Weekly Quote

"You are today where your thoughts ave brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." James Allen

This quote is taken from the inspirational, motivational classic "As a man thinketh." In spite of the archaic language in the title and the fact that this book is more than a century old (It has never been out of print) it offers a lot to us living in the second decade of the 21st century. Scientists and psychologists studying human behavior and brain physiology have found that Allen's philosophies are supported by their research. We should get in the habit of listening to what we say and thinking about what we are thinking. This is known as "meta-cognition". This practice is important because it is so easy to slip into negative thought patterns that can cripple your efforts. We can not control what goes on in the outside world but we can control what goes on inside our heads.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

As a lover of quotations I am always on the look out for old books of quotes. I picked up a little book called "All of are looking for success" for 50 cents and found this quote:

The most honest self-made man was the one we heard say "I got to the top the hard way--fighting my own laziness and ignorance every step of the way."--James Thom

This quote really made me think. There is a temptation to think of highly successful people as different from the rest of us, as almost super human. The truth is that achievers are just like us and that they face the same temptations that vex everyone else.. They differ from us in the discipline to overcome them and push on.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes." Sara Teasdale

The words from American poet Sara Teasdale carry great meaning for me. I try to keep them in mind as I travel through my life. It is very easy to be so consumed by the things that we've lost that we lose sight of the opportunities which lie before us. It is a fact of life that we will lose sales and we will lose customers, but if we remain open we will find new customers to replace them. No one's life is perfect. The thing that separates the winners from the losers is their reaction to life's setbacks.

Have a great weekend.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"If you want to understand your present circumstances, review your past actions. If you want to know your future circumstances examine your present actions." Taro Gold

These are words that the wise keep ever in mind. When we accept that our future is determined by what we do today, we take charge of our lives. The person who understands ever action has consequences will be mindful of the impact what they do will have on themselves and those around them. With this in mind they will tend to live more productive, more positive lives.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

Here is a quote I like and that I like to try to live: "An idealist thinks the short run doesn't count. A cynic thinks the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short term determines the long term." Sydney Harris Remembering that every thing you do has a direct effect on your future is the best way to insure that future. Keep Smiling, Keep Selling! Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"Develop the hunter's attitude, the outlook that wherever you go, there are ideas waiting to be discovered." Roger Von Oech

This is a quote from one of the best books ever written on creativity and one of my favorite reads. Roger Von Oech's "A whack on the side of the head." This quote makes me think of going into the woods with my grandfather as a child. As a lifelong woodsman and hunter grandpap would see many, many things that I would overlook. He saw them because he knew the woods have many things to offer him. Psychologists call this the "broaden and build effect." People who expect to encounter good things in their lives keep their eyes open and see opportunities that more negative people will miss. Keep the "hunter's attitude" and you will be much more successful.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"The positive thinker is a hard-headed, tough-minded, and factual realist. He sees all the difficulties clearly...which is more than can be said for the average negative thinker. But he sees more than difficulties...he tries to see the solutions of those difficulties."
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Last week at the FCPNY conference I was talking with a friend about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. We've both noticed that many people in these cynical times think that positive thinkers are clueless idealists. They do not realize that true positive thinkers are very aware of the problems in the world. Positive thinkers know that complaining never made anything better and that a negative attitude just makes things worst. A better name for positive thinkers might be "Solution Thinkers"

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Quote of the week

"You can tell whether a man is cleaver by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." Naguib Mahfouz

Questions are the steering wheel of a conversation. By asking good questions you can direct a call and uncover problems that your products can solve. The best sales people let the customer do most of the talking only speaking when what they say can advance their purpose.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Quote of the week

"Success is often just an idea away" Frank Tyger

Today I was working with a rep who ad been stopping at prospects and leaving them brochures for special sections along with a business card. I asked him how many ads he had sold using this technique and he told me "None." This is the classic definition of insanity--doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Think of your sales territory as a laboratory, constantly experiment with new sales techniques and approaches. Trying new ideas not only helps you to increase your effectiveness as a sales person but also keeps the job fresh and fun.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

"Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning." Thomas A Edison

In the past two weeks I have helped three of our reps secure commitments for over $150,000 in advertising for 2011. In one case we took the business from broadcast TV, another from Valasis and in two of these cases we overcame the bjections of their ad agencies. In all three of these cases the appointments lasted more than twice as long as the customer had originally allotted, not because we ran long, but because the customer wanted more information. How were we able to engage the customers and persuade them to buy from us? Comprehensive planning. In each case we prepared research on the market, on their industry and business and prepared a detailed plan for them including spec ads. In addition to putting together a marketing plan we planned how we would present our information to them. The take away lesson is that in today's market, we need to use every tool to land business. Money is tight and the competition is very tough. In better times planning many be a luxury but in a recessionary time it is a necessity.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Quote of the week

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of time and money some scientists spend to research common sense subjects. Scientists using FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices have proven that emotions are contagious. When a person sees someone who is happy the sections of their brain which produce happiness are activated. This is why salespeople have known the importance of staying positive for a long time. Here is a quote that expresses this effect quite eloquently:

"If someone is too tired to give you a smile, leave one of your own because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give." Rabbi Samson Hirsch

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

Leo Burnett was one of the great minds of the advertising industry. He was famous for his "Leo's", short quotations that held great wisdom about advertising. Here is one of his best:

Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret...to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink."

I have always told my customers that "Your advertising is you in print." A good ad should reflect the customer's business. An ad should tell the customer's story. It should accurately communicate the style and look of the customer's enterprise. When a customer tries to save a few pennies by cramming their copy into a tiny ad, readers will get an impression of a cluttered, cramped store front. Customers spend a lot of money to make their place of business attractive to potential shoppers. They should not scrimp on their other location--their ad in the paper.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch