Favorite quotes -

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese philosopher Laozi 

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated”. – William James

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs

“Mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”  – Steven Spielberg

“A true leader inspires others to lead themselves.” – Ari D. Kaplan

“Inspiration and genius – one and the same.” – Victor Hugo 

To Your Unconditional Success! 

The starting point to losing weight – or reaching any milestone – is making the decision to take purposeful action, and going for it.

I remember back in the summer of 1997 my parents were visiting from Greece. They were standing about 20 feet in front of me in the airport luggage pick-up area trying to find me. I was right there – in front of them. It didn’t matter. I had to wave to them to get noticed. Apparently, my weight gain had made me something I had never imagined: unrecognizable. I had gone from a healthy 164 pounds when I first came to the US in 1992 to 214.

Feeling uncomfortable due to my weight gain was one thing. Not being recognized by my own parents was another. That was my “aha” moment; the starting point of my weight-loss breakthrough.

Since then, I have experienced similar moments during my personal and professional journeys. Many of my clients have too. I always arrive at the same conclusion: That the starting point to reaching a milestone – a breakthrough, a desired result – is making the decision to take purposeful action, and going for it! That is the secret.

Have you experienced a special moment of inspiration that has lead you to a personal or professional milestone? I welcome you to share.

Submit your comment below.

To Your Unconditional Success!

It has been said that one thing more difficult than becoming a champion is to remain one. This is true for many reasons. One of them is complacency. It frequently shows up when we attain a desired milestone.  

In the business world, complacency can hinder our success both in the short and long-term. It can cause a business owner’s failure to continuously improve product quality, level of customer service, strategic planning, marketing, and operations. It is a primary reason why corporations become challenged. Complacency may cause the corporate employee to do just enough, just what is expected, simply because they are employed.

The moment that we attain a milestone, we need to celebrate. We deserve to celebrate. But this is also the moment when we should plan and strive for our next milestone. It is the moment when we need to be aware of complacency, and avoid it at all costs.

To Your Unconditional Success!

In one of my recent seminars, a client brought up an excellent point: It is okay to reach out to people and ask for “help.”  Whether we are looking for information, a resource, an endorsement, to grow our businesses, to develop our skills, or for introductions that could help us land a job, it is okay to simply ask for “help.” It is human.

People feel reluctant to ask. The perception could be: Well, I don’t want to appear “uninformed” or “needy” or feel obligated to reciprocate. I think that at the very core of our hesitation, is our ego. Not asking for help when we know it could be useful for us in achieving positive change, in many cases, is a “battle” against our ego.

Remember, nobody ever achieves success by themselves. Relationships, connections, collaborations and alliances can make a difference in the results that we attain. That is why it is important to ask for help when we need it, and offer it when we can.  Have confidence that if people can, they are likely to support you.

It can make a  difference. It is human.

If the objective of marketing your business is to generate a consistent flow of prospects, your sales process must be a progression in which you convert qualified prospects into lifetime clients for your services and products.

Even though sales processes vary depending on your type of business and industry, here are four important steps to consider when developing your own:

1)      Free Demonstration: Offer your qualified prospects an opportunity – free of charge – to experience some of the benefits, value and transformations that you help your clients achieve.

2)      Irresistible Offer: Once they have sampled the value of your service for free, make them a special, irresistible offer to become your clients. Do it with complete confidence!

3)     Additional Services: You have been hired. Can you identify additional wants / needs to be fulfilled? Do you see other opportunities to offer your new client additional services?  If the answer is yes, make them another irresistible offer.

4)     Bring Them Back. Never take your clients for granted. Always provide exceptional service and added value. Give them as many reasons as possible to return.

In the world of the small business owner and independent professional, developing an effective sales process is often times overlooked. Creating a process, implementing it, measuring the results and improving it as necessary can make an enormous difference in the revenue you generate.

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Great Selling!

1. Think bigger, vividly, and more positively about your professional and personal goals, desires and aspirations. Try to develop a mindset of higher expectations.

2. Begin each week with clear, specific objectives; put them in writing and take purposeful action to accomplish them.

3. Strive to consistently exceed expectations during your professional interactions. Grow your professional and personal networks.

4. Remember that, since change is a certainty, adaptability is essential. Often times with change comes great opportunity.

5. Work in a relaxed manner.

6. Begin each day with reading something educational or motivating.

7. Allow time for creative thinking.

8. Take care of yourself in mind, body and spirit.

9. Laugh as often as you can.

10. Be grateful for what you have in your life at this moment and the opportunities you have to grow and contribute!

To Your Success!

Cheers!

Andrew Carnegie said that successful people are the ones that go the extra mile. In my opinion, he was referring to one of the fundamental principles of success: “added value.”

As business professionals living in a fast-paced, ever-changing business world, adopting an “added value” mindset gives us a competitive edge; it helps us distinguish ourselves in the eyes and minds of our clients, prospects, associates and employers. 

What is the definition of “added value”? This depends on your type of business. In simple terms, it is under-promising and over-delivering; going beyond what is expected of us. It is making the entire business experience consistently better for our clients and the people that we serve.

Once we clearly understand what is expected of us, it is imperative to adopt the “added value” philosophy. Strategies of success may evolve; principles, however, never do.

To your success!

Take immediate and purposeful action-

Take immediate and purposeful action by continuing with your marketing plan to grow your business. And if you don’t happen to have a plan, don’t feel bad. Create one.

Nothing, really, can take the place of purposeful action when it comes to attaining your business objectives and becoming more successful.

Remember, that during your business journey – and in the course of meeting prospects who will not hire you for your services– you are accumulating invaluable knowledge and experiences.  Most importantly, you are getting mentally stronger  as you are moving closer to the right prospects that will become your clients.

The forth and final step in turning rejection into business opportunity:

Take immediate and purposeful action!

To your success!

Cheers!

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Ask for feedback.

Once you go through the exercise outlined in Step 2 – and if it feels right – you might want to ask your prospect for feedback. It may really be worth it!

How I turned a “No” to a long term happy client.

During my early years in corporate sales, I remember loosing a great prospect to one of my competitors. A few weeks later, I decided to call back Mr. John G. I always do what I can “to not burn bridges.”  This is roughly how the conversation went:

“Hello Mr. G, this is George “H”. I appreciate the opportunity you gave me to work with you and respect your decision to go with a different company.

We always try to improve the quality of our service and I was wondering if I could ask you a question. Is there something I could have done better, differently to earn your business?  If so, I would appreciate your feedback.”

Mr. John G. took considerable time and gave me invaluable feedback.

Besides the lesson I learned that day, Mr. G. valued my initiative so much, that he ended up becoming a loyal client after all. That one phone call sure was worth it!

Remember the third step:

If it feels right, why not call back your prospect and ask for feedback?

As always, I welcome your comments.

How to Turn Rejection Into Business Opportunity: Step 2

Look for the lesson – if there is one.

Although prospects may choose to conduct business with one of your competitors for reasons that you cannot control, it is always a good idea to ask yourself if there is something that you could have done better or differently during your interactions with your prospect.

Here is a simple idea. Take a few days to clear your mind. Mentally replay your experience. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left column write down all the things you felt you did well, and on the right column things that perhaps you could have done better. You may find it helpful if you go though this exercise with an associate, mentor, or coach as they may be able to give you a different perspective.

If you feel that you could have done certain things better, simply learn from the experience, and move on with your action plan to grow your business.

Remember the second step for turning rejection into business opportunity:

Look for the lesson – if there is one.