"The Abc's of Selling"
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Walk Your Way To Success In this issue:
These Feet Were Made For Walking In my one-hour walk this morning; I noticed that the rhythm of the walk increased my sense of smell. I could really smell the flowers, the new-mown grass, and breakfast cooking in a neighbor's kitchen. I could also feel the blood circulating in my head -- thinking was clear, and my mind was alert and attuned to new ideas. Capture Your Ideas Before They Fly I especially like to take a walk after a refreshing rain. I carry a small recorder to capture ideas as they come to me. It was Earl Nightingale who said that an idea is like a bird that lands on your window sill. First you see it, and then it takes off and flies away forever. Oh No, Not Again I never feel like getting up and taking my daily walk. It would be much easier to turn over and catch a few more winks. The best method for getting out of bed is to lie to myself that I am not really going for a walk; I am just getting up to make a cup of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I keep myself busy by doing some stretch exercises. The coffee perks me up, and I tell myself that I am going to get the newspaper. First Take Baby Steps By the time I walk to the end of the driveway, I realize that I will walk for a block, and then my mood exerts me to an hour of brisk walking without stopping. Sometimes I am ready to give up in thirty minutes, but then I would have to find a phone to call my wife to come get me. That is usually when my second wind kicks in. By the time I get home, I am happy to keep going.
The Write Thing To Do I feel the same way about writing these articles every month: It is hard to begin when staring at a blank computer screen. Some people call it writer's block; I call it procrastination. Once I begin writing the first few words, the rest seems to follow. The secret is to continue writing. I can always go back and edit, but if I stop, I may not continue writing. It would be like sitting on the curb in the middle of a walk. Sell Yourself First So, how does this apply to sales? The secret is selling yourself to begin. Beginning means that you are "half-done." You can stare at your call list and wait for the phone to ring, or you can pick up the phone and make someone else's phone ring. The choice is up to you. Love What You Do I love helping others achieve successful outcomes in their lives so I visualize the result of having made a successful call. If I make a sale, it is an opportunity to help someone succeed in business and in life. If I do not make the calls, the opportunity to help someone succeed does not happen. It is as simple as that. The Scale Of Life Because of my daily walking routine, the numbers on my bathroom scale are getting smaller. I can see myself enjoying an extra treat for the day because I have burned many calories during my walk. Find Your Second Wind I also realize that once I begin my sales calls, I get a second wind. I get in the phone mode, and I then have a problem stopping. It reminds me of what I have written in so many articles: Mood Follows Action - Action Does Not Follow Mood. Be honest with yourselves; you will never be in the mood to be rejected on the telephone or in a face-to-face cold call, but once you have the momentum, the cold calls become warm. The Ties That Bind I challenge you to discover what is holding you back from making those sales calls. Is your excuse real or imagined? In life, there is always an excuse, and then the real reason. You must know the real reason before you can overcome your reluctance. The Ultimate Rejection If it is fear of rejection, remember that if you do not make sales calls, you will ultimately be rejected. It is called losing your job. The calls you make today will insure the job that you will have tomorrow. Trash Your Excuses Write all of your excuses on a sheet of paper, tear the paper into tiny pieces, and toss them in the trash can. Watch the little pieces fall into the can. You can choose to be proactive, and your ability to choose is your greatest power. Exercise your muscle to chose, get out of bed, and let your fingers start walking on the face of your telephone. Do it right now! © 2006-2009 Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. |
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REPRINT info: Joe Bonura 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
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