Oh, Say Can You See?
by Joe Bonura

Blurred Vision

Because I use my glasses just for reading, I often forget to put them on before I leave the house. Last week, I forgot my glasses, and didn't notice until I was at the airport. It was too late to retrieve the glasses from home, so I decided to do without them for a few days.

Lost In Space

Wrong! It was like living in another world: I could not read the small print on my airline ticket; I could not read the book in my briefcase; and I did not enjoy thumbing through Sky Mall Magazine. I was lost in space without my glasses.

Don't Forget Your Glasses

It dawned on me that my out-of-focus condition was like trying to sell without the education and training for my product or service. If we continue to look at the profession without our glasses, we fail to develop the focus we need to excel in the sales profession.

Learn Something New

Your opportunities will always be blurred and out- of-focus unless you become knowledgeable in your product or service. I have made it a habit to read or listen to something about my profession every day. I have noticed over the years that every time I do so, something will happen that day that relates to what I read that morning. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but then I realized that it would have occurred whether I had read about it or not. By reading about it, I was able to recognize the opportunity.

Nothing New In, Nothing New Out

No new input will always equal no new output. We must constantly be filling our bucket with new information. Someone asked our minister why he felt it was necessary to read the Bible every day when he was obviously well versed in the book. He replied, "Because I leak." No matter how much information you have in your bucket, be aware that it leaks, and you must constantly refill it.

Read Your Way To The Top

Start a daily reading program. Set aside time each day that you will not be disturbed, and begin your study program. I get up at 5:30 each morning to fill my bucket, and I spend the first few minutes meditating and getting my mind calmed. Next I read from the Bible, and then I spend thirty to forty minutes reading something on sales or marketing. There are many good books and magazines to chose from. Just one good article or chapter a day can make a big difference in your sales career. I recommended this to a friend, and he read a chapter from my book Throw the Rabbit every morning until he finished the book. He said that it helped him increase his sales by 20% in less than thirty days.

Out-Of-Focus

On days that I neglect my daily routine, I am like the hole in a doughnut—incomplete. I feel out-of- focus and unprepared for the day, the same as when I forgot my glasses. Getting in focus is a lifelong process, and you need to actively take part in the process. Some people let life happen to them, and some people happen to life. It is the people who happen to life, who succeed.

Do Not Be A Blind Pilot

How would I respond, if on that morning that I forgot my glasses, I discovered that the pilot of our plane had also forgotten his glasses? Similarly, your prospects and customers should feel confident in you. I expect my suppliers to have their glasses and to focus on how the product or service will benefit me at all times. If they expect my business, then I expect their focused and knowledgeable expertise.

Make It An Awesome Day

Go ahead, get started now. Stop waiting for the opportune time. Now is the perfect time, if you take advantage of it. Make today and every day an awesome day!

Click this link to See Joe's live video on YouTube.com on one of the most important gifts that you can give . . . A Smile

REPRINT info:
Joe Bonura would be pleased for you to reprint the article text free of charge (non-exclusively), but asks that you include his name and contact information:

Joe Bonura
Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc.
Website: www.bonura.com
407 Landis Lakes Court
Louisville, KY  40245
(800) 444-3340 toll free
(502) 244-0087 phone
E-mail: sales@bonura.com

About Joe Bonura

His background is unique. Joe owned and operated a highly successful advertising agency for 18 years. During that time, he found his advertising campaigns were more effective when he educated his clients in the areas of sales and service. He conducted training seminars for his clients as added value. Word spread that Joe was a quality speaker and more and more people asked him to speak. The demand became so high that he sold the agency to three of his associates to start his own speaking and consulting company, Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc.

Joe is past President of the Kentucky Speakers Association and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a prestigious designation earned by only 8% of the 3,600 member National Speakers Association. Joe presently serves on the board of directors of NSA.

He is author of the audio learning systems "Three-Dimensional Selling®" and "Turning Customer Satisfaction Into Customer Excitement®." He is author of the book Throw the Rabbit—The Ultimate Approach to Three-Dimensional Selling.

Click here TO ENGAGE JOE BONURA FOR A TRAINING SEMINAR AT YOUR COMPANY