WHAT IS DRIVE?

Drive is a choice that begins with two beliefs;

  1. An expectation that you are suppose to and will win.
  2. A belief that everything happens for a reason.   

These are the words of Jeb Blount in his book Sales EQ and in my estimation, something that has not been discussed as much as it should.

Some of us have an incredible drive and are always in overdrive passing everyone on the road and laughing all the way. While others are still in second gear doing everything we can to get to third, but are having challenges in getting it into the right gear.

Both of the people above have had the same training, similar education, work in the same firm, therefore, why the difference in, drive?

YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

I have to set the budget numbers for next month. Have to start getting the final numbers in for this month. There are three workshops which need to be completed for this month. I need to create content for next week. There are those classes which I need to teach. Have to set the agenda for the special meeting. OMG!!! Can I get the World to just stop for awhile, please? I am so stressed out!!

Is the above scenario something which you deal with? It is for me, except for one little factor; it does not stress me out.

GOAL SETTING IN 2019

‘The greatest danger for most of us is not hat our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.’ ~ Michelangelo.

Here we are in the first full week of 2019, ready, willing and able to go get those goals that we set for us, or in some cases, goals that someone gave to us, however are those goals our real goals?

If we take a closer look at the quote by Michelangelo, are we kidding ourselves by making an unrealistic goal? Not in the fact that it may be too high, but rather is it one that does not stretch us?

WHEN THEY LOWER PRICES, RAISE YOURS!

“OMG!! That’s the eighth time we have had to do that this week!”

“Do what?” said I with confusion in my voice. “Match the price on a leaf blower that my competitor has on sale.” I will never understand why some make pricing the ultimate king in business. All pricing does is enable you to win the race to the bottom. A race no one should be anxious to win.

Businesses have to come to their collective senses. Those who have followed my blog for a while know that it is NEVER about the pricing. It is the value consumers seek. Do you win ALL of the business when pricing rears its ugly head? No, but you can win the majority of them by using creativity and by adding value to your product.

ARE YOU TOO BUSY TO BE PRODUCTIVE?

busyA couple of weeks ago, I got into a long discussion with someone I know through a social media platform over the word ‘busy.’ It has been my contention for the last 20 plus year that ‘busy’ has no place when it comes to business. My position is in business if you are ‘busy’ you are not being ‘productive.’

The other party insisted on staying steadfast on the dictionary definition. ‘Having a great deal to do as an adjective. As a verb; keep occupied.’

When I asked them: “Have you ever been ‘busy’ for a full day and yet find you accomplished absolutely nothing that day?” Have you? I know I have and it’s because I am human and far from perfect that allows me to admit I have fallen down from time to time. However, when it comes to my business, at least for the last 20 plus year I can honestly say I have never been ‘busy’, however, I have been wildly productive. They did not answer the question.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

successRecently, at my advanced Toastmaster’s club, a gentleman had a 45-minute speech on “What is success and how does one go about finding it”?. This was a couple of days after posting an article by Mark Mason to my private group, The Action Suite Lounge, on the same subject. Therefore, how do we go about defining success?

Success is defined as, “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose,” along with, “the attainment of popularity or profit.” However, this goes against some of the most successful leaders of the world and what they think success is.