Simple rules to becoming your own sales superstar.

As a business owner, you're in sales whether you think so or not. Every day you have to sell yourself and your product or service to grow your business. If you're not sure you have the personality to succeed in selling, consider these 13 simple rules to create a superstar sales mindset.


1. Stay hungry. Every good salesperson I've ever encountered is driven. They have a strong work ethic and a high energy level. They work harder and longer than their peers. When the economy is poor, they are still out there pounding the pavement, making calls.

2. Never compromise your integrity. I've always believed that telling the truth is the best policy. In business, especially today, it's a must. A few years back, the Forum Corporation in Boston studied 341 salespeople from 11 different companies in five different industries. Their purpose was to determine what separated the top producers from the average producers. When the study was finished, the results were startling. It was not skill, knowledge or charisma that divided the pack. The difference came down to one trait: honesty. When customers trust salespeople, they buy from them.

3. Stay positive. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. Success is 90 percent mental. You can alter your life by altering your mind. In tough economies, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up. You have to be a believer to be an achiever.

4. Be authoritative. Sales superstars know their products backward and forward. They also know their competitors' products and are prepared to point out the differences.

5. Get prepared. I still remember the old Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared." Well, it's true. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to produce spectacular results.

 6. Mind your reputation. You can't buy a good reputation -- you must earn it. If you don't have a positive reputation, it will be difficult to be successful in whatever you do.

7. Be genuine. I have never known anyone to buy from someone they don't like. Likability matters. Are you genuine? Pleasant? Easy to talk with?

8. Put your best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Are you neat and well groomed? Underdressed or overdressed?

9. Set goals. Winners set goals; losers make excuses. Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. They must be measurable, identifiable, obtainable, specific -- and put them in writing.

10. Become a customer-service fanatic. I've often said the sale begins when the customer says yes. Good salespeople make sure the job gets done on time— and done right. There's one thing no business has enough of: customers. Take care of the customers you've got, and they'll take care of you. You must have a fanatical attention to detail.

11. Remember to listen. You can't learn anything with your mouth open. For too many people, good listening means, "I talk, you listen." Listening is a two- way process. Yes, you need to be heard, but you also need to hear others' ideas, questions and objections. If you talk at people instead of with them, they're not buying in -- they're caving in.

12. Keep it all in perspective. It is impossible to underrate the importance of a sense of humor. When there are inevitable setbacks along the way, learn to laugh about them.

13. Develop a thirst for self-improvement. You don't go to school once for a lifetime. You are in school all your life. Sales superstars are constantly working to become better. They take courses, read books, listen to audiotapes and inhale everything they can to improve.

Bottom Line: A salesperson tells, a good salesperson explains… and a sales superstar demonstrates.

Adapted excerpt from The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World by Harvey Mackay (Portfolio Penguin, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2011).

Dealing With Stress

Feeling anxious, weighted down? Feel like you just can't deal with the stress around you? Wishing the things that cause you to feel this way would just go away? Well, there's good news and bad news.

First the bad news - some of the things causing your stress are here for the long term. Others will go away, but be replaced by new distressing things.

Now the good news - even though you can't escape the fact that there will always be some stressor in your life, there are some basic things you can do to put yourself in a good position to handle stress that comes your way. And you can do your best to not be the source of your own stress!

1 - Get enough sleep

Something as simple as getting to bed at a decent hour is a great start. Recognize how much sleep you need to function well. Stress can cause a lack of sleep. Relax for a while before going to bed (and don't go to be right after watching the news). Caffeine and alcohol before bed are among the most common causes of insomnia. If you have health complications or are on medication, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medication that won't interfere with sleep.

2 - Eat a healthy diet

Nutrition and stress are related. The greater the stress you're facing, the more good nutrition you need. Protein, B vitamins, C and A vitamins, magnesium are depleted when the body is in the fight or flight mode brought on by stress. Skipping meals, eating junk foods, having excessive caffeine can actually contribute to stress by making you feel worse. Poor eating habits lead to blood sugar issues, lowered immune system, and that "drained" feeling. Eat healthy snacks of fresh fruits and veggies along with healthy meals and a balanced nutritional supplement. You'll feel more energized and you will help yourself have the stamina to fight back at all the stress you encounter during your day.

3 - Underbook yourself

You need time to recover from daily stresses. Plan less things for yourself to do in a day. If you regularly plan 10 things and you're feeling overstressed, then start to plan 5 things a day for yourself instead. Learn to say "no". Watch your stress level decrease!

4 - Take a break

Do something fun. Laugh. It reduces the flow of stress hormones. It's amazing how a brisk 10-minute walk clears your head and gives you a fresh outlook. A 10-minute nap has been associated with increased energy, motivation, alertness, and concentration. Taking a break is not being lazy! You're refreshing your mind. You're relieving stress. Enjoy a good break every couple hours.

5 - Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. The more stressed you are, the greater the amount of exercise you need. When you exercise, mood-elevating endorphins are released into the blood stream. Break a sweat. You'll feel great. As the blood flow to the brain increases, it will "wash out the cobwebs". In addition, exercise promotes restful sleep.

6 - Declutter your space

Clutter reminds us of all we need to do. It gets worse as we waste precious minutes plowing through it to find our keys and important papers. Try setting a kitchen timer for 15 minutes, pick a spot and clean it up the best you can in that time. Stop when the timer goes off and plan to do the same tomorrow. Having a tidy environment is a great stress reliever.

7 - Pay your bills on time

Avoid the stress of late notices, extra charges, and your credit record being jeopardized. It takes a little organizing, so have a specific place to put all bills and pay bills every 2 weeks. Be sure to record in your checkbook and keep your checkbook up to date.

8 - Stop procrastinating

That means stop putting off till later what you need to be doing now. You know the end result of procrastination - feelings of guilt, inadequacy = increased stress levels.

Determine why you're procrastinating. Feeling overwhelmed by a project? Try doing little bits at a time. Are you avoiding something because it's unpleasant? Just do it! Waiting for just the right time? It usually doesn't come.

Fear of failure (or even success)? Visualize a good out come. Feel the need to be perfect? Set a deadline, do your best, and realize that your 80% could be someone elses' 100%! You'll always feel better when you do it and have one less thing on your mind.
9 - Think the best

When you expect bad things to happen, you are programming yourself to feel anxious, actually attracting and bringing on bad experiences. This can bring out the worst in you and in others. Choose the opposite. Believe good things are going to happen. You will attract good things. Of course, bad things happen to everyone, but keep looking for the good. You usually find what you look for.

Set your mind on things that are beautiful, noble, happy. Have a grateful attitude. In the worst of affairs, there's always something to be grateful for. Look for that. Say to yourself "Something good is going to happen to me!" Expect that to be true!

10 - Get help for life issues that are out of control

When life stresses are getting to an unhealthy level, seek help, buy a book on the subject, look it up on the internet, talk to a counselor, pastor, ask a friend for help, get professional help.

A certain amount of stress is normal. An unhealthy stress level over a period of time takes its toll on your body. How you prepare for facing stress and how you deal with it is the key. You might be surprised at how just a couple of life style changes can make all the difference in your stress level.

Responding To The Current And Future Financial Crisis.

Whether we believe it or not the world is already in financial downturn and its going to get worse. But as children of God, we are not expected to react the way the world does to happenings around us. We are supposed to have a different attitude from the world. We should not forget that though we are in the world, we are not of the world. The world reacts in fear but we are expected as children of God to face every challenge in faith knowing fully well that God, who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, is able to keep us, protect us and bring us out of any situation that we find ourselves. The bible says the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptatations... 2Pet 2:9. This is the time to get closer to God, get in His word, seek His face to discover what his mind is for you this season. The bible says without vision, the people perish. When there is no revelation, where there is no light from heaven, people will not know what to do. But when we hear from heaven, now we can act appropriately. We can live in assurance and not in fear knowing fully well that God is able to do what he has said and we will not be afraid of a thing. Now is time to be intimate with the Lord. Listen to what he has to say. Otherwise we will be no different from the world the way we approach issues and that will be far from God's expectation for us as his children.

I have listed below some steps you can take to handle the current and the future financial crisis that's coming upon the world. Please go through them and wait on God to receive more revelations and insights that will help you position yourself appropriately.

i) Do not fear, but prepare. Wait on God and he will speak to you personally.

ii) Get closer to God;

iii) Maintain Your relationship with the Lord, pray, read your bible, observe your quiet time, dont jump out of church, attend church meetings and fellowship regularly and diligently, keep getting your spirit edified on daily basis;

iv) Dont stop paying your tithes and giving your offerings; its a big trap of the devil.

iv) Dont stop giving to the poor; dont get stingy

iv) Dont stop supporting the work of God;

v) Work hard and work smart. Be creative.

vi) Cut down unnecessary expenses;

vii) Wisely invest the little you have: Carefully examine where you can invest your money into; do a market research, be patient, search for information; ask questions, pray, look well before you leap. Keep your money until you can find a meaningful venture to get involved in.

viii) Look for more ways you can create wealth; this page will help you;

ix) Pay up all your debts, credit cards and stop borrowing. Expect God to supply all your needs according to his riches in glory;

x) Dont live or stop living above your means, which ever is the case;

xi) Stop spending on liabilities and frivolities - things that do not add real value to your life. New car, new house, new clothes, new shoes etc. Stop spending on things that you really do not need;

xii) Avoid wastes by all means;

xiii) Improve yourself; increase your marketability; increase your usefulness; train more , study more, keep making yourself more relevant on daily basis;

xiv) Be at the right place at the right time; doing the right thing;

xv) Showcase your skills, talents, gifts and abilities;

xvi) Advertise your products and make it more readily available, God will grant you favour with buyers and they will be favourably disposed to buying from you in Jesus name.

xvii) Hook up with the right people, organisations and establishments;

xviii) Spend your time wisely. Look for and make good use of every opportunity that comes your way.

xix) Track your progress and monitor your performance on daily basis to see how you are fairing, check to see if you are achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Be ready to discipline yourself and realign yourself to your goals.

xx) Keep your christian testimony and integrity. Be an example of a believer in all your conversations and dealings with fellow men. Keep developing spiritual fruits. Let the world glorify God because of you.

xxi) Above all, trust in God with all your heart. Don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your path. Prov 3 : 5-6. Put Him first in all that you do. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day. Deut 8:18
Expect him to guide you, to lead you to the right people, the right places, the right activities.

Possessions, Progress and Godly Success.

Can a healthy relationship exist between material goods and God's kingdom? What does plastic, metal and glass have to do with accomplishing God's goals? Is it possible to possess things and yet not be drunk with love for them?

Many will go so far as to admit that God does not need man-made devises, no matter how much they facilitate our daily functionality. But how is this knowledge useful for daily living?

The most useful answer for us churchgoing Americans is: Our stuff is nothing more than a means to God's ends. The most useless answer is to compare ourselves with other people throughout the world until we feel so bad about ourselves that we do nothing. Some might even be misguided enough to try and manufacture humility in themselves by arbitrarily selling or giving their stuff away. So it goes that money issues seem straightforward enough and yet questions involving material goods confound and dismay most churchgoing Americans.

As long as we maintain a hopeful, eternal perspective in Christ, we can confidently put material possessions in their appropriate, negligible places. They are disposable means at best. Physical things, including our own bodies, will only turn back into the dust from which they came. Even this dust will be consumed by a heavenly fire someday.

In Christ, there is an eternally wise and spiritually effective way to deal with material things.

Average Americans are hopelessly dependent on the idea of owning certain things. Both churched and un-churched folks have been known to take out a second job just to pay for the car that they need to drive to their second job.

Even apart from unreasonable excess, many single people as well as responsible parents seem to be caught in a monetary catch-22. They are told that they are rich, but that statement is neither reassuring nor helpful for making legitimate ends meet.

Therefore, a reassurance that Americans and many westerners need is that, riches or no riches, neither one guarantees virtue in God's eyes. There are virtuous rich people, and there are blasphemous poor people.

Trying really hard to be a good Christian is good, but freedom to obey Christ in every circumstance is better.

God, who created all things, is free from any material dependency. So also, because we are an extension of Christ, we can enjoy a similar freedom no matter how little-faiths may multiply and swarm all around.

If we seek Christ, then our goal has nothing to do with man-made inventions or goals. But rather, our goal is to conform ourselves to Christ's example, who lives and breathes confidence in God. We should live after the manner of Christ, who always trusts the Father, in comfort and in discomfort, in life and in death.

If Christ looks to God the Father to procure His heavenly success, then how much more should we mortals depend on God! Just as God has endorsed Christ's ministry on earth from the beginning 'til now, so also we, as Christ's followers, should depend on heavenly endorsement for our earthly lives.

Jesus only spoke as the Father told Him to speak, therefore GOD'S WORD is still more powerful than anything else here on earth. And Jesus only acted as the Father commanded, the fruit of which is the most ground-breaking, world-redeeming life that has ever been lived. Therefore, if we surrender ourselves to Him then He might make our humble lives spiritually ground-breaking both in this world and in the world to come. And this is all to God's credit.

As we fellowship with God, His Spirit will teach us to adopt the worldview of Christ, who saw divine opportunities in raging, natural storms as well as in the whining, little tempests of men. He fed the hungry masses with physical food in order to point them back toward Himself, our Spiritual Food. He even trusted the Father to redeem the most gruesome tool of death that men could concoct and make it into a symbol of heavenly hope for His people forever.