Personal Development

Here is some great insight and personal development from the great business “philosopher” Jim Rohn taken from his CD “The Art of Exceptional Living”. If you want to grow, be happy and become more successful both personally and professionally, get started with his suggestions below…it can’t hurt to give it a try!

GOAL-SETTING

· Make a list of your long-term goals. This list should include the most important things you want to do in the next 1-10 years. What do you want to see? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? What do you want to have? Take 15 minutes and just pour your thoughts out on paper. Don’t take longer than 15 minutes. Write fast. Abbreviate. After you finish, write down how many years it will take you to accomplish each goal. Some goals might be one-year goals. Others might be three-year goals. A few might even be 10-year goals.

· Constantly refine, reflect upon and revise your goals as you change. When you complete goals on your long-term list, celebrate. Celebrate your wins in life.

· Make a list of your short-term goals. This list should include all of the little things you want to do within a year. Part of the fun of making goals lists is being able to cross them off after you accomplish each.

· Set the kind of goals that will make something of you if you achieve them.

· Don’t set your goals too low.

· Don’t sell out (or give up on your goals). Don’t compromise. Tips: Goal-setting is easy. Just decide what you want and write it down. Save your goal lists to track your personal growth. Your old lists will show you how you have grown.

PERSONAL GROWTH

• Don’t hang out with an easy crowd.
• Unhappiness starts when you know you could be a little more than you are. This is where the slow erosion begins. Don’t let it happen to you.

• Your life philosophy will change as you grow. Ask yourself: What do you want to be known for?
• Set a goal to make a million dollars, not for the money but for what it will make of you
• Spend major time on major things. Minor time on minor things. Ask yourself if you focus on the majors
• Reasons come first and then the answers. If you can’t accomplish some of your goals, your reasons for why you want to accomplish those goals might not be strong enough. If you have enough reasons, you can do great things. When you know what you want and you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.
• What can you do today to change your life so the next five years are not the same as the last five?
• Ideas and information are the keys to your success. They can change your life.
• If you want to be happy, study happiness. Wealthy, study wealth.
• Keep a journal with you at all times to capture your ideas when they come. Don’t rely on your memory.
• All leaders are readers.
• To have more, become more.
• It isn’t what happens to you in your life that matters—it’s how you react to what happens to you.
• Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
• The greatest value you get in life is what you become, not what you get

ASSOCIATIONS

• The people you surround yourself with influence you more than you think. Take a look at the people you are around and ask yourself: What do they have me doing? Saying? Feeling? Never underestimate the power of influence.
• It is easy to let associations and influences impact you. The people you are around shape who you will become. Don’t hang out with an easy crowd. Challenge yourself to grow.

SUCCESS

• Discipline makes all the difference. A few simple disciplines practiced over time every day can be your key to success.
• Failure comes from a few errors in judgment repeated over time.
• Work on your craft.
• Mend your errors by better thinking.
• Eat an apple a day!

The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

Hi all, I started reading the book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino and I felt these principles had to be relayed as they pertain to everyday life and everyone, not just "SALESMEN". So, if you haven’t read this book, I highly suggest it…from what I have read thus far it is awesome!

Only principles endure and these I now possess, for the laws that will lead me to greatness are contained in the words of these scrolls.

Principle #1 – Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.

Keep it always in mind and you will overcome seemingly impossible obstacles that are certain to confront you as they do everyone with ambition.

Never feel shame for trying and failing for he who has never failed is he who has never tried.

Principle #2 – I will form good habits and become their slave.

If I must be a slave to habit let me be a slave to good habits. My bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed.

Each principle in these scrolls will drive a bad habit from my life and replace it with one which brings me closer to success. For it is another of nature’s laws that only a habit can subdue another habit.

As I repeat the words daily contained in these scrolls they will soon become a part of my active mind. Eventually I will find myself reacting to all situations which confront me as I was commanded in the scrolls to react. Thus a new and good habit is born.

Principle #3 – I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Love is the greatest secret of success in all ventures.

I will laud my enemies and they will become my friends; I will encourage my friends and they will become my brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip.

I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they may be hidden.

But how will I react to the adversity of others? With love; just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger.

Principle #4 – I will persist until I succeed.

I was not delivered into this world in defeat, nor does failure course through my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be led to the slaughter. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.

I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt.

Principle #5 – I will increase my knowledge of the world.

Within me burns a flame which has been passed from generations uncounted and its heat is a constant irritation to my spirit to become better than I am, and I will.

I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply. I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I utter to sell my goods, for this is the foundation on which I will build my career… Also I will seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.

I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life for I perceive, at last, that all my problems are in truth great opportunities in disguise.

Principle #6 – I will live this day as if it is my last.

Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more. Forgetting yesterday neither will I think of tomorrow. Should I torment myself with problems that may never come to pass? No!

I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence.

The duties of today I shall fulfill today. I will make every hour count and each minute I will trade only for something of value. And if this day is not my last, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.

Principle #7 – Today I will be master of my emotions.

All nature is a cycle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall.

If I bring joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter to my customers they will react with joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter, and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for me.

Weak is he who permits his emotions to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his emotions.

􀀹 If I feel sad I will laugh.

􀀹 If I fear I will plunge ahead.

􀀹 If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.

􀀹 If I become overconfident I will recall my failures.

􀀹 If I feel complacency I will remember my competition.

I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny.

Principle #8 – I will laugh at the world.

I will chuckle and my burdens will be lightened; I will laugh and my life will be lengthened for this is the great secret of long life. And most of all, I will laugh at myself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.

Four words I will train myself to say until they become a habit so strong that immediately they will appear in my mind whenever good humor threatens to depart from me. These four words are: This too shall pass.

And with my laughter all things will be reduced to their proper size. I will laugh at my failures and they will vanish in clouds of new dreams; I will laugh at my successes and they will shrink to their true value.

Principle #9 – Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize.

The height of my goals will not hold me in awe. If I stumble I will rise and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth.

I will always announce my goals to the world. I will always raise my goals as soon as they are attained. Yet, never will I proclaim my accomplishments. Let the world instead, approach me with praise and may I have the wisdom to receive it in humility.

Principle #10 – I will act now.

My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. I will act now.

I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again each day until the words become as much a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids.

Only action determines my value in the market place and to multiply my value I will multiply my actions. I will walk where the failure fears to walk. I will work when the failure seeks rest. Success will not wait. If I delay she will become betrothed to another.

Build Relationships - Give, Give, Give

What are some ways to find new customers and clients?

I believe the old maxim "It’s better to give than receive" holds the key to referral success. For centuries this has been sound advice for living. From the Bible’s command to "love your neighbor as yourself" to sales trainer extraordinaire Zig Zigler’s key principle that "you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want", being a giving person brings success.

What are some practical things you can do to genuinely be more of a giver?

Give Away Your Possessions

Sometimes it is appropriate to show appreciation with a gift. Sending a gift sets you apart and finding something that uniquely suites the individual helps build solid relationships. It says, "I know you and care enough to think about what you might enjoy."

Sometimes it’s appropriate to send a gift even when the sale doesn’t close. If you appreciate the effort someone has made on your behalf, feel free to send a little something. You will keep them on your radar and prospect list. I often send flowers.

Sometimes they just mean "thanks for thinking of me." Sometimes I give a food gift such as popcorn or as I get to know people, I offer something specific like a book they mentioned in our meetings, a type of wine or a magazine subscription. In all cases, you are building the relationships.

Give Away Your Expertise

Share your skills and experience happy in the knowledge that you are helping friends and colleagues. Others appreciate and seek out knowledgeable people who give generously of their expertise. When you have been a resource to others, people are more willing to help when you ask. I work at being a major resource and learning as much about everything that I can. I call it "collecting vital information" and it always comes in handy as I am talking to my contacts, prospects, downline and clients.

Give Away Your Time

The more you are involved in your business and community, the more people you will meet, the better you will get to know those in your organization and the faster your network will expand. There are several ways to do this. Consider the following steps for your next meeting, training event or activity where you are looking to build your client and prospect list.

1. Volunteer to be the "greeter" when people are registering. This is a great way to meet others and this simple act of hospitality helps you to connect with people later. When we simply attend meetings, we limit our ability to meet and get to know people, so I make sure to join a committee and get involved. I always build new relationships. These people will often become those whom you will rely on and who will rely on you in the future.

2. Give a speech. Organizations are always looking for programs or breakout sessions for larger meetings or conventions. Perhaps you can put together a seminar about selling your specific product or share a simple technique you’ve successfully used to close more business. Putting together a quality presentation can take a bit of time, yet after you have done your research, you will be more knowledgeable about your business and become an expert—and you will be sure to pick up some new interest in your business.

3. After you’ve done your presentation, go one step further and offer to write an article for the organization’s newsletter or magazine on the same topic. This is a key way for people to be able to remember who you are. Be sure not to make it a commercial—you are just showing a way in which you build business that could be used by other salespeople in other businesses.

Being a giver is what relationship marketing is all about. Especially in these uncertain economic times, network professionals who give, continue to plant seeds and nurture their relationships will be the ones people reach out to when they are ready—because they will stay on many people’s radar screen until the time is right for them.

Want to help build, enhance and cultivate your business and personal relationships for more SUCCESSFUL REFERRALS or how about showing someone some appreciation by sending them a gift; CONTACT US and we can help to make this fast, easy and economical!

The Old Mule

A farmer owned an old mule that fell into a well. After assessing the situation, the farmer reluctantly concluded that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and enlisted them to help bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was frantic, but as the dirt kept hitting his back, something happened. It dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load landed on his back, he should SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. Shake it off and step up….shake it off and step up. No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

Before long, the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly through the mouth of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him…all because of how he handled his adversity.”

Our lives are sometimes like the old mule. We have adversities that come our way. The key is responding to them positively, not giving in to panic, self-pity or bitterness. As you begin your day, take a few minutes to think about how you are handling the adversities that may be weighing you down. Are you giving into them with doubt or are you responding to them positively?

Don’t forget the actions of the old mule – SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

How to Say "UP YOURS" to the Recession

Everywhere you look its recession this, recession that, this company is going out of business, that company is laying people off, unemployment statistics are climbing, and the list goes on.

The media is really good at promoting the recession, aren't they? Now...I'm not saying at all that things aren't bad in our country. They are!

But...it doesn't at all mean that YOU personally have to be dramatically impacted by it. In fact...during this trying time, and ALL trying times, there are many people who are able to create significant wealth as a result of taking ACTION.

Do yourself a favor and don't become a statistic during this or any recessionary period by doing some of this:

1. Work harder than anyone/everyone else. Tough times are no time for laying back. The only way out of any slow period is to "produce" your way out of it.
2. Don't let opportunity pass you by. Right now, there are more people seeking out opportunity than ever before as a result of downsizing and layoffs. These people are waiting to hear from someone who can help them. Let it be you!
3. Recruit UP. Professionals in specific categories are hurting more than ever before as well. These people have the talent you are looking for...and the NEED to take action. Go after realtors and mortgage people NOW!
4. Be VERY Consistent. I am going to reiterate a point I made earlier about working HARDER than anyone else. This is no time to be flaky. This is the time to be "ON the gas" and STAY on the gas. Put your pedal to the metal and stay there.
5. Be the LEADER of the pack. Now is also the time for you to STEP UP and start inspiring. In trying times, people need someone who is positive, upbeat, and doesn't allow circumstances to get them down. BE that person now and lead these people through to the other side.
6. SMILE more. The more you smile and the more you stay positive will do nothing but GOOD for your business. Trust me. It works.
7. Surround yourself with Positivity! This is NOT the time to be hanging around with a bunch of negative people. Create a support group around you of positive doers and spend your time with them. It rubs off.

10 Great Quotes from 10 Great Business People

I came across these AWESOME quotes and felt they would be great for others to see/read and apply to your lives. Hopefully you liked/enjoyed them and can apply when and where necessary...as always have a WONDERFUL and PRODUCTIVE day!

1. Jim Rohn

“Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune.”

2. Henry Ford

“Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.”

3. Walt Disney

“All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.”

4. Peter Drucker

“Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation.”

5. Edwin H. Stuart

“Men who do things without being told draw the most wages.”

6. Vincent Lombardi

“Winning is a habit. Unfortunately so is losing”

7. J. Paul Getty

“To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business.”

8. Sam Walton

“High expectations are the key to everything.”

9. Steve Jobs

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

10. Warren Buffett

“I like to go for cinches. I like to shoot fish in a barrel. But I like to do it after the water has run out.”

Customer or Client? Current or New?

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 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 or unfair.
• They had an unresolved complaint.
• They took a competitors offer.
• They left because they felt you didn't care.

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.

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, 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 prospect than to sell that same thing to a customer.

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 needs to constantly capture new customers, the focus and priority should be on pleasing your existing customer base. Turn then into “Clients for Life” and companies that fail to nurture and retain their customer base ultimately fail. You will also spend twice as much 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.

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

Smile - You Just Never Know

Are you always smiling? Are you always in a good mood? If not, why not? Be happy, feel happy and let others know you are happy just by being you! Let's face it the way you present yourself represents you and the way you are viewed by others, people’s impressions are formed by their views; who wants it to be a negative impression? Realize that every day brings you a new opportunity and you should be thankful for it, as you never know when you will come across someone that may present you with a great situation, business deal and/or etc.

Furthermore, people want to be around those that make them feel good and if you feel good and are happy, believe me, others will feel good and be happy. In other words, feeling good and being happy is "contagious" and it just makes for a better overall day!

Therefore, wake up and set the stage for your AWESOME day every day by telling yourself; "I believe this is going to be a wonderful day. I believe I can successfully handle all problems that will arise today. I feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, it is wonderful to be alive. I am grateful for all that I have had, for all that I now have and for all that I shall have. Things are not going to fall apart. God is here and he is with me and he will see me through. I thank god for every good thing!"

REMEMBER YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

There's an old saying that "first impressions stick," which simply means that the impression you make on a person when you first meet them will stay with them for a long time and it is hard to change. So when you first meet a person you only have one chance to make an impression. If you make a great impression, you can have a fan and advocate for life.

On the flip side, imagine if you will; you are making a telephone call and because things aren't or didn't go your way earlier in the day you come across as all “bummed” out and a little depressed, who is going to want to talk with you let alone possibly buy something from you. Wouldn’t it be better to make that call with a smile on your face, feeling good about yourself and being happy? Folks, your attitude or lack thereof WILL carry through that telephone line to the other person!

That's why the first 60 days after obtaining a new customer or client is so critical. You have a small window of time and after 60 days your client has already formed a lasting opinion of you that's hard to overcome. So they better have a good opinion of you because if they don't, it will be hard to change as time goes on and if for some reason if they have a not so “good” first impression it can be changed, if done properly!

With that being said, the good news is that you can proactively do a few things that will make such a deep positive impression on your new customers or clients that they not only will never forget you, but they will want to help you grow your business by bragging about you to their friends and business associates.

Knowing this, I came across a program I call the "Drive and Hammer" Referral Program. The "Drive and Hammer" Referral Program is designed to make such a positive impression on your new client or customer that they will happily and willingly give you high quality referrals when asked and for that matter without being asked.

CONTACT ME NOW for more on the "Drive and Hammer" Referral Program!

Customer Love

Would you do business with you? Sure you would. Or would you? Have you ever really thought about it? We can all name people we love doing business with and we can all name people we will never do business with again. The only difference between the two is the way they made us feel. Do your customers "feel the LOVE"?

What if every customer became a client? A customer is transactional. They buy something, and then they may or may not return. A client is someone who started as a customer, but now they feel an emotional connection to you and your company because you've developed a relationship with them.

What if everyone who did business with your company felt a personal connection to you, your colleagues and your company? Imagine what would happen. They would be clients forever. Think about people you love to do business with. What qualities do they have? They're passionate, responsive, respectful, attentive and enthusiastic. They always take the high road, they are quick to accept responsibility for their mistakes and they appreciate your business. Bottom line, they make you feel special. You love their overall attitude.

Now, think about people you will never do business with again. Write down what happened and make sure you never do anything on the list.

Do you make it easy for people to use your phone system? Do they "feel the LOVE" when they call? When you answer the phone, does the tone in your voice sound as though you absolutely love your job? When someone calls your company, can they speak to a live person? We've all been frustrated when we call a company and can't get through to a live person.

Do you make it easy for clients to do business with you via e-mail? Is your e-mail address as easy to find as your phone number or physical address? Your clients also need to "feel the LOVE" in your e-mails. When you send an e-mail, slow down long enough to re-read it before you hit the send button. Will your client "feel the LOVE" or will they feel as though you were rushing to take care of another client?

Do you make it easy for people to do business with you when they visit your website? Have you ever tried to find something on your Web site? Probably not, you work their. Try it sometime. Was it easy to navigate through your site? Do you make it easy to find a phone number? Have you noticed most Web sites make it almost impossible to find a phone number? It makes me wonder if they want their customers and clients to call.

When you're meeting with a client, it's not about you and the product or service you are selling, it's all about them. You listen to your clients' needs, challenges, passions, and then you get to talk. You make them feel like a million bucks, even if they are the smallest client you have. If your clients feel a personal connection to you and your colleagues, magical things will happen. There will be times when the personal connection can help you overcome a potentially challenging situation.

Do you make it easy for people to do business with you when you're out in the community? Do people "feel the LOVE" when they meet you? The people you meet may never need your services, but they may know someone who does. Who are they going to recommend? They'll recommend you, because they were impressed when they met you. What stories are your clients sharing with their friends? What can you do to make your clients say WOW? The possibilities are endless. It doesn't have to be anything big. A greeting card every now and then (maybe on their birthday, anniversary or just to stay in touch) with a personalized note and a gift card, gift and/or with something to eat and you will be bonded for life. Never underestimate the power of gifts and/or food. CONTACT ME I can help you with this!!!

Imagine creating an environment where everyone wants to do business with you because you always make it easy and they always "feel the LOVE". Imagine developing relationships with your clients that are so strong they wouldn't consider doing business with anyone else. Imagine having clients who love you and your colleagues so much that they become one of the best PR tools you have. Imagine having your entire team share the same vision-a vision of making the client experience a memorable one. This can happen. Ask yourself two key questions with every move you make. Did we make it easy? Did they "feel the LOVE"?

You'll be amazed by how many little things you can improve when you ask these questions over and over again. You'll also be amazed how the changes you make will add up to big success for you and your company.

"To have more than you've got------Become more than you are. Unless you change how you are you'll always have what you've got".

Success - Why the View of YOU is Critical?

You know, in order for you to get good at anything, you need belief and confidence that you can actually do whatever it is you are looking to do. Success in life starts with a positive view of YOU...It's simple! If you don't buy you and/or believe in you, no one will. Having belief and confidence in you is critical, some of you already have it, and some need to develop it. That's OK, as we all start from different places.

In the end, where you go in your business is all about YOU, the decisions you make and your patterns of belief. Whether you're rich or broke, happy or sad, fit or unfit, is entirely up to you. It is much easier to make decisions that create a better life for you when you believe in you and feel good about you.

Learn to like yourself and have a positive view of you…self is important. In order for you to impact others in a positive way, you must first believe in you.

Therefore, having a good, strong and healthy ego is GOOD! Am I saying you must have a BIG ego? Actually, yes and no, now I've heard that having a big ego is bad but, I it all depends on your definitions. So, let's not get semantics in the way here. Folks, let's get our definitions of ego correct here; Ego means self-esteem and self-esteem means to think highly of, therefore, having a big ego simply means that you have big, healthy self-esteem. Now...who doesn't want that? Call it what you will...but, having a strong, healthy ego is very, very good for you.

Now, there's a distinct difference between a Big Ego and being Egotistical or self-conceited which are not good character traits to display. It's good to have a strong, healthy ego, just don't let it get in the way of your success.

Self-traits you should have:

• Self-assertive: determined to assert oneself or claims
• Self-confidence: having confidence in ones abilities
• Self-control: control of oneself or one's behavior
• Self-defense: defense of oneself or one's reputation
• Self-determination: to have free will
• Self-employed: this is self-explanatory
• Self-esteem: good opinion of oneself
• Self-made: having risen from obscurity from one's own efforts
• Self-preservation: keeping oneself from death or harm
• Self-reliant: reliant on one's own abilities
• Self-respect: proper regard for one's dignity or standard of conduct
• Self-sacrifice: sacrifice of one's interests and desires to those of others
• Self-sufficient: capable of supplying one's own needs

The Bottom Line: If you don't believe in you, if you don't buy you, people won't believe that you have the abilities to lead them where they want to go or provide what they need. In fact, you want even have a chance to lead them anywhere, because they probably won't buy your products or join you in the first place.

You must also have both Belief and Faith in the following:

• Your industry
• Your company
• Your products and/or services

Belief means to have trust and confidence in and Faith means having a belief in that which is not yet seen. How can you possibly expect to succeed if you are lacking faith and belief in your industry, your company, or your products and/or services?