Quote of the week

Here is a quote in the spirit of the holidays:

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill

The holidays that close the year fill most people with joy. This is not because we get lovely presents and get to eat wonderful meals, actually it is just the opposite. The source of our joy is giving to others and the sharing of ourselves. Psychologists have called this phenomenon the "hedonic paradox." The true happiness comes from focusing on others rather than on ourselves. This is a lesson for those of us in business. The best way to be successful is to focus on making our customer's successful.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

Here's a quote that I believe we can all agree upon:

"We find that advertising works the way that grass grows. You can never see it, but every week you have to mow it."--Andy Tarshis

This is a fun thing to share with your customer when they want to "Run an ad every now and then."

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

"Optimists do not wait for improvements, they achieve it."

Paul Von Keppler

I like this quote because it is about "making it happen." Being an optimist is a lot more than believing that things will turn out right. Optimists roll up their sleeves and work toward making things right. Pessimistic people think that optimists are clueless, that they are in denial, that they are out of touch with reality. In truth optimists are true realists, they see the obstacles in their path but work hard to remove them or to find an alternative route around them.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Weekly Quote

I belong to the Media Association of Pittsburgh. A few months ago I heard Frank Marmion speak. Frank is a well known figure in our local advertising market having founded and run his own advertising agency for the last 40 years. He is Frank's advice for advertising sales people:

"Don't sell space...sell success! Your job is to go to advertisers with creative ideas to stimulate their success."

This is good advice for any one in our business.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

Here is a quote from the master himself--Zig Ziglar. Just about everything Zig says is worth writing down and remembering. Here is is thought on motivation:

"People say motivation doesn't last! Well...neither does bathing--that's why we recommend it everyday." Zig Ziglar

As a salesperson or as a manager, we get beat up everyday. We hear a lot of "no's", we get involved in many confrontations and and face continual stress. All of these things can wear done the most motivated individual on the planet. This is why, I make time every morning to read something inspiring or motivating. I need to recharge my batteries before I face another challenging day. Many people see this as a waste of time, but I see taking the time to pump myself up as central to my success. Remember we are all responsible for our own motivation.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

One of my very favorite books is Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" I have found this book to be a hands on actionable guide to living a fulfilling life. One of the habits is "Be Proactive." Proactivity is about taking charge of our own lives, about acting rather than being acted upon by outside forces. This week's quote says it best:

"Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, or aggressive. It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make things happen."
Stephen R. Covey

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

My first sales job was selling cash registers for a small independent business machine company. A lot of the people I worked with had started out with NCR and had taken their superb training. John Henry Patterson founder of NCR is also the father of modern selling. He was the first to train sales people, to provide sales materials and the first to hold sales rallies. He was a brilliant sales person and entrepreneur. If you want to know more about him, I highly recommend Jeffrey Gitomer's book, "The Patterson Way of Selling." Here's a great quote from Mr. Patterson that is as true today as when he said it a hundred years ago.

"Before you try to convince anyone, be sure you are convinced and if you cannot convince yourself, drop the subject."--John Henry Patterson

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

Here's this week's quote:

"If you make a product good enough, even though you live in the depths of the forest, the public will make a path to your door, says the philosopher. But if you want the public in sufficient numbers, you would better construct a highway. Advertising is that highway."
William Randolph Hearst

Mr Hearst certainly hit the nail on the head with this statement. Research conducted by the Dun & Bradstreet corporation found that the #1 reason for business failure is simply a lack of customers. They also found that the great majority of business failures are non advertisers.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly quote

This week's quote needs no explanation. I saw this posted on a prospect's wall while out cold calling with a rep. This is all you need to know about success in business.

Our Philosophy

Because the customer has a need, we have an opportunity.
Because the customer has a choice, we must provide superior products and services.
Because the customer has a sense of urgency, we must respond promptly.
Because the customer has expectations, we must exceed them.
Because the customer has a memory, we must be legendary.
Because of the customer, we exist.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

Growing up in the sixties I was in awe of astronauts and test pilots. This is why one of my favorite books is "The Right Stuff" which is about these American heroes. The author asked a test pilot what would be going through his mind if he was in a plane that was about to crash. He response was simple "I would be thinking about how not to crash" This the perfect example of solution thinking which is the subject of this week's quote and excellent advice in any aspect of life.

"Focus 90%of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems"
Anthony J. D'Angelo

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

There maybe no real Betty Crocker or Mr. Clean but there was a real Dr. Scholl. The good doctor of footcare fame was born William M. Scholl in 1882. Starting in 1904 with one small store, he built a nationwide empire worth millions by the time of his retirement in the 1960's. Dr. Scholl attributed his success in large part to advertising. This quote expresses his simple business philosophy:

"Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise"

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly quote

One of my favorite books is Dr. Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" This book is a practical guide to leading a more productive and fulfilling life. Covey's book is not a self help book full of platitudes and vague theories but a road map to becoming a better person. Here is a quote from Dr. Covey

"Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, or aggressive. It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make things happen."

A testimony to the power of this book is the fact that decades after it was first published, it still appears regularly on the business best seller list. I suggest you pick up a copy. It is a book that bears some study. I have read the Seven Habits many times and each time I get something new from it.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

Here's one from master sales trainer Joe Bonura:



Three Rules of Success in Sales:

1. Make Calls


2. Make More Calls


3. Make Many More Calls

This makes great sense to me.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"Chance favors the prepared mind"--Louis Pasteur

This quote has become my personal motto. I truly believe that working hard to develop your skills opens up opportunities. Because you are more knowledgeable you see opportunities that others may miss and you are ready to handle them. This is why the old proverb "The harder I work, the luckier I get." is so true.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly Quote

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it"
General Norman Schwartzkopf

As a trainer my job is to give the people I work with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful. Long ago I gave up the illusion that I can make anyone successful, at most I can help them. Success has to come from within, taking action and making it happen. Like "Storm'n Norman" said, this is the hard part and the only thing that matters.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Friday Quote

I like quotations because they bring truths into sharp focus. The following statement expresses something we all know but is often forgotten in the press of our daily activities.

"You're only really working when you're face-to-face with a customer. Everything else is only prelude."
Brian Tracy

As salespeople we only get paid for having substantive conversations with customers that lead to a sale. We have to spend time planning , attending meetings etc. but it is in our own best interest to organize your days to spend as much time as possible engaging clients. As an old telephone sales rep I disagree with the phrasing "face-to-face" and would offer the substitution "connecting" as more accurate. Keep close track of your time and do whatever you can to increase the percentage of time you are spending with the people who write your paycheck.

Keep smiling, keep selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Weekly quote

This week's quote is from Andrew Carnegie. Since I grew up outside Pittsburgh in the shadow of Carnegie's steel mills I have always been fascinated by this extraordinary man. Carnegie's greatest strength was his ability to sell. He understood what motivated people to buy and how to get them to do things his way. The first steel mill Carnegie built is still operating a couple of miles from my home. The plant is not named after Andrew Carnegie but is called the "Edgar Thompson Works." Mr. Thompson was the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the largest buyer of steel in the world when Carnegie went into business. Old Andy know how to take care of his prospects.

Throughout his life, the people around Carnegie constantly remarked about his energy and drive. This quote says a lot about how Andrew Carnegie became literally the richest man in the world:

"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity"--Andrew Carnegie

Keep smiling, keep selling.

Thanks Jim Busch

Friday Quote

When I was a young man Dr. Lawrence J. Peter's work was very popular. He is the author of "The Peter Principle, Why Things Always Go Wrong." The theory behind this book was that people eventually get promoted to their "level of incompetence." Stated simply this principle says that people are advanced until they reach a level that is beyond their abilities. Dr. Peter had some unique insights into human nature and in his second book "The Peter Prescription" he explored the answer to the problem described above--continual self development and learning.

This week's quote is one of "Peter's Laws"

"Do it by the book...but be the author!"

I totally agree with this thought. We need to establish personal principles and then live by them! Have a great weekend.

Keep smiling, keep selling

Thanks Jim Busch

Friday Quote 11/6/09

This week's quote is from one of the great creative minds from the "Golden Age" of advertising, David Ogilvy:

"Whatever you do, you should want to be the best at it. Every time you approach a task, you should be aiming to do the best job that's ever been done at it. Anyone who does that will be successful...and rich."

Ogilvy is one of the founders of the Ogilvy and Mather advertising agency. He is also the author of two great books on advertising (Confessions of an advertising man & Ogilvy on advertising)) Ogilvy was highly creative and a superb copy writer. He put the eye patch on the Hathaway shirt man and wrote "At 60 miles per hour the only sound in my Rolls Royce is the ticking of the clock". I suggest picking up one of his books , in spite of their age they are still packed with useful ideas on creating powerful ads and on the creative process.

I've received a number of requests for a list of books that I would recommend. This is a daunting task, but I've started putting it together. I hope to launch a website soon and this will be a part of my page.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling

Have a great weekend. Thanks Jim Busch

Friday Quote

Here is a quote from "The Duke":

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life...it puts itself in our hands and hopes we've learned something from yesterday."--John Wayne

Any day that leaves us a little bit wiser than the day before should be counted as a success. Sometimes our toughest days are the most valuable in the long run, the lessons learned the hard way are the ones which have the greatest impact on us. As the "Duke" says, the important thing is to apply what you have learned and apply it to making each successive day better. This is how we grow as salespeople and as human beings.

Saddle up, keep smiling and keep selling Pilgrim.

Thanks Jim Busch