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What’s happening in your personal world?

What’s happening in your business world?

What’s happening in your sales world?

Change is in the air.

You can feel it like a crisp winter day.

The personal question is: How will you react to that change?

The bigger personal question is: Do you understand that change is opportunity?

The biggest personal question is: How will you take advantage of that opportunity?

We are in a crisis. The actions we as a people and a government take over the next few months will shape our world for the next decade.

Some people are “waiting to see what happens.” Big mistake. There are three kinds of people: people who make things happen, people who watch things happen and people who don’t know what’s happening. Which kind are you?

TAKE NOTE: You can’t change things in THE world, but you can change things in YOUR world.

Now is the perfect time to change your situation and take a self-leadership position. Now is the perfect time to take control of yourself – your thoughts, your expressions and your actions.

If you’re in sales, now is the time to sell. Sell better and with more passion than ever before. Start with existing customers. Serve them so phenomenally that they buy more and refer you to others. That’s not a change you can “live with”; that’s a change you can survive with, even thrive with.

Don’t just guard your desk and your job. Guard your customers. They are your lifeblood.

REALITY: In order to change whatever you were doing before, you must intensify your efforts.

TRANSLATION: In order to effect that change, work harder and smarter than ever before, and do it with a positive attitude and a service heart.

At this moment, many people in our society are looking for answers, or better stated, WAITING for answers. What are you waiting for? What are you looking for? What are you doing?

While this time is passing, there are three atmospheres:

One is fear and anger. Being bitter, not better.

One is hope and anxiety. Waiting instead of doing.

One is positive anticipation and determination. Digging in and doing.

Which atmosphere do you exist in?

HOPE: As I travel across the United States, I’ve noticed there is a renewed sense of friendliness and patriotism. A sense of union I’ve never witnessed. There is a willingness among many to work harder. And clearly, there is a renewed sense of urgency.

Yes, there’s fear, frustration and disappointment. But not as much as you might read about or hear about. (HINT: They rarely show the good things on TV.) The key is to not be angry about it. Anger affects your attitude, your ability to think clearly and creatively, and your ability to see the best opportunity for you.

PROBLEM: Big companies are looking to remain profitable and are doing it at the expense of their employees and their service offerings. Airlines and automobile manufacturers are crying – not serving better or raising quality, rather cutting everything and everyone, and begging for money. HUGE mistake.

WAKE UP: Now is the time for service, and service itself can make people want to do business with you at all times, not just economically challenging times.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2008 Jeffrey H. Gitomer