Unlocking Your Success

"He's a self made man" How many times have you heard that? While there is something to be said for someone sticking to their project from start to finish, no one does it alone.

Yesterday my good friend and business partner, Tony Rubleski, launched his second book, Mind Capture in the age of ADD. It went to #1 within hours of release. This did not happen by accident. Having been "behind the scenes" for the preceding few months, there were countless people hammering their lists, adding bonus offers, and other goodies to make this happen.

While the book did not happen to go #1 out of thin air; it took the collaboration of many people to get it to perform the way that it did (check out www.mindcapturebook.com great stuff!)

What do you need to do to perform? Who can you bring with you for the journey? How can you help them?

For more great info, visit www.theshef.com

What a day. Before 9 am I was on the beach and in the water. While that may sound appealing to most; it really wasn't to me. I was on the golf course. You have to understand that I am really not that proficient of a golfer. However if you can't do something well, enjoy doing something poorly!

This leads me to the topic of mentors. I need a golf coach. Probably one with a ton of patience. The pro shop told me that there was quite a wait for this service. I am amazed that many people in business will "wing it" instead of asking for help. This is a recipe for business suicide. I would recommend that people find someone who is doing something at the level they want to do it at and hire them. This will slice tons of time off of the learning curve. (Hey, slice, get it?)

For more great info, check out www.theshef.com

I am a self professed sales geek. No way around it. If I see a great example of a shining star in the sales world whether it is someone who is selling radishes or rolls royces, I want to learn from the experience it! One of my observations as I travel helping people and companies have their greatest year ever is that most sales professionals will get their prospects to the 1 yard line and not ask them to buy. This is not true in New York City.

If you are buying a pair of jeans in NYC, the clerk will help you find the right pair (build rapport), ask you what you think about them (qualify) and close you. If it is too much or you start to walk out, they will negotiate! It amazes me how passionate someone can be about a pair of $40 jeans!

I purchased a pair when traveling there a while back, while the jeans are worn out; the lesson has remained. Don't forget to Ask, Ask, Ask!

Visit ,my site at www.theshef.com

Hi there!
I'm taking a few days away to recoup and work on my next book, Unlock the Gift. My son and I were driving through South Dakota and stopped at one of the many rest stops. We were greeted by a gentleman who was so excited about his state and everything that it had to offer! He asked us a variety of questions, thanked us for visiting his state, and pointed us in the right direction.

There are 3 crucial lessons in this visit:
1. Focus on the client. Ask about them before you tell them about you or your business.
2. Have passion about what it is that you are doing. I don't care if you are a garbageman, a real estate agent, or a tour guide. It is your passion that sells people on your heart.
3. Be mindful and thank people. Yep, mom was right on this one. It is seldom used, but sorely needed!

Visit my site at www.theshef.com for more great info!

Many people are fearful of sales people. That is because, quite frankly, many of them suck and give the rest of us a bad name. If you think about it, NOTHING happens until someone sells someone else something! Many sales people are simply order takers.

Shelly and I visited several fantastic wineries over the weekend and you'll be reading about many of them in upcoming blogs and e-zines. I have to share the story of a fantastic winery owner named Lori. She invited us into the winery, told us the stories of the place, (building credibility), when we sat down at her table to sample the wines, she explained how we could use each one of them. For example, "This is great when you marinate shrimp in it then grill. Drink this other kind of wine to compliment the flavor." She was fantastic (not the only one, they were all great!) BUT SHE BUILT DEMAND. In the end, she closed a couple of sales.


Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. What are some other uses for my products/services/talents?
2. How can I paint the picture for my clients/employer?
3. What can I do to grow myself?

Also, I'm attaching the photo in front of Lori's Winery (Christian Heritage winery) Keep up the great work!

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July. Especially those who are miles away from home helping to keep our country free. Let's keep in mind that we are not the land of the free and home of the brave. We are the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

If you think about it, your most crucial life lessons did not come from those who only encouraged you; they came from those who saw enough within you to hold you accountable for results. There are times in life when I would love to only coddle my son and tell him that he can do no wrong. That is not realistic. He will have times when he will be a turd. That's just life. When he does, there will be consequences.

As a manager or business owner, we often will gloss over many professional and personal flaws. Let's face it, no one will be 100% like you. If you have an employee who likes to steal postage, cut off their wrist! (OOps! That's a little extreme) Actually, if they would take 50 cents from you, they would justify the hell out of taking thousands of dollars from you. Maybe they need to get chewed so hard, they have only 1/2 of a butt cheek left. I don't know your situation.

Holding yourself accountable is a daunting task as well. The summer time doesn't lend itself to "easy to focus" time for me. I would much rather be on my deck, hanging out with friends, or riding my Harley. I need to focus on the task at hand and pick up the 300 lb phone to make the deals happen. You should do the same. Offer yourself some rewards at milestones, but keep focused.

Visit www.theshef.com for more great content.