Posted 9/30/2003 by Josh Hinds

Big Lessons From Little Cookies
By Jim Donovan

There's a lot to be said for simple, time-tested ideas. With all the changes taking place in business, especially in marketing, we sometimes overlook the simple, effective strategies that have always worked.

In our quest for the latest high-tech marketing methods or buzz phrases, we sometimes forget the basics.

While I'm all for change, having a core belief that change is good, every now and then I like to go back to the basics of business and marketing and revisit these old standbys that have served us well throughout history.'

"Here, I made these cookies. Have some." This simple offering of a free cookie (otherwise known as sampling) was the start of what became an empire for cookie entrepreneur Wally (famous) Amos.

His natural, outgoing style and love of people, coupled with a great product was all he needed to build his fortune. I once had the pleasure of meeting Wally and immediately understood why he is successful. He's fun to be around!

Does your product lend itself to sampling? If you're in the food business, the answer is most assuredly, yes!

Nobody returns a puppy - There is another variation on the sampling approach in which you give the potential customer the opportunity to try the product (or service) before committing to buy it. I know of at least one giant MLM who has used this technique almost exclusively to build their business.

The old timers in sales (I may even be one of them by now) called this technique the "puppy dog close" because it was a take-off on what pet store owners used when selling puppies. They would tell the customer, "Here, take the puppy home for a few days and if you decide you don't want him, just bring him back".

What percentage of people do you think returned the cute, friendly, lovable, furry, dependent, cuddly little puppy? You get the idea.

We used to use the same technique, years ago, selling vacuum cleaners. Rarely does a person want to give up a new appliance after they've had a chance to experience the benefits from it. I've even seen car dealers use this technique to close sales on expensive automobiles. Does this lend itself to your business?

Eliminate the fear of loss - What both of these time-tested proven techniques accomplish, is that they remove the fear of loss or risk by allowing the customer to try the product before committing to a purchase. In the case of the cookies, you'll know in a minute or two whether or not you want to buy more.

The more you can remove this fear, real or imagined, the less resistance you will encounter. This principal, commonly called risk reversal, is a powerful strategy and one that every business can use to increase sales and profits.

I know of an accountant who offered a three month trial service, after which, if the customer was not satisfied with the service, they would not be billed. What can you do in your business to reduce or remove the risk associated with purchases?

Make it easy to buy from you - If your company sells a product, there are most assuredly sample sizes available. Use them. If they're not available or if your product needs to be used for a longer period of time, like a nutritional or weight loss product, you might consider delayed billing, if you can afford it. It is not necessary to do this with every prospect either.

You can selectively test the approach to see if it works for your particular product. Maybe it's simply a matter of taking credit cards to allow the person to experience the benefits of your product before having to pay for it.

I personally sell my books with an unconditional money back guarantee and, I am pleased to say, have never had one returned. I even offer a total satisfaction, money back guarantee for my keynote seminars. I want to make it easy for people to do business with me.

Remember, whatever you're selling, people do not have to do business with you. There are always options, no matter what. The easier and the less painful you can make it to do business with you, the more likely I will be to do so. Reducing my fear or risk is one way to accomplish this.
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Jim Donovan is the author of the International bestsellers, Handbook To A Happier Life and This Is Your Life, Not A Dress Rehearsal. His articles, books and a subscription to his newsletter is available at http://www.jimdonovan.com

Posted 9/25/2003 by Josh Hinds

Chicken Soup Millionaire's "4 Steps to Massive Success" Formula
By Mike Litman

This article was written to share with you the secrets of wealth and success that I learned from my interview with Chicken Soup for the Soul author and self-made millionaire, Mark Victor Hansen.

However when I sat down to write this article I realized that you the reader deserve to hear directly from "the horse's mouth". So, I decided that instead of writing an article from my own perspective about the success formula Mark revealed to me I would just let you hear from mark Victor Hansen himself.

The following is a excerpt from my interview with multi-millionaire and best-selling author, Mark Victor Hansen:

Mike Litman: You have a simple four step success plan. Can you talk about that?

Mark Victor Hansen: Sure. Four principles: First of all, you've got to figure out what you really want. In my case and in Jack's case, we didn't want a best-selling book. We wanted a MEGA best-selling book, Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Beyond that, we didn't really want a best-selling book, we wanted to make a best-selling SERIES. The clearer you are, the easier it is to execute.

So #1: you figure out what you really want.

#2: you put it in writing. And where I differ from all of my peers is, I say you've got to have too many goals. I've got over 6,000 goals in writing.

Most people say, "all I want is a new car." When you were 16, Mike, you said, "Well, if I get a car the girls will like me." And then you get a car and you find out that they want something else. [Laughs]

So, figure out what you want.

#2: put it in writing.

Three, visualize it.

Flip Wilson said, "What you see is what you get." We're talking about what you see with your inner eye.

We cut out the New York Times Bestseller list. Then we put our names at the top before we ever got to the top in real life. Then we put it on my mirror and we put one up at Jack's office, on his mirror.

So in our mind's eye, when we were shaving, or the ladies were doing cosmetics, we owned the concept that we were best-selling authors before we actually were best-selling.

Then, the fourth one, you take your two index fingers, and one and one equals the power of 11. When you've got your team together, you get your dream together. And two people can create miracles.
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Mike Litman, a popular radio talk show host, has interviewed authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Multiple Streams of Income on his personal development radio show and is the co-author of the eBook, "Conversations with Millionaires".

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10 Goals Worth Pursuing
By Gary Ryan Blair

1. Personal Development - The single best investment any of us can ever make is in our own personal growth and development. The accumulation of knowledge means everything to your future.

2. Excellent Physical Health - Your body impacts everything you do. Take good care of it through proper nourishment, exercise and rest.

3. Rest, Relaxation and Renewal - We must take good care of ourselves without feeling guilty.

4. Building a Loving Family - Family is the emotional core of our lives. We should make constant deposits into everyone's emotional bank account.

5. Intimate Relationships With Your Friends - Surround yourself with nourishing friends. Share yourself with them and let them share themselves with you.

6. Involvement In Your Community - The definition of a life well lived must include a commitment to serving others.

7. Excellence in Your Work - Develop a reputation for excellence. A sincere commitment to excellence is a noble goal.

8. Financial Freedom - Money is important. Exercise wisdom in all your financial dealings.

9. A Comfortable, Loving Home - The single biggest investment most of us will ever make should be comfortable and lined with love.

10. Peace of Mind - There is no substitute for peace of mind. Everything you do either supports it or takes away from it.
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Written by Gary Ryan Blair - The GoalsGuy is your online goal setting and personal leadership coach. Check-out My Personal Strategic Plan and learn how to achieve more in the next year than most people do in a lifetime. See why best selling author Brian Tracy said, "This is the most remarkable, simple, and practical guide for ANYONE who wants to create the ideal life!" Go here to visit his web site.

Posted 9/20/2003 by Josh Hinds

Complaints Written with Humility Get Better Results
By Bob Burg

We've all encountered situations so frustrating we felt we just had to register a written complaint with the person at the top. Either we were treated rudely, a mistake wasn't corrected, or we were so inconvenienced that our experience as a consumer was practically ruined.

We feel justified in writing a letter to the person in charge, and we just might be justified at that.

So how do we do it? With venom and hatred? Or with kindness, diplomacy and class? The first way will get you noticed, but probably not the results you want. The second way will get you both.

You see, "trouble-shooters" are used to complainers. And their complaints usually involve vile, scathing, fire-breathing insults. Yes, they might respond with a form letter or a formal apology (maybe even a free bag of cookies), but not much more.

So what's key is to allow them to experience a customer they don't generally experience.

When writing your letter of complaint, state the facts with humility. Begin with praise. Mention that you've always enjoyed doing business with them (and referring them to others, if true) and that you certainly don't know nearly as much about their business as they do. Then, when you mention your challenge, your credibility increases even more.

Example: You've just visited several different locations of a particular franchise, and found the service and attitudes of the employees abysmal at each one. You decide to write the company C.E.O. herself.

Here's how the letter (in brief form) might basically look:

Dear Ms. Jones,

My name is Tom Davis. I'm a fellow entrepreneur and a very loyal and usually quite satisfied customer who has enjoyed using and referring your products for years. I thought you might be interested in a few recent incidents at your Florida stores.

Unfortunately -- and very unlike my usual experience with your company's excellent customer service people -- I was put in a very challenging situation that didn't work to the advantage of your store, myself, or the other customers. Had this event happened once, even twice, I'd have shrugged it off knowing your company's exceptional dedication to your customers.

After three separate occurrences -- although I certainly don't pretend to know your business -- quite frankly, I thought you might want to know." Thank you for your time. Make it a great day."

The chances are excellent you'll receive a personal letter, if not a phone call, from either the C.E.O. herself or someone very high up in the organization. I can tell you that from personal experience as I've written letters for myself, as well as for people close to me. And in some of these instances we are talking about major corporations NO ONE thought would ever answer.

You see, people in that position place a lot more importance on a complaint made by someone who acts humbly, logically and civilly. They have to deal with ranters, ravers and screamers all day long. Those people are "a dime a dozen."

By positioning yourself apart from the crowd, you become a customer of increased value, and as such, increase your chances dramatically of WINNING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION.

- Bob Burg
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Written by Bob Burg -- Own Bob's ebook, "Winning Without Intimidation"! Greatly expanded version of original. Get what you want, when you want it, and from whom you want it... with class, style and grace. From better relationships with your spouse and children, to handling your boss, the bureaucrat, the difficult neighbor, and even avoiding traffic tickets, this ebook has it all. To learn more visit through the following link.

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Conceptualize Your Purpose
By Mark Victor Hansen

When you look at the lives of the most successful people who ever lived, you can see that they had a definite purpose and they knew it. Some examples are: Christ - His purpose was spiritual, and stated in John 10:10, which reads: "I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly."

Walt Disney’s purpose: "To make people happy." Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller’s purpose: "Humanity’s comprehensive welfare on spaceship earth." Henry Ford’s purpose: "To mass produce, mass distribute and have cars mass consumed."

Andrew Carnegie’s purpose: "To manufacture and market steel." Mother Teresa’s purpose: "To care for and comfort the poor, sick and needy all over the world."

I don’t want you to confuse a purpose with a goal. Goals are great! I teach goal setting, and believe it is crucial to achieving any kind of success. But goals alone, left by themselves, can be indiscriminate and undirected.

We can have hundreds of goals (and I hope you do), but we may only have one purpose that we work for our entire life. That purpose should be the underlying core that gives our goals direction and meaning. Discovering your purpose will put your life into crystal-clear perspective.

You won’t see the world you once knew. You will see another world, one in which you are a necessary and intricate spoke in the wheel.

The saddest places on earth are graveyards. Not because people are buried there, but because dreams, talents and purposes that never came to fruition are buried there. Graveyards are filled with books that were never written, songs that were never sung, words that were never spoken, things that were never done.

You have talents and gifts that no one else can offer. There are things you can do that no one else is capable of doing quite the way YOU can do them. Don’t rob this earth of your purpose by taking it to the grave with you. You see, we all have a purpose, a reason for living, breathing and existing.

We all have unique talents and gifts that were created and given to us to be shared. Our task is to understand this and figure out what our purpose is. We owe it to the Universe AND to ourselves!

ACTION STEP

In closing, I’d like to offer an exercise to complete in the week ahead: WHAT IS MY PURPOSE? You cannot find this answer in a book or a class. (Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could?) The answer can only be found deep inside of you.

How do you find your purpose? My suggestion is meditation, or deep, controlled, concentrated thought. I want you to find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.

Relax and tap into your mind, way back there in the deepest, secret compartment of your mind, by asking yourself this question:

"If I knew my life purpose, what would it be?"

Don’t just ask it once. Keep asking this question until you get the answer. It may not come the first day, or even the first week. But it’s there, and it will show its face if you earnestly ask.

This is like a beacon that will attract your purpose that has been waiting for you to ask the question. Do this every morning and every night for 15 minutes until the answer comes to you, and then write it down. And don’t be surprised if it comes to you during the day, while you’re at the grocery store, or taking the dog for a walk.

Be open to the answer, no matter when it comes to you. Remember, it wants you just as much as you want it.

I’ll see you next time!

Mark Victor Hansen
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Article submitted by Mark Victor Hansen - Co-author of the Chicken Soup For The Soul series of books. For over 26 years, Mark Victor Hansen has focused solely on helping people in all walks of life reshape their personal vision of what's possible for themselves. visit http://www.markvictorhansen.com for resources, speaking schedule and current projects. Mark is also the co-author of "The One Minute Millionaire" book.

Posted 9/16/2003 by Josh Hinds

The Time to Act
by Jim Rohn

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability to take action. You don't need to be hasty if it isn't required, but you don't want to lose much time either. Here's the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong.

Let's say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you've got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don't, here's what happens -

- You Fall Prey to the Law of Diminishing Intent -

We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can't be found.

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear, and powerful. If somebody talks about good health and you're motivated by it, you need to get a book on nutrition. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold.

Begin the process. Fall on the floor and do some push-ups. You've got to take action; otherwise the wisdom is wasted.

The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action.

The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you've started a whole new life process.

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don't connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit.

Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you've started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth.

Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now! Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. Make the commitment: "I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes."

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Article Submitted by Jim Rohn - Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the most comprehensive resource and success plans ever created for you to reach all of your goals in the next 12 months! For details and/or to take advantage of the special introductory Offer go here. Also, be sure to subscribe to Jim's weekly newsletter while you're there.

Posted 9/13/2003 by Josh Hinds

Just a quick note to let you know that we offer a number of free self-improvement related ebooks. Feel free to grab your copies and have a look here... Enjoy, Josh :)

Posted 9/05/2003 by Josh Hinds

Are You Thinking Quality?
By Gary Vurnum

Ever wondered why some people 'make it' whilst others exactly like them fail?

It's not because of their backgrounds.
It's not because of their education.
It's not because of how 'lucky' they are.

The ONLY distinction between you and anyone else is the quality of your thinking.

Let's take athletes as an example. Sure... there are undoubtedly some physical characteristics that make some people better runners than others etc.

But...

When you come down to the top 100 sprinters in the world - there are literally only 1/10ths of a second between #1 and #100.

So - what's the difference?

The difference is in how they think.

How they force themselves using their willpower to train that little bit harder... and longer. How they focus their thinking and visualize winning BEFORE they actually race. How they 'tune out' as they race.

And... there are undoubtedly many more factors that contribute to their success compared to the also-rans.

So... if we look to applying this concept in real life this means that if you want to be a success in your career... you need to:

Push yourself that little bit harder when you feel yourself slowing down.

Practice visualizing yourself carrying out the duties of the position you aspire to.

Learn how to concentrate solely on your current task... and not get distracted easily.

Apply just these three principles and I guarantee that your career will begin to take off more quickly than you could ever imagine.

Try it for a month and see what happens. What have you got to lose?
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Gary Vurnum quit his full-time job to devote himself to his family and his self-development. His life turned around after the birth of his severely disabled son, and he now wants to share with others the tools he used to remain positive during one of the hardest times of his life. Learn more about his life-changing ebook "The Science of Success"!

Posted 9/03/2003 by Josh Hinds

** I've just added a new Focus On Success Interview with Speaker, Author, and Trainer Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin shares power-packed ideas with you in this interview, such as developing million dollar skills... You'll be sure to want to check this one out!

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Tact -- The Language of Strength
By Bob Burg

It's pretty much an accepted fact that human beings make decisions emotionally, and then back up their emotion-based decisions with logic. We "rationalize" ... that is, we tell ourselves "rational lies."

And every one else does the same. Often, whether or not people will buy into what we say depends less upon logic, than on how their ego accepts the words they hear from us.

Wouldn't you agree that, generally speaking, few people truly enjoy being corrected or criticized? I mean, I can't think of the last time someone criticized me, and I responded by saying, "Thank You! Thank You for pointing out the error of my ways.

"Yet, in the real world, correcting and critiquing others is a part of life. Your kids didn't clean their rooms, your spouse overpaid on a negotiable product, your associate mishandled a presentation, your customer is not working with you correctly, etc.

There is one concept above practically all else that makes the biggest difference in your ability to persuade others to your way of thinking and attain the results you desire. It is known by several different words: diplomacy, delicacy, sensitivity, savior faire, and yes, "tact."

Tact is the language of strength. It is the ability to say something or make a point in such a way that not only is the other person not offended; they are totally receptive.

Learning what to say and how to say it will get results for you which will seem just like magic. Every situation you find yourself in, and every time you must call someone's attention to a particular way of acting, keep "tact" in mind.

Tact will be the key to how those people receive you and what you say, and whether that person will ultimately take the action that will benefit all concerned. How do we utilize tact?

First, we consider what we are going to say ... before we say it. We edit our speech, before the speech. We ask ourselves questions such as, "How will he or she 'feel' about what I'm about to say, and how I'm about to say it."

Take a pretend tape recorder with you over the next 21 days, and "play back" every conversation you have. Ask yourself, "Did I think before I spoke", "Was I considerate of their feelings?", "Was I gentle in my manner?", and was the expression on my face consistent with my words?"

Let's make an agreement, you and I, that we'll analyze the way we talk to others for just 21 days. If you feel as though you don't know the exact right words -- no problem. Begin with the right thoughts; the rest we'll take care of week-by-week.

Have an awesome Winning Without Intimidation week!

Bob Burg
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Bob Burg speaks on "Endless Referrals" and "Positive Persuasion." He is author of several best-selling books including the greatly expanded ebook version of his "Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion".

Posted 9/01/2003 by Josh Hinds

Do It Today
By Steve Goodier

A true story is told of a woman from Switzerland who was served dinner on a domestic American flight. She immediately opened up her dessert -- a delicious looking piece of chocolate cake-- and heavily salted and peppered it.

The flight attendant was shocked and said to the passenger, "Oh! It's not necessary to do that!"

"But it is," the woman replied, smiling. "It keeps me from eating it!"

She found a way to remove temptation! In other areas of life, however, temptation is not so easily removed. We may be tempted to forgo some much-needed exercise because we "just don't feel like it" today.

Or we may allow a persistent habit or addiction to take over, even though we have been "wanting to quit." Or we may never get around to that reading program we have meant to start, or to signing up for that class or those music lessons.

We may want to do these things; it's just that we give in to the temptation to put it off!

Is there a better day than today to do that thing you really want to do?

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Steve Goodier is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for his newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com

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"Learning From Life"
By Charlie Badenhop

The quality of the life we live, is based upon the learning we derive from our experiences. I know that for myself, it is sometimes easy to feel that "Life has taught me some tough lessons, and the scars do not heal easily."

When I find myself thinking like this it means that I have fallen into the trap of believing that "It is 'only natural' that an 'X' type event or relationship, will lead to a 'Y' type response."

At other times it becomes apparent that if I had somehow learned something different from a particular challenging situation, the quality of my life would be much more rewarding.

In working with a client struggling with alcoholism, we spent our first session with the client telling me in detail how he had come to live such an unhealthy debilitating life. In short he said: "Both my parents were alcoholics, and both of them were physically abusive to me.

I grew up never knowing what bad thing would happen next. I learned from my parents that the best way to not have to feel the pain and uncertainty of life was to escape into an altered state of alcohol induced euphoria."

When listening to a client tell such a sad story, it is easy to believe that their situation was all but preordained.

As fate would have it, a week after beginning to work with this client, I went to a business luncheon to hear an inspirational speaker discuss how we can live our life fully, and succeed in times of hardship. Indeed, the speaker was truly inspirational. When the talk was over I waited around to thank him.

After introducing myself and thanking him, I asked him how he had come to lead such an exemplary life. He looked around to make sure no one else was listening and in a low voice he said the following: "Both my parents were alcoholics, and both of them were physically abusive to me.

I grew up never knowing what bad thing would happen next. I learned from my parents that the worst possible way to deal with the pain and uncertainty of life was to escape into an altered state of alcohol induced euphoria.

My parents taught me a difficult but very important lesson. I learned from them that staying present in the moment is the only real chance we have for living a fulfilling life."

What a truly great example of embodied spirit the motivational speaker offers us. The quality of our life is not dependent on the circumstances we encounter. The quality of our life is dependent on what we learn from the circumstances we encounter.

Perhaps the greatest example of this wisdom is present in the life of Nelson Mandela. He is a man that suffered great pain and hardship, and somehow his suffering seasoned his soul in a way that has led him to be compassionate and caring.

In the course of exploring how to live our life more fully we can consider pondering one question over and over again, "What can I learn from the difficulties I am experiencing, that will actually ADD to the quality of my life?"

At the very least we can begin to entertain the fact that: We can derive a wide range of learning from any single circumstance, event, or relationship.

When we get the most stuck in life is when we believe that the one thing we did learn is the only thing that can be learned.
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Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by subscribing to his complimentary newsletter "Pure heart, simple mind" at http://www.seishindo.org/newsletter.html.