The Bridge between positive and negative

In Business, most people focus on what can't get done, rather than on what can get done. They handicap themselves mentally by telling themselves, "I can't get the guy on the phone. No one will return my call. No one will hire me. I overslept. I forgot. I didn't write it down. No one told me." And then they go into excuse mode by saying, "I didn't have enough time." Or pathetically, :I am doing the best I can"

Think about how you'd feel if someone brought you the same circumstances that you're whining about. Would you want to listen, or would you want to avoid this person at all costs? that answer is obvious. But there's a better answer, and it lies in your ability "to be or not to be" positive. (that is the question.) If you focus on the negative - the results will likely be negative. If you focus on positive anticipation and positive results will follow.

1. Stop blaming circumstances for your. situation It's not the rain, or the car, or the phone, or the product - it's YOU. You have a choice in everything you do. Choose a better way. Don't blame the situation, change the situation.

2. Stop blaming other people for your situation. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. If you are consistently blaming other people, guess what, Bubba, get over it - it ain't them.

3. Know your customer or prospect better. Knowing your customer is just as powerful to prevent problems as it is to handle them. If you can't get the prospect on the phone, it's your fault for not knowing the best time to reach him. Know the right time to call. Know when a decision is to be made. Double confirm every commitment.

4. Persist until you gain an answer. A prospect will respect a tenacious salesperson. If it takes five to ten exposures to make a sale, do you have what it takes to hang in there? Even if it's "No," at least you know where you stand.

5. Know where you are, or where you should be. Manage your time. Have lunch with a customer, not a friend. Keep perfect records. Know enough about your prospect or customer that follow-up becomes easy and fun. Are you organized enough to get to the tenth exposure and have the situation under control enough to make the sale?

6. Work on your skills every day. Books, CDs, seminars. You can never read enough books or listen to enough CDs. I challenge you to do it for an hour a day. One hour a day, seven days a week, for one year, is equal to more than nine full weeks of work. The next time you mindlessly turn on the TV, think about what you could be doing to improve your focus and knowledge base.

7. Become solution oriented. Instead of griping or wallowing in your problems, why not spend the same amount of time working on solutions? Being solution oriented has done for me and my path to success than any single strategy. Evert obstacle presents an opportunity - if you're looking for it. If you're too busy concentration on the problem, the opportunity will pass you by.

7.5 Think before talking. People speak without thinking, only to regret what they said. Every time you are about to engage someone else, think quickly about what is it you are about to say. How will the words received? And what else could you be saying that might create a more positive expression? The goal is a positive response or result. The action seems simple, but it requires the most self discipline. Try it a few times - you'll be amazed at the results.

ATTITUDE OPPORTUNITY: You've been given a bag of cement and a bucket of water. You can either build a stumbling block (a concrete barrier), or a stepping stone (a bridge to wherever you want to go)