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Friday, October 29, 2010

Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips For Writing Well


No matter what it is you do, being able to communicate effectively by writing well is essential.  Brian Clark of Copyblogger wrote this excellent article on Ernest Hemingway's tips.  What a great advice; now to follow it.

Who better?

Many business people faced with the task of writing for marketing purposes are quick to say: Hey, I’m no Hemingway!

But really, who better than Hemingway to emulate? Rather than embracing the flowery prose of the literati, he chose to eschew obfuscation at every turn and write simply and clearly.

So let’s see what Ernest can teach us about effective writing.

1. Use short sentences.

Hemingway was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. In short, Hemingway wrote with simple genius.



Perhaps his finest demonstration of short sentence prowess was when he was challenged to tell an entire story in only 6 words:



For sale: baby shoes, never used.


2. Use short first paragraphs.

See opening.

3. Use vigorous English.

Here’s David Garfinkel's take on this one:

It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing!

4. Be positive, not negative.

Since Hemingway wasn’t the cheeriest guy in the world, what does he mean by be positive? Basically, you should say what something is rather than what it isn’t.

This is what Michel Fortin calls using up words:

By stating what something isn’t can be counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for example, you’ll still focus on the word “pain” in “painless.”
• Instead of saying “inexpensive,” say “economical,”
• Instead of saying “this procedure is painless,” say “there’s little discomfort” or “it’s relatively comfortable,”
• And instead of saying “this software is error-free” or “foolproof,” say “this software is consistent” or “stable.”


5. Never have only 4 rules.

Actually, Hemingway did only have 4 rules for writing, and they were those he was given as a cub reporter at the Kansas City Star in 1917. But, as any web writer knows, having only 4 rules will never do.



So, in order to have 5, I had to dig a little deeper to get the most important of Hemingway’s writing tips of all:
“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Never Complain, Never Explain by Greg Hickman

A number of years ago, motivational speaker Greg Hickman wrote the following piece. What he says sounds simple to do, however, day-to-day living often intrudes. Recently I sent this piece out to colleagues and friends alike to see if they were up for the challenge. I am and, I am happy to say, so are friends and colleagues. Together, we are doing our part to make our worlds and the BIG world a better place. Janet

Quite a number of years ago, I stumbled across a phrase in a magazine that really piqued my interest. The phrase simply said "never complain, never explain." From the moment I read it, those four words really hit home with me. To my way of thinking, they summed up the philosophy of all winners. A winner should never waste his or her valuable time complaining or making excuses.
I decided to tape a piece of paper containing this phrase to a wall in my office along with an accompanying challenge. As soon as I went an entire day without voicing a complaint or offering up an excuse, I could take the message down.
I have always enjoyed a good challenge and I figured this phrase could provide a tough test of my will for a day or so. The first day or two quickly passed without me accomplishing my goal. "All I need to do is toughen up a little and I'll get the job done.  No problem," I confidently reassured myself. A month later, the piece of paper was still taped to my wall. 

 
I couldn't believe it. I still had not gone just one day without making a complaint or offering up some sort of excuse. In fact, I had complained about something and made an excuse about something else at least one time every single day for a month. Not one or the other - but both!
I was disappointed that I had failed to accomplish what had originally seemed like such an easy goal. But more than that, I was embarrassed. Now I was really motivated to answer the challenge and get this message off my wall once and for all. Make no mistake about it; I would get the job done this time for sure! 

 
Five years later that torn, tattered, yellowed piece of paper with the simple little message was still hanging defiantly on my office wall. 

 
How could this have happened to me? I really gave it a good shot, but one way or another, I would always find a way to slip up at some point during each and every day and start complaining or explaining about something or another. One thing I learned from this challenge was we all complain a lot more than we think we do and we make excuses left and right. 

 
We blame people and things and circumstances for just about everything. If you think not, go ahead and put the phrase up on your wall and see if you can go one entire day without offering up one single excuse and without making one single complaint of any kind. No blaming, no complaining, no criticizing, no excuses -- for one entire day. 

 
I know what you're probably thinking right about now. You think it will be easy, don't you? Ha! I thought so too. I now realize that the fulfillment of that simple little pledge will be a lifelong pursuit of mine. 

 
Even if you and I fail to live a single day devoid of any personal complaining or explaining, we can still significantly cut down on the amount of complaints and excuses we make and that is indeed a very good start, isn't it? When you take on this challenge, you will begin eliminating a lot of negative feelings and destructive actions from your life and consequently will become a much better person to be around. 

 
There is no better time for you to get to work on your very own "never complain, never explain" challenge than right now. All you have to do is stop complaining and quit explaining and get started today.

 
Janet's Question: Are you up for the challenge?

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

When Too Many Options Are None At All by Liz Strauss

In yesterday's post I talked about the importance of FOCUS and the use of your time. In today's post, I am going to let Liz Strauss talk to you about the importance of FOCUS in building your business. What a perfect analogy this is for all of us no matter what it is we do or want.   Janet
When I first started my business, I was ready to do anything for just about anyone. Sound familiar?
I was like a greedy, inexperienced fisher. Here’s what I did …
I would meet someone I thought might be great to work with. I’d rearrange my future plans. Invent a completely new offer just for that person or company. I’d put that fishing pole in the water hoping that the unique “fish” would bite and we could move forward.
And when I met the next person who represented something even remotely interesting. I would develop an entirely new offer and do that again.
and again.
and again.
What I never realized was that I was so busy baiting fishing poles with different bait for every different fish I met. That I hadn’t done many of the things that good fishers do:
  • Figure out what kind of fish I wanted to catch. What was I good at cooking?
  • Ask around to find out where those fish were biting. Who might teach me more?
  • Decide what size fish would fit my frying pan. What was I ready to take on?
One day, I woke up to see that I had about 18 fishing poles in the water. I wasn’t fishing. I was playing at being a fisherman. Greedy, inexperience fishers like I was focus too much on just catching a fish, rather than catching a fish that works for them.

The problem with 18 fishing poles in the water is that it’s a lot of unfocused work for little return. We spend all of our time running up and down the bank checking to see if something worked or whether we need to rebait the system. AND when a fish finally does tug at the line, it’s awfully tempting to wonder whether another fishing poles might bring in something slightly bigger or more exciting … it’s easy to get stuck waiting for the fish that might be next.

For this fisher, too many options were the same none at all.

Narrowing down the options first with a few decisions has its advantages. What I needed was specific concrete goal. With a goal, a destination …
  • We can figure out a plan for getting there.
  • We can talk to people who have achieved that goal in the past.
  • We can yes to things that help us get closer to the goal and no to things that pull us away from it.
Now I keep my focus and goal to “teaching fishers how to fish” — some are huge fishers, some are aspiring fishers, some are other people who teach fishers how to fish — that suits exactly who I am. I tell people about that whenever I can and when any one of those fishers show up, I know I can deliver value exactly as I promise. I’m not running up and down the bank of the river anymore.

And the fishers I work with tell their friends.

Janet's comment: And isn't that last line what we all want?

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Monday, October 25, 2010

How to Leave a Legacy like a Rock Star! By Janet Callaway

Wait, you say. How can that be? I don't have the voice or the moves of Michael Jackson or Elvis.



It's simple. Create residual income.



Royalties account for a large part of the financial legacy left by entertainers, authors and icons. A royalty is a payment for the use of a property be it a copyrighted work, patent, or other item.



What makes a royalty so valuable is that the action—performance, invention, writing—is done one time and one time only. Thereafter, each time the song, product or book is purchased/used, a payment is due to the person who created it.



In the case of dead celebrities, that money is paid to the estate. Last year Michael Jackson's estate earned $275 million, the estate of author J.R.R. Tolkien of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit earned $50 million while the estate of Albert Einstein earned $10 million.



While most of us will not to do something that will pay us a royalty, ALL of us can create Residual Income.



Residual Income, like a royalty, is payment on an ongoing basis for an action done in the past. How can you create residual income? It's simple.



Build a network marketing business. In network marketing, time is spent building a business. Though it will take some time to build a business to the income level you want, once built, the checks keep coming in month after month, year after year. In a solid network marketing company, that residual income stream becomes a part of your estate, your legacy to your family, your community.



Most often a network marketing business is built on a part time basis while you enjoy extra money as well as the significant tax advantages available to the owners of a home based business.



Rock stars receive royalties, however, they lose their privacy.



Network Marketers receive residual income yet still have their privacy.



Yep, I'd rather be a successful network marketer!

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Two Problems with Whining by Seth Godin.

Seth Godin has the ability to convey Huge concepts with few words. While he entitled this piece "Two Problems about Whining," quite honestly, I think of this blog as a Success Tip. Janet


Two Problems with Whining by Seth Godin.

The first is that it doesn't work.

You can whine about the government or your friends or your job or your family, but nothing will happen except that you'll waste time.

Worse... far worse... is that whining is a reverse placebo. When you get good at whining, you start noticing evidence that makes your whining more true. So you amplify that and immerse yourself in it, thus creating more evidence, more stuff worth complaining about.

If you spent the same time prattling on about how optimistic you are, you'd have to work hard to make that true.

Janet's question: How would things change for you if you followed his advice in the last sentence?

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Fighting the Fear by Randy Gage

Let’s get real. EVERYBODY has fears. Every person in Network Marketing has things that scare him or her. We all have people we prospect that make us nervous. So how do you overcome the fear?

Feed Your Dreams. Daily.

Here’s the deal:

When your fears are greater than your dreams, you procrastinate and do nothing.

When your dreams are greater than your fears, you get into action.

That’s why you have to feed your dream every day. Have a prosperity manifestation map in your bedroom. Do self-development time in the morning. Speak affirmations. Put pictures on your refrigerator and dashboard. Paint a picture of your dream so real you can see it, taste, it, smell it, and touch it.

One of two things happens for most people.

Your fears are so strong they shrink your dream and pull it back closer to your reality.

Or your dream is so powerful it pulls your reality to it.

So which situation are you in?

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Kina'ole — My Cat's Name is a Concept by Janet Callaway

Recently a friend asked me if my cat's name meant anything.  The answer to that question is a resounding Yes. My cat's name is Kina'ole and the word, as applied to her, is perfect because it means without flaw.  In her younger years, Kina'ole was a champion show cat.  Now, even though she is 15, she is still majestic with magnificent markings.


Okay, you may say, I “get” that your cat is beautiful, however, I don't see how Kina'ole is a concept.  Let me explain. In ancient Hawaii, Kina'ole is a concept of “flawlessness” defined as:

“Doing the right thing in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, to the right person, for the right reason, with the right feeling, the first time.”

WOW! Imagine what a powerful philosophy this would be to adopt into your life.  Based on ever rising standards, Kina'ole stimulates us to be the very best we can be and thus ensures we better serve everyone we touch along life's way—personal, business and casual encounters.

What a difference this would make in our lives, for the people who are a part of our lives and for the world as it radiates out from each of us.

What if you challenged yourself to value and be guided by Kina'ole? What if you lived and experienced the power of Kina'ole?

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

How to Use the Power of NO

In the following blog, Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS Magazine tells us exactly why it is so important to learn to say NO; to learn to develop laser focus. How would your life be better if you learned to say NO more often? Janet

When it comes to comparing superachievers and everyone else, it has less to do with what they do and more to do with what they don’t do. 
 

Saying “yes” is easy; saying “no” is much harder, but it is the master skill of success.
In a world where we are constantly being tugged on from a thousand different directions, your ability to be productive and ultimately achieve your big hairy audacious goals has more to do with all the things you DON’T do versus the things you do.


Put it this way: For everything you say “yes” to you are saying “no” to something else… and you only have so much time. For most people, the ability to do MORE is impossible; you are already overwhelmed and working yourself to exhaustion 24/7.


Doing MORE is not the answer. Doing less is. Saying “no” to more things so you can say “yes” to the right things is the key to taking you more efficiently and expeditiously toward your goals.


And that is the other part of the equation for superachiever high-performance. What they decide to do, say “yes” to, they do with unrelenting laser-like focus, tolerating no distractions of anything that would get in the way of their persisting on their goals.


A while back, after our SUCCESS cover feature with the knighted Sir Richard Branson, we had a client contact us to inquire about hiring Richard Branson to speak at their conference. So, we had someone inquire and Sir Richard declined. The client then offered $250,000 for an hour talk; Sir Richard declined. They then raised it to $500,000. Sir Richard declined. Then we asked how much it WOULD take to get Sir Richard to attend. The response from his people was, “no amount of money would matter.” They said, “Right now Richard has three main priorities he is focused on and he will only allocate his time to those three priorities, and speaking for a fee is not one of them.”


I thought, “Wow, THAT is the type of unshakable and unapologetic focus that has allowed him to accomplish more than what 100 high-producing guys could—combined.” Amazing, really.
Now, when I told a friend of mine this story he said, “Well, it’s easy for Branson to say no to an easy half million dollars, but I certainly couldn’t.” I promptly replied with, “That’s why you are not achieving like Richard Branson.” Hey, he started out with nothing like the rest of us. He’s gotten to where he is BECAUSE of this dedication to focus.


It doesn’t have to be the temptation of a half million dollars; it could be saying “no” to a new TV program that will suck several dozen hours out of your life and creative potential; saying “no” to a meaningless and unproductive meeting, saying “no” to invitations, projects, emails, phone calls and visitors that aren’t ON PURPOSE to the accomplishment of your high priority goals.


Next week I will share with you the most disruptive, derailing and productivity-killing force in our lives. Uproot this destructive force and you, too, could learn to have the laser-like focus of Sir Richard Branson… but more on that next week.

Read more »

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Gentle Networking by Chris Brogan

Chris Brogan, author of the best selling book Trust Agents is a respected thought leader as well as one of the most popular bloggers and the “go to” man for internet advice and direction. Chris is a master at building and maintaining relationships. His comments on “Gentle Networking” are clear, concise and just plain make sense—online or off. Read it, you'll love it. Janet

From Chris Brogan,

Personally, I want to hear Chris Garrett's take, as he’s written an amazing course on it, but I wanted to start talking about networking and how it relates to escape velocity. So, you’re stuck with me, until Garrett writes us up a post.  

The Benefit of Gentle Networking

Let’s define this concept: gentle networking is meeting people, really caring about being helpful, and taking it just one step further by being ready to connect that person with someone else who would benefit from the connection. In other words, it’s not what people can do for you; it’s what you can do for others. It’s a mutual appreciation society of sorts, but with the realization that we can all help grow each other’s business, if not directly, then by the friends we know.

The benefit of this, I should point out, is that it’s far less cutthroat feeling than typical networking (what’s in it for me), plus it’s got a chance of having two hits in the exchange (a face to face connection, plus the potential of meeting someone that is useful to someone else you know for later).

For an example, I’m friends with Bryan Elliott. This friendship started with just conversations. Since then, Bryan has brought me opportunities. I’ve brought him opportunities. We’ve connected each other with others in our networks. THIS is the longer value yield of gentle networking.  

It’s About Being Patient

Sometimes, we get hungry. We need success today. However, you can’t rush networking. You can’t rush friendship. You can’t rush the serendipity effect that happens from these experiences. Just like you can’t dig a hole, throw some seeds in, and wait a few minutes for the apple to fall into your hand, you have to grow your network slowly, and feed it value. You have to find opportunities to tend it, to give it light (by promoting others), and you have to give it plenty of water (or potential deal flow) to make it worthwhile.  

The Network is Everything

You’ve heard this. You also hear, as my friend Julien says often, that someone was “a pillar in his community.” Sadly, you usually hear it at funerals. But it’s true. The network is everything, if you build it the right way, and if you grow it gently.

The best way I’ve kept my network growing is by offering lots and lots of indirect value (things like blog posts and general good will), and then lots of targeted value, often without any need for money. That’s the secret. If you can do a lot for a lot of people without needing the money, then the bigger ticket paybacks end up being amazing, and you end up having a strong and powerful network. Just practice that method. It can happen.

The Karma Thing

Please note: you MUST do these things without EXPECTING anything back. This is the super secret (and really really really hard to learn) part of this. You cannot and must not sit around saying, “Well, I did this for Dave and I never got anything for it.” There’s a difference between determining someone is a sucking greedy monster and deciding not to feed them any more of your good will, but that’s really different. Expect nothing. Do because it’s what should be done. Network because the secondary effects are where the gold hides out.
Let karma figure itself out. (Replace ‘karma’ with whatever term doesn’t weird you out.)  

Go Forth and Network Gently

Do it small, even. Pick three people (no more than three) and do something good for them without them asking. Write about them. Introduce them to someone you think would help them grow. Give away something of great value to them. Repeat twice a week until it feels like second nature. Then, see what comes of it. Are you game?

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

5 Tips for Quality Connections on Facebook by Jackie Ulmer


In this article, Jackie speaks from experience—and it shows! She built a large business from home and online in a company that would normally be considered a “party plan.” Her common sense approach and clear writing style will help “newbies” as well as be a great reminder who those who may have become lazy with their Facebook relationships. Janet
How many times does it happen to you (or do you DO it?) You get a random friend request from someone you don’t know; they have a picture of their dog; their wall is blocked from the public and they don’t send a personal message saying why they want to be friends?

ARGH!?! What is up with that?

Facebook and Social Media sites are NOT the place for Drive By connections! If you want to use Facebook successfully for your business, here are 5 key tips for making real connections with people.

1. Send a personal message

2. Use your REAL picture

3. Invest time in making sure you are networking with people who share your values

4. Keep your wall clean

5. Engage regularly

Tip #1 – Send a personal message.
If you don’t really know someone, and you want them to accept you as a friend, take the time to make some type of connection for them. Tell them why you are requesting their friendship; tell them who and/or what you have in common; share something about them that makes you interested in not just adding them to your “posse” but connecting with and getting to know them.

Tip #2 – Use a real picture.
You’ve probably heard this before, but is it called FACEBOOK for a reason. I don’t know about you, but I have no interest in connecting with someone’s dog or bottle of juice in cyberspace. That’s not a connection. You don’t have to be a supermodel; but you do want to be smiling; dressed appropriately; and preferably by yourself in the picture so we know with whom we are accepting a connection.

Tip #3 – Invest time in making sure you are networking with people who share your values.
Personally, I check out the profile and wall of everyone who makes a friend request, and of those who I make friend requests of. I’m not interested in profanity, your politics (within reason) or how wasted you got in Vegas last weekend. And, I am not interested in your Farmville, Mafia wars or Blingie things either. What things will I see immediately on your wall or profile that let me know we have things in common?

Tip #4 – Keep your wall clean.
People will make an immediate judgment and evaluation of you within seconds of landing on your wall. What impression do you want them to make? If it’s filled with nothing but opportunity ads and game scores, what do you suppose that perception is going to be? Your wall represents you, every bit as much if not more than your picture. Visit your wall regularly and make sure it is “representing” well for you and that others aren’t cluttering it up, either.

Tip #5 – Engage regularly. Adding a “friend” is one thing; developing a friendship is another.
Make it a point to get to know people. Send a personal message; visit the profiles of friends regularly and just say hi; start a conversation; get to know them. Your goal in social media marketing is to stand out from the crowd; to be memorable; even more, to become unforgettable! This is done by having a voice and engaging it with others!

Facebook is an amazing tool for finding others; connecting and developing your business when used correctly. I hope these tips have been useful.

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Are you jumping on the Social Media Bandwagon? By Karmen Reed














For many people Social Media Marketing is just another "hot topic" out there, and for the ones that are on the cutting edge, marketing savvy and go-getters, it's just the way of marketing today.
We are all marketers. Every single one of our daily routines involves some sort of marketing activity. You talk to your prospects and your customers on the phone, in seminars, during networking events, any kind of personal or business introduction, email back and forth, website updates, blog posts, text messaging, instant messaging, even invoicing, quoting, proposals... Every interaction you have with prospects or customers can be considered as a marketing action.
One way of implementing marketing strategies into your overall GMA (Grand Marketing Action) is actually using different tools to reach your marketing goals.
Social Media is one of the most amazing tools out there, free and available to anyone. It has to do with RELATIONSHIP BUILDING and VISIBILITY CREATING as your#1 and #2 top marketing strategies.
Social Media is the only way to spread your message in a relaxed and conversational way with an amazing potential of reaching incredible number of people. It's the way to involve and engage your prospects, your customers, and your peers in daily conversations about mutual interests, and build quality relationships based on trust and reliability.
How to be successful with Social Media Marketing? Here are few suggestions:
  • Be visible
  • Be consistent
  • Be authentic, be yourself, reflect personality
  • Focus on the audience
  • Give value
  • Share good information
  • Lose control

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Friday, October 8, 2010

Dr. Suess Defines Social Media Transparency by Michelle Corteggiano

Michelle Corteggiano, a leader in Social Media Marketing and Online Branding, consistently delivers a clear, concise and compelling message. All too often we don't want to tell people about ourselves yet we want to see everything about them. Somehow that doesn't seem “fair.” Michelle truly lives her signature line “Be as you are.” - Janet

Because of Social Media ....Transparency is a BIG word these days. A word that everyone needs to get used to fast. Crazy thing is...in an era where transparency is becoming the norm, most people are scared to death by it.

Why?

Simply put: We have been conditioned for pretty much our whole lives to stay guarded and protect our "personal space".

But....How can we step outside of the transparency box that we have lived in forever?

Try this:

Go to a playground and watch children playing. Pay close attention to them when they come into contact with another child that they have never met. Just a tiny bit shy at first and within 5 minutes the communication flood gates open and they are best friends...right?

That's because they haven't been stripped of their transparent tendencies.

Now, I think we could all take a lesson from kids on how "being transparent" is a very effective tool in building solid networks! Bottom line...If kids ran the business world, everyone would be friends and trust each other, sobering thought hunh?

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr Suess

Dr Suess is a household name and children learn from him every day....maybe it's time us adults take a look at what he has to say.

Back to the Basics....Elementary my dear friends

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

When Success is Slow, What Can You Do? by Jack Canfield

Pop Quiz: Can success be sped up? Is there an antidote to slow outcomes despite arduous planning and actions taken? What's the secret for seeing huge results right now?!

I get versions of these questions frequently from people who feel frustrated at sluggish progress in their success journey - despite all the know-how and principles they rigorously employ.

Let's get one thing straight...

When we admire someone's success, or even our own, we often focus on the end result and not so much on the effort (and time) that it took to get there. This can cultivate unrealistic expectations, especially the idea that overnight success can happen through careful strategy and an execution of sound advice.

The truth be told, success typically follows a series of little events and achievements that can seem to take an eternity, that include a few disappointments along the way, and that challenge everything about you to the core - your stamina, courage, integrity, and even your willingness to keep going.

If you focus on what's not working, guess what: You're likely coming from a place of aggravation as your mind wraps around all that is wrong.

You may even have negative thoughts like "I'm not good enough," "It will never work," or "Something must be wrong with me."

What this mentally does is engender more of these counter-productive feelings. And given what we know about the Law of Attraction, you attract what you are feeling. So negative experiences, people, and results will beget more negative experience, people, and results. There's not much success in that.

The key is to focus on what IS working.

To do so, I recommend two simple practices: journaling and meditation.

Maintaining a journal (I call it an Evidence Log, Results Journal, or Gratitude Journal) is a great way to steer your attention to the positive and continually renew your vision for yourself.

Start each day with reflections on what you are grateful for in your life (list them out!) and end each day with notes on what went right (again, write them down), however small they may seem.

Spend time each day in quiet contemplation, prayer or meditation.

Meditation can be a powerful tool for arriving at solutions to problems and shifting your attitude so you can attract success sooner rather than later. The magic of meditation is its ability to essentially shut down the outer layer of your judgmental, highly-critical brain and allow your unconscious mind to take over. This is where you enter a deeper state of inner peace and joy, tapping into a higher level of creativity that will help usher in the results you want. (Don't know how to meditate? Lots of books and materials are available to guide you through this practice. It's easier than you think. )

Let's say you're doing ALL these things, but you still aren't happy with your results...

I'll ask you then, are you taking real ACTION?

You may be taking the actions you are used to taking. But if you keep doing what you've already done, then you'll keep getting what you've always gotten. It's a matter of practicing some new behaviors. Shake things up a bit and see if you can take new actions or modify existing ones.

Remember the Rule of 5.

Every day do five specific things that take you toward your goal. Change up the five actions regularly and be open to feedback so you know when you're off course.

Lastly, I want to remind you about patience.

 It's natural to underestimate how long a certain goal can take, especially a profound one. When I set a goal to become a millionaire, the year was 1983. How long did it take? Eleven years. It took time for Chicken Soup for the Soul to hit the bestseller lists. You could say our tenure on the New York Times list was more than a decade in the making. That's a lot of patience for someone who initially wanted overnight success.

So, yes, patience is a virtue. But keep at it, and in no time, you'll be only one week, or one day away from your ultimate success.

Remember... be GRATEFUL, reflect on what IS working and continue to take ACTION!

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Are you a seller or a teacher?

Oftentimes people think that network marketing is about selling and, quite honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. Network marketing is about teaching. It's about teaching others how to be successful by following a system.

The reason people buy a franchise is because there is a system in place that has been tested and proven to work. They know if they follow the system, they can expect to reap certain financial rewards. A successful network marketing business is no different.

Whether it is provided by the company or the support team, a system that can be taught, followed and duplicated by anyone is essential to success. Next time you are thinking about people you would like to have join your team, think of people who are teachers, coaches and the like. They have patience, experience and, most likely, are good listeners.

Would you rather be sold or taught?

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Monday, October 4, 2010

It all begins with a decision.

For decades, Tony Robbins has led, motivated and inspired people. Because of a decision he made those many years ago, countless lives have been changed. It all began with a decision; it continues with the decisions he makes each day.

“You must know that in any moment a decision you make can change the course of your life forever: the very next person behind you in line, or seated next to you in an airplane, the very next phone call you make or receive, the very next movie you see or book you read or page you turn, could be the one single thing that causes the floodgates to open, and all of the things that you’ve been waiting for, to fall into place.” —Anthony Robbins

Decide what's important to you; organize your life around what matters to you. Know where you want to go, who you want to be with and what you want to do. Start making decisions that will take you in the direction you want to go. Make a decision; make it right; go forward.

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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Success Tip—The Importance of Follow Up

Though we've heard it said, “the fortune is in the follow-up,” sometimes it is hard to understand why we need to follow up so many times. When you take a look at the following statistics, you will quickly see why that statement is so true. Quite frankly, without consistent follow up, we have very little chance of success. With it, we can take control of our financial future.
· 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
· 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
· 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
· ONLY 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
· 2% of sales are made on the first contact
· 3% of sales are made on the second contact
· 5% of sales are made on the third contact
· 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
· 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact!
Since 80% of the sales are going to be made on the fith to twelth contact, focus on doing something to provide another contact/exposure every few days.

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Change your perspective; change your results

One day, there was a blind man sitting on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet and a sign that read: "I am blind, please help."

A creative publicist was walking by and stopped to observe. He saw that the  blind man had only a few coins in his hat.   He dropped in more coins and, without asking for permission, took the sign and rewrote it. He returned the sign to the blind man and left.
 
That afternoon the publicist returned to the blind man and noticed that his hat was full of bills and coins.

The blind man recognized his footsteps and asked if it was he who had rewritten his sign and wanted to know what he had written on it.

The publicist responded: "Nothing that was not true. I just wrote the message a little differently." He smiled and went on his way.

Sometimes a slight change in perspective or strategy makes all the difference.  If what you are doing is not working, Change!

Remember, it is not WHAT you say; rather is is HOW you say it.
The new sign read: "Today is Spring and I cannot see it."

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Saturday, October 2, 2010

"Take the Leap" by Robin Sharma


Nothing happens until you move. It's so very easy to postpone personal greatness by spending more time hoping your life and career will get to world-class rather than taking some action-today-to move the dream forward. It's so easy to get seduced by all those little distractions clamoring for your attention and neglect to engage in those small steady movements that, over time, amount to giant gains and spectacular wins. And yet your days are your life in miniature. And as you live your days, so you create your life.

Big idea: a single decision, made today, can change your future. Alter your course-completely. Help you see a whole new world. The life you now see is not necessarily the life you will have in a year or two years or in a decade. And you truly can change it all with a decision. A decision to get fit. A decision to be more disciplined (it starts small). A decision to be a source of positive energy and inspiration to everyone you meet. A decision to show leadership rather than play victim. A decision to beat your fears. A decision to shine.

Getting to your best requires that you act and passionately make bold strides. No great human being reached their mountaintop just by hoping it would happen. Hope is important. Add focus, persistence and, above all else, action and special things happen. So take the leap. Today.

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"Sell Like John Lennon" by Darren Hardy

John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is his real name.

John sells exclusively on a single street called South Pointe Drive, located in an exclusive area called SoFi (South of Fifth). His sales territory consists of six über-luxury high-rises along the cruise ship waterway and Miami Beach front.

In the past 15 years, John has sold more than $3 billion in real estate on this street (do the math on 3 percent commission—that’s almost as much as the other John Lennon made!).

John took Georgia and me to lunch a couple days ago to give us an update on our property and the market. I took the opportunity to try and pry out the secret to his extraordinary success.

I found it! And now I will pass it along to you too…
I asked, “John, there are hundreds of agents who (attempt to) sell in this market, how do you sell 100-times more than most everyone else?”

John explained, “When I started out I was in an office of four other agents. We all took turns handling incoming foot traffic . We all had the same number of prospects to work with. Each of them would close a deal once every three to four months; I was closing 31 per month. The difference was I wasn’t selling what they were selling. Sure, the same building and same apartment units, but I was selling something different for every different person.

“One time, the building developer called me to ask what I had sold that day. I said, ‘I sold a $4 million parking space, a $2.8 million gym and spa access pass and a $6 million closet. And each came with an apartment included. The developer was perplexed, ‘What do you mean you sold a $4 million parking space?’ I explained that I had discovered that was what was most important to that person. He had vintage cars and had a bad experience in a previous building. I spent an hour explaining the security, safety and cleanliness of our underground parking and he couldn’t write the check fast enough.”

John went on to explain to me, “Most salespeople try to sell everything to every person every time. Huge mistake. A realtor will show all the units available in someone’s price range pointing out all the features and everything they like about each place. Even if a client points out something they like, they continue on showing more units (selling), ‘Oh, you also need to see this unit, the view is spectacular.’ All the options create a blur of complexity extinguishing their desire to make a decision and buy. All the while it was simply the parking space they would have been most interested in anyway.

“I don’t sell at all (of sorts); I ask questions, listen and observe. I find out what’s really most important to them and focus my education on those features. That way they discover what they were really looking for…  and they buy it.”

How you too can sell like John Lennon :

1. See everyone as unique. What you assume people are most interested in is mostly incorrect. Start with that assumption.

2. Ask questions. You’ve heard this a hundred times, but you are still making more statements than you are asking questions. Stop it.

3. Watch and listen. If/when you finally do ask questions, listen closely and continue to probe until you discover their real hearts’ desires.

4. Restrain yourself. This is the hardest step—to stop selling. Insecure sellers make a sale and then ‘buy it back’ because they keep talking, showing presenting or selling. Once you discover their core motivation, connect it with your solution then stop and ask them to buy.

5. Serve, don’t sell. There are countless times when John was servicing my unit, performing functions well below his pay grade. The result? Well, I am writing about him now. No wonder he doesn’t have to sell! There is a clue in that.

And lastly, as the other John Lennon would say, “Only people just know how to talk to people. Only people know just how to change the world. Only people realize the power of people. A million heads are better than one, so come on, get it on!”

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