Obstacles Are Necessary for Success – Insight from Og Mandino

“Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence and thus each obstacle is a comrade-in-arms forcing you to become better… or quit. Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them, and you throw away your future.” -Og Mandino

3 Simple Tips to Increase Your Sales by 30%

Experts have been telling us for years that following up with your prospects and customers can increase your sales by 30%.

Ohhh, I think I just heard a loud groan from quite of few of you, along with, “Follow up? I hate following up, it feels like such a waste of time!”

So if that 30% number is really true, then why do less than 10 percent of salespeople actually follow up?  Well, we’ve got the “usual” reasons: lack of time, desire or it doesn’t work… and that might be true for some, but honestly? The simple fact is that most salespeople have never been taught how to effectively follow up.  And that’s probably not your fault.

Okay, so is it worth it to you if you could make one more sale a week?  What about getting one more qualified referral a week?  30% — that’d be a nice bump right? Yes? YES!!

Now for the disclaimer: there’s no magical follow-up formula, but use these three follow-up techniques and they’ll consistently net positive results.

1.  Find something you have in common with the customer, making your follow-up contact memorable. It could be hobbies, like interests (music, movies, sports, etc.) or philosophies. Just something that will let them know you can relate to them on their level.

2.  Make a friend of the customer – nobody minds being contacted by a friend. This doesn’t mean you have to invite them to your son’s wedding.  It might be something as simple as being more “neighborly” than “salesy”, sharing a joke and a laugh, or getting their advice on something you have in common.

3.  Speak to your customers’ goals, dreams or passions. If your customer loves cooking, send them a subscription to cooking magazine along with a quick reminder of how your product or service could give them more time or money to be doing what they dream of.

Essentially, you’re building a relationship with your customers and finding ways to connect with them only helps you reach that goal because it shows your prospect that you’re interested and willing to take the time to get to know them.

So using the 3 tips above, practice at least five different methods of follow-up – call, write, email, text or drop by. It really is that simple. We recommend you commit to follow up at least five times before you move on.

And finally, track the results of your follow up strategies – at least for a while – for two reasons:

1) to prove to yourself how beneficial effective follow up can be

2) so you can continue to do what brings you the greatest success.

What are you waiting for? Go get that 30% bump!

www.v4all.org 

IMPLEMENT THESE QUICK-AND-EASY HABITS TODAY TO FEEL HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, AND MORE PRODUCTIVE EVERY DAY

IMPLEMENT THESE QUICK-AND-EASY HABITS TODAY TO FEEL HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, AND MORE PRODUCTIVE EVERY DAY.

A habit, according to the dictionary, is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. Habits can be great things to adopt. However, we can all easily fall into poor routines, too…and that’s when bad habits start.

Whether they’re productive or not so much, all humans are creatures of habit. We wake up, brush our teeth, get dressed, go to work, go to sleep, over and over and over again.

Eventually, you have to break the never-ending cycle and change it up a bit, becoming cognizant of the many habits—both good and bad—that we follow in our lives.

I’ve learned this the hard way.

For a long period of time, I had been following the usual routine: wash, rinse, and repeat.  I realized I was so stuck in certain routines that I had become bored with my life and my work.  I needed an outlet to express my creativity, and that’s when I decided things had to change.

Of course, daily life, in general, can be repetitive, but that doesn’t mean you always have to stick with the same routine. Remain aware of the habits you’ve developed; work hard to maintain the good ones and change the bad. {Click to Tweet}

Daily life, in general, can be repetitive, but that doesn’t mean you always have to stick with the same routine. Remain aware of the habits you’ve developed; work hard to maintain the good ones and change the bad.

Here are just a few of the best habits you can adopt today:

MAKE YOUR BED

I know it sounds silly, but you’d be surprised at how much more productive you can be throughout the day if you make your bed in the morning. 

Why? Because it will give you a sense of accomplishment immediately (trust me, I’ve experienced it first-hand).

It also unclutters your space and encourages discipline, as you stick to that morning ritual. Try it out tomorrow morning; you’ll see what I mean.

Related: 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Life

KEEP YOURSELF HYDRATED

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated throughout the day. But did you know it can also impact your mood? There’s even been studies that prove it.

Drinking water is an essential part of every day life. Rather than seeing it as a chore, think of it as having a positive impact on your health. If you don’t think water has enough flavor, try adding some frozen fruit or citrus to it for a burst of flavor.

MEDITATE

If you tend to get stressed out super easily and need a quick break from reality, meditation should be your best friend. This relaxation technique helps you instantly calm down and think clearly; think of it as a mental refresh!

The best part is that you can get a good meditation session in before work to set your mood for the day.

Try this simple meditation exercise:

• Find a quiet spot and sit cross-legged in a comfortable seated position
• Place your palms lightly on top of your knees
• Start taking deep breaths and close your eyes halfway
• Focus on one single (non-moving) object in your sight
• Simply gear all of your energy to this one object and free your mind of any conflicting thoughts

WORK IT OUT

I can’t stress enough how much exercise can greatly impact your life—all the more reason to integrate it into your daily or weekly routine early on.

I never used to exercise and I noticed my mood and energy levels were drastically changing. I had an irregular appetite, frequent mood swings, and serious fatigue all.the.time. Then, I thought: “Why am I sitting here moping around when I can get my life on track?” That’s when exercise came into the picture.

Since I’ve started exercising regularly, my mood hasn’t been changing as often, I have tons more energy, and I can sleep much better.

Since I’ve started exercising regularly, my mood hasn’t been changing as often, I have tons more energy, and I can sleep much better.

Do yourself a favor and do some sort of exercise—even if it’s just 30 minutes—every day. You’ll be happy you did!

MAINTAIN BALANCE 

Maintaining a proper work-life balance can seem like a huge challenge. When you work at least 40 hours a week, it’s difficult to know when it’s time to unplug and unwind. We are often so concentrated on meeting that end sales goal or preparing for that big presentation that we forget to take time for ourselves.

It might be beneficial to designate time for yourself every day so you can actually remember to take a step back. Whether it’s an exercise class, a Netflix binge-watching session, a walk on the beach, or a simple pat on the back, make it a habit to do something nice for yourself everyday. {Click to Tweet}

You don’t have to adopt all of these at once. Make the best out of your daily routine by finding what works for you—not your friends, not your parents, not your roommate—you. Even if you develop just one more effective and empowering habit per day, that will get you on the right track to success.

Use these ten retail selling tips to make sure you get the most from yourself and your crew

Use these ten retail selling tips to make sure you get the most from yourself and your crew:

1. Set the expectation. Before you clock-in or even walk in the door stop yourself and do an expectation check. What are you concentrating on? Will customers be hostile, mean, penny-pinching lookie-lous or will it be a fun day helping people buy from you? One of the old sales pros used to say, "Garbage in, garbage out" so watch what you listen to or watch before coming to work as it might trap you into a negative world-view.

2. Take care in how you look. Yes you can wear sneakers but no, you probably shouldn't. A sign at Piperlime's pop-up store in SOHO said it all, "It's time to give up lazy dressing altogether because its time to look fabulous again. Let's show each other and ourselves a little more respect. Let's put Saturday night effort into Sunday afternoon. Let's remember you get what you dress for so let's get dressed." Excellent points!

3. Watch what you say. It is a fact we love to talk about people. From the craziest Internet stories to celebrity falls from grace, gossip is more popular than ever. The danger is that it comes from a place where we feel better about ourselves at someone else's expense. That's the opposite of selling. You should feel better about someone as a result of them coming in your shop.

4. Don't judge. I know, this is hard but you can't judge a book by its cover or a customer by their clothes. When we do that to try to decide who is worth our efforts, we're oftentimes wrong and settle for crumbs when we can have the whole banquet.

5. You're there to serve. Knights of the round table used to kneel as an act of servitude to their master or to royalty. It was an outward sign of servitude toward another. [Don't confuse this with slavery.] The act of serving another goes back to biblical times and is mentioned throughout literature as one of the greatest gifts to humanity. In retail right now, we often have employees acting as King or Queen, that they are doing the customer the favor. This is wrong.

6. Know your close ratio. Keep count one day of every customer you encounter and every customer you ring up. Divide the two to find your ratio of sales to visits. At first, this might be 1 out of every 10. With practice, you'll find by being aware of all the customers you had to sell, you've made more sales.

7. Sell something you hate. Find the ugliest thing in your store you can. This shouldn't be hard. Determine to find five things about it you love using the feature "it has" to link to the benefit for the customer "so you." What you'll find is that once you give up your assumptions and personal bias, you can find several things to make a compelling case why a customer should buy an item.

8. Stop selling the easy. Sure it's 30% off and has free financing for twenty years. But is that selling? Something like that will sell itself - you're not stretching yourself.

9. Be willing to risk the sale. Sometimes, things just aren't going well. The customer is at odds with you and it just feels like you aren't on the same page. Ask, "Excuse me, but have I done something to offend you?" If you say it without malice or sarcasm most will apologize and give you a reason that has nothing to do with you. Without getting that out of the way though, you're just frustrating yourself and the customer. With addressing it head-on, you oftentimes make the bigger sale.

10. It's just a game. Selling is very fluid, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you blow it and many times you make it happen. The goal is definitely to sell everyone but lighten up, millions of orphans won't miss a meal because a customer walked out on you. Be able to look at a sale afterwards and say, "I could have done this better." Take stock and then move on because you have another opportunity to shine walking in the door. - www.v4all.org

10 WAYS TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

YOU KNOW YOU NEED A GOOD “PERSONAL BRAND”. BUT HOW EXACTLY DO YOU GET ONE? WE’LL TELL YOU 10 DIFFERENT WAYS.
People have always had “personal brands”—everyone who knows of famous women like Amelia Earhart, Gloria Steinem, or Mother Theresa can describe who they are, what they valued, and their life’s mission. Although the concept is not new, the term “personal brand” has become a buzzword only recently.

So what is it, exactly?

Your personal brand is how people see you; how they’d describe you—similar to how people describe famous people or companies. It is the set of values and characteristics that describe who you are and guide your choices—in work and in life.

Your personal brand is what makes you, you.

Being aware of, and ultimately in control of, your personal brand is an essential component of building a successful career. It’s essentially a guiding statement that can help you make personal and professional decisions. A solid personal brand helps people understand who you are, what you offer, what you value, and the quality of work they can expect from you.

It is essentially your reputation.

In the past, your reputation may have been familiar only to those you actually know, such as friends, family members, and colleagues. But the Internet has made everybody’s reputation that much more accessible.Wondering how to be proactive about building your personal brand? These tips are a great place to start: 

1. DEFINE YOUR BRAND

Take out a piece of paper and write down the words and values that people would use to describe you. Be honest and choose words that are positive and authentic to who you are.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has said (in one of my all-time favorite quotes): “We think sometimes we’re only drawn to the good, but we’re actually drawn to the authentic. We like people who are real more than those who hide their true selves under layers of artificial niceties.”  

I believe that you can only be happy when you are accepted for being who you really are. So, as you consider your personal brand, strive to be the best possible version of yourself, but don’t try to be someone you’re not.

2. HAVE A SPECIALTY

Specializing in a skill that is relevant to your field—and being vocal about that!—will help you stand out in the crowd. Companies call this a point of differentiation—consider how your brand (in this case, you) is different from everyone else “on the market”. Why should people choose you over everyone else?

If you can’t think of a skill that’s your specialty, then learn one. This usually means that you have to learn on your own, but that’s easier than ever before—take classes, read industry specific publications, add a passion project, and volunteer for projects that will help you develop your niche. My specialty is blogging and freelance writing and I primarily got my current job because they needed someone who could create and execute blog strategies for clients.

Everyone hopes to be indispensable at work and having a specialty is an excellent way to provide extra value!

3. WRITE YOUR BIO

Write a short bio—or update the one you have!—so you have it ready. A professional bio is a necessity for freelance writing gigs, networking events, speaking on panels, and keeping your LinkedIn profile up-to-date.

Your bio might include your education, work experience, any published writing or press hits, awards you’ve received, volunteer work, and possibly even some of your personal interests.

(I personally love it when people add something quirky at the end of their bio!)

Just make sure to tailor your bio to your audience!

4. CREATE A BLOG OR PERSONAL WEBSITE

When I started my blog, I never imagined that anyone other than my closest friends and family would read it. I certainly never imagined that my blog might help me get hired for new jobs—and yet, that’s exactly what happened.

Blogging is a great, and often free, way to showcase your creativity and non-academic writing. Even if you don’t yet have your dream job, you can write about your dream industry—whether it’s fashion or the environment.

Although many people find blogging to be fun, it can also take a lot of time. If you aren’t interested in blogging, you can still create a personal website, using your name as the domain name, and highlight your skills and experience there.

5. USE LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is yet another Internet home where you can promote your academic or career changes and achievements. It is, essentially, your digital, public resume.

Speaker and strategist, Kelly Hoey, has said: “If you don’t brag about your career and your achievements, who is going to do it? You need to own your expertise and you need to put it out there. If you don’t own your accomplishments, someone else will. It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”

LinkedIn allows you to put your accomplishments out there for the world (and future employers, partners, and connections) to see. Also, if you set up a LinkedIn profile, it will be one of the first things that people see when they search for you online, so it’s another easy way to exercise control over your digital persona.

6. BUILD YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Whether you’re shy or outgoing, it’s important to be able to communicate well—particularly about yourself—as you build your brand.

I recommend taking public speaking courses, writing courses, and simply practicing regularly. Learn how to tell your story. One way to do this is to practice both a personal and a professional “pitch.”

Before networking events, I always prepare a quick summary of my personal and professional interests and experiences. It is really helpful to be able to quickly and concisely explain what you do, why it is important to you, and your extracurricular interests.

7. PARTICIPATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a perfect—and free!—platform for positively promoting your brand. You can share articles, blog posts, and work-related achievements.

You might also follow people in your industry and jump into relevant conversations by using trending hashtags or those that are most popular in your industry.

Just make sure that everything you post on social media is a good representation of your brand. I follow what I call the “The New York Times Test”: If I wouldn’t want it to end up on The New York Times, I don’t post it.

8. BUILD YOUR NETWORK

In order to build and share your personal brand, you need to also be building your professional network—both in and out of the office. Networking isn’t just important when you are looking for a job. If I’ve learned anything from my career profile series, I’ve learned that you can consistently learn from other people’s career paths and insights at every stage of your career.

So take advantage of the opportunities in your city and your industry to meet new people. You never know how that new connection might be of service to you—or you to them—in the future!

9. SAY NO

Now that you have your personal brand in place, protect it. Say no to opportunities, projects, freelance work, or social media posts that are not aligned with your brand.

10. DO GOOD WORK & LIVE YOUR VALUES

Your work and actions speak volumes about your personal brand—and you, as an individual. You can say you hold certain values, but your actions, your experience, and your words have to embody them.

In my office, we have a 360 degree annual review, which means that both your manager and a selection of colleagues all contribute by answering a survey of questions. When I had my annual review, I got a lot of insight into my reputation at the company.

One thing that stuck out was that almost everyone said that I am passionate about both the company culture, client work, and my career. I’ve always thought that being passionate is part of my personal brand, and it became clear through my review that I actually embody that.
urs 
www.v4all.org

17 Ways to Have a More Organized Life

17 Ways to Have a More Organized Life - www.v4all.org

Nothing is better than a home that’s easy to navigate with belongings that are even easier to find. Don’t forget about your office, too—there are plenty of ways to keep your space neat for the most productive of workdays. Check out all of our resolutions for systemization, and get to organizing!

1. Throw away extra things you don’t need.

We’ve got a useful list of things to get rid of for a de-cluttered space.

[Related: How to Have the Most Organized Year Ever]

2. Create a goal list.

Keep yourself on track with our rotating goal list DIY. You can easily change and update your goals with Post-its for an up-to-date board.

3. Organize your closet.

All it takes is three simple steps to get your closet in tip-top shape.

[Related: How I Survived a 6-Month Shopping Cleanse]

4. Specify a daily junk basket.

Putting a basket in your home where you can throw items that you would otherwise scatter all over the house is a great way to keep your home or office feeling clutter free.

5. Make assignment lists for everyone.

If you live with multiples people—be it kids, significant others, or roommates—make sure you create weekly assignment lists so that everyone can play their part in keeping your home orderly.

6. Craft a pegboard.

Our ombré geometric pegboard is a no-brainer that can be put together in an hour, tops. It’s a stylish way to keep small items in their place.

7. Install bars on bathroom doors.

Nobody likes damp towels lying all over the bathroom. Install some sleek bars on the back of your door so you have a place to hang towels without taking up space on your walls.

8. Place dividers in your drawers.

You can buy plastic dividers at stores like The Container Store, or you can even cut up old cardboard boxes to create sectioned-off spaces in your desk, kitchen, or bathroom.

9. Print out a free calendar.

One of the most obvious tasks that people always forget is to get a calendar for the New Year. Luckily, we have a list of free printable calendars you can get a hold of right now!

10. Make these mason jar organizers yourself.

Our adorable DIY mason jar organizers will keep your kitchen in order as well as looking cute.

11. Organize your pantry by food group.

You will be able to quickly grab whatever you need.

12. Paint your keys with nail polish.

Color-code your keys by painting them with nail polish so that you can easily tell which key goes to what.

13. Use ice cube trays as organizers.

Bet you never thought of this one—ice cube trays are ideal for organizing small items like earrings, sewing materials, or office supplies.

14. Upcycle a plastic bottle for a charging station.

This DIY for a charging station will keep your electronics in accessible places.

15. Use washi tape on your planner.

Color-code you life by utilizing washi tape. It will stand out better than highlighters.

16. Make an emergency drawer in your desk at work.

Setting aside a space where you can grab items for any possible disaster will put you at ease and leave you feeling prepared.

17. Create these fabric-covered bulletin boards.

You can place these DIY bulletin boards all over the house for easy access to papers, documents, and schedules.

Six Verbal And Nonverbal Tips For Selling Products, Services Or Ideas.

If you think that these tips aren’t for you because don’t have “sales” in your job description, I’d ask you to think again.

I believe that the science and art of selling should be taught in every high school and college in the country. Because, regardless of what profession students eventually enter, a key factor in their career success will be the ability to convince people – to “sell” their ideas (and themselves when interviewing for a job) — as well as their company’s products or services if they’re hired into a more formal sales role.

So I turned to sales expert, Tom Hopkins for advice. Tom is the author of 17 books, including “How to Master the Art of Selling™,”and he has trained over 4 million people. I figured he’d given the subject some thought. More specifically, I asked him: What are the top 3 verbal and top 3 non-verbal mistakes salespeople make — and what can we all learn from those errors?

Cover of How to Master the Art of Selling

Tom’s reply: Since the salesperson’s mouth is the tool they rely on primarily in business, it’s essential that they learn first of all to use it in the proper proportion. We all have two ears and one mouth. In sales, it’s critical to master the ability to listen twice as much as you speak. When you get this proportion wrong, you will talk yourself out of more sales than into them.

Verbal Mistake #1 – Becoming too familiar too soon. That’s the stereotype for pushy sales people. It’s always better to err on the side of formality with people’s name. When you meet people named Robert and Judith, don’t call them Bob and Judy. If you hear them call each other those less formal versions of their names, you may ask their permission to use them.

Verbal Mistake #2 – Jumping in with a solution before you hear their entire challenge. Sales people are eager to please. Unfortunately, some don’t wait until the entire situation has been spelled out before saying, “I know just what you need. My product is the best solution for that.” When the buyer finally explains all of their issues, that original product is not the best answer and the sales person looks foolish. Even worse, they’ve lost credibility with the buyer.

Verbal Mistake #3 – Saying things that sabotage the sale such as “Let’s just jump forward here,” or “You don’t need to know that” when going through their visual aids. Skipped information leads to questions in the mind of the buyer. An uncertain or confused mind will almost always say “no.” Instead, customize your presentation or at least explain content that you feel is not relevant to the buyers’ needs.

There are also non-verbal mistakes a plenty in the selling world.

Non-Verbal Mistake #1 – Poor grooming. As a representative of your company or your product, you are always “on.” You are being visually and mentally judged the moment you come within sight of a potential client. Their perception of your competence starts then. If you are presenting to the staff of a high-level corporation, it would behoove you to dress the way they dress – or slightly better. The idea is to dress like the person your potential clients turn to for advice – because that’s what you want – to be perceived as an expert they can trust.

Non-Verbal Mistake #2 – Poor body language. Stop looking at your watch, playing with your pen and touching your hair. Those are all distracting from your presentation. They make your buyer feel like you’re either in a rush to be elsewhere or that you’re bored. Your goal is to make them feel important. Give them your full attention and they’ll give you their business.

Non-Verbal Mistake #3 – Not being well-prepared. I’ve had salespeople drop by my office who didn’t bother to find out what we do. Note: Most of them leave having purchased our sales training. Learn as much as you can about a company before approaching them, ensure you have business cards, pens, and something to write on with you at all times. When buyers see that you are well-prepared that translates in their minds that you are competent (competent to serve their needs).

The main point of this information is that when trying to persuade others, every little nuance counts. The science of selling involves every word you utter and every move you make. The art of selling is how you engage with potential buyers as a person. They have to like you first. Then, trust you – before they will listen to what you have to offer them.

Like I said, this should be taught in every school!

www.v4all.org