The great Zig Ziglar has many sayings that have stuck and become memorable principles for people all over the world. For the professional salesperson and those of us whose lives have to do with the extraction and attraction of money, this one draws the perfect picture as to why so many people do not have the money and success that they could otherwise have…

“Timid Sales People Have Skinny Kids!”

You read that right and let me make the point very clearly –
THERE IS NO PROFIT IN BEING TIMID

Period. End of story.

If I were to describe to you the thing that holds more people back from making
money, any money at all, I’m talking about, it’s that they say one thing but then
their behavior says something different.

The World Series got me to thinking so I’ll use it as an analogy.

I played baseball as a young boy all the way up until High School, kinda wish I
would’ve kept it up, but, wrestling was the only sport whose schedule fit with the
running of my martial arts schools so I had to let baseball go…but I still
remember the fun I had and get why so many people still find it America’s Pastime.

I was a pitcher and shortstop most of the time.

So, we’ll start with Pitching…

Back in the day, not at a pro level, the coaches always said, just throw it in there
and let them hit it. “give em something they can swing at” they’d say. That’s why
you’ve got the other 7 guys behind you…

And in sales, too many people try to trick every prospect they’ve got with some
crazy pitches that usually miss the mark. Instead of just throwing it right down
the middle.

I mean, seriously, if you’re any good at what you do, if you “deliver” and create
relationships, why not give them something they can swing at.

Stop being so paranoid and timid and desperate and trying to trick people into
things and just let them hit the ball.

It’s amazing how many people THINK they are “selling” when really they are
dancing, throwing the ball all over the place – and the batter couldn’t hit the
pitch if they wanted.

This is also related to the good old fashion salesperson problem of

NOT ASKING FOR THE ORDER

NOT GIVING THEM A PITCH THEY CAN HIT

So give them a pitch they can hit and let the 7 fielders behind you (answering their questions and objections, use of testimonials, explaining the benefits for them, etc.) help you make the out.

Every week, right here, I attempt to give you some inspiration, some business insight, some personal experience that I believe will be helpful for you. Really, the point is to nudge you, push you, encourage you, hold your hand, pick you up, and, yes, my favorite, to kick in you in the rear, and help you find some THING that will drive you to want more, do more, be more, achieve more in your business and life this week, today, right now.

Based on the feedback I get, I accomplish my mission, in some way, for some people, each and every time I sit down to write. This is, after all, the only thing that makes it worth it…for me.

There are many reasons why we reconvene here as we do and share thoughts with each
other and stimulate and motivate one another to fight the good fight and keep going.
I’m not sure what yours are and I certainly never know what or when you’ll find
that trigger point in your life, in what I say, or in what you encounter anywhere
else from anyone else.

I just know that ‘triggers’ do happen as long as you are looking for them, as long
as you are desirous of them.

I must tell you, I’ve come to realize that one saying that I’ve found more truth in
than most other ‘opinions’ that are spouted out like law all the time by
everybody…that saying is:

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”

Okay, well, not so fast, because there are some missing pieces to that.
Kind of what I said a few sentences ago…you have to be looking for the teacher,
committed to finding the teacher, and willing to listen when you find the teacher.

If those things are true, then yes, when you are ready, as if it just “appears”,
magic will happen…kind of like luck, ‘magic’ will be orchestrated, worked for,
strategized about, and then realized.

Where am I going with all of this…

Well, let me tell you. It’s never everything around you, rather it’s YOU, that ends
up being the difference. You know, that famous song by Moonwalking Michael…”The
Man In The Mirror”.

I want to quickly tell you a story about some dear friends of mine and long time
Mastermind and Coaching members James and AJ Clingerman, who just so happened to be
featured on the live full day Dan Kennedy broadcast last Friday hosted by Joe Polish
in San Diego.

They deserve a huge round of applause, a pat on the back, heck, maybe even a little
vacation. Of course, now, they can afford to go on vacations, take some time off,
get out of their business once in a while.

What landed James and AJ in San Diego was not some overnight success, rather many
dominoes falling in their favor because of exactly what I describe above. They were
looking for triggers in their life, they had enough of ‘not having enough’, and
wanted more.

Three years later, they have liberation and control and are working their way towards financial freedom.

I remember the very first day they walked into the Chapter Event, of course, a much
smaller group than we have now, and I could see the hunger in their eyes, their
determination, and, their resilience.

As James and AJ shared their story with Joe Polish, as they have many times before,
they were reaching a point in their life when they did not know what was next, or
where to turn. AJ talks about having to take cold showers because of not being able
to afford their heat bill and of other struggles on their way to creating success
for themselves.

To see where they’ve come is exciting, but not nearly as much so as where they have
yet to go. Because I’m so close to them, I believe they would have “figured it out”
at some point, made a break for it, and turned everything around…they would have
found another “trigger”.

I’m just fortunate to have been one for them.
But, and my point is, there were other people in that same room at the same time
hearing the same things and yet, James and AJ are in San Diego all expenses paid
trip telling their story to thousands of people through the internet.

The smart question to ask is not, why them, but why not you!

I will tell you why –
We settle. Yes, we all do. I know that because there is one thing we can’t
change…being human. And that’s why it is so incredibly important to set yourself
up for success.

Because, all by yourself, excuses creep in, goals are easily forgotten or ignored.
And you get use to the cycle of WHATEVER.

Hey, you can be in a cycle of poverty, cycle of working your business as a job,
cycle of $100,000 income, cycle of anything at any level. The only difference is
the amount of money and challenges, not the cycle in and of itself and not being
immune to settling.

That is why success is more about endurance, strength, outwitting you, more than
outwitting anyone else. It’s why most people never realize just how close they
might be to success, because they give up to easy.

I often explain it to coaching and mastermind members like running a race and always
expecting a finish line and you keep running and you see what you think is the
finish line and then like a mirage, you just never get there…well it’s there and
you probably crossed it, but the next race had already begun, you were wanting a
chance to stop, take a break, look back at the course you completed and stand up and
cheer…instead of keeping on running.

Which is what you must do.
And yes, I know, I used the running analogy in a different way, last month. But
don’t get confused. Today, I’m talking very clearly about how to break yourself
loose from where ever you are stuck, whatever cycle, whatever income level, whatever
business or problems.

Most successful entrepreneurs experience very similar circumstances that lead to
“the teacher” finally appearing. And by teacher, I don’t necessarily mean another
person, it could be a book, an idea, an opportunity…just where something clicks.

Most people do not truly find success until that have first reached a point of
desperation so low that they have no other choice but to do something different.
They must either go up or give up altogether.

For James and AJ it might have been the cold showers. For others it’s losing their
house, seeing their kids doing without, having a family crisis and not being able to
do anything about it. It could be losing it all in your business, or losing a job.

It doesn’t matter what, just that there is usually something that sends the
entrepreneur once and for all out into the wilderness not to return home until
they’re bringing dinner with them.

At the end of the day, the only thing that you have control over is what you do,
what you think, how you invest your time, and whether or not you go looking for
triggers.

The question to ask yourself is, do you need to experience trauma in your life to
wake up to the opportunities and possibilities that you have available to you, or
will you be like James and AJ and proactively go hunting for answers, solutions,
breakthroughs, and then never stop hunting after you find that first trigger and
taste success.

Understand, it does not matter how successful you are right now. The next level
should you seek it, will appear when you are ready. What are you doing to get
ready, today.

I’ll leave you with this. And this philosophy if nothing else, will illustrate what
it takes to never settle for anything else again. My Korean grandmaster in the
martial arts once told me about a famous general in Korea during one of their
battles with Japan and this general who was motivating an army probably a 10th or at
best 5th of the size of the enemy.

He said to them, “If you fight the war to SAVE your life, you are sure to die.” “If
you fight the war WITH you life, you will survive!”

Of course, that was war, whether he meant that literally or not, doesn’t matter.
But, this, this is life, luckily not often life and death, but then again maybe
therein lies the problem.

You want to win wars, fight with your life.
You want to win football games, you have to play to win, you can’t play ‘not to lose’.
You want to get rich, achieve success, have the business and life of your dreams,
you must BE ALL IN, and give it all you’ve got!

When the student is ready the teacher will appear has little to do with the teacher
and everything to with the student playing to win, giving it all they’ve got, being
“ready”, and then doing something.

Learn something from James and AJ, today, they can be your teacher.

Recently I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville…which happens to be very similar to one big giant bubble, all-encompassing with everything you need to enjoy a full experience under one roof, or in this case, under 3 greenhouse style atriums.

Simply driving into the Gaylord you immediately feel moved to a place separate from everywhere else. And inside, you enter a refreshing natural environment in their amazing atriums that captivates you and removes you from the “outside” that you came
in from.

I just love “destination” locations, especially when they get it right.

While at the Gaylord the service was incredible, more than adequate staff, always
helpful, and taking great pride in their work. In the resort everything is
self-contained inside of the “bubble”.

You can take leisurely walks, float down their river in a little boat, take in the waterfalls and enjoy many more relaxing things. One of my favorites was watching the “dancing fountain” that put on an incredible display themed to different music and it was fun.

Of course, we ate at their top of the line restaurant, which was magnificent and an
investment valued more than the one night stay…I’m happy to report we filled every
corner of the table with different desserts, (my idea) and yes, it was just enough
for the two of us to enjoy!
(we are both still skinny – Maddy made me insert this)

The waiter was superb, and in less than 3 minutes at the table, I’d already decided
that this will be one of the locations for our Traveling National Mastermind Group
next year…and an experience it will be. Same waiter will be essential.

Anyhow, a couple quick things, every word out of every employees’ mouth was
scripted, no time to explain, or go through details, but believe me, I ask
questions, I push them, I see what they’re made of and reward them for the show.

From the hostess to the valet to the maids and maintenance, it was all planned out
and executed beautifully.

We ate breakfast the next morning at the waterfalls and just to sum it up, I ordered
(didn’t eat, but ordered) the $23 pastry basket simply to set on the table and look
at – everything was THAT good.

Another thing I’ll point out, and then I will tell you why it’s so important for you…
I asked many employees how long they had been there and what position they started
in. 4 out of 5 were more than 5 years, one just over a year, even that one, started
somewhere simple and moved up.

They have a delicate and deliberate process for grooming people and giving them room
to grow.

Finally, when I asked the waiter of 9 years (who also had a little side business of playing Jazz at some local clubs downtown), why 9 years, here…what’s the big deal about the Gaylord?

He responded immediately, stepped back from the table looked up at the ‘artificial’
stars and the real moonlight through the atrium glass, he gazed around, he looked
back and said, “what’s better than the Gaylord…you can’t have bad days inside
here!”

Now, let’s be clear, it really is comparable to Disney, to Vegas, just not as grand
a scale; it’s for different people. I love them all, same concepts apply to all
three…this just a DIFFERENT experience, different ENVIRONMENT.

And that, my friends is my message to you today.

What is YOUR Environment?

I could write about the lessons from the Gaylord all day long.
What’s important is what you take away from MY experience here.

The one bubble that will never burst is the one you live in.

Real Estate, Stock Market, Economy, whatever –

All under other peoples control…well actually, realistically probably not under
much of anyone’s control, maybe that’s the problem.

None the less – YOUR BUBBLE is in your control.

The Gaylord controls everything, the people, the guests, the environment, the food,
the music, the mood, the weather! Everything.

Literally, no joke, we woke up the next morning to puddles everywhere, obvious
remains of a heavy thunderstorm, and we never noticed it, not for a single moment,
and you can look up at the sky and see through the atrium and yet, nothing.

Inside that Bubble, you can create exactly what you expect because you are the
master in control.

I’ve got to tell you, I detest the question “how was your day?”
I ask people the same question, and I’m guilty of not being more demanding and
resentful about it. But it’s just a dumb question.

What do you mean, how was my day? Well, how was it supposed to be…it was exactly
the way I wanted it to be; because I am in control of my days.

Oh, I know, it’s polite, and I do appreciate it, it’s nothing against others, I was
raised with that type of family friendly questions and stuff…but, the reality is,
asking the question IMPLIES that it could have been good or bad –

NO SIR, not for me, not good, not bad, just a day with a purpose.
I enjoy every minute of every day, some more than others, but enjoy I do, because I
live in a bubble, I create my own environment, and I decide who gets in, who stays
out, what’s thought about, dealt with, and everything in between.

You have the same power.

As Nido Quebein says, “you can create your own theme park!”
Whether the Gaylord, Vegas, or Disney, you really do get to decide the environment
you live in, the environment you create success in, the environment you get to
enjoy.

Perhaps the most provocative thing, (that most people intentionally ignore and make
excuses for) is certain people create more success in their lives than others. Truth is, those people simply exert more control on and have more clarity in their
bubble.

You have to set yourself up for success. It is NOT just going to happen.

Oh don’t misunderstand, we’re not talking about perfection here, we’re talking about
your ability to control what you can control and by doing so, give yourself a
fighting chance at overcoming everything else around you.

I’ve said this before and I know you’ve heard it –
Success does not happen by accident.

My question for you right now, today, is: What is your Bubble like?
What type of environment are you attempting to be successful in?
Who needs to be pushed out of the bubble?
What needs to be eliminated from your environment?
Are you dictating exactly what happens inside your world?

Last night I sat through a very brief graduation ceremony for a group of Nurses.
I chose to go for a couple reasons.

First, I wanted to show my support for a good friend of our family.

Second, and a little secret, because I’d only admit this to you all -

I wanted to go hang around non-entrepreneurs for a little while and see things
from their perspective.

I’ve got a couple clients that are moving fast into the direct to consumer
marketing, and one who will be directly selling to Nurses, as a matter of fact, so
it was market research.

*lesson, there’s always a purpose, life’s too short to use an experience for only
one thing.

So what does a Nursing Graduation have to do with you…

MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER REALIZE

Let me tell you something, I would have thought these women were winning the Super
Bowl. I mean tears, prayers, celebrations, shout outs, and just all kind of crazy
things. I can’t imagine how happy they were when they had babies…it was just very
cool, for them, and exciting to see others passionate and excited to do something
with their lives.

Every one of them has fought through struggles of their own while finishing this new
chapter in their life. Every one of them sees this as THE opportunity that will
change everything.

And, for some, if they choose, and if they take the same responsibility they had to
in order to make it out of School, this is capable of being a catalyst for bigger
and better things for them.

Some, however, unfortunately, will live a life of quiet (or not so much) desperation
of wondering why nursing wasn’t the magic pill, wasn’t the quick fix, wasn’t the
happily ever after event in their life that they thought it would be.

In this example, I have three lessons, that I’ll try to make brief, though you know
that’s not my strong suit.

First, about “your” customer.

Can you imagine how hard it would have been during the months these women were going
through school to sell them something…anything!?! Simply their minds weren’t
listening to your message. They couldn’t care less about anything other than making
the grade and getting done.

Well, I’ve got news for you — every one of your customers has some THING they are doing
now, experiencing now, consumed with now, that they couldn’t care less about your
message.

You either have to find a way to break through that barrier or align with it.

But, you simply can’t ignore it.

People aren’t waking up every day looking for ways to give you money, you’ll starve
relying on that. You gotta go out there and get it.

Second, about “you”

The Magic Pill…they are all looking for it.

They believe this is THE thing…

And for some they might be right, for some, this degree, this new career, this new
phase in their life will CHANGE everything.

But, don’t miss the bigger point – they all believe that it will.

And if your business isn’t selling them something of this magnitude, at least given
whatever circumstances, situations, etc that you sell against, you are fighting a
losing battle.

Nobody wants to invest their money, time, life, energy, etc into something that
isn’t THE THING!

To these women at this time in their life the moment they shared last night, it was
a turning point for them. You get rich when you sell turning points for people also.

No matter how mundane your business may be, MARKETING can make it a BIG DEAL, and
you must, because that’s what people want.

Now, on the other hand, don’t make the mistake of thinking anything will change you
or your life, only you can do that – only responsibility will reward these women
with the success they imagine.

Finally – and the real message I wanted to get across today was this…

These women were on top of the world. And as they should be. For them, this was huge.

How you measure success, is completely up to you.

We need nurses, more of them, good ones, well paid ones, etc.

But – if you are talking in terms of money, well then, I’m sure many of you who are reading
this generate more money in a month than most of them will in any one year.

Personally, as you know, I have many “deals”, one-single relationship, event, or
transaction that equal more profit than income a nurse would realize in multiple
years of hard work.

Now, who’s worth more, well the marketplace dictates that – and who am I to judge.

That’s not my point and it’s not what you should focus on either.

Instead, think about this.

These wonderful women who will save lives (my mother was one for 42 years) are
excited about their career, about their accomplishment, many of them simply can’t
wait to get out there and EARN their money. Far better than the alternative and what
many of their classmates ended up doing…collecting a check instead of earning one.

Anyhow, they do not know the difference, they do not know the possibilities of
unlimited income. It would be foreign to them. That’s why we as entrepreneurs must
stick together.

But – what I saw last night is what is so often missing from the business owners
that are lost, frustrated, and struggling to achieve their goals…

PASSION – Excitement – dedication to MAKING potential happen instead of sitting back
and thinking someone else or something else is going to make it happen.

You take someone who is thrilled to death to graduate and go into a 40-60 hour job,
that probably is underpaid, and they are excited.

They are anxious to get started.

And yet, you take someone who has the ability to create their own income, live their
own lifestyle, control their own destiny and they squander it.

It pains me to see business owners and entrepreneurs who fall under the entitlement
philosophy who think their customers, the economy, the government or anyone else is
supposed to make things easier for them, or hand them out opportunity.

Perhaps if you had to suffer through months of schooling, go to work in a hospital
every day, and every decision you make could end the life of your customer -

You’d take YOUR Responsibility a bit more seriously.

Last night was a bit touching -

And I’ll tell you this, there are more of those nurses out there last night that I
would hire than many of the business owners and entrepreneurs I know, because they
are hungry for success, they are passionate about how they’ve chosen to make their
money, and they take their responsibility seriously.