I have always maintained that my most favourite time of the day is what I call “my thinking time” It usually comes at the end of each day, and it is not confined by time constraints. It can be an hour, or sometimes two – occasionally it is more.

It is not only a time of reflection – looking back over the day, and confirming to myself that I achieved all of my key objectives – but also a passage of time that prompts me to look ahead; to plan; to strategise. People who know me well, will tell you that I produce an endless stream of new ideas. Some make it off the drawing board; some get parked up in the “pending” part of my brain, and others are simply discarded as not being viable at that time. But the point is that I think – I think a lot because I embrace change, and I actually enjoy it.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

For” foolish consistency” read “dull routine”.

Routine – doing things by habit, subconsciously, without thinking – is the enemy of success.

The human mind is a computer. You programme your computer by the input you feed into it: learning, knowledge, experience and so on. If you programme your mind with images of failure, you will fail. If you build a bank of success images, your computer will direct you to success.

How do you build and input images of success into your computer? By creativity…by thinking.

The fruit of thinking is knowledge; and knowledge is the medium from which skills are built.

In skills learning, there are four steps:

Step One:

The “Unconscious Incompetent” They don’t know that they don’t know. The salesperson that is making mistakes, but is not aware of them.

Step Two:

The “Conscious Incompetent” They know that they don’t know. This is the beginning of wisdom. The salesperson that is aware they are not cashing in on their full potential and wants to learn how to improve.

Step Three:

The “Conscious Competent” They have learned and are aware of what they have learned – and they use it! They know why! The salesperson who knows how to make a successful approach call and can programme and execute their presentation to achieve their objectives.

Step Four:

The “Unconscious Competent” They have learned so well that they use their knowledge with a semi-automatic skill. Their skills have reached a level where they are no longer self-centred. They are free to devote their efforts to the needs of others. The professional salesperson who does the right things to get results, but functions without conscious attention to what they are dong or why.

Note that I say semi-automatic. Even the “Unconscious Competent” should have the ability and the sharpness to call forth self-awareness.

Purposeful self-awareness, plus a knowing application of skill, generates maximum personal horsepower.

The handmaiden of creativity is imagination. Imagination is the well that brings forth the new ideas that are essential to your growing success.

Today’s News: At least two great events coming up this week, and I am delighted to be able to gift you complimentary places:

First up today, I am guesting on Diane Helbig’s new radio show “Accelerate Your Business Growth” on Diva Toolbox Radio

I will be talking about the new generation of sales leaders and the challenges they face – The call in number is 724-444-7444 and the call access id is 72171. Oh, and it is live from 1.00pm Eastern – hope you can make it!

Tomorrow, we have the first Top Sales Experts Roundtable of the year -

2010 – It’s Time To Get Into Gear Early

Everyone knows that when you start the year early and you are hitting targets right from the off, it’s much easier to maintain that momentum.

Conversely, start badly and you can spend the rest of the year catching up, which is not only tough, but it can also be demoralizing.

For our first TSE Roundtable of 2010, we have gathered together five of our most experienced and inspirational team members, who will be offering you practical advice that you can implement easily, to ensure you really do get into gear early!

Join five of the most significant sales strategists in the world: Joanne Black, Nancy Bleeke, nancy Nardin, Lori Richardson – and me!

You can reserve your FREE place HERE

Trackback URI | Comments RSS