Can't Concentrate?

I have a Dog. He needs a lot of brain training to get him to a place where I can walk him near other dogs. His brain is not trained to concentrate when other dogs are around.

I am exactly the same same... Um, except... for the dog thing... I actually can concentrate when dogs are around. When you have so many tasks to do, you get distracted by each one of them! If you are like me, you are a hard worker and you will keep going through lunch to get the work done. But the one thing holding you back is you lack of concentration on the task at hand.

Sure! You make task lists and check lists and everything goes great until that big sales lead rolls across your desk or the art gets approved for that big job. Then, you go chasing the butterflies of distraction right past your afternoon and you find that your lists have fallen sideways for another day.

When this happens once in a while, its ok. But when it is happening every day and the confusion of what to do next is forcing you into surfing Facebook for friends (waste time), then its time to train your own brain.

Some call their doctor and ask if there is a medication that can help them concentrate, then they use it to learn to concentrate... I find that you can just change the brain and focus a little bit a day. Heres how it works for this distracted guy:

When I feel overwhelmed with distraction, I write a letter to myself from 'My-Boss-Self' Who has been watching my progress with some disdain and needs to take some action. I write down what I'm doing wrong, then how I should be working and then top it of with some motivational speech (your boss-self knows just how to motivate you) Here's an example:

James,
I have not seen a lot of progress in the last days when it comes to getting new accounts. I am also looking at the job-board and not seeing enough work getting completed in the shop. What's going on?
I have seen this before so I think I know what the problem is. You need to get focused on the 4 big branches here at work Sales, Production, Admin, and Shipping. That way you will not distract yourself with cross-concentration.
When you file all the paperwork at the same time, putting an hour into the admin, you will complete the paperwork faster. Turn off your email program, turn your Blackberry to Phone-Only! This will stop 90% of what distracts you from doing the paperwork.
When selling, make sure that the paperwork is done so you wont have that feeling that there is something more important to do; sales is more important after all. Then once selling turn off all distracting programs and five yourself fully to your CRM.
In the back, start to produce jobs and get them done systematically. They will not get done without constant concentration. If not done they will become rush orders and step over everything that has to get done.
Finally, a concentrated shipping effort will get the packages out at the same time and on time, thus avoiding costly delivering. If the time is spent on shipping, there will always be happy customers getting their packages before they are expecting them.
I have seen you do this in epic months where the orders were flying off the shelf, now do this in the slower months and you will have a very large opening every day for sales. Since you are a very smart person and are wildly motivated, you will have no problem turning this funk around by just changing your brain to focus on the big stuff. You will do it! I'm really proud of you.

That's how its done. I feel better already. I even gave myself an Idea. Thats what happens almost every time I do that! I get a great idea and implement it. just by writing every day, I am able to tune into my thoughts and get them organized.

What do you think that does to your brain? I'm not a psychiatrist, but I'm willing to bet it gets the waves flowing the proper way. I bet it changes the way we think and "defraggs" out hard drives.

So sit down for 10 minutes and get writing. It will change your day around.

go to insigno for name tags

Motivation

Did you notice how my energy level is tied to my motivation level a bit. On Friday, I was wasted and couldn't think, and just a bit fluie. When I go home and started to do the drywall, My energy level returned a bit (not completely). I had a plan. I knew what had to be done and I did it. It was in my control. Therefore, I will get my motivation back by setting little goals and finishing each one to the fullest. Start small cuz its hard to get the energy right now. GO do it.

Tear the Roof Off the Sucka'

Its time to get tearing the roof off the sucka. Hard work brings good luck. We have done our homework (made sales scripts), produced all the necessary paperwork, made lists and figured out how the cold call environment will look. We have worked on our self esteem and prepared the armor of rejection. We have a goal and we are ready to fight!

So... Why haven't we really stepped into battle yet? It doesn't make sense. So. The colonels have spoken and the sergeants are now marching the troops toward the field. Today is the day to break the bank. We will get out and drop 2 hours into the sales bucket. Get some traction on this pitiful month. We are at a scant $1408 and should be at about $8000. How many name tags is that? 1100 name tags must be sold in the next 9 days. Thats about 123 name tags at day at $6.50 each. Eikes.

What can we do to tear the roof off. We can stop with the rabbits and go for the big game. We will get orders from folks who already love us. That is a start. Maybe I can glean 3500 form existing customers this month... that brings us to only 5100 and thats not good enough. The calling needs to get done. If not for this month, then for the month following or the month after that... If we do enough out-calls, we will gain in the end and this situation will be not happen again.

What am I so scared of? More scared than not getting a paycheque? What is it? I actually paused to try and think of what it is? Fear to get some traction and not follow up like the last few times? Fear of being uncomfortable? Well! Think of the poor workers outside on freezing rainy days... Think they're uncomfortable? hell yea! Thinking that this is just spinning my wheels? Maybe! but I think that you cant have that fear unless you actually give it a solid concentrated effort.

I'm good at this. I really am! I just don't like it. Thats the truth. every hour wasted on some other project is an hour of sales that really could be coming in for me. Think of that. Make a sign that says that. Every time you look at that sign, you will be reminded of not having enough in the bank.

start today! Woot!

What Gets in the Way?

What gets in the way of progress in sales?

• Customer problems with an order
• Driving around to get materials
• Distractions in the form of personal phone calls and projects coworker shit-chat
• Tiredness
• Lack of healthy eating patterns
• No way to ship stuff
• Lack of concentration techniques
• Non-core jobs (signs and gifts and tools)
• Visitors
• Large sales projects

How to Get More Sales

There is only one path to success in your business. Sell more stuff. It really is quire easy if you have a product that people need/want and a great attitude. The only thing missing is an audience to know about it. This is where hard work comes into play.

Hard work brings good luck. And since "they" are touting 2011 as being the year for good luck. That translates to the year of hard work. Are you scared of hard work? Then you best quit now and get a government job! Thats the truth. If you need to sell more and don't want to do the work, you are going to fail.

Start with picking an area to sell in. Then fill a bucket with places to call. Get their numbers. Call them. Find out if they can use your services. Find out who makes that decision. Place you and your product in front of them. Collect money. Keep doing this till you have enough money (forever I guess).

There are really no special tricks. Just keep doing that till you hit one that works. If they don't need your services yet, call again later till they do! Repeat.

I am going to rant a bit (more for myself, but to you too if you're still reading): Why would you spend all this time working and struggling to create a business for yourself and spend too many hours on business if you are not going to do the hard work? What a ridiculous concept to sit around and wait for the phone to ring when there is about a hand full of people who even know who you are?! You have to get out and sell your product. Just waiting will make a slow demise for you and your business. Imagine the loss of everything you have worked hard for? Imagine what it would be like to loose everything because you wouldn't go out and do some hard work!

If you lived in caveman days, you would go after food every day so your family could eat. That is the truth. Now we are in houseman days and you need to go out and hunt so your family can eat. There is no one else who will be helping you if things get rough.

You are your own boss. This means that you have to be the one to sit yourself down and give yourself shit for being lazy, or for being tardy, or for leaving early. You have to be the one to threaten to fire yourself if things don't improve. You have to be to one to give you that look of disdain when the numbers aren't coming in. You. You. You. No one else is going to kick your ass.

You can start now. Pick up the phone. Call a potential customer. Ask for the order. They will be polite and tell you they don't want any or they will take your information and call you at a later date or they will be happy and order name tags.

Start now. Really. You have a phone (you might not soon if you don't start) so get on it and make yourself happy. If you are not selling at this point and you are wondering how to sell more, then chances are you are on the road to depression or worse. When you start to have a success, it gives you the ability to go after more with even better success. After two or three successful calls, you will find yourself in a great mood. Use that great mood to forward your sales campaign to new heights.

You can do it. You really will. If you are not used to going after new customers, you will be shaky at first. This is totally normal. Let yourself get used to talking with confused people. Let yourself thrive and be the envy of your friends. Not many people have the balls to go into business for themselves. You have done that. No get out and sell. Its easy when you get used to it.

Getting used to it. If you've ever been to the gym for any length of time, you will know that it sucks the first day. and then it sucks more the second day. The the third day it sucks, but you've stuck with it for three days, so you must have some tenacity. Then the fourth day, you're not sore, so hey! you must be used to it. The fifth day you find out that now you can lift a little more weight so, you are actually getting some traction on this. By the tenth day, you are ranting that you can feel the muscles building. By the end of the month you are telling all your friends that they should get fit because you've lost 5 lbs. Each day you go in on the second month, You are pushing yourself more and tracking your weight loss or muscle gain. You are excited to go to the gym because you feel successful.

Anything you do and stick to will feel like this. So the next few blog posts will be my journey into the land of selling. You will be able to feel the pain of sore muscles and the eventual glow of success. Stay tuned!

Getting Back Into It

Ok, Getting back to the swing of things after such a long break requires something special. Your brain is still on holidays and you can't seem to make it get back to where you were a month ago. So what! you changed a lot over time and the mind is mailable. It adapts with your environment and actions.

This means that when you have worked in a routine, you have conditioned your brain in a certain way. Take too many days away from the routine and you will find yourself in a new routine: resting and relaxing.

So will it take months of hard work to get your mind back into that state? NO! Your brain remembers every step, your brain knows how to act the way it did. You can get that pumped action back, but it is going to take putting your body in front of that old routine again.

Here's how to get back into it: Make your body do the physical steps towards your old habits. For me it will be following every checklist, procedure, and steps. It will be always cleaning and calling each other on the cleanliness of the shop. It will be coming in early and leaving late. It will be going to the gym every day and pushing myself. Once the physical steps are covered in this new year, the brain will follow. It already knows how to act, it just needs to be reminded of the environment to think in.

So "fake it till you make it" is a great saying for this process. "be the change" also works. I believe it will be a lot like strength training: exercise then rest makes good muscles. Meaning, After I am back to 100% inspiration brain power, I will be stronger of mind then before the break.

More Inspiration Needed

Inspiration is the fuel of this big fire. There is a lot to do and I'm the one to do it. If I am not inspiring myself, There will be nothing getting done. If I cannot get things done, thee will be no inspiration for the others I work around. It comes down to getting right into my own head and pulling up the inspiration that I know is there. I have always felt it, even in the darkest of days, I can feel it. It sits just below my chest and has almost a physical, tangible feel to it. I know that with enough practice, I I will be able to pull it up at will.

For now, The inspiration has to be pulled up with concentration and effort. So one has to sit in silence for a minute and pull out that energized, focused, driven thought out from where it is resting and place it into the front right of my brain. Once that is accomplished, there will not be a way to stop me for a while. Lets find out how long it will last for!

So find a happy, quiet place, feel around for the inspiration and grab hold tight. It's slippery, so use both hands. It will be done!

Picturing the Project in a Positive Light!

Today is going to be very trying on the inspiration front. There are places i need to go, THings I need to do that are making a mess of my plans. I need to get moving very seriously and start rolling right away. Just know that there are alot of tasks that need to get done to keep the flow going. Don't stress about being perfect and working towards your goal when you have an entire shop to run. The goals will get done if we are thinking positively about them.

The more positively we think about our sales process goal, the better the end result. As I have mundane errands to run, I will be rolling this process and my goal through my mind and putting positive spin on things. That way, I will train the brain to picture this as something that is great and not something that is weighing heavily on me.

So I'll get rolling and use fun pictures to imagine the process going forward and get the everyday kind of stuff done.

Mobile Devices Rock!

I can now do my blogs from anywhere using the magic on my Blackberry™. Thanks Google!

Where to Sales Ship?

Dear Sales Process,

How are you? It seems like we didn't spent enough time together last year. We really should catch up and actually connect this month. I know that this will take us to a whole new level in our relationship. Maybe even go steady?

Sincerely Yours,

Jim.

Now that the ship of SALES PROCESS is showing its shape, it is nice to look ahead an see where we're gonna sail her. Her ribs are showing out at the drydock and it looks like she'll be seaworthy soon and already i can smell the salt tang of the sea as we sail her towards our goal.

That being said, we need a port of call for our fair ship. We need some really small steps to test her sails. Something not too far from port. maybe like the Abbotsford Auto Mall, or something similar. I think that I can easily identify all the businesses in the auto mall, contact them and do a report on how the process works in only a few days. It will be easy to get the numbers and places one day and even be able to call them up and find out who the people who make the decisions are.

I figure that I can start tomorrow on this little test project and have some data ready for next week to look at and discuss. The data I am expecting will come in the form of where the process fails, where more paths need to be entered and what more I have to do to make it fool proof. Once the data is collected I can work on another test until everything seems to work smoothly.

How will I collect the data? I will have to get a pad of paper and write down everything about the conversation/emails that I send, all their responses and every bit of info I get from them. This will have to be logged into some kind of form after the conversation has happened. Once logged, the data will be physically run through the process map to see where it landed. Then we can see where new branches of the map need to be created or existing branches be edited.

What I expect from this test is to get a sense that i am doing things right or if I'm off base. Either way I will be ahead because this is how I believe we should do it.

There are many ways to inspiration. You can read it from a book, listen to a speaker at a seminar, see it on TV... The list for inspiration is nearly endless. All this inspiration starts off big and is quite fleeting. The best inspiration I have found has come from my own mind. Reading past journals and taking the random ramblings that I have spewed and making sense of them.

This is why I write today. I need inspiration from within. The kind that changes the mind. The reforming of brain patterns within ones self to create a new and exciting pattern of thought. I believe that when I listen to someones inspiring words, it helps to form the ideas to self-inspire. All in all, it comes down to reorganizing ones own thought into "inspiration."

I think inspiration is always there. You just have to add new Ideas and change your brain patterns to utilize them. The only way to change your patterns is to listen to yourself and write it down. Your brain in a tangible, readable form. As my brain is constantly thinking and changing, writing down this inspiration is one great way to focus my thoughts on the task at hand.

Why am I unable to come up with a plan that really works? Why can't I come to work and know what I have to do? It starts with proper sleep. Today I have no brain power even though I slept 7.5 hours and had breakfast and coffee, I still feel that I could go to bed and not wake up till 1:00pm. Its so hard to function on mornings like these. This is why I write today.

I need to come up with a plan to get everything done. I need to finish jobs to get them out. I need to finish tasks to get them done, I need to contact hot leads and I need to come up with new leads. Should be easy! Make a list of jobs to do and do them. All in a row. Problem is, I double think what I should be doing and try to do too many things at once.

So, heres where self-inspiration begins! This is what I must do today to get the list done! Firstly, since it is so quiet here and I work by myself, I need to put some music on. This will give me a bit of company and let me feel slightly entertained. Then, I need to come up with a solid list of stuff to get done on a timeline. I need to book time for lunch so I am actually taking a lunch break and not just taking a break Willy-Nilly.

The tasks will get done today. Forget about sales for today. It's OK. Don't bother with it. Just get the physical tasks done and let everything else wait a day or two. Make that task list. This will not only make me feel like everything is getting done, but will also inspire my sense of organization that I have worked so hard to accomplish.

The organization and procedural work will get done. It is a matter of urgency. But not today. Today is for clearing the dishes, wiping the counters and sweeping the floor. Forget everything else. Forget home stuff, forget about music stuff, forget about money, forget about cars, forget about workout, forget about sales. Just clean your taskbox out and get everything done. This is really important!

When the House (Brain) is clean, then we can do the renovations (inspiration).