The Zone of Greatness: The Keys to Your Power

The Zone of Greatness: The Keys to Your Power

by | Jan 26, 2020 | Business, General, Strengths

In the process of searching for my full self-expression, I uncovered teachings of the body, mind, heart and soul/energy realms that I’ll be grateful for forever. On this 40+ year journey, one of the core drivers for me was searching for what I bring, what made me special, and how I could create a life around that. I’ve gathered many tools over the years, some of the tools that I now have would have saved me years of searching if I would’ve had access to them earlier in life. I’m an explorer by nature who lives in the now while tapping into the future so I have no regrets, I do the best I can with what I have and have an innate curiosity… there’s always something new to be discovered after all.

Seeing what other people bring, or not, is always easy, isn’t it? 

Seeing your own greatness is different, it’s easier to put yourself down. Focusing on what’s actually great about you is the key focus for me and one of the reasons I love the strengths movement. I love to acknowledge and cheer people on, I just can’t help but see the silver lining #positivity. There are so many limiting beliefs and judgments flying around on this planet and it’s easy to get caught up in someone else’s reality and adopt these opinions as “yours” when it often isn’t.

Being happy and having fun has always been very important to me, and I’ve fought tooth and nail for it at times not knowing why doing whatever it took to get people to smile, if even for a moment. As I matured and realized the impact of judgments, and how often people around me didn’t prioritize happiness nor the impact of this in their lives I wondered why that was. Then I realized how it often happened, working “hard”, being so caught up in doing and providing for your work, lifestyle, family, etc. that you end up getting caught up in the rat race and beating yourself up for what you’re not doing. 

There are always stakeholders

Let’s face it there are always stakeholders to consider when you’re in sales, even when you’re the CEO, which can be draining. Until one day, when you’ve had enough… you want to simplify life, be happy and enjoy each day. Maybe you just get yourself a Harley to feel alive — there are no margins for slacking on a bike after all, or maybe you suffer inside as you work harder and harder being a little off your game, or not as hungry as you used to be, and feeling a bit jaded. 

At this point, you may no longer know what you bring to the table, however, or so busy in the midst of building that kingdom of yours with no time to stop and breathe, until you just can’t take it anymore… 

Would you like to change to another track?

After advising many men and women over the years, I’ve learned that people tend to trust me quickly. I also quickly earned the reputation of getting things done, not being afraid of trying new things and going for it. The common thread throughout my life has always been a curiosity about people from different perspectives and it still took me many years to “get” that I was good at it and could actually get paid to coach professionally.

I spent years with various energy modalities and still practice them today. Through these ventures, I realized how aware I had been, long before I “knew” it, or had a language for that awareness. Learning to separate what’s mine and what actually belongs to others has been profound, pragmatic, and so much fun.

Asking questions is key —so is allowing the answer to come to you instead of forcing it. Think of it as a energetic contribution and awareness rather than a head response of conclusions. 

I remember the first time I read the book, “Being You, Changing the World” by Dr. Dain Heer, it was profound and simple at the same time and FUN! I was on fire reading that book, and recommend it warmly to anyone seeking expanded awareness no matter what profession you’re in, and still re-read it once a year.

And that’s the interesting thing for me as I tend to share new tools with the people I interact with. Many people often classify energy modalities as a separate thing, something woo-woo and then, is it really?

When you stop long enough to check in why you make the decisions you may find that you tune into your instincts and hunches on things no matter what the facts say yet some will only base decisions on facts. When you interact with people energy is present, it’s the energy we all radiate that has people be drawn to us, or not. You can choose to acknowledge it, or put the head in the sand and pretend that it’s not there. 

When people “crash”, lose their mojo or take drastic measures, I’ve often found that it’s because the individual has lost touch with the core of who they are.

Connecting to your awareness will help you in business too. Never forget that you matter. That the world is a better place with you in it. That being said, are you creating a business and life that you really love?

Let’s Talk About Photography and Brand Story

Let’s Talk About Photography and Brand Story

by | Jan 19, 2020 | Business, General, Strengths

What do photography and branding have to do with sales mojo? We all have a personal brand and a story that we communicate to the world which is a mix of how we dress – colors and style, carry ourselves – personality, interests, values, knowledge, education, etc.

Do you have pictures that actually illustrate and present who YOU are to the world?

I love to bring out the inner essence when I capture my spur of the moment pictures of people. Making people laugh has always been important to me. When we allow ourselves to let loose and just be ourselves, laughter comes easily. With laughter comes the beauty and depth of each individual and that is what I love to capture.

Presenting a face to the world that truly represents who you are in the moment helps you sell yourself and your products. What that looks like will be as unique as you are, and the business area you’re in. It’s also a warm invitation to others to start a conversation or simply spread good mojo vibes. Add to that a list of questions to ask your prospects or existing clients and you’re ready to roll.

I watched “A Marriage Story” the other night on Netflix. Despite all of the awards, to me, the story of that movie was so sad, yet how many stories end. It illustrated the importance of communication, asking questions and not making assumptions. It’s so easy to stop asking questions in any relationship, personal and professional, not wanting to rock the boat yet if you don’t there are more messes to clean up. A photograph, video or movie tells a powerful story.

What is the brand story you want to create?

You’re in sales because you care, like the freedom and challenges that this game offer and you want to impact people. You know that balance is key, listening to what people have to say, being genuinely interested in people is what makes the difference short and long-term. Is how you present yourself to the world congruent with that? That’s the person I want to capture.

Networking is a big part of prospecting and landing a new account. When people start referring you leads you to know that you’ve made a difference to the point that they want to help you build your business. One of my co-workers has been really good at asking for testimonials from his customers. We created a testimonial sheet with contact info that he provides any new prospect who’s on the fence. It includes testimonials about what to expect both from a service level, character, and product performance. That’s a powerful sales tool.

Have you asked your current accounts for a testimonial?

This initiative provided me with so much information about how he manages his region. It takes a lot of courage to ask your clients for a testimonial and when you have a close working relationship, it’s easy, right? He knows the value he brings to his customers, and yes, he knows his strengths and his performance has skyrocketed after many years in sales. It’s never too late when you’re hungry and focused.

So what does this have to do with photography and stories? The words from your customers are creating a powerful story in itself, imagine adding a picture of you to your testimonial sheet that actually matches what your clients are saying about you. One where you have your mojo that shows off your personality.

We all have a personal brand whether we do something about it, or not. Why not use it to your advantage?

Your talent lineup is a unique mix, 1 in 33 million people unique, just like you and that is only counting your Top 5! When you review your talent mix you quickly get what your needs are, what you bring and with that a lot of information about your personal brand.

With that in your arsenal you can stand out, you’re not like the rep down the street. Yes, the same thing can be said for that person so looking at HOW you stand out is key. There’s absolutely no need to slam competition, it’s an illusion on so many levels. Just think about who you’d rather buy from, what are the qualities you’re looking for?

Doing business with people you connect with, that are looking for what you uniquely bring is the sweet spot.

Who are YOU as a brand? I’d love to know.

What’s Your WORD and Focus for 2020?

What’s Your WORD and Focus for 2020?

by | Jan 12, 2020 | Business, General, Strengths

Focus word

When you embark on a new year AND a new decade it’s a great opportunity to hit the reset button and start fresh with a clean slate. I like having a personal word, sometimes several, that helps guide my decisions during the year. The word(s) tend to “pop” into my head towards the end of the year, often as a result of how the current year played out.

My word for this year is BALANCE. When I’m in balance, I make powerful choices for myself in business and life. When I’m in balance I feel great which creates flow in every area of my life. When I’m adding projects, meetings, meetups, I ask myself: “Will this create more balance for me?” And with that simple question I know if it’s a yes or a no in a moment. It’s a super simple tool and it works – try it!

We live in a time when it’s so easy to take on too much and then get in overwhelm mode while pushing ourselves by cramming too much work into a short timeframe to make it happen and hit the deadlines. It can be a fine line between a fun “let’s go” to “too much to do, how am I going to get this all done?” mode. If you have #Achiever® and #Activator® in your Top 5-10 you know that it’s easy to say yes before you stop yourself and take on too much!

Taking time out every day

Doing something for you is important for longevity, whether it’s a workout, walk, hanging out with family and friends, seeing a movie, reading a book, whatever supports your word and targets. I had a friend visit over the holidays which forced me to drop all of my endless to do lists and take a timeout to focus on entertaining. It was fun being a tourist in my backyard and visit places that I haven’t been to or seen in years. It helped create more balance for me as I was able to zone out for once due to the holidays and being off.

To help prioritize your daily tasks, in addition to hitting your sales targets, of course, having a word that guides you to your success can help you stay on track throughout the year with your overall targets, desires and well-being.

What is your word?

To find your word, simply ask yourself: 1) What’s missing right now that would make a huge difference in your life, where you have your mojo fully, and 2) How you would feel if you were living in that mind space daily?

The word can be a feeling or state of mind and will create the foundation for success inside and outside of you, if you choose to follow your inner guidance/gut feeling moment by moment. Let’s say you’ve lost your mojo, how do you feel when you have your mojo? On top of the world, happy, empowered, confident, etc.?

Pick the word that you feel the strongest pull towards, the state that ultimately is most important to you. What you project and feel affects your ability to close business. Even when it’s not you, your prospect or client could be in that space of feeling like blah.

Ask: “Will this [action/choice] create more [your word] for me? and “Will this [action/choice] create more [your word] for my body?” If your word resonates with both questions, you’ve got the word for you.

Here are some words to get you going: peace, calm, playfulness, focus, empowerment, power, energy, confidence, mojo,…

Now go out there and spread the word 😀 If you’re game, post your word below in the comments.

 

If you liked this post you may enjoy 10 + 81 Ideas for creating a successful 2020 in sales and life and What to do when sales suck: 3 Actions.

Have a great week!