is true too. Just food for thought.
Work like a RockStar!
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Alright, I know that most people probably don’t associate Rock Stars with a great work ethic. They’d probably assume that a rock star sleeps all day and parties all night. While that might be true for some… It certainly isn’t for most. These musical icons are some of the most hard working individuals around. They are up at the crack of dawn doing interviews with morning shows, brunch shows, noon shows, evening shows… and then they are off to perform their concert in the evening.
On top of that, just look at some of the biggest names in music… They’ve got clothing lines, cameos on TV and movies, reality TV, side businesses, etc. These people work around the clock!
I think that the most impressive thing about the Rock Star life is that they are passionate about what they do. Whether they know it or not, they are using the Secret Law of Attraction. They do what they do because they love it, and since they love it, they don’t mind putting in the extra effort.
I think we can all learn from this kind of work ethic… Work hard, play hard!
Job Hunting 101: Shorten your search and Maximize your reward
Posted by: | CommentsAre you worried about the daunting task of finding the perfect job? Why would someone pick you out of all the other qualified candidates? How can you stick out WITHOUT short-changing yourself?
I am currently in a position where I have the opportunity to redefine my career. I have been attending various job search seminars, and I thought I’d share. There are many tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way, and I thought I’d get them on paper so that you might be able to benefit from them.
1. Let the employers come to you!
I suggest putting up a profile on Monster. They’ve got a fantastic application process, that guides you though every step of creating your resume. One extra tip though. When you are creating your “Tag Line”… For the love of god DO NOT put something like “Entry level job applicant”. That’s the kind of tag line that everyone is using. Tell people what you are looking for. (IE: position you are seeking / industry / desired salary range / city of choice). Trust me… This will get you hits. Employers know what you are looking for right from the search results!
2. Work with a recruiter
I know that a lot of people are hung up on the recruiter getting a cut. Come on people, it’s a valuable service. The more help the better. If you build a solid relationship with a good recruiter, then you have them edifying YOU. You can sell yourself once to the recruiter, and they’ll do the rest. Remember… They don’t get paid until they find YOU the perfect job.
3. Don’t tell them what you want as a salary in the interview
This is a trap. No good can come out of you making a salary demand. Either you will go low and shortchange yourself, or you will go too high and loose the job. If this question comes up near the beginning of the interview, I suggest this response. “Why don’t we get to know a bit about each other first and see if there’s a fit. Then we can talk money.” If it’s at the end of the interview, throw it back at them. Say, “I’m sure you have a salary guide, what does your company consider a fair compensation for this position?” Really, the goal is to get them to tell you how much they are willing to pay and work from there.
NOTE: Do your market research before the interview. You should have ballpark figures in mind before you get to the interview.
4. Do NOT talk about your resume
This is probably the worst thing you can do. They’ve already read your resume. Why do you need to re-iterate it? Instead, you need to support it. Tell stories that relate to your experience… but I suggest you keep the interview focussed on the interviewer. You must be the one asking the questions. Ask questions about the company, the job and the tasks that you need to perform.
Typically, the best people in an interview are “average” students with excellent people skills. High performers tend to brag about their accomplishments (ie: talk about their resume). Those with good people skills get the interviewer talking and they build good rapport. This is how you get the job! Employers want to hire people that they like. They want to work with people that fit in.
Last but DEFINITELY not least.
5. If you have a job leverage it
Employers can sense desperation. If you already have a job, then you are sitting pretty. Don’t go and quit your job and then start looking. If you have a job, then you are seen as “desirable” and you can call the shots. Although, be sure that you have a good reason for leaving your current job. NEVER bad mouth your current employer! Keep in mind that a potential employer will assume that you treat your current employer the same way that you will treat them in the future. I suggest you answer this question with, “I don’t feel that I’m reaching my full potential in my current position and I’m looking for something more challenging.”
If you have any additional tips that you’d like to share, feel free to add a comment on this post. I’d love to get your feedback!
Just Do It!
Posted by: | CommentsSo cliché, and yet probably the best slogan ever… Just do it!
I was having a conversation with a friend about whether people are equal or not. I’ve come to the conclusion that we all have equal potential. However, I really don’t think anyone will ever reach their full potential. I believe that what we can achieve is limitless. Therefore, we choose our own place on the “ladder” of life depending on how much of our potential we decide to use.
I don’t know, maybe my friend and I were way off in our philosophical discussion… after all, we did have a few drinks… Strange that even today it sounds reasonable.
So what are you waiting for!? Get out there and… Just do it!
Follow your Bliss
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I am absolutely convinced that I have the Secret Law of Attraction at work.
Since my last post so much has happened. Almost immediately after my post, I was offered a permanent gig hosting an Open Mic… How? By simply showing up and playing on one random night. I can’t tell you how much I learned from this position. It gave me an opportunity to shine.
One of the things that I enjoy the most about pursuing music as a career… Oh yeah… My day job and I have parted ways… ya ya.. sad, but I’m not too worried about it… As I was saying, the coolest thing about pursuing music as a career is that since I am self employment, it is recommended that you spend around 50% of your time marketing. Of course, since my “desired place of work” is a bar, that means that I’m out spending my time in bars getting to know people, building connections and looking for referrals… oh.. and having plenty of fun!
Last Thursday, I played what I would consider a pretty big gig. The venue holds somewhere near 400 patrons and has an incredible sound system. Not only where they extremely happy with my performance, they are very eager to get me into their regular weekend line-up.
After reading my last message it’s hard to believe it’s only been 6 months. So much has happened. I didn’t know where music would take me, and still don’t. All I know is that I’m going to continue to follow my bliss and just trust that the universe will align itself while I make my way though on my path.
