Tuesday, October 09, 2007
On Paper With Purpose
Some people dream big while others do big.
Have you ever heard the words, "Life is not a dress rehearsal?" Well, it isn't!
Cemeteries all over the world are filled with people who are buried with their unfulfilled dreams and a multitude of regrets.
19 years ago I was at a crossroad in my life. The choice was to "Stay the course" or "Scratch an itch."
I chose the "Scratch an itch" route. And I have to confess I was motivated by fear.
The fear was ringing in my ears. If I took the easy way out and didn't risk everything I had to "Scratch this itch" - what would happen?
Of course I didn't know what would happen, but here's what I feared would happen.
My worst fear was that someday, probably on my deathbed, I would say or hear these words, "If only" and "It might have been."
It was John Greenleaf Whittier who wrote, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are: It might have been."
You see, I couldn't handle the nagging and persistent thought that someday someone might say to me, "Jim, if only . . ." I couldn't handle thinking about my regrets and contemplating "What might have been" years later in my life.
There are no guarantees in life just opportunities.
You can seize the day!
You can also seize the opportunities in front of you!
You can also live the life you dream of living!
Making the decision to pursue my dreams wasn't an easy one for me. In fact I tortured myself for three years wondering "Should I" or "Shouldn't I?"
I'll never forget this. In November 1987 I wrote my goal on a yellow legal pad. It was pure and simple and of course very specific. "My goal is to resign my position and start my sales training company on February 5, 1988." That's all I wrote. It was of course enough!
Once I put my goal on paper, I suddenly had purpose.
Whatever you want your life to become, you can do it.
Your goal must be on paper with purpose.
You sign contracts (License) to get married.
You sign contracts to buy a house.
You sign contracts (A Will) to leave your possessions to loved ones and charities.
Why not sign a contract, on paper with purpose, to live the one life you have, the way you want it to be?
Why dream big, when you can live big?
Just remember - on paper with purpose!
Sales Management Tip
I just finished another 2-day Sales Management Training Program which, by the way, is strictly limited to three sales executives at a time.
Here's what Todd Levin said about the 2-day program:
At the end of Jim's Sales Management Program, "I took away 49 ideas that I can implement into my business right now!"
If you want to go outside the box, stand on the box, and/or even open the door to the box, you might want to invest "A few bucks" and join me and two other sales executives for an exciting 2-days.
Reserve your seat for my January 2008 Sales Management Program
Time Saver Tip
Here's one from Time Management 101. Write it down. Even better is write a list down and then prioritize it.
Avoid prioritizing your schedule. Rather learn to schedule you priorities.
Keep the 80/20 Rule in mind when you think about this.
New Product Announcement - now you can listen to Jim Meisenheimer's best sales articles. Now on CD. More information and order here:
Sales Tip
Too many salespeople make commitments
to their customers that they can't keep.
Nothing burns a customer more quickly than a broken promise.
Don't make promises you can't keep 100% of the time.
Here's an easy way to remember this:
Be slow to commit and quick to deliver.
If you're too busy to read . . . now you can listen to my articles on CD.
Words Of Wisdom
There is but one failure in life and that is the failure to try.
The best way to lead the field in business is to devote yourself to adding more value to your clients and customers than they have any right to expect.
I measure my life not by decades but by deeds.
These are all by Robin Sharma and found in his 2005 book titled, "Discover Your Destiny."
You can get more information about the book here:
Rants, Raves, and Other Loose Ends
Another three near misses last week. One was in a parking lot near our supermarket. People falling asleep at a red light because they're not paying attention.
People going the wrong way down a one way aisle. I think the big white painted arrows indicate the direction you should be driving.
The culprit here is cell phones of course. Now don't get me wrong, I have one and it's a Palm Treo 680. It has all the bells and whistles a person needs to stay connected with our global village.
The biggest reason you shouldn't always be on your cell while driving is defense. You see - you need to be a defensive driver. There are so many people using cell phones behind the wheel and not paying attention - you need to drive more defensively.
And you can't do that if you're yakking on the cell phone yourself.
Have you ever experienced a close call using your cell phone while driving? Be honest - who hasn't. That's reason enough. I know the theory of self-exception - it says it can't happen to you.
It's even worse in Florida, where the average driver is 49 years old. Half are 18 and the other half are 80. Toss in a cell phone and it gets real scary.
As TV police Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say, "Just be careful out there."
Start selling more . . .
Jim Meisenheimer
Publisher - Start Selling More Newsletter
19 years . . .
505 corporate customers . . .
83.3% repeat business . . .
(800) 266-1268
# posted by Jim Meisenheimer @ 3:56 PM 
