Let's Talk About Motivation

A Life of Abundance

2006-09-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

So, do you have it or not?

Do you live a life full of abundance, or do you bury yourhead in the sand, look around and merely wish that your life could be a better place?

The big question that I get asked over and over is, "Paul, what is the true definition of success?"

Of course that answer means different things to many people, but let's just focus on the fundamental mindset that you must have to become a long-lasting financial success in life. Not just someone who squeaks by month after month.

One thing that I have noticed as I've dealt with thousands of people across the world is that success is a direct reflection of what you are willing to put out to the "Universe" about how your life is, can or will be.

Either you have a Poverty Consciousness, which means you spend all of your time focusing on what you do not have in life as opposed to what you do have or you have a feeling of Prosperity Consciousness, which simply says, "I believe in me."

I've been saying for years that financial success in life is mostly made up of one's state of mind. One thing that I know and share with my audiences around the world is that you have the Power inside you to make all of your dreams come true. That's right; you have all the answers inside you to make yourself a financial success!

Think about it! Windows of opportunity arrive at unexpected times. The big question is, will you open the door to your personal success by choosing to take on your life with a Prosperity Consciousness, or will you allow the door of life to slam in your face, one more time by choosing to maintain the spirit of Poverty Consciousness?

That opportunity is coming. Will you be ready?

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Motivational speaker and author, Paul Huff, offers proven concepts and step-by-step methods to achieve and sustain success in professional and personal arenas. He is the author of numerous book and audio recordings, Paul has performed before audiences throughout the U.S. and in 12 other countries. Visit his site at htttp://www.paulhuff.com

Everyone needs to be Appreciated

2006-06-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

There is one thing that everyone in the world needs from time to time.

To be appreciated.

Here is a simple little habit that will show someone you love that you sincerely appreciate who they are, and what they mean to you.

Buy some Post-It notes and leave simple messages of appreciation in places where the notes will easily be seen by people you care about.

Here is an example:

Husbands can place Post-It notes on bathroom mirrors, in cars, or other places where their wives will likely see them. Write simple notes like; "I Love You," "You looked beautiful at dinner last night," "Thanks for taking such good care of our children," Etc.

It is amazing how much better we all feel when we know that we are sincerely appreciated.

Leave positive message notes for your children, co-workers, friends, family, waiters, waitresses, the possibilities are endless.
Just carry a package of Post-it notes with you for one day and use your imagination.

Make someone feel better about themself today!

5 Reasons To Journal Your Goals

2006-06-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

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Column By Debbie Allen
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5 Reasons To Journal Your Goals

Writing out your goals, sharing them with others and actually visualizing your success will bring you powerful results!

It doesn't really matter how you record your goals - it only matters that you take the time to really focus on them.
But, the more detailed your wants and needs are spelled out on paper and in your mind, the more accurate they'll be to achieve.

Even by writing out your goals you are more likely to achieve them. It's true, even if you wrote the goals and then threw away your journal you are still more likely to
achieve your goals than avoiding this exercise all together.

The goals you write are still there in your subconscious mind. Give your mind a boost and add more detail and visualization to the goals you plan to accomplish.

For example: One of your personal goals maybe to own a new sports car someday. Okay, now detail the type of car, color, options and the date you plan on getting the new car.

Reason #1 Helps To Relieve Stress

- The exercise of journaling is not only good for your mental state, but your physical state as well. Yes, it will help with confusion,
anger and stress.

When you journal your goals you know where you are headed, what you truly want out of life and you begin to create a blueprint towards a higher level of success.

Reason #2 Helps To Analyze Solutions

- When you write out your needs and wants honestly and completely, you will find that you lose yourself in your writing.

You may find additional meaning to the things you say or do.
You may also find the solutions to overcome the obstacles that are holding you back from reaching your goals.

When overwhelming life events are reduced to words on paper, words that can be analyzed and seen from a different perspective with our thoughts, you will gain a new
perspective of the situation and find new solutions for seemingly difficult problems.

Reason #3 Discover Hidden Talents & Aspirations

- Let your feelings flow without critiquing the way you write them.
Simply pour out your heart and your feelings. You will be amazed at how your writing and focus will improve. The hardest part is getting started.

But once you have a dozen or so goals written down, keep going until you reach 101. If you open your mind and focus on where you want to go without setting limits the words should flow quickly and easily.

Reason #4 Increase Your Creativity

- Everyone has the ability to become more creative. Journaling flues the creative spirit and soon your ability to communicate on paper will also help you to dramatically improve your personal interaction with other people as well.

Reason #5 Unlocks Your Subconscious

- Your journal can be a therapist. A journal does not complain, cry or judge you in anyway. Your goals journal will accept your thoughts and ideas freely and easily without question. By transcribing emotions onto pages, you can gain a better prospective of your emotional life.

Not only is a journal a therapist and motivator to help you reach your goals, it also will revel your dreams, future accomplishments, hopes for the future and remind you of your aspirations.

Journals are tools to help you discover the wisdom you already possess. Sometimes, this wisdom will surprise you.
Other times, it will challenge you. Always, it will come directly from you, empowering you to trust yourself and to take action by giving you the deep-seated knowledge that you know more than you think you do.

(c) All Rights Reserved
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Debbie Allen is an internationally recognized marketing and sales expert, professional speaker and author of 3 books on business marketing including, Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters and Confessions of Shameless Internet Promoters.
For information email: info@DebbieAllen.com
Phone: 800-359-4544 Website: http://www.DebbieAllen.com

Freelance Opportunities That Makes You Money

2006-06-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

Freelance Opportunities

That Makes You Money

You may have heard this invitation many times before:

"Do you want to earn an online income on a regular basis from the comforts of your own home?"

Let me assure you that I won't be leading you to any programs that will promise to do just that.

I will not be selling you any software program that will make such an occurrence possible.

I will not even ask you to sign up for any mailing list to receive regular updates.

No.

Instead, I'd like to inform you that you can earn money - REAL MONEY - from the Internet just by using your God-given skills.

These opportunities are collectively known as the process of freelancing. Basically, you will offer your services for a fee, and you will be paid once you have delivered the things that were ordered from you.

I'm talking about consistent orders brought about by incessant demands. Trust me on this one: dabble in any of the areas of freelancing and it'll be impossible for you not to earn a handsome sum of money.

So what's the best way to start with online freelancing?

Please Visit This Site For Full Information

How to Enroll Someone Into Your Network

2006-06-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

How to Enroll Someone Into Your Network Who Tried MLM Before
Copyright (c) 2000 by Joshua D. Shafran

This issue's topic is: Learning how to enroll someone into your network who tried MLM before, had a poor experience with it and now breaks out in hives at the mere thought of MLM or Network Marketing.

I love to deal with these types of people. They're a lot of fun and usually fairly easy to sponsor... provided you've got a real, legitimate opportunity, a good solid company, and you are person of your word. Let me explain.

Because these people have tried MLM before (unless they are just MLM junkies who are looking for a something-for-nothing, get rich quick scheme) you can immediately deduce a few things about them:

1. They are ideal prospects because at some point in the past they were excited about and believers in MLM (otherwise they wouldn't have tried it to begin with).

2. They want more out of their present situation. They are (or were) dissatisfied with something in their life that they thought MLM would solve for them.

3. They were willing to take at least some action to change their situation (rather than just complain about it).

4. They think the MLM industry let them down... and therefore assume that every other company (or downline organization) in the industry are all the same.

Knowing these things gives you the upper-hand in the sponsoring process. But, before you can attempt to enroll this type of prospect into your opportunity, there are two things that you MUST find out.

1. The REAL reason your prospect thinks MLM let him/her down.
What went wrong to turn them against MLM?

To find this out, you could say, "I know you're not interested in MLM and I wouldn't dream of trying to change your mind, but I was wondering if you could help me out... could you tell me what went wrong; was it that you lost a bunch of money?
Did the person who sponsored you lie to you? Did the company go outof business?" And so on. (You want to give them some specifics to get their mind rolling and coming up with ideas.)

2. The main thing(s) that originally appealed and excited them enough to try MLM to begin with.

Here again you want to give them some specifics to get their mind rolling, like, "What was it that had you try MLM; was it the promise of only having to do the work once and getting
paid residuals for the rest of your life? Was it the thought of firing your boss? The unlimited earnings potential?" Get the idea?

It's vital to find these 2 things out. This way you know what you're up against. If you ask lots of open-ended questions, get them talking and they will tell you exactly what they need to
hear to have you sponsor them!

Now, as you set out to uncover the truth behind these 2 issues remember... do not EVER attack their position or make them wrong for their point of view. Do NOT argue; just ask them questions with the GENUINE intention of really finding out exactly what went wrong and what excited them to begin with.

Once you know those two things, your prospect is ready to be led (with the right questions) into taking an honest, open-minded look at your opportunity. Here's how: Ask them...

"Do you ever eat out at restaurants?"

"What's your favorite (non fast-food) restaurant?"

"Have you ever gone to that restaurant and had the food or the service not be up to par?"
(If the answer is "no" then ask them if it is possible that they could go there tomorrow and have a less than favorable experience with the restaurant?)

"Did you stop going to restaurants forever as a result of that one negative experience?" (Or would you stop going to all restaurants if this happened?)

"I don't mean to make light of your previous MLM experience, but like the restaurant, you just had a bad experience. And that's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean that every MLM opportunity is bad and will let you down. Why don't you sit down with me for 30 minutes and let me show you how... [Then fill in here with all the things you uncovered about what originally excited them with MLM and tell them you can show them the "safeguards" in place to protect them from experiencing the same MLM pitfalls]

If your prospect is still looking for another way, you'll find that 8 or 9 times out of 10 this approach (or a variation more to your personality) will work.

Try it... you'll see it works!

Strugle Of Butterflies

2006-05-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

What do butterflies have in common with the human spirit?
Meet Maggie, a middle aged wife and mother who was about to
find out.

Maggie wasn't rich like a millionaire or poor in a manner of
being homeless. She was living an average comfortable life.

It was made even better when a beautiful baby girl came her
way. Her and her husband made sure their daughter had her
needs met and they were still able to take a yearly vacation
by the beach.

Maggie was a partner in her husband's business. They both
had a different set of duties which kept everything in
balance. One day a devastating blow came to her husband's
business, and over a three year period the business dropped
out of site.

Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was yearning
to fulfill a dream with a new vocation. She was happy for
him and supported him fully, but still the money was not
coming in.

Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn't contributing
with any kind of income. It had been a long time since she
had worked outside the home and had to work for someone
else. Needless to say she was scared but still had faith
that everything would be OK.

She began job hunting and found it somewhat difficult in
filling out applications, especially the part asking for job
references. Keep in mind that she was self-employed with
her husband for almost 20 years. It felt as though that didn't
count for anything as she was never called for an interview.

At the time she was job hunting her mom became more ill than
she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once
Maggie's mom returned home she became her mom's helper one
day a week.

She did the shopping, changed sheets, vacuumed and did other
things that her mother was not able to do anymore. Of course
her mom would pay her for her time and labor but she still
felt she needed to find another source of income.

One of the first applications she had filled out finally
came through. She passed the interview with flying colors
and was told she was "exactly" what they were looking for.
Although it was only part time it was exactly what she
wanted.

It was important for her to be home when her daughter
arrived home from school. She was told they would be in
touch when the schedule was ready. Knowing she had the job
made her feel contented and productive again.

Within a few weeks though, she received an e-mail saying
that the company had changed the job into a full time
position and she was not qualified. Maggie was devastated.

She felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That
evening she was alone as her husband and daughter had gone
out for the night. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to
drown her sorrows in a hot tub of bubbles.

As she knew she would, she began to cry, softly at first
just from the sheer pain of being rejected. Three long
years of struggle had finally caught up with her. Then she became
angry; angry at everything from the circumstances that got
her there, to God himself. She cried harder and yelled,
"What do you want me to do"? She really felt that God had
abandoned her.

When she was able to cry no more, she became exhausted and
gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to
her to offer other elderly people home care assistance.

Using another talent for computers she printed off some
flyers and cards and distributed them to her church,
grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within
a week she had procured two new clients.

Now, even though she's not a CEO of a major company or a
power player she feels happy and productive again. So, had
God really abandoned her? Let's look at nature for the
lessons and the answer.

Before a butterfly can emerge out of it's chrysalis it has
to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each
time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from
its wings.

If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open
for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In
essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to
survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over,
the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the
world.

We as humans are not any different. There are times that we
need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make
up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we
are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe
whisper to us.

© Tony Masiello 2006
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Tony Masiello
Speaker, Author, and Consultant Author of the e-book, Whispers from the Universe
http://www.whispersfromtheuniverse.com or
http://www.universalinsight.com

Developing the Thank You Note Habit

2006-05-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

By Tom Hopkins

I learned the value and power of thank you notes early inlife. When I was a young child; my parents occasionally wentout with friends for dinner.

Invariably, when my parents returned from an evening out, I saw my mother sit down at her little desk in the hallway as soon as she got home and begin to write.

One night I asked her what she was doing. Her answer came straight out of Emily Post: "We had such a wonderful time with our dear friends this evening that I want to jot them anote to thank them for their friendship and the wonderfuldinner."

My mother's simple act of gratitude, expressed to people who already knew that she and my father appreciated and enjoyedtheir friendship, helped to keep my parents' friendships strong for their entire lifetimes.

Because I understood that building relationships is what selling is all about, I began early in my career to send thank you notes to people. I set a goal to send ten thankyou notes every day.

That goal meant that I had to meet and get the names of atleast ten people everyday. I sent thank you notes to people I met briefly, people I showed properties to, people I talked with on the telephone, and people I actually helped to own new homes.

I became a thank you note fool. And guess what happened? By the end of my third year in sales, my business was 98%referrals! The people I had expressed gratitude to were happy to send me new clients as a reward for making them feel appreciated and important.

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Tom Hopkins International7531 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 949-0786 or 800/528-0446 Fax: (480) 949-1590
http://tomhopkins.com - Visit our website for a great "Tip of the Day"

Integrity Leadership

2006-05-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

By Zig Ziglar

It is true that integrity alone won't make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one. A classic example involving integrity is one displayed by Steuben, the manufacturers of crystal. For generations they've had a policy of breaking every imperfect piece of crystal, no matter how small the flaw.

Needless to say, this is a potent symbolic act, to both employees and customers. By the same token, genuine leaders must resolve to uphold their standards and values and act as role models for everyone in the organization. If leaders don't place values on a pedestal and defend them against attack, who will?

A person of integrity will make many of his or her decisions in advance. They are guided by principles and decisions that are made not for each individual situation, but according to principle.

When values are well established within an organization, when those countless occasions arise where there has been no specific prior example, the integrity principle will lead to an integrity decision. This enables the organization to avoid serious pitfalls.

Leaders with integrity know they are not infallible, so when they make the inevitable mistakes they acknowledge their errors and immediately make amends. In other words, they are big enough to admit their shortcomings and wise enough to right their wrongs as quickly as possible.
In his books and speeches, former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz regularly admonishes people to "do the right thing."

When you do the right thing, even if the results are not good, your integrity remains intact; and your followers' confidence in you is not irreparably damaged, because they know you are a person of integrity.

... Adapted from Zig's popular book Staying Up, Up, Up In A Down, Down World.
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Zig Ziglar offers a weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can subscribe to the Zig Ziglar Newsletter at http://www.zigziglar.com

Great Time Management Advice

2006-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

By: Jim Rohn

I often talk in my seminars about the importance of time and time management -- how rich people and poor people both have the same amount of time every day - 24 hours (which by the way, I find fascinating).

I want to share with you four great time management ideas that were excerpted from the 2004 Weekend Event, Speaker Round Table Session - Enjoy!

Brian Tracy: I always give the principle of: Begin the day by "Eating That Frog". It basically says that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, then you will have the satisfaction of knowing it is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.

And your "live frog" is your most important task. Now there's two corollaries to that. The first one is if you have two frogs to eat, eat the ugliest one first and the second corollary to that is if you have to eat a frog at all, it doesn't pay to sit and look at it too long.

So the key to high performance is to plan every day the night before, in advance, and set priorities for it. And then say, "if I can only complete one task on this list before I was to be called out of town for a month, which one task would it be?"

And whatever that is, it becomes your frog and the next morning discipline yourself to start in on that task, the most important thing on your list, and do only that until it is complete.

If you can develop that habit, you can double and triple your productivity, you'll take full control of your life, you will eventually become wealthy, and the personal feeling of pride, accomplishment, discipline and achievement you get will be absolutely extraordinary.

It is one of the most important of all lessons to learn, and one of the hardest things to implement if anybody has tried to do it.
Denis Waitley: Stop watching in prime time and start living in prime time. Prime time is 7-11 pm EST, when all of America is watching other people making money and having fun in their professions.

So if you want to watch other people making money, having fun in their professions, which gets their ratings up so they make more money, go ahead and do things that are tension relieving, instead of goal achieving.
But if you truly want to live your life in prime time, then write in prime time, have intimacy in prime time, talk with your children in prime time, live and do in prime time instead of unhooking and engaging in tension relieving activities.
Every book I've written, all seventeen, have been written 7-11 pm weekly and on Saturdays. And why? Because I am earning money the rest of the time, and I don't have time to write a book except in prime time.

So stop watching and use the television set as an appliance. It has doors on it. Close the doors and use like an iron, when you need to iron your clothes, bring out the TV set.
Jim Rohn: Regarding the television, I knew a guy who wasn't doing too well and he wanted some advice from me. I knew he had a television set and knew he watched a lot of television, so I asked, "How much did that television cost you?"

He said, "about $400."

I said, "No, you're mistaken."

He said, "No, this television set cost me $400." I said, "Well that's to buy it. To watch it, I am sure it is costing you about $40,000 a year to watch." He finally got the message and he called his brother-in-law, who had a pick-up, and he and his brother-in-law hauled his television out of the house.

His brother-in-law did say, "Well, you can just shut it off." And he said, "No, for now I don't trust myself, Jim Rohn is right. I'm not going to let this television set cost me $40,000 a year anymore."

Vic Johnson: My biggest tip would be in an area that I struggle a lot. About 15 years ago I heard someone say to never handle the items in your inbox more than one time.

So I adopted that for email. Now I get over 300 emails everyday even though I have all kinds of filters, some of them going to other people, etc. My biggest challenge is to touch that email only one time.

Either I forward the email, I return the email and delete it or drag it to a folder for action by someone else or delete it.

If you continue to have to go back and revisit that email over and over trying to make a decision that's time -- that's wasted time -- plus it's on your mind until you get rid of it.

So if you are in a profession and you handle a lot of emails and you're still getting a lot of items in your inbox, only touch them one time.
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Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the most comprehensive resource and success plans ever created for you to reach all of your goals in the next 12 months! For details go to http://www.getmotivation.com/qk.cgi/jr-successplan

Seeing is Believing, or Is It?

2006-05-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Seeing is Believing, or Is It?
(excerpted from The Seeds of Greatness Treasury)
When your eyes are open, you see the world that lies outside yourself. You see the items of the room you're in, the people, and the view of the landscape through the window. You take for granted that the objects are real and separate from yourself.

However, successful individuals see the act of achieving in advance -- vivid, multidimensional, clear. Champions know that "What you see, is who you'll be."

When you close your eyes, images and thoughts flow through your mind. You may review memories of past events, or preview future possibilities. You can daydream about what may be or what might have been, and your imagination will take you beyond the limits of space and time.

Most people attach little importance to these inner visions. They may seem pleasantly irrelevant, or uncomfortably at odds with the accepted external reality.

If you're like most people, you grew up with the idea that "Seeing is Believing." In other words, you need to physically see something with your own eyes to believe that it's real.

I know many successful individuals who live this way.

But there's an attitude that suggests, "Before you can see it, you have to believe it." This premise holds that our belief system is so powerful that thoughts can actually cause things to happen in the physical world.

I also know many successful individuals who live according to this notion of reality.

So which concept is nearer the truth? Do you have to see it before you believe it, or believe before you can see it? The answer is: both are basically true.

If you can see something in your mind's eye, and you imagine it over and over again, you will begin to believe it is really there in substance. As a result, your actions, both physical and mental, will move to bring about in reality the image you are visualizing.

During my university years at the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, I underwent training in aircraft recognition. All of us midshipmen sat at one end of a hall while silhouettes of American and foreign military aircraft were flashed on a screen at speeds similar to combat situations.

We were supposed to write down the numerical designations and names of the planes, such as A-4, F-ll-F, F-4, MIG-21, and so forth. But the task became more difficult each week, because they kept adding more planes, scrambling the order, and speeding up the projection.

Finally, it got ridiculous, because the images were going by faster than an MTV music video so that most of us saw only a blur, and some didn't see anything. I began to see planes that weren't even invented yet.

When it came time for the final exam, I didn't know for certain which planes I was seeing. I wrote down hunches, intuitions, and reflex responses. But when the test results were announced, virtually everyone had scored a perfect 100 percent. We had seen the planes, even if we didn't necessarily believe it. For me, that test proved that images can be stored and retained, unconsciously, at incredible speeds. And those stored images, when recalled, can enhance performance. What about the thousands of flickering images we see on a TV, computer or movie screen? What about commercials? Do we have to believe the products really do all those amazing things before we buy them? Do viewers have to think that violent scenes in movies and TV are actually occurring in real life for there to be a negative effect on their behavior?

Many people believe that violent fantasy has no impact on their lives whatsoever, because they think they're too intelligent to be swayed by it. Well, I've got news for them. Whatever you see or experience, real or imagined, consciously or subliminally, when repeated vividly over and over, does affect your behavior, and definitely can influence you to buy a product or buy into a lifestyle, good or bad.

Your attitude and beliefs are, quite simply, functions of what you see day in and day out. Information can be taken in almost unnoticed. You won't react to it until later, and you still won't be aware of what lies behind your response. In other words, what you see really is what you get, regardless of whether you know it or not. You don't need to be watching slides of airplanes, or TV shows, or music videos, video games, or commercials.

You can be just lying down, or commuting to work, or walking through a park, and by seeing from within, in your mind's eye, you can change your life. By rehashing fears and problems, you can make yourself depressed. As a result you can botch a business deal, hurt a relationship, or lower your performance.
By forecasting a gloomy outcome in your mind's eye, you can act as your own witch doctor and practice a modern-day kind of voodoo that will fulfill your negative prediction with uncanny accuracy. On the other hand, by replaying in your mind's eye the best game you ever played, you can repeat that best game again, when the stakes are even higher and the pressure is on.

And by mentally pre-playing the best game you've ever imagined, you can set the stage for a world-class performance. This "instant replay" and "instant pre-play" applies to anything from a successful sales call or athletic event to the effective motivation of your teammates and children. Choose your role models and inputs carefully. Your attitudes and beliefs are the software programs driving you every day on life's journey. Denis Waitley
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Written by Denis Waitley. To receive Denis Waitley's Weekly Ezine, and to learn about his new program The Platinum Collection - Healthy, Wealthy & Wise visit http://www.getmotivation.com/qk.cgi/denis-waitley

He Definitely Should Have Been Committed

2006-05-04T03:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, commitment is what is called for. He never cared whether a Monday fell on a Friday nor did it matter to him if it was raining or dry. His motto was, "I am exactly where I need to be at this time. Just take it easy, it'll all work out just fine."

I met him many years ago. Let's just call him Tom. We were in college and he was the roommate of a friend. But they were so different. My friend wanted something out of life while Tom thought that life should bring him all things.

My friend worked hard, studied late hours, focussed on his dreams and goals and graduated with honors. He was committed to his success.

Tom, on the other hand, wanted all the good things in life, but didn't have direction, a plan, a commitment to his future. No one seems to know what became of Tom. He definitely should have been committed.

It doesn't matter what it is that you want or are striving for. To succeed, a high degree of commitment is necessary. We demand it from others but, most times, do not ask it from ourselves.

How would I like it if after paying a webmaster my last penny to get my web site working, he looks at me and says, "You win some, you lose some. I'll do my best and see what happens. I'll get it done soon. And when it's done, it will probably work, but who knows?"
I wouldn't like to see my child lying on the operating table and hear the surgeon say, "Well, I'll do my best. You win some, you lose some.

What do you expect from me? I'm like everybody else—just trying to make a living. Maybe it'll be successful, but who knows?"

This I know: I want my web master to be totally committed to our agreement. I want my surgeon to feel bad if he loses. I want him to be committed to the well-being of my son. I want my grocer, my airplane pilot, my friends, my everybody to be committed to what they are doing.

And how about me? Shouldn't I be committed to my own success and happiness? Well, sometimes that's a different story, or at least, that's what I'd like to think.
You see, it's almost always easier for us to see the fault out there than to accept the responsibility for our own actions. Many times, it's much easier to blame others than to commit ourselves to the path of success and happiness.

Yes, success is not easy. It calls for commitment, for focus, for hurling yourself toward the thing you love to do.Sometimes, success asks for blood, sweat and tears. But failure does not ask, it demands and takes our blood and sweat and tears. It doesn't matter whether we are dealing with business problems, relationship or health issues. The same principles apply.

Commitment does not guarantee success. All it does is guarantee that you WILL succeed or you WILL fail. On the other hand, a lack of commitment loads the dice on the side of failure.

Just the other day I heard from my old college friend. He is enjoying the fruits of success.
We talked about Tom and wondered what had become of him. We hoped that he had found something along the way that he could give his life and passion to. Didn't matter what it was, a computer expert, a teacher, car mechanic, astronaut, farmer, whatever. We wished him well.

Whatever it is that you do, give your heart and mind to it.Express yourself through your work, your calling, your vocation. Doesn't matter whether you're seeking your fortune on the internet or pursuing success on the outernet—a sense of purpose and a touch of madness will bring the world to your doorstep.

I have a bit of the former and lots of the latter. Thus far, with all its ups and downs, with all it's joys and sorrows, with all its failures and successes, life's been good. It's what we make it.

======================================
John Harricharan is an award-winning author, speaker and the creator of the ground-breaking "PowerPause" system for success. He has shared the lecture platform with such well- known speakers as Deepak Chopra, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Og Mandino, Eric Butterworth, C. Everett Koop and others. To learn more about the "PowerPause" and see why critics are raving about it go to
http://www.getmotivation.com/powerpause/

Six Ways to Overcome Fear

2006-05-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

As you get closer to fulfilling your dreams, don't besurprised if doubt and fear surface. The number one way wesabotage our dreams is by saying things like, "But, whatif?" and imagining the worst. But, what if I... fail,succeed, say or do the wrong thing, don't make enough money?
With this thinking, as you move toward your dream, you'llalso move toward your fears and worst nightmares. With toomuch to risk, most of us give up or never even begin. Hereare six ways to overcome fear.

1. If you feel indecisive, this can help. Draw a line acrossthe center of a piece of paper. On the top, write your dreamin as much detail as possible. On the bottom, write out yourreality (about this dream) including your fears, doubts and"but, what ifs".

Are you more committed to your dream or to your fear?
Two things will cause you to be more committed to your fear.The first is if you don't have a clearly defined dream. Thesecond is if you project your worst fears into your dream,you'll choose reality because it's safer.

But when fear is placed in its proper place, as part ofreality, it's easier to be more committed to your vision andfear simply becomes something to manage.

2. As you connect to your dreams, you'll often run into thevoice of your "Doubter." We might ignore or obsess over thisbecause it tells us everything that might go wrong. Leftunattended, this voice can be disruptive. But turn theDoubter down and it becomes the voice of the "Realist," whoprimarily wants to know what you are planning, usuallyrelated to time and money issues.

Early on, you may not have all the details figured out,which is why going to strategy too soon can actually hinderor limit your dream. Interview your Doubter and be curious.Capture its needs, insights and wisdom.

3. Your Doubter can provide a list of obstacles based on itsfears and concerns. The Dream Coach rule is, whereverthere's an obstacle, design a strategy to manage it.
Make a list of your obstacles and identify which ones arenegative self-perceptions or beliefs and which ones requirestrategies.

The first step in managing fear is to identify exactly whatyou are afraid if. Just saying, "I'm afraid," can be awhitewash and keep you stuck. Identify what you fear.

4. Beliefs are never neutral. They either move you forwardor hold you back, but you choose what to believe. The way tomove from limiting beliefs that hold you back to empoweringbeliefs that move you forward is through willingness,courage and practice.
Be willing to believe in yourself and your dreams and havethe courage to act on what you believe. Develop this as partof your identity by practicing this behavior continuouslyuntil it becomes true.

5. Are you aware of what typically stops you? For most ofus, it's something we hate, we're not good at, or that wehave no idea how to tackle. It can be frightening and whenthat task is essential to the success of your venture, itcould be your demise. Don't allow one need or issue todestroy your dream.

If your dream is to write a book but you can't type, thisdoesn't have to stop you. Learn a new skill or hire someone.If you can't afford that, explore bartering. Get creativeand get going. The time you waste worrying would best beused by seeking guidance and finding answers.

6. Overcome fear and other obstacles (even time and moneyissues) by enrolling others into your vision. Master thisskill and you'll accomplish bigger dreams with less effort.
Learn to talk to anyone, anytime and anyplace about theirdreams in a way where they feel inspired. Ask what theirpersonal or professional dreams are and explore.

Build an arsenal of people that you can reach out to in apinch. Develop a robust database of brilliant resources thatyou can access at any given moment. Build a community offellow dreamers or join one that already exists likewww.mydreamcircle.com.

____________
Marcia Wieder is a motivational speaker, specializing ingoal setting, visionary thinking and team building. She isthe author of several books, and has been featured in herown PBS television special called Making Your Dreams ComeTrue. You can Reach her by visiting http://www.marciaw.com

Prospecting on the Internet with Instant Messaging

2006-02-22T03:47:00.000-08:00

Download This Document In PDF Format Successway Home

Course Overview

As you probably already know, the business you're building goes by many different names. It's been called network marketing; person-to-person marketing; direct sales; interactive distribution; affiliate marketing and relationship marketing, to name a few. I prefer the term relationship marketing because relationships are the cornerstone of your business.Let me ask you a question: What's the first thing you do when you meet someone new? You connect with that person physically by shaking hands, right? Then you seek to connect with them personally by asking questions to learn more about them, such as:"Where are you from? What do you do? Where do you live? And so on. What you're doing is looking for things you have in common ö work, hobbies, interests ö that sort of thing, right?

Shaking hands and talking in person is the best way to build relationships. But thanks to technology, it's not the only way to build relationships. You can also Shake Hands On The Internet and use Instant Messaging to build high-touch relationships on the high-tech Internet.
Instant Messaging is a great tool to build your business. I know this for a fact, because my trainings have helped thousands of people grow their businesses using the Internet. And that's what you will learn in this training ö proven strategies that will help you build your business by using Instant Messaging.Why is this course important to you? Because it will help you solve the biggest challenge you face in building your business; that is, finding quality prospects to share your opportunity with.

Once most people have gone through their warm market, they're afraid to talk to strangers, so they drop out of the business. Sound familiar?In this program you will learn a way to access 250 million people from your computer, so that you'll NEVER run out of quality prospects again!
One word of caution ö this course is IN NO WAY meant to replace your person-to-person prospecting activities. It's designed to ADD to your prospecting toolbox.Now, before I tell you more about what this program IS, let me tell you what it IS NOT. This program is NOT about spamming. It's NOT about e-mailing your business opportunity to your family and friends. It's not about meeting people in chat rooms and it's not about buying expensive leads. This course is about building honest-to-goodness relationships online and then sharing your opportunity with your new friends.

I've divided this course into six sections:

Section one is the course overview.

Section two is about me. I invite you take a moment to learn more about me and my background.

Section three is the nuts and the bolts of the course. There are nine lessons each with specific information and techniques that takes the guess work out of using Instant Messaging to build your business online.Over the years, I've had the privilege of sharing my system of using Instant Messaging to build a business with thousands of people, with amazing results. People using my strategies are re-energizing their businesses. If you follow the strategies in this course, I guarantee that you too can get the results you've been looking for!About Max

Max Steingart has been helping people use computers to connect with other people since 1975, when he introduced an innovative computer system to the yacht brokerage industry. Money Magazine called him the ÎMatchMakerâ because his computer generated lists made it easy for boat sellers to connect with buyers. Today, every major yacht brokerage firm in the world uses elements of a system he helped to create to conduct their business.

Max's innovative use of computers expanded beyond boats to other industries in the pre-Internet days. Airplanes, exotic automobiles, sport and luxury cars; thoroughbred horses, fine art, business opportunities and high-end real estate would all be added to his database. In 1989, Max was named the ÎSuccess Story of the Yearâ by Inc. Magazine for creating a company that was the forerunner of e-Bay. AT&T called him a visionary in the computer industry.
Max has owned several successful businesses including the INC 500 publishing company previously mentioned. He's a highly quoted author, an innovative entrepreneur, and an entertaining lecturer. Max has been a keynote speaker at many conventions and conferences. His presentations have been described as entertaining, eye opening, educational and visually dazzling.

Since 1996, Max has been devoted to researching, studying, and developing a systematic method to teach people how to use the Internet and Instant messaging to network with other people for every kind of business. - real estate, stocks, bonds and investments, sales, etc.

In 1998, he introduced ÎThe Perpetual Prospector,â the first generic Internet training program for the Direct Sales Industry, followed two years later by ÎSuccess Online: Network Marketing in the New Millennium.ââShaking Hands on the Internetâ and ÎSuccess Online: Relationship Marketing in the New Millenniumâ were initially published in 2002. Now available in their 5th Edition, they are an essential part of every sales persons Internet tool box.
They can be ordered at his web site - www.successway.com

What people are saying about Max's Internet training courses ö"I haven't seen anything that will impact my industry like your Internet training's since the introduction of video tapes back in 1988. I want everyone in my 80,000 plus organization to hear them. I've never recommended any generic training program that was developed outside my company until now."
Brent Bryson, NuSkin ö Big Planet, Salt Lake City, UT"This program is the most comprehensive, fool-proof prospecting training system ever developed. I predict it will take the network marketing industry to a whole new level of growth and prosperity."Burke Hedges, Author - Who Stole the American Dream

WelcomeA Chinese philosopher once said, "A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step"The first step to achieving success in any worthwhile endeavor is to properly prepare. This section establishes the foundation for the rest of the lessons in this course and will prepare you for immediate success.The famous hockey player, Wayne Gretsky, who scored more goals than anyone else in the history of the game, said, "youâll always miss 100% of the shots you do not take.ä This section is about taking action. It's about going for your goals. It's the heart and soul of the Online relationship building process.In these lessons, you will learn how to find quality prospects for your business, learn how to contact them and what to say to them.You will learn that finding the right people to talk to about your business is as easy as picking the Green M&M's out of a bowl of candy. You'll be surprised how simple it will be for you to find the right people to talk to about your business. Remember to have fun during your Instant Message business building experiences. My good friend, and author of seven books, Burke Hedges, describes results as being "the barometer of your consistent labor." If you consistently apply what you've learned in section two and talk to people online, you'll get the results you are looking for.You will learn specific techniques on how to introduce your business to everyone you connect with Online in an Instant Message. Let's face it, nothing matters without results. Once you've completed this course and do the work, you will be an Instant Message master.

Lesson 1
Join an Internet Community
In this lesson you will learn about Internet communities and why you want to join one to meet new people.To meet new people and prospect for your business opportunity you'll have to go off your ISP and visit other places on the Internet for your recruiting and business-building activity. I want to emphasize that you do not have to give up your ISP service to join any of the Internet communities I'm going to tell you about.If you want to meet new people in the real world you have to leave your home and go out where the people are. Likewise, if you want to meet new people on the Internet, you still have to go where the people are, but you don't have to leave the comfort of your home to do it. You can access various Internet communities where you'll be able to contact people that are online at the same time you are.In the real world, there are places you can go to meet new people without paying any admission fees or dues ö like the mall, the grocery store or anyplace where people congregate. I'm sure you get the picture.However, there are also places you can go, where you'd want to pay dues to have access to being around the right people. You might join the Chamber of Commerce, a health club, a tennis club, a country club or a yacht club to be able to mix, mingle and network with the kinds of people you'd like to meet, build a relationship with, and have in your business.The same concept applies in the online world. There are many places on the Internet where you can go to meet and talk to people, and you'll eagerly pay membership dues to have access to them. The Internet communities you see on the screen are the equivalent of a huge private club without the astronomical dues.
Yahoo
ICQ
MSN
AOL
Monster.com
In many Internet communities, people post personal information about themselves that you have access to. On the Internet you have the opportunity to pre-select whom you want to meet based on what you know about them.Now, you are probably asking, which Internet community is the best place to meet quality people and why.

First ö you want to join a community that offers access to the most people.

Second ö you want to be able to read a profile of each member to see if they are worth approaching.

Third ö you want a community that is user friendly.

Finally ö you want to be able to keep your company's ISP while still having access to millions of prospects.If you joined a million-plus member country club in order to prospect, wouldn't it be great if every member had a resume pinned on their shirt so that you could see at a glance if they would be worth talking to or not? You would get a brief run down of each member's background, interests, and hobbies. All you do is sort through the profiles and qualify the prospects you want to talk to. That's why I say if you can pick the cashews out of a bowl of mixed nuts, you can find someone to talk to about your business.Remember, whatever investment you make to join an Internet community is considered to be a tax-deductible business expense.Once you've established an Instant Messaging account you are now ready for the next step, which I cover in Lesson 2 ö creating your screen name and profile.

Lesson 2
How To Create Your Screen Name

In this lesson you are going to learn how to create an effective and attractive screen name so the Internet community identifies you as an authority on success.Let's start by creating your personal screen name. Your screen name is usually the first thing you'll be asked to do when you initially sign up with AOL or the Internet community you choose. I found most people use their birth name for their screen name; however, some people use a series of letters and numbers because they don't want people to know who they are. Your screen name is important because it will be your unique Internet identifier. No-one else within your Internet community can have the same screen name. It's very important to create a screen name that will make it easier for you to build your business and meet people online. Instead of using your name, use words that will help promote you and create interest and curiosity about you and what you do. You want a descriptive name that tells people about you. For example, if your name is John Smith what does that tell other people about you? You could be six years old or sixty. You could be a doctor, a day laborer, an unemployed teenager or a child. The name John Smith tells people nothing about who you are ö right?In the movie Top Gun Tom Cruise had the call sign ÎMaverickâ and it seemed to fit his personality and actions. Your screen name is going to be your Internet call sign and it should fit who you are or more importantly, who you want people to think you are.Your screen name is also going to be the focal point of your e-mail address and will draw attention to your business when you put it on your business card like SuccessMaker2003@aol.com.Now that you've learned about screen names, we are ready to move on to the next lesson on how to create your personal profile.

Lesson 3
How to Create Your Personal Profile
In this lesson, you're going to learn how to create and set up your personal profile to create interest and curiosity about you. Think of your personal profile as your online personal resume or bio. Your personal profile is important because it permits you to list the following things about yourself:
Name
City, state/province and country you live in
Gender
Marital status
Hobbies
Type of computer you use
Occupation

Personal quote that tells everyone that reads your profile, a little bit about your personality, your philosophy of life and your personal values.
All of the information you include in your personal profile will be visible in the Member Directory for all the people using the Instant Messaging system youâre using to see. Likewise you'll have access to all the other profiles posted in the member directory.What you post about yourself in your profile is what you attract. What people post in their profiles is what they want to attract and usually indicates what they want to talk about. The words you use to describe yourself paint a mental image of your occupation in the mind of the reader, so choose your words carefully. The words you use to describe yourself in your profile will paint the proper mental image in other people's minds and that can give you a lot of leverage. Now that you've created your profile, you're ready to go online and network like crazy and meet new people - all from the convenience and comfort of your home.In the next lesson, you're going to learn how to search the Member Directory for the best people to contact.

Lesson 4
Searching the Member Directory and Sending Instant Messages

In this section, you're going to learn how to search a member directory for the best people who are online at the same time you are, and how to send someone an Instant Message.
If you're looking for someone with the word Îsalesâ in their profile, simply type the word 'sales' on the first line and do a search. Every match you get will have the word 'sales' somewhere in their profile.That doesn't mean that the person who created the profile is involved in sales. They could be a teenager who wants to get into sales in the future or is involved with his high school yearbook sales team.It's important to read a personâs profile before you contact them to determine if they're a good candidate to approach and if they have the qualities you're looking for. The words in the profile will tell you everything you need to know about the person.There are so many people online at any given time who you could contact, and I will be showing you how to find the best ones.I suggest that you start your search for people who live in your city or town. You're going to want to check out what's written in the profile of anyone you are considering contacting. Make sure you like what's written about them before you approach them.Sometimes it's useful to look at all the profiles of people in your area whether they are online or not. When you find an interesting profile of someone that is not online and you think you'd like to contact them later, you can add them to your Îbuddy list,â which I'll explain later, so you know when they are online.Keep in mind, you're only able to send Instant Messages to people that are online.You can also search for people by occupations like: doctor, lawyer, chiropractor, business owner, professional, mother, electrician, mechanic, office manager, secretary, administrative assistant, clerk, etc. by using the occupation field. Itâs easy to find someone online that shares your work experience.The screen names people create and the words they use in their profiles are excellent indicators to you of what's important to them and what they like to talk about. Search for people that you have things in common with or who have an interesting profile.
The broader your search parameters are, the more profiles you'll get to see. Your success is going to be based on the quality of the people you contact and talk to about your business, not the number of people. Remember, quality is better than sheer numbers. Since you'll have so many choices of people to talk to, you have to be selective about who you approach online and spend your time with.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of being selective. Make sure you can say, "I'd like to talk to this person, I like their profile."Benjamin Franklin said that if he had an hour to spend chopping down a tree, he would spend 45 minutes sharpening his ax, and 15 minutes actually chopping down the tree. The more time you spend reviewing profiles before you contact them, the more productive you're going to be.You now have an unlimited supply of potential prospects to talk to about your business. All you have to do is take a few moments and search for them.Now that you've learned how to find the best people online to contact, the next step is to learn how to send them an Instant Message. The Instant Message feature allows you to have immediate, one-on-one, private conversations in real time with other members of your Internet community, who are online at the same time as you.Sending an Instant Message is easier than sending email. Now that you've learned how to search a Member Directory for people to contact and how to send them an Instant Message, you're ready to contact anyone online at any time of day or night.In the next lesson, you're going to learn how to begin a conversation with an online stranger and the best Instant messaging opening lines to use to meet new people.

Lesson 5
How to Begin a Conversation with an Online Stranger

In this lesson, you're going to learn how to begin a conversation with an online stranger and begin building a relationship with them.Just like in the real face-to-face world, you only have one time to make a good first impression. The beauty about working online is that you can talk to people anytime of day it's convenient to you. Whether you're in your PJs or your shorts and T-shirt, you never have to worry about how you look. Working online is about freedom and flexibility.Since you're selecting who you're going to be contacting by reviewing their screen name and profile, you will know in advance if they are a prospect for your business.The following Instant Message opening lines will melt the ice and start you on your way to meeting and making wonderful new friends.The first thing you want to say is, "Hello"
Believe it or not, just saying "hello" works very well in beginning an Instant Message conversation with an online stranger. Before anyone answers you, they're going to check out your profile to try and determine what your online agenda is.
Why are you contacting them? They want to see if you're selling something. If your profile is an advertisement for your business they will not respond.
However, if they like your screen name and the information you've put in your profile, then they'll respond to you.
If they don't have time to talk to you at that moment, then they'll tell you nicely and ask if you can talk later. The more interesting you appear to someone, the more likely they'll want to talk to you.
äHello, I was taking a break and did a random search in the membership directory and noticed your profile. It's really a good one. :-) ã
Paying a person a compliment is another very effective online ice breaker to begin a conversation. Adding a smiling face to the end of your comment is a sign of friendship and tells the other person you're smiling.For instance, when you meet someone new anywhere, you're more likely to respond to a person who is smiling than if they had a frown on their face.Giving someone online the impression you're smiling is as easy as typing a colon : then a dash - then the back end of a parenthesis ) Put them all together and you've got a smiling face - :-)

ãHello, I noticed your profile while doing a search for people that liked to play golf. I've been playing golf for seven years. How long have you been playing?ä
People like to talk to other people that share common interests and that like the same things they do. Don't you?It's important in your opening line, if you use this approach, to make a statement and then ask a question in the same Instant Message. This obligates the other person to respond to you and always guarantees you'll get an answer to your question.
äHello, you have a great profile. I hope I'm not interrupting?ä
You don't know what the person you're trying to contact is doing. This opening line pays them a compliment and their answer will tell you if they have time to talk to you.
When you call someone on the phone, the first thing you should say after your "Hello" is "Is this a good time to talk?" or "Do you have a few minutes to talk?" This same approach works online when sending an Instant Message and gives the person on the other end the chance to tell you if it's convenient to talk.
If they don't have time to talk at that moment, you can put them on your buddy list and contact them later. The important thing is that you've made contact and they're responded. They may even reply by telling you when it would be more convenient for them to talk. If this happens, you know the next time you contact them they will be very receptive to talking to you.Having two or three short five-minute online conversations can be as effective in establishing an online relationship as having a 15 minute extended conversation.
You've now learned how to start an online conversation with anyone.
In the next lesson, you're going to learn how to qualify your prospect with a few simple questions to determine if they would be a good candidate for your business.

Lesson 6
The Most Effective Qualifying Questions To Ask Online

In this lesson you're going to learn the most effective qualifying questions to ask someone online to determine if they are a good candidate for your business.
The three most important business related questions you should ask are:
What do you do?
How long have you done it?
What did you do before?
You're going to want to ask each question separately and wait for an answer before you ask the next question. Even if a person has written what they do in their profile, it's always a good idea to ask the first question. They may answer your question with the same information they gave you in their profile or they may elaborate and provide you with more detailed information. In either case, once they've answered you, you're now in the position to ask the next two questions.
When you ask someone how long they've been working at their job, their answer will tell you a lot. You will learn if they are happy with their job; how long they've been at it; if they're dissatisfied, and so on. The longer someone has been in a job they don't like, the more likely they will be open to looking at other opportunities. Many times you'll get a response like, "I've been doing this too long."
Asking the third question gives you an idea of a person's work history. Are they moving up? Have they been downsized? Are they in transition from one job to another? Are they looking for other opportunities? And so on.
The answers to any or all of these questions will inform you if the person you're talking to is a good candidate for your business.
Always remember to ask your questions one at a time and wait for the answer before you ask another question.

What you will find is people love talking about themselves online and they will tell you things that they would never say to you in a face to face conversation. People online are more open, candid and direct.
Now let's move on. When the person you're talking to starts asking questions about what you do that means you're now ready to move the conversation to business talk and introduce your business. Keep in mind just because someone ask you a question about what you do, it doesn't mean they are interested in your business. You asked them about what they do and they in return will want to be polite and ask you what you do. Get the picture!Ok. Let's go to the next lesson, moving the conversation to business .

Lesson 7
Moving Your Online Conversations to Business Talk

In this lesson you'll learn how to move your online conversation to business talk.
In the last section, you learned to use qualifying questions, such as:
What do you do?
How long have you done it?
What did you do before that?
Pay close attention to the answers. Remember what kind of people you're looking for.
You're looking for people who give positive, encouraging answers.
You're looking for people who want to own their own business.
You're looking for people who are successful but want more.
After you've asked your qualifying questions, the natural response of most people is to ask you, "What do you do?"
It's imperative that you have prepared a well-thought-out answer. You have to be ready to respond when you're asked, "What do you do?" Do not be evasive or deceptive. Your leadership may have some suggestions about how best to answer this question.
Here are some answers to the question, "What do you do?" that you can modify to fit your situation.
I help people get started in their own home-based business.
I work with a group of leaders who teach people how to run a successful business using their home computer.
I work with a sharp group of people who help me run a lucrative Internet-affiliated business.
I work with a group of leaders who teach people how to make money on the Internet in cooperation with a fabulous company.
I teach people how to make money working from home.
Let me emphasize again that your leadership may have some other ideas about what to say at this point. Whenever possible, counsel with your leadership to find out what responses get the best results.

As I have said repeatedly during this course, the best response is to follow the guidelines recommended by your leadership. Most likely, your leaders will recommend one or more of the following four options:
E-mail your prospects information about your company
Direct your prospects to a website
Direct your prospects to a conference call or 800 Number recording
Get your prospects on the phone
Send your prospects an opportunity tape or CD
Don't ever try to explain in detail what your company does. It's important to use the tools and systems recommended by your leadership to give people the big picture of what your company does.
Remember, if at anytime you're uncomfortable with the answers you get or if the conversation is strained or going badly, then end the conversation with, "Don't have time for an in-depth discussion. Bye." Then find someone else to talk to.
One final comment about prospecting online: Many times people online are rushed. Sometimes you'll only have a few minutes to talk to an online prospect. And sometimes it may take two or three Instant Message conversations with a person over a few days before you're in the position to talk about your business. That's okay. Just save their name on your buddy list and get back with them at some future date.
Now you're ready for the next lesson, "How to move from typing online to talking on the phone

Lesson 8
How to Maneuver From Typing Online To Talking On the Phone

In this lesson, you're going to learn how to maneuver your online conversations with your prospects from typing on your computer to talking on the telephone.
In this lesson I'm going to cover three basic things:
You'll learn how to use Instant Messages to get the other person to pick up the phone and talk to you.
You'll learn how to move an Instant Message conversation to the phone in only four Instant Messages.
When you go to the telephone, you're moving from a high tech relationship to a high touch relationship. Always remember, relationships are the cornerstone in your business. And when it comes to relationships, there's no substitute for face-to-face conversations. That's why you want to move your online conversations to the phone and eventually to meeting in person.Now let's talk about the first topic: How to use Instant Messages to get the other person to pick up the phone.
So what are the best Instant Message lines you can use to move your conversations from typing online to talking on the phone?
Here are a few examples of some very effective Instant Messages:
I type with 4 fingers and 2 of them need spell check. Would you be up for talking on the phone?
I am not a very good typist. Would you be up for talking on the phone?
Would it be OK to call you? Or you could call me. My typing is really slowing me down.
Do you have a minute to speak on the phone with me? My typing is really off today.
Do you have the time to talk on the phone for a few minutes? I enjoy talking more than typing. Don't you?
Sometimes the Internet is impersonal. I would love to talk more on the phone. Does that work for you?
That's really all there is to it. If someone likes you, they'll be up for talking on the phone if it's convenient for them. You can make the offer to call them or suggest that they call you. It's nice to give people the option ö ãWould you like me to call you or would you prefer to call me?ä

Keep in mind that people can be reluctant to give their phone numbers to you at the beginning of your Instant Message conversation. Women especially would prefer to call a man as they can block their number from being displayed by caller ID.
But moving your conversation to the phone won't be difficult, if the other person trusts you or is seriously interested in wanting to learn more about your business.Now let's talk about the second topic: How to move an Instant Message conversation to the phone in only four Instant Messages.
I'm going to show you an example of how you can go from an initial Instant Message conversation with someone to talking about your business in only four Instant messages! That's right. It can be that simple and easy if you've selected the right person to talk to.
Who is the right person? It's someone you share some common interests with. It's the person with a good profile. You can tell just by reading their words that you'd like them.
In this example, Jennifer is an Interior designer who found another Interior designer online at the same time she was. Both women shared the same occupation and had some common interests. This conversation focuses on their mutual business interest.
Jennifer's profile positioned her to be immediately liked by Mary. You can be having this same conversation over and over again when you select someone to talk to that likes the same things you do.
Jennifer found Mary online and sent her this Instant Message:
"Hello, my name is Jennifer, I noticed by reviewing your profile, you are an Interior designer. I've been an interior designer for 14 yrs. How long have you been one?"
Jennifer sent Mary the Instant Message and waited for her to respond. In less than 45 seconds, she got the following response:
"Hello Jennifer, my name is Mary. I've been an interior designer for eight years. It's nice to meet you."
Jennifer sent another Instant Message. She said:
"I've been working for myself the last eight years. Do you work for yourself or do you work for a larger firm?"
Mary responded: "I've been working for myself for four years."
Jennifer sent another Instant Message: "Don't you love working for yourself?"
Mary responded: "Yes I do. But, it's sometimes difficult financially between clients. Do you know what I mean?"

Jennifer responded: "Yes I do. In fact, I've been working with a company on the Internet that allows me to make extra income from home between clients. Would you be interested in hearing about it?"
Mary responded: "Yes I would. Could you call me on the phone? I'd prefer to talk to you about it rather than typing."
Jennifer responded: "I'll call you in five minutes. What's your number?"
Mary answered: ãIt's 777-777-7777. Thanks, I'm anxious to talk to you about it."
In four Instant Messages, Jennifer was able to get Mary to the telephone to talk to her about her business.
How did it happen so easily? It's because Jennifer was selective about who she contacted. As a business owner she shared the same income problems that Mary did.
Mary was more open and candid online that she would ever be in person when she admitted that things were tough financially from time to time.
Once Jennifer and Mary started talking on the phone, it was easy for Jennifer to take her friend through the process her company leadership recommends to introduce new people to the opportunity.
Jennifer went on to repeat this same conversation over and over again with other Interior designers. She found that eight out of the 10 designers she approached online were interested in looking at her business.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. You've just seen a real time example of a business conversation you can be having anytime you want. It's time to get online and find someone to talk to. The entire process is fun and you're going to make some wonderful new friends establishing relationships all over the Internet.
Be selective about who you approach and you will have similar results.

Now let's go to the third topic: What to say to your prospects when you talk to them on the phone.
I'm going to break this section into two parts. The first part is what to say on the phone to someone you've already introduced your business to. The second part is what to say to someone on the phone that you haven't introduced your business to.
Let's first talk about what you're going to want to say to someone that you've introduced your business to.
When your Instant Message conversation with someone moves to the point where they really want to know more about what you do, and they're sincerely interested, it's appropriate to introduce them to your business using the tools recommended by the leadership in your company, before you talk on the phone.

Your leadership may suggest that you send them to a website. Or they may suggest that you direct your prospects to a conference call or 800 number recorded message. Follow their lead for the best results.
In Jennifer's case, she followed the instructions she'd been given by the leadership in her company.
This is the point my training ends and your organizationâs training takes over.
You see, my role is to show you how to tap into an unlimited source of people on the Internet and then teach you how to develop quality e-lationships online. But, my role ends when it's time to introduce your business opportunity to your prospect.
I believe there is absolutely no one better than the proven leaders in your company to show you what to do, and what to say when introducing your business opportunity to others. Who better to teach you how to build your business than those who've already built successful businesses themselves ö right?
Think of it as me handing off the baton to your leadership support team once you have a person to introduce your specific opportunity to.
I encourage you to plug into your company's success system. Listen to your leaders. Listen to the tapes. Watch the videos. Familiarize yourself with your company websites. Attend the seminars and events. Become a product of the products. And counsel with your experienced leadership team to learn the best way to introduce your business to prospects. They will teach exactly what you have to do and how to work the business, in order get the most out of your opportunity. I can't emphasize this enough.

After your prospect has reviewed the information, you're now in the position to talk to them on the phone about it. I encourage you to let the tools and system explain your business, instead of trying to explain it yourself.
The idea is not to jump into a full blown business opportunity commercial with them as soon as you're on the phone. All you want to do is further the relationship you started with them online and answer their questions.
Use your phone conversation as an opportunity to learn more about the other person. People love to talk about themselves.
Your online prospect is naturally going to have questions about what they've looked at.
The first question you're going to want to ask, once you're on the phone with someone that has looked at your business is, "What did you like about the information you just looked at?"
Your job is to answer their questions and help them understand what they've looked at or heard, and see the opportunity for themselves.
Now that we've covered the first part of what to say to someone on the phone that you've introduced your business to, let's move to the second part, which is, what to say to someone you haven't introduced your business to, on the phone.
Sometimes you'll really make a solid connection with the person you're talking to in Instant Messages and you'll want to move your conversation to the phone, but the subject of your business hasn't come up yet.
You share the same work experience, or have hobbies in common or perhaps you grew up in the same city or went to the same schools. You both are enjoying the online conversation you're having but the opportunity to talk about your business hasn't presented itself yet.
Since most people talk faster than they can type, it's natural to want to pick up the conversational pace and move to the phone.
When you get on the phone, keep your conversation going in the same direction it was going when you were typing. Talk about the same things you were typing about.
Don't feel like you have to use your first phone conversation to talk about your business. Only mention your business when it's appropriate to do so. When friendship and trust exist between people, it's easier to make a business connection.
When your new online friend trusts you enough to exchange phone numbers, you're beginning to make the transition from an Online relationship to an in-person relationship.
Keep in mind that some people have a telephone phobia and don't like to talk on the phone with strangers

As your online relationship deepens, you will move from a stranger to an acquaintance. When a cautious person you met online is ready to transition to the phone, they will let you know.
Your phone conversation is a wonderful opportunity to tell them your personal story and how you were introduced to your business and why you got involved. It lets them know that you are a real person.
This has been a very important lesson and we've covered a lot of quality material. Now it's time to move on to the next lesson ö How to Follow Up and Keep in Touch.
Lesson 9
How to Follow Up and Keep In Touch
Following up with people is one of the most important aspects of building your business.
Not everyone you talk to about your business is going to want to sign up immediately after you've introduced it to them. They're going to want to check things out before they make a decision.
There may also be things going on in their lives that prevent them from getting started immediately.
People looking for an opportunity will pick the time it's convenient for them to begin.
Sometimes the people you meet in April, may take until December to get involved in your business.
It's important to stay in touch with the people you're connecting with online to maintain your relationship while they're making their decision to get involved and once again, the Internet offers you some distinct advantages in helping you build your business.
When you want to talk to someone in the real world, you call them on the phone, but when you dial the phone, you have no idea if they're home or available to talk.
Many people use Caller ID to screen their calls. You think someone is home, he should be home, he told you he would be home, but all you get when you call is an answering machine.
The online solution to this potential real world problem is called a ÎBuddy List.â
A Buddy List contains the screen names of everyone that is online at the same time you are, that you've put on the list.
You'll only see a name on your Buddy List when the person is signed on to the Internet. You'll actually see when people sign on and sign off the Internet when you've added them to your Buddy List.
Who do you want to put on your Buddy List?
You want to put everyone you feel would be a good prospect for your business on your Buddy List. You're going to want to add all of your online friends to the list so you'll always know when they're online in the future.
When you see a name on your list, it means they're online and capable of receiving your Instant Message. A Buddy List and Instant Messaging will help you connect with people and avoid the frustration of dealing with telephone answering machines.

When you see your friends name on your Buddy List, take a few moments to say hello. Use your time to inquire about how they're doing or ask additional questions.
You may not have the time or opportunity in your initial conversation to move the conversation to a business one. Keep checking your Buddy List and don't hesitate to re-contact someone.
When the time is right, they'll decide to get involved. Don't let your online friends forget who you are by losing contact with them.
The people on your Buddy List are your hot prospects. It's easy to stay in touch with them by sending them a friendly Instant Message.
Most of the people you've established an Online relationship with will add you to their Buddy List. They'll see when you're online and will often contact you when it's convenient for them to talk.
Now that you've learned how to establish relationships with people online and introduce them to your business, all the barriers to your success are down.

The Wonder Of Your Work

2006-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a child's eyes the first time they look down the main street of Disneyland? That's the wonderment of imagination. Parents are more likely to look down that same street and imagine long line-ups and eternal waiting for everything.

I was reminded recently that all children have this readiness to wonder no matter how poor and destitute. I was raised on the edge of the Sahara Desert where my parents were missionaries.

This past Christmas I had their 50-year-old 8mm missionary movies transferred to video for them. In one scene they were giving out T-shirts and shorts to the native kids in a leprosy village who had never seen, never mind owned, anything so wonderful. They had the same look. The look that says, "What do these wonders-mean?"

This is the heart of life - coming to understand what the wonders of our existence - and of our work - mean. All that is possible is wrapped up in the divine gift of imagination which is why it is, at once, the most freeing and imprisoning force known to us - depending, of course, on how we use it.

The world, our own unique personal world, is full of wonders, each of which is connected to our richly imagined future. Very few people see wonders in their workplace. That is a little strange and a lot sad because we can see them elsewhere in our lives.

An executive who appears so uncaring and tough at work actually managed to attend his daughter's grade four play, "The Legend of Johnny Appleseed." Melissa was Mrs. Johnny Appleseed in the play and she insisted that her dad and mom sit in the second row (the first one being "Reserved") right near the center aisle.

They could see her white bonnet as she peered through the curtains to be sure they were still there and ready for the wonders they were about to see. And wonders there were! It went the way grade four plays are supposed to go with kids forgetting their lines or not saying them loud enough or saying them too loud.

The teacher's constant prompts from backstage, the miscued curtains. Each one a wonder. And then the wonder of all wonders - Melissa's only line rehearsed a thousand times at dinner, in the bathtub and the last thing before sleep. "Oh my dear husband (that part always made the other kids laugh and it did this time too) do not be discouraged, for people around the world will eat from the orchards you have planted."

I do not even want to meet the parent whose eyes are not filled with tears of wonder in such a situation. Heck, mine are and I'm just making this up. Work is one of the wonders of our lives!

When we can't see the wonders, we are doomed to meander through life without ever finding our intention. When we can't see the wonders we can't make the choices that will lead us to the spiritual wealth that most of us desire.

First we must learn to see the wonders and then we learn to make positive and wise choices in response to those wonders.
This is how the richly imagined future becomes present in our lives now.

There are wonders all around us, in every common circumstance. The more we recognize them, the richer we become. May your life - and your work - be wonders-full!

(excerpted from Ian Percy's book The 7 Secrets to a Life of Meaning.)
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Copyright The Ian Percy Corporation. Ian Percy is one of North America's most inspirational speakers. Mr. Percy is an international speaker and consultant and can be reached at http://www.ianpercy.com/

Teamwork

2006-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

I suspect that all of us in the world of business, athletics, music, etc., recognize the importance of teamwork. Old cliches come to mind, like, "Individuals score points, but teams win games."

In the business world the concept of teamwork is particularly important, but according to Ed Petry, executive director of the Ethics Officer Association, there is one dilemma that regularly confronts teams working in a business together.

The dilemma is one of ethics or integrity. Mr. Petry points out in a February 17, 1998, article in USA Today that when you work in a team and become close to the other members, it often happens that some unethical conduct takes place on the part of an individual, whether it's taking money or revealing trade secrets.

The question is, do you tell the boss? He points out that if you tell it will make it harder to work in a small group and, according to Graham Phaup, at the Institute for Global Ethics, "It's truth vs. loyalty. Is it right to tell the truth and lose friendships?"

Those who do report problems, he says, risk being shunned by others on their team if word gets out. Managers say they strive to let workers know they should tell if something is amiss.

Yes, it really is a dilemma and this is the point where the integrity of management is critical in solving the problem. If the workers know they can talk with complete confidence to management and that their trust will never be betrayed, they are far more likely to report a situation which could potentially be job-threatening for all of them. That's integrity and that's a quality we all need to develop every day.
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Zig Ziglar offers a weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can subscribe to the Zig ZiglarNewsletter at http://www.zigziglar.com/

Master the Spares and The Strikes Will Come by Themselves

2006-01-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

The fundamentals are always the key to success in any area, whether baking a cake, building a business, playing a sport or.... Winning Without Intimidation.

While "out-of-the-box" thinking, creative ideas and smartly spoken words and phrases can often be the difference betweengood and great, consistent success is typically based on doing "the little things right" time after time, again and again and again.

Coach Vince Lombardi's dynastic Green Bay Packer football teams of the 1960's mastered blocking and tackling, the most fundamental aspects of football. They used to run a very basic play called the "Power Sweep."

The defense pretty much always knew when they were going to run it. It didn't matter. "The Pack" ran it so well, it was practically unstoppable.

On the other hand, there are master chefs who can create gastronomical masterpieces bound to tantalize most anyone's culinary desires (what's with the fancy words today?) :-) yet, you can be sure they base their expertise on knowing, understanding and applying the most fundamental aspects of their craft.

My friend, Thom Scott, creates long-copy sales ads and marketing campaigns that absolutely floor me, yet when I go through them I notice they veer not one single bit from the basic premises he has learned and now teaches regarding the "fundamental" elements that are foundational for successful advertisements and campaigns.

And, it's the same with "Winning Without Intimidation" or mastering the art of positive persuasion. The fanciest, mosteffective "lines, words and phrases" that will cause people to do for you those things they will rarely do for most others simply will not work... if not based on the fundamentals of the craft.

And, what are those fundamentals? There are five that I see.
Very briefly, they are:

#1 Attitude - The mindset that the universe is friendly to your desires and that people are generally good people who want to be helpful, if just given the chance to deal with a nice person such as yourself who has (and this is where the next one comes in)...

#2 Positive Expectancy - You expect that the other person is going to go out of their way to help you; to be "solution-oriented."

Doing this is not naive. It's understanding that with this type of expectation, you're not changing this person; you are changing yourself, you are changing your mindset. Thus,you are looking at this person in a much different way. As such, he or she will now respond differently to you than they otherwise would have.

#3 Politeness - It's separating yourself from 95 percent of the others who approach the person with an "entitlement" mentality that he or she "owes" you their help.

Well, whether they do or not, they are not necessarily playing the game correctly. It's up to you to approach them in a way that elicits their wanting; their desiring to help you. Politeness is definitely a fine start.

#4 Patience - The understanding that, since most people are not used to "living in the solution" it might take a while (even "minutes" qualifies as "a while" when you want what you want "right now") to re-teach this person. That's okay.

#5 Persistence - Or, as Zig Ziglar would say, "courteous persistence." This is a mindset you have where you retain your great attitude and positive expectancy of this person and their motives, remaining polite and patient, while you still demonstrate that you're willing to stay with this situation until you get the right results."

Any fancy words and phrases you utilize, such as what I call "The Eight Key Words That Will Instantly Move A Person to Your Side of The Issue Practically Every Time" (these words are, "If you can't do it, I'll definitely understand") will only work if first set up correctly by your utilizing the basics, the fundamentals we just discussed.

After all, imagine just walking up to someone and coldly spewing out those words without there being any context for this person to relate. There's very little chance it's going to get you the results you want.

On the other hand, if you'll master the five fundamentals we discussed, you'll find good things and great results happening more often, and more quickly, than you can ever imagine.

I remember, as a young kid, watching an older boy (probably 16 or 17) bowling. He was excellent, nailing strike after strike after strike. I said, "Greg you must love getting so many strikes." He replied, "I sure do."

I then said, "In fact, you must really practice mastering those strikes." His reply was, "Not at all; I never practice mastering the strikes. I practice mastering the spares."

Sensing my confusion, he then added a sage piece of wisdom I've taken with me since that time. He said, "When you master the spares, the strikes will come by themselves."

Wow!

So, master those spares, perfect the basics. Often quick - and genuinely long-lasting - results will come your way in abundance.

Bob Burg
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Bob Burg is author of "Endless Referrals" and "Winning Without Intimidation: How to Master the Art of Positive Persuasion in Today's Real World". Visit Bob at http://www.burg.com

Tell Your Story!

2006-01-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

My wife and I recently took the kids to a place called Woodloch Pines, www.woodloch.com in Pennsylvania. We experienced the best vacation we've ever had. Woodloch is that special kind of place where families come together and memories are made.

While there, we participated in the family Olympics, rode go-carts, paddled and rowed our way around lake Teedyuskung, drenched each other in the bumper boats, and spent the evenings watching jugglers, magicians, and Broadway style shows. By the time we left I had become a raving Woodloch fan.

As someone who studies successful companies and people, I couldn't help but think about what made Woodloch so different. For one, they are committed to helping their guests create amazing experiences and thus an emotional connection to their resort.

Second, guest satisfaction is their number one priority. One of their employees said to me, "You know that motto that the customer is always right... well we mean it." How refreshing.

And most of all they have decided to tell their own story in every aspect of their business. They don't try to be like Disney World. They don't try to be like Universal. In fact, they don't try to be like any one else.

Instead they have carved out their own niche based on interactive family fun. Instead of waiting in line for an hour to get on a roller coaster ride, I was having oatmeal poured on my head as part of the Double Dare Olympics. This is real fun folks!

And Woodloch doesn't just tell any kind of story. They certainly don't tell a sad drama. They tell a success story.
In every room is a book about the founders, Harry and Mary Kiesendahl and how they fell in love with Lake Teedyuskung and fell in love with each other.

They talk about how each generation of the Kiesendahl family is still involved in running the business. They tell the story of their employees who have been with them for 5, 10, even 20 years.

They tell one success story after another. In turn they keep on creating more success and more joy for their visitors.

As you think about your life and the success you wish to create, I encourage you to learn from Woodloch and tell YOUR story. If you have your own business or are in sales determine what makes you and your offering unique. Then tell that story.

Don't try to be like anyone else. Carve out your niche and tell your story in a way that no one else can. Instead of trying to win the race by following the leader and the rules, create a different race, create new rules and become the leader.

This is how Southwest Airlines, Dell and Woodloch have achieved success and this is how you can too.

And whatever story you decide to tell, make sure it's a success story. If you constantly talk about the drama in your life, you will live a drama. I know because I use to do this.

If you complain a lot you will have more to complain about. And if you focus on the negative you will experience more negativity. On the other hand if you talk about your successes in an appreciative way you will experience more success.

If you focus on gratitude you will have more to be grateful for. The story we tell others and ourselves each day becomes the life we create. So ask yourself right now what story are you telling, and if it needs changing know that you have the power to change it.

Sending Positive Energy Your Way,
- Jon
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Energy Tips by Jon Gordon, The Energy Addict. For additional tips, visit http://www.energyaddict.com -- Jon is also the author of "Becoming An Energy Addict".

Four Steps to Success!

2006-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Let me pass on to you these four simple steps to success:

Number one is good ideas. Be a collector of good ideas. My mentor taught me to keep a journal when I was twenty five years old. I've been doing it now all these years. They will be passed on to my children and my grandchildren.

If you hear a good health idea, capture it, write it down. Don't trust your memory. Then on a cold wintry evening, go back through your journal, the ideas that changed your life, the ideas that saved your marriage, the ideas that bailed you out of bankruptcy, the ideas that helped you become successful, the ideas that made you millions.

What a good review. Going back over the collection of ideas that you gathered over the years. So be a collector of good ideas for your business, for your relationships, for your future.

The next step to success is to have good plans. A good plan for the day, a good plan for the future, a good health plan, a good plan for your marriage. Building anything is like building a house, you need to have a plan.

Now here is a good time management question: When should you start the day? Answer: As soon as you have it finished. It is like building a house, building a life. What if you just started laying bricks and somebody asks, "What are you building?"

And you say, "I have no idea." See they would come and take you away to a safe place. So, don't start the house until you finish it. Now, is it possible to finish the house before you start it? Yes, but it would be foolish to start before you had it finished. Not a bad time management idea.

Don't start the day until it is pretty well finished -- at least the outline of the day. Leave some room to improvise. Leave some room for extra strategies, but finish it before you start it.

And here is the next piece that is a little more challenging: Do not start the week until you have it finished. Lay it out, structure it, then put it to work.
Then the next one is a little tougher yet; do not start the month until you have it finished.

And finally the big one, don't start the year until it is finished on paper. It's not a bad idea, toward the end of the year, to sit down with your family for the family structure plans, sit down in your business for the business plans, sit down with your financial advisor for your investments and map out the year... properties to buy, properties to sell, places to go with your family, lay out the year.

I finally learned to do that. It was also helpful for my family to show them where they appeared on my calendar. You know I used to have my business things on there and I used to have my lectures and my seminars all laid out on my calendar, and guess what the children said, "Where are we on the game plan, please show us our names on the game plan."

So you need to do it for your children, for your spouse, for your friends.

Now, here is the third step to success, and it can be really challenging. Learning to handle the passing of time. It takes time to build a career, it takes time to make changes, so give your project time, give your people time.

If you're working with people, give them time to learn, grow, change, develop, produce. And here is the big one, give yourself time. It takes time to master something new.
It takes time to make altered changes and refinement in philosophy as well as activity.

Give yourself time to learn, time to get it, time to start some momentum, time to finally achieve. It is easy to be impatient with yourself. I remember when I first tried to learn to tie my shoes. The shoe strings, it seemed like it would take me forever.

Finally I got it and it didn't take forever, but it seemed like for a while I'd never learn, I'd get it backwards; the bow goes up and down instead of across. How do I straighten that out? Finally I got it, it just took time.

Mama taught me a little bit about playing the piano. "Here is the left hand scale", she'd say. I got that, it was easy.
Then she said, "Here is the right hand scale." I got that, that was easy.

Now she said, "We are going to play both hands at the same time." I said, "Well, how can you do that?" Now one at a time was easy... but at the same time? Looking at this hand and looking at that hand, finally I got it. Finally I got where I could play the scales with both hands.

Then I remember the day she said, "Now we are going to read the music and play with both hands." I thought, "You can't do all that." But you know, sure enough I'm looking at the music, looking at each hand, a little confused at first, but finally I mastered it.

It took a little time to read the music and play with both hands. Then I remember the day she said, "Now we are going to watch the audience, read the music and play with both hands. I thought, "Now that is going too far!" How could you possibly do that?

But see adding them one at a time and giving myself time to master one before we went to the next one; sure enough I got to where I could watch the audience, read the music and play with both hands.

So the lesson here is: Give yourself time, you can become a better pro, you can better master the art of parenting, you can better master the art of managing time, conserving resources, working together as a partner. Give yourself time.

And here's the last one; learning to solve problems.
Business problems, family problems, financial problems, emotional problems, etc. -- challenges for us all. Here's the best way to treat a problem: As an opportunity to grow.
Change if you have to, modify if you must, discard an old philosophy that wasn't working well for a new one.

The best phrase my mentor ever gave me was when he said, "Mr. Rohn if you will change, everything will change for you." Wow, I took that to heart, and sure enough the more I changed the more everything changed for me.

So learn to master good ideas, have good plans, handle the passing of time and solve problems, and you will be on your way to more success than you could ever imagine!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the most comprehensive resource andsuccess plans ever created for you to reach all of your goals in the next 12 months! For details go to http://www.getmotivation.com/qk.cgi/jr-successplan

How Do You Manage to Manage Your Time?

2006-01-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

Which Rolling Stones song do YOU wake up singing every morning? "Time is on my side, yes it is!" OR "Time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me."

With apologies to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, your answer to this question reveals your mindset about time management. It's just like Henry Ford's famous quote - "If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right!"

Successful time management, like every other aspect of success, is first of all a mindset. Then there are some simple guidelines that, if followed consistently, will lead you to becoming a master of your time rather than a slave toit.

"I don't have time!" Let's take a look at how your mind is programmed about time. The majority of people are convinced they don't have enough time and walk around constantly saying, "I don't have time! I don't have time!" to themselves, almost as their mantra. And they also talk to others about how busy and stressed out they are, as if this were some badge of honor.

Yet if I were to stop and ask them, "Can you think of someone who's more successful than you?"

The response would be, "Of course!"

Then I'd ask if they had the same 24 hours in a day, to which I usually get a dumfounded look and, "Well, yeah, I guess so ..." So the real issue is not having enough time, it's how they are managing (or, in most cases, NOT managing) their time.

A simple time management formula. The truth is, most people don't manage their time at all ... they let other people and situations manage it - and that's called "normal."

These just happen to be the same people who don't have a mission statement and don't write down their goals. (Interesting coincidence, isn't it?) So here's a simple formula for you to begin to take control of your time:

1. Create a Mission Statement for your career. A Mission Statement is a paragraph that describes who you are and where you're going. In my definition, a Mission Statement also describes your major goals and a deadline, typically one year out. To easily create a Mission Statement, go to www.nightingale.com/mission.

2. Write down your yearly goals based upon your Mission Statement in all areas of your life: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Mental goals relate to your career and your financial well-being. Physical goals are for the shape of your body and what you put in it. Emotional goals are for your relationships in life, both personal and professional. And spiritual goals are for the things you do to get you more intouch with your spirit, whatever that means to you.

3. Divide out your goals in these four areas. First, divide by 4 to get your quarterly goals. Then divide by 3 to getyour monthly goals. Finally divide by 4 again to get your weekly goals.
For example, if your Mission Statement goal was to make $120,000 in commissions and bonus by December 31, 2004, you would know your quarterly goal is $30,000, your monthly goal is $10,000 and your weekly goal is $2,500.

As a producer, you may not be able to attain this weekly or even monthly amount. BUT - you may know that your average commission for one new client is $15,000. So you would need 8 new clients per year, 2 per quarter, one every 6 weeks.
Then you would calculate how many face-to-face sales meetings it takes for you to add a new client (let's say 12), and then you know you'd need to schedule 96 appointments per year, 32 per quarter, 8 per month, and 2 per week.

4. Get out your weekly planner and write in the exact time you will be engaging in these goals. From the example above,if you needed 2 face-to-face meetings, you'd schedule in time for prospecting calls to get these on the books.

You should view ALL the items you've written as APPOINTMENTS, so you don't get off track by the variousinconsequential interruptions that happen throughout the course of a day.

5. As a habit, review your goals and planner DAILY to ensureyou stay on track. I share with my clients a technique I call "The most important appointment of the week." It happens on the weekend, and it's with YOU. So you can pick a Saturday or Sunday morning right after coffee or a workout, or perhaps Sunday evening just before the coming work week.

After letting your spouse and kids know you need some "space," sit down and set up your weekly schedule just as described above.

I suggest you enter this weekend appointment in your planner initially to get the discipline of doing your scheduling. I guarantee you'll sleep better knowing your upcoming week is on track with your monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals.

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Jim Rohrbach, Success Skills Coach Phone: 1-800-572-2770, extension 1-2633
Email: coach@SuccessSkills.com
Web site: http://www.SuccessSkills.com

Discipline and Loyalty Are Tremendous

2006-01-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

We live in a world where these two great words -- discipline and loyalty are becoming meaningless. Does this mean thatthey are worthless?

On the contrary, they are becoming priceless qualitiesbecause they are so hard to develop in the first place. Andshould you be one of the fortunate few who by God's gracehas caught the vision. Your battle has just begun becausethe greatest battle is to keep what you've learned through these two priceless qualities.

Discipline is that great quality few people use that enables them to be constructively busy all the time. Even indiscouragement and defeat, discipline will rescue you andusher you to a new place to keep constructively busy while you forget about doubt, worry and self-pity.

Oh, that more in this day would realize the absolute necessity of discipline and the degree of growth and happiness to be attained from it.

Most people think that loyalty is to a thing or to a person when actually it is really to one's own self. Some think that it is to a goal or an objective, but again it is to one's own convictions.
If loyalty has to be earned then it is deserved and is hardy, more than devoted emotion based on a temporary feeling. No, loyalty is the character of a person who has given himself the task before him and he will always realize that out of a loyal heart will spring all the other virtues that make life one of depth and growth.

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Written by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones. In addition to breaking many sales records in the Insurance Industry throughout his career, Mr. Jones is the founder and CEO of Executive Books. For more information on Charlie "T" Jones and Executive books go to http://www.executivebooks.com

Mastering the Art of Getting Great Ideas

2006-01-18T06:13:00.000-08:00

Selling is a business that requires a great deal of creativity. As with any other area of expertise, it requiresattention and dedication in order to stay fresh.
How do you practice the art of getting great ideas? Some people do it naturally. They've made selling their hobby and are always on the look out for ideas they come across in lifein general that might apply to a selling situation.

If you haven't given much thought to keeping your creativity level high, here are a few ideas for getting those rusty gears in action.

There are six requirements for great ideas: want and need,exactness, preparation, belief, and execution.

Want And Need...

You won't get ideas unless you somehow tell your subconscious mind that you both need and really want ideas.The key word here is want. It's far more important to wantideas than to merely need them.

Understanding this distinction is crucial. All constant losers, compulsive gamblers, and confirmed alcoholicsdesperately need new ideas to change their direction beforeit's too late.
Since positive ideas are everywhere, why don't these people jump on some of them? Because they don't want to stop doing what's hurting them; they don't want to pay the price ofsuccess; they don't want to face realities of living; theydon't want to change.

Exactness...

You have to know the specific kind of solutions you want. Consistently successful writers, such as John Grisham think of exciting scenes when he needs them because he knows exactly what he wants - ideas for great suspense stories.

We all want ideas that will make us millions. Unfortunately,that's not specific enough to let the subconscious mind do its work. You can't pull important and specific ideas out of your subconscious mind until you've posed important andspecific challenges to it.

Preparation...

Nothing is free. Profitable innovation and effective imagination are no exception to this rule. Inventiveness and creativity aren't gifts that a lucky few use effortlessly -that notion is false.
After you've paid the price, your imagination will soar andinnovative ideas will flow from your brain. The price forthat result has to be paid with study, with experience-gaining work, and with alert thought.

You create ideas by becoming specific in your thinking and thorough with your study of a subject that excites you.Success-building ideas come only to those who look for them vigorously and intelligently.

Belief...

Your subconscious mind wants to be used; it wants to be controlled intelligently; it wants to help you grow and win and be happy. So it will go along with self-instructionsthat aren't true today in order to help you make them true tomorrow.

But it won't allow you to fool it forever. In the laborious process of creating ideas, your subconscious mind has toknow that some of them will be used. Not necessarily all of them - or even most of them. But a few of them must be used.

Otherwise the flow will eventually be choked off. The morei deas you use and benefit from, the more ideas you'll have and the better they'll be.

Execution...

The profit of great ideas comes when you turn them intoreality. Get rid of the delusion that you can have a great idea and then get someone else to work out the details.

The details are the invention. Unless you work out the details in a practical way, you can't control the profit that can be made from your great idea.

Pick a limited field to specialize in. Learn everything that's already known about that subject. Work in that field by taking the best job you can find in it rather than abetter one elsewhere. Then start thinking every hour ofevery day about what can be done to improve performance in your specialty.

When you've done all these things, valuable ideas will start flowing out of your mind. Success is doing, not wishing.

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Tom Hopkins International
7531 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 949-0786 or 800/528-0446
Fax: (480) 949-1590