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In honor of upcoming Veterans Day, this is a guest post by my husband Alex Sutherland. Alex is a retired U S Army officer who works full time with me in my business. His insight combines what he has learned in the military with what we do in my direct sales business. Read Alex’s guest post this week on EMail Our Military’s Blog!
DISCOVER THE 80/20 RULE:
What is the 80/20 rule? Fully eighty percent of your success as a WAHM will be determined by your attitude and only twenty percent by your aptitude. Some people feel that attitude is ninety percent of success in all human endeavors involving other people. People will always follow leaders who exemplify this practice. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: A positive mental attitude, or a constructive and optimistic way of looking at yourself and your work, goes hand in hand with sales success in every field and in every market. The development of this unshakable attitude of cheerfulness and enthusiasm is your springboard to greatness as a salesperson, no matter what is going on around you. Never share your personal problems with your subordinates. Do people feel motivated after speaking with you; or do they feel drained listening to all your problems? LEARN YOUR PRODUCT WELL: The twenty percent of sales effectiveness that comes from product knowledge and professional selling skills is terribly important as well. It is only when you are thoroughly knowledgeable about what you are selling and thoroughly skillful in your ability to present it effectively that you develop the calmness and confidence upon which a positive mental attitude depends. Write down key points and practice a few times to polish your presentation. UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING: The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life. Be a victor not a victim. If you improve the quality of your thinking, in any area, you improve the quality of your life in that area. By using your mind, your ability to think, you become a creator of circumstances rather than a creature of circumstances. In other words, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. You move from being powerless to being powerful. You determine everything that happens to you by the way you think about it, in advance. You may not be what you think you are, but what you think, you are! CHANGE YOUR INNER ATTITUDES OF MIND: The most rapid and positive changes in your personality and your sales results come about when you change your thinking about yourself and your possibilities. When you reprogram your sub-conscious mind so you feel a sense of unshakable optimism and self-confidence, every part of your life begins improving immediately. As William James of Harvard wrote in 1905, “The greatest revolution of my generation is the discovery that individuals, by changing their inner attitudes of mind, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” EXPECT THE BEST:
Be on time, organized and well dressed/groomed. Remember first impressions are indeed lasting ones. Have you ever noticed how different you are treated when you dress sharply? People do notice and are always more receptive when you smile. The very best salespeople have an attitude of calm, confident, positive self-expectation. They feel good about themselves and they have absolute faith that everything they are doing is contributing toward their inevitable success. They are cool, relaxed, happy and cheerful about their lives and their careers. They know, deep in their hearts, that they are good at what they do, and their customers know it as well. Often, their customers decide to buy from them even before they’ve made a sales presentation or described their product or service. They are the champions, or superstars, of selling everywhere, and you can be one of them by developing the same attitudes and attributes that they have.
ACTION DRILLS: Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action: First, resolve today to develop and cultivate an attitude of calm, confident, positive expectations towards yourself, your customers and your career. Expect the best! Put up goals and positive affirmations where you will see them first thing in the morning. Second, take complete control of your thinking and concentrate on the solution rather than the problem. Look for the good in every situation. Be positive and cheerful, no matter what happens. Remember, in the end your attitude will be instrumental in a positive outcome to any endeavor.
Since I have been in business for over 20 years now with the same company, I have seen how changes in the economy are cycles that we go through. Having been through other times when the economy was sluggish, I have learned two valuable lessons. As your Direct Sales Mentor, I want to share them with you! First, it will bounce back eventually. Second it is possible to not only survive, but THRIVE during difficult times. That’s right, I said thrive! The people who will come out of a recession with a stronger business than ever before are those who learn how to network, collaborate, and market to the affluent. I absolutely love doing all three. The next event that I am doing as a collaboration is called “The Art of Allure”. 
