Yesterday I made some changes in the way I run my business. They’re not significant changes in many ways but in others they will make positive differences for my clients, my prospects and my readers. Hopefully, HUGE ones! There will be more tips, more strategies, more inspirational stories and more ways for you to read, listen, watch and get involved and get better results in your sales and in your life.

One of the things I am going to do more of this year is blog posting. I already do quite a lot some might say but it’s something that I enjoy and I know that it is one of the key ways that I add value for my clients and my prospects. As a motivational speaker, I have a lot of conversations on a daily basis to help individuals to improve their motivation, their focus, their sales and their businesses. Few of these ever see the light of day but yesterday I had a casual conversation with Rob Scott of Aaron Wallis and he posted our conversation. I thought I would do likewise.

GAVIN (TWEET): Welcome to 2012! Ignore doom-mongers & naysayers! Have dreams, set goals, take action.. make it a great one! Lots of great stuff coming this year… I have good feelings about 2012! You?!!

ROB: I always have good feelings – not much point in being any other way as there’s not a lot that little old me can do about the world’s finances!

GAVIN: I always have good feelings too however it is nice when they come to light! Personally, I think there is little wrong with the world’s finances that a dose of realism and hard work wouldn’t sort out!!

ROB: The FTSE is up 2% so far today – that’s 40% of the loss in 2011 gained in just one day – will this be in the news tonight? Probably not!

GAVIN: Agreed. We ought to spend more time being more positive and asking…

• What do we do well?
• What do others do well?
• What should we be doing well?
• How can we add massive value?

The whole of the West strikes me as bi-polar…. Manically depressive one day and manically up the next BUT at all times, with little handle on the reality of our situation. We need to make massive changes but we’re either crying and moaning about our lot or being extremely arrogant about being “right”.

Let’s start with positivity and hard work and then look for opportunities to add value… Oh, strange… that’s what I do… and you too!!

(ROB as editor) I just found this so true that I had to publish it – hope you enjoy it too!

So, there we are. Three little words that could change your, our, the whole world’s lot in 2012. But will they? How many people will maintain their positivity in the face of business and economic challenges? How many people will do the work necessary to create the opportunities they crave? And how many people will make and take chances to add huge value for their clients, their communities and their families and friends?

I can’t answer that question but I can tell you I will. You with me?

Related posts:

1. What Are Your Goals And Dreams For 2011
2. Take Stock, Take Charge & Take Action!
3. Why People Don’t Set Goals When They Know That They Should

I like athletics and have been enjoying watching the World Championships in Daegu and, like many of you no doubt, I was shocked to see Usain Bolt crash out of the 100m final for false starting. I don’t agree with the new false start rule (any false start from anyone and you’re disqualified) nor did I agree with the previous rule which was changed since I used to run as a schoolboy. Do beaurocrats have nothing better to do than tinker with stuff that isn’t broken? Suffice to say the rule change ruined the 100m final for me today as it probably did for many others. Tyson Gay who, ironically, was in the commentary box had mused about exactly this scenario in The Guardian (Tyson Gay Says New False Start Ruling Will Ruin Sprints) in June suggesting that ejecting Bolt from a race could ruin the sport.

It will certainly be interesting to see what the repurcussions of this will be. Bolt has been a gift to athletics over the last few years making it interesting and sexy again after the debacles of drug taking and abuse over the last couple of decades. I am sure you have your own opinions about the new false start rule and about Bolt’s ejection from the race but that is not what interested me.

Let me tell you what happened incase you did not see it…

At the start of the race, Usain Bolt was his usual happy self, waving to the cameras, posturing and pretending to slick his hair back. He pointed at the athletes to the left and the right of him and signalled that they had no chance. You may or may not like this but it is part of his act and has certainly opened up the sport to a whole new group of supporters. Under starter’s orders the sprinters went down to their blocks and we held our breath. What was Bolt going to produce? How fast would he run? How much would he win by? Could he posssibly be beaten?

And then the unthinkable happened. Bolt rocked in his blocks. He didn’t set off but it was a clear movement and would register as a false start. The gun went off and the sprinters rose to start the race. The others powered for a few paces before being recalled by the false start gun but Bolt was already powering down. He knew he had false started and he was already pulling his shirt off in disgust. He knew he had blown it. He knew he had messed up. He knew it was all over.

In the commentary box he was criticised for pulling his top off, effectively owning up to his mistake. They said that he was Usain Bolt and he should have argued that a light flashed, a noise distracted or something else to excuse him… anything to give the officials a chance to reinstate the biggest star in planet athletics. But he gave them no such outer, he gave them no wriggle-room, just walking off and then sitting just out of site of the arena.

Now you may argue that we should do “what it takes” to “win”. You may argue that Bolt missed a trick and could have leveraged things to his advantage being such a big star. You may argue that he was shell-shocked and had he been thinking rationally he would have tried to get back in.

But I’m not so sure. Usain Bolt is the best sprinter in the world. Ever. Period. You don’t get that good without taking 100% responsibility. 100% responsibility for your fitness. 100% responsibility for your training. 100% responsibility for your mindset. 100% responsibility for your success. And 100% responsibility for your mistakes.

In this world where far too few take responsibility for their mistakes, I thought it was refreshing and uplifting to see him take it on the chin. He screwed up so he loses out. Next time he will get it right and next time he will no doubt win.

Related posts:

1. Take Life By The Throat, RIP Clive Gott
2. What Constitutes A Menial Job? Piffle!
3. Are Good Salespeople Born Or Made?

What is it that separates great salespeople from merely average ones? What is that helps one business person grow their new business whilst another languishes, struggling to make a living? Why can two sales presentations of the same product with the same client have radically different outcomes? Why can great new business executives consistently reach key prospects that mere wanabees cannot?

Why can sales superstars sell value over price time and time again whilst mediocre journeymen fight battle after battle and end up selling on price?

Questions like these and just the simple, “What differentiates top performers from mere average ones?” have over the years been the focus of my attention, my passion and my career. Helping others to realise them in their careers and in their lives is something that gives me great fulfilment.

As many of you know, I am tapping away on my laptop in Spain, where I am spending a couple of weeks in the sun, and I have been reading about the reactions to the recent UK riots from afar. The usual suspects have said the usual things but what has interested me is the reaction of the UK police chiefs and many of the MPs to the mention of taking any kind of advice in any capacity from Bill Bratton, the ex-police chief of Los Angeles who oversaw a fall in crime for six consecutive years. Several said that the US was different to the UK and, more significantly, that they had NOTHING TO LEARN from him. Where does this stupendous arrogance come from? And what purpose does it serve other than to prop up their own fragile egos?

For sure, Los Angeles is different to the UK but there’s always something to learn even if it’s what not to do. There’s always something to learn even if it has to be adapted to your situation. There’s always something to learn if you want to be the best.

I see people every day who seem intent on reinventing the wheel out of sheer bloody mindedness. The concept of utilising OPE or Other Peoples’ Experiences seems to have passed them by. Why spend years clambering, climbing and crawling to the top if you can hop up onto someone’s shoulders and start from there with a huge advantage?

This week’s task is to have a think about who you know and how you can utilise their skills, experiences and insights to give yourself a shortcut to sales, business and personal success. Take some time to think about someone who you know who is excellent at something, someone who excels in a particular area and then go and pick their brains to find out how you can give yourself a sales boost.

Related posts:

1. Check Out This Loser!
2. What Would You Achieve If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail?
3. Remembering The Power Of Now

Excuse me whilst I spit feathers…

Ok, done! There was an article in one of the national papers today which read,

“Meanwhile, research published today shows that many graduates are ending up in menial jobs such as waitressing.”

I’m sure that for many people this could have just as easily read, “… such as selling.” I was incensed. The sheer arrogance of the sentence is an outrage. Just so as we are singing off the same hymn sheet here…

me·ni·al
[mee-nee-uhl, meen-yuhl]
–adjective
1. lowly and sometimes degrading: menial work.
2. servile; submissive: menial attitudes.

Who decides which jobs are “menial”? Who decides graduates are above them? Who decides that one job is more menial than another? What’s wrong with working your way up the career ladder? Is it any wonder that people do not want to work their way up if this is how they are made to feel? What’s wrong with giving 100% to the job in hand, getting recognised and getting promoted based on worth and value?

Now, don’t get me wrong here. This is not a rant against education as education is important. This is a rant against prevailing attitudes and…

This is why I love sales as a profession. In sales everyone starts as an equal. Success is measured by results not by letters. If you have no degree but you commit to it and get results you can create an amazing career and life for yoruself. Conversely, you can turn up with your silver spoon and stuff it in a sunless place for all the good it will do you if you don’t get your head down, work hard, understand the profession and get results.

Today I am standing up for your right to do an honest day’s work, create extraordinary results whatever you do and walk with your head held high.I know you want to share your opinion… I’d love to hear it…

Related posts:

1. Are Good Salespeople Born Or Made?
2. The Times On Success For Jessica Ennnis
3. Take Life By The Throat, RIP Clive Gott

Recently I have been toying with the idea of playing the trumpet. This isn’t a plan and it’s not a goal, it’s just something I fancy having a go at. I’ve thought about the saxophone for years but when I started doing a little research I discovered I really quite liked the trumpet. Here are a few examples of some stuff I liked….

You Raise Me Up, Lily Was Here, Song For You,  Haydn Trumpet Concerto.

But the truth is… it might not be for me, I might not like it and I might not enjoy it. Until you try, how do you know these things? But I’m going to have a go. I’m not a bystander and I don’t plan on standing around saying, “I always wanted to have a go at…” so I have borrowed a cornet to have a play around on. It’s not the same as a trumpet I know but it’s near enough. It’s still in Bb, it has the same amount of tubing and it’s pretty common in Yorkshire with all of the brass bands so why not?

Looking for some good inspiration / tips online I hit Youtube (see above) and then started to read a few articles elsewhere on the web about learning the trumpet. I found some pretty good ones. There really is no excuse for people not improving their skills in today’s day and age when there is so much learning material available for free on the web. Disturbingly, I also found several forum posts and blogs about people discussing about how anyone who was going to be “any good” would learn when they were young. Apparently old might be anything above 15… or much younger. I’m 43 later this year and, apparently, I have no chance and I’m over the hill!

I remember, years and years and years ago, a boss once telling me (as he approached 30) that he felt he was doomed because if he hadn’t made it by the time he was 30 he was never going to!

How depressing! Not depressing because I believe them, not depressing becauseI have no chance, not depressing because I really am too old… But how depressing that so many people are so defeatist! So many people looking at excuses for when they fail before they even start.

I don’t know about you but when I do something new, something different or something challenging I do not want to hear about how it’s not possible, how I’m too old or how the market won’t support it. How can that help you? I want to hear how it can be done, how you might do it, how others have done it and what I need to focus on to succeed. And then I want to get on with it.

Rant over, I’m back to the sunny side of the house to blow my trunpet!

Related posts:

1. What Would You Achieve If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail?
2. The Times On Success For Jessica Ennnis
3. Remembering The Power Of Now