Sales today are made from ENGAGING people with your WHY, and then as Seth Godin Says “Sell the Problem”.  Customers will not buy a solution from you to a problem they don’t think that they have.  The sale is made when our prospects (mortgage customers or Realtors) say I NEED you

WHY You, and WHY Now? from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

Crafting a worthy vision is incredibly elusive, but it is absolutely imperative to get to the next level.  At it’s easiest one could say, “how can you get to the next level if you don’t know WHERE it is, or more importantly what it looks like?”.

Why is getting a vision so important really.  Some would say, “crafting a vision” is so over done.  I would say that if you are not driven, then you won’t live on purpose, and if you don’t live on purpose, then you will not be working a worthy vision, AND here is the kicker, if you are not working to a worthy vision then you are LOST.

Crafting a Vision from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

Why is change so hard?  People have to go through three steps to successfully implement lasting change.  First, decide to make a change.  Sounds easy enough I know but surprisingly people get this step wrong.  It is not only making the decision to change that is important but really activate your emotion by FEELING what it would be like if the change happened.  Second, the all important challenge phase kicks in where the change becomes hard.  It is hear where most people start to stumble.  Finally the third phase is the choice phase.  Along the way of making lasting change we are forced to make choices everyday and all day.  Put simply when me make choices that takes us further from the goals we want we severely jeopardize the possibility of change happening.  When me make positive choices that we know are bringing us closer to the goal this is where change happens.

Enjoy my short video on this, love to hear your comments

Change is hard from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

It seems like a simple concept, but it’s not always easy for every entrepreneur to master – getting your sphere of influence to refer to you.  It’s a concept that a recent RISMedia article touches on, highlighting 7 techniques or steps you can use to help cater to your sphere of influence (or at least get them to refer to you more often).

There’s a lot of useful info here and particularly like the end of the article which talks about empowering beliefs surrounding income and money:

-I do deserve an abundance of prosperity.
-It’s okay for me to be grateful for what I have and still want more.
-Money is neutral and can be used for good or evil.
-Money can’t buy me happiness, but I can create a better life for myself and people around me by being prosperous.
-Some people are honest and some are not. It has no relationship to whether or not they have money.

For some of us, we don’t give these empowering thoughts much of second guess, perhaps because they’ve become second-nature. But I think most of us can always do better at focusing on these thoughts and the other steps listed in this article, as a means of strengthening our effectiveness within our own spheres of influence.

How do you cater to your sphere of influence. Let me know.

Okay, okay, maybe relationship building  shouldn’t be completely impersonal, but have a read through this recent article and it might make you think more about how you relate to your prospects. Why you might ask? Well, according to the article, it seems that in today’s day and age, business, selling may have significantly more to do with relationship selling - rather than selling your personality.

In other words, worrying about and having your prospects like you may be much less important than establishing a professional relationship which demonstrates that you have a firm grasp on relating to their needs. For instance, some of the best words in the article might be these:

“Don’t fall in love with your prospect, fall in love with the process of learning their business and helping them understand their priorities and initiatives. You know you are too relationship-oriented to a fault when you are unwilling to let go of unqualified prospects with whom you have a great relationship. One question you should always be asking yourself is, if I invest in this relationship what will be my potential return? By the way, your prospects are constantly asking themselves the same question.”

In an age where human interaction is evolving, and technology is literally changing the way we do business on a daily basis, perhaps it’s time to let go of what people think of us and truly focus on relationship selling?

“Today (the nature of selling) has shifted to people buying from people they like, but more importantly, people buying from people they believe understand their business, their problems, their initiatives and their priorities.”

Sure, your own personal flair will likely always be important. Why shouldn’t it be? It’s what makes us unique and what separates us from being a bunch of robots – all doing the exact same thing.

What do you think? Sell the relationship or sell your personality? Let me know your thoughts.

I know that it is only February 15, and therefore when I say “this is the best tool of the year” it may lose some lustre.  Let me be clear, this is likely the best productivity tool I have seen IN a year.

Tungle.me allows people to publish my calendar, but here’s the twist, you can do it with only showing your available times as opposed to all other content.

I have been using Google calendar for many years but unfortunately could only ever use it internally because of the privacy issue.  Now my coaching clients and business associates that need to book time with me, do not have to go through an endless voice mail tag between them and my assistant they can just go to my Tungle link and book it themself.  Check out my link and then ask yourself, why am I not Tungling?

www.tungle.me/gregwilliamson

Delegate. A seemingly simple word, that when used properly, can yield remarkable results. And when it comes to success in business and improved management performance, it can be a powerful ally – if used properly. However, for some delegation simply doesn’t come easy. And for others, it’s not even part of their daily activities – or their conscious thought.

With that in mind, the art of ‘delegating’ (as it were) is the subject of an article by executive coach, Ian Cook. Have a read through the article and there are some refreshing insights into the seemingly forgotten power of being able to properly delegate.

Let’s face it, for many of us ‘busy’ has taken on a whole new meaning these days. And while a great deal of us want, so ardently, to hold onto every little task, and have control over each and every activity or project – if we’re NOT delegating regularly and effectively, we may actually be hindering our own progress, productivity, growth and success – not to mention others.

I like that the article addresses (or calls out) why we don’t delegate. And I like that it includes tips on how we can not only delegate, but delegate better. I also like Patton’s quote, in the article, that says “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

In an era where employee retention (especially when it comes to keeping the brilliant employees you already have) is a hot-button issue, delegation seems critical. As a manager you shouldn’t be afraid to let your valued employees spread their wings, so to speak. And if you are afraid, perhaps you need to honestly ask yourself why that is. If the answer lies in the ‘lack of effective delegation’ category, then actually embracing the idea of choosing to delegate might help a lot more than you might think.

So give it some thought. Consider how you’re approaching the way you delegate. And if you aren’t delegating at all, it might be just what you need to help you get past the latest hurdle, plateau, or dip you’re experiencing in your career. And if nothing else, it should help you balance your time schedule better AND take away some of the daily stressors which ultimately hinder your ability to perform more effectively anyway.

There are certainly more tips and tricks out there, with regards to delegation, and it’s important to remember to effectively tailor this kind of thinking to your own style.

What do you think? Send me your thoughts.