Make this your best year

I’M CHALLENGING YOU not to have your best year ever. Rather, have a great year. A great family year. A great achievement year. A great money year. A great health year. The secret of “great” is not to start with “it.” The secret of “great” is to start with “you.” “IT” is I’m gonna buy a new house this year, and “YOU” is I’m gonna study the science of asking questions. “IT” is I’m gonna get something material, and “YOU” is I’m gonna improve myself. To have great, first you must be great, and do great.Start here:Define yourself. In order to be able to have a great year, the first person that you have to come to know, on as deep a level as humanly possible, is you. Personally, I define myself as a father, a grandfather, a friend, a writer, a speaker, an idea person, a happy person, a thinker, a traveler with endless wanderlust and a lover of fun and fine things. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not a “people person.” I’m a one-on-one person. I get loyalty by giving loyalty. And I seek new knowledge every day. Have you ever thought about who you are? Much less – have you ever written it down? I’ll share one other personal insight with you. I also define myself as the “king of sales.” It’s a personal feeling. And a sense of self-confidence that I carry with me wherever I go. When you define yourself, make certain that you include everything that you are great at. In order to have a great year, you have to do great things and take great actions. Here’s your list:1. Define yourself. Read and implement the paragraphs above.2. Develop a sales mission statement. Something that drives you into the sales call, and have an order in hand when you leave.3. Have a deep belief in the three critical areas of selling. Company, product and self.4. Develop greater pride in accomplishment. No bragging, just humble, self-pride.5. You are what you eat. Stop the fat BEFORE it enters.6. Get rid of one time-waster. I recommend TV, but you make your own decisions.7. Read a self-help or business book every two months. Six a year.8. Get your (sales) pipeline full. Double your pipeline and you’ll double your sales.9. Get your monthly sales quota met by the second week of the month. It’s easy to do, just turn off the TV.10. Start branding yourself. Become known as a person of value. Build personal reputation.11. Get up earlier. Start your day with you, not the news.12. Begin capturing your thoughts and ideas in writing. Every day, immediately as they occur.13. Give one speech. Join toastmasters and participate.14. Write one article your customers will read. Something that helps them and brands you.15. Make sales at breakfast. Have coffee with a customer or prospect at 7 a.m. every day.16. Keep your present customers loyal to you and your company.17. Double your testimonials. Testimonials can make sales when salespeople (you included) cannot. 18. Double your referrals. Most people ask for referrals. Big mistake. The best way to get a referral is to earn one. The best way to get a referral is to give a referral. 19. Record your sales presentation. If you want to hear the funniest thing you’ve ever heard in your life, record yourself making a sales presentation. 20. Start every morning with attitude. Wake up tomorrow morning and grab an attitude book off your bookshelf, or open your iPad and read a few pages.21. Get great at social. Build a great social following, social presence, social brand and social reputation. Now you have all of the elements. Print them out and post them so that you continually remind yourself of all the elements that it takes to have a great year. n

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