Quote of the Week: Destiny and Decisions

Quote of the Week

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your destiny is in your hands. All of it! Your business life and your personal life are all determined by the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Who do you want to become? And what steps will you take to get there? Got any tips for how all us Sales Dog can determine our success? Tell us in the comments below! 

Quote of the Week

"Opportunities are seen by many, understood by few, and capitalized upon by even fewer." - Mark Hunter

"It is amazing how intellectual capacity drives opportunities," says sales trainer Mark Hunter. "Far too many insights are never capitalized on because we fail to use our own intellectual capacity or access the insights of others to determine how to leverage an opportunity. I read recently where Bill Gates and Warren Buffett took a trip to Alberta, Canada, to better understand how the people there are extracting oil using new technologies. They made this trip because they were curious and were driven by the fact that they knew it would expand their intellectual capacity."

"Sales is all about using your intellectual capacity to help people see opportunities," continues Hunter. "The salespeople who are at the top of their game year in and year out are the ones who know how to leverage their intellectual skills. Take the time to develop your intellect by digging into books, articles, newspapers, and engaging in conversations with others that will stimulate your mind and cause you to grow intellectually. In the long-term, your success is not driven by what you sell, who you work for, and certainly not by the price you sell it for. Long-term success is driven by your intellectual capacity and your ability to leverage it to see opportunities."

Get more great tips and quotes from Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, at http://thesaleshunter.com/blog

Quote of the Week

"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." -- Erica Jong, "Fear of Flying" novelist and poet

Have you been thinking about calling a hot-shot CEO but been too nervous to do so? Put together a great presentation idea, but too afraid to try it on anyone? It's easy to stay in your comfort zone, but it's only by trying new things that you will reach new heights. Take a sales risk this week, and see what happens!

Quote of the Week

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin." -- Mother Teresa

We're now halfway through July, and the summer is just flying by. It can be hard to concentrate during the summer, especially when you're a couple of days away from your vacation, but it's important to prospect and close business each day, just as you normally do during the rest of the year.

Keep your concentration during your workdays, and you'll be free to enjoy your vacation time, knowing your bank account is in fine shape.

Quote of the Week

"Business is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving or you fall down." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?

I was an accident-prone child to begin with, so the process was full of scrapes, bruises, and the occasional dent in the family car. But like most kids, I was determined to try again and again until I finally got it right.

Similarly, building a successful sales career is all about determination. You'll fall down many times, and oftentimes encounters with prospects will leave your ego bruised, but reaching your goal makes it all worthwhile.

So after you've had a challenging day, reflect on what you could do differently, and get back on the bike - you'll be one step closer to reaching your goal.

Destined to Fail: The Truth Behind New Year's Resolutions

If you're like most people, you've either already broken one of your New Year's Resolutions, or will sometime soon. Don't worry - it's nothing to be ashamed of! "The failure of your resolution has nothing to do with a lack of resolve or discipline. The success or failure of your resolution is determined at the very moment it is born, when the idea for change first stirs in your mind," says sales trainer and speaker Tom Richard.

"True change happens in the blink of an eye. It stems from an emotional trigger that speaks to you, stirs something within you and opens your eyes to recognize that something must change. If a resolution does not carry with it this immediacy of action, it is destined to fail. Therefore, any resolution that can wait until the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve lacks the emotional power to have any lasting effect on your life."

"The only way to change an entire year is to change how you act within every single moment. How can you best spend, not a minute next week or next year, but this very minute?"

"As you begin 2008, embrace the strength and courage you have to see that every minute you have the power to act in such a way that will make that minute its very best. You don't need the burden of trying to change an entire year all at once. By focusing on the present moment, you will discover a refreshingly light way to conquer large and long-term goals. Then, when 2009 rolls around, you will look back on the year with a smile, knowing that your entire year was as complete, fulfilling and successful as every minute within it was."

What a great way to look at the New Year!

Tom Richard gives seminars, runs sales meetings, and provides coaching for salespeople nationwide. He is also an inspiring and educated speaker who will light a fire under your team. For more information, visit www.TomRichard.com, or email info@tomrichard.com.

Quote of the Week

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." --Robert Louis Stevenson

Keep this advice in mind as you prospect this week.

Quote of the Week

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky

We hope this inspires you to go for it this week.

Inspiration From a Legend

"I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something I sell it, and I sell it hard." - Estee Lauder

Do you believe in what you're selling? Then sell hard!

Ben's Message to Sales Folk

It is fitting that Ben Franklin is on the $100 bill - he's the epitome of hard work and thriftiness. His lessons were immensely popular during his time and still apply to modern salespeople. I've picked some gems to share with you - enjoy!

-Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. Wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.

-If you have something to do tomorrow, do it today.

-Drive thy business, let not it drive thee.

-There are no gains without pains.

-Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee.

-If you want a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself.