Now that you have taken inventory of your life and career, what are you going to do about it?  If you’re perfectly happy you don’t need to do anything.  If you want more money, more satisfaction in your career and life, a more rewarding feeling every day in what you do, more recognition, more confidence, more enjoyment and more security, then you must change.

Change is inevitable and is happening at an alarming rate.  If you sit on the sidelines technology will pass you by and render you obsolete.  Just look at computers, cell phones, computer games and the Internet and how they have changed your way of life.  We depend on computers and cell phones more today than ever before.  If you are not knowledgeable on today’s technology you are being passed over by younger and savvier competitors.

You need not be afraid.  You can learn and reap the benefits.  Identify the areas of concern for your career and stay on the cutting edge.  Develop a plan for continuous success.  Review the section on taking inventory of your life and career.

What do you like to do?  What don’t you like to do?  Too many of us have been trained to concentrate on our weaknesses and not on our strengths.
Find out where you have been successful and where you have failed or hated what you were doing.  We have been conditioned to look at our weaknesses and improve on what we don’t do well.  How about improving on what we do well and becoming the best on our strengths?

Many people don’t like to travel or be away from home too long.  Why take a job where you travel excessively and miss life.  Some people love to travel and can’t wait to get on the road again.  Why take a job that makes you sit in an office all day.  Day after day after day.  Some people like to work from their home and others need the structure of the office environment. Some people like the outdoors while others like being inside.

Are you the type that needs supervision and constant hand holding, while others like to work on their own and make their own deadlines to accomplish the task.  Being a manager is not for everyone.  Some people are not good at delegating and holding people accountable.  Many companies have dual careers and pay the same for managers and successful sales professionals.

Do you have a hobby and wish you could do it all day.  Be careful for what you wish for.  A hobby can be just a hobby and not something that you would be successful doing for a career.  Can you make a good living at your hobby?  Is there a demand for your hobby?  Did you consider the expenses before you make a profit?  Did you consider the overhead, hours, responsibility and expenses of your hobby as a career?  If the answers make sense then your hobby may be the solution and be a lot of fun.  You always hear people saying.  I would do this if I did not make any money.  Of course it always comes from someone who is making a lot of money doing something that they are good at.

Do you have the talent to do what you want?  Maybe you don’t have the talent to be a football star, baseball star, musician, singer, actor or Olympian.  Maybe you could still be in the field that you love but in a different capacity.  How about a trainer, front man, marketer, spokesperson, accountant for the star, manager for the team or star or booking agent.

What would make your job easier and make you more successful?  Maybe you need more financial information about your company y.  Have you ever thought about approaching the CFO and asking him or her how to read the annual report, stock reports or how to understand the intricacies of the financial makeup of the company?  Most CFO’s would love to explain the job that they do everyday.  Do you own any stock in the company?  Have you read the company’s web page and there articles and press releases.  Having the knowledge about your company shows management that you’re interested in your career.  Knowledge is the power.  Ask for free tickets to the next trade show that your company is involved.  Learn about your competitors.

Start a knowledge notebook with information about stock prices, products, brochures, tech documents, glossary of terms, answers to objections, corporate officers, and annual reports.  Remember knowledge is power and the spoils go to the person with the knowledge.

Before you can change your life for the better, you must take inventory of where you are today.  There are several questions that you must ask yourself before you can move on.  You must be honest with yourself or you will be in the same place a year from now.

1. Where am I today?
• In debt
• No job
• Dead end job
• Hate your present job
• Poor Health
• Bad Marriage
• Physically Challenged
• Married/ not Married
• Children/ no Children
• Limited Education
• No time
• Not making enough money
• Can’t communicate well
• Limited vocabulary
• Can’t focus
• Don’t fit in
• Don’t dress well

2. What made you take the job that you are in today?
• Needed any job to pay the bills
• Temporary or you thought as the years went by
• Looked like a great career move
• Good Company
• Good stock plan
• Lots of money
• Near home – didn’t have to move
• Friends or family recommended company
• Great product or service
• Promised development and management training

3. What changed in your life?
• New Boss or management
• More hours
• Company sold or merged
• More responsibilities
• Less help
• New location
• Longer commute
• Smaller or no office
• Forced to work from your home
• Pressure due to declining sales
• Product or service does not work well
• Commissions or salary cut
• Benefits cut
• Forced Vacation

4. What changed at home?
• Divorced or going through a divorce
• Just got married
• Just had children
• Health problems
• Drugs or alcohol problems
• Death in the family
• Depression issues
• Family Problems
• Pressure at home
• You Changed
• House Foreclosed
• Evicted
• Not enough money coming in
• Automobile Problems
• New girlfriend or boyfriend
• You are unfaithful
• Your partner is unfaithful

5. What did you want to be when you grew up?
(Some people knew from an early age what they wanted to do)
• Musician
• Doctor
• Actor
• Writer
• Fireman
• Superman
• Superwoman
• Baseball Player
• Football Player
• Tennis Player
• Olympic Star
• Carpenter
• Stockbroker
• Banker

6. What happened when you grew up?
• The dream faded
• Didn’t have the talent
• Didn’t have the drive
• Didn’t have the support
• Injury curtailed your dream
• Changed your mind
• Reality set in
• Never knew what you wanted to do
• Need a counselor
• Went for the money not the dream
• Became the person I wanted to be (Congratulations)
• Followed my dream
• Now understand what I want to do

7. What can I do today?
• Where are your strengths?
• What are your experiences?
• What do you want to do?
• Is it a hobby?
• Can you make enough money to survive?
• Can you do it part time until you can make the same amount of money?
• Will you be happier if you start immediately?
• Do you need more schooling?
• Is there an organization that you should join?
• Do you have friends in new profession?
• Are there magazines that you should have subscriptions?
• Did you search the web for help and information?
• Are you happy where you are today?
• Can you learn more to make more?
• Do you need communication help?
• Join Toastmasters
• Take a class at a local community college?

The bottom line is, be proactive.  There is a wealth of help on the web. Maybe you would be happier at the job you are in today if you keep learning. The problem with most people is they stop learning after a year on the job. Keep learning and you will become the expert that people look up to.  Good Luck out there.

Several replies from Sales managers on Coaching for Success came in explaining why they can not be an effective coach even though they believed in the concept.  The most widely reason was lack of time and resources.  Over the last 10 years many managers do not have secretaries or administrative assistants anymore.  The managers have more pressure on them to have their salespeople produce with less training and support.  Many managers have quotas of their own.  It’s very confrontational and their salespeople are not honest.

Forget the past and go forward.  It’s never too late to change. Most people have no idea of their earning power.  Most people stop learning after they graduate from college or High School.  Many salespeople stop learning after they have been with a company 6 months.  They think they know it all. Business is changing daily.

The business of selling is mostly a numbers game.  The more calls you make, the more leads you have, the more leads you have, the more presentations you have, the more presentations you have, the more closings you will have.  It sounds simple but in practice it’s a tough job. Fraught with rejection and tedious calls.

1. Do you know your product or service inside and out?  Take the time to learn about your company, products, services and solutions. Spending one to two hours a week to learn about your products and services pays dividends for life.  Never stop learning.  A good coach will hold you accountable for this task.
2. Do you know your potential customer and their needs and pain?  Did you use the web to research your potential customer?  A good coach will hold you accountable for this also.
3. Prepare your presentation.  Know what you are going to say to different levels of customers.  Do you have a script for decision makers, administrative assistants, CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s, and other levels that you may encounter?  A good coach will role play with you until you become an expert.
4. Do you have good telephone skills?  A good coach will work with you and make sure you are a skilled expert on the phone.  Use techniques like standing up using headsets.  Look into a mirror.  Be animated. This puts excitement into your voice.
5. Can you handle objections?  Do you have a list of the most frequently asked objections and do you have the answers?  A good coach will work with you until you can handle any objection smoothly.
6. Don’t get distracted.  Stay with your plan.  Do you have a plan? Most people are getting ready unless something else comes up.  A good coach will review your plan every week and help you change it to fit the results that you want.  Time management is essential to getting the most out of every day. A good coach will monitor this with you.
7. Read some good books. Keep on top of the learning curve and stay current. Find out what your clients are reading. Reading stimulates your mind and will help open up new and fresh ideas.
8. Use your existing customers to learn why they bought your services or products. Most customers would be happy to share this information with you and feel honored that you are interested in their comments.  How did it solve their problems?  What would they change?  Would they do it again?  Did they save money, time, and did they make additional income?

Coaching can be one on one, two on one, or a group with similar needs with one coach.  Coaching calls should be geared specifically toward your business.  Coaching will give you the guidance to make your business better. Your coach should directly address your individual needs and give you solutions to produce results.  You and your coach should monitor your numbers every week to keep you focused.  Always track your numbers.

Get yourself a coach today and start monitoring your goals and desires. Remember without accountability, you will fail to recognize poor performance.  Good luck and make lots of money.

You’re OK, but maybe you’re thinking my job sucks, my boss sucks, my life sucks.  The question is “What are you going to do about it” Don’t quit your job because the next one, if you get one, could be worse or just the same.  I have a 10 step plan to improve your life starting today.  Are you ready to change your life and develop a new improved you?

Over the last 1000 seminars I have asked everyone in the room three questions.  I ask them to take out a piece of paper but not to put their name or company on the paper. I ask them:

1. Do you love your job? Do you look forward every morning to getting up and going to work or would you rather be doing something else?
2. Do you hate your boss? Do you get the respect and recognition that you deserve?
3. Do you hate your life? Are you happy with your life or would you like to improve?

Almost everywhere in the world I have received about the same percentages to the questions:

1. Do you hate your job?  67% said they hate their job.
2. Do you hate your boss?  62% said they hate their boss.
3. Do you hate your life?  20% said they hate their life.

Let’s get started with step 1 – Taking Inventory.

I want you to get a notebook of some sort and start taking inventory of your life.  Answer this question first.  Where am I today?  By that, I mean list everything about yourself to find out where you are today and be honest.  As examples list If you are in debt.  Do you have credit card debt, car loans, mortgages 1st and 2nd, equity loans and any other debt?  Do you have a job? Were you fired, laid off, just out of school and searching?  Do you hate your job?  Is it a dead end job?  Do you love your job? Are you in good or bad health?  Are you handicapped or challenged?  Are you married?  Is it a good or bad marriage?  Do you have children?  Do you want children?  Do you have a degree from High School, College or higher degree?  Are you making enough money?  Do you have time for extra activities out side of work? Do you fit in?  Can you communicate well with others?  Can you communicate with the management above you? D o you have a small or large vocabulary?Can you focus or do you have ADD?

Take the time and answer these questions and add more as you think of them.

Next ask yourself.  What made me take the job that I have or just left?
Was it temporary?  Did you need the job to pay the bills?  Looked like a great career move.  Good company, great stock, great salary, near home, friends or family recommended the company, and other reasons. They had a great product or service. Promised development and management training.

What changed in your job?  New management, new boss, more responsibilities, more hours, less money, less benefits, less help and other issues.  Did the company relocate, no parking, limited parking, longer commute, smaller or no office?  Did they ask you to work out of your home with no secretarial help?  Did they cut your commissions or salary? Maybe the company’s sales are down and there is more pressure to bring in revenue.  Did they force you to take a vacation over the holidays and it conflicted with your planned vacation?

What changed in your life?  Did you get married, divorced, or have children? Are you on drugs or have an alcohol problem?  Did you have an accident that affects your job or life?  Are you depressed, or experienced a death in the family?  Do you have new interests? Do you have family problems with your spouse, children or parents?  Is there pressure at home to provide more then you make?  Are you in foreclosure on your house, behind in payments or evicted?  Have you changed or grew mentally and maybe in size? Have you been unfaithful to your spouse or lover?  Did you get older and lose your energy and ability to compete?

Some people knew what they wanted to be when they grew up from an early age.  Others may take a lifetime if they ever find it. Some people knew they wanted to be a doctor, musician, actor, writer, fireman, lawyer, sports figure, stockbroker or tradesman.  Sometime it comes from the parents or another authority figure who was admired. Many of us need to experience many different fields to find out what we want.

Make a list of what you like to do and don’t like to do. Do you like to travel and see the world? This requires you to stay away from home and miss many events. Do you like to work in an office or outdoors? Do you have a hobby that be turned into full time employment? Many of us have made choices to be where we are without realizing that it is the right choice. Now we have to find a way to make you successful in the job you have today.

Careers have been ruined because of poor communication skills.  Even when you were the best candidate for the job, you lost because of poor communication skills without knowing the true reasons of why you were overlooked.  There are some people that have natural communication skills because of where they were born and brought up.  Better education, better neighborhoods, helpful and influential parents are some of the reasons some get a head start.  You can overcome all of these by becoming a student of Effective Persuasive Communication.  Have you ever noticed that some people seem to get all the breaks and you get left behind even though you knew you could do the job?

Just because you knew you could do the job did not convince those above you  who make the decisions.  It’s true in social networks also.  Many of us are judged by how we act, look and communicate.  In men, at very early ages we are judged by how strong we are, how good looking we are, how smart we are, how athletic we are, how fast we are, how rich we are, how we interact with girls, how confident we are, who are parents are and the list goes on.  Everyone finds their place in life.

Some stay with that lot in life and others choose to change.  Will you change today?

Look at the recent political debates that went on for the President of the United States.  Their political careers were at stake and maybe their future in other endeavors because of poor communication.  George W. Bush is a poor communicator and it showed up more than ever during these debates and the last several months of his Presidency.  I cannot understand with all his power and money why he could not get help with his speeches and spontaneous remarks.  President Obama on the other hand was a great communicator.  He told the people what they wanted to hear in a clear, easy to understand dialogue.

You need to communicate and leave a message that is easy to understand to grow in an organization.  The same holds true in any facet of life. Become an expert in your field and be prepared.  Great athletes are always prepared on the field.  Boxers are always prepared in the ring.  Great comedians are always prepared on the stage.  They are even prepared off the stage.

I once interviewed some of the funniest and successful comedians of all times, Milton Berle, Rich Little, Art Linkletter, Sid Caesar, and Don Rickles to name a few.  I asked them how they continually were funny all the time.  All of them said the same thing, prepare before every event even if it’s a lunch, dinner or cocktails not just a performance on stage.  Milton Berle showed me his file cabinets full of jokes and stories.  He had them categorized into genres so he could quickly pull out the material he wanted for the event.  He also told me that even if he was going to a lunch with friends he would prepare several jokes and stories that he thought would fit the lunch date and events of the day.  When the opportunity arose he could quickly tell a joke or story as if it was spontaneous.  Of course it does help when you are naturally funny but we can all achieve better results if we plan.

You are an interesting person and we need to hear from you. You need to communicate and leave a message to grow in an organization.  Become an expert in your field.  It doesn’t take a lot of work. Read, use the web, research, make a glossary of words, interview others in the field, even in your own company.  Have you ever noticed that when you are trying to have a conversation with someone they may be looking around and are only half there.  The problem is most people are just waiting to get their turn to speak in a conversation and are not listening to you.  You have probably done the same.  You are trying to think about what you are going to say next as soon as the other person shuts up. You can overcome these obstacles and be the center of attraction.

Know your audience and speak to their level.  Some say that you need to address most audiences at a 7th or 8th grade level for comprehension to sink in and be retained.  In other words don’t try to impress with large words and heavy subjects.  Listen to some of the masters to get a feeling of the cadence and timing.  Try to find some Zig Zigler or Earl Nightingale CD’s.  Earl Nightingale was the co founder of Nightingale-Conant, the largest producer of tapes and CD’s of great speakers.  Earl Nightingale was also the voice of Sky King and many others on radio for years.  Just his voice alone on radio could transport you into the story.  Also listen to Anthony Robbins, Tony Alessandra and Patricia Fripp.  Listen to their tone, cadence, and how they add in humor, stories and word pictures.  Once you find your voice you can now tell your stories with great interest and have people waiting for your next word.

Remember to always be prepared with jokes, stories and humorous quotations to fit the occasion.  Try starting off a story with some questions, quotations or startling remarks to gain attention.  One person told a story by starting out with, “My husband is a killer, he has killed before and will kill again”.  That statement got everyone’s attention.  She was talking about her husband the bug exterminator.  You could ask several questions to gain attention.  For example: Have you ever fallen over 100 feet tied to a tree by vines?  Have you ever experienced being dropped in a free fall only to be snapped up a few feet from the ground?  Have you ever had your breath taken away and thought you were going to die?  These questions were posed by someone who experienced bungee cord jumping in the jungles of Borneo while being tied to a tree by vines.  Sometimes a quotation by a famous person can get the attention you are looking for to tell your story.

Next make about 3 or 4 points for a 5 minute speech.  You don’t want to bore the audience.  Let them digest your points.  End by summarizing your message and either appeal or urge your audience to action.  If you are in a small group and just want to be noticed or be part of the group, prepare some jokes or stories that you think will fit in.  A good source for quotations is “The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn”.  Check out the web for sources for jokes and stories and put them into your own style.

Good luck and always keep your ears open for good material. Write them down and make your own file cabinet full of fun and laughter.

Today, you can make a decision to change your life forever.

Today, you can make a decision to take your career and your life to a new level.

We all try to persuade others to get what we want.  If you’re honest with yourself, we are all trying to get something from someone else.  Some of you may be thinking that you love people and try to be a good person, but I contend that you are getting something from everything that you do.  Even if it’s gratification and maybe the slightest feeling of being appreciated or valued.

Maybe you’re a salesperson, teacher, marketer, coach, therapist, consultant, mentor or parent.  It’s rewarding when you can help someone else.  It’s rewarding when you have the answers.

We all want to persuade others to get what we want.  What do you want?  If you’re a salesperson you want others to buy your products.  The same holds true for marketers.  You want to sell more products and get more market share.  You want to get the name of your product in front of the masses.

If you’re a teacher, you want to open the minds of the young to the vast knowledge of this world.  You want to build strong minds and good citizens that respect each other.

Maybe you would like to be more successful, make more money, have more business, have security, and be independently wealthy.  Would you like to be recognized, appreciated, valued, liked and loved?  Do you want others to find you humorous and entertaining?  Would you like to better at your job and get promoted?

How do you persuade others to get what to want?  The answer is  through communication.  Most people do not spend enough time thinking about what they are going to say to another person or group.  Some people have a genuine fear of public speaking or standing out.  They may be comfortable with family and close friends but not in front of strangers.  Maybe you don’t want to be thought of as a fool or be embarrassed.  Some people actually freeze in front of audiences and some  just fear the thought of getting up in front of an audience.

We once had a speaker at a group  who was supposed to be a professional speaker. He started out OK, but then forgot his next line.  He started over and got more confused while he slowly started to sweat and freeze on the stage.  It took two of us to carry him off the stage.

If you are trying to get another person to listen, you need to perfect your communication skills.  How much do you know about your product or subject?  Can someone put holes in it?  Can you recover?  Do you know what the customer or the person you are talking to really wants to hear.  It’s all about them and their pain.

Pain can be challenges or problems that they are facing.

It’s a me generation out there.  They call it the millennium generation.  They have more knowledge of advanced technology then any generation before them.  They are more into themselves and into instant gratification.  They grew up with advanced cell phones, the best animated computer games ever produced, High definition TV, GPS, Text Messaging, and more violence in the schools then ever before.

Joey on the TV show Friends made a statement to his aspiring soap opera class.  He said “In order for some of you to be successful in soap operas you need to get better looking” Fortunately if you are a good communicator you don’t need to get better looking.  You can get what you want out of life by learning to communicate your message.

Most of my students in my workshops have been from the Sales and Marketing ranks but lately I have seen many others just trying to better at their vocation.  I have had students that have told me that they were tired of being ignored in life.  They were tired of not being promoted, not getting salary raises and bonuses.  This can be corrected and you can learn to get what you want out of life.

Next time we will discuss the steps to take to be a great communicator.