Thursday's Thought - "Opportunities"

Thursday's Thought: Opportunities. With the New Year comes so many opportunities. May we be able to evaluate those that come our way and take advantage of the good ones.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in any way.

Measuring Up

In my podcast message today, "MEASURING UP," I continued the look back over 2009 - this time from a purely sales standpoint.

In my previous message, we looked at business issues. This time, we look at the number of presentations made, presentations made to qualified people, cancellations, conversions, and income.

We need to review and evaluate our sales performance was in 2009 to determine how we measured up to what we had wanted or what was required or expected of us.

With the knowledge of how we did in 2009 compared to where we wanted to be, we can set our expectations for 2010.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Our Partner In The Mirror

Regardless of what type of business we are in or what product or service we might sell, we all have a partner - the one we meet in the mirror.

We have to make certain that we are sold on what we do and that we can convince our partner that we are excited and enthusiastic about what we do.

Our partner should be able to see that we believe in what we do.

We should be able to stand proudly and confidently in front of our partner throughout the day and not be concerned about trying to hide or withhold anything from him or her.

This is called integrity. Some also might call it character.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

All-In

A few years ago, the term"all-in" was not near as well-known as it is now. With the popularity of Texas Hold "Em, this betting strategy of committing all your assets to either win the hand or lose the game is often employed.

Take that to the business world. We need to be all-in, all the time. Not in a reckless sense of foolishly risking all we have to pursue every customer or pursue every opportunity. Rather in a total commitment to give our all in everything that we do.

Whether it's making a presentation, closing the sale, providing service, generating leads, or improving our products or services, we don't approach anything with less than our best effort.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Report Card

As we close out 2009, we should take a few minutes to look back over the year to determine what we did that went well and what needs more work. Put another way, how would we grade ourselves on various aspects of our business?

In my podcast message today, "REPORT CARD," I ask us to look at some of the activities that we rely on to see how well we did - time management, lead generation, rest and relaxation, and similar facets of our businesses.

There are no right or wrong answers - only an assessment of how we did compared to what we intended. Then we can move forward into 2010 with that knowledge to help shape the year ahead.

It will serv as a guide for our performance.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Time For Just A Couple Of Plays

If 2009 was a football game. we'd down to the last minute to play with no time outs remaining - time for just a couple of plays.

The plays we make now have to be for a score. If there's anyway we can convert someone into a sale before time expires on Thursday, we should do that.

We might have another opportunity next year, we might not - especially with the same person. We need to do whatever is reasonable and possible with the waning minutes that we have this year.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's (Or Friday's) Thought - Merry Christmas

Thursday's (Or Friday's) Thought: Merry Christmas. Rejoice, regroup, relax, renew. Spend time with family and friends.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in any way.

Hope

Hope is not a strategy. It gives us optimism, but we need action to be successful. While we may want more traffic and sales, we can’t just wish them into existence, We have a part to play. We must add action to our hopes and dreams for them to become a reality.

We need a commitment to making what we want to happen actually materialize. While we can’t make decisions for people, but we can do everything within our power to bring them about.

In my podcast message today, "HOPE," I discuss how we need hope as a flame for our dreams but that we have to put in the effort to make them happen.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Lack Of Preparation - Again

Those of us in sales know the value of good, solid preparation. In fact it is one of the three components of the sales process as I define it - the other two being justification and continuation, in that order.

Too bad our government doesn't know this. How many times have we seen them react or go off in an unwise direction without thinking it through?

Closing GITMO is today's example of this. The President decided it needed to be closed. Seemed to be working just fine. Kept the terrorists away from the mainland - which by law has to be done anyway.

Then, they decide to bring 5 major terrorists to New York to stand trial - again without fully thinking this through.

Then, they buy an obsolete prison in Illinois on the Mississippi River and decide to rehab it to house the GITMO detainees.

Guess what? We hear now that it might be sometime in 2011 before the move is accomplished. First, Congress has to authorize the funds to rehab the facility - no telling when that will happen. Then, the work has to be done. Then, Congress has to pass a new law that allows prisoners not awaiting trial to be housed in the US. Then, they have to be physically moved.

Then, after much unnecessary expense and time, GITMO can be closed and we can have all of those folks living in the heartland of America.

Of course, we could just leave them where they are.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Capitalism Is Not Fashionable

Capitalism and free enterprise are not appreciated in America - or around the world. Hugo Chavez attacks capitalism as an evil force at last week's "climate change" conference and receives a thunderous response. Of course it's OK for him to make a profit.

Schools don't teach about free enterprise and entrepreneurship. They teach about socialism and labor movements.

We have lost our way. Is it any wonder outlandish proposals such as health care and cap and trade are afforded serious consideration in our country today?

Entitlement, made-up rights, sharing in the wealth - all concepts contrary to what has made this country great.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Vision

As we approach 2010, we have an opportunity to utilize our vision in advance to get a lay of the land and a perspective that will help guide our decisions and our work product for 2010.

We have both a low-level and high-level vision that allows us to see as far as we can from a ground level or nearly ground level perspective as well as from 30,000 feet up or higher. We may surprise ourselves are what we are able to discern and put into effect.

If we detach ourselves from our comfort zone and see beyond what we are accustomed to encountering, we can be extraordinary in our approach.

Vision is much more than just sight. It is perceiving, interpreting, and giving meaning to a direction that is much larger and more distant than what we understand at present.

In my podcast message today, "VISION," I present these concepts for us to consider for 2010 and beyond.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Seizing Opportunities

Sometimes opportunities present themselves to us in a way that we chose to defer.

We might see an interesting scene that we'd like to photograph as we are driving to an appointment. We tell ourselves that we'll stop on the way back. On the return trip, the lighting or weather has changed, we can't find it coming from the other direction, we are in a hurry and can't stop, or we return a different way.

Sometimes we play to tie rather than win - thinking we can win in overtime. That rarely is the winning strategy.

Sometimes we'll put off meeting someone that we see at a gathering, thinking there will be a better time.

Opportunities are place in front of us for a reason. Not all can be acted upon, but telling ourselves they will still be there later is not a good response.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Begin Next Year With A Headstart

As 2009 is winding down, you still have an opportunity to make more sales, but your traffic might be a little light due to holidays and the celebrations that are going on.

So, why not focus on loading up the pipeline for 2010?

By concentrating on adding an average of one new lead a day to your database, you'll have over 10 new people to contact after the first of the year about doing business with you.

These people can be strangers, people that you've been meaning to contact but never have, people from places where you do business, family and friends, professionals, or anyone you reach out to to talk with about your business and what you offer.

Don't make a sale with one of these people - just add them as a potential customer for after the new year.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

False Start

We are just days away from the official start of 2010. In our excitement and enthusiasm to begin a new year and start the race for success it's easy to "jump the gun" and take off without knowing fully where we are going.

That's the message in my podcast today, "FALSE START," which I offer as an epilog to my last 4 episodes about getting ready to run the 2010 race for success. We need to hold our enthusiasm and energy in check until we are safely across the starting line with a plan in mind as to how to proceed.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's Thought - "Focus"

Thursday's Thought: Focus. This gator reminds us that focus is a total commitment of our senses. He is using his sense of smell, keen eyesight, and agility to be ready to respond at at instant's notice. he is totally focused on prey and attackers.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in any way.

It's Getting To Be That Time

It's getting to be that time of year when people reflect on the previous 11½ months and determine who the person of the year is, the event of the year, the invention of the year, book of the year, and on and on.

This year people are also selecting their "bests" of the decade except that 2009 is not the end of the decade - 2010 is. One more year to go. Save those "bests" until next year and see if they still hold up - then you can announce them or unveil your new selections.

As salespeople, did we have a sale of the year - one that we particularly enjoyed or that made an impression on us? Maybe it was especially challenging? We don't have to tell anyone which one it was, although those around us probably already know which one it was.

Did we have a post of the year, an article, a speech, a conflict resolution, a successful financing, or anything else we would want to recall?

Now is the time to do it, but don't dwell. In two weeks, the odometer rolls over into 2010.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

"Go"

In my last four podcast messages, counting today, I have been preparing us to get ready to break headlong into 2010 with a strong winning spirit.

In today's message "GO," we actually begin the race.

I have taken us from “take your mark,” “get ready” and “get set” in previous episodes to today's command to "go."

As we begin the race for success in 2010, we want to get a good, clean start and run our own race – being careful not to get caught up in watching someone else or trying to do what they are doing if it’s not something we want to do anyway.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Manic Monday

Today is termed "Manic Monday" by the Post office. The USPS is expected to process over 800,000,000 pieces of mail - that's a lot. That amounts to over 2½ pieces of mail for every man, woman, and child in this country.

FedEx is having their busiest day of the year as well.

With all of this reaching out and connecting going on, maybe that's a good reminder for us to make sure that our customers are hearing from us before the end of the year.

The form of the greeting is immaterial - in-person, texting, email, note, postcard, Christmas Card, or phone call. We should just connect with people to make sure that we understand where they are in their buying cycle and that we have not missed or overlooked an opportunity to serve them.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Phone Calls Can Lose Sales

The telephone can lose more sales than it makes.

People are so busy today that they look for shortcuts when it comes time to buy or select someone to help them. They use the internet, and they use the telephone.

Unfortunately, too many businesses - especially retail - don't understand the power of the telephone. Often, they treat an incoming phone call as an interruption or a nuisance when they should be looking at it as a potential sale.

In the past week, I have been convinced not to purchase or do business with two stores just on the basis of the way they handled my phone inquiry. Two other stores tried very hard to lose my business, but they are the places where I can get certain parts.

If businesses tried just a little harder to educate their employees or to understand that a muffed phone call means a blown sale - and a potential loss of even more business through negative word-of-mouth - they would be a lot more successful.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Get Set

As we get ready to leave the starting line and sprint into 2010, we have been getting the final instructions from the race officials. We've already heard "take your mark" and "get ready."

Now, we hear "get set" or "set" as the third command given by an official starter.

At this point we should have our first few steps already planned and be careful that we don't get tripped up at the start or knocked down by the competition.

In my podcast message today, "GET SET," I outline these pre-race preparations and strategies.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Enthusiasm Counts For A Lot

Today, I was on the phone talking with several people as I was shopping to replace a computer. Most of them were extremely pleasant to talk with and quite enthusiastic about their products and about helping me - very refreshing at anytime of year but especially two weeks before Christmas.

Only one person that I spoke to seemed to be in the wrong business. Everyone else was a credit to their company and the sales profession as they went out of their way to identify what I wanted and to make suggestions. Even when what they recommended was out of stock, they pursued another solution with equal energy and enthusiasm.

There are still good salespeople in retail - you just have to know which companies have them and which ones don't. Unknowingly, one person convinced me to refrain from doing business with their company again. The others all gave me great reasons to work with them and their companies.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's Thought - Setting The Example

Thursday's Thought: Setting the Example. These parent sandhill cranes are setting the example for their offspring. Whether we accept it or not, we are setting the example by the way we conduct business and live our lives for those who model their behavior after ours.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in any way.

Get Ready

"Get ready" is the next command that official starters use after "take your mark" to get runners or racers ready to get the race started.

The getting ready phase is eliminating distractions and making certain that we are physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to run the 2010 race for success. We have to put on blinders and focus only on what is ahead of us.

Soon, the gun will fire, and we will take off as fast as we can to run the race for success in 2010.

In my podcast message today, "GET READY," I cover the second of the four steps we go through as we take off on our journey into 2010.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

The Message Must Be Right

Remember when President Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to pitch the 2016 Summer Games for his beloved Chicago? Remember the overwhelming defeat ge suffered? He had the wrong message.

Turns out that Chicago was never given serious consideration after the President told the Committee everything he wanted and nothing about what was in it for them - a classic sales objective.

They wanted to hear how their Games and the Olympic movement would be better by hosting them in Chicago than in any iof the other three finalist cities. Instead, they heard how Chicago and our economy would benefit.

Wrong message.

Let us learn from this.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Why Now?

Why take a country that is the example for the world on capitalism and free enterprise and supplant it with marxist principles, why take a country that has so much wealth and attempt to devalue it or redistribute it to others through extreme taxation, why take a country that has so much to offer that some people are literally risking their lives to sneak across the border or enduring a perilous ocean crossing in a small boat or cargo crate and make it just like any other, why take a country that was founded with such great principles and dilute them in the name of political correctness or cultural diversity, why take a country that has been defended over the years with countless lives and personal sacrifices and minimalize all of that commitment and suffering, and why take a country that is generally loved and respected by its citizens to the point that they are appalled, dismayed, and ashamed of the government that is attempting to foist these changes upon them?

Why indeed?

Why now?

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Take Your Mark

"Take your mark" is a command that official starters use to get runners or racers ready to get the race started.

As we get ready to enter 2010 and run that race for success, we are being called to line up at the starting line. Then the gun will fire, and we will take off as fast as we can - based on our preparation, training, and stamina. If we are ready to take our marks, then we are ready to run the race well.

To answer the starter's command, we have to be physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to run the 2010 race for success.

In my podcast message today, "TAKE YOUR MARK," I cover the first of four steps to launch us on our journey into 2010.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

This Has Been A Testing Year

This has been a year of many severe tests for capitalists, patriots, and free marketers. Our core values are being challenged, legislated away, and diluted.

We have seen government bailouts destroy banks and auto companies - many of which should have failed outright and started over (if there was a need to do so). We have seen contracts ignored and voided - people who were stockholders in the auto companies who had no say in the direction of the companies. We saw contracts and franchise agreements voided and withdrawn as the government decided which dealerships could remain in business and which couldn't.

We have seen the bogus Cap and Trade pushed through the House. It has not resurrected itself in the Senate, but it is like a cancer in remission - ready to surface without notice. It is an energy tax and a very malicious attack on free enterprise and job formation. Paradoxically, it is labeled a jobs bill. It has as its foundation the cruel hoax of climate change.

The there's the health care reform that the President, Pelosi, Reid, and a few other powerful Democrats want - even though less than 40% of the country wants it. It is not reform, and it is merely a government spending program that will erode even more of our rights and make demands on our businesses.

We've made it through 2009 quite banged up and bruised, but we are survivors. Let's take our country back and oust those from office who have brought us to this point.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday's (Or Friday's) Thought - Low Hanging Fruit

Thursday's (Or Friday's) Thought: Low Hanging Fruit. The low hanging fruit is tempting to go after. It is visible and accessible. It doesn't take a lot of work, effort, or imagination to achieve. It also has the most competition. Going after the more challenging prize is the most rewarding - and has fewer people pursuing it.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in any way.

Keeping Your Edge

In the just completed NASCAR season, Jimmie Johnson and his Team 48 won its 4th consecutive championship. This was unprecedented.

Think of how hard it is to win one Super Bowl or World Series. Think of winning just one NASCAR season championship. Think of repeating. Then, think or repeating again, and once more. Very significant.

This illustrates just how hard it is and how special it is to stay at the top of our game and to do what it takes to remain that way.

In my podcast message today, "KEEPING YOUR EDGE," I talk about how customers respect the top performers and like doing business with them.

Let's commit to gaining and maintaining our competitive edge.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog Sales Quips on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Number One Priority

What's the number one thing you'd like to do, get done, cross off your list, or accomplish more than anything else? Make a sale, lose weight, take a trip, save money, make a certain income, build a new home? Something else?

It could be large or small - doesn't matter.

What I am suggesting is that we all take that most pressing item and make it number one. Nothing else important gets done until we find a way to make this happen. No money gets spent except on the regular expenses.

This is how goals are set and accomplished.

Let it become the driving force. Be specific (losing weight is not specific). Think about it, focus on it, get it done.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog Sales Quips on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Did It Really Take 90 Days?

By the end of this past August, the President had the report he requested from General McChrystal about troop strengths and strategies for continuing the war in Afghanistan. A decision was forthcoming and should have been announced within a couple of days.

If we really were committed to prosecuting the war to the fullest and accepting nothing less than victory, the decision should have been easy and quick. Also, it would not have needed a primetime news event to explain the intricacies of the complicated decision. In fact, no news event was needed at all - just make the decision and tell us what it was.

It seems that this management style is looking for all the ways to avoid making a decision, and deciding on less than the full request to do the job properly, relying on your own instincts rather than those with the keenest experience in the matter, and then couching the announcement of the decision in terms that allow for a failure to be pre-justified.

Andrew Carnegie once said, give him all the facts and he'd make a decision in under 30 seconds. Leadership. Decisiveness.

For more information about my consulting, teaching, and coaching services visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog Sales Quips on the real estate network Active Rain, and you can begin participating in this great forum by visiting here. I also write and maintain blogs for Gold Coast SMC and Florida SMC. © 2009, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.