BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

#BelieveInYourself #Sales #Success
It’s no secret that the secret to good sales is believing in oneself.
Tom Black, a sales consultant, wrote in an Oct. 18, 2015, column in The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, that successful people in all professions, especially sales, begin with a basic belief that they can achieve success.
OK, many of us think we are good at something. A few of us think we are not good at anything. Another few believe we are good at everything. Consultants, using their considerable ability to persuade, tell others that all they have to do is believe in themselves.
Black boils it down to three steps: write down one’s beliefs and read them regularly; surround oneself with those who believe in him; thirdly, tell someone important to him what he believes he will become.
These are simple concepts on their face, so why isn’t everyone successful? Why don’t we all believe in ourselves?
The simple answer is that, in the process of creating belief in ourselves, our beliefs change. A setback here, a mistake there, can, and often does, modify strong beliefs in ourselves.
As we proceed to surround ourselves with people who believe in us, we run across naysayers, competitors (those who would succeed because we have failed) and well-meaning folks who tend to prick a pinhole in our balloons and deflate our beliefs.
We want to stay strong in our beliefs. But even when we know that what we have, and what we can achieve, is all good, a comment here, a sidetrack there and failures to act bring setbacks. Even successful people have setbacks and run into people who trash their beliefs. The difference among them is that they don’t let circumstances alter their beliefs.
They press on, even when it’s difficult to do so. Their eyes, and their minds, are always on the prize, and they have the ability to ignore, or do away with, everything else.
It takes a strong mind, not just a smart one, to do that. Perhaps you know people in your field who are not as good as you at what you do, but are more successful. The contrary can also be true: those in your field whom you may hold in high esteem may not be as successful as you.
If you want to be a successful person, and believe you have the strength of mind to do so, but still may be looking for the best way to channel that strength, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau. You’ll see stories of strong-minded people who, as Black suggests, found other strong-minded people who believed in them, to put around them. They are not waiting for other shoes to drop. Nor are they planning to give up when setbacks arise. For them, the prize is just too good not to go for.
There are many reasons out there to be concerned for your well-being. They are well-publicized. You can pay attention to them, or choose not to. You can see the world for what is, and believe the sky will fall, or you can see the world – and yourself – for what can be, and rise above the “circumstances.”
Yes, there are choices here. You can ask people around you what they would do if they were you, or you can ask yourself what YOU would do for you. Choose wisely.
Peter

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

#persistence #don’tquit #don’tgiveup
If you know what you have is good, stick with it.
Don’t give up, even after setbacks.
Of course, if you find that what you have has something to be desired, try something else.
Tom Black discussed persistence in an April 5, 2015, column in The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville.
Black writes that he tells every salesperson he meets: “Persistence and determination are omnipotent.”
He tells the story of Ron Wayne, the third founder of Apple Computer with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Wayne sold his Apple shares after the first year for $300. Had he held on, he’d be one of the richest men in the world today – worth more than $40 billion.
Wayne obviously knew he had something good. But, as he admitted, “my whole life has been a day late and a dollar short,” Black quotes him.
There are many other stories out there of successful people either starting with nothing and becoming successful, or becoming successful, going broke and becoming successful again.
Most people either don’t become successful, or settle for mediocrity in their lives. Perhaps they were encouraged to crave security, do what you need to do to make a living, so that no one thinks you are a failure.
Certainly, most of these folks work hard. Some of them might even work too hard. But something is missing from the equation. Usually, it has to do with goals and dreams.
Each day, ask yourself why you do what you do. Is doing what you do going to give you want you want from life? If so, keep doing it. If not, look for something good. When you find it, stick with it and pursue it with persistence, no matter what happens to deter you, and no matter what people say about what you are doing.
Mind you, most people would advise you not to quit your day job to pursue your dream. The good news is, you won’t have to, if you find the right vehicle. If you find it, eventually you may be able to quit that day job, escape mediocrity and do something more than just make a living.
The ingredients for such a life starts with realizing you could do better than what you are settling for. Once that hits you, find what you REALLY want to do. Start pursuing it part time. If success doesn’t come quickly, don’t give up. Be persistent.
Hone your persistence by doing something related to your goal every day. That doesn’t mean using every waking hour off your day job to pursue your goal, though, for some, it’s that important. But, look for activities in your life that you can cut, or eliminate, to give you the time for your goal.
If you are not finding the vehicle to help you reach your goal, there are many out there, if you are willing to look, and know where to look. For one of the best, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau.
In short, find your goal, find your vehicle, devote time out of your daily life to it and eventually reap the rewards. Those rewards may not be instant, and they may not come without setbacks. But if you know that what you have is good, and are persistent, you’ll eventually see results.
Staying power is lacking in most people. If you don’t believe that, ask Ron Wayne.

Peter