Here We Go Again
I often joke that I get the pleasure of addressing groups of people every day of my life that are assembled against their will. I never know what to expect.

“Uh-Oh!”
I have been doing consistent Success Rallies for the merchants at Whaler’s Village on Maui for 19 years now. I always arrive a bit early and usually find Lelani’s to be empty. Fear rushes through my body, thinking, “Will they show up this month?” or “Did they get the memo?” or “Do they still like me?”

“Whew!”
In a short time my fears are washed away with the adrenaline created by the arriving crowd. There is a buzz of excitement in the room as they all get their coffee and sugar rush. I always head for the airport with my head already in the clouds.

“Oh No!”
The very next day I get to do it again, in this case for the merchants from the Outrigger Hotels on Oahu. Once again I show up early and get the “Uh-Oh” feeling in my gut.

Yeah!
But then as usual they begin arriving and my spirits soar again. My mission is to always say something that they can all take away from the rally and add to their selling routine that will make more money for everyone and create a lasting memory for their customers. Look for the “Yeah’s” in your job. Life is an exciting adventure.

How Many Do You Want?
People using Twitter seem to be obsessed with how many “followers” they have. It’s as if it is a status symbol or contest of some sort. I even saw someone today bragging about getting 100 followers in one day by simply signing in on this website, which allows you to buy followers at three different prices. I thought, WHY? Perhaps as a celebrity there is a value in having more followers. I see Conan Obrien creating an audience for his I Will Survive Tour, and staying in touch with his 873,577 fans after losing his show, but he surely didn’t have to buy those followers. People with a universal message of goodwill should accumulate as many followers as they can, such as Bill Gates, to promote his foundation for a better world.

“Please”
For the average person to benefit from Twitter, these three things more important than how many followers you have:
-Having the right followers-Your target audience
-Following the right people-Those you can learn from
-Having something to say-Something to make you worth following
When those three things are in order and working, Twitter becomes a very valuable tool for business. Without them it is purely a distraction and a waste of time.

Who Gets In?
I have the opportunity to meet and watch numerous salespeople selling various items under all sorts of circumstances. One thing that remains constant is the top sellers. It is common see the same people at the top month after month, even though they are selling the same product at the same prices to the same types of customers as everyone else is. If you were to put these top sellers all together you would quickly see that they are quite different, just as those at the bottom are. They have different looks, personalities, ambitions, educations, and different approaches to selling. They also have some things in common, and these are things that are oftentimes missing in those that are consistently farther down in the rankings. At the top of the list is how they measure up attitude wise.

Winning Attitude
This is the biggie! Top salespeople manage to maintain a positive attitude and determination to sell in spite of whatever else is going on around them. They blow off the constant rejection from customers and negativity from low producing colleagues. They never allow non buyers to steal their enthusiasm or self esteem. They convert rejection and negativity into added determination to succeed. They make up for missed sales with added sales later in the day or month.
If your ambition is to be a top seller, give yourself a “Check Up from the Neck Up” every day. Keeping the right attitude will get you to the right altitude!

Or, at least tone it down.

This guy at the airport let everyone 10 rows away know about the details of the bridge his company is building. When you add his comments to the loud speakers in the airport itself and the other cell phone users screaming their business, and airport lobbies are becoming the worst noise polluters there are.

What is it about people talking on their cell phones that cause them so talk short of the scream level? It is almost as if they think they are talking on a tin can through a string.

Little Thing, Big Impression
I was totally blown away when I pulled into the parking lot at The Madden Corp. this morning and saw this sign on the front parking spot. I know that they have 150 employees that might like to park in that spot. Even though it was temporary, it made me feel very special. It was the thought that mattered; doing something they didn’t have to do. It was a great reminder to me of the power of recognition. Something like this is so easy to do, yet so few people would even think about it.

Big Guy Small Frame
While at Cutter Chevrolet checking up on their Morning Report, manager Terry Bennett took me back into the garage to meet Kevin, their top big engine mechanic. This guy fixes engines on big trucks and busses, yet he was moved so much by seeing his name at the top of their Morning Report recognizing his production success, that he had it framed.
What can you do today to recognize and impress someone?