I read. More than that, I devour words. I savor the meaning behind a well-turned phrase or brilliant strategy. No, we cannot live on bread alone. Our brains need to be fed with more than mindless drivel. Words can fuel the mind. Articles, books, blogs, seminars, webinars, white papers … they represent a feast of thought, perspective, innovation, and brainpower.

Consider a sermon. It’s a group of well-crafted words. A monologue can make us laugh with the imagery painted in mere words. A debate is a battle of phrased thoughts. A speech can move a crowd of strangers with the power of words that are masterfully blended. Millions were mesmerized by Barack Obama’s words during his acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention. It was just words—but beautifully chosen ones.

The actress Rosalind Russell once said, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death.”

Treat yourself to a feast of knowledge. Imbibe the pages of a book or inhale an audio version while traveling, walking, or just lounging in your back yard. Expand your knowledge horizon with a sumptuous buffet of learning. Explore new strategies that will broaden your perspective and your possibilities. Bon appetit!

“C” means average. Does a “C” average get you into a good college?

A 40-hour workweek is average, with a one-hour lunch. Will this time commitment give you an edge over your co-workers when it comes time for a raise and promotion?

Average, for me, is another way of quitting. Being average means you don’t reach for greater heights, achievements, and rewards. You’re satisfied with being satisfied, but not glorious.

You’re average if you’re not a standout. That also makes you replaceable. You’ve got to be willing to do more, to excel in whatever you do, in order to rise above the average. Place yourself among the best and recognize that “good enough” never is.

I find it fascinating that the only people who worry about mediocrity are the ones who rise far above that level. Maybe the view is just clearer from up here.

New Home Sales Managers must have new methods and visionary strategies to understand this new world and create sales teams that can truly be successful in it. Learn the strategies and techniques that lead teams from survival to Thrival at the 2010 Myers Barnes Sales Management Conference.

The best and brightest of the industry will gather in Dallas, Texas this summer to master new home sales in the 21st Century. I will be letting you know more about this critical event in the coming days, but mark your calendar now for June 7th & 8th, 2010.

Only the sales teams that have Thrival Instincts will know how to make it in this new environment, and you will only learn this information at the 2010 Myers Barnes Sales Management Conference.

Keep Selling,
Myers

That’s what “status quo” is all about. As long as your life is humming along, you don’t make changes. You maintain your own steady pace.

But what happens when those “outside forces” are applied? The stock market plummets. Gas prices soar. Interest rates jump around like fleas on a dog. Housing values hit record lows. Unemployment, foreclosures, and bankruptcies skyrocket. And shoppers stop shopping. How do you maintain the same even flow of motion when all hell is breaking loose around you? How can you stave off the negative motion and regain your positive momentum?

Don’t allow yourself to be embroiled in the negative flow. Change directions. Look at where you were and where you are. Make a plan. Don’t start flailing away with frantic energy, making cuts like a blind swordsman. I’ve seen business owners and CEOs slash their marketing budgets and sales training, which slices to the core of their businesses. If you are going to make cuts, be sure it’s part of a plan for growth. Otherwise, your motion will be a downward spiral.

Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, when difficulties strike, find the opposite reaction to steady yourself. Look for solutions in books, blogs, and articles; via seminars and webinars; and through your networks. Consult with positive movers and shakers. Be the force that moves you and your business in that forward motion!

My response is always the same: “No. You need a skill.”

As you can imagine, my answer is not the desired one.

The truth is, I am not brought into a situation to generate sales. My job is to empower salespeople with the skill they need to make the sales themselves. Remember the adage: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The lack of sales is not the problem here. This trouble is the direct result of a lack of sales skills. If someone hands you a sale, you’re in good shape…until the next day when you need to make another sale and there’s no one around to hand you a red-hot prospect with a checkbook in hand.

You need to develop the requisite skills in order to generate leads, present a strong presentation, and make the close. If you have fine-tuned these skills, the sales will follow.

You are not suffering from the down economy. This situation is a challenge for your selling ability. I assure you, people are buying new homes. They are buying them from the salespeople with the skill to find them, show them what they want, and give them a reason to buy right now.

Grab your fishing pole and spend some time learning how to cast the line that will reel in the big fish!

1. Inherit it. I find that there’s something disturbing about wasting time waiting for someone to die.
2. Marry it. Lots of people do this, but I’m sure they pay for this choice every day of their lives. And, of course, the pre-nup has made this option far less rewarding.
3. Work for it. You create a plan to do more than just go to a job. You craft a means for building a company and taking it to great heights.
4. Win it. When the lottery debuted in 1964, many Americans began to envision a new life filled with riches that came from buying a ticket. Chances are one in 10 million that it will happen to you, assuming you buy a ticket. Are those the kind of odds you want to bank on for your future?
5. Steal it or deal it. You can get money in any number of illicit ways. Bernie Madoff is the poster child for this choice.
6. Gamble for it. The lottery is a gamble, but usually the player is only risking a few dollars. The high rollers in the growing number of casinos and poker rooms are waging their skills will bring them wealth. Do you really want to quit your day job to hit the World Poker Tour?
7. Invest it. There are two markets where you can make riches by investing wisely: stocks and real estate. Granted, neither is delivering great dividends now, but when the market turns, those who invested during the down economy will see the greatest return.

When you look at the options on Korber’s list, you realize that very few of them give you real control over your future. You can pin your hopes on the luck of the draw or being lucky in love, but that sounds more like a wish than a plan. Use your smarts and get to work.

But, as a sales manager, developer, or builder in need of a steady flow of sales, is this ease of telecommunication always a benefit? With the simplicity of Skype and other videoconferencing tools, getting face to face with another person — even in the one-dimensional world of your computer screen — has distinct advantages.

1. See what’s really going on.

Do you have salespeople who may not be where they’re supposed to be all the time? Maybe your sales model is opening late and closing early. Since this is a retail center, you can’t afford to compromise even a minute of this precious time. With the video feature, you can call your sales people daily, when they should be at the model. In this way, you coach those who are tempted to be late to be more conscious of their time.

2. Save travel time.

I have some regional managers and developers with multiple projects complain that they can’t possibly visit all their sites in person. With Skype or videoconferencing, you don’t have to put the excess miles on a plane or in your automobile. Schedule these “personal” meetings at your convenience. Just remember that the goal with the videoconference is not to supplant the on-site visit but to supplement it. You can’t ignore the power of personal contact but you can use this vital communication tool to fill in the gaps when you can’t be there in person.

3. It’s cost effective.

For just a few dollars a month, you can use Skype. Or, if you prefer to upgrade to real time with videoconferencing, the money you save on two to three airplane trips to visit key clients or prospects will pay for the cost of the equipment to go first-class. I’ve purchased the Logitech® Webcam Pro 9000 for several clients in order to improve our communication. If you’re focused on selling resort property to million-dollar client, imagine the impact of sending a webcam to your prospect? For less than $100, you make a small investment in a key relationship!

4. Eliminate multi-tasking and increase focus.

Do you ever wonder what someone is doing on the other end of your phone call? Do you hear the keys tapping while they answer emails? Is the “bing” of texting audible in the background? It’s easy to multi-task on a phone call, but, in truth, when you are doing something other than listening to the person on the line, you’re not paying attention. With video, you eliminate all the distractions and can ensure that the other person is having a one-on-one conversation with you.

5. Enhance your coaching experience.

As a leader and mentor, you play a key role in developing the skills of your team. Coaching is an integral part of guiding your sales squad to the next level. Use the video tool to strengthen your conversations, utilizing eye contact and body language—in addition to your verbal skills—to motivate your team members. When they can see your focus, commitment, energy, and drive, they absorb more from the time you invest in them.

6. Convey expediency.

It’s easy to make a call on your cell phone to connect a buyer with a lender, but when you add the visual component, you turn a call into a meeting. The productivity of the time and connection soars. You get an undistracted lender face-to-face with the buyer and communicate the importance of expediency in sealing the transaction.

I’m the first to admit that sitting behind a desk is not the best place to be. You don’t solve problems from this vantage point. However, with the advances of Skype and videoconferencing, you can do more than paperwork here. Use the camera as a closing tool as well as a communications advantage. I use it frequently with my clients and am experiencing a powerful ROI.

I’d like to share with you his take on the Five Stages of Life:

Stage 1: Survival. We’ve all been here, and with today’s economy, many have returned. Survival is the phase of just getting by, living paycheck to paycheck.

Stage 2: Stability. You’ve got enough money to have some savings tucked away. I remember when I was able to make two mortgage payments in one month, and it felt great!

Stage 3: Success. You’re making good money. You’re investing in your future. Rather than worrying about money, you’re thinking about how to use it to plan ahead.

Stage 4: Significance. Your life is no longer about earning, but about using what you have to help others. You’ve covered all of your expenses and can now look at philanthropic endeavors.

Steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, for example, spent the first half of his life earning a fortune, and the latter half giving it away. Carnegie donated more than $350 million before his death in 1919—an enormous gesture when you look at the average income nearly a century ago. Carnegie’s enduring legacy is not his shrewd dealings as a successful businessman, but his contribution to education, having started more than 2,800 libraries.

When you think about your life goals, don’t stop with financial security. Look beyond the earning and discover the giving.

Keep checking back each week to get more FREE New Home Sales Training with my new video training series.

And keep selling, super achievers!

Myers

He’s right. In my early years, I relentlessly chased my vision of success. I aspired to the achievements that would deliver me wealth, and all the comforts associated with it. But Nido helped me redefine my vision of success, which had been a purely monetary perspective. He taught me about achieving the real wealth that comes from being significant.

I discovered that you cannot pursue a goal without clearly understanding why you want it and what you hope to do when you reach that pinnacle.

If you raised a child to be happy and healthy, is that success? Certainly.

If you climbed a mountain that others had failed to ascend, is that success? Absolutely.

Do strong friendships and family relationships define success? Yes.

I believe that the pursuit of wealth is an endless one. You will never have enough money and there will always be more possessions you deem valuable. Instead of counting the dollars, consider what you do with them. How does your hard work benefit others? Do you share your time and your money? Do you use your financial success to make yourself significant in the eyes of others?

Look at the positive deeds of people like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They have given billions of dollars to education, health care, and medical research. Media mogul Ted Turner has contributed more than a billion dollars to help the environment. Actor Brad Pitt gave $5 million to help rebuild homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.

Ultimately, your life will not be measured in the dollars that you amass, but those that you invest in helping others.