Get more opportunities by staying focused on on solving problems instead of on selling stuff. We are so “me too” in this business, and then we complain about being price shopped, not given a chance to compete, being ignored or—worst of all—not even noticed. Your problem may not be that you don’t have any value…
Paul Kiewiet
Make this world a better place. Make this industry a better place. Make your home a better place. You can do it. Starting with you. A few years ago, I lived in downtown Chicago and joined Michigan Avenue Toastmasters. This was a diverse group of interesting people all dedicated to becoming better speakers and helping…
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Wow! Did this year fly by or what? With Thanksgiving quickly upon us, you might have a minute or two to take a breath, and do some thinking before you go into the last crazy push to the end of the year. As is my custom, I have some questions that I would like for you…
How do you make yourself matter to your customers? How did selling today become such a “soft” touch? How did things like liking, loving, trust and your mission become more important than prospecting, qualifying, features benefits, and closing, closing, closing? The reality is that people usually buy from people they like. What is always true…
Building your promotional products business is a journey. How is your journey going? Are you running into unpleasant surprises and unexpected potholes? Great journeys start with a vision. You must know where you are going. This is your dream. So dream big. What do you hope to find, to create, to feel, to experience and accomplish on your journey?…
Many of us hold the mistaken belief that the more clients we have, the more money we make. That is a myth that does not serve us well. My first great breakthrough on my quest to become a multi-million dollar producer was that, to get to the next level, I needed to fire the deadwood…
The Dalai Lama has said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” Kindness can be a guiding principle that will always provide you with the right choices. When faced with a difficult decision, ask yourself, “What would a kind person do?” A few years ago, life served up major crisis after major crisis into…
Learn to ask the right questions to the right people at the right time. One of the worst things we can do is to ask ourselves the wrong questions. Instead of asking yourself, "Why can’t I lose weight?" Ask yourself, "What can I do today to live a more healthy life?" Instead of asking yourself, "Why…
Stand out, be different, be fearless, innovate! The four things above are just one of my 10 secrets of successful people. That’s right. They stand out because they are not afraid to be different and are willing to innovate. Particularly in a business where we sell the same stuff from the same suppliers to the…
It’s important to have the facts of a given situation or opportunity. But if you cannot communicate or persuade, you will struggle to find cooperation, collaboration or build consensus. All of those are important for you to master to achieve your goals and great results. In every instance, make an effort to empathize with others.…
When you have set SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based) you must persist until you succeed. Consider your goals as a contract with yourself, and don’t let anything stop you. The fifth secret of successful people is that they never, ever, ever give up. They understand that it is not being knocked down that…
One thing all successful people have in common is a passion for learning. Successful living and successful achievement require insatiable curiosity and desire to be the best. Never stop learning. There is a building near you that offers you the knowledge, experience and stories of others who have mastered many areas of life. It’s called…
If you have taken the first two steps—gotten your thinking right about what you want, and clarified your true goals—you MUST take action steps to make your vision your reality. You must be willing to move forward with daily action that will begin moving you toward achievement. There is only one time for you to…
If you don’t know what success looks like, how will you recognize it? How will you know how close or how far away it is? Get very clear about what your specific goals are, and what your life will look like, sound like and feel like when you get there. We’re talking about your dreams…
Like a recipe for a great meal, successful people share certain traits that, when combined, create a life worth living. "Success" is a multifaceted word with different meanings to different folks. For some, it implies profit, prosperity or even popularity. Herein lies one of the problems for many people. They want to be successful, but…
