Be Positive and Add 7.5 Years to Your Life:
Research shows that how you perceive aging affects how long you will live. In a study of 660 people, those with more positive perceptions of their own aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer. This effect remained after other factors such as age, gender, income, loneliness and health status were controlled.
All referenced from
http://longevity.about.com/od/mentalfitness/p/positive_aging.htm
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Why is attitude so important?
Have you ever driven home and when you get there you can't remember stopping at the stop sign? You can't remember making turns, nothing. Driving is a rather complicated activity. Knowing how fast your going, where to turn, using blinkers and watching other traffic. However we do it automatically. In our subconscious.
It is estimated by someone more intelligent than I that 95 percent of everything we do is done subconsciously. It is my opinion that your attitude can effect that 95%. It sets the stage for how your subconscious works.
Every day you make choices on how to view what happens to you. Like a rainy day. it is an opportunity to work on those inside projects that you have been putting off? Or it is a ruined day the messed up your plans. One is a positive reaction, one is negative. Losing a sale. An opportunity to learn about your customer and the competition or an opportunity to complain how unfair the process was.
I have never met a successful salesperson who was negative. Have you ever bought something from a negative salesperson?
It is estimated by someone more intelligent than I that 95 percent of everything we do is done subconsciously. It is my opinion that your attitude can effect that 95%. It sets the stage for how your subconscious works.
Every day you make choices on how to view what happens to you. Like a rainy day. it is an opportunity to work on those inside projects that you have been putting off? Or it is a ruined day the messed up your plans. One is a positive reaction, one is negative. Losing a sale. An opportunity to learn about your customer and the competition or an opportunity to complain how unfair the process was.
I have never met a successful salesperson who was negative. Have you ever bought something from a negative salesperson?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Dude I've got a Dell. And I can't forget it...
No, its not what you think...It is a Dell TV. Four years ago when we built our house, I did some research and ended up buying this flat panel TV for our living room. Just over a year, the TV stopped coming on. We replaced it with a Samsung that has been working great.
I took the Dell to work and had one of the techs look at it and they found the power supply had gone out. So I replaced it and took it home to put in our bedroom. Shortly after that, it began acting up. You have to turn it off and on several times before the back light comes on. IE so you can see the picture.
What is the point of this story? Simply that almost every night I am reminded what a piece this TV is and how much I regret this purchase. You might say that it is one of the last things I think about every night before bed.
I am also reminded that if we do a poor job of selling solutions, our customers will think about that solution everyday and what a mistake they made in purchasing it from us. This just points out how important it is to get it right the first time!
I took the Dell to work and had one of the techs look at it and they found the power supply had gone out. So I replaced it and took it home to put in our bedroom. Shortly after that, it began acting up. You have to turn it off and on several times before the back light comes on. IE so you can see the picture.
What is the point of this story? Simply that almost every night I am reminded what a piece this TV is and how much I regret this purchase. You might say that it is one of the last things I think about every night before bed.
I am also reminded that if we do a poor job of selling solutions, our customers will think about that solution everyday and what a mistake they made in purchasing it from us. This just points out how important it is to get it right the first time!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Getting Away. Its Important
Some of you may know that it has been a bit hectic around the office lately. However I have the opportunity this week to get away. Carsen does not have a sitter Thursday or Friday so I am taking these two days off and we are loading up the Corvette for a road trip to Grandma and Grandpa's lake house.
We have not spent much time there (Actually none) this year so it will be a great time. Caden and Jenifer will come Friday night so Carsen gets some rare one on one time with Grandma while I get to play, weather permitting, over 70 holes of golf over 5 days.
Point of today's post is that it is easy to think you cannot take time away because you are too busy. Lets face it, are you ever slow? I hadn't found that time in years. I also find that during these times some of my best ideas come to me. Not that I was focusing on work, they just pop up in the most odd times.
One of the best/worst things about the Lake House is that there is no Internet. No wireless, no cellular cards, just telephone service. I have found that when I am away, my team not only gets the job done but excels. I try and not think it is because I am standing in the way normally.
PS Not to worry, (Like I am sure you are), I have scheduled some posts for every day I am gone.
We have not spent much time there (Actually none) this year so it will be a great time. Caden and Jenifer will come Friday night so Carsen gets some rare one on one time with Grandma while I get to play, weather permitting, over 70 holes of golf over 5 days.
Point of today's post is that it is easy to think you cannot take time away because you are too busy. Lets face it, are you ever slow? I hadn't found that time in years. I also find that during these times some of my best ideas come to me. Not that I was focusing on work, they just pop up in the most odd times.
One of the best/worst things about the Lake House is that there is no Internet. No wireless, no cellular cards, just telephone service. I have found that when I am away, my team not only gets the job done but excels. I try and not think it is because I am standing in the way normally.
PS Not to worry, (Like I am sure you are), I have scheduled some posts for every day I am gone.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Meeting Three
Meeting three was a very positive meeting. The person presenting called and confirmed the meeting. He then had ask me several questions about what I was looking for and what kind of things I was expecting from his presentation. Needless to say, I was expecting great things.
It was delivered. The presentation was exactly what I was looking for, I learned lots about their product, my questions were answered and I see doing business with this company in the near future.
The part I wanted to point out was a day later I received a thank you note in the mail. This sealed the deal for me.
So I wanted to add some things that should be done after a meeting.
1. Always return the information that you promised. Answers to questions and such. Deliver it before you promised it.
2. Send a thank you. This may be mail, email or a phone call. Depends on the relationship.
3. Bring added value to the relationship. If you can solve a problem for the customer eve is it isn't something you sell, this will make the customer come to you for solutions.
4. Ask for references.
5. Always tell the customer when you are not the right solution. People will always respect this and look to you in the future when you have the right solution.
It was delivered. The presentation was exactly what I was looking for, I learned lots about their product, my questions were answered and I see doing business with this company in the near future.
The part I wanted to point out was a day later I received a thank you note in the mail. This sealed the deal for me.
So I wanted to add some things that should be done after a meeting.
1. Always return the information that you promised. Answers to questions and such. Deliver it before you promised it.
2. Send a thank you. This may be mail, email or a phone call. Depends on the relationship.
3. Bring added value to the relationship. If you can solve a problem for the customer eve is it isn't something you sell, this will make the customer come to you for solutions.
4. Ask for references.
5. Always tell the customer when you are not the right solution. People will always respect this and look to you in the future when you have the right solution.
Monday, August 25, 2008
A break before Meeting three
I have to tell the story of my dad purchasing a car.
He has been seriously looking for a car for about 3 months. He had a 5 year old (Not sure exactly how old) Toyota 4 runner that he has not been particularly fond of. It has been reliable, just not real comfortable, just transportation. I know he was looking at Toyota Camry and a Honda truck thing. Beyond that he wasn't in love with either.
Well, I spoke to him on Wednesday and he tells me he purchased a car! Not anything he was looking at before. He purchased a Saturn Vue (I think this is how you spell it). I had to ask what made him look at this? Well, it (Like all things) came down to the salesman. This sales person was honest, sincere and answered all of my dad's questions. In fact, my dad went on to tell me that he gave the salesperson several chances to lie and he did not.
This goes to proving several things.
1. Product does not drive the sale
2. Honesty and integrity are extremely important in sales
3. Working every opportunity may equal a sale
So after three months, the test drive, paper work and purchase took one hour.
He has been seriously looking for a car for about 3 months. He had a 5 year old (Not sure exactly how old) Toyota 4 runner that he has not been particularly fond of. It has been reliable, just not real comfortable, just transportation. I know he was looking at Toyota Camry and a Honda truck thing. Beyond that he wasn't in love with either.
Well, I spoke to him on Wednesday and he tells me he purchased a car! Not anything he was looking at before. He purchased a Saturn Vue (I think this is how you spell it). I had to ask what made him look at this? Well, it (Like all things) came down to the salesman. This sales person was honest, sincere and answered all of my dad's questions. In fact, my dad went on to tell me that he gave the salesperson several chances to lie and he did not.
This goes to proving several things.
1. Product does not drive the sale
2. Honesty and integrity are extremely important in sales
3. Working every opportunity may equal a sale
So after three months, the test drive, paper work and purchase took one hour.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Meeting Two
So the next meeting that I had went quite a bit better. The person that I met with was brought in by someone who kinda knew our business. They had done a better job preparing. Yet a couple of things were missed; Verifying the appointment, research on me or company, and we had the 62 (Literally) page PowerPoint presentation printed out. Sorry if your reading this but you will clearly identify yourself, the print outs were done on an inkjet printer that ran out of ink on the second print. So kinda color, kinda black and white. Not real professional.
Not a lot of questions, infact by the end of the meeting, the presenter had to ask what I did for the company. This was probably info you needed to start!
Anyway, here is my list on what should be required for the meeting itself.
1. Professionalism. No curse words, questionable stories or getting too comfortable.
2. Ask what people are expecting out of the presentation. Write them down to make sure you cover their questions.
3. Ask what they know about you. No reason to cover areas that people may already know. Sure you want to make sure the info is correct. But you do not need to spend 20 minutes on what has already been covered by someone else.
4. If you had a previous meeting, verify that nothing has changed since this meeting!
5. Don't waste time unless the person you are presenting to is initiating this.
6. Confirm your next steps/meetings and who is responsible for each.
7. Be genuine and truthful if this isn't a match. You can waste both people's time if your not honest.
8. Do not go over your time allotted. If you feel that everyone is engaged and you need to continue, ask for permission to continue or set another meeting to continue.
9. Don't have a preset agenda that you have to absolutly follow. Move and flow with the questions and direction of the meeting. Sure, have areas that you have to cover. Make notes of the top areas, but don't have some rigid structure.
10. Thank everyone for their time and ask for feedback on the meeting. Try and get honest feedback, not just make you feel better feedback.
Next blog I will cover the followup! This in my opinion is where real relationships are made!
Not a lot of questions, infact by the end of the meeting, the presenter had to ask what I did for the company. This was probably info you needed to start!
Anyway, here is my list on what should be required for the meeting itself.
1. Professionalism. No curse words, questionable stories or getting too comfortable.
2. Ask what people are expecting out of the presentation. Write them down to make sure you cover their questions.
3. Ask what they know about you. No reason to cover areas that people may already know. Sure you want to make sure the info is correct. But you do not need to spend 20 minutes on what has already been covered by someone else.
4. If you had a previous meeting, verify that nothing has changed since this meeting!
5. Don't waste time unless the person you are presenting to is initiating this.
6. Confirm your next steps/meetings and who is responsible for each.
7. Be genuine and truthful if this isn't a match. You can waste both people's time if your not honest.
8. Do not go over your time allotted. If you feel that everyone is engaged and you need to continue, ask for permission to continue or set another meeting to continue.
9. Don't have a preset agenda that you have to absolutly follow. Move and flow with the questions and direction of the meeting. Sure, have areas that you have to cover. Make notes of the top areas, but don't have some rigid structure.
10. Thank everyone for their time and ask for feedback on the meeting. Try and get honest feedback, not just make you feel better feedback.
Next blog I will cover the followup! This in my opinion is where real relationships are made!
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