A Sure Way To Make Any Sale

There are millions of people in our world looking to sell something. It could be a hot new product, homes, cars, or whatever else you can think of. Some seem to sell with ease, while others seem to struggle. If only there was a magic formular to make it easy.

The more I read, the more I see that there actually is a way to dramatically increase your sales. Before I discuss it, I will say that it applies to more than just the selling of things or services. For example, I am a teacher, and I need to “sell” the importance of the subject I teach. Pastors need to be credible in order to share the Christian message effectively. Anywhere in life, people need to sell themselves or something to be effective.

So here’s the magic formula. The more people like you, or the more they can relate to you, the greater your success will be. I was inspired to write this from a story by Gary Hanley called “The Window Salesman”. It is a story about a window salesman who is brand new to the field. His first assignment is to sell windows to a high-class invidual in the richest part of town. What a first assignment! He takes it on, though nervous and feeling inept. He arrives, and is welcomed by the prestigious older lady. He stays for 3 hours, drinking her tea and politely listening to her old stories. As it turns out, she buys thousands of dollars of windows from this new salesman after he barely said a word. The crazy thing is, she was approached during the week by about 6 other salespeople with much more experience and pizzaz than this guy. Even crazier, is that they all offered a lower price than this gentleman did.

How does something like that happen? As the author of the story says, it was the rookie salesman’s courtesy, attitude, politeness, and likeability that closed the sale. It was not sales-hype, low prices, or benefits. That, my cherished readers, is the magic formula for selling goods, services, or ourselves. The more we demonstrate those qualities of courtesy, positive attitude, politeness, and likeability, the more we will succeed in anything. People will buy from us, we can effectively teach, and we can positively impact people. Contrary to what some people still believe, those little things still count, and still make a dramatic difference. Let us take the example of this window salesman, and be our best towards other people, and make them feel appreciated. You will be blessed as a result.

Envision Success

Where does success begin? The answer is simple. It begins in our minds. Isn’t it true that all great accomplishments began as a thought in one’s head?

I am seeing more and more how important it is to see success in our minds, even though we may feel we are nowhere near it. We need to see our goals being accomplished, even though we have no clue how it will happen. We need to remain faithful, even though we may have no reason to believe our goal will be realized.

Somehow, some way, we will see our dreams realized. We just need to have faith, and maintain the knowledge that by doing our part, and letting God do His, great things will happen. The key is to imprint these thoughts on our minds and carry them with us wherever we go. By living them out in our minds, they seem to eventually appear in real life right in front of us. I am realizing more each day how true this is.

I do not mean to sound “preachy”. It’s just that I feel such a new confidence as I follow these principles, and I can see the positive changes beginning to occur in my life. I feel the need to share these ideas with anyone willing to read them in the hopes that they would feel the same confidence that I do. As always, I encourage your feedback and would love to hear your success story.

Have an excellent day : )

A Short, But Powerful Word

When you ask a question, what is usually the answer you want to hear? It is almost always, “yes”. I thought about the power of this word again today. Just the sound of the word brings an air of positivity. There are several reasons for this. One is that it symbolizes the affirmative. It also means our goals have been acheived. How did you feel when someone asked if you got the job you were seeking, and you could proudly answer yes? Or when someone looked at you and asked if you lost weight and you smiled and said yes. I think you get the picture.

I am realizing again that, to live a successful life, this yes word needs to be a regular part of our vocabulary. Assume the yes in all areas of your life. Believe that, yes, I can earn that promotion; yes I can improve that relationship; Yes, I can be more positive and energetic. Think yes only, and don’t even think about no. If for some reason God’s answer is no for something, then stop and follow for a better way. Otherwise, live with an attitude of yes, that your goals can and will be accomplished.

One can even use the yes to prove a point. In the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, Dale Carnegie says that an effective way to influence others is NOT to force your views on other people. Instead, he suggests asking a series of questions that will provide a yes response from the other person. By doing it this way, you are more likely to get the other person thinking towards your point of view instead of completely rejecting the ideas you forced on them. I use this method in teaching adolescent students, as well as working with adult customers. I can say from experience it is very effective.

I recommend that, on a regular basis, you repeat this short, powerful word to yourself often. Again I will say that, even just hearing it brings to mind thoughts of positivity, power, and accomplishment. Make this yes word a regular part of your language and attitude, and you will experience many yes moments in your life. Enjoy the blessings : )

A Great Way To Improve Your Focus

As I begin to write this article, I am hearing voices in my head. No, I don’t think I am going crazy (yet). I am hearing the voices of my wife, parents and past teachers. They are all telling me the same thing they always did when they told me something important.

What did they say? I’ll share in a moment. Before I do, I will say that this same advice is very helpful in several ways when it comes to assisting us in reaching our goals. Here’s the advice…write it down!!!

I have seen the importance of writing things down. First, when we write our to-do list down, it helps us know exactly what we need to do. For those like me who often forget, it helps us to remember. However, I have found that it goes beyond this. For some reason there is power in seeing something in writing. For example, it is very helpful to state our affirmations and intentions for the things we want to accomplish. If you want to add some extra power to them, write them down, and then affirm them. It is very effective. There is also power in visualizing our goals being achieved, and feeling the corresponding emotion. Recently, I was challenged to actually provide a written description of this vision and corresponding feeling. I have done it for a few days now, and it definitely adds power to the desire and belief of my goals being realized.

If you are looking to add focus to accomplishing your goals, I recommend you write down your goals, affirmations, visualizations, feelings, and courses of action. It is a powerful and effective way to bring about the desired results much faster. I will share the link below (it’s from the same author in the link I provided in my previous post) which provides an example of writing down our affirmations. I believe writing things down can be great help in getting you to where you want to be. Enjoy the blessings : )

http://www.nelsonberrysubliminalblog.com/free/

A Powerful Self-Talk Technique

It’s always funny when we see someone talking to themself, isn’t it? I think this is mainly because we all do it, and we can all relate. On several occasions I have mentioned the importance of self-talk on this site. As much as we joke about it, I believe it is very important to make a habit of deliberately telling ourselves great things about ourselves. The more our mind hears it, the more it believes it, and the more we act in confidence and faith.

I would like to take this self-talk technique a step further. I read this on a website recently (as well as other places before) and decided to try it. After only a few days, I can already see some dramatic positive effects. The technique is this…instead of just affirming great things, ask yourself a question. That powerful question is, what can I do TODAY that will bring about the desired result? For example, at this time in my life (my mid 40s), I am seeking to be in the best shape of my life.  Instead of just affirming that I am strong, healthy, and in great shape, I need to ask myself what I can do this day to make that happen. I am seeking to be the best husband and father I can be. Instead of just affirming that throughout the day, I can take it a step further by asking what I can do, ALL I can possibly do that day, to make it happen. I am looking to double my income in 2012. Instead of just affirming it, praying it, and visualizing it (all important steps), I need to ask on a daily basis what I can do to make it happen.

This may seem like an overly simple process. However, here’s the cool thing. When we sincerely and prayerfully ask that question, the answer ALWAYS comes. The key is to act on it as soon as it does. Also, there are many occasions where the actions we need to take are very small. We may hesitate when we receive a small answer, and even possibly dismiss it because we are looking for great solutions right away. However, the small action, such as a phone call to reach out to someone, filling out an application, looking up a Bible verse, or doing a small favor, can do wonders and have great impacts. Whatever it is you are inspired to do just do it!

The only drawback I’ve heard from this is that we are doing the work and not allowing God to do His. Yes, I know that sometimes people (definitely me) try to do too much and get in God’s way. Remember though, that although God wants us to faithfully rely on Him, He also expects us to act in obedience to Him. When we ask the question of what we can do to achieve our goal, and listen attentively for the answer, we will receive it. When we act on it, it is simply us doing our part as we pray for God to do His. It’s also a kick in the butt for people like me who are sometimes slow to act, to just do something, and then let God use it for His good.

I challenge you to ask yourself this question daily for whatever goal you have…What can I do TODAY to realize my goal? When you challenge yourself this way, the answer will come. And when you act on that answer, you will see fast results. I’ve seen it myself already after a short time of using this technique. I strongly recommend you try it. Enjoy the blessings : )

P.S. I wanted to share the link where I was presented with this challenge. The information on that website mainly deals with using this technique to increase your income. It will certainly help you do that. However, you can use this technique for any area of your life, whether it’s improving relationships, health, finding a job, or simply enjoying life more. The author also presents another process for helping reach your goals that I also recommend you try. In both cases, I believe this can be a great help to anyone. Enjoy!

http://www.nelsonberrysubliminalblog.com/4-free-subliminal-messages-video-downloads/

Is It Right To Live For Today?

You’ve heard the phrase “live for today” many times. This phrase has always created controversy. Why? Because living for today is often associated with disregard for the future. There are many that live their lives this way. They live their lives recklessly with no concern about how their actions will affect their future. We see the negative results, and draw the conclusion that it is wrong to live for today.

There is also the opposite extreme. Many people don’t enjoy the present day because they are too worried about what the future may bring. They miss out on so much in life because their fear of the future prevents them from taking present day steps towards their goals and the life they want to live.

So what’s the answer to the article’s title? I believe it’s a matter of combining the information presented so far. I strongly believe we DO need to live in a present moment mentality….with an eye on, but not fearing the future. Why it is important to live in the present moment? Because the present moment is all we have. The past is gone forever. So many times we don’t move ahead because we are still caught up in the mistakes of our past. We need to learn from those mistakes, but we cannot spend our present days living in the past. As mentioned, we must spend some time planning for our future, but we cannot fail to act in the present because we are worried about something in the future. Just as we can’t live in the past, we also cannot live in the future. Jesus Himself stressed that we are to avoid worrying about the future. In Matthew 6:34 He says..do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The bottom line is that the present is the only time where you have complete control of the outcome. Can we change the past? Sorry, but that’s a no. Are we in the future yet? Not unless we are talking about the past, and again, we can’t live in the past. We have full control of the present. And here’s a great thought. The more you take advantage of your present day opportunities, the better your future will be! So spend time perfecting your relationships; going after your dream job; taking care of your health; and doing anything that will help you get to the person you want to be and life you want to have.

 I will conclude by saying again that, as long as we don’t completely disregard our future, it is right, and I believe necessary to live for today. If we do all we can possibly do each day to be a better person, to serve others, and to make this world a better place, we will find life more rewarding than ever before. We will enjoy the present moments to the fullest, and we will have no reason to fear our future. That’s the type of life I want to experience. Enjoy the blessings : )

A Positive Way To Get Noticed

There are many people in our world that do things to get noticed. It happens in different ways. It could be the middle school student acting out to get the attention he or she craves. It may be a musician or actor trying to make it big. Perhaps it could be the average worker in corperate America seeking a promotion.

After some conversation and reading, I have found a sure way to get noticed. It seems like a simple, common sense method, but it’s amazing how many people know this and still don’t do it.

So what’s the magic formula? It is simply to do your best. I’ll say it again. DO YOUR BEST. Wait a minute, that’s it? I’ve been told that all my life and it hasn’t taken me far. I understand. The key is to do your best in every situation, in every place. Every time. That’s what separates the average from the extraordinary. When you put your best effort into everything, that’s when people take notice. Here’s another key. Don’t do it to please others. Don’t do it just so people hopefully notice. Do it to please you. Do it so you can sleep at night knowing that you were your best and did all you could possibly do that day. Do it also to please the God that created you, and will bless you abundantly for it.

When we do our best in every area all the time we take the next step to experiencing greatness in our lives. We don’t do it to get attention, but we WILL get attention. We don’t do it to get blessed, but we WILL get blessed. God says that faith without works is dead. Well, these  are the works He is talking about. And when we do our part as well as we can, do you think God will hold back when its our time to be blessed? No way!

Whether you are seeking a great family, superior health, endless work and income opportunities, many friends, or whatever you are seeking in life, do everything wholeheartedly. Even if you are not where you want to be at the moment, you will get there if you do things right. For example, you may desire to be a corporate executive, but right now you are a shift worker on an assembly line. If you are the best assembly worker you can be, you will be promoted to supervisor. The best supervisor you can be then results in another step up. This continues until you eventually get to where you want to be. The more effort you put to being your best, the quicker you get there. There are many stories of this occurring in the lives of ordinary people who ended up with greatness.

Doing our best in everything is not a difficult thing to do. Also, make sure you are trying to be YOUR best, not THE best. We are not competing with anyone. It’s just a fact. When you do your best at everything, doors open and opportunities that you could have never imagined are presented to you with regularity. Make that happen by doing and being your best today. Enjoy the blessings : )

Solving Affirmation Problems

There is much information in blogs, books, and articles about the power of affirmations. I have shared about this topic a number of times on this blog. In case you don’t know, positive affirmations are words or phrases we repeat to ourselves. As our subconscious mind hears these words, we begin to believe them and act accordingly.

You may ask..what’s with the title? If we are making our affirmations positive, how could there be problems? Here’s the answer. Our subconscious mind tends to believe things as they are. It’s possible that you’ve heard negatives for so long that it’s the only thing your subconscious believes. When we first try to replace that long-standing negative with a positive, our mind doesn’t believe it. In these cases, the affirmations don’t work, and people then give up. For example, you may begin affirming to yourself..”I am extremely confident”. If you have been thinking lack of confidence for a long time, it is natural for your subconscious to answer this question by saying..”no you’re not. You are fearful as you have always been”. Or you may affirm…”I am wealthy”, while your subconscious says…”no you’re not. You’re almost broke!”.

How can we change this? One way is to constantly repeat the positives and eventually let them overtake the negative. This can be done, but it can take a while. I have read a very effective way that can work in a much shorter period of time. In the book “The Power of the Subconscious Mind”, author Joseph Murphy suggests simple, one word affirmations. For example, instead of saying “I am wealthy” and risking subconscious rejection, simply repeat and focus on the word wealth. Imagine wealth, and repeat the word. Feel it as you repeat it. When you do this, it is much less likely that your subconscious will reject it. In fact, the more you do this, the more the subconscious will believe it. He also suggests using other one word affirmations, such as success, power, confidence, faith,  health, or whatever it is you are seeking. As you say it and feel it, it tends to sink in to the subconscious. As this happens, you begin to act it out and live accordingly.

Affirmations have worked very well for me. When I follow this guideline, it speeds up the process, and I see faster, more effective results. I strongly recommend you try this method. I believe you will be very happy with the results.

Enjoy the blessings : )

A Powerful Challenge

Every once in a while, we experience a day on the job that is memorable, and one of a kind. I experienced that type of day today. At the school I work at, a representative from Colorado spoke about a program called Rachel’s Challenge.

In case you do not know what Rachel’s Challenge is, I will explain. It goes back to the unfortunate school shooting event at Columbine High School. Rachel was one of the students killed. She stood out because after her death, much information was found and shared about the wonderful contributions she had made, the hospitality she showed, and her mission to bring happiness and kindness to everyone she came in contact with. Her family decided to honor her by continuing the contributions she had already made and sharing her positive message with as many people as they could.

The individual that came to our school today spends her time traveling the country sharing the message with schools. The goal is to use this example to create a positive, caring environment. I will say that my school certainly needs this. I was very happy to have this program at my school because I have been praying on a regular basis for some type of positive influence in the school. It’s a great place, but is unfortunately infested with much negativity between students, teachers and students, and worse, teachers and teachers. I saw today’s visit as an answered prayer, as now our school is taking major steps to instill this much needed positivity.

I now share this challenge with those close to me, and anyone reading. With this challenge are five guidelines to showing the same kindness and love that Rachel did. They are:

• Looking for the best in others. Everyone, no matter how many mistakes they’ve made, has something good about them. The key is to look for it, then focus on it.
• Treat others as you want to be treated. This rule is “golden”
• Stick with positive influences. There are so many negative influences out there. We need to be aware of who we allow to influence us. Rachel was influenced by Ann Frank and Martin Luther King. Find positive influences to follow and continue their example.
• Use positive words only. Sticks and stones will break bones. You think names can never harm? Negative words can scar worse than any broken bone. Positive words can change someone’s life in a matter of seconds. Which influence do you want to be?
• Forgive yourself and others. We all make mistakes. We have choices. We can allow those mistakes to drag us down. Or we can learn from them and let them go. When we let them go, we release the burdens that prevent us from loving ourselves and others.

As you can see this is not an easy challenge. However, it is definitely doable. I challenge myself and anyone else to do all we can to be this type of person. One who treats others (and ourselves) well, finds only the best in others, and does all they can to make this world a better place.

In the presentation they talked about causing a chain reaction of positive events. By following this example, we can cause a chain reaction of positive events and impacts on the world around us. If I died tomorrow, that’s what I would want to be remembered by. Would you take this challenge today and make your world a better place? If more people did this, our world would be so much more positive. Thank you Rachel for this wonderful model of life.