“I will live this day as if it is my last.” - from The Scroll Marked V, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

I’ll never forget the scene in “Dead Poets’ Society” when Robin Williams lines his students up in the hallway in front of the pictures of students from years past and whispers in their ears, “Carpe diem, boys…seize the day”. The Scroll Marked V reminds us of this valuable lesson in a powerful way: don’t just seize the day…seize it as if it were your last!

I encourage you to consider that everything you’ve ever been told about guilt and worry is wrong (that is, unless you’ve been fortunate enough to be told that they are both wasted energy). Unscrupulous and/or misguided parents, teachers, leaders and managers have for centuries used guilt and worry to manipulate those under their supervision to do what was expected of them; that kind of manipulation is certainly effective at motivating in the short-term, but the long-term stress it causes ultimately destroys any motivation and puts the subject in a state of constant, immobilizing fear.

Have a look around and you’ll see what I mean. Way back in 1854, Henry David Thoreau identified the cumulative effect of this kind of manipulation when he wrote that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desparation”. How many of your friends, neighbors and co-workers does that describe? The problem, of course, is fear. Fear that yesterday’s transgressions will somehow prevent us from succeeding today; fear, too, that we won’t be up to the challenges that tomorrow presents.

That’s all wrong, though. The sole purpose of guilt and anxiety is to motivate us to behave differently, not to paralyze us. Feeling guilty about some past wrongdoing is okay so long as it moves us to do everything in our power not to repeat the pattern; wallowing in guilt to the point that we can’t move beyond it is missing the point. And anxiety over our future should move us to do everything we can, so long as we can, to make sure that future is bright; becoming paralyzed by the anxiety and worry is foolish.

The past and the future have one very important thing in common: you have no control over either. Fretting about things you have no control over is self-destructive. Wouldn’t you be much better served if you expended that same energy on the now, the only moment you have any control over? Of course you would. And yet so many of us struggle with remaining firmly rooted in the present moment. What can we do to make the most of the now? Mandino tells us:

“I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence. Where there are idle mouths I will listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where there are idle bodies I will visit not. Henceforth I know that to court idleness is to steal food, clothing, and warmth from those I love. I am not a thief. I am a man of love and today is my last chance to prove my love and my greatness.”

The key is to recognize the destruction wrought by guilt and anxiety and to seize each day, each moment as if it were your last. How do you want to spend your last minutes? Worrying about a past you can’t change or a future you can’t control? Those aren’t fatalistic questions; they’re a wake-up call that should cause us to stop and assess how we’re spending our minutes. Are you spending yours wisely?

If, for whatever reason, you haven’t been living up to your potential, you get to start again today. You can choose, right NOW, this very moment, to start again. That’s the beauty of being present: each moment is NOW and can be a fresh start on your path to success. All you have to do is decide how to spend this moment, then this one, and again this one.

If you’ll choose to exercise that control and to spend each day living as if it’s your last on this earth, you’ll live a life full of purpose. And whatever your chosen path or profession, pursuing it fully on purpose will make you a great success.

“I will live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.”

“I am nature’s greatest miracle.” - from The Scroll Marked IV, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

By now I hope it’s clear that the path to becoming the greatest salesperson (or anything else) in the world is mainly an effort made with your attitude and beliefs rather than your skills and methods. The greatest challenge a salesperson has to overcome to acheive success is the challenge of mastering his or her own mind! The first three scrolls have taught us the importance of optimism, love and persistence. The fourth scroll sets out the importance of a healthy dose of self-esteem.

Without a proper view of yourself, success is next to impossible. The person who constantly degrades himself is assured of fulfilling his own prophecies. I have a question for you: when is the last time you gave yourself a little encouragement? We are ususally so quick to condemn ourselves as failures that we often forget how truly wonderful and miraculous we are. Just the fact that you can breathe, beat your heart, convert food into fuel, ward off disease, think about a beautiful sunset and a billion other things all at the same time is a miracle; you should be constantly amazed at how incredible you are!

This isn’t an invitation to become an egomaniac; nobody likes a braggart. At the same time, though, you must begin to develop and maintain the proper level of self-respect. You are truly a wonder of creation, and you should celebrate that each and every day you live.

In many ways, you are no more or less wonderful than any other human being who ever walked the planet; on the other hand, the qualities and characteristics that make you unique are your greatest assets, and they do set you apart from the rest of humanity. Look at those traits as your allies; celebrate your individuality and use it to your advantage. You have strengths that no one else has; use them to the full.

Too often we focus on trying to be the same as everyone else. We mistakenly believe that the path to success is to follow the pack and do what they do, sacrificing our uniqueness to be more like the herd. In truth, though, that’s the surest path to mediocrity there is, for it hides our individual talents. We forget that we are special, and so we tend to sell ourselves short.

Remember this passage from The Scroll Marked IV:

“Since the beginning of time never has there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my hair, my mouth. None that came before, none that live today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and think exactly like me. All men are my brothers yet I am different from each. I am a unique creature.”

Be unique. Be yourself. The worst thing you can do for yourself or your career is to be forgettable. If you can get them to remember you, the chances that they’ll buy from you are greatly increased. Dare to be outrageous and to have fun and to celebrate your individuality. If you do, you’ll have the advantage of being memorable.

“I will persist until I succeed.” - from The Scroll Marked III, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

This principle has become my personal mantra over the course of the last few years. I remember a former employer whose favorite phrase was “Persistence overcomes resistance”, and that phrase has stuck with me through some pretty challenging times.

It’s a fact: the last few years haven’t been easy on anyone. The reason I created Motivation 101 and started this blog was that I kept hearing people around me talking like they were ready to just give up and run for cover; I knew that was the wrong response, and I felt compelled to jump in and do something about it. So I recorded an audio program in a friend’s garage. He produced it, and I started making CDs in my home office and handing them out to anyone who was willing to listen.

The feedback was encouraging: most of the people I talked to were discouraged, but not quite ready to roll over just yet. We would talk about their challenges and how the principles of positive thinking and persistence were the only things getting them by. Some of them had lost jobs, homes, credit scores and personal dignity. It had all taken a toll on their self-image, but they hadn’t given up. They wanted to keep going, and we were able to offer each other mutual encouragement.

The one thing I learned from these folks is expressed nicely in the words of the Scroll Marked III: “Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.”

No, one step at a time is not too difficult. When crossing a great desert, it’s best to focus on only one thing: your next step. So long as you can put one foot in front of the other, even if it’s a weak and wobbly step, you survive. It’s only when you give up and stop moving forward that you doom yourself.

Success comes down to one thing: how many times you’re willing to hear “No,” or “Sorry, not today,” or “You’re not what we’re looking for,” or “You’re just not good enough,” and still come back to ask again. My friends at Go For No! call it your No Quotient, and I agree when they say that your NQ is far more important than your IQ; after all, we all know a few broke geniuses, people with high IQs and low net worths. The reverse is true as well, and we do well to pay attention to that lesson.

We talk a lot about “raising your tolerance for rejection” and “failing your way to success”, but there’s more involved than just blindly, relentlessly pushing forward. Sometimes life gives you feedback you need to pay attention to. In addition to persisting, you should also be willing to adapt and learn as you go. The ability to grow as well as persist is an unstoppable combination.

Mandino compares persistence to the series of single, weak axe-blows that fell the mighty oak, the tiny rain drops that wash away the mountain. No single blow or rain drop could do the job on its own; only their repetitive persistence will get it done.

Are you willing to take the persistence challenge?  If so, remember that there’s only one rule in this game: “So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.”

“I will greet this day with love in my heart.” - from The Scroll Marked II, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

Love can be hard to pin down to a single definition. In the second principle for becoming the greatest salesperson the world has ever seen, qualities like gratitude, passion, enthusiasm and optimism are grouped under the subject of love; each of these facets of love is required to truly succeed as a salesperson.

Think of the mental outlook this principle encourages the would-be salesperson to embrace: if you truly greet the day with love in your heart, do you think that a little discouragement or rejection will stop you? That’s the power of optimism, the part of love that’s always looking to the future with hope and a smile.

Mandino nails it when he says that “only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men”. You’ve likely seen this in action. Think of the last time you were dealing with a real skeptic, a nay-sayer who had absolutely no interest in hearing about what you had to offer. How would you set about winning such a person over to your way of thinking? Would you try to persuade with logic and reasoning? Try that and let me know how it works out. Trying to convince another person they’re wrong with logic is like pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks up a hill: no fun at all.

If, on the other hand, that same person was able to see your passion and enthusiasm for your offering in action, they might eventually warm up to hearing what you have to say. It reminds me of the Tom Sawyer story about the picket fence: Tom is able to convince the other kids in the neighborhood to pay him for the privilege of doing his chores, not by reasoning with them, but by demonstrating how much he enjoyed doing the task. And even though Tom was faking his enthusiasm for the job, the other children caught his enthusiasm and begged to be allowed to do the work. Imagine how much more effective sincere enthusiasm would be! That’s the power of love.

How exactly does one “greet the day with love”, though? I love Mandino’s explanation:

“Henceforth will I look on all things with love and I will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.”

Once again, it comes down to the choices we make. When it comes to feeling and expressing love, gratitude helps. If we’re grateful for what we have, even what challenges us, we can show it love. If we lack gratitude and are always wishing we had something better, love is going to be hard to find. And who decides whether we are grateful or not? I think you know the answer. Gratitude, like any trait, is something we have to choose to maintain.

A secret formula for expressing this love is to “in silence and to myself…address him (those you come in contact with) and say I Love You.” Why? because, “though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo in my voice; and his heart will be opened.” Master that ability, “and who is there who will say nay to my goods when his hearts feels my love?”

To quote Huey Lewis, that’s the power of love!

“Today I begin a new life.” - from The Scroll Marked I, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

Today begins our consideration of the 10 principles outlined in Og Mandino’s masterpiece, “The Greatest Salesman In the World”. The quote above, extracted from the first scroll is the perfect start to this process (which is probably why Mandino put it first, right?): Today I begin a new life!

I love the power of that statement. It says that even if I go to sleep a failure tonight, I can choose a different path in the morning. Imagine that: every morning, on rising, you have the power to decide! You can decide how you’ll spend the day, whether in activities that will carry closer to your goals or in procrastination, worry and anxiety; it’s entirely up to you. The question is, what will you do with your power?

I love the next line: “Today I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity.” That, dear readers, is the power of choice. The fact that you can, at any moment, shed the skin of failure and mediocrity and choose to pursue greatness. Each of us has that ability. I know that can sound like a load of new-age, feel-good, touchy-feely crap to someone who’s feeling down-and-out; I wish there was a way for me to assure you that you can do incredible things if you just want to badly enough, but that’s a lesson you have to learn for yourself.

Think of all the times you’ve ever faced a crisis situation, whether it was emotional, physical or financial. Let me ask you: how did it feel to be in that moment? Pretty desparate, right? And yet, looking back on it, how does it feel now? Time has a way of lending perspective, doesn’t it? Some of the most desparate situations seem laughable ten years after. We learn along the way that the only way to overcome lifes challenges is to continue to put one foot in front of the other, to lean a little harder into it, to get up tomorrow and start all over again.

This isn’t drudgery or resignation, though; it’s resolution. Do you have that kind of resolution for your business or your sales career? I hope so, because without it, you’re dead before you start. Life is going to hit you pretty hard sometimes. A friend of mine posted a quote on Facebook the other day, and it was incredibly moving. It was from the movie Rocky Balboa:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”

And that’s how we start our journey toward becoming the greatest salesperson (or business person or artist or father) the world has ever seen: by deciding today to begin a new life. Whatever challenges you’ve faced in the past, let them live in the past. The ones who’ve done you wrong, let them go and send a little love their way. The circumstances that have held you back all these years, shake them off and start again. Whatever the mistakes and indiscretions of yesterday, leave them behind and embrace the gift of NOW. It’s the only moment that really exists, anyway, so why not direct all your effort and energy to making it the best NOW it can be?

“Today my old skin has become as dust. I will walk tall among men and they will know me not, for today I am a new man, with a new life.”

Joel D Canfield, The Commonsense Entrepreneur

***Note from Jerry: I’m looking forward to a lively debate on this one.  My friend, Joel D Canfield, wrote this post.  I’m guessing some of you will have an opinion you’d like to share with Joel.  I certainly do.  I’ll withhold mine for a couple of days to allow the debate to run its course, then chime in with a post of my own in response (just because we’re friends doesn’t mean we always see eye-to-eye).  Only one rule: play nice.  Let your voice be heard, but please do it respectfully.  Let the games begin! ***

As I sit here waiting for my computer to finally open this image for editing, I ponder my control issues.

My computer isn’t especially slow. I just demand a lot from it. Sometimes it rebels by usurping control. (Tom Berarducci says that spinning hourglass is because computers don’t have the physical facilities to make other gestures.) I sit and watch, unable to click on something else, anything else, so I can do something while I wait on my computer.

Some programmer somewhere decided that my computer and I needed protection from each other; that, at some point, I was going to ask too much, or the wrong thing, and that it’s best to decide on my behalf when I should click, and when I should sit and wait.

It’s maddening. Yes, I know that if I go do other things, the already-slow process will become slower. And if I do too much, I can bog it down to the point that it appears not to move at all.

I don’t care. It’s my choice. Well, it should be.

When you’re talking to and working with clients or prospects or suspects, do you give them control? Do they know that when and how and if this process moves forward is their choice? Are they comfortable pushing things in a new direction, asking for something that’s not on the menu, engaging you in a dialog that involves more than multiple choice or true and false responses?

Those people who give you the privilege of being in business, your clients and prospects and suspects—do you put them through maddening spinning-hourglass moments where they feel powerless, helpless to do (or get you to do) what they know, clearly and obviously, is the right thing?

My friend Trevor Gay talks about giving power away in order to keep it. Move the fulcrum closer to the work, and your lever is more effective. Move the perception of control to match the center of real control (with them, not you) and you become more effective.

Since parenting skills make great business skills, here’s an example of giving control and being more effective: our 5-year-old loves changing her clothes eleven times a day. She knows something vague about clothing belonging in drawers, but never quite got the concept that similar clothes went in similar drawers, or that the clothing should be clean when it was put in the drawers.

Last time Mommy organised the Little One’s dresser, we took a different tack. Since LO loves maps, Mommy had her draw a map of the dresser, with labels for what clothing went in which drawer. It was fun, but more importantly, it gave her control. She chose what went where. When she was done, she had a map and a process that made sense to her.

And her clean clothes are still in the right drawers, a month later. (I suspect we should add the hamper to the map . . . )

A primary business failure is succumbing to the fear that this one might get away; that if we don’t control the situation, we’ll lose the sale or contract or opportunity. Here’s the reality: you can’t lose control. You never had it.

Enlightened entrepreneurs don’t fear this realisation, they embrace it; they shine a bright light on it; they make real sure their clients and prospects and suspects know who’s really in charge.

Of course, they know already. They just need to know that you know too.

I had a little time to catch up on some reading last week, and I’ve gotta tell you about two fantastic books that you should make it your goal to read as soon as possible.

The first is Og Mandino’s classic “The Greatest Salesman In the World“, and it’s one of those “life-changing” books (so read at your own peril) filled with “a-ha!” moments and epiphanies.  I’ve been hearing about what a great book this is for years, and it did not disappoint.  Mandino, through a cleverly-written business fable, reveals ten principles that will fundamentally change the way you think about selling.  I was so moved by the “secret” principles revealed, in fact, that I’ll be dedicating a post to each of them in the coming weeks.  If you haven’t read it, grab a copy and prepare to be moved.

The second is one of the “new classics” for business: “Go For No!” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz.  Richard and Andrea were kind enough to contribute a guest post here last week, and it’s a great introduction to the ideas presented in the book.  ”Go For No!” is another from the business-fable genre, and an incredibly powerful one at that.  It’s based on the idea that the difference between mediocrity and greatness, in sales or anything else, all comes down to the way you deal with hearing “No”.  Sound familiar? Now you know why I’m such a big fan!  Get your copy today, read it immediately, and start putting the idea into practice!

Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the first part of the new Og Mandino inspired series: “10 Secrets To Becoming the Greatest Salesperson In the World”.

Welcome to the 4th and final step in the Getting to “Yes” series!  By now, all your preparation is done and you’re ready to commence with the presentation of your perfect solution and the conversion of this prospect into a client.

I know you’re probably used to referring to this part as “closing” the deal, but I’m really going to encourage you to change that to “convert” in your mind.  ”Closing” conjures up images of hard-selling and manipulation, and you’ve invested far too much time and effort into this process to revert to those tired old methods now.  The second a prospect feels like they are being “closed”, your chances of getting a “Yes” are seriously diminished; it’s normally at that point that the prospect drops back into “Maybe” mode, and we don’t want to drive them there.

“Closing” also has a note of finality that shouldn’t exist in a selling situation.  In very few instances will this be the only time a prospect has a need for your product or service.  If you “close the deal” and quickly move on to your next kill, you may miss out on those future opportunities; take the time to form a relationship by converting them into a client, though, and you’ll be the one they call next time.

When presenting your solution, you need to make the atmosphere comfortable for your prospect.  Remember: uncomfortable prospects don’t buy.  The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your prospect will be.  And you should be relaxed; you’ve got all the information you need and you’ve created a perfect solution, right?  There’s nothing to be nervous about!

Make the presentation a conversation.  Don’t be so caught up in what you’re saying that you neglect the prospect.  Ask questions, engage with the prospect, and make it a two-way interaction.  Resist the urge to regurgitate information; this is your turn to talk, but that doesn’t mean you have to blow through the presentation without feedback.  Asking questions during the presentation is a sure-fire way to unccover anything that might have been overlooked during your discovery phase.

Now comes the easy part: conversion.

Yes, that’s right: conversion is the easy part.  Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information, created a perfect solution, and presented it to the prospect, conversion should be a cinch.  In fact, I really believe that there is only one question you need to ask after your presentation: Does this make sense to you?  If you’ve done all your homework right, there’s a pretty good chance that the answer will be “Yes”, at which point all that remains is to complete the paperwork.

And if the answer is “No”?  Chances are pretty good that you’ve missed something critical along the way.  It may have been a question that you didn’t ask, or you may have misread the prospects decision-making modality.  Don’t panic!  Simply start asking questions again.  ”You know, Mr. Prospect, I think I must have missed something.  Can you share with me what part of this solution doesn’t make sense to you so that I can understand whether I need to clarify something in the presentation?”  Re-engage in a conversation, find out what you missed, make any necessary adjustments, and set up a time to re-present.

And what about those times when you haven’t missed anything and the prospect still says “No”?  It happens.  Sometimes, for whatever reason, the answer is going to be “No”.  Maybe the prospect has a brother-in-law in the business, and getting your input was just a formality.  Maybe something in your personality rubbed him the wrong way.  Maybe he didn’t get the last jelly donut in the breakroom.  Whatever the reason, “No” happens.  Let me ask you though: would you rather have a “Maybe”?   I didn’t think so!

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, have a good cry if you need to, AND MOVE ON!  I love the phrase SWSWSWN, and I repeat it to myself often.  It means Some Will, Some Won’t, So What, NEXT!  Adopt that philosphy, learn to love “No”, and you’re guaranteed to succeed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these two series as much as I have, and I’d love to hear your feedback.  Please leave your comments on any of the posts, and I look forward to our conversation.

Alright: it’s time to get creative!  So far in the NEADS analysis, you’ve been gatering information: asking questions about the prospect’s current solution and observing their behavior to get a feel for their decision-making modality.  With all this information at your disposal (hopefully you’ve taken a lot of notes!), it’s time to enter the final phase of the NEADS process: the S, which stands for Solution.

WARNING: this does not mean it’s now time to pitch your pre-packaged, canned, one-size-fits-all, “pretty-good” solution.  No, my friend; remember, you’re trying to get a “Yes”, and one sure-fire way to miss that mark is to hit your prospect with a canned pitch!

I’m constantly amazed at the salespeople I encounter who don’t get this.  They listen politely while you talk about what you’re looking for, nodding their heads as if they understand and agree, then tell you why what you’re looking for isn’t really what you want, but they’d like to show you their featured product which is so much better for your situation.  No thanks.  When I encounter a salesperson like that, I say “Good day to you!” and go in search of a HERO instead.

What causes a salesperson to behave like this?  Mental laziness!  They’ve taken the time to learn just enough about their product to be able to regurgitate the company’s sales brochure.  They aren’t really listening when they’re nodding their pointy-little heads, either; they’re thinking of what they’re going to say to “overcome your objections” and waiting for an opportunity to butt-in and start pitching you.  It’s maddening!

You can set yourself apart from these cro-magnon sales brutes by doing one simple thing: give your prospects what they ask for!  By taking all the information you’ve gathered so far and putting your mind to work to come up with an offering that exactly fits your prospect’s needs, you’re immediately in a better relationship with the prospect.  Trust me: the majority of your competitiors are not doing this.  In fact, you may be the first salesperson this prospect has ever encountered who presented him with a solution tailored to his needs instead of trying to cram him into a pre-packaged product.

But what if you don’t have a solution that exactly fits the prospects needs?  You have two choices: you can either get creative and come up with one or you can be honest, tell the prospect “We don’t have what you’re looking for”, and refer him to someone who does.  Those are really you’re only two legitimate choices; if you manipulate the prospect into settling for a solution that doesn’t exactly fit his needs, you’ll damage your relationship permanently.  You’ll lose trust.  You’ll be dealing with buyers remorse, and possibly a cancelled sale.

Don’t be afraid to be creative.  Just because your company might not currently offer an exact solution, talk to others and see if you can come up with a way to do it.  Don’t walk away from the deal just because you don’t feel like thinking!  After all, you have all the information you need: you know what they’re doing now, what the Enjoy about it, what they’d like to Alter and how they’ll be processing the information you present to make their final decision.  If you and your team can’t come up with a perfect solution that exactly fits your prospect’s needs, maybe sales isn’t the right career for you.

Sales isn’t about pitching product; it’s about solving problems.  Again, that’s why you get paid the big bucks!  If you’ll take the time to create a perfect solution for your prospect, “Yes” is just around the corner.  All that remains to be done is present your solution and convert the prospect into a client (AKA “close the deal”).  That’ll be the topic of tomorrow’s post, the 4th step in Getting to “Yes”.  Until then, happy selling!

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And for those of you who just can’t live without it, here’s the take-away from American Idol this week: don’t be forgettable!  When you have an opportunity to be in front of prospects, make it a memorable experience for them.   Instead of the same pitch-fest they’ve heard from every other salesperson they’ve ever seen, be different.  Engage them in a conversation.  Listen to what they have to say.  Be more concerned about helping them solve a problem than in making a commission.  If you can get them to remember you in a positive way, your job is halfway done.

And as for this week’s predictions, I say it’s time for Jermaine, Tim, Haeley and Didi to be “Leaving On A Jet Plane”.  We’ll see if I do any better this week.

Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz of Go For No

The word ‘YES’ is so positive, encouraging… and it means we’re succeeding. ‘NO’ on the other hand, is bad, depressing… and it means we failed.  What if, starting today, the word ‘no’ didn’t stop you? What if every time you heard the word no, you became stronger, more powerful, and more resilient?  Well you can.

For most of us, we don’t like to hear the word “no” when it comes to selling our products and services. We fight our way through it every step of the way.  If you are working your business and when you get a “yes” you feel wonderful and when you get a ”no” you feel bad, then you are going to feel bad pretty often.  Because when you are in business, when you sell anything – especially today – the No’s are out there!  And if you are feeling bad about the “no’s” you get, you might slow down, get discouraged, avoid business building… you might even quit altogether.

Yet there is an irony about Yes and No (Failure and Success) and it is this: when you go out of your way to increase the number of “no’s” you get, the yeses will show up at your door in greater quantities than you ever could have imagined! This is the essence of the “Go for No!” philosophy.

In part it is a “numbers game.” However, in addition to getting more NO’s we want you to start feeling differently about the process. Stop fighting and battling through the NO’s!  So, the question is, how do you start feeling good about hearing “no” in your business?  You can do it by reprogramming the way you think about it.  You must think differently about the no’s that you are hearing. The truth is that when you hear “no” you are taking action in your business and that is a very good thing! Take pride in the NO’s that you are getting. Start rewarding yourself for your the NO’s rather than punishing. After a “no” you must celebrate and at all costs avoid your negative self talk: (“He said ‘no’ – what am I doing? I can’t do this. I’m a total failure”…on and on.)

In fact, we would like to challenge you to get 10 no’s this week. And if you get those 10 no’s we would like you to go out and treat yourself to your favorite thing. Because you are engaging in the success behaviors that are going to take you to where you want to go. And who knows, when you go for those ten no’s there might be some yeses hiding in there!