“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches.”
-Napoleon Hill

If you are like me, the first time you heard this was when your Mom or Dad said, “You can do anything you want, once you put your mind to it!” But did you ever really believe it? Whether you did or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is your willingness now to give it a shot. Seriously! And it starts by not letting anybody around you determine how successful you will be. Think about it. Are some people born to be “bosses” and others the employees? Are some pre-disposed to being a top performer and others meant to be average? Are some born lucky and others SOL? The answer is NO. Nobody controls how far you will go in your career.

So this week, take 15 minutes in your office and ask yourself, “Am I reaching my potential?” Then ask whether it is you or others that are limiting you. If it is others, do NOT let them have any power over your thoughts. While they project negativity, stay focused, knowing that they have no control over your career or your life. Only you do. It’s time to put your greatest performance weapon to work, in ways you never have. Because once you understand the power of your mind, you will realize that you have been given the same gifts that make the world’s top performers who they are.

People fall down, winners get up, and gold medal winners just get up faster.

-Bonnie St. John

Bonnie St. John lost a leg at the age of 5. Several years later, she would go on to become the first African-American to win an Olympic medal in skiing as she was awarded a silver and two bronze medals in the 1984 Paralympics in Innsbruck, Austria.  This week on my radio program, I asked Bonnie to tell her story about how she won the Silver. She said, “I was leading in the slalom after the first run. Then in the second run, I slipped on an ice patch and fell down the hill. I thought for sure this would cost me a medal, but I got up and continued racing.  Several other competitors hit the same patch of ice and also fell…even the one who eventually won the gold.  The only difference, however, between her and I, and the Gold and the Silver, was SHE got up faster…and THAT won her the gold.”

So what about your business? In this tough year, do you feel like you have “slipped on a patch of ice?” Well if so, NOW is the time to get up…and get up FASTER than your competition. Because there is only one gold, and it’s either going to you or them.

Here are three ways to get up faster in your business:

•    Get out of bed 30 minutes “faster” and earlier each morning.  Then use that extra time to learn something new about your Product, Industry or Competition.

•    Stop procrastinating! It’s time to quit talking and start doing. Write down a list of high value activities that might be painful but necessary to make you famous in your company then schedule time each day to do those things.

•    Network and Cold Call more than the competition. If you are speaking to 10 accounts each day, pump it up to 15 accounts each day.

And remember, the common fuel to “getting up faster” is URGENCY. Make your body feel it, then help others use it to make decisions more quickly. And by this time next year, you will look back on the autumn of 2009, as the greatest FALL of your career…the fall that couldn’t keep you down.

-Zig Ziglar

I recently had a sales call that didn’t go as well as I would have hoped. The feedback I received from one of my associates was that I might have been a bit too enthusiastic. As I thought about my “performance” I thought about what I could have done differently. My first analysis was that I perhaps needed to better control that enthusiasm. But then I realized something…I really like what I sell and know it helps people.  I may never be able to fake apathy towards my products and services and I will never try to. And while I do believe it is important to match your customer’s emotions, I believe it is perhaps more important to show confidence and passion for what you are selling. Will there be a mope or two that you turn off…perhaps? But the positive emotions that you create will far outweigh the opportunities that you scare away. So this week, think of three things that you and your company do really well, get fired up about the benefits those things provide, and don’t hold back with those good vibrations! A lot more prospects will come to you than run from you!

Do you know what makes you so good? If somebody asked you right now to tell them why you or your company is worth more than your competitor, could you tell them precisely and confidently? While most salespeople and businesses believe they are worth every penny and certainly worth more than the competition, most cannot articulate what makes them better. Because they often have not spent time thinking about it.

Today, take 15 minutes at your desk and make a list of what makes your offering so special. Is it your knowledge, follow-up, listening skills, or creativity? Whatever it is, write it all down. Then dig deeper. Be specific in each area. What knowledge do you have that’s different? How quickly do you follow-up? What do you listen for? How does your creativity benefit others? And once your list is done, ask yourself, “Would my competitors list look like this?” If so, you better change your list or do a better of identifying EXACTLY why you can do those things better.

By making this list and then putting it into a repeatable “script,” you will be better prepared the next time a prospect asks you, “Why should I do business with you.” And rather than spewing out the same lame, “We specialize in service blah blah blah,” you will instead fire off your specific sales value in a way that leaves them better understanding why they NEED to spend money with you.

Want to turn your salesforce into Sales Weapons? Go to sellhardplayhard.com to learn about the PRECISE Selling Performance Camp on June 11 in KC. To find out more about Brian’s sales and leadership programs, visit him at www.preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.

- Oprah Winfrey

Do you notice a pattern in my weekly motivational quotes? I don’t do it on purpose it just sort of happens. It seems the greatest ones are about doing the right thing when nobody is looking. “So how on earth am I going to get that promotion if nobody even knows I am honestly and fairly outworking my peers and my competition?” you ask. Well don’t sweat it because you WILL get noticed…by YOU.

The more great things you do for the right reasons (noticed or unnoticed) the more you understand how valuable you are to your company. The first person that needs to believe is you. So this week, work longer hours, be more creative, come up with that solution, take that risk and surprise that customer. And don’t take short cuts to get it done.

By doing these things well, you will become more confident in your ability to perform at a high level. And once you believe in yourself, others will follow…and those barriers to “the top” will come crashing down.

“Confidence is contagious.”
Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)
Hall of Fame football coach

Take a moment to think of great leaders that have made an impact on your world, your business, your community, or your place of worship. Chances are, each one of them were passionate in their message and delivered that message with confidence. And why is confidence so important? Because you can’t sell anybody on anything unless they believe that YOU believe. This week, think of a decision that you know is the right thing for your organization, your sales territory or your company that is controversial. Then take a risk and go sell that idea with an infectious confidence. In the end, others will be happy that they have been “exposed” to your disease.