Morning Motivator - Relax... You are Doing Fine!

"Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality."
- Ralph Martson

Success and achievement are interesting characters. They are evasive and keen. They understand ways to tease you and then hide. They are the ultimate players in a game of HIDE-N-SEEK.

How is it that some people find success so easily and others not so much? Why is it that one person can seem so in control and another frantically chases opportunities?

It is a matter of RELAXING. Being confident in your efforts and working towards your goals with laser focus.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: We all want to hyper accelerate our success! We want it now... we want it big! Yet, for many of us, we cannot create that over night.

Since you know it will take some time for you to become successful (if you even have that defined), why are you in such a rush to get there? What is at the end of the rainbow? Is there a better life? A better world? Luxury? Esteem?

The trip is the most enjoyable part. You must understand that once you attain your goal - you will have to set a new one. Once you reach your summit, you will seek for another. So RELAX! Enjoy the ride. Focus on what you want to achieve and experience...then go out and start doing it!

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Less Talk. More Walk

"The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound."
- Ben Zander

Special thanks to my buddy, Aaron Smith, in Nashville, TN for this exceptional quote. You da man!!

When Aaron sent me this quote yesterday, I immediately thought back to when someone told me what my biggest problem was in serving on the Nashville Junior Chamber Board - I was all ideas and no follow through. OUCH!!

As we mature, I think we all see that we spent a lot of time being the "idea person" but never being the executioner of those ideas. That is the fallacy of youthful interjection.

Now, as a maturing professional, I find myself providing the same insight. How scary is that? Moreover, I find myself focused on execution of minimal ideas, limiting my efforts to the best ideas, while simply putting the "great ideas" in a file folder to review later.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: It is challenging to move from ideas to action for many people - especially if you are very creative by nature.

Yet, when you need something done, something serious, do you care about how creative or cool the idea is? If you needed cancer treatment, do you want what is creatively cool or what people know can be done effectively? If you need to lose weight, do you want a trainer that is applying the latest potato only diet or the one that knows how to apply diet with exercise effectively? Do you want a President that talks about what he is going to do, or one that just does it?

You get the point.

Change from being someone who offers ideas to becoming the one that gets it done! Become proficient at getting stuff done and you will find you have more time to get creative afterwards. First homework, then Nintendo games... Thanks mom!

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Running Out of Ideas?

"Business is the art of taking someone else's idea, making it better, then making it yours."
- Unknown

All good business people are filled with great ideas. They invent, implement, test and determine next actions. They continually seek new ways to do more, better, faster and more efficiently. Occasionally, you can run out of ideas...(yes, it happens)

It is not uncommon for a writer to hit a block or an athlete to hit a slump. It does not mean they are not on track or losing their edge. Sometimes, it just means they need a shot of creativity and enthusiasm!

Just like the above, a business professional, may also need a boost of creativity to get them to the next level. They need to stop, sit, think and find ways to get to where they seek to be.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: What we are really talking about is taking the time to work ON your business, not just IN your business. We are talking about creating dedicated time, focused solely on the goal of creating better or new opportunities (that use existing resources or easily accessible ones)! We are talking about the 20% of your week that should be dedicated to IMPROVING your business.

Do you spend 20% of your week working on bettering your business? Attending trainings? Reading books? Doing sales role plays? Testing marketing messages? Looking at outsource vs insource opportunities?

If your business is growing stale or your ideas are becoming fewer and fewer - try spending more time working on how to BETTER your business and less time sending emails. It is the "freshness" of a business that keeps clients excited...not the volume of fulfillment forms you are able to generate in a month. :)

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Need New Business? Take Small Bites!

"I might be interested, but I am happy with what I have."
- Common prospective client retort

Times are tough (still). All the "hope and change" of the past 3 years has not really changed anything, so we are still asking, "How can we do more with less?" GREAT QUESTION!!

My sales mentor, Justin Morrison, has always said, "take small bites" as you try to grow your business. I used to get so mad when he would say that to me. Lately, I have found myself giving the SAME ADVICE.

What does that mean?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: Plainly put, it means do not try to gain everything in one leap.

If you want a new client, ask for ONE OPPORTUNITY, not to take over the whole account. If you want a new position in your company, ask to lead ONE PROJECT, not take over the whole department. If you want to be Mayor, try running for the Chamber of Commerce Board first.

Think about how YOU buy and try things. You rent a movie before you buy it - small bite. You test drive 5 cars before you buy one - small bite. You go out on a few dates before you get married - small bite.

So if you are apprehensive to just give away the keys to the castle, why would you expect anything different of anyone else?

Learn to use the way you think to OUTSMART the people you are trying to work with! They think just like you...use that to your ADVANTAGE!!

Give them a taste. Allow for a small bite. Then, once you know they like it - go in for the kill and get what you deserve. One small bite at a time. (Thanks Justin!)

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Good, Better, Best...

"Give people three options and they will most commonly pick the middle." Sales adage

Sales is as much a science as any other area of study in psychology. Maybe even more interesting than many as we are all affected daily by sales.

As consumers, we are continually weighing options. We are trying to find the best utility for the lowest possible investment. We are cheap but do not want cheap quality. Mostly, we want to feel as though we won or got the better end of any deal...every time!

Welcome to the world of GOOD, BETTER, BEST. This is the place where the sales person has taken control of your options and allowed you the ability to select your ideal circumstance based on their expert information and your final decision.

Why does this work so well? It is simple.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: One word: CONTROL

By a salesperson eliminating the vast array of options and only allowing you to focus on three, you are more attentive to the solutions without varied measures of options. At the point you are examining the "Good, Better, Best" scenario, you are already committed to a purchase. You have examined your varied options, whittled down to a specific type or product or service and are now weighing value and cost.

What if you were better at doing this for the people you worked with? You may say, "I am not in sales," but we all know you are negotiating time tables, commitments, and more. Thus, you are in sales.

Next time you are asked to do something, give the person three options. Narrow down their expectations into three categories YOU control and manage well. Let them pick from what YOU can fulfill...and leave no other options.

You may find that the three option tool solves many future problems for you!

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.