Half Empty or Half Full? By Scott Allen

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Posted on 25th January 2011 by Krishna Gupta in Business Intelligence |Personality Development

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This image was Selin Jessa’s entry in the 2010 Positive Posters International Poster Competition. Here’s her description:
Consider that technically, the glass is completely full – half of air and half of water. Just as you can perceive a glass of water in different ways, I think we need to take a moment and look at our lives from a different perspective – a more optimistic one. Our lives right now may seem too stressful, too hard or too busy but we can make every day better for ourselves and for one another. A positive, optimistic attitude is more than seeing the bright side of a situation, it’s believing in a brighter future.
As an entrepreneur, you’re an optimist, whether you realize it or not. Simply put, the odds are against you, and everybody knows it. But you think – know, even, deep down in your gut – that you can beat those odds.
Optimism alone isn’t enough for success, but it’s a key factor in it. Dr. Martin Seligman, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, has conducted more than 600 studies that demonstrate, consistently, that people with an optimistic explanatory style are more likely to be successful, in most circumstances. For instance, a study among life insurance agents showed that the most optimistic salespeople sold a whopping 88% more than the most pessimistic ones.
However, optimism isn’t about being delusional. The most successful optimists still have a firm grip on reality – they are able to assess the situation, and then generate, evaluate and explore their options. This is wherein the optimist’s greatest strength lies. Pessimists tend to quit considering alternatives once they believe the outcome to be inevitable. So, of course, their predictions become self-fulfilling, re-affirming their world view. Optimists keep moving forward because they believe there are always options and possibilities that may not yet have been discovered.
At this point, you may be thinking, “That all sounds great, but how do I become more optimistic? My business/life/whatever sucks right now, and I just can’t see past that.”
Pessimists tend to see problems as permanent (“We’re never going to hit our numbers”) and pervasive(“These leads all stink”). Optimists see problems as temporary (“This quarter’s been rough, but we have some new things in the pipeline for next quarter”) and specific (“There may still be some gems in there that just haven’t shown themselves because the timing isn’t right yet”).
So how do you get from permanent/pervasive to temporary/specific?
Ask yourself a few questions:
Do you have a crystal ball? Is the future ever truly certain? Of course not…at least not from your perspective. We’re not trying to get into a philosophical debate here – even if the future is predestined – you don’t know what it is.
What are some possible positive outcomes? Explore the possibilities, no matter how unlikely they may seem.
What can I do to influence those outcomes? It doesn’t matter if you can’t ensure the outcome – what steps can you take that would simply increase the likelihood of any of those desirable outcomes?
What are the exceptions? Whatever your negative generality is, find the exceptions and study them. What makes them different? How can you find more of those exceptions and attract them into your experience?
What’s the third option? Pessimists tend to see things in black-and-white, while optimists see shades of gray. Any time you think there are only two choices, consider all the alternatives – yes or no (maybe), left or right (reverse), fries or onion rings (neither).
Change won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen just because you consciously want it to happen. But transformation is possible if you practice it on a regular basis.
“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” – Lao Tzu

This image was Selin Jessa’s entry in the 2010 Positive Posters International Poster Competition. Here’s her description:
Consider that technically, the glass is completely full – half of air and half of water. Just as you can perceive a glass of water in different ways, I think we need to take a moment and look at our lives from a different perspective – a more optimistic one. Our lives right now may seem too stressful, too hard or too busy but we can make every day better for ourselves and for one another. A positive, optimistic attitude is more than seeing the bright side of a situation, it’s believing in a brighter future.
As an entrepreneur, you’re an optimist, whether you realize it or not. Simply put, the odds are against you, and everybody knows it. But you think – know, even, deep down in your gut – that you can beat those odds.
Optimism alone isn’t enough for success, but it’s a key factor in it. Dr. Martin Seligman, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, has conducted more than 600 studies that demonstrate, consistently, that people with an optimistic explanatory style are more likely to be successful, in most circumstances. For instance, a study among life insurance agents showed that the most optimistic salespeople sold a whopping 88% more than the most pessimistic ones.
However, optimism isn’t about being delusional. The most successful optimists still have a firm grip on reality – they are able to assess the situation, and then generate, evaluate and explore their options. This is wherein the optimist’s greatest strength lies. Pessimists tend to quit considering alternatives once they believe the outcome to be inevitable. So, of course, their predictions become self-fulfilling, re-affirming their world view. Optimists keep moving forward because they believe there are always options and possibilities that may not yet have been discovered.
At this point, you may be thinking, “That all sounds great, but how do I become more optimistic? My business/life/whatever sucks right now, and I just can’t see past that.”
Pessimists tend to see problems as permanent (“We’re never going to hit our numbers”) and pervasive(“These leads all stink”). Optimists see problems as temporary (“This quarter’s been rough, but we have some new things in the pipeline for next quarter”) and specific (“There may still be some gems in there that just haven’t shown themselves because the timing isn’t right yet”).
So how do you get from permanent/pervasive to temporary/specific?
Ask yourself a few questions:Do you have a crystal ball? Is the future ever truly certain? Of course not…at least not from your perspective. We’re not trying to get into a philosophical debate here – even if the future is predestined – you don’t know what it is.What are some possible positive outcomes? Explore the possibilities, no matter how unlikely they may seem.What can I do to influence those outcomes? It doesn’t matter if you can’t ensure the outcome – what steps can you take that would simply increase the likelihood of any of those desirable outcomes?What are the exceptions? Whatever your negative generality is, find the exceptions and study them. What makes them different? How can you find more of those exceptions and attract them into your experience?What’s the third option? Pessimists tend to see things in black-and-white, while optimists see shades of gray. Any time you think there are only two choices, consider all the alternatives – yes or no (maybe), left or right (reverse), fries or onion rings (neither).
Change won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen just because you consciously want it to happen. But transformation is possible if you practice it on a regular basis.
“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” – Lao Tzu

How to Identify and Overcome Objections by Adrian Ulsh

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Posted on 28th December 2010 by Krishna Gupta in Business Intelligence

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There is one thing that every visitor of your website has in common: they have objections. They have a very good reason — real or fictitious — not to buy your product. And, it doesn’t really matter if the reasons are good or not; as long as you don’t handle their objections, they won’t buy.

In order to get a product sold, you need to sell it to the right and left sides of the brain (people make emotional decisions and they justify them with logic). What this means to you is that you have to overcome the logical and emotional reasons that people have not to buy your stuff.

** What Are the Two Most Common Objections and What Do They Really Mean? **

It’s too expensive.

With this objection they are saying one of these things:

I don’t have enough money to pay for your stuff (this is a valid reason but it doesn’t happen often. Can you offer monthly installments or bill them later?

Your stuff costs more than I’m willing to pay for it. If this is the case, you need to understand that people aren’t objecting to your price, they’re objecting to your value. They feel like what they’re getting is not worth the price you’re selling it for. In this case you need to do a better job at showing the value of your product. Remember, if you can convince people that your product is worth 10 times more than its price, selling it will be really easy.

Your stuff costs more than what your competition sells similar items for. You shouldn’t allow people to compare your stuff with your competitors’. Make it unique so comparisons simply aren’t possible. Make sure that what makes your product unique is something of value; having a red box instead of a blue one won’t do the trick.

I don’t trust you.

They might use different words, but this is what they really mean:

What are you doing to show how credible you are? Use testimonials, media mentions of your company, trust logos (BBB, HackerSafe, 2008 Business of the year, etc.) If you can show people that others just like them trusted you… took the leap of faith… and everything worked out great, your chances of getting the sale will be much greater.

What if it doesn’t work? This is the main concern people have. And it’s completely genuine. After all, how many times have you bought something to discover later that it didn’t deliver as promised? What you need to do in this case is to have a risk-reversal tactic (or several) so people come out on top even if your product doesn’t work.

Offering a 100% money back guarantee is not enough. If your product doesn’t work, they face a major hassle in their life. They know they will have to go to the post office to ship your product back to you, and then it will take them at least 10 days to get their refund, if then. In this case, people feel that they have lost their precious time and possibly their precious money.

Go beyond the standard 100% money back guarantee. If you have total and complete confidence in your product or service, then offer 200% of their money back to compensate them for their time and trouble… or offer them 100% but let them keep your product (or part of it if it’s a set of some kind). You can offer same-day pick up of your product and an immediate refund of their money… or get it now and pay for it in 30 days… ONLY if you decide to keep it.

Try these… you’ll be amazed at the results you get.

** How to Overcome Objections **

Just acknowledge them. If you try to hide them, people will still have these unresolved objections on their minds. Bringing up objections doesn’t give people reasons to not buy. You need to understand that they already have those objections… you’re just being forthright, honest and ethical by admitting things happen and explaining why things are that way. This also opens the door to a major opportunity for you. It allows you to position your business as the one who not only admits the things that normally frustrates them, but to explain how you have innovated your business to overcome those frustrations so they will never again have to deal with them.

If your product is more expensive than your competitors, explain why and make it a benefit, not a disadvantage. If you don’t have testimonials, explain that your product is new and that you’re offering them a discounted price in exchange for their testimonial so you can gather some as fast as possible. Come up with a list of possible reasons why prospects won’t buy your product or services and then innovate your business to overcome them.

For the ultimate experience in overcoming objections, use testimonials from prospects that were in the same exact situation as your current prospects, and show how they took the leap and that leap changed their lives forever. This often works like a charm:

“At first I was very skeptical about this product’s claim, and the price looked really expensive as well. But I was so sick of having acne I decided that it was worth a try. I’m so glad I did! My skin is much clearer now and I don’t feel self-conscious about my appearance anymore.”

Try these suggestions for overcoming objections. You will see an immediate improvement in your sales and revenue.

This article is written by Adrian Ulsh from OneCoach team!

Is your business the right solution for your prospects?

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Posted on 18th December 2010 by Krishna Gupta in Business Intelligence

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Do your products or services fulfill your ideal clients’ wants?

Your job as a business owner is understanding the solutions your ideal client is looking for. Then you must take the time to apply this knowledge to your own business, to separate yourself from your competition and make your business the obvious choice.

Here are the basics of how you can do this:

Create a list of your ideal clients’ hot buttons. What problems, frustrations and concerns do they have when buying what you sell? Think about the hot buttons across all the businesses in your industry.

Analyze your business. What is your business’ current solution for these hot buttons? Is it ideal?

Brainstorm potential innovations. How can you innovate your business to solve the hot buttons and exceed your ideal client’s expectations? These ideas can be totally out there, but write them down anyway. You never know – the wacky ideas can turn into genius innovations!

Record the benefits associated with your innovation. Once you find an innovation that you can apply to your business, make sure you know the benefits. You can then use these benefits in your communications to your ideal clients to hit their hot buttons and stand out from your competition.

These steps are just the start of laser targeting your audience to stand out from the crowd.

This article is written by Adrian Ulsh from OneCoach

Getting to a Higher Level of Success by John Assaraf

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Posted on 14th December 2010 by Krishna Gupta in Business Intelligence |Personality Development

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Do you ever return to your business after reading a book, listening to a CD, or attending a seminar, pumped up full with fresh information, only to never apply it?

That’s because the part of your brain that GATHERS information is different from the part that APPLIES new knowledge.

Your conscious mind is responsible for choose what you want. Your subconscious mind is responsible for your perceptions and behavior. You must train your subconscious to think and behave differently and to work toward what you want.

Here are three things you can do to start reconditioning your subconscious:

1. Take action every morning. Start your day with affirmations about where you want your business to be. Meditate on your visions and goals for your business and life.

2. Focus on what you’re grateful for. By combining your feelings of gratitude along with affirmations in the morning, your brain will release chemicals which will begin to retrain your subconscious mind to think differently.

3. Emotionalize your success. Act as if you are already at the level of success that you want to achieve. By putting yourself in those shoes, you will think and behave differently… which will lead to changes in your behavior… and more importantly… lead to action.

These are just the beginning steps to change from the inside out in order for your business world to change.

Your List Is One of Your Biggest Untapped Assets

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Posted on 2nd December 2010 by Krishna Gupta in Business Intelligence

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We ask every business we work with two questions:

1. How many customers do you currently have?
2. How many leads/inquiries do you have?

Many companies keep a record of their customers but most of them neglect to keep a record of their leads / inquiries.

Leads / Inquiries that don’t convert into sales immediately are a goldmine for future business and can be marketed to over time to establish a relationship, promote various offers and also market other products.

Your list really is one of your biggest assets – here’s one way to grow it.

One of the key places most companies miss an opportunity is capturing the information of website’s visitors. In fact, over 90% of all websites we look at don’t have a way of capturing information correctly and are therefore losing valuable leads and sales.

One system we use is to capture information on our website is through iContact – this simple system not only enables us to capture lead information, but has various tools to communicate with those inquiries, including auto-responders, broadcast messages and even surveys.

Take this simple step today – add a simple capture form to each page of your website, offer something for free (free report / free consultation etc) and watch your list grow rapidly.

Regardless of how someone contacts you, make sure they are entered into a database program like iContact, with the ability to follow up, establish a relationship and make offers to them in the future.

Ask yourself these questions and get the most out of your current list:

1. When was the last time you contacted your customer base or leads list?

2. What other products or services could you offer your customers or leads?

3. Who else has my ideal client that I could joint venture with to grow my list?

Four things you can do to skyrocket your business today

1. Reconnect with you existing customers with new offers or asking for referrals.

2. Send a new offer to your lead list.

3. Add a product or service that your customers buy either before or after they purchase your product or service.

4. Make a list of contacts that you could joint venture with and create a win/win by leveraging their list.

This article is written by OneCoach team!

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