Tag: Goal Setting

Avoid this “Ghost” of Christmas Future

by mike

For December, I’m reading the classic tale: “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens. Oddly, I can’t remember ever reading it, though I’ve seen countless versions made for TV and movies. It’s fantastic, just like most books are that have been made into movies. Dickens is a superb writer, and there is a reason this is a “classic.”

While reading this, it reminded me of an encounter I had that was a chilling reminder of the bad “Ghost of Christmas Future” I narrowly avoided all those years ago. Here’s what happened:

I was on my way to work with a new client one day when I stopped at Starbucks for a cup of coffee. As I stood in line, I glanced out the window and saw a city bus stop and a bunch of people got off. One guy – mid 40’s, tall and lanky – started walking towards the Starbucks, and there was something about the way he was walking that was familiar to me.

When he entered the store, I recognized him from many years before when we were both struggling inside sales reps trying to sell investments over the phone. His name was Brad. After I got my coffee, and he got his, he came up to me and said, “You’re Mike Brooks, right?” “Yes” I said. “Hey, we used to work together!” he said. “I remember,” I said.

He asked me what I was up to these days, and I told him I had become a consultant in inside sales, and that I was off to work with a new client. I asked him what he was up to and this is when the chill hit me. He said he was starting a new sales job today, and then he rolled his eyes as if to say, “And this one will suck, too.”

We walked out of the store together, and said goodbye and went our separate ways. He went to wait at the next bus bench, and I got into my Mercedes and drove away.

As I sipped my coffee and listened to the tunes in my plush car, I thought about how different our lives had turned out and wondered what happened to make them so different. As I did, I knew exactly what it was.

During our time together, the owners of the company brought in a sales trainer, a guy named Stan Billue, to motivate us. Stan spoke to us for an hour about what makes the difference between the top money earners in sales versus all the other sales reps.

He said that you have a choice to either commit to learning and using proven scripts and sales techniques that would double or triple your income, or you would just keep doing what you were doing (ad-libbing), and then you’d just keep getting what you had been getting.

Stan said: “If you are willing to do what most sales reps aren’t willing to do, then soon you’ll be able to enjoy the things, the lifestyle, and the future that most sales reps will never be able to enjoy.”

I was sold. Brad wasn’t.

I invested in Stan’s cassette series, “Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.” I committed to learning, practicing, and doing what he suggested. My sales and income soared.

Brad thought what Stan taught was just a bunch of old sales techniques that wouldn’t work for him.

Brad thought he knew better.

Brad didn’t believe in using scripts.

“I’ll sound like a telemarkerter,” he said. “I have to go with the flow because each prospect is different,” he persisted.

Brad didn’t believe in putting in the time, energy or money to get better.

So he didn’t.

Fast forward to our Starbucks encounter. Over 20 years had passed between that Stan Billue talk, and I realized, that seminar was the moment I made the decision to change my life.

When Brad showed up that day, he was the Ghost of Christmas Past that could have become my Ghost of Christmas Future.

My life has changed because of Stan’s material, my commitment to investing in other sales material, and then learning and using it diligently. My life is infinitely better because I did, and I have no doubt that had I not invested, learned and used proven selling techniques, it would have been me that was taking a bus to my next, new job.

It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

The moral here is that you, too, can avoid the Ghost of Christmas Past from becoming your future. There are a lot of great sales training books, CD’s, and courses you and your team can take advantage of to get better.

One of the best (in my humble opinion) is my “Complete Book of Phone Scripts.” Over 200 word for word phone scripts that will make you better in just about any situation you find yourself in.

Plus, you get over $500 in free bonuses by some of the leaders in the business like Jeffrey Gitomer, Tom Hopkins, Jed Blount, and more.

You also get a ½ one-on-one coaching call with me personally. I can role play with you, write scripts for you, answers your questions. You get all that for just $49.

So why not give yourself a gift this season?

Get it here: https://mrinsidesales.com/completescripts.htm

If you don’t want to invest in my material, no problem. Find someone else you respect and invest in theirs. Bottom line is any investment you make in your career will pay for itself, month in and month out.

Make this best holiday season you’ve ever had. Invest in yourself!

Top Characteristic Part Ten: Invest Daily in Your Attitude

by mike

Now that you have resigned from the company club, you can use that time and energy to do the one thing that will have the most impact on your performance and your life: Find ways to build up your attitude on daily basis.

Before we get in to some ways to do that, let me emphasize the importance of investing time and energy every day to improving, strengthening and elevating your attitude. The “every day” part is the key. Think about it:

How many times a day do you eat? If you’re like most people, then you probably eat three times a day and have some snacks in between. Now let me ask you: If you skipped breakfast, how would you be feeling by, say, 11am? Cranky? Hungry? Unable to concentrate much?

How about if you also skipped lunch that day? How would you be feeling around, say, 3:30pm? Would you be ready for that big presentation? Or that meeting with your sales manager or boss?

O.K., now let’s say you got home by 6pm and you didn’t eat anything all day. How would you be around your wife and kids? (Or roommate or girl/boyfriend?) Would you want to be around you?

Now imagine going two days without food. Try three. I think we could all agree you’d be pretty much worthless by then (if not way before!).

The reason I bring this up is that your mind, your attitude, needs feeding just like your body does. If you don’t make a concerted effort to feed it regularly, then it, too, will get sluggish and worthless. If you don’t spend active time feeding your mind, feeding your attitude positive material, then you will be more susceptible to negativity, more susceptible to members of the club, and each time you have a bad outcome – client doesn’t reload, new prospect doesn’t buy, you don’t make your lead numbers – you’ll get more and more discouraged.

And if you let that happen, then you’ll begin searching for reasons why you won’t succeed. And if you let that continue, you’ll find them or you’ll make them up…

Top producers always spend time consciously feeding their minds positive stories and positive examples and cultivating a “can do,” positive attitude. They spend time taking in other positive thinker’s ideas and strategies, and they purposefully employ those strategies in their lives. They are constantly listening to audio books, or reading (or re-reading) books on how to get better and do better. Many top performers also spend time with affirmations and visualizations along linked to purposeful and motivating goal setting.

And all this pays off. Those producers who are in the habit of developing a vision, and who dedicate themselves to achieving it – no matter what – those are the top producers, the top athletes, and other top performers who always out perform their competition.

But it all starts by making a commitment to developing, feeding and cultivating a positive, can do attitude. And the key, again, is to do this daily (several times a day, actually).

So how do you get into the habit of doing this? A good start is to find the medium that works best for you. If you are a reader, then get some books that resonate with you and commit to reading a certain amount of pages each day.

If you prefer audio books, then get those books on MP3 and listen to them on the way to and from work or when you get home, or at the gym, or when you’re walking the dog.

One resource I still work with today are subliminal recordings. Subliminal recordings are great because they speak right to your subconscious mind which runs just about everything in your life. I listen to recordings either during meditation or during relaxation sessions. I also use them to go to sleep with sometimes. A great resource for these can be found here.

Another good thing to do is to pick up a few books or audio programs on setting goals. Just listing what it is you’re going to accomplish this year (or what’s left of it) can be highly motivating by itself. As soon as you define your vision, you’ll find that you begin to automatically feel more positive and motivated. When setting goals, just remember:

Whatever you want to have or achieve is possible. Other people around the world are having and achieving the very thing that lives in your heart. If they can have it and do it, so can you! But you’ll need to work for it first. You’ll probably need to rearrange your consciousness so that it can fit a new expectation of what you believe is possible. And this is where affirmations are useful.

Affirmations are simply statements or images that you feed yourself, thoughts and emotions that you tend to dwell on all the time. Everybody uses affirmations – you’re using them right now. The problem is that most people are using the wrong affirmations and getting the things they don’t want as a result.

The reason for this is that most peoples’ random self-talk is incredibly negative. That’s where affirmations come in. Affirmations are nothing more than carefully constructed words, phrases and stories that you design in advance that support the goals you’ve identified are important for you.

There are many books on this subject, and you can easily do a search and find the one(s) that speak to you.

But affirmations are key to you feeling positive about yourself and your career, and for helping you maintain the positive attitude that will enable you to persevere and succeed.

With all of the resources above: books, CD’s/MP3’s, subliminal recordings, goal setting, affirmations, etc., you’ll be able to put together a varied and full course of “food for your attitude” that you’ll be able to munch on throughout your day.

If you’re not doing this now, or have stopped, then start today. It is amazing how just a little bit of positive energy can turn around a day, a week, month and a whole life. Remember, all top producers have a positive, can do attitude. If you don’t believe me, then get around one of them – their attitude is contagious. Yours needs to be, too.

In ending this series on the Top Ten Characteristics of Top Performers, I hope you’ve seen some ideas that resonate and that you feel will work for you. Just adopting a few of these habits will have a dramatic effect on your career in sales, and on your life in general. Hopefully you’re already using some of the characteristics, and you already know how valuable they are.

Make a commitment today to put even more of them to work for yourself. I guarantee the more you use, the better you’ll feel and the better you’ll perform.

NEXT – The Most Important Word In Sales

by mike

I was talking to a real estate agent the other day about the importance of disqualifying leads, and he told me an interesting story about their office’s top producer. He was talking to her one day and asking her what she did that made her so successful. She said her secret could be summed up with one word. When he asked what it was she said:

NEXT.

The moment I heard him tell me that I was in total agreement. I told him that was what I was trying to teach him with my disqualifying method. The majority of people you speak with, I told him, are never going to be a deal. The problem 80% of sales reps make is they spend time with them anyway, sending information, making multiple appointments, and begging and chasing the deal.

The Top 20% producers? Their attitude is – NEXT. And that’s when he said something interesting. He said he was afraid to let go because he didn’t want to chance losing a sale.

“If you don’t know after qualifying and listening to your prospect what it’s going to take to get the sale, or who isn’t a real buyer, then you’ve got problems — big problems.” I told him.

“I guess I kind of know but you can never be sure,” he said.

I’m here to tell you that it’s that attitude that separates the bottom 80% of sales reps from the Top 20%! The Top 20% know when to say, and aren’t afraid of saying, NEXT.

If you’d like to learn the Secrets of Top 20% and how to identify buyers and stop wasting time with non-buyers, here are a couple of things you should do:

#1) Go to https://mrinsidesales.com/ultimatescripts.htm and get the book of proven, word for word scripts that will help you qualify real buyers and teach you how to disqualify out the time wasters – so you can say NEXT sooner and save your energy….

#2) If you want even more Top 20% techniques, then watch these free webinars: https://mrinsidesales.com/webinartraining.htm

The sooner you learn to identify and spend time with qualified buyers, the easier it will be for you to say NEXT…..

The Key to Using Your Imagination

by mike

I’m reading a great book this summer about the power of using your imagination, called “The Law and the Promise” by Neville. It’s the kind of book that adds very fine distinctions to the concept of the Law of Attraction, and acts almost like a graduate level work on the subject. It’s the kind of book that reminds you what you think you already know about the power of setting specific goals and visualizing their accomplishment, but it does so in a way that makes you go, “Ah hah!”

The key that I took from it is the distinction between thinking of an image or goal realized and thinking from the image instead. This difference is so important, that it means the difference between a vision or goal being manifested or not.

The book points out that everyone uses their imagination, and the way most people use it is to think about something. In other words, they imagine something – a new car, more money, a new home, etc. – and they think about what it looks like, or they visualize the image as being out there. For example, everyone can hold the image of a beach in their minds – everyone can visualize it. The imagination can create virtually any image and think about it. That’s how most people use their imagination.

The difference in thinking from the image rather than of the image is that when you think from the image, you become part of it. It ceases to be an abstract concept, and instead, by entering into the wish fulfilled, you feel its accomplishment and thereby manifest it much faster. As Neville says, everything we see is created by focused and sustained thought through imagination, and fastest way to sustain that thought is to think and feel from the image manifested.

What this means in practice is that it’s crucial to create an image and then to inhabit it by feeling, seeing, hearing, sensing, acting as if it has been manifested. The sooner you do that, the sooner it will come into being.

Neville has many other golden nuggets in this book, like:

“Imagine better than the best you know.”

“If we live in the dream – thinking from it – and not of it, then the creative power of imagining will answer our adventurous fancy, and the wish fulfilled will break in upon us and take us unawares.”

“The drama of life originates in the imagination of man.”

“Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change in attitude.”

I love that last quote about attitude. I’ve written many times about how changing our attitudes can change everything else too. Remember it was Zig Ziglar that said, “It’s our attitude, not our aptitude that determines our altitude.”

If you are looking for another book to add to your summer reading, then pick up this gem and read it today. It’s a fast read (you could read it in an afternoon), but it is a rich read as well. All books of truth are. I hope that learning to live from your dreams help you manifest them even sooner.

3 Secrets to Reaching Your Financial Goals in 2013

by mike

Now that December is here, it is time for me to solidify my goals for 2013. As always, I balance and set goals in all areas to maximize my growth as a person and as a professional. I have goals for health that include a targeted lifetime eating plan; goals for my business that emphasize professional growth; goals for creative expression that include writing and photography; goals for relaxation that include Europe and a lot more NFL football games!

When it comes to setting and reaching these goals, I use a simple and proven 3 step process that virtually assures that I reach my goals. I’m going to lay it out here as it applies to a financial goal, but recognize that this method applies to the success of reaching ANY goal. Here’s what you do:

Secret #1: The first step is to be absolutely precise on the desired goal. While you may have heard this before, it’s still amazing that many people I work with don’t practice this. For example, I still ask people what their financial goal is and they tell me, “earn more money than I made last year.” If you earn $1.50 more in 2013, then you will have reached your goal, won’t you?

Instead, you need to know the exact amount. In determining that number, I always look at each month, factor in vacations, holidays, projects, etc., and then I add up each month and come up with an EXACT figure. And then I add 20% more!

Once I have that “stretch goal,” I break it down again per month and write each month’s specific dollar goal everywhere so I’m looking at it each day of every month. I post it on my desk, in my car, in the bathroom; I know exactly what I’m going to accomplish each and every day.

I also adjust it per my production for that day so it is a fluid and ever changing number. Sometimes the daily amount gets bigger as the week goes on, and sometimes it gets smaller (depending on my production each day). But the point is that it is specific and exact, and I’m always aware of what my daily, monthly and yearly, specific dollar amount goal is for each and every day.

If you haven’t done this yet (especially the “add 20%”), then do it before January 1, 2013. You’ll be amazed how much this will keep you motivated and into action. And you’ll be amazed by your increased production!

Secret #2: Get clear on where every dollar of your income is going to go. Ask yourself: “What am I going to do with all the money I’m going to earn this year?” How much are you going to save by the end of the year? How much debt are you going to pay off? Are you going to buy a new car? Pay for your kid’s education? How much do you have budgeted for vacation? How about taxes? How about retirement?

These are just some of the questions you need to get in the habit of asking yourself this month, and you need to be completely clear on exactly where each dollar is going and where you’re going to be financially by the end of 2013. Having this kind of clarity and purpose helps keep you focused and disciplined, and it has a magical effect on how the Universe helps you accomplish your specific financial goal.

Now I know that things come up, but when you have every dollar accounted for, you’ll be amazed at how you can earn extra money to handle the unexpected. That’s just how it works. But I have found that when I’m crystal clear on how much I’m going to earn and what I’m going to accomplish as a result of it, my focus is razor sharp and I remain motivated each and every day.

In addition, when you know why you’re working so hard and what for, you’re ready to put secret number three into effect:

Secret #3: Once you are clear on your exact financial goal and know what you are going to get as a result of it, you can now practice one of the most important parts of any goal accomplishment: acting as if you’ve already attained your goal. If you’ve ever read any book on the Law of Attraction, then you know all about the importance of accepting and believing on a subconscious level that you already have what it is you’re trying to accomplish.

The Law is simple: the Universe responds to what you feel and believe to be true. If you think you’re broke or that your territory is poor or that you can’t do something, then you’ll find evidence to support your belief and you’ll act (or not act!) accordingly. If you believe the opposite, then you’ll find a way to keep taking actions to accomplish what you believe is possible, and the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to confirm what you believe.

But the key is to believe it has already happened. By acting as if you are already the top producer at your company, or by going to sleep at night already feeling the feelings of having accomplished your goal, you’ll act like a magnet for the success you’ve already determined is yours.

By acting as if you’ve accomplished your goal, you’ll automatically and easily take the actions necessary to achieve them. Suddenly it will be “like you” to come in earlier, to make more calls, to qualify better, etc. I have found that acting as if is the most important thing I have ever done to catapult me into new earning levels and new conditions in my life.

And I have found that it ALWAYS works. Whether I believe I can or I can’t, I’m always right.

There are lots of ways to achieve the “being state” of acting, feeling and experiencing your success in advance, but my favorite is to write and read affirmations that are rich in feeling and emotion. There are many books out there that will teach you how to do that, and I recommend you invest in them today.

The bottom line is that when you follow these three secrets to successful goal attainment, you will become unstoppable. There will no longer be road blocks, and no outside element will ever permanently get in the way of your accomplishing any goal you’ll set. You see, there is always a way to achieve anything you can dream of. And if you’re absolutely clear on what it is, know exactly why you’re going for it, and can feel and live as if you’ve already accomplished it, then nothing can stop you from attaining it.

I encourage you to use this month to put these secrets into your goal planning for 2013. If you do, then next year at this time you will be reaching for even more aggressive goals because you’ll have discovered the real secrets to performance in life.

All the best for 2013!

My Secret to Sales Success

by mike

I get asked, over and over again, what the one secret to my sales success was.  Was it dedication and commitment, some ask?  Was it perfecting my sales skills and being better at it than my competition?  Was it old fashioned persistence?  Was it that I got better leads”?  (By the way, I didn’t.  I got all the regular ‘green card’ leads like everybody else).  What exactly was it that made me the top 1% of all sales reps in my career?

My answer to that question is two-fold.  First, all of the above was true.  I was completely committed to being the best at what I did, and I learned and perfected all the sales skills I could, etc.  I’ve written about this before in my bestselling book, “The Real Secrets of the Top 20%”, and in hundreds of articles I’ve written over the years.  

But that alone wasn’t what drove me to perform at my best.  

In fact, while learning and using the best skills is highly important, it’s only half of what you need to excel.  It’s the other half of the equation of success that makes the real difference – having, reaching, updating and setting worthwhile goals – in all areas – is what is needed to drive and sustain the kind of effort to truly change your career and your life. 

Now I know you’ve all heard about the importance of setting goals, and I’ll bet you’ve probably all set some goals from time to time and even reached some of them.  But here’s the million dollar question: Do you have specific goals, right now, written down in all areas of your life that you’re affirming on a daily basis, and visualizing several times a day? 

If you’re like most people, the answer is no.  And the reason for this is you’ve probably never been taught, or had a structured program, for keeping you motivated long enough to reach and then re-set meaningful goals.  

For a FREE goal setting plan, along with videos and everything you’ll need to learn how to do this, simply Click Here 

Everything changed when I learned the secret and the power of setting achievable and meaningful goals.  In fact, goal setting is still what drives me to get up in the morning and do what I do.  My vision of my life in the next year, next two years and five years and beyond is so exciting, so motivating, so dynamic, that I can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and go to work! 

Is that how you feel, too?  If not, then I’d like to invite you to the 100 Day Challenge.  The good news is that it’s completely FREE, and it’s the missing ingredient to the success you desire.  

Ask any top producer (or top performer, athlete, or leader in any profession) what their immediate and long term goals are and they will tell you – in vivid detail.  You see creating a vision is what enables you to use the skills and ability and techniques that you may already have. It’s also what motivates you to get these skills and perfect them if you don’t.  

Having a believable and attainable vision for your life is the key to a successful, purposeful and happy life. 

That is the ultimate answer I give when people ask me what the secret to my success in sales (and life) is.  If you want success in your life as well, then start by defining what that means to you today and for tomorrow, and set manageable goals to begin moving toward it.  

Remember, you will move toward and bring into your life what you are focused on every day.  My question to you is: Have you taken the time today to define, or redefine, exactly what this is?  If not, then take the FREE 100 Day Challenge today!

3 Skills to Succeed in 2012

by mike

As we head into the holidays, you’re probably reviewing your year and wondering what you can do to have an even better 2012.  Here are three areas you can focus on that will pay you huge dividends in the year ahead

1)      Focus on building an attitude that expects success.  Your number one priority for the New Year should be to do everything you can do to develop, protect, and nurture a contagiously enthusiastic attitude. The ultimate key to success in this and every year is your ability maintain a positive attitude.  Think about all the negative people you’re going to run into today, this week and this month.  Are you going to infect them with your positive, can do attitude, or are you going to get more and more negative with each phone call?  IT IS UP TO YOU!!

Starting this week, get into the habit of feeding your mind and attitude daily with affirmations, by listening to motivational CD’s, by reading two pages a day in a positive book, and by goal setting. If you haven’t read books like, “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, or “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony, then go to Amazon and order them today.

My favorite way to feed my positive attitude is to use hypnotic recording CD’s or MP3’s.  Click Here for the best selection of quality programs at unbelievably low prices!

2)      Sharpen Your Sales Skills.  Let’s face it – there is no room for error in today’s selling environment.  Sloppy sales presentations, poorly qualified leads, and just plain lazy or bad habits are going to make you miserable in your job in 2012.  You must, and I mean must, learn, practice and use effective sales techniques that will allow you to identify buyers and then deliver effective presentations to close more business.

The Top 20% will do well because they already use effective skills and spend time getting better, but the bottom 80% are going to struggle.  I would say that up to one quarter of all sales reps will lose their jobs in 2012 because they won’t improve enough to make it in today’s competitive marketplace.

What are YOU doing now to improve your skills each day?  Obviously there are many good books and training CD’s on the market, but if you are really committed to improving, then start by learning and using better scripts.  You can get over 220 scripts by investing in my best-selling book, “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  See it here.

If you want an even more comprehensive core selling skills training program for you or your team, then Click Here.

3)      Start Listening To Your Prospects.  Now more than ever, it’s crucially important that you learn how to connect with your prospects and show them you really care about what they’re going through and what their needs are.  80% of your competition is going to pitch and pitch and pitch, and this is going to turn off the people they are trying to sell.  The Top 20% are going to take the time to understand the choices their prospects and clients have and they’re going to find ways to help them.  And it all begins with listening.

People are going to buy from people they like, know and trust, and the best way to build this rapport is by asking questions and actually listening to their answers.  I’ve written many articles on listening skills, and you can see many of them here.  Whatever you do, though, you must begin showing your prospects you care, and best way to do that is by learning how to listen.

So there you have it.  Three simple things you can do that will guarantee you success in 2012.  Just remember, 80% of your competition won’t do these things but if you will you will out sell and out-perform them in sales.  In fact, you will become a Top 20% producer, and I’ll bet that will make your 2012 successful, won’t it?

So commit to yourself today and start implementing these three techniques.  Believe me, this time next year, you’ll be glad you did!

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s new book: “The REAL Secrets of the Top 20% – How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.”  You can read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/bookmarketing.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

He offers a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone, as well as an internationally acclaimed FREE ezine. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Why You Don’t Want to Be Successful

by mike

I was in Las Vegas giving a Keynote speech at a sale conference the other week, and a rep came up to me and told me this story:

“Mike, I was out playing golf with a really successful business coach a few years ago, and after I hit my first ball about 150 yards, we got back into the golf cart and I said to him, ‘I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.’  The business coach looked at me (we’ll call him Bob), and he said, ‘No you don’t.’ 

“I looked at him and said, yes I do.  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.”

 “No you don’t,” Bob said. 

“By now, Mike, I’m getting pretty mad because, yes, I do really want to hit the ball 200 yards, so I said to Bob, ‘What do you mean, no I don’t?  I do!  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards!

“So Bob looks at me and he says: ‘Well, do you have a golf coach that you’re working with every week?’  And I said, no.  He then asks me, ‘Well, do you practice every week?’  And I said, no. 

“So he says, ‘Well, see.  You don’t really want to hit the ball 200 yards!’” 

I nodded at the rep and he smiled at me.  He then said, “I’ll tell you, Mike, after that ride in that golf cart, I went and hired a pro, committed to practicing regularly, and now I hit the ball 200 yards!” 

That story really hit home for me.  I can’t tell you how many times I “wanted” to have or do something, but nothing happened until I committed to it and took consistent action.  In fact, I can’t remember anything that I didn’t get or accomplish once I did that!  

And that’s why I love coaching and working with business owners and sales reps who have made the commitment to getting better.  I know through my own experience and the experience of hundreds of other people I’ve worked with over the years, that if you are finally ready to do what it takes to succeed, then I can give you the tools that ensure success.  

Think about your own situation for a moment.  What are your goals or resolutions this year?  Are you committed to getting in better physical shape?  Are you committed to a certain income level this year?  To completing a creative task?  

If so, have you hired a fitness trainer?  Do you have a sales coach or have you joined a mastermind group to support you and give you the tools you need to succeed?  Have you joined a writing or photography group?  

Just what actions ARE you taking right now to accomplish your goal?  

The bottom line is that we all want lots of things, but only a few of us are willing to actually do something about it.  Is this the year that you finally have what it is you’ve always wanted?  The good news is that it’s there for the taking if you’re ready to do something about it.  I hope you are.

3 Keys to Reaching Your Financial Goal in 2011

by mike

I don’t know you, but for me this week between Christmas and New Years Eve is the week that I solidify my goals for the New Year. As always, I balance my goals and so set them in all areas to maximize my growth as a person and as a professional. I have goals for health that include diet and exercise; goals for my career that include income and professional growth; goals for creative expression that include writing and photography; goals for relaxation that include travel and leisure, etc.

When it comes to setting and reaching these goals, I have found that there is a simple yet crucial 3 step process that virtually assures that I reach any goal. I’m going to lay it out here as it applies to a financial goal, but realize that this method applies to the success of reaching ANY goal. Here’s what you do:

Key #1: The first step is to be absolutely precise on the desired goal. For example, it isn?t enough for your financial goal to be to “earn more money than last year.” If you earn $1.50 more in 2011, then you will have reached your goal!

Instead, you need to know the exact amount. In determining that number, I always look at each month, factor in vacations, holidays, projects, etc., and then I add up each month and come up with an EXACT figure.

Once I have that, I break it down again per month and write each month’s specific dollar goal everywhere so I’m looking at it each day of that month. I post it on my desk, in my car, in the bathroom; I know exactly what it is each and every day.

I also adjust it per my production for that day so it is a fluid and ever changing number. Sometimes it gets bigger as the week goes on, and sometimes it gets smaller (depending on my production each day). But the point is that it is specific and exact and I’m always aware of what my daily, monthly and yearly, specific dollar amount goal is for each and every day.

That’s key number one.

Key #2: The next specific thing to be aware of is where each dollar of your yearly financial goal is going to go. Ask yourself: “What am I going to do with all the money I’m going to earn this year?” How much are you going to save by the end of the year? How much debt are you going to pay off? Are you going to buy a new car? Pay for your kid’s education? How much do you have budgeted for vacation? How about taxes? How about retirement?

These are just some of the questions you need to get in the habit of asking yourself at the start of the year, and you need to be completely clear on exactly where each dollar is going and where you’re going to be financially by the end of the year. Having this kind of clarity and purpose help keep you focused and disciplined, and it has a magical effect on how the Universe helps you accomplish your specific financial goal.

Now I know things come up, but when you have every dollar accounted for, you’ll be amazed at how you can earn extra money to handle the unexpected. That’s just how it works. But I have found that when I’m crystal clear on how much I’m going to earn and what I’m going to accomplish as a result of it, my focus is razor sharp and I remained motivated each and every day.

In addition, when you know why you’re working so hard and what for, you’re ready to put key number three into effect:

Key #3: Once you are clear on your exact financial goal and know what you are going to get as a result of it, you can now practice one of the most important parts of any goal accomplishment: acting as if you’ve already attained your goal. If you’ve ever read any book on the Law of Attraction, then you know all about the importance of accepting and believing on a subconscious level that you already have what it is you’re trying to accomplish.

The Law is simple: the Universe responds to what you feel and believe to be true. If you think you’re broke or that your territory is poor or that you can’t do something, then you’ll find evidence to support your belief and you?ll act (or not act!) accordingly. If you believe the opposite, then you’ll find a way to keep taking actions to accomplish what you believe is possible, and the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to confirm what you believe.

But the key is to believe it has already happened. By acting as if you are already the top producer at your company, or by going to sleep at night already feeling the feelings of having accomplished your goal, you’re acting like a magnet for the success you’ve already determined is yours.

By acting as if you’ve accomplished your goal, you’ll automatically and easily take the actions necessary to achieve them. Suddenly it will be “like you” to come in earlier, to make more calls, to qualify better, etc. I have found that acting as if is one of the most important things I have done to catapult me into new earning levels and “being states.”

And I have found that it ALWAYS works. Whether I believe I will or I won’t, I?m always right.

There are lots of ways to achieve the “being state” of acting, feeling and experiencing your success in advance, but my favorite is to write and read affirmations that are rich in feeling and emotion. There are many books out there that will teach you how to do that and I recommend you invest in them today.

The bottom line is that when you follow these three keys to successful goal attainment, you will become unstoppable. There will no longer be road blocks, and no outside element will ever get in the way of your accomplishing any goal you’ll set. You see, there is always a way to achieve anything you can dream of. And if you’re absolutely clear on what it is, know exactly why you’re going for it, and can feel and live as if you’ve already accomplished it, then nothing can stop you from attaining it.

I encourage you to use this week to put these keys into your goals planning for 2011. If you do, then next year at this time you will be reaching for even more aggressive goals because you’ll have discovered the real keys to performance in life.

All the best for 2011!

Five Sure Fire Ways to Overcome Call Reluctance

by mike

Have you ever sat at your desk, shuffled your leads, looked at the clock thinking that lunchtime was way too far off, and then prayed for the phone lines to go dead?  Has the phone ever seemed like a 500-pound weight?  If so, then you know what call reluctance is.

Before I became a Top 20% producer, I had these feelings all the time.  I hated Mondays and Tuesdays, hated my job, and dreaded making calls.  Pretty dismal.

The good news is that all this changed when I made a decision to become a Top 20% closer.  It all changed when I made a decision to change my life and committed to doing whatever I needed to do to be the best.  And you can, too. 

Here’s your Five-Step formula for turning your life and career around:

1) Ask yourself if your current job, company or industry allows you the real opportunity to earn the kind of living you can get really excited about.  What are the Top 20% in your company/industry making right now?  If you were one of them, would you be really happy, excited and motivated?  If not, start looking for another job/company/industry.  If you CAN get excited where you are, then:

2) Make a commitment TODAY to doing whatever it takes to become a Top 20% producer.  Your mantra should now be, ?If they (the Top 20%) can do it, I can too!"  It all starts with a decision and a commitment, and you need to make that TODAY.

3) Learn and practice the top sales skills, techniques and strategies of Top 20% closers. Become an intense student of your craft — buy, invest, study and use all the top sales materials you can.  Then commit to getting better on each and every call.

4) Lock on to the end result.  How much do the Top 20% in your company/industry make?  How will your life change once you become one?  What are some of the direct benefits you will enjoy?  Identify how it will feel every day to wake up and have them.  What kind of car are you now driving?  How does it feel to be debt free?  What is it you really want?  Get crystal clear on these things.

5) Act as it.  Make up an affirmation card and begin affirming with emotion three to five times a day your new reality.  Your affirmation must be in the first person as if you have already achieved your goal.  How does it feel right now to be the best?  Once you create this reality on the inside, your outside reality will change to reflect your new ?inner reality? (the key to The Secret).  Start today.

I guarantee that if you follow these five steps, your whole life will change.  And on Monday morning, you will be the first one in the office and you won’t be able to get on the phone fast enough.  Your call reluctance will turn into call urgency. I know because it happened to me and to hundreds of others I’ve worked with.