Motivation
Renew, Rekindle and Recharge Your Enthusiasmby Richard Weylman
Competitive pressures, persistent negative perceptions of the industry, and the difficulty gaining access to qualified buyers all can wear you down over time. Even the best producers are experiencing difficulty in their marketing and prospecting activities. The consequences of this relentlessly stressful environment is a waning enthusiasm to grow your practice. It is often far easier to rest where you are now than it is to push yourself to the next level. We all know that complacency leads to mediocrity, which almost always leads to disaster. We've seen evidence of this not only in the financial services industry, but throughout corporate America. Thus, the challenge that you face is how to keep yourself responsive, resourceful, and recharged in today's difficult marketing and prospecting environment.
Prospects and clients are influenced and affected by your enthusiasm or lack thereof. In fact, recent surveys indicate that 64% of small business owners say that the positive, enthusiastic fervor of a financial services professional is one of the key reasons they would want to do business with them.
Studies indicate that even though you feel you can mask your lack of enthusiasm about the business and the stress that you're having, it is visible in many ways. People can detect your mindset based on several things:
* How you feel. The emotions that you exhibit during the prospecting and sales process clearly communicate your passion or lack of passion for the business.
* The way you think. Your opinions and convictions clearly mirror whether or not you are worn down and are not fully charged and enthusiastic about the process that you're recommending.
* By your actions. Your behavior and your disposition prove that actions do speak louder than words.
To rekindle your enthusiasm and prevent yourself from becoming worn down by the difficulties and chaos facing you and the industry today, here are seven tactics that have made a difference in my life and my business that I know will work for you:
1. Practice self-discipline versus self-indulgence. Self-indulgence is thinking about how you feel at a given moment, then deciding what action, if any, to take and worrying about the consequences later. Self-discipline is thinking first about the consequences (if you do or if you don't), taking the appropriate action, and feeling great about doing the right thing once it's done. Self-indulgence tends to build guilt after the fact which, in turn, reduces your enthusiasm for yourself and the work that you're doing.
2. Remember the difference that you make in people's lives. The financial services industry certainly has unlimited income opportunities and most discussions are about how much money can be made. However, the real measure of your success is the difference that you're making in people's lives. Having been orphaned at the age of six, I know what the consequences are of my father not having any financial plan in place and no life insurance. These are consequences that no one should suffer. My brother, my sister, and I were split up until we became adults and were able to find one another and re-unite. I lived in 19 foster homes by the time I was 18 years old and went to 11 different schools. The great passion I have for the industry in my speaking, seminars, and consulting is driven by my own life experiences. By marketing yourself effectively and prospecting consistently, you can reach more people and make a difference in their lives. You must never forget that the great reward of this industry is not just the money that is made, but the difference that is made in their lives.
3. Avoid negative self-talk. It's so easy today to get caught up in negative self-talk and tell yourself all the things you're not doing right and all the things you need to improve on, and all the things that you are not good at. However, there are enough card-carrying members of the cold water committee that you don't have to throw cold water on every one of your ideas and on yourself as well. Each day focus on and write down three actions you've taken that have had a positive impact on your business and personal relationships.
4. Listen to one motivational or inspirational message each week. In today's contentious society, it is difficult to continue to be enthusiastic and fervent on a daily basis and stay "up." Without recharging yourself, it's impossible to recharge others. Whether this message comes from your religious affiliation or simply from motivational tapes or messages such as those you receive from MDRT and NALU, etc., it is vital to realize that by renewing yourself, only then can you renew others.
5. Read books by and for successful people. It is said that the average agent only reads one book a year. Of course, that's exactly why they're average. The importance of reading is that it not only develops your logic and understanding, but it also develops your verbal skills and gives you exposure to new ideas that you can use to build your business and your relationships. I spend a few minutes each day reading scripture so that I have an opportunity to renew my thoughts and my mind.
6. Focus on your long-term vision versus the short-term. Roger Crawford (author of How High Can You Bounce) tells us that "People without vision perish." Clearly that's true. People get bogged down by the short-term happenings as opposed to what they value for the future. When Helen Keller was asked what was the worst thing about being blind she replied, "To have sight, but not to have vision." Take the time to renew your goals weekly so that you're focused on the long-term and there is not as much impact from the negative things that happen in the short-term.
Ask yourself:
How serious a setback to my life goals is this situation?
How serious is this situation when compared to what others around me are facing?
How disturbed will I be about this one month from now?
What is one good thing I can find in all of this?
Keep things in perspective.
7. Manage yourself wisely. Recharge or renew yourself and then put in enough effort to get to where you want to be, not just enough to justify where you are now.
By utilizing these seven proven, practical tactics to renew and recharge yourself, you'll be able to re-engineer your approach to the market, re-think the processes necessary to be effective, and re-energize your clients and prospects.
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Richard Weylman. All right reserved. For information contact Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com.
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