“To change a habit, make a conscious decision, and then act out the new behavior.”
-Maxwell Maltz

I read once that successful people make decisions quickly, and then change them (if at all) very slowly. Less successful people tend to do the opposite; they agonize over making the decision, and once they do, change it quickly and easily. They think, “Should I or shouldn’t I”… and then shortly after deciding think, “Maybe I shouldn’t have…”

It is more about making your decisions right than making the right decisions. Decide what’s best, and then get behind that decision. Do what it takes to make it the right decision. Be determined to succeed; the answers to all other questions along the way will come to you.

Don’t wonder; Do!

I seem to be a part of a dying breed of people that prefer and even expect “full service” when buying gasoline. I am so stubborn about this that I absolutely will not pump my own gas! It is becoming a tougher and tougher task to just find a place willing to serve you. I have a perfect record by the way; I have yet to pump it once.
When Don Olson sent me this photograph from a rural Cambodian gas station I thought, “What has happened here?” Just seeing the faces on these kids, happy to serve the customer was heart warming. They prove that it’s not about money, as they have an average income of $40 a month.
We have overweight, overpaid “service station” attendants sitting on their backsides watching people in business suits pump their own gasoline, and then fork over an unreasonable amount of money for it. I have even seen some places that charge you for water and air, and you need to put it in yourself.
When I pull into a “service station” and say, “Fill it up”, I want a tank of gas as well as my tires, water and oil checked along with all of my windows cleaned. I find the places willing to provide this service are always busy. HELLO!

One of the hardest things to teach salespeople is when to shut up.
The bad salesperson doesn’t know when to speak up, the good salesperson too many times fails to shut up.
When the good salesperson learns the art of shutting up, he or she becomes a great salesperson.
When you shut up, it becomes the customer’s time to react. This reaction does a lot more for you than your ongoing words would. Reading the customer’s body language when you shut up will tell you if to continue, back up, or stay quiet.
When you shut up you give your customers the opportunity to ask a question, show interest or dis-interest, present an objection or to buy.
The secret to great selling is; “Speak Up, Shut Up, Observe and Mirror”. Say something, read the reaction and then act as the customer does. It’s Easy!

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Of all the tips on success that I have come across, simply being nice to people may be the easiest and most important one of all.
Nordstrom observed; “We found that we could hire nice people and teach them to sell. We had trouble hiring salespeople and trying to teach them to be nice”.
Be nice to your customers; even those that are not nice to you.
Be nice to your co-workers; even those you don’t like.
Be nice to your friends; regardless of your mood or theirs.
Be nice to your family members; even when you are upset by them.
Be nice to EVERYONE; ALWAYS.
Be Nice! It’s Easy

Opportunity Shopping is a rapidly growing segment of our business. I am turned off by the terms “Mystery Shopping” and “Secret Shopping” as they infer “spying”. If you are shopping your competition that’s the case, but to shop your own business is “managing”.
“Opportunity Shopping”, is shopping for opportunities to be better. There always are some. Our clients tell us that my comments at the end of every Opportunity Shopping Report amount to a “sales class”.
When owners and general managers visit stores they see employees on their best behavior. There is a value there as well, but to see it as the customer sees it is priceless.
“Listening” to the customer will always generate more sales by way of better “Salespersonship”.

How important is the price when deciding if to buy or not to buy? VERY!
Obviously people need to know the price before deciding, BUT how important is the price compared to other information that effects the buying decision? NOT VERY MUCH!
Retailers that assume that the price is all customers need to know, miss a lot of sales by posting the price and offering nothing else.
Retailers that hide prices assuming that customers will have to ask are wrong; they don’t have to ask. They can guess, decide and walk.
What A dilemma! Should you post prices or shouldn’t you?
While the answer may vary somewhat from business to business, my suggestion is to show the prices (clearly), but be pro-active with other information before or immediately upon the customer looking at the price tag.
Your customers will like you for that, and as we all know, “The customer is always right; right?”

Stage Restaurant in the Honolulu Design Center officially opened for business on Saturday night 4-14-07. The place was packed, the vibes were great, the service was exceptional, the food was delicious and the deserts were to die for.

In Napolian Hill’s classic book Think and Grow Rich, he states that when you are ready for it, one word will jump out at you on a page in this book and reveal to you the secret of great success.
In my 20’s, I read and re-read the book many times searching for that one word, unable to detect it. I later came to realize that it was the 1st word in the title of the book; THINK!
You bring about what you think about. Once you learn how to control the thoughts going through your mind throughout the day, you can then determine what you will get from life.
Just think about that!