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?

Say Hello Before It's Too Late

With yesterday's tragic passing of a college housemate and friend of mine (who was without a doubt a truly great man and real person...may he rest in peace), I have been thinking about how people often take for granted their personal relationships. I too have found myself being guilty of this at times and I did so with this particular friend...and now quite frankly I find myself regretting it! Therefore, with his recent passing and the lesson learned I have made it a goal to reach out and communicate with those I haven't communicated with recently or not so recently that have been a part of my life in one way or another....I believe it is the least I can do.

If you are reading this you can do it too and I hope you do so because it can't hurt to pick up the phone, drop someone an email or better yet, send them a greeting card to say hello, tell them that you were thinking of them or express to them what they have meant to you in your life. Don't wait to do it later, just do it now; in other words "act on your promptings" as you never know what tomorrow may bring...in the words of Thomas Jefferson, "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

The bottom line is don't miss out on saying hello and etc. to someone that may have had an impact on or been a part of your life, JUST DO IT!

Now if you are interested in building or enhancing your relationships and would like to start contacting those that are currently and/or have played an integral part in your life, contact me by going to my contact form by JUST CLICKING HERE...as I have the system for you. It allows you to send real physical greeting cards from yours or any computer over the internet. These are not "e-cards" but real physical greeting cards that arrive to the recipient by first class mail with an actual stamp.

With the system you can choose from over 15,000 cards in the database, add your own personal message and even use your own handwriting font with your signature. In addition, you will have the ability to create your own custom greeting cards with multiple photos, schedule cards to go out in advance and/or send multiple cards at once and more.

Furthermore, this system is much more than a greeting card system. You can also use the system to send gifts such as brownies, cookies, gift baskets, holiday items, books, gift cards and etc. with your greeting card. The best way to describe this system is a cutting edge client retention and referral system.

Appreciation Equals Referrals

The other day I was in a local bookstore and the cover of a magazine sitting on the table caught my eye. The magazine was, "Senior Market Advisor" and it's "the" news source for financial advisors who deal with wealth management of senior adults.

What caught my eye was the big bold headline which read..."Craig Randall is the 2007 Advisor of the Year!" I'm always fascinated with high achievers, so I picked up the magazine to discover the secret to Craig Randall's mega success. It was a great article, but what impressed me the most was Craig Randall's answer to the question...

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"How Do You Generate Referrals?"

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His response was the following...

"Once you build your client base up to a large number, the referrals start coming in. We get referrals by not asking for them, but by THANKING people for them. I’ve tried every referral system in the world, and I’m sure there are some great ones out there, but none of them seem to work real well for me. As soon as I stopped asking for them and started thanking people regularly for their business and for the referrals that we were getting, all of a sudden we started getting a ton more referrals. It just builds on itself."

Hmmm, I though to myself...what an interesting response, it is something I have heard and tried to do throughout my career and now it is easier than ever for me. His BIG "secret" to getting more referrals was to simply thank people for their business and for the referrals they have given him. Is that really such a secret? It goes to show that “Appreciation” is what matters!

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The Unusual Power of Appreciation

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Appreciation is a very powerful thing. Appreciation has the power to change attitudes, turn lives around, and shape behavior. Kody Bateman, the CEO and founder of SendOutCards.com has long said that, "Appreciation is more powerful than self-promotion" and one of his “tag lines” is Appreciation Wins over Self-Promotion Every Time!

Expressing appreciation to people who provide you business and send you referrals reinforces their behavior and will result in even more business and referrals from that person.

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How Do You Show Appreciation?

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There's a lot of ways to show appreciation to people who provide you business and send you referrals.

One way is to send them gifts and another way is a simple “thank you for your business” card and/or "referral thank you" card as they work extremely well, and inside your thank you or referral thank you card you might include a gift of some type; perhaps some gourmet brownies, a restaurant gift card or a Starbucks gift card.

Contact me and I can show you the SEND OUT CARDS system that will help you SHOW APPRECIATION TO YOUR CUSTOMER/CLIENTS AND GET YOU MORE REFERRALS!

How Important Are Referrals To You?

EVERY MONTH I TRY TO READ A BOOK AS PART OF MY PERSONAL GROWTH PROGRAM AND SOME BOOKS ARE EASIER TO READ THAN OTHERS. NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID…"I READ A BOOK RECENTLY THAT HAD SUCH A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON ME AND HOW I CONDUCT MY BUSINESS THAT I JUST HAD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU."

THE BOOK IS TITLED “THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME” BY TIM TEMPLETON. BUT, THIS WAS ONE BOOK THAT I COULDN’T PUT DOWN. I’VE ACTUALLY READ IT TWO TIMES AND IT HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT MY BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS IN GENERAL. THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME USES AN ENTERTAINING FICTITIOUS STORY TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING THE RELATIONSHIP FIRST - BUILDING AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS BASED ON GENUINE RESPECT AND CARING, RATHER THAN JUST MAKING THE SALE AND MOVING ON.

BY BEING A SENDER OF CARDS AS A SOC TEAM MEMBER AND/OR CUSTOMER - THE FOLLOWING 4 BASIC PRINCIPLES TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND BRING YOU MORE BUSINESS REFERRALS IS EASIER TO APPLY AND MAINTAIN (THAT IS OF COURSE IF YOU ARE USING IT PROPERLY).

THERE ARE FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES TO THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME

PRINCIPLE 1: THE 250 RULE. IT’S NOT ONLY WHO YOU KNOW THAT COUNTS, IT’S WHO YOUR CLIENTS KNOW THAT’S IMPORTANT.

WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF THE 250 RULE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS, I WAS RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT I DIDN’T HAVE TO KNOW MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO GROW MY SOC BUSINESS. I JUST NEEDED TO TAKE A DEEPER INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE I ALREADY KNEW!

AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO LOOK AT ALL THE NAMES IN MY CONTACT MANAGER, I FOUND THAT I HAD WELL OVER 250 NAMES; TO IDENTIFY 250 WAS EASY. I READ RECENTLY THAT ANYONE OVER 25 KNOWS AT LEAST 2,000 PEOPLE BY THEIR FIRST NAME SO THERE’S HOPE FOR ALL OF US TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST 250 PEOPLE! THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I STARTED GOING THROUGH MY CONTACTS WAS TO ELIMINATE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT I COULDN’T PLACE (BY EITHER PUTTING A FACE OR VOICE WITH THEIR NAME). THAT WAS EYE OPENING AND ELIMINATED QUITE A FEW NAMES!

PRINCIPLE 2: BUILD A DATABASE AND ABC IT.

THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF BUILDING YOUR DATABASE AND TO ABC IT WAS FUN! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I ENROLLED IN SOC, I STARTED TO REALLY SEE THE POWER OF THE MANAGE GROUP BUTTON IN OUR SYSTEM.

AS AN EXAMPLE: I CATEGORIZED OUR DISTRIBUTORS INTO THREE GROUPS. I PLACED PEOPLE IN THE EAGLE GROUP, THE HAWK GROUP AND THE ROBIN GROUP. (I DEFINED EAGLES AS PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS; HAWKS WERE DEFINED AS USING THE CARDS BUT NOT REALLY WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS; ROBINS WEREN’T WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS OR USING THE CARDS).

I ALSO ABC’D ALL OF MY RETAIL AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. I PLACED THEM INTO GROUPS ACCORDING TO THEIR VOLUME. I ALSO FACTORED IN WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE THEIR FUTURE POTENTIAL. OVER 40 PERCENT OF NEW DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD COME FROM REFERRALS FROM MY CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS AND CUSTOMERS SO I TOOK THIS PARTICULAR GROUPING VERY SERIOUSLY. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW HIGH THAT PERCENTAGE WILL BE BY ADOPTING A FORMALIZED PROGRAM!

THE THIRD MAJOR GROUP CONSISTS OF MY CONTACTS AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT AREN’T USING SOC BUT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I LABELED THESE CONTACTS UNDER THE HEADINGS OF GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE.

PRINCIPLE 3: EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS ABOUT HOW YOU WORK AND YOUR VALUE TO THEM THROUGH REGULAR, TANGIBLE ACTIONS PERFORMED WITHOUT FAIL.

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF EDUCATING WAS AND STILL IS THE CHALLENGING PART. THIS IS WHERE YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF, IT IS THE PART WHERE ALL SALES/SERVICE PROFESSIONALS MUST LEARN TO WALK BEFORE YOU RUN.

WHEN YOU REACH THE POINT WHERE CLIENTS CALL YOU WHEN THEY’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW PRODUCT, SERVICE OR IDEA BEFORE CALLING ANYONE ELSE THEN YOU KNOW YOU’VE EARNED THEIR CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT. IT’S WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU CAN ASK AND EXPECT TO RECEIVE A REFERRAL!

THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO EARN YOUR STRIPES ON AN ONGOING BASIS. THIS IS THE STEP WHERE YOU LET YOUR CLIENTS KNOW THAT YOU’RE HERE TO HELP THEM IN ANY WAY AND, “OH, BY THE WAY, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT COULD USE MY SERVICE?” IT’S OKAY TO ASK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE EARNED THE RIGHT! DID YOU REALIZE THAT 65% OF SALESPEOPLE DON’T ASK FOR AN ORDER...I WONDER HOW MANY NEVER ASK FOR REFERRALS?

PRINCIPLE 4: KEEP IN TOUCH, CONSISTENTLY, PERSONALLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY.

THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE WHICH IS THE METHOD OF COMMUNICATING OUR VALUE TO OUR CLIENTS IS THE EASIEST PRINCIPLE TO GRASP...WITH SEND OUT CARDS WE HAVE THIS EASIER. I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE IF YOU ARE IN THE SALES/SERVICE PROFESSION AND ARE NOT USING SEND OUT CARDS, YOU ARE "MISSING THE BOAT" BECAUSE WE MAKE THIS PART EASY FOR YOU.

THIS IS WHERE THINGS LIKE THIS BLOG, OUR DAILY/WEEKLY E-MAILS, ALL THE TEAM CALLS, AND MANY TYPES OF GREETING CARD CAMPAIGNS AVAILABLE THROUGH SOC ALL PLAY A VITAL ROLE. WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING IN TOUCH WITH OUR CLIENTS. REMEMBER THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY CUSTOMERS DON'T TO BUSINESS WITH US AGAIN IS BECAUSE THEY FORGET ABOUT US!

IN CONCLUSION, I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT WE WOULD ALL PREFER TO RECEIVE A REFERRAL RATHER THAN BEATING DOWN DOORS (COLD CALLING) FOR CUSTOMERS. I BELIEVE THIS BOOK GIVES US ALL A STRATEGY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND BY USING THE SOC SYSTEM IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER TO DO.

IF YOU HAVE READ THIS BLOG ENTRY TO THIS POINT AND ARE NOT PART OF OUR SOC TEAM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER CONTACTING ME FOR YOUR FREE, NO OBLIGATION GIFT ACCOUNT WALK THROUGH OF THE SOC SYSTEM AS IT HAS BEEN PROVEN IN BUILDING THOSE CLIENTS/PROSPECTS AND FRIENDS/FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

How To Have a Productive Day Rather Than a Busy Day

Quote of the Day:

"At the end of each day you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you" - Jim Rohn

Did you know that there is a GIGANTIC difference between having a productive day versus simply having a busy day?

I can't tell you how many people I know, whom I have worked with personally, who THOUGHT that they were being productive in their businesses (especially those who have their own home based businesses), only to find out that they were simply conducting menial tasks that meant nothing to their bottom line.

Folks...in the end, the only thing that matters is PRODUCTION. What did you produce today? In fact, here's a GREAT TIP to help keep you on track. I do it. It works!

Take out a piece of paper and write down the following words: WHAT DID I PRODUCE TODAY ???

Now...post it someplace you HAVE TO SEE IT DAILY. The bathroom mirror, your computer monitor. Put it someplace where you CANNOT MISS IT. That is the important part. Reading it daily and asking yourself that simple question.

If you want to make it in any industry, you must PRODUCE. Being busy doesn't cut it. Being productive is all that matters. Focus your time conducting Revenue Producing Activities. If it doesn't make you money, then don't do it. I still have yet to meet a person who makes money dusting their desk, organizing their leads, or cleaning up their office files.

You MUST spend your limited time in production mode. We are ALL limited to 24 hours in a given day. The question you have to ask yourself is, how am I spending my valuable time??

How productive are you? It all starts with Building Your Personal and Business Relationships!

25 Personality Traits Millionaires Have In Common

Good morning, it's a magnificent Monday...Martin Luther King day! Speaking of following a dream, isn't it fitting that President-Elect Barack Obama is about to take office? He has followed his dream and has achieved one of the major goals in his life to become President of The United States.

Are you following your dream and achieving goals in your life? Do know how to build relationships with people and network? Do you want to have financial freedom?

I found the following article to be very interesting and felt I should pass it on; now, obviously you don't have to have all these traits to be successful or wealthy, but you probably have at least some of them. So, do you have any, some or most of these traits? If so, great and if not, with a little bit of hard work all is not lost as you can work on achieving those that you do not possess!

So here goes...

Imagine if you could study a group of millionaires, what would they have in common? Do they have patience? Are they married, single, divorced? In this article we will reveal 25 common personality traits of millionaires.

Remember not every millionaire is a cookie-cutter copy, but one thing is for sure... These "millionaires" know with no-doubt that being successful and rich takes perseverance and it is in any ones grasp! Without further a due - enjoy the list:

1. They are restless and impatient! It often shows with people, situations, and in meetings.

2. They are very organized, and some work 60 to 80 hours per week, ouch!

3. They are driven, pulled, drawn toward their goal and there is no force on earth that can stop them.

4. They usually don’t do anything else but their business... most don’t cook, clean, pay bills. They do what they love to do.

5. They work hard and play hard. At times they aren't sure whether its work or play.

6. They are better at something - anything then most people.

7. They have the gift of gab and can sell a ketchup lollypop to a lady in white gloves.

8. They are proud and can be easily annoyed or insulted.

9. They have a smaller and tighter circle of friends then most people.

10. They have a high tolerance for stress and lower tolerance for office politics, water-cooler discussions, and gossip.

11. One or more parents/family members are self employed.

12. Many have been fired one or more times.

13. They have a talent for business/communications at a very young age - they are relationship builders and networkers.

14. They are commonly the oldest or youngest child in the family.

15. Most are millionaires before the age of 45 years old.

16. The majority are married, yes married, keep the wife!

17. Most have at least an associates degree (but there are many that did not go to college).

18. They can be loners and be sociable people when seen with an opportunity.

19. They lack structure but are also super organized.

20. They are highly competitive, even in a simple game of monopoly or chess they strive to win.

21. They enjoy being their own boss along with the uncertainties that come along with it.

22. They have bigger dreams then most people, and may have even been laughed at at times.

23. Will still charge forward with their ideas despite “negative critics”.

24. They love to make money, instead of making money to do things they love.

25. Some can work 7 days a week, up to 12 hours a day in the office.

Nothing is set in stone, including these personality traits! Although these are powerful traits to have, the most important thing millionaires do is set their goals and stick with them regardless of the "obstacles" or rather "challenges" as they would call it. They enjoy these obstacles and every failure represents a chance to learn and improve.

All above the rest - not every one is born with these personality traits. Yes, they can be developed and acquired through training, hard work and with the right guidance you may even become a millionaire!

Courtesy of Anthony Dase Published 07/23/2008

Are You a Talker or a Doer?

This is a great E-Mail I got from a Friend; Which one are you?

As I grow older, and as I watch people, I have learned there are two basic types. There are talkers. And there are doers.

Lots of people are talkers. They tell you all about what they are going to do. They have big plans and good intentions, but all they do is talk. They are always going to do it tomorrow. They're always going to do it later. They're always going to do it. Sound like anyone you know?

Then there are the doers. They might not talk about it at all; they just go do it, and then tell you about it when it is done. Regardless, they DO IT. If they say they are going to do something they do it.

No matter who you are; man, woman, teenager, the results of your whole life will depend on what you DO, not what you talk about!

Would you like to guess which group of people is going to be the ones that experience success in life? Success in whatever they decide to do? You are right. The DOERS!

I learned a long time ago that important things take tremendous work and perseverance. I also learned the closer you get to the realization of that goal, the greater and more intense the obstacles become. It is as if the Universe is testing you to see how much you want it.

One of my favorite people is A.L. Williams. Years ago he went against the tide of standard thinking and began a revolution in Life Insurance. People told him it could not be done. They said there was no way a country-speaking football coach from Georgia could turn the Insurance Industry upside down. He listened, then went and did it anyway.

I am going to steal a concept he used during one of his tapes I listened to. Since I am a good southern guy I am going to speak my language. :)

Be honest enough to acknowledge if you hear yourself in this...

Folks, I have heard it all. I have listened to so many people tell me what they are going to do. I am going to make more sales. I am going to get a promotion by working hard. I am going to start my own business. I am going to make better grades. I am going to volunteer and make a difference in my community. I am going to...?

But.. I just got to do a few things. Just as soon as things calm down at work, I am gonna go do it. Just as soon as I get things together at home, I am gonna go do it. Just as soon as I get my desk clean, and organized I am gonna do it. Just as soon as I learn some more things, I am gonna do it. Just as soon as I have some more money I am gonna do it. Really! I am gonna do it.

As soon as I get smarter. As soon as I get braver. As soon as I have more time. As soon as I get focused. As soon as I read all the e-mails you sent me. Then I am going to do it.

Folks, you are gonna spend the rest of your life getting ready. You are going to spend the rest of your life TALKING about what you are gonna do.

There's only one remedy. You got to go DO IT. Just go DO IT. Don't tell me about what you are going to do. Just go do it. What are you going to do? Whatever it takes to accomplish your goals. Whatever it takes to create the kind of life you want.

Just do it. And if you do it, and do it, and do it... you'll be exactly what you want to be. All your dreams will come true.

Doggone it folks. You just got to quit TALKING about what you are going to do. You got to go DO IT. AND DO IT. AND DO IT. AND DO IT.

JUST DO IT!!

If you have people that you're currently trying to motivate to JUST DO IT. STOP!! If they're not motivated nothing you do or say will get them motivated because motivation comes from the inside. You're wasting your time listening to the ONE DAY people that's not motivated.

I want you to stop what you are doing and think about this for a few minutes - or as long as it takes. Then I want you to write yourself a letter. Make a commitment to yourself of what you are going to DO. Make a list of your goals and put them where you'll see them.

Courtesy of Reginald Crichlow, 11/1/2008