Unlocking Your Success

I am a self professed sales geek. No way around it. If I see a great example of a shining star in the sales world whether it is someone who is selling radishes or rolls royces, I want to learn from the experience it! One of my observations as I travel helping people and companies have their greatest year ever is that most sales professionals will get their prospects to the 1 yard line and not ask them to buy. This is not true in New York City.

If you are buying a pair of jeans in NYC, the clerk will help you find the right pair (build rapport), ask you what you think about them (qualify) and close you. If it is too much or you start to walk out, they will negotiate! It amazes me how passionate someone can be about a pair of $40 jeans!

I purchased a pair when traveling there a while back, while the jeans are worn out; the lesson has remained. Don't forget to Ask, Ask, Ask!

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Hi there!
I'm taking a few days away to recoup and work on my next book, Unlock the Gift. My son and I were driving through South Dakota and stopped at one of the many rest stops. We were greeted by a gentleman who was so excited about his state and everything that it had to offer! He asked us a variety of questions, thanked us for visiting his state, and pointed us in the right direction.

There are 3 crucial lessons in this visit:
1. Focus on the client. Ask about them before you tell them about you or your business.
2. Have passion about what it is that you are doing. I don't care if you are a garbageman, a real estate agent, or a tour guide. It is your passion that sells people on your heart.
3. Be mindful and thank people. Yep, mom was right on this one. It is seldom used, but sorely needed!

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Many people are fearful of sales people. That is because, quite frankly, many of them suck and give the rest of us a bad name. If you think about it, NOTHING happens until someone sells someone else something! Many sales people are simply order takers.

Shelly and I visited several fantastic wineries over the weekend and you'll be reading about many of them in upcoming blogs and e-zines. I have to share the story of a fantastic winery owner named Lori. She invited us into the winery, told us the stories of the place, (building credibility), when we sat down at her table to sample the wines, she explained how we could use each one of them. For example, "This is great when you marinate shrimp in it then grill. Drink this other kind of wine to compliment the flavor." She was fantastic (not the only one, they were all great!) BUT SHE BUILT DEMAND. In the end, she closed a couple of sales.


Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. What are some other uses for my products/services/talents?
2. How can I paint the picture for my clients/employer?
3. What can I do to grow myself?

Also, I'm attaching the photo in front of Lori's Winery (Christian Heritage winery) Keep up the great work!

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July. Especially those who are miles away from home helping to keep our country free. Let's keep in mind that we are not the land of the free and home of the brave. We are the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

If you think about it, your most crucial life lessons did not come from those who only encouraged you; they came from those who saw enough within you to hold you accountable for results. There are times in life when I would love to only coddle my son and tell him that he can do no wrong. That is not realistic. He will have times when he will be a turd. That's just life. When he does, there will be consequences.

As a manager or business owner, we often will gloss over many professional and personal flaws. Let's face it, no one will be 100% like you. If you have an employee who likes to steal postage, cut off their wrist! (OOps! That's a little extreme) Actually, if they would take 50 cents from you, they would justify the hell out of taking thousands of dollars from you. Maybe they need to get chewed so hard, they have only 1/2 of a butt cheek left. I don't know your situation.

Holding yourself accountable is a daunting task as well. The summer time doesn't lend itself to "easy to focus" time for me. I would much rather be on my deck, hanging out with friends, or riding my Harley. I need to focus on the task at hand and pick up the 300 lb phone to make the deals happen. You should do the same. Offer yourself some rewards at milestones, but keep focused.

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Most of us have seen a baby book. Every event leading up to and including the birth of the little one is chronicled in great detail and with anticipation. The records include all of the milestones: the first steps, words, friends, etc. We are celebrating the greatest gift of a new life in our life.

Why should it stop with a child? You were a baby at one time, and therefore a gift. Keep adding to your personal milestones. Anthony Robbins says, "If life is worth living, it is worth recording!" How true! I was going back through my journal the other evening and witnessed tremendous growth. You often times can't appreciate the beauty of the forest when you are in the midst of the woods.

Here is another twist: record all of your milestones with the special someone in your life. Too often we enjoy certain elements, events, and emotions of life but fail to record them. This is all part of the recipe if you want to recreate the special feeling. We are working on ours right now and are very excited about it. I will keep you posted on how it goes. If anyone out there has any suggestions on what you do to make and create powerful, positive, passionate relationships; share your secrets on this post.

Until next time, live life with your eyes open. You never know when opportunity may show up!

Shef

This past weekend Johnny, Tony, Bryan, Paul, and I held our second annual Speakers Success Summit. People from across this great nation of our came in to learn how to grow a profitable and powerful speaking business. As we were sitting in the restaurant on Saturday night, it dawned on me that the reason we were all there was the result of a powerful masterminding session 18 months earlier.

We decided that we would push ourselves, hold each other accountable, and share in each other's joy and successes. The results have been nothing short of spectacular. Tony is coming out with his second NYT best seller on July 29, Johnny continues to define new marketing and income trends, and I am speaking to great audiences from all over the world.

Collaboration is key to success in any venture. I would encourage all of you to find several people (no more than 4) to hold each other accountable and enjoy new success with. If you would like more info on how to form a results oriented mastermind group, please email us at info@theshef.com. For more great information, please visit www.theshef.com.

Gratitude is a crazy thing. Many people will say something like, "When I get enough money, they I will..." or "When this happens, I will ...." All of these are well and good, but they are implying that we need to wait for our conditions to change before we will change. We need to remember that we are the only ones who can change our outcomes. When you change our outcomes, you change your income. Understand that gratitude is the greatest seed that you can plant for success.

We are currently experiencing awesome floods. I don't mean that they are beautiful or fun, rather, I mean that they are simply beyond the confines of words. I was visiting with a few friends in the Cedar Rapids, IA area the other day. They were getting off of work and were going to help people. Sandbag, move stuff, whatever. What a great place the Midwest is!

Let's contrast this to Katrina. Granted, the loss of life and property is beyond measure in either situation. One society waits for government hand outs, yet the other just picks up and gets moving. I have yet to hear a gripe about a trailer, FEMA, where the President is, or anything like that. It is simply get up, get moving.

I also flipped on the radio the other day and heard of FREE counseling for Katrina victims! It has been 5 years! Move on! I wouldn't wish this disaster on my worst enemy, but life is not about how hard you get thrown down; it is about how quickly you get back up!

I was with a group of friends over the weekend and we were discussing a particular retail establishment that tends to draw some of their consumer base from the "other side of the tracks".
"I see people screaming at their kids and slapping them when I'm there. It makes me so mad!" said one person.
"I just feel like I've walked out of the Twilight Zone when I leave there, but they have good prices." Said another.
"I get so agitated when I see some of the things that go on there, but I save $20 on my weekly shopping" comments another.

Here's a novel idea; if it puts you through that kind of tension when you frequent anyplace, STOP! So you save a bit of money and have all kinds of trash floating around in your head for half a day. Is it really worth it?

If I wanted the best cake in the world, I would have to visit my mom. She makes the most awesome chocolate cake! She will use the best of ingredients and puts a tremendous amount of love into everything she bakes. What if next time I went home and found a slice of chocolate cake sitting there waiting there for me. I would be thrilled! But before I took the first bite, Mom said, "I put just a little, but not much, dog poop in the batter." All of the sudden, the cake would lose it's appeal!

If I wouldn't tolerate that in my food, why would I pollute my mind with the same garbage that can be found by frequenting certain establishments? If you find businesses that make you feel uneasy, leave. So you spend an extra $20. Big deal. Consider it a deposit into the greatness of your mind!

I hear this from people all of the time. They offer a litany of how much stuff they have to do and offer up why they can't pick up a book or listen to an audio. Yet these people are glued to their televisions to capture the next episode of American Idol.

I have several consulting clients and one of the subjects that comes up is increasing revenue. (Duh, if you're paying someone for their advice, you may want a return on your investment!) I immediately ask them what the last book they read was. I'm not talking about the latest thriller or romance novel they devoured on the beach; rather, I want to know the last personal development book. I then send them to the book store and tell them that I will continue their session after they have finished half of the book. They still pay me for the session even if it is only 10 minutes; but that is how profound personal development is!

My challenge to you is this: Go hang out at your local bookstore and devour some personal development material. Your business will never grow until you grow. Let me know how it works for you.

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Don’t Rip Yourself Off!
I hear it all the time, and it makes me cringe! "Our price is xxx, but for you we can give you a great deal." Then they proceed to cut the price. There is a simple formula for creating a sale. Having your value and the price match in the buyer's mind. The weak people will drop price. Believe me, I used to do that all of the time. (Vac sales is a crazy business) Drop price, call my boss, win a trip to E. Jesus Nebraska for just one more sale....

Here is a novel idea: build more value. Someone is trying to talk you down in price? Just say, "I understand, a lot of people have felt that same way before really enjoying the benefits of our product/service. Let me tell you what they've found after making the investment..." Proceed to build value.

I try to let clients know that quality pays, it doesn't cost. You have a great convention coming in this year, but yet you want to pay a $1500 speaker to leave the audience with a lasting impression? Don't count on it. Invest in the best and you will never go wrong.

If someone is trying to talk you down on your commission rate, just remind them of the value that you bring to the table. An MLS listing is a great thing to have, but a highly respected real estate agent recommending your property to colleagues over a cup of coffee is priceless. After all, if the client went to work at at factory, would they offer to take $2/hour to give their employer a better deal?

Here's a novel idea, you DON'T want to have everyone as a client/customer. I don't want the cheapest people on the planet. They are usually a royal pain in the ass and you can never please them. Build your value and set your career to new heights!

For a FREE e-book on planting your seeds of greateness, contact us at www.theshef.com or email my assistant at info@theshef.com.

We all realize that life is a process. It is a journey. Unfortunately, there are way too many people who feel like it is a destination. You will find them tirelessly out of balance and sacrificing certain elements of their lives so that they feel like they are "On their way".

When I was beginning in direct sales, I bought into the company mantra hook line and sinker. Need me to work 7 days per week? No problem. Need me to be gone from 7 am till 11 pm? No problem. The fact that I had a new baby had nothing to do with it. They would understand.

Fast forward till today. My son has a great relationship with both his mother, myself, and his step dad. All of us can easily get together and visit or grill out or whatever. However, the lesson learned is that no matter what your goal is, you need to take a time out and enjoy the ride.

A friend of mine and I were watching the thunderstorms last night and enjoying the evening immensely. "Too many people are unwilling to just shut up and enjoy the ride of life", she said. How true. Take time to tell those around you that they are loved. Mend a relationship, write a book, learn to play an instrument, go do something with your kid that you may not care about but they love. This is the true essence of life isn't in the amount of time that we put in. It is the quality of the memories that we create for ourselves and those around us.

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I had the great experience of attending a fabulous experience of attending the Dan Kennedy Superconference about a month ago. One of the things that Dan preaches is to create your own celebrity. Here's how you can do that no matter what your field: (Unless You're in the Witness Protection Program!)

1. If you are a high school student athlete, clip out sections of the sports page that pertain to you. Send copies out to all of the colleges you would like to attend. (My friend, James Malinchak came up with that one!)

2. Brand yourself in such a way that everything you do stands out. Take The Shef concept, McDonald's, or almost anything. Branding is key!

3. Attend events and be different. I ran into The Copy Pimp in Nashville. This guy writes very compelling copy (text for advertisements). He dresses in a flamboyant pimp outfit, hires 2 cute models, and a photographer. The photographer snaps your photo with him for free and the guy sends you the pic. Brilliant. Simply brilliant!

Until next time, remember this weekend to honor those people this Memorial Day who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy our freedoms. God Bless our troops and the USA!

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www.theshef.com

"I want just enough to get by..." says one person. "I just want to feel a little better..." mentions another, "Just a little more money..." All of these comments are not only hideous in their direction and focus; they are a slap in the face of God. OK, I realize I just ticked a few of you off on that one. Deal with it. We never make change unless we are a bit uncomfortable.

I was in church the other day when it dawned on me that unless we ask for all that we can have, we will not get it. (The specific answer I received when talking about revenue was "Add another 2 zeros to the end of your income goal") Guess what? Many people would tell you that the pie is only so big, that we are being greedy. There was a Presidential candidate who was telling us the other day that we couldn't drive whatever we wanted and have our heat set at what we wanted because it might upset some idiot half way across the world. Those of you 30 years old and older may remember this type of mindset FROM JIMMY CARTER!

We can be, do, and have whatever we want. We don't need to ask permission of anyone; other than to make sure that it somehow benefits others. Guess what? I don't want to drive a roller skate with a weed eater motor on the back. The damn thing would hit a butterfly and put me in the hospital. When I'm driving something, I want to win if I'm in a wreck. Is it greedy for me to ask for more money? No way! I can employ a ton more people by spending $100 in my community than sending that $100 off to DC where they will send me back $17.

My challenge to you is this: raise the level of your expectations. You will receive it. In order to do this, you will have to shatter some limiting beliefs. In my live seminars I will have participants write down all of their limiting beliefs on a pine board. They then MAKE THE DECISION that those beliefs don't benefit them anymore and smash through it with their hand. Here is the key: it only hurts if you don't break the board. It also only hurts if you hang on to garbage beliefs.

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