Be A Doctor of Selling By Brian Tracy

Three Keys To Building Relationships
Top sales professionals see themselves as "Doctors of Selling." They see themselves as professionals, well educated, acting in their "patient's" best interest, and bound by a high code of ethics.

The medical process is the same everywhere. Whenever you go to any doctor, of any kind, for any condition, he will follow the three part sequence of examination, diagnosis and prescription.

Begin With A Thorough Examination
Just as a medical professional would never think of treating you without following these three steps in order, you as a doctor of selling, would never allow a customer to force you to sell without your going through your three stages as well. This is as applicable to selling magazines door-to-door as it is to selling oil tankers to Exxon.

In the examination phase, you ask excellent questions, carefully prepared, in sequence, which are geared to give you a thorough knowledge of the patient's condition, or the customer's situation.

Diagnose the Customer's Need Accurately
The second phase is that of diagnosis. In the diagnosis phase with a customer, you would repeat back the results of your examination and double check to be sure that the symptoms that you had detected were the real symptoms being experienced by the patient. You would ask additional questions to confirm and corroborate. You and the patient would mutually agree that this diagnosis seems to be an accurate description of the condition or problem.

Make the Right Prescription
Once this mutual agreement has been reached, that a treatable condition exists and that you have identified it accurately, you can move on to phase three. This is the prescription phase, where you show the patient (customer) that your product or service is the best available treatment, taking all the factors of the patient's situation into consideration for the ailment that you have diagnosed. You show that, on balance, what you are suggesting is the best of all possible solutions.

Professionals who sell in the way that doctors treat patients find that their sales activities proceed far more smoothly and result in better sales in less time.

Action Exercises:

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take the time to do a thorough examination by asking excellent questions and by listening carefully to the answers.

Second, repeat back and check your diagnosis with the customer so that you both agree on the need or problem - before you recommend a solution.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit the Brian Tracy web site.

Turning Samples Into Sales By C.J. Hayden

Offering free samples increases the Know-Like-and-Trust Factor that makes people buy. When you are selling a service, or a product with a high service component, potential customers have no way to see, feel, or taste what you will actually deliver. Providing a sample makes your service offering tangible, and builds your customer's trust.

But if you're not careful, you can give away too much. Why should customers pay for what they can get for free? And if you give those freebies to unqualified buyers, you may find yourself spending too much time and money on prospects who will never become paying customers.

The answer lies in crafting a get-acquainted offer that gives customers a taste without giving away the store. Here are some guidelines for maintaining that balance:

1. Pre-qualify your prospects. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, it's not a good idea to make a standing offer of a free consultation or sample session to all comers. You may attract far too many 'looky-loos.' That's what realtors call people who attend open houses every weekend with no intent to buy.

Until you know more about who you are talking to, phrase your offer as, 'Find out if you qualify for a free consultation' or 'Take this quiz -- you may win a sample session.' Once you are in contact with a prospective client, ask two or three questions about the client's situation before making your free offer.

Queries like, 'How soon are you planning to make this change?' or 'Do you have a budget in mind?' will let you know how much of your time this prospect is worth.

2. Make an offer that leverages your time. One reason that realtors offer open houses is because it doesn't take that much longer to show the house to 30 buyers than it does to show it to one. As a consultant or professional, you can maximize a free offer by making it available to as many prospects as possible at the same time.

An excellent example of this model is a free newsletter or ezine that showcases your expertise. You write it once, send it to hundreds or thousands of potential buyers, then reprint the articles on your web site and in other publications. Another way to give a sample to many people at once is offering a free workshop. You can keep your costs down by finding a co-sponsor to provide space, or by giving your workshop as a teleclass (phone conference) or webinar (live presentation on the web).

3. Give away a sample, not the real thing. Follow the example of workshop leaders who use what's called two-step promotion. Invite people to a free teaser program, then enroll them in the full workshop. In the teaser, you give prospects a taste of what they will get when they buy. The taste itself is valuable -- it's not just a sales presentation -- but you hold back the best part for the paid program.

Any consultant or professional can craft an offer like this. Instead of providing consultation or your regular service for free, offer a free initial assessment, evaluation, or diagnosis. A coach or healer who offers sample sessions can position them as assessments, or call them 'strategy' or 'balancing' sessions. This way you draw a clear boundary between what is free and what costs money.

4. Place limits on your offer. No free offer should be open-ended. If you are clear at the outset about the limitations on your free sample, you will find it much easier to ask for the sale when the offer expires. Providing a 'one-hour consultation,' '30-day trial,' or '10-page assessment' will establish a boundary between free and paid service.

5. Be helpful, but remember to ask for the business. One of the dangers of being in a helpful profession like consulting, training, coaching, etc., is that your natural tendency to offer advice and support can sometimes interfere with closing the sale. Try using phrases like, 'Now that you know what I can do for you, let's talk about how we can keep working together,' 'I have an excellent solution for that; let's discuss what it would cost,' or even 'I think it's time to turn on the meter, don't you?'

Here's to not giving away the store,
C.J. Hayden, MCC
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C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.GetClientsNow.com.

More On Sales Goals By Jim Meisenheimer

The Perennial Secret To Sales Success

The absolute single most important determinant to selling success is your ability to establish written goals for your life and your business. Before you shrug this off too easily, consider this.

During the last 17 years I have worked with 62,835 salespeople. Whenever I'm talking about the importance of goals, which is almost always, I ask two questions. The first one is - how many of you have goals? The second is, if you have goals, are they in writing?

The response to the first question is a universal all hands up. Everyone has goals or so they imagine. When asked the second question, only about three percent raise their hands. Isn't that amazing?

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop thinking that you can have goals, be goal oriented, and be very focused, without having very, very, very, very, specific goals - committing those specific goals to writing and putting time frames to them. I believe if it's not in writing, it's not goal. A well-written goal must satisfy a minimum of three criteria:

1. It must be in writing. That means on paper.
2. It must be very specific and measurable. It must include numbers.
3. It must have a completion date. A day, a month, and a year.

To help anchor the importance of goal setting keep this an acronym (GOALS) in mind.

G - get going. It's very simple; goals get you going in the right direction. The first two letters in the word goals (GO) say it all. If you're alive and breathing oxygen, you're going somewhere. A well-written goal will be your personal compass, always keeping you going in the right direction.

O - objectives. Clearly defined goals provide the objectives and targets that you're seeking to achieve. In today's busy environment, people with focus get more done. One of the benefits of goal setting is that it clears you mind while it clears the way. Salespeople who are focused make more MONEY.

A - action steps. When you set a goal you have literally defined "The what" you want to achieve. Once you know "The what," you automatically and instinctively begin to focus on "The how." People who have goals don't procrastinate. They know exactly what they want and determine what steps they must take to achieve them. When they get up on Monday morning, they know what to do.

L - liberate. Clearly defined goals and action steps will liberate and set you free from daily distractions and interruptions. Nothing is more empowering than a clearly defined goal. Goals also have a unique way of opening closed doors.

S - shine. The setting and achieving of goals make you shine. They provide a twinkle, glimmer, and sparkle to everything you do. In the business arena, what makes you feel better than setting a goal and ultimately achieving it? People with goals don't have time to feel sorry for them-selves, they're much too busy raising the bar and achieving their goals.

There are so many opportunities and so little time. If you want to be an achiever, be a goal setter and a goal achiever. In life there are two kinds of people thinkers and doers. Goals help the doer's get things done, while the thinkers are still thinking about it.

This is so disgustingly easy it boggles my mind when I think about the reasons why so few people are committed to establishing and achieving personal and professional goals.

Let's go sell something . . .

Jim Meisenheimer
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Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get imediate results. You can discover all his secrets by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com.

Leveraging a Sales Person's Motivation By Ron Foss

Sales people who have clear objectives, the required competencies, and a supportive working environment still require a level of desire, willingness and positive thinking to complete tasks or sales activities in order to optimize performance. This state of willingness could be restated as motivation, the mental game or the internal forces that affect the outcomes, intensity and perseverance of a sales person’s voluntary behavior.

Sales Managers need to evaluate each sales person’s motivation, skills and the thinking supporting them due to shifting corporate goals and competitive threats. Given that there is a broad range of individualistic practices within the sales population, it is likely that each sales person is motivated in different ways and a good sales manager or sales leader, according to my experience, has the responsibility to identify those differences and leverage the individual potential from each and every sales person.

In David C. McCelland’s theory of learned needs he suggests that achievement, affiliation and power are the important sources of motivation. As he suggests, however, high achievers are self-motivated to high levels of achievement while low achievers require direction and reinforcement from others. He goes on to say that employees can learn to become more achievement oriented but recognizes that there are different types of employees bringing a balance to our social framework.

This is why it is so key that sales managers understand sales people for the individuals that they really are. Daniel Goleman, who has done extensive work in the area of Emotional Intelligence, suggests that those employees with potential are motivated by a desire to achieve for the sake of achievement and states further that managers with strong emotional intelligence are themselves self-motivated individuals – These principles should then apply to sales people and sales managers.

If motivated sales people are more willing to exert certain effort over a period of time in order to achieve a goal, then what role does the sales manager have in his or her interaction with that sales person?

It is important for sales managers to have a grasp of each sales person level of ability and motivation according to Dr. Paul Hersey. He suggests that the ownership of the task between the sales manager and the sales person be shared in accordance to the various possible levels of both ability and readiness. A training company named Gilmore and Associates devised a model that incorporates these notions and I have worked with them to further its usefulness.

It is important that a sales manager determines what the over all ability of a sales person is prior to attempting to teach, share or transfer the key aspects of the tasks to that employee.

The same holds true for motivation but I would suggest that the aspects of motivation are often overlooked by sales manages as it is the more difficult of the two to identify and manage. Just as with ability an evaluation of motivation should be considered and then skillfully engage, encourage and recognize the mental game and thinking of each individual sales person.

I believe that ability is mind to hand while motivation is mind to heart. Think of it this way – Sales Performance equals Ability (Mind to Hand) times Motivation (Mind to Heart) or SP=A(MH)XM(MH)

Sales managers often remedy performance issues with more skills training when from my experience more often than not the underlying performance issue is the thinking and motivation of the sales person. This generally means the wrong solution for the wrong problem incurring more overhead cost, lost opportunity cost and often a further slippage in the motivation of the sale person.

Different levels of the sales person’s ability will mean a different coaching style on behalf of the sales manager in order for the task to be completed at the required level of performance. Lower ability will mean more sales manager involvement and a specific teaching style will be necessary. As ability increases so too does the ownership of the task by the sales person increase, as he or she will begin to determine what is required in order to complete it. A sharing style becomes the most commonly used style by sales managers during this next phase. As the sales person’s ability level optimizes the role of the sales manager shifts more to a transferring style. Involvement of the sales manager is far less and ownership for the task is now primarily that of the sales person.

Typically the same holds true for levels of motivation (M) with respect to the same task although the characteristics and processes for engaging it are more emotional than behavioral. It is here that the passion for sales managing sales people comes to the forefront.

Sales managing a sales person with low motivation will require a nurturing sales manager, one that will engage in the values and principles of the sales person more so than technical abilities for that task. I believe that emotional factors have to engage the sales person’s values in order to stimulate the whole sales person. As the sales person’s motivation improves you follow through with encouragement reinforcing the positive and helping them see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. At the highest level of motivation you simply recognize their capability supporting them to the highest possible level of success.

A sales person with high ability and motivation with respect to a specific task is more apt to have higher levels of success with the role of the sales manager being that of a provider of information or in a position to just delegate and reward with little need for intense interaction.

As a sales manager’s proficiency increases with the use of this model, his or her competency at identifying the issues of ability and motivation will also increase. This will provide the sales manager with an advantage as he or she mentors and coaches his or her sales people for greater results. For the longest time I have used this model intuitively but from time to time I have been known to reference a wallet size cheat sheet that I have carried with me for at least twenty years. A real testimonial to the Gilmore model!
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Ron Foss is the Director of Operations of SalesDialogue Systems Inc. a company committed to assisting sales professionals better understand how their thinking and internal conversations impact sales success. Learn more at SalesDialogue.com He is also the Senior Partner of EQ Management Group committed to improving management capability and more information can be discovered at www.eqmg.com.

Sales Success or Failure -- Whose Fault Is It? By Bill Brooks

I was recently consulting with a very large, multinational firm. In their own heart of hearts - and, in their boardroom - they believed that they had a sales problem. And they do. However, the sales problem is merely symptomatic of a number of deeper issues that need to be addressed before any serious improvement can be made in their sales results.

This scenario, however, is not rare. And it makes no difference whether the organization is large (this client sells $2.6 billion in the U.S. alone) or small, a "ma-pop," small business or entrepreneurial environment. These situations exist in all organizations. No matter the size. What is believed to be the problem is merely a symptom of a series of deeper, more endemic challenges.

In this case there were a whole series of problems. Fortunately, the leaders of this organization have now seen them, accepted their existence and now, together, we are addressing them. In this particular case here they are:

# Lack of consistent, on-time product delivery

# Incomplete order fulfillment

# Shortage of qualified applicants for support positions

# Improperly designed pay plan for salespeople

# Lack of sales management personnel and a system to train them

# No performance appraisal system or performance management system

Poorly designed structure for field offices in terms of reporting functions and responsibilities.

You see, the problems weren't whether salespeople knew how to ask for the order, sell value or organize accounts. Those areas, of course, can always be improved. The real issues were deeper, more organizational issues related directly to fundamental circumstances like structure, delivery, customer service, personnel and accountability.

Here is the real point. Quite often there are simple, fundamental reasons behind the most obvious things you see. Things like disappearing customers, cancelled orders, customer complaints, a lack of increased sales volume and stagnant salespeople are not always the fault of a salesperson or even an entire sales organization.

Whenever I encounter this type of situation I am often reminded of the human body. It is not unusual for an ache or pain somewhere to be caused by a problem that is far removed from the actual location of the pain. A headache can be caused by a bad back…a problem in your leg can be traced to your shoulder - you get the picture.

So, what would I urge you to do? Take a look at a few areas where you have difficulties and then try to determine what is really causing them. My suggestion is to look in the following categories of business first:

# Structure and Organization

# Compensation Design

# Performance Appraisal and Performance Management Systems

# Facilities, Equipment and Supplies

# Operations and Quality

# Customer Service

# Delivery

# Credit Issues

# Product Support and Training

# Reporting Function

# Recruitment and Retention Policy

# Product Management

Then - and only then - should you start to take steps to work a direct sales challenge. If any of these 12 areas are incompatible with your overall business strategy, any or all of them can be the real culprit behind poor sales. It doesn't have to be the sales team that is faltering.

Interestingly, I have encountered a great deal of this where salespeople are physically or geographically removed from a central location. Often they (and their customers) are directly affected by the actions of other departments, philosophies and decisions within the organization. The problem? Salespeople are, far too often, the ones who hear the brunt of the direct customer aggression because they see customers daily. They hear about poor delivery, inferior quality or a lack of customer support. They then have to deal with it directly in spite of their distraction from the seat of the problem.

No one operates in a void within any organization. An organization is just that - a group of people aligned for a specific set of purposes. How well that organization functions is not one person's or even the organization's responsibility. Instead, it is the collective responsibility of all people, all departments, all functions and facilities. They all come together to define success or failure. It never is one department's responsibility for success or failure. It is a collective effort. That includes sales.
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Bill Brooks is the founder and CEO of The Brooks Group. The Brooks Group specializes in building custom training programs for organizations that want a more profitable sales force. We show sales managers how to manage more effectively and we show salespeople how to sell more volume, at higher margins on a consistent basis.

The Power of Pausing By Brian Tracy

All the top salespeople ask good questions and listen carefully to the answers. One of the most important skills of listening is simply to pause before replying. When the prospect finishes talking, rather than jumping in with the first thing that you can think of, take three to five seconds to pause quietly and wait.

Becoming a Master of The Pause
All excellent listeners are masters of the pause. They are comfortable with silences. When the other person finishes speaking, they take a breath, relax and smile before saying anything. They know that the pause is a key part of good communications.

Three Benefits of Pausing
Pausing before you speak has three specific benefits. The first is that you avoid the risk of interrupting the prospect if he or she has just stopped to gather his or her thoughts. Remember, your primary job in the sales conversation is to build and maintain a high level of trust, and listening builds trust.

When you pause for a few seconds, you often find the prospect will continue speaking. He will give you more information and further opportunity to listen, enabling you to gather more of the information you need to make the sale.

Carefully Consider What You Just Heard
The second benefit of pausing is that your silence tells the prospect that you are giving careful consideration to what he or she has just said. By carefully considering the other person's words, you are paying him or her a compliment.

You are implicitly saying that you consider what he or she has said to be important and worthy of quiet reflection. You make the prospect feel more valuable with your silence. You raise his self-esteem and make him feel better about himself.

Understanding With Greater Efficiency
The third benefit of pausing before replying is that you will actually hear and understand the prospect better if you give his or her words a few seconds to soak into your mind.

The more time you take to reflect upon what has just been said, the more conscious you will be of the their real meaning. You will be more alert to how his words can connect with other things you know about the prospect in relation to your product or service.

The Message You Send
When you pause, not only do you become a more thoughtful person, but you convey this to the customer. By extension, you become a more valuable person to do business with. And you achieve this by simply pausing for a few seconds before you reply after your prospect or customer has spoken.

Action Exercises:
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take time to carefully consider what the customer just said and what he might mean by it. Pausing allows you to read between the lines.

Second, show the customer that you really value what he has said by reflecting for a few moments before you reply.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit the Brian Tracy web site.

The Power of a Name By Kelley Robertson

Remembering a customer’s name can improve your sales. However, people in my workshops often tell me that they have a difficult time remembering names. I sometimes think we tend to get too hung up on trying to recall a person’s name, especially if we have only met them once.

Like anything else mental, the harder you try to remember someone’s name, the more it will elude you. However, there are a few things you can do that will help...

1. One of the most common tips is to repeat their name as they introduce themselves. “Hi Chris, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” As you introduce yourself think of a mental or visual image that can help you recall their face. For example, if your customer appears somewhat gruff you could say to yourself, “Chris is cross.” This process helps you connect their name and physical appearance and can make it easier to recall their name at a later date.

An interesting challenge occurs when we meet someone for the first time. Many people forget the other person’s name immediately after meeting them – I know this has happened to me at conferences and networking meetings. The reason is simple; as the other person is introducing themselves, we are usually thinking about our introduction and what we’ll say to make a good first impression. We think about the handshake and hope we connect properly. And in some situations our attention is focused elsewhere.

2. The next step is to use their name a few times during your conversation. This will help you remember that person’s name during your meeting and for a short period of time afterwards. An easy way to do this is to ask them a question and include their name.

Here’s an example, “So, what type of business of you in Jim?” or “Jim, what is the biggest business challenge you’re currently facing?” This approach appears relaxed and comfortable and is a natural way for you to use the other person’s name. One important note – do not overuse their name or you will come across as insincere and phony.

3. When you return to work record that person’s information in your organizer along with any personal or business information you learned during your conversation. If the person said or did something that stood out, record this information as well. As you do this, visualize that person and repeat their name aloud a few times. This will help drive their name further into your memory and make it easier to recall at a later date.

4. To recall that person’s name at anytime in the future requires some additional work. You need to picture their face as you state their name aloud several times. This should be done several times a week for the first month and then on a weekly basis for several months afterwards. While it seems like a lot of work, it is an extremely effective approach and is virtually guaranteed to help you remember someone’s name.

5. It’s also important to understand that the setting will help you recall names. For example, I can quickly remember the names of people who attend my workshops but if I bump into them in a shopping centre, it is highly unlikely I will recall their name. That’s because we run through our mental Rolodex trying to figure out where we met that individual.

I remember That means you should take the time to picture them in different settings – imagine where you could run into them and visualize what they would look like in that environment.

6. The last suggestion is to focus on remembering the person rather than their name. People are very forgiving about name if you are able to recall their face. I have had people attend a workshop and even though they participated in a previous program, I can’t remember their name. I admit that by saying, “I recognize the face but I can’t recall your name.” I have never had anyone express disappointment that I didn’t remember their name.

There is no question that it is more difficult to remember names if you meet dozens of people everyday. However, people in these situations seldom expect you to remember their name after just one meeting. Also, remember that most people have a difficult time recalling names.

I remember delivering a full-day workshop for a company and a year later conducting another program at their annual conference. When I arrived at the second conference, I instantly recognized one of my contacts but I did not remember the other person even though we had met and spoken at the previous conference.

Like anything else, we can improve our ability to remember the names of our customers and people we meet. It takes some effort and practice but the result is worth it.

© 2006 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
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Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. For information on his programs, contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

The Endgame to Selling By Brian Tracy

In golf, there is a saying that, "You drive for show, but you putt for dough." In selling, you prospect and present for show, but you overcome customer skepticism and gain commitment for dough. Your ability to answer objections and get the sale is the true test of how good you really are as a salesperson.

The True Test of Selling
This is perhaps the most stressful and challenging part of the sales process. It's where the rubber meets the road. It is your ability to answer the questions that the prospect puts to you and overcome his natural reluctance to make a commitment that wraps up the sales process. It is also the part of the sales process that salespeople dislike the most and which customers find the most stressful.

Plan It In Advance
The end game of selling must be carefully thought through and planned in advance so that you are thoroughly prepared to bring the sales conversation to its natural conclusion at the earliest and most appropriate moment. Fortunately, this is a skill, like riding a bicycle or typing with a typewriter, and you can learn it through study and practice.

Handling Objections Comes First
Handling objections and closing the sale are two different parts of the sales process but they are so close together that this chapter will discuss them as a single function. Just as there are reasons why people buy a product, there are reasons why they don't. Often answering an objection or removing an obstacle is the critical element in making the sale. You can answer the objection and close the sale simultaneously.

Make It A Reason To Buy
Objections can be turned into reasons for buying. Just as there is a primary reason for buying a product, a hot button, there is a primary objection that stops the person from buying it. If you can emphasis the one and remove the other, the sale falls together naturally.

Smaller Products Versus Larger Products
In selling smaller products or services, where you can prospect and make a complete presentation in the first meeting, your approach to closing will be different from that required if you are selling a larger product in a multi-call sale that stretches over several weeks or months.

Ask For The Order
In the shorter, smaller sale, the prospect knows everything necessary to make a buying decision at the end of your presentation. Your aim should be to answer any lingering questions and then ask for the order. In the larger sale, you may have to meet with the prospect several times before the prospect is in a position to make a buying decision. You will have to be more patient and persistent.

Action Exercises:
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, prepare yourself in advance for the endgame of selling by anticipating anything the customer might offer as a reason for not buying. Be ready.

Second, look for the hot button, the reason the customer will buy, and press it. Meanwhile, find out his major reason for not buying and remove it.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit the Brian Tracy web site.

You Have All The Tools You Need To Succeed By David Breslow

Salespeople are always on the lookout for tips that can help them be more successful. There is certainly no shortage of information in the form of articles, books, tapes and classes designed to help you succeed. Over 20 years working with professionals in sports/business/sales I’ve learned that all performance can be broken into 3 distinct and simple components. I call this the “A.S.K.” model and it consists of:

1. A-ttitude
2. S-kill
3. K-nowledge

Success or lack of it can be linked to one or more of these categories. Knowledge can easily be increased if this is what you need. Skill can be developed with time and repetition. Attitude however, covers a more broad performance aspect. I’m talking about your entire “inner game” and that it is the most important tool you have and the one most often underdeveloped. It has more direct influence on your actions and outcomes than anything else and is the power behind success or mediocrity.

The truth is; you already have the tools you need to excel and they go far beyond skill or knowledge. Believe it or not, no matter what your skill or knowledge level the achievement of your dreams will result from how you use these inner tools because they function via a set of very precise and predictable laws and principles that are already influencing you! Your success begins by looking within!

It All Begins From Within

Even with the tremendous amount of information available on success many clients I work with feel they need something “more” to get to the next level. Some feel they need more information, more techniques or more new tips and strategies before they can attain the success they dream of. I’ve discovered that the way to reach your potential more quickly begins with a shift in perspective.

Why do I say this? Because success or achievement in any field occurs when people shift what they think, feel and do. If knowledge and skill were the only tools more people would get what they say they want.

The achievement of your dreams comes from understanding how to use these “inner laws” to get what you want instead of what you don’t want. How many people do you know who have great talent and plenty of knowledge and still under perform? Let’s take a look at the first 2 laws/principles my clients learn:

Performance Law # 1
“The more honest you are; the quicker you get what you want”.

This is a powerful truth because when you acknowledge something is not working it can be improved; if not there is little chance of change. It’s just that simple.

Is what you’re doing getting you what you want?

People get caught up doing variations of things that aren’t really getting them what they want. Einstein said, “You can’t solve a problem using the same mind that created the problem in the first place.” Yet, this is what so many of us try to do. We use our “same mind” (our old habits, beliefs, perceptions, etc.) hoping for new outcomes and wonder why we experience the same results.

One of the questions I ask on my performance assessment is, “does your performance match the time, effort or money you put into it?” The answer most commonly given is a resounding “NO”. Many people work hard and don’t feel their results match their efforts. Be truthful with yourself. Many people believe they can “do better”.

Reflect on the following:

How would your performance be affected if you developed your “inner game”?
What are the reasons you tell yourself for not achieving your dreams?
Do the actions you take each day support your vision/dream?
Are you aware there are actual laws and principles that influence your success both positively and negatively…and they influence everyone at all times?

Performance Law # 2
Clarity Creates Consistency

Think about it. When you are very clear what happens? When you are clear your “inner tools” function at a higher level and you perform at the top of your game. Most people don’t think of it this way but clarity causes the mind, body and emotions to operate at peak level because they are “in-synch”.

Reflect on the following:

Do you have a crystal clear vision for yourself?
Are you clear on why you are doing what you’re doing?
Do you have clear daily rituals and routines that create alignment of mind, body and emotion?

You Have The Same Mind As Anyone Else!

What’s the real difference between you and the top people in your profession? I often hear things like, “I’d like to know what he or she did to get where they are!” as if there is some real secret to their success. When you talk to the top people they are the first to say “It’s no secret. I had a vision and I followed it!” They see themselves at the top of their game and believe they belong there.

Everything they do is in line with that. I don’t believe their success is a result of any magical way of doing things. Their success is driven from the inside because everyone has the same ability to use their minds to attract success or mediocrity. Your mind has all the power that anyone else’s mind does. The mind is a “neutral tool” and is ready to be used any way you decide. It all begins within.

Reflect honestly on the following:

Do you truly envision yourself being totally successful? (as you define “success”)
Do you delay your success because you think you need more “information”?
When you think of a great vision, do you notice any resistance? (thought or feeling)?
Are you using your inner tools (your mind, emotions, body and spirit) to get what you want?

© 2005 All rights reserved.
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David is a Speaker/Facilitator/Performance Coach and Author of “Wired to Win”. He works with Athletes (PGA/LPGA) and Business (Ameritech, Motorola, etc.) to help people perform at the ‘top of their game” His approach is not “business as usual”. He focuses on “Human Performance Competencies” to create faster shifts in how people think, feel and perform every day. David has appeared on The Golf Channel, ESPN radio and has spoken to all size businesses across the country. Book orders: 888.280.7715. To learn more about presentations or workshops, call: 847.681.1698 or email: david@theflowzone.net or visit the web: www.theflowzone.net