“I will spend an hour editing an eight word sentence into five.”

Jerry Seinfeld

Translation: Success does not come easy. It’s the little details that count and they take time to do. So, you might as well get to it and start carrying out those little details.

We are not retreating…we are advancing in another direction”
General Douglas MacArthur

Translation: Reality is simply how you look at things. How do you view rejection? Is it a dead end, or, do you see opportunities in the rejection? Opportunities include realizations on how to do things differently and get better results. It might mean selling to different markets that value your products and services more than others. When something does not work, there is a whole new world of opportunities, if you are willing to look in all directions and identify the way that leads the advance.

“Star marketers of the world seek opportunities that benefit their customers”

Bob Danzig Former CEO Hearst Newspapers,
Author, & Professional Speaker
www.bondanzig.com

Translation: Early in Bob’s career, he made a name for himself selling advertising by finding innovative ways of helping small businesses reach their markets. His approach of seeking opportunities that benefited his customers resulted in record advertising sales. His customers also benefited from the incremental revenues they realized from Bob’s ideas. Some of these organizations grew from being a mom and pop operation to a large scale business.

How far are you willing to go to find solutions that will benefit your customers? The level of your willingness is directly correlated to the level of success you are going to achieve in business.

“I don’t believe in the kinds of questions I know the answers to I believe in the kinds of questions that provide facts and information”

Larry Wilson

Translation: Asking the wrong the set of questions bores your prospect and does nothing to further the sales process along. Asking the right questions uncovers vital information on what you need to do to get the business. What type of questions are you asking?”

“You build a perception of your potential based on what you see in your life”

Linda Dillman
Chief Information Officer- Wal-Mart Stores

Translation: If you are closing sales, you have the perception you are good. If you are stuck in a slump, the perception changes and you start questioning your worthiness. To constantly succeed, you must always put yourself in the best possible position to win. That means constant preparation, training, practice and effort. It also means it all starts with you and what you perceive is possible.

“People who do what they feel like doing today won’t be able to do what they want for the rest of their lives.”

Bill Brooks- Author, Professional Speaker, Consultant

Translation: You can fulfill yourself everyday by not going through the pain of change and working outside of your box. While you feel good that day, you may not feel so good when you fall short of your goals. If your goals are clear and powerful, then they will help you get through the inconvenience of trying new things and doing what it takes to reach your goals.

“The mind cannot decipher between that which is true and that which is vividly perceived”

Scott Peck Author- The Road Less Traveled

Translation: It doesn’t matter what you believe to be true. It only matters what the customer believes. Do you really understand your customer’s point of view? Are you telling your story in a way they want to hear it? Reality is based on perception and perception is what sells.

“When you say something, the customer hears it as an opinion. When the customer says the same thing, they consider it to be fact”

Rick Feeley Director of Sales, Timber Trading

Translation: What ever you say to the customer is not as powerful than if they said it themselves. Instead of showing how much you know, ask good leading questions that get the customer to verbalize the issues. It will mean more to them in the end.

“You have to exhaust yourself in practicing youth. No one understands life because they forget to live it”

Maurice Bendahan Entrepreneur/Philanthropist

Translation: Staying young and vibrant is crucial to one’s ability to live up to their full potential. The things that get in the way of us doing this are our limiting thoughts and a lack of discipline & commitment. When one is motivated, there is a charge in one’s life similar to the attitude of a hard charging young person. As we come to the beginning of a new year, what strategies are you committed to employ that will keep you young at heart, motivated to push forward and committed to living up to your fullest potential? As Maurice Bendahan reminds us, whatever you do, don’t forget to live!!!

“I don’t want to have anybody telling me I did a good job. Any time you start thinking you’ve got this thing licked, something happens to you.”

Joe Torre- Manager NY Yankees

Translation: Titans don’t stop for praise. By the time they hear the praise, they are already working on moving up the ladder to the next rung of success. The moment you take things for granted, you stop pushing the envelope and your competition catches up..