The Winner
Posted by admin in Personal Development, Success on September 2, 2010
3:00 pm Friday afternoon, you worked hard all week. You didn’t have the week you expected. People backed out on what they told you would happen, and you are completely worn out physically, mentally, and emotionally. What do you do? As I contemplated this scenario, I realized that I needed to put just 2 more hours of hard work in to finish strong.
Winners do the things that loosers are not willing to do. My coach used to chant this mantra to us every week in practice.
In a world full of starters I will be a finisher. We don’t need more workaholics, just people who are willing to finish what they started. How many times have you heard someone say, I’m a starter not a finisher. Because I am a pioneer type of personality, I have slipped in to this many times. But the reality is, just becasue we are starters doesn’t mean that we get to duck out of the finishing part.
The difference between professional athletes and the guys that only make it to college is not ability. It is mental toughness. We need to get that same focus in business. We are all great salesmen, marketing gurus, ceo’s, tech’s, stylists, designers, etc… but what is going to set you apart from everyone else in you industry struggling to make it.
Just put in the extra time. Don’t let discouragment come. Ignore negativity, and keep moving forward. You can accomplish all that you have in your heart to do. When the going gets tought the tough get going!
“Once you have done all you can do to stand…then stand.”
-Ryan Andrews
THINK BIGGER
Posted by admin in Inspiration, Success on August 30, 2010
THINK BIGGER!
That’s where you’ll find the
solution to your problems.
The question is Risk vs. Reward. Right now people are afraid of anything that has the word “Risk” anywhere near it. But one thing history has taught us is that those who push forward when others are shrinking back are the ones who end up on top.
The Hot Dog Vendor Story:
A gentleman had a road side hot dog stand on a very busy highway and enjoyed a thriving business for quite some time. He had learned that he could attract more customers by putting up a big sign to advertise his business, which worked and his business grew. He decided to hire more staff to help with the extra customers and his business grew because the customers were happily taken care of. He began buying bigger and bigger orders to be sure he never ran out of food for his customers and his business grew.
Everything was going great for him until one day, while he was talking with a sign rep about getting a bigger sign, a well dressed man who was obviously a professional and intelligent man said, “You’re going to buy a bigger sign? Are you crazy? Don’t you know that we’re about to hit a recession?” The hot dog vendor, being just a simple man, thought that the man must know what he was talking about, so he didn’t get the bigger sign.
He also began to think that he should cut back on the food orders because there was a recession coming after all. He began to lose more and more customers because he frequently was out of food. Better safe than sorry, thought the hot dog vendor. To help cut back on some of his expenses, the hot dog vendor began cutting back on his staff, which in turn began to make his wait times longer and his customers became more unhappy, many deciding not to come back.
Faced with a dwindling customer base and a huge loss in profits, the hot dog vendor finally decided that the best thing to do would be to close the hot dog stand, so he called the sign rep up to see if he could come get the sign. The sign rep asked, “What happened, you had such a thriving business?” To which the hot dog vendor replied. “Haven’t you heard, we’re in a recession?”
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Just remember, risk is not gambling. In the book “The Millionaire Mind” by Thomas Stanley he outlines that a common trait among millionaires is that they don’t gamble. But one of the traits that they had in common was risk taking.
When taking a risk you have to make your own luck. What’s that old saying, “Luck favors the prepared”. Your risk is calculated and determined. Once you have decided that taking on that project is worth the return, then you can’t back down or give up.
It’s time for us to think bigger, get a larger sign! If you are having problems with your business, then go big! Find a way to expand in an area that you never thought possible. It’s time to push forward, take ground. It’s time to give all that we have and not look back. “Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back.”
You can do it! You will succeed! Keep on pushing forward!
-Ryan Andrews
Words Reveal Character
Posted by admin in Personal Development on July 30, 2010
A Tale of Character:
A wise man was being interviewed, and was asked about character. This is what he said: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog, all of the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied “The one I feed the most.”
Character is that part of us that does not compromise. It takes what ever we feed it, and creates our belief system. Every decision we make is then based on that belief system. If I polled 100 people, 99 of them would say they have good character. (There is always one that likes being bad)
If you ever want to find out which “dog” you are feeding more, then take a look at your response when someone cuts you off in traffic or does something to you that you do not like. Character is built, not given. You are not born with good or bad character. You are born with the desire to make sure you have everything you need, all the rest is learned behavior.
Listen to your choice of words, when you are around your children, friends, family, and co-workers. We need to be aware of our character, and how it affects those around us.
Feed the good dog. The more we make the right choices, when no one is around to hear us, the more we feed the good dog. Look at, listen to, and be around good, positive, uplifting things and you will notice a difference in your choice of actions.
-Ryan Andrews
The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 Rule states that 2 people out of 10 make 80% of the money. And visa versa 8 out of 10 people combined make 20% of the money. It does seem to be true that 2 people out of 10 produce more and are more effective than 8 people combined.
8 out of 10 people have a negative view, “things are bad, it can’t work, etc.” Negative people have very limited knowledge about what they are talking about; they are usually parroting someone else who has very little understanding. All negativity is based on fear. Fear controls most people and can be a lifetime condition. Fear is paralyzing, it keeps people from taking action. No action, no change and sure enough it is true things are bad, a self fulfilling prophecy. Circumstances are not necessarily good or bad they may require a change in our action to adjust to the change in current information. Change is normal and ups and downs in the economy are normal. Sometimes the up is higher and the down is lower than we are used to so we must make bigger adjustments. We always must adjust ourselves to what is to take advantage of any situation.
I was surrounded by negativity most of my life, much of it aimed at me. Critical comments were common place. I tried things no matter what people said and discovered how much of what is said, can’t affect me or my outcome, as long as I don’t come into agreement with it. Today I am able to analyze the source who is talking and what is going on with them. That tells me how much weight needs to be put on what is being said. If the information has some validity I search for a solution instead of allowing negativity to stop me from going forward.
The most valuable tool I learned was how to encourage myself, believing God is for me not against me. Even if I don’t get it right the first time I can keep coming back at a situation or business idea until the answer reveals itself.
There is always an answer or opportunity and it is usually a simple one, but you must think outside of the box everyone else is in. For example the real estate gents who figured out how to sell foreclosures through the bank made a fortune during this real estate downturn. There are always people who prosper no matter what the circumstances the 20%ers.
Tips For Success:
Don’t believe people when they tell you, “you can’t do it” they don’t know what you can and cannot do. Don’t believe people who say your idea won’t work they simply don’t have enough information.
Don’t ask negative people their opinion it will always be a negative answer. When you get opposition, it is normal don’t get discouraged and quit keep going the answer will come.
Realize in every market there are tremendous opportunities for those who search for the current need.
Miracles are real and many times things just work out with no natural explanation.
Do you want to be one of the 20% of the people who make money anytime, anywhere? Or one of the 80% who believe what everybody else is saying and would rather sit around complaining about the way things are than trying to better their situation?
Break out of the pack, think outside of the box and try something that might work. I have found most things work if you will put forth the necessary effort to try. Be one of the 20% who succeeds no matter what the circumstances.
I was surrounded by negativity most of my life, much of it aimed at me. Critical comments were common place. I tried things no matter what people said and discovered how much of what is said, can’t affect me or my outcome, as long as I don’t come into agreement with it. Today I am able to analyze the source who is talking and what is going on with them. That tells me how much weight needs to be put on what is being said. If the information has some validity I search for a solution instead of allowing negativity to stop me from going forward.
-Ryan Andrews
Are You Hanging Up On Your Customers?
Every time your phone rings you have a choice. Do I answer it, or do I let it go to voicemail? Most of the time if we are in business we will stop what we are doing to answer the phone. How many times have you answered with anticipation of a customer only to get a nervous sales person on the other end asking you if you want to buy their widget. You don’t care about their product, even if you needed it you are so upset about wasting your time that you don’t hear a word they are saying.
I can’t tell you how many times I have converted these calls into sales. It doesn’t matter what I do for a living, I listen to them and determine if we have a common client. If we don’t, or they are a national company then I let them go quickly. If however they are a local sales person, I try to find a way to network with them. You see you are talking to a person who COLD CALLS! These people are few and far in between, and anyone who is a solid cold caller, will also be a sold referral source.
I was talking with a coffee shop manager about this very thing the other day. I was standing in line waiting for my drink, and I noticed the phone rang, and in typical fashion it was a sales call and they quickly got off the phone. When I was able to speak with the manager I found out that they get several of those calls every day. I suggested that they should encourage the person to come down during a slow time to share what they are selling. I said at the very least you now have a sales person that will be having sales meetings, and they want to help you since you didn’t blow them off.
Their business has picked up ever since that conversation.
The key to all of this is care about people. I know we are all busy, but if we can take the time to really care about people above what we need, we will often be surprised by the results.
The Right To Sell
The big question I have heard from sales people is “How do I…(fill in the blank)”: Overcome this objection? Get past the gate keeper? Increase my closing percentage?…. The answer is really quite simple.
Have you earned the right to sell your product or service to that person.
This means that you are thinking before you ever pick up the phone about what that person does for a living, and you call with the intent of finding out more about their business so that you can refer them business. In the process of finding out about what they do, you may find a perfect fit for your product or service. When you do, usually the other person can see it to and the sales process becomes simplified.
When we are selling we need to earn the right to sell our product by first finding out what the “person” on the other side really needs. So, how does that work on a first call.
My first call usually goes something like this:
Me: “Hello my name is Ryan Andrews, and I own the Integrity Journal. (pause)”
Them: “Okay.”
Me: “I’m calling to find out more about what you guys do, and to see how I may be able to refer YOU business. See I make a living selling advertising, and I run into a lot of different people and it pays for me to know what businesses are out there and how they are different from each other.”
Them: “I see.” (usually they are shocked by this and don’t know what to say)
Me: “Do you have 15 minutes today that I could stop by and say hello in person.”
Them: “Sure come by any time, I’ll be here.”
The only way this works is if I am sincere about what I’m saying, and truly not going with the intent to sell. I often times don’t even take paperwork with me. Almost without fail they will ask what I do, and they are interested to find out more info about me.
Now, I have earned the right to sell them my product or service and they are happy to hear my sales pitch.
So before you start your sales pitch, ask your self have I earned the right to sell this person. If you have to think hard about it, chances are good that you need to develop the relationship a bit more. Long gone are the days of the Fuller Brush Man.
As I’m typing this, I had to take a break to answer the door, and a meat salesman tried to sell me steaks, I had to laugh.
Happy selling!
Do the thing you Fear and Death of Fear is certain
Posted by admin in Inspiration on May 7, 2010
Do the thing you fear and
death of fear is certain.
On a summer morning as he was fixing his breakfast, Ray Blankenship looked out his window to see a young girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Ohio home. Blankenship knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath the road and then emptied into the main culvert.
Ray dashed from his home and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the flailing child. Finally, he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. When he surfaced, he was able to grab the girl’s arm. The two tumbled end over end and then, within about three feet of the yawning culvert,
Ray’s free hand felt something protrude from the bank. He clung to it desperately as the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away.
By the time fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship amazingly had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. In that heroic moment, Ray Blankenship was at even greater risk than most people knew…since…
Ray couldn’t swim!
Today, let your faith respond to needs that you see,
not to the fear you may feel.
What Do You STAND For?
Posted by admin in Inspiration, Personal Development on April 22, 2010
THE GOLDEN RULE
“So in everything, do to others, what you
would have them do to you.” – Matthew 7:12
We deal with two types of people: those who do the right thing, and those who believe that any action is acceptable as long as it is not illegal or they do not get caught. Dishonesty on any level will not produce lasting success in any area.
Fed chairman Greenspan said, “U.S. businesses must work to build trust. I hope and anticipate that trust and integrity again will be amply rewarded in the marketplace as they were in earlier generations.”
People want to return to an integrity-driven life. Integrity is the quality or state of being of sound moral principle: upright, honest, and sincere. Integrity means consistently doing the right thing even when it will cost you something.
You must decide what is important to you and build your life around those values. Are you about money or making a difference in the lives of others? Quite frankly money is easy to earn, simply apply yourself to work and you will make money. However, doing something that adds real value to the lives of others while making a living is the key to true fulfillment.
Today if your integrity is apparent you will stand out against your competition as the best choice. If you offer the exact same quality product or service plus a promise of integrity in all your dealings, you will gain business over your competition. Because integrity is no longer the norm it has become the rare exception.
People are fed up with the deceit, false claims and out right trickery of business practices of late. Kurt Senske states in his book “Executive Values” organizations who do not follow the golden rule will not be around tomorrow.
When you follow “Golden Rule Leadership” principles you will be a magnet to others who follow likeminded principles. Difficult decisions will be a lot easier to make when questionable gray areas surface because you will be able to ask yourself which choice best lines up with my values. You will be able to lead others without flinching, making difficult decisions all leaders
make for the good of many even if it is an unpopular decision.
I challenge you to be the person people know they can trust. They say about you, he means what he says and says what he means; he’s a man of his word. There was a time in America when honesty meant everything. Be a man or woman of your word. Stand up straight and walk tall, let us return dignity to business in America starting with you and me.
I would love to hear from you, the email address is editor@TheIntegrityJournal.com or call us at (951) 239-3020.
Your Words Predict Your Future
Posted by admin in Personal Development on March 29, 2010
Words have power. Spoken words are either blessing or cursing people, places and things. When you speak positivelyabout your future, you are speaking a blessing which will become a reality.
Positive people live happier more fulfilled lives. Why is that? It is because they are continuously speaking positive words over their circumstances and the people in their lives. Consequently, they experience a positive outcome more often.
Most talk is learned in a family dynamic. If your family talk was negative, and you have this vocabulary, then you must replace those words with positve ones. Replace “I can’t” with “I can”. You can always tell what a person thinks by what they say.
It is not bragging to say positive words about yourself, it shows a belief in your character. It is confidence in your commitment to learn and grow, to stick with something until the desired outcome is manifest. When somone makes negative comments about you, it only has an effect if you agree with them.
Use your words as the powerful tools they are for building and encouraging rather than discouraging and tearing down. Did you know gossip and slander is murder by character assassination? Never call yourself derogatory names. Never, never, never speak negative judgments over your children. You are predicting the future of your children as well. When you speak listen carefully to what you say, is it hopeless or hopeful? If you hold your tongue during the trials of life, the circumstances will turn around a lot faster.
Speak words of gratitude for what you have instead of complaints about what you don’t have. Encourage others whenever you have an opportunity. Say positive things about people when they’re not around, it will get back to them. To improve your life speak as if the desired outcome is already happening.
Everyday is a new day in your bright future.
Start speaking victory into your life today!
Networking Is A Skill?
Networking enriches your life in every area. It is the cultivation of people with whom you have a giving relationship. Building a network means creating a net of interconnected and cooperating individuals. Networking invents opportunities and generates new ideas. Networking makes you rich with friendships and business success.
Of the country’s many millionaires, at least 80% claim networking is a powerful tool in their success. There are 1,001 stories about people getting their “big break” because of an influential person they just happened to meet. For a networker, a meeting doesn’t happen by chance: it is intentional. When one person who knows what they want teams up with another focused person the results are multiples greater than the sum of the parts.
Networking creates a “V” formation. Science has discovered why geese fly in a “V” formation. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
Join organizations where the sole purpose is to network. The format of the event facilitates networking. These organizations increase your effectiveness because you will be able to meet and network rapidly with many people. The environment sets the stage but does not do the networking for you. Showing up to meet people by itself isn’t networking. You still have to learn and polish the skill of networking.
Networking is not selling it is partnering. You will sell by networking but you will not network by selling. Think of it as investing in the success of others, which will in turn make you very successful the “givers gain” principle. Successful networkers are very unselfish people. Business doesn’t always come back to you from the source you help but it always comes back.
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that you cannot sincerely try to help another without helping yourself.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
