The Real Connection with Prospects – Part 1

In professional selling, where the amount of products or services you sell can directly affect your income, it is important to understand the power you have to influence people.  I don’t mean power over people, but “power with people.” The reason sales sometimes comes with a negative connotation is because some people associate it with manipulation.

In traditional sales, many people teach strategies and techniques to manipulate people. However, most people are turned off by this approach, and in my opinion, these types of techniques will rarely produce long-term results.

Most salespeople don’t understand the psychology behind selling; they fail to identify the customer’s real needs and build value in their products or services. In addition, they have a hard time motivating themselves to do the small things that are necessary to create lasting results.

If your approach to sales is to dazzle the customer with brilliance or to baffle them with your latest “power close” — and convince them that they are wrong and you are right — then you are never going to perform at the highest level.

In my next blog, I’ll talk about how advertisements connect with audiences.

Comment Below on Your Opinion.

Benchwarmers Need Not Apply – Part 2

Everything you have (or don’t have) today is the result of the actions you’ve taken (or haven’t taken) in the past. It’s like putting your car in gear. You can start the car and sit in it all day, but you’ll never go anywhere unless you shift into gear and step on the gas pedal.

You see, a decision without action is only a good intention, and good intentions pave the road to nowhere. We all have the option to take action and get into the game, but most of us never do it. Why do we put off doing the things we know we should do? There are many reasons, but usually it’s procrastination – waiting for somebody or something else to make it happen for us, “paralysis of analysis” and fear or lack of confidence.

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My experience has been that people procrastinate for a number of reasons. We tell ourselves that it’s going to be too difficult, take too much time, cost too much money or require too many resources. But this rarely is true. Taking action usually starts with one simple step

that isn’t difficult, time-consuming or costly. And even if it does require resources we think we don’t have, if it’s a priority we can find the resources to make it happen. We always

find the resources for the things we make a priority.

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Benchwarmers Need Not Apply – Part 1

I’ve never seen anyone make a shot from the bench or catch a touchdown from the sideline. I’ve never seen a top producer, a top performer sit around waiting for someone to call and buy his or her products or services. In order to have any chance at winning, you gotta get off the bench and get in the game!

Star athletes can’t stand to sit. It doesn’t matter if the team is 20 points ahead or 20 points behind; the all-stars want to be part of the action. That’s why they’re all-stars. An all-star athlete can’t wait for the next play, and an all-star salesperson can’t wait to give the next presentation or close the next sale. True all-stars take the initiative to get in the game; they make things happen.

You can’t sit on the bench and be an all-star. There are plenty of benchwarmers. You gotta want to be in the game! You gotta want it with an unstoppable, driving desire!

Read more about getting off the bench in my next blog.  Comment below and let me know what you think.

10 BEST PRACTICES OF SUCCESSFUL SALESPEOPLE

Through my research and personal experience I have learned that there are ten common habits, traits and techniques the top salespeople use. These are the small differences that separate superstars from average performers.

The 10 practices are as follows:

1. They control their mental and emotional state. If you are not feeling right, your customer is not going to respond the way you want. Your attitude determines how you feel.

2. They are prepared. This means they know their stuff and they know the customers’ stuff. They have studied their product and practiced their presentation. They have done some research and made some calls.

3. They are good at prospecting. This means they have a strategy for initial lead generation and meeting the prospect. The top salespeople have learned to enjoy prospecting. They have made it their art or hobby. They have convinced themselves that it is important. It has become part of their “whys.”

4. They manage their customer’s state. This means they enter the customer’s world emotionally. They develop rapport by asking questions and by using their voice, their gestures, their posture, etc.

5. They qualify their prospect. This means they find out if they really need the products or services, and if they can buy. They also find out if they know someone who can buy it. They are nice and friendly, they respect the client’s time and they don’t waste their own time on things that aren’t productive.

6. They have integrity. This means they are honest, trustworthy and congruent. They do what they say and people believe them.

7. They create desire. This means they make people hungry for what they have to say. They find out what people’s hot spots are and they take them on an emotional journey, which results in the sale.

8. They have a strategy for closing the sale. They have techniques they use that usually involve questions based on the customer’s needs and desires.

9. They get the customer to justify buying. They will only buy if they can justify doing it in their mind. The top salespeople give the customer plenty of reasons to justify making the decision to buy.

10. They make the sale the beginning. This means they build friends and relationships, they get repeat business. They also get referrals to create new business.

Take action, apply these habits, traits and techniques and watch your sales and income soar.

To Your Success,

Billy Cox

Do you employ these techniques and what other successful practices do you think of?  Please comment below.

The bottom line is, there is no better time than the present to Get in The Game. If you are ready to get started I recommend the following:

• Step 1) Get clear about what you really want. Most people don’t have a clear target of what they are shooting for. Therefore, they wind wounded and on the bench. You get clear about what you want by making a list of everything you want to achieve personally and professionally. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The key is to start writing and pretend that anything is possible.
• Step 2) Discover your purpose and ignite your passion. Most people wander around aimlessly and hopelessly wondering why nothing seems to go their way. You find your purpose by writing down “why” you want to accomplish your goals. Knowing your “whys” will give you passion. Passion will wake you up early, keep you up late, and give you the desire it takes keep you going.
• Step 3) Get a plan. List some simple steps you can take today that will give you momentum.
• Step 4) Take massive action. The key to any plan is action. Procrastination will steal your dreams and keep you on the sidelines. Successful people are willing to take massive action each and every day until they reach their goals.

Finally, understand up front that you can’t win every game. We all have those times when we get sidetracked and lose our momentum. This is why you must read your goals regularly. As you review your goals, always make slight adjustments where necessary.

Always remember that winning takes purpose, passion, perseverance, and practice. So, be passionate about what you do, practice your game a little each day, take massive action, keep swinging, and eventually you will achieve the results you desire.

Add your comments below. Tell me what you think.

To get in The Game you must first make a clear, conscious decision that “I’m going to make it happen, no matter what. That’s it, period.” Too many people are walking on the edge of the ledge. They are not committed, therefore anything that comes along seems to knock them off track. Sometimes you gotta take a giant leap and leave yourself no outs.

So, getting in The Game starts with making a decision. But It also involves taking MASSIVE ACTION.

Most people don’t take action and they justify their lack of action with excuses and rationalizations. They’re always saying things like, “Someday when everything is perfect, then I’m going to really, really, really get in the game.” They are waiting for the next degree, until the kids get out of school, or the new marketing plan is in place. They have no purpose and therefore they have no passion and drive.

PROCRASTINATION AND RATIONALIZATION ARE THE BIGGEST SUCCESS KILLERS.

The question I have for you today is this: Are you at a turning point in your life? Are you prepared to take responsibility for your future? If so, I challenge you now to make a clear unequivocal decision that “I’m going to TAKE MASSIVE ACTION and do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get off the sidelines and into the game.”

Are you ready? Write in your answer below.

Over the years many individuals have asked me what it really takes to get in The Game. For me, the answer is pretty simple.

To get in The Game you have to take complete responsibility for your future. This means getting clear about what you want, developing a plan for your most important goals, and taking massive action each and every day. It also means consistently raising your bar and also your standards. It means you take control of your attitude, face your fears, and stay relentlessly focused on your goals and dreams.

When you’re In The Game you MAKE EVERY SECOND COUNT. You understand that there’s no timeouts and no overtimes. You only get one chance to play.

You may be wondering, “Why should I want to be in the game?” Let me ask you this. Have you ever seen anyone make a shot from the bench or catch a touchdown from the sidelines? Of course not … it can’t happen. Just as a superstar athlete can’t make a shot from the bench, you can’t be a top producer or a successful business owner by sitting around and waiting for success to just happen.

So, the question you gotta ask yourself is … at what level do I want to play? Do I want to wait on the sidelines of life or do I want to win? If You want to win you gotta Get In The Game.

Let’s hear from you! Add your comment below.

Change is the big buzz word in today’s society. It’s on television, in newspapers, and in magazines. Preachers talk about it, late night infomercials sell you on it, and Politicians promise it. People attend seminars to change their habits, hire coaches to inspire change, and we’re always hearing about the latest book that instructs us on how to change and why we should do it.

Think about it – In the business world, companies spend billions of dollars investing in change for the future. They hire “Change Gurus,” and “Motivation Specialists” to light a fire in their employees so they accept change within the organization. Companies invest in their employees and the expected result is for them to embrace change. Business owners, leaders, and managers spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to get employees to change their actions.

Here’s my question, if change is so important and everyone knows it’s needed and… everyone says they want it…then why is it so hard to change? Why do very few people succeed in transforming themselves to achieve the desired results?

The answer is very simple. It is because most people look to their outside world to change first before they change what’s inside their hearts and minds. It seems that most people are waiting for the economy to get better or their doctor to give them a magic pill before they make the effort to improve their lives. They will change their attitude and effort as soon as something in their outside world changes. Some people will only make the necessary changes until they’re promoted or they have to fill a new position. A lot of people refrain from putting forth the effort to be the top producer until business conditions are perfect or until they have a new super duper product that will sell itself.

Here’s the problem. This NEVER works! The magic pill or bullet never arrives. Unless someone is willing to look in the mirror and make a serious committed decision to take different actions on a daily basis… change will never happen. Most people do not hold themselves accountable for their own results and end up in a never ending vicious cycle of despair. Here’s the truth. Change is hard! If it were easy then everybody would do it. It’s easy to give others advice on how to change but it’s hard to live our own device. Take it from me. It’s easier for me to teach how to change rather than live the change I need. The truth of the matter is that old habits are really hard to break.

To change, we have to liberate ourselves from old habits. We have to re-train our brain for it dictates our beliefs. Our beliefs determine our actions and it is our consistent actions that will produce results. If you want different results then you have to take different actions on a consistent basis. Leadership expert, John C. Maxwell says “Your life changes when you change something you do every day.”

You can be the most motivated and optimistic person in the world. However, it is not until you look in the mirror and change the person you see that your “world” will improve.

Here’s the good news. The magic pill or bullet is you! Yes, change is possible and anyone including you can do it. A little commitment backed up with belief, hope, and action can turn a challenging life into a spectacular experience initiated by change.

So how do you change? Here’s the first step. Look in the mirror and ask yourself these five questions:

1. What’s holding me back and keeping me from realizing my dreams? This is the hardest question you’ll ever ask in your life because it’s directed at YOU! You have to admit to yourself that you know the answer and you do. I personally ask myself this question all the time. I knew the answer the first time I asked myself this question but I wanted to justify and rationalize my answer and make excuses. Write down your answer.
2. What excuses have I used in the past that have held me back from making the necessary changes to my life?There is no shortage of excuses such as “The status quo is not so bad.,” “I don’t have the time.,” or my boss is a jerk. Write down your excuses and justifications.
3. What’s the worst that could happen if I don’t change? Write down exactly what you believe could happen and where could you end up.
4. What positive outcomes could I experience if I made changes to my life? Write down five positive results that could happen if you made these changes.
5. What new actions must I take to permanently change my life and to never be held back again? Write down at least five actions.

If you asked yourself these questions and were truthful with your answers, there’s no doubt you experienced many emotions. Some emotions such as denial, sorrow, and regret may have triggered painful and negative memories of opportunities lost. That’s okay for it’s in the past and its part of the change process and you now need a wake-up call.

You also probably experienced some positive emotions such as hope, excitement, and joy about the possibilities of what your life could be like if you just make the transformation. That’s good because you must have hope in the future to have power in the present.

This leads us to the here and now – current reality. You’ve thought about change. You know the benefits of change but now you actually have to change your daily routine. To make lasting change, I firmly believe you must eliminate old self destructive habits and replace them with a new life empowering attitude. It’s vital that you make the effort and do the following:

1. Train your subconscious mind and use your imagination. All change begins in the theater of your mind. Reserve at least 5-minutes every morning and night to visualize yourself taking the daily actions and experiencing the benefits of your new life. Your subconscious mind cannot distinguish the difference between something you imagine and something real. Imagining your new self will actually empower you to say, do, act, and react in the way you want to experience real life on a daily basis.
2. Train your conscious mind and body. This means deliberately making yourself take actions you imagined as the day unfolds. This has to be a conscious effort on your part. It will be hard at first but you must face any fears head on and take the actions necessary to change. Fight through any initial pain for it will become easier and easier and more pleasurable each time you take action and put forth the effort toward the target you want to hit.
3. Reinforce your emotions on a daily basis. This means using empowering words out loud. Tell yourself who you are even if you are not there yet. Celebrate success every step of the way. Give yourself “Kudos.” Tell yourself that “It’s all good!” Look in the mirror and tell yourself every day that you are getting better and better. The more you can engage your mind and body the better you will become. Tell yourself that “Yes, I have the power” and “All I need is within me now.”

Finally, you need to understand that daily motivation is important to keeping your mind right and staying focused. The key is for you to read inspiring books, collaborate with encouraging people, and listen to positive audio programs instead of saturating your mind with negative media. However, motivation alone is not enough. Your passion is what will keep you in the game. You acquire passion by understanding the reasons why you need to change.

To stay on track long term, you must have significant reasons to inspire you to change and always follow your heart because it never lies to you. Write down three passionate reasons why you must make the changes. Is it because you want to live with more purpose and energy? Do you want live longer? Do you want to make more money and be debt free? Will your relationships be better if you were to change? What’s your “Why?” Your “Why” will give you purpose and passion. Each of these areas of your life will be different but just like you know what’s holding you back you also know why you must change.

Keep all the reasons on why you must change on a piece of paper so you will always know and understand that the changes are worth it. We must all have reasons to stay in the game. It is the reasons that make the journey much more fun and in the end you always say “It was worth the effort” and “I’m glad I did it.”

I believe in you. You were born with a purpose and tons of potential. My mentor, Zig Ziglar says “You were endowed with the seeds of greatness.” I’m telling you that it’s up to you and only you to seek out your purpose and effectively use your unlimited potential so that you achieve Greatness. It all starts with you looking in the mirror and saying “I’m going to do it, that’s it period. No more excuses!” Always remember, “Reasons don’t matter, only results.” You can do it!

To your success,

SEVEN STEPS TO BUILD HOPE

Recently, I shared with you the importance of “HOPE.” From time to time, we all need a dose of feel good from within and I don’t mean from a pill, potion, or lotion. We have got to reach-in before we can reach-out and all “HOPE” comes from what’s inside of us.

The following seven steps will help you build “HOPE” and a solid foundation for a spectacular life:

1) Goals – Many people have lost hope because they’ve lost their dream. As a result, they lose focus on the targets to shoot for in life. The lack of clarity breeds a lack of hope. On the other hand, when you have clearly written and defined goals you will gain power in the present because you will know the targets to laser in on that will brighten your future.

2) Attitude – Our attitude is our choice. We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we act or react. We can choose to read good positive books and listen to inspiring audio programs or we can choose to turn on the negative news and listen to those who say it can’t be done. Whatever you feed into your mind you will project into your outer world. People with a positive attitude have a positive expectancy, which means they have hope.

3) Responsibility – People with hope accept full responsibility for where they are in life and where they are going. To gain hope, you have to become a no excuses person. When you discover that you are in charge of your own success you will realize that you can change your future and increase your level of hope.

4) Words – The words you speak to yourself out loud and in your mind will determine your future outlook. What you tell yourself eventually becomes reality. People with hope stay positive by continually telling themselves “I am healthy, I’m wealthy, I feel good, I feel great, my time has come and I will not be denied.” Tell yourself, “I am born to win, today is my day, no excuses and the world is at my fingertips.” If you repeat these phrases consistently, you will develop hope in the future.

5) Action – People with hope take action daily. No one feels up all the time. However, people with hope discipline themselves to take certain actions everyday. Action creates the desire to move you in a direction that makes you feel good. Action promotes hope.

6) Faith – Faith is the belief or feeling of certainty that something good is going to happen. Hope and faith are related to each other. Faith increases your trust in a higher power and says, “God’s not finished with me yet and my best days are in front of me.” People with hope have the attitude that “It’s all good.”

7) Growth – There’s a basic rule in life that says we are either growing or we are dying. This rule applies to grass, trees, homes, marriages, life, and hope. People with hope understand that life is a journey not a destination. They also know that, “How they handle the journey will determine their destination.” People with hope are proactive and they take on the day like there’s no tomorrow.

I “HOPE” that I have lit a fire inside of you and ignited your passion so you will fulfill your dreams. I believe your best days are in front of you and your greatest accomplishments lie ahead. Here’s the bottom line: You can’t have power in the present without having hope in the future. If you have lost hope it is because you are not growing. You have to believe that the past does not determine the future.

Combing the seven steps I describe above with belief and commitment will show you the way. If you develop the belief that everything happens for a greater good, you will propel yourself toward the person you are destined to become. You have to believe that failure is only a temporary setback as long as you are learning and growing as you go.

Everyday you need to ask yourself one of two questions, “What’s right in my world?” Or, “What’s wrong in my world?” You will find an answer for both questions. However, people with hope only choose to ask the question, “What’s right in my world?” and they always find answers that give them hope.

As you move forward, I challenge you to be bold and strong. Let the past go and believe that your time has come. It’s a new decade and you can rediscover the dreams you have buried deep down in your heart only if you will start believing. Believe that you have broken the chains of the past and replace them with building blocks for a brighter future.

Decide today that your life is filled with hope and victory. Decide right now that you will accomplish every dream in your heart. Overcome life’s challenges by letting hope shine.

Finally, remember…”It is what you do every day that makes you who you will be some day.”

Billy Cox

The First Part in This SeriesA Dose of Hope Part 1