Turn Indecisive Prospects into Paying Clients

Imagine you've worked hard to market your services; you've attracted a prospective client, set up a "sales conversation" and gone through the whole sales process. Great job, but sometimes, no matter how hard we try, prospects don't always sign up on the spot.

Sometimes, a prospect needs some time to make the decision on whether or when they'd like to start working with you. What we've noticed over the years is that when this happens, the sale never happens, probably because life gets in the way and what's out of sight is out of mind.

Often, this means you've lost them for good - UNLESS you use some kind of method to get indecisive prospects to slide right into your practice, instead of slipping through your fingers. So we have a fantastic remedy for this, and it helps our customers and team members close the deal. If prospects don't bite on the 'sales' call, use what’s called the "bookend" method. Here's how it works.

When a prospect tells us they need to talk to with someone (manager, spouse or etc.) or need some time to decide, or wants to ideally start in 2 months, we schedule a 5 minute "check-in" call with them (next Tuesday at 3pm, for example) so that we can follow up with each other without having to play phone tag or have to follow up with one another multiple times.

The great thing about this technique is that it puts a time limit in the prospect's mind as to when THEY would like to make the decision, and obviously, you let them choose the day and time.

We essentially use this because we really dislike following up in this situation. It makes us feel like we’re chasing after them and we don't feel that is Client Attractive. So instead, we agree that they'll call on a set date/time and virtually every time they do, and out of those times, they don't feel pressured, have had time to think about what we talked about, and are ready to make a decision to move forward. It's a great tool!

If for whatever reason they don't call during the time of your 5 minute check-in appointment, you can then call or e-mail them asking what, if anything went wrong. This usually puts the prospect into a mode where they feel obliged to get back with you, as they were the one who missed the appointment. Again, this is much more Client Attractive and ends up saving a lot of your valuable time.

Client Attraction Assignment

If a client doesn't buy or sign up on the spot, make sure to “bookend” another appointment, so you don't have to follow up with each other for weeks. Use it as a "let's see where you are in your decision making process", it works like a charm. So call or email now those you are waiting to hear back from to set up the “bookend” call (5 minute “check in” call)!

Are you having trouble with actually getting the prospect INTO the sales conversation in the first place? You're not the only one. The good news is, we have a system that has been developed to help you close the sale the majority of the time and we can share the process with you if you’re interested. We have attraction/appreciation techniques in detail, and it's all there so you can start using it right away to get similar results. It's all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things and extremely convenient, easy, economical and efficient to use. Many customers and team members have received fantastic results from it and now you can get your free, no obligation trial by filling out the CONTACT US form, you won’t regret it. Why struggle when you can just model a system that already works?

THE BEST TEST

This is an awesome article from Chris Widener, about "BEING THE BEST", so if you want to be the best adhere to these thoughts/principles/characteristics.

I (Chris Widener) spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City on the topic "Simply the Best." So as I prepared, I asked myself, "What characteristics would help someone pass the "Best" test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the "best" at what they do? Here are the thoughts I shared with them:

• The Best are Optimists. You can’t get to the top if you don’t think that there is a top or if you think you can’t make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.

• The Best have Vision. They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren’t locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.

• The Best Relentlessly Pursue Excellence. The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.

• The Best have a Life Long Habit of Personal Growth. They don’t want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn’t "just happen." You choose to grow.…Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the "Best" test.

• The Best Understand that They will be Pushed by the Competition—and They Welcome It. Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more—to remain the best by forging ahead.

• The Best have a Quest for Leadership. Someone has to lead—it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.

• The Best Leave a Legacy. They aren’t in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.

• The Best are Adept at the Two Most Important Pieces of Time and Personal Management: Prioritize and Execute.…First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.

• The Best Focus on Building Relationships. Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.

• The Best Make no Excuses. When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.

• The Best Understand that the Good is the Enemy of the Best. Yes, they could say, "this is good." But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.

• The Best Dare to Dream. While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt’s quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Faith and Fear By Keith Cameron Smith

1. Faith expects good things to happen Fear expects bad things to happen

2. Faith takes action Fear holds you back

3. Faith is trust Fear is being suspicious

4. Faith is following your heart Fear is listening to the doubts of others

5. Faith creates peace Fear creates stress

6. Faith is power Fear is weakness

7. Faith produces understanding Fear produces confusion

8. Faith is the fruit of truth Fear is the fruit of lies

9. Faith is an antidote to your fears Fear is a poison to your body and soul

10. Faith must be nourished Fear must be starved

11. Faith keeps you connected to your Source Fear separates you from your Source

12. Faith produces positive results Fear produces negative results

13. Faith is a personal choice Fear is a learned behavior

14. Faith keeps you going Fear gives up

15. Faith is a gift that should be appreciated Fear is a curse that should be rejected

16. Faith in God, others and yourself leads to success Fear in anything leads to failure

17. Faith creates life Fear destroys it

18. Faith is compassionate Fear is unmerciful

19. Faith is patient Fear is anxious

20. Faith believes Fear doubts

21. Faith compliments Fear competes

22. Faith is generous Fear is selfish

23. Faith is light Fear is darkness

24. Faith leads to love Fear leads to anger

25. Faith produces prosperity Fear produces poverty

Dare to Dream Again by Chris Widener

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt

Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait: we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know).

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!

It is time to dream again!

Why? Here are just a few reasons:

* Avoid regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.

* The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it with all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!

* Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!

* Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the naysayers and said to himself or herself, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's and the J.F.K's either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people worldwide every day.

* Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So where do we start? Here are some ideas:

* Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.

* Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it. Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!

* Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:

* A time-line. How long will it take to the end?

* Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.

* Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?

* An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.

* A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!

New or Old – Which Is More Important?

I was watching a video recently and the narrator/host asked, “What is the difference between a customer and a client?” The person he asked this to said, “not a thing, they are the same.” Well, the narrator/host then proceeded to instruct him that was indeed incorrect, as a customer is someone that buys something from you once or twice and a client is someone who purchases from you over a period of time more than once or twice. In other words, a client is someone that you have built a relationship with over time. After thinking about this, it seemed to make quite a bit of sense to me!

Now, with that being said; if I could show you how to build those relationships, turning those customers into clients and to possibly increase your sales by 50% without increasing your marketing budget, would you be interested? Of course you would, what marketing or sales/service professional or business owner wouldn't be interested?

By the time you have finished this blog entry you will see what I am talking about and want to CONTACT ME about how I can help you with this!

Take a few moments and think of all the inactive customer files you have in your file cabinet. Business owners and sales professionals often make the costly mistake of servicing a customer once then assuming "they'll stay" as a customer or client without maintaining and growing that relationship.

A year later that business owner is wondering what happened to that customer and where they went. Why haven't they heard from them? Did they leave and if so, why?

There are many reasons a customer or client may leave you, but the ones you will hear most often are:

• They felt your pricing was too high/unfair or better product.
• They had an unresolved complaint or service dissatisfaction.
• They are influenced by a friend's or relative's advice and switch to their brand
• They took a competitors offer.
• They left because they felt you didn't care - They leave because they felt the sales person and company were indifferent to their needs. They feel taken for granted.

When you consider that the last two make up the majority of why a client or customer will no longer use your service or buy your products - it can be a hard pill to swallow. After all it means they are an inactive client because they felt you didn't care about them and your competitor did. Did you show them the appreciation they must have to remain loyal?

This makes sense when you consider that customers often purchase your service or product because they either have started to develop a relationship with you, they owned another product or yours, or they were referred to you by a friend or associate.

When faced with the above facts why do businesses spend about 80% of their marketing dollars going after new customers and clients rather than nurturing, retaining, and maintaining the customer relationships they already have? Wouldn’t it make sense to show your current customers more appreciation? Make them become clients not just “customers”, make them someone you have a great relationship with!

Before you spend your time and money going after new customers and clients you do not currently have a relationship with consider the following statistics:

• Repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers.
• Referrals among repeat customers are 107% greater than non-customers.
• It costs six times more to sell something to a new prospect/customer than to sell that same thing to a repeat customer/client.

As you can see your marketing dollars will go further if you use it to build, nurture, and develop your customer relationships. SHOW THEM APPRECIATION! This isn't as difficult as you may think. Building these relationships just means treating your customers and clients as if they truly are your strategic partners and showing them that you truly care about them, and making them feel special. It's important to try to satisfy them with the right products and services, supported by the right promotion and making it available at the right time and location. But, remember customers can easily detect indifference and insincerity and they simply will not tolerate it. Long-term client and customer loyalty is a long-term challenge that you must strive for every day and with every transaction no matter how big or small.

While a growing business obviously needs to constantly capture new customers, the focus and priority should be on pleasing your existing customer base. Turn them into “Clients for Life” and realize those companies that fail to nurture and retain their customer base WILL ultimately fail. You will also spend a-lot more to get new customers as you will in maintaining your existing customer base. Not to mention you will also be limited in your ability to attract new customers if you can't hold onto and satisfy your existing customers, turning them into clients.

The bottom line is that one of the key components in marketing and business growth is to spend the majority of your time and effort nurturing your customer relationships, so that you get business from existing clients and customers. This is a strategy that will move you forward in increasing your sales by 50% without increasing your budget.

Stay in touch with those past customers, do it in various ways and make sure it is personal DO NOT ASSUME AN EMAIL EVERY NOW AND THEN WILL WORK (IT WON’T, IT IS WAY TOO IMPERSONAL). Set your self apart and do something different than your competitors…do you know your customers birthday, wedding anniversary or even the date they originally did business with you and etc. Imagine how much they would appreciate A REAL GREETING CARD from you on these days or the value it will have on your relationship with them…BELIEVE ME, IT IS PRICELESS!

CONTACT ME NOW for more on information on a great way to nurture those customers and make them keep coming back to you!!!

Are You Willing to Do Whatever it Takes to Succeed in Business?

Ladies and gentleman, meet Mo, Larry, and Curly Entrepreneur. These fine fellows are here today to help answer the age old question: Why do some entrepreneurs achieve stellar success while others achieve only moderate success while still others fail in business miserably?

To level the playing field let's pretend that each of our wily entrepreneurs all started their businesses on the exact same day, selling the exact same product at the exact same price. Let's also pretend that they started their businesses from identical locations, with the exact same resources and funding, and with the exact same opportunities and odds for success.

Even when starting from the same place at the same point in time with the same resources and same opportunities, the results vary widely; some entrepreneurs succeed in an amazing way and others do not.

Why then does one entrepreneur, in this case Curly because he is my favorite Stooge, reach the stars while most Stooges never make it off the ground? Why does Curly get to "Whoop it up!" while accepting the Chamber's Small Business of the Year Award while Mo and Larry have to work as waiters at the event to help pay their bills?

Great questions, but before we explore the answers let's take it a step further. Let's vary the equation since no two business startups are ever really the same. Could the difference in the level of success achieved be a result of the amount of financial backing each Stooge had? Could it be that one entrepreneur was simply smarter than the others (probably not in Curly's case)? Or perhaps it was just good old dumb luck that made the difference. Or maybe God was just tired of Mo and Larry pushing Curly around and punished them with failing businesses akin to Lot's House of Salt.

Stooges aside, there is a very simple reason some entrepreneurs do amazingly well in business while others do not. It has nothing to do with product or location or backing or education or street smarts or dumb luck.

It's because those who succeed in an amazing way are willing to do whatever it takes - for as long as it takes - to make their dreams come true. Those who are unwilling to do whatever it takes will ultimately fail. That's it, end of story, thank you and drive through.

The bottom line is this: Curly shoots for the moon and hits it while Mo and Larry talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk. Very few people are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business. That's why so many businesses fail; they are started by Stooges (bless their hearts) who have no business being in business. Period!

Before you even think about starting a business ask yourself: are you willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business? Would you be willing to work for a year without a regular paycheck? Would you be willing to perform every task imaginable? Would you clean the toilets, mop the floors, take out the trash, wash the windows, clean out a grease trap, flip burgers, pour drinks, and deal with customers for hours on end? Would you stay up all night writing a proposal that you have a slim chance of winning and spend the entire next day cold calling clients who won't give you the time of day?

Would you sell your car and mortgage your house and live on rice and beans for a year to fund the business? And if that money ran out would you think up creative ways to keep the doors open or would you just shut the doors and crawl home with your tail tucked between your legs? And would you put your last ounce of blood, sweat and tears into a dream that might or might not come true? It doesn’t always come to this but are you willing to do it if needed?

Are you willing to be teachable and learn, read, listen and train as needed?

If the answer to any of these questions is maybe, I don't know, or just no, I want you to hold up your hand and stick out two fingers, then poke yourself in the eyes with them.

Then repeat after me, "Why I ought a--- keep my day job."

The Right Questions Define Your Goals

When I started out in sales, I worked for a manager I’ll call “Jim.” One of my goals at the time was to find a mentor, to learn from someone with experience in the industry. I thought I’d found that mentor in Jim, until I learned his goal was to retire in three years. Nothing wrong with that, except that Jim focused all his time and energy on his impending retirement in a nice house on a golf course, not on his job.

When I asked for advice on approaching clients, he shrugged. “I really don’t have the answers. You figure it out.” At that moment, I knew I had to find another job. Much as I liked Jim, our opposing goals made it impossible for us to work together. Mentally, he’d already clocked out of the working world, so there was no way he could motivate me.

When it comes to inspiring your employees, ask yourself, “What motivates me?” How passionate are you when it comes to achieving your goals? Such passion is infectious: your employees are sure to catch it. Discover your motivation by identifying your own professional and personal goals while helping your employees achieve theirs. If you and your employees aren’t on the same page where goals are concerned, you might soon find you’re not even in the same book.

What's the definition of a goal?

You might think it’s silly to even try to define a goal, and that’s okay. I thought I knew the definition of a goal until I spoke with a motivational coach. He told me that only 2% of the population has goals. With that, a debate began.

I told him, “When I ask salespeople, ‘who here has goals?”, they all raise their hands.”

He shook his head. “No, they don’t have goals. They have dreams.” That puzzled me. “What’s the difference?” I asked; “Dreams are in your head. Goals are written down,” he explained. “In order for something to be a goal, you need to write it down.”

He was right. Many people have dreams about how their lives will end up, but few people take the time to sit down and form detailed plans to make those dreams a reality. For instance, how many people do you know who want to lose weight? The older we get, the more we think about getting healthier, and losing weight is a giant step in that direction for many of us. Now consider how many people have made losing weight one of their life goals. Sure, plenty of us want to lose weight, but how many of us really put that dream into action in the form of a solid goal with specific steps?

How to turn your dream into a goal:

1. A goal must be written down.

The process of writing down our goals forces us to transform our vague desires into concrete objectives.

2. A goal must be specific.

Specific goals help us focus our energy and make the most of how we spend our time. Rather than saying, “I want to make my life better,” set specific goals such as, “I want to purchase a condominium on the beach,” or “I want to have two kids.”

3. A goal must be measurable.

If our goals aren’t measurable, how will we know when we’ve reached them? Examples of measurable goals include “I want to lose 15 pounds” or “I want to sell $2 million worth of products.”

4. A goal must have a time frame.

We must put our goals in terms of time; otherwise we might put them off indefinitely. The time frame for one of your goals could be anywhere from one week to twenty years or more. The important thing is to have a deadline—and stick to it!

Here are examples of personal and professional goals that meet all four requirements:

* My goal is to lose 15 pounds in the next six months.”

* “I have a goal to produce $2 million in the next fiscal year through sales of my new product.”

* “My goal is to own a three-bedroom vacation home at the beach by the summer of 2010.”

* “I have a goal to open up 15 new franchise locations of my business in the next five years.”

* Now that you know the difference between goals and dreams, do a personal inventory.

What are your goals? You need a picture of where you want yourself and others to go. At work, this will help maximize your efforts and determine what you need from your employees.

Questions to help you delineate your goals:

* “What’s my vision of the future?”

* “Where do I picture myself three years from today?”

* “How will others perceive me in the future? My boss, my peers, my family?”

* “What has to happen in the next two years for me to be happy with my progress?”

* “What visual image do I have for my team? What visual image do I have for my company?”

* “How do I want to be perceived by my customers? My employees?”

* “How would my boss define me in one sentence?”

* “What excites me most about my job? What do I want to do more of/less of/stop doing altogether, so I can achieve what’s important to me? To my team? To my company?”

* “Which mountain do I want to climb?”

* “What’s my definition of success?”

* “What benchmarks do I need to achieve in order to feel successful?”

* “What actions do I need to perform on a daily/weekly/monthly basis to achieve my goals?”

* “What areas of my job should I focus on in order to have the most impact on my staff?”

* “Where do I need to prioritize to insure my success? My team’s success?”

Lesson Learned - If your employees’ and team members' goals aren’t aligned with yours, you’ll find yourselves working at cross-purposes. Think about your own personal and professional goals, then write them down and turn your written words into actions. Once you know what you want, you’ll be better prepared to help your employees and team members figure out what they want, putting all of you on the same page and the fast track to your happy ending of choice.

The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class

Check out the book by Keith Cameron Smith’s “The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class”. It’s a quick read – 112 small pages. The focal point of the book is, as the title implies, ten distinctions he draws between millionaires and the middle class.

Listed below in this post are Keith’s top 10 distinctions, in his descending order of importance. Don’t get too wrapped up in the negative statements about the middle class. He just uses them to contrast with millionaires. See the following as summarized with a key point or two that resonated with me within each distinction.

Distinction 10: Millionaires think long term. The middle class thinks short term.

Long term thinking enables you to get out of the month to month mindset that many middle class people have. Doing so allows you to focus on ways to increase your income through goal setting and long term planning. When thinking long term you ask yourself questions like, “How can I reduce my income tax this year?” or “How can I double my income next year?”

Distinction 9: Millionaires talk about ideas. The middle class talks about things and other people.

Wealthy individuals use positive vocabularies. Whereas the middle class uses words such as “impossible” or “I should”, millionaires say “possible” or “I will.” Millionaires aren’t whiners. On the other hand, middle class people can often be heard complaining about their job, boss, bills, money, or debt.

Distinction 8: Millionaires embrace change. The middle class is threatened by change.

People with a wealthy mindset identify the opportunity that change brings as opposed to fearing or worrying about it. Being fearful will prevent you from seeing opportunities that change brings.

Distinction 7: Millionaires take calculated risks. The middle class is afraid to take risks.

To escape the rat race that the middle class is on you have to take risks – albeit a calculated risks. A bunch of elderly people took a survey in which they were asked what they wish they would have done differently over the course of their lives. They had three common answers: Take more risks, take time to reflect on the good moments in life, and do something that will live on after you die.

Distinction 6: Millionaires continually learn and grow. The middle class thinks learning ended with school.

It’s worth spending money on financial education. A $20 book can teach you things that could result in you making $20,000 by applying what you’ve read. It’s much easier to learn if you focus on what you have a passion for.

Distinction 5: Millionaires work for profits. The middle class works for wages.

Your income will only increase gradually when you work for wages. When you work for profits you are able to significantly increase your income over a short period of time. If you work for wages chances are that you will have enough to support yourself - but not much beyond that.

Distinction 4: Millionaires believe they must be generous. The middle class believes it can’t afford to give.

Giving away money can be both fun and fulfilling. Charitable millionaires tend to be happier ones.

Distinction 3: Millionaires have multiple sources of income. The middle class has only one or two.

Having multiple sources of income increases your chances of becoming a millionaire. The best way to create multiple sources of income is to make passive income. Further, building sources of passive income that feed off one another will yield you even more wealth.

Distinction 2: Millionaires focus on increasing their net worth. The middle class focuses on increasing its paychecks.

Working for a paycheck reinforces your dependence on an employer for your financial well-being. Additionally, as your paycheck goes up, so do your taxes. Using your paycheck to buy assets that produce a passive income can help you transition from being dependent upon that paycheck to creating your own income. As your income increases, don’t upgrade your lifestyle at first. Instead, invest your profits.

Distinction 1: Millionaires ask themselves empowering questions. Middle-class people ask themselves disempowering questions.

Empowering questions make you feel good. Disempowering questions, in addition to making you feel bad, don’t get you anywhere. An example of an empowering question is, “What can my wife and I do to make our lives better?” The disempowering equivalent would be “Why are my wife and I always fighting.” The same applies with money. Instead of asking “How can I get a raise at work?” ask yourself “How can I make enough money to support my family while doing something I love?”

The Two Choices We Face

Here is a great little writing about choices that I received via emailed as provided by Jim Rohn, so give it read, you may like it.

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.

To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.