Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

The JF Guest Author Spot

Recently I went to this really cool, really massive grocery store that friends had been raving about. It has all sorts of international foods, smoked pork, fish from all over the world…it was like stepping into a fabulous foreign country!

As we purchased all of our groceries - we were told to grab a gift box of these mango/coconut popsicles (hey I am always game for dessert!) and of course I was thrilled with the little extra touch.

Flash forward - we’ve used the mango/coconut popsicles in some home-made slurpees (with tequila of course!) and loved them.

A few days ago - I was watching a movie and thought “Heyyyyyyy - I want one of those little mango “doo-dads.”

As I opened the wrapper, I was reading the ingredients etc - all good.

And then. I. saw. it. (Insert screechy Exorcist movie music here.) The due date of April 2006!!!!!

My mind was rapidly doing the math - thinking ” This thing has to be almost 3 years old - maybe older!!” I’d been eating petrified mango/coconut goo.

And all of a sudden - the little EXTRA that I had received from the grocery store - left me with a really bad lasting impression of their store.

Are You Handing Out “Goodies” Past Their Due Date?

I know you wouldn’t give any expired food away- but I bet you’ve been tempted to use:
-That un-used box of business cards with your old address
-The out-dated brochures you paid a fortune for
-A give-away that you discovered the printing rubs off
-Cheap candy at your tradeshow booth
-Some silly thing that was cheap but doesn’t work

Remember - Everything Matters!

And it leaves your customers and potential customers with a lasting impression of you. In selling, where top of mind awareness is everything - this is your chance to do something cool rather than cheap.
How do you want to be remembered??

So Have I Been Back To The Grocery Store?

Nope. Even just thinking about it makes me gag a little. Plus - I have told this story to all my friends…and it made them gag too. Remember - viral marketing can go 2 ways.

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for women small biz owners and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients internationally, showing them The Sales Diva secrets to success! Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE e-zine and receive her FREE Bonus Report “The 5 Biggest Sales Mistakes Women Make” at www.salesdivas.com

Kim is also one of the original members of the Top Sales Experts team and you can read more about here here

Today’s News: There are ten great articles nominated on Top 10 Sales Articles this week - you can check them out here

I am just off to complete a final proof reading of the Top Sales Experts ebook, so depending what time-zone you are in, you may get a chance to read it today - it should post at 5pm GMT - 12noon Eastern. I think you will be mighty impressed, I am! If you have already registered, it will arrive in your inbox automatically, if not, you can register on the home page here

Tomorrow: “God gave us two ears and one mouth”

You would think that particularly now, as we shiver under the dark clouds of financial uncertainty, we would be compelled to leave our comfort zones, and go off in search of greater security?

Not “most” people, because “most” people are too afraid.

I often quote this:

“Prince Rabadash’s army lay close behind them, Anvard ahead. If they did not reach Anvard before Rabadash and his horde, their journey, their entire lives, would have been wasted. The horses, Bree and Hwin (both of whom could, of course, talk) galloped. Certainly both horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could do; which is not quite the same thing. But a lion appeared out of nowhere and with the spur of terror; Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast, not quite as fast, as he could“.

This extract is of course taken from “The Chronicles of Narnia”, that fount of a million, simple and usually overlooked truths, and it illustrates perfectly what it takes for some of us to be steered out of our comfort zone.

Perhaps of all the temptations we meet in life, money, power, sex, alcohol, drugs and fame, the subtlest of all is the comfort zone, that invitation to settle for less, to go for content when the stresses of over achievement beckon. The way that takes you out of the comfort zone is the route less travelled by. Most of us when we come to that place where the two paths divide prefer the one that leads to safety, to warmth and to comfort.

Both in sport and in business, I have witnessed countless companies, friends, colleagues and team mates that underachieved, despite having far superior skills and talents when compared to others who have made it to the top. The reasons have always been the same, fear of leaving the comfort zone and entering into the unknown, the land potentially of failure and rejection.

However, I believe there is another way to motivate individuals and coax them out and it relies on one simple fact; most people do not know what they want from life. Certainly, the majority working in a commercial field will say they crave success but without understanding what success means for them. Of course, describing success is difficult, because it will be different for all of us. The definition I prefer is ‘The achievement of a worthwhile goal’

I also believe that I can speak with authority about the comfort zone, but in my case, I was lucky enough to discover Earl Nightingale, probably the greatest motivational speaker and personal development guru of our time,and yes, I include Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Tom Peters et al in that assessment.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to listen to Earl, I strongly recommend you seek out his work - I can honestly say that no other single person has had such a profound effect on my own work. 

My experience is that you cannot have everything you want, but you can have anything you really want - you just have to know what it is.

Today’s News: Over at Top 10 Sales Articles, we have just announced the Top Sales Article for September - we now have nine finalists for Top Sales Article Of The Year and just three more places up for grabs

They will join a very illustrious group of world-class authors and sales gurus:

Paul Cherry, Josiane Feigon, Ivan Misner, Mike Brooks, Mark Satterfield, Zig Ziglar, Kevin Eikenberry, Jill Konrath and…..

Just click on the banner below to find out who this month’s worthy winner is…….

You have just over a week to claim one of the last few seats at THE New York event of the month - just click on the banner right at the end of this post

Tomorrow: On The JF Guest Author Spot, my guest is good friend Keith Rosen, who having sent me his latest book, was horrified to have it returned on Saturday: Unfortunately, he sent it to my home address and the rules are now that if you are not in when the postman tries to deliver a package, they don’t try and re-deliver, they return to sender??? Such is French customer service these days.

The JF Guest Author Spot

Billy Cox

Do you wake up in the morning thinking, “This is going to be a lousy day” or “Nothing good ever happens to me”? If you have an important presentation to make, do you tell yourself, “I don’t have a chance at closing this sale”? If you routinely think this way, how does your day turn out? Do you make the sale? I’d be willing to bet you get exactly the results you expected.

Winners wake up every morning with excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence, knowing that success is in store for them. Top performers set their minds for victory; they set their minds for success.

Setting your mind for success doesn’t happen automatically. You have to constantly tell yourself “today is a great day, good things are happening, and new and exciting doors are opening.” Go out each and every day believing success will come your way.

Now, you may think, “My business isn’t doing well, nobody will buy from me, and I can’t pay my bills. How can I live with enthusiasm? How can I be positive when I have so many problems?”

You gotta make a decision that you’re going to have confident expectancy about everything you do. You have to continually expect that things are going to get better. Positive expectation is a conscious choice and a habit of faith. It is a conscious choice to see a positive outcome instead of a negative one. As you think, so it is created. As you believe, so it is done.

Expectancy is about seeing beyond where you are. Look out into the future and see yourself as successful, happy, and enthusiastic. See sales coming your way, see yourself having all the contacts you want and watch your income soar. See things better than they are . . . see them as you want them to be. Develop a habit of focusing on what’s right in your world instead of what’s wrong, on what you have instead of what you don’t have, on your talents instead of on your weaknesses. You’re probably asking, “What if I do that and it doesn’t work?”

My question to you is, “What if you do it and it does work?”

If you will consistently think about and focus on what you want, you will ultimately get it. By focusing on positive thoughts, you open up your mind to start attracting success. This is why top salespeople seem to effortlessly sell so much more than average negative-thinking salespeople. People want to do business with positive, upbeat, successful individuals.

When things look impossible or you’re tempted to go through the day negative and self-destructive, that is when you have to step up and change your belief level. Expect good things to happen. Expect to rise above your challenges. Expect victory!

When those around you predict doom and gloom for everything from the economy to your dreams and goals, remember that success in life, business and sales is mostly a mental game. Your thoughts will drive your results, your success, even your destiny. So proactively focus on the positive, defend your mind against the negative, and expect victory. You have the power to choose your thoughts and your attitude and, therefore, your success.

 
Billy Cox is a Top Sales Expert and an internationally recognized business leader, author, and inspirational speaker he energizes people to dream big, take action, and achieve results. His message comes from the authenticity and credibility of his own inspiring, all-American success story. Billy Cox now teaches the essentials that led to his own success – he has lived what he speaks. Billy pairs his powerful message with a high-energy, passionate, and down-to-earth style.

You can find out more about Billy here: www.billycoxinternational.com

Today’s News: You could be forgiven for thinking that today is officially “Billy Cox Day” - well it is here!

Now you have the opportinity to listen to Billy in conversation with Clayton Shold - the topic is “Positive Mindset” - over at Salesopedia, just click on the banner below.

Tomorrow: My own thoughts about salespeople and limiting beliefs - I think you’ll enjoy it!

The JF Guest Author Spot

Jeb Blount

I love the Olympics. I’ve been glued to my tv and computer for the last week trying to take in as much as I can. I enjoy the drama, the razor thin finishes, new world records, and watching obscure sports that are only covered on the sports networks once every four years. However, what I really live for is watching people of all ages capture their dreams. 

But while the tv anchors and interviewers are focusing on the gold medal winners, who we admire and applaud, I’ve been thinking about the hundreds of Olympians from countries across the globe who came to the Olympics with no chance to win a medal at all. My son even asked me, after one of the announcers made a comment that a competitor had no chance of winning, why people who knew they couldn’t win would even show up. It was a great question and one that I am sure has been asked time and time again.

The answer to this question is important for all of us because it is the basis for effective goal setting, personal success, happiness, and contentment. You see, each competitor comes to the Olympics with their own set of goals and their own vision which drives them to train, fight, run, swim, ump, and win for their own reasons in their own way.

Look at it this way: There is only one Michael Phelps, one LaShawn Merritt, one Nastia Liuken, one Misty May, and one Kobe Bryant. These individuals were given amazing talent which they have taken advantage of to do things that the rest of the planet holds up as a gold standard for achievement - phenoms that emerge one in a generation. Through their achievements they inspire legions of athletes and non-athletes alike to reach for new heights. However most people, no matter how hard they try, will never reach this level of success. And the danger for many is by holding themselves to these unachievable standards they eventually give up, quit setting goals, and fail to meet their own potential. 

Not the Olympians though. At the Olympics each athlete has their own set of personal goals. True, many come with their sights on the Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medal. But most have goals like finishing the race, hitting a new personal best, being the youngest or the oldest, breaking a record, or just making it to the Olympics in the first place. In other words, they run their own race designed around their talent and potential. Instead of worrying about others they use their personal goals to stoke their desire and motivate them perform at their personal best.

I believe in setting goals. In fact I’m passionate about it. Goals are essential to success and happiness. Goals are critical for motivation. Goals help us develop passion for our lives and careers. And sadly most people never take the time to set and write down goals. As a student of goal setting I’ve discovered that a major reason many people never set goals is because they are afraid to fail. Using unrealistic standards for success they give up before even starting the race. They allow others to define what success means for them instead of looking into their heart and creating a unique vision for their own lives.

In every race there are people in the front, people in the middle, and people in the back. It will always be that way. Real success though is not defined by where you are in the pack. Instead, true contentment and happiness is derived from setting personal goals, based on what you want, and running your own race.

Jeb Blount is the author of the best selling sales motivation book, PowerPrinciples the host of the Sales Guy podcast , the #1 ranked sales podcast in the world. He is also the founder and CEO of the popular sales portal, SalesGravy.com.

If you would like some assistance with creating a plan and setting objectives for yourself, you will find this very helpful: “Seven Habits Of Highly Successful People”

Today’s News: In his post - “Satisfied With Your Job - Not If You Are A Sales Executive” Dave Stein discusses a recent survey by Execunet, which suggests that only 54% of sales professionals are happy in their current job - so that’s 46% who are not! This is broadly in line with my perception that globally, turnover is running at around 40% per annum. I am delighted to say that the figure is much, much lower within my clients, and the survey will probably give you the clues to just why that is.

Two more excellent blog posts that I can share with you: From Dave Brock - “Stop Wishful Thinking - Focus On Executing Your Strategies And Business Plans!“ and this from Charles H Green “Misconceptions about Trust-based Selling: It Doesn’t Work”

Tomorrow: “Value Add, Creativity & Problem Solving”

The most valuable resource we have is time and sales people more than anyone know how challenging it can be to cram everything that needs to be done into their available time. According to Stephen Covey, author of ‘First Things First’ we should focus on our high priority tasks, those that provide the biggest levers towards achieving our goals. That is why being clear on what you want to accomplish in every facet of your life, will determine the importance and therefore the priority of everything you need to do.

Essentially, we spend our time on tasks that are categorised into one of four areas:

1. Urgent and Important – these activities will include crises, pressing problems, deadline-driven projects, meetings and preparation for all of these things. Whilst we do have to spend time on these tasks, it is vital to appreciate that many of them become urgent because of a lack of planning.

2. Important and Non-Urgent – these activities include preparation, prevention measures, planning, relationship building and creating. In fact, all these types of tasks can be summarised as activities that are directly linked to the accomplishment of our long-range goals.

3. Urgent and Not Important – these activities will include interruptions, some phone calls, some emails and reports and those types of tasks that we may enjoy doing - popular activities. The term ‘urgent’ can create the perception that these types of tasks are important.

4. Non-Urgent and Not Important – these activities will include trivia, some phone calls, junk mail, time wasters, watching mindless television shows and anything that we do to escape doing those tasks that we need to do. If we are battered by spending too much time on urgent activities, we may seek solace through doing these types of activities. We can summarise these tasks as those that waste our time.

When working on urgent tasks, two things are likely to occur. Firstly, the feelings of urgency creates an adrenalin rush that can fill us with a sense of excitement. Once the urgency has been withdrawn from our situation, we can feel down and depressed. This develops into an addiction to urgency – we crave the highs and do whatever we can to avoid the lows. Secondly, urgent tasks can create a ‘choking effect’ when we feel so overwhelmed that it impairs our ability to think clearly. Neither reactions are helpful if we want to remain in a peak state over a long period.

Many people who experience ‘burn-out’ have spent too much of their time working on urgent things, this creates an imbalance and they simply become exhausted. They simply cannot see ‘the wood from the trees’ and negative thoughts begin to dominate the positive ones. Many sales people become stuck at a certain level of success because they have allowed themselves to become buried under countless details, demands and activities that drain their energy.

When people have more balance and more free time to devote to important tasks they are rejuvenated and better equipped to increase their productivity. This is why spending a larger proportion of our time on activities that are important yet not necessarily urgent gives us a greater sense of control over our lives.

Planning your time accordingly will save you time and ensure that you remain focussed on those tasks and activities that take you closer to your goals. Also by scheduling your tasks, you are more likely to complete them.

I think you might also enjoy: “How To Gain A Thirteenth Month Every Year”

Today’s News: Good friend from NY,NY, Wendy Weiss has an upcoming event tomorrow (Tuesday) and you can grab all the details by clicking on the banner below.

Presenting on Business Expert Webinars this week are three Top Sales Experts - details below and just click on the BEW banner to book your place:

Startup Sales: The Personality of the Business Evangelist
Topic: Small Business
7/29/08 1:00pm EASTERN TIME
Presented by Karl Goldfield

Fill Your Pipeline with Hot Prospects
Topic: Sales - Business Development
7/31/08 2:30pm EASTERN TIME
Presented by Joanne Black

Get A Life! You Work Better And Live Longer
Topic: Personal Development
7/31/08 5:30pm EASTERN TIME
Presented by Peter Nicholls

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot, I am delighted to welcome Joan Paul who is making her debut.