Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is "selective remembering" -- a conscious decision to focus on love and let the rest go." -- Marianne Williamson

"As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind." -- Isabelle Holland

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness." -- William Arthur Ward

"Lack of forgiveness causes almost all of our self-sabotaging behavior." -- Mark Victor Hansen

FEW SALES CLOSING TACTICS; TAKING A NEW LOOK AT OLD WAYS

"Mark, how do you close, Mark, how do you close?" I get asked that question more than any other. ("Mark, why is your hair falling out?" is a close second.)

I keep giving the same answer -- Don't close the sale, assume the sale. The assumptive position is the strongest selling strategy in the world. By definition you believe you will make every sale you attempt.

It sounds simple. It is simple -- but, it's not easy. In order to utilize the assumptive close, you must be qualified. There are two major prerequisites that make the assumptive close possible:

1. Your personal preparedness. You must display self confidence, have total product knowledge, have a positive mental attitude, exude so much enthusiasm that it's contagious, have a desire to help that exceeds a desire to earn money, and have a genuine sincerity of purpose. If this is 110% you, you're only half way to assumption. Read on...

2. Your sales preparedness. There are three strategic areas of sales preparedness, and all must be in place to make assuming the sale possible.

* The needs of the prospect have been determined, and are put ahead of yours.
* You are established in the mind of the prospect as a person of character, credibility, and high repute. The prospect has confidence in you.
* You have built solid rapport with the prospect based on the personal information you've gathered, combined with your knowledge of his business.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Assuming the sale is a state of mind, it does not preclude employing the science of selling. Yes, you must, from time to time, use sales techniques, -- but it's more a matter of word choice and delivery, than trying to master some close that has a name. "The Benjamin Franklin Close, The Sharp Angle Close, and The Final Question Close" are all old world methods of selling. These tactics will make people mad, or uncomfortable or both. You may even occasionally make a sale -- but no one will ever refer their friends to go through the same ordeal.

MORE IMPORTANT NOTE: The close of a sale is only one step in the sales cycle. You don't just close a sale -- you lead up to a close. You earn the sale based on what you have said and done to guide the prospect to a decision.

MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: The actual close of a sale is a delicate balance between your words and actions, and the prospects thoughts and perceptions. And a sale is always made -- either you sell them on yes -- or they sell you on no.

Here are six closing strategies and tactics that you might find effective:

• Challenge the prospect to do what's best for his business. This is kind of a guilt strategy. Look the person in the eye and ask him what he thinks is best for his business. This strategy is great when he's doing business with an existing vendor or friend, and they are not providing the best product or service.

• We are experts at what we do -- and you can have peace of mind to do what you do best, knowing our part of your job will get done. Tell the prospect that you can help build her business by providing your service and partnering with them. Always let the prospect have a path to doing what they do best, and have peace of mind that your service will supplement that process on their way to success. This strategy is great for selling professional services.

• Make a list of objectives for what the prospect wants to accomplish AFTER your product or service is in place. Your objective as a professional is to get the prospect to see the world as though the sale was already made. Forget about convincing them to do it -- that's selling, no one want's to be sold. Show them what their world will be like after the sale -- that's buying, everyone loves to buy. This strategy works on every kind of sale.

• Get the prospect to be a visionary. "Mr. Johnson, If you did __________ , when do you think would be the best time to start?" Let the prospect tell you what he has in mind, instead of you telling him what's on yours. This strategy is called the "if-when decision process," and is great for selling equipment.

• Make the prospect commit to a future action. The traditional method of accomplishing this is: "If I could…, would you…" but today's professional can't say that exactly -- it sounds to salesy. This strategy must be worded more out of conversation than sales presentation. It must be delivered as a desire to help achieve an objective, not a pressure to make a sale.

• Make plans for after the sale has taken place, before the sale is consummated. Even if you don't have the commitment yet, you can try to schedule an installation time, or a meeting after delivery. "I can schedule the installation for Tuesday, but I wanted to be here personally to be sure that everything is perfect. Will you be able to make it?" This is an indirect way of formalizing the sale, and a classic use of the assumptive process.

Assuming the sale is the hardest process to prepare for -- but the easiest sale to make once you do.

ARE YOU AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

On the path of evolution, we move from being a willing and obedient member of the group to wanting to take control over our own lives. This is a necessary but difficult transition.

Andrew Schneider says, "At this point we are afraid of being ourselves. We are afraid of being unique and different. We are afraid of being individually powerful, and even successful. For all of these things stand against the old ways that told us that conformity was right and individualism was wrong.

"For as long as we possibly can, we make a compromise. We try to live both lives - the dependent tribal life and the independent personal life - as contradictory and opposite as they are.

"We want approval from others. We want to be accepted and popular. We seek this comfort to overcome our fear and feel more secure. ...So, at times when we conform, we don't feel the fear of living. But we might lose the new sense of adventure, discovery, daring and enthusiasm for life that the questioning and questing have brought us."

"Nature never repeats herself, and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another."

A Man Finds Room

A Man Finds Room In A Few Square Inches Of His Face For The Traits Of All His Ancestors; For The _Expression Of All His History, And His Wants

Ralf Waldo Emerson

Dance through your day

"Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans: it's lovely to be silly at the right moment."

-- Horace

Today, we invite you to do the Take-Your-Time Tango. In his book 'Games for the Soul,' Drew Leder challenges us to dance through our days with the graceful, slow elegance of a tango dancer.

Slow down a notch," Leder counsels. "Do whatever you do in a calm and leisurely fashion. ... As much as possible, don't be driven by inner fear, external deadlines, or rushed companions to stumble through a speeded-up dance. Act as if you have all the time in the world. Come to think of it, you do: No one else has any more hours."

So stand (or sit) tall. Raise your chin as you gather your full concentration, dignity and self confidence to glide smoothly and beautifully through the day.

"We look at the dance to impart the sensation of living in an affirmation of life, to energize the spectator into keener awareness of the vigor, the mystery, the humor, the variety, and the wonder of life."

-- Martha Graham

Oprah

I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.

Become the change you want to see - those are words I live by.

The past in the present

"If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you."

-- Louise Hay

Pick one aspect of your life, e.g. your health, your competence, your prosperity or relationships, and think back to when you were a child. What messages about this subject did you hear from adults at that time that are still playing on your subconscious tape recorder? Messages like: "Men can't be trusted." "Money doesn't grow on trees." "You're not smart enough to succeed in business."

How is your world reflecting your beliefs back to you, today?

"There are no limitations to the self except those you believe in."

-- Seth