Robert Fiacco's Blog, page 24

The Game of Life is Only Over When You Die or Quit!

Why do so many people give up on life?  This question really puzzles me! I see so many individuals that just throw the towel in and quit, then sit around and wait to hit retirement which is now stretched out for many people …… till infinity. If you want to give up then stop belly aching about it and go sit in your recliner drink your six pack and leave me the hell alone.

There is a whole world of opportunity out there just waiting for someone to show up and take it. I don’t give a damn about Obama Care, the government shutdown or any of the other things I can’t control. What I do care about is in my realm of control my attitude, my work ethic, and my soul.

Success and happiness will not show up and bite us in the butt we have to attack it; we have to believe in it and in ourselves and let the good things in life be drawn to us.

Why am I on this rant you ask? I guess as I have pondered my own future it has dawned on me what a tremendous amount of opportunity exists in America if we are not afraid to believe in it. If you listen to the news you will go looking for a rickety chair and a short rope….negative, negative that’s all we are fed. To the point where half the nation believes it, we have suffered through bad administrations, bad economies and bad news people and we always flourish, just don’t give up.

I recently started thinking about all the stories that I have heard in my career about people who have overcome tremendous obstacles personally to succeed.

Take Tom Dempsey kicker for the NFL New Orlean Saints, born with no toes on his right foot and no fingers on his right hand. He kicked a 67 yard field goal with two seconds on the clock to set a record unequaled to his day. I wonder if he was worried about the bad news that was happening in the world.

 

Or what about W. Mitchell who was burned over 65% of his body on July 19, 1971 when a laundry truck turned in front of the motorcycle he was riding in San Francisco. His face and hands were badly scarred and his fingers were badly burned and he lost most fingers. He had just completed his first solo aircraft flight. On November 11, 1975 he crashed on takeoff in a small aircraft he was piloting due to ice on the wings and injured his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, but his other passengers escaped injury. The NTSB investigation indicated that the accident was due to his failure to detect the thin layer of ice on the wings during his pre-flight inspection. Mitchell would go on to become a multi millionaire.

The world is full of stories of individuals who overcame tremendous setbacks to win. My question to you is this, are you going to quit on life or play. The game plays on with or without us.

Good Selling

Bob

Your email:

 

You might be unemployed if…….

 

Your wife asks “You’re not staying in your pajamas all day  …again 
You look at the Price is Right as a daily staff meeting.
You know way to much about Kelly Ripa’s personal life.
You haven’t shaved in two days.
Your wife asks “Are you ever going to wear shoes again or are you going to keep those slippers on forever?”
The only time you see sunlight is if you get the mail.
The dog looks at you like…Why the hell are you still home!
You don’t seem to go through underwear as quickly.
Your wife asks “I guess you will be home for lunch again?”
Your neighbor wants to know if you would like to mow his lawn.
You start getting a lot of mail that says OPEN IMMEDIATELY.
Your wife asks “you’re not getting the mail in that outfit are you?”
Your key ring is much lighter.
Your car hasn’t been out of the garage in 3 days.
You’re willing to spend a lot more time talking to the cable repair man(with interest).
You stop caring about what time you go to bed.
You take a nap everyday at 2pm.
You’re getting good at dusting and vacuuming.
Your answer your boss “Yes Dear”

Your email:

 

Help me expand this list!

Good Selling

Bob

www.Vecto.rs

The Four Steps to the Communication Process

Whether you’re a Mom or Dad trying to explain to your thirteen year old why he or she can’t go to the unsupervised sleepover, even if there is going to be only one keg and JoJo’s mother said it was ok, or you’re the CEO of a major corporation trying to explain to your management team what needs to be done to increase production, communication is the key.

The challenge is that talking is not necessarily communicating. There are many barriers that can prevent the sender from conveying the needed message to his or her receiver.

Here are four steps to effective communication:

Attention – The sender must be aware that there are many disturbances and distractions that can interrupt the receiver’s concentration. Phone calls that need to be returned, memos, what am I wearing out Friday night to the dance, text messages that are coming in. The competition for attention is fierce. The sender must keep the message interesting, informative and to the point as to not lose the listeners attention.
2.     Understanding - Comprehending the message is the key to understanding the message. Many times we want to ask “Do you understand what I’m saying” this question is almost always going to solicit a yes response, many times when the message is not truly understood. A better question is “Explain to me what you understand about our conversation” this way the listener has a chance to repeat what was said in their words and the sender can assess whether or not they have conveyed the message correctly.
3.     Acceptance – When the receiver is willing to comply with the message, acceptance occurs. It is not always easy to get acceptance in the truest form. Many times the receiver will say they are ok with the message but walk away indifferent. Reading body language and listening are critical for the sender to assure that the receiver is in compliance with what the message is.
4.     Action – The final step in the communication process is action. The action must be taken based on the message for the communication to be successful. Follow-up and feedback should take place at this time. Remember, the communication is never complete until the action is carried out.

Talk is one thing communication is quite another. Effective communication is the key to successful relationships, business and parenting.

 

Good Selling

 Bob

The Emotional Rollercoaster of a New Author!

The desire to express ourselves is deeply rooted in almost all humans. For some, it comes out in rage or anger, in work ethic (or obsession), in Samaritan acts of kindness, or in charity. Many of us, however, chose to express ourselves through writing. Since I took up the challenge to write my first book – my first book that would lead one to believe that there will be one to follow… Oh My God! But let me stay focused –  Anyhow, it’s funny that almost everyone in the world, it seems, has either written a book, is writing a book, is thinking about writing a book, or is planning on writing a book.

So what is it about writing itself that so universally fulfills the human need to express? Is it ego, the desire to tell our own stories, or the belief that our words fictional or truthful will add something transformative into the ether?? Is it simply the ability to share knowledge?

To me, writing my first book was somewhat cathartic. It was not something I had ever wanted to do or ever felt compelled to do. Nonetheless, it happened. It was written and is being published, and the emotional toll that this process can take on someone is a psychologist’s dream.

I have three goals for this article: first, to share with you the emotional rollercoaster that I have ridden since I first realized my manuscript would actually get finished; secondly, to make you aware of the tremendous amount of negativity in the publishing world that will attempt to steal your dream from you; and third, to give you hope that you can in fact persevere and accomplish your goal of becoming a published author.   

The Writing

I once had an idea, a thought, a desire to immortalize myself with the written word. I pondered the concept of writing a book. Could I ever finish it? Why would I waste my time wanting to finish it? Who would ever be even remotely interested in reading it if in fact anyone would be dumb enough to publish it? How the hell do you even get a book published in the first place? I had no idea about any of it, so why should I waste my time? This mental battle went on in my mind for months. What I had to do is forget about the questions and just decide for myself: did I have something that I wanted to say? Whether you’re writing the next great novel or a celebrated work of non-fiction, who knows it’s potential if it’s never written?

So I write and rip and write and rip some more. The more I write the more trees that I kill or the more I hit the delete key on my computer. I found that I hated most of what I wrote, and the more I read it, the more I hated it. There were moments when I became like a man dying in the desert, seeing an oasis only to realize my mind was playing tricks on me. In these brief moments, I actually believed that I had written something worth sharing.

When I finally got a few words down that made some semblance of sense, a great calm set upon me. I came to the great realization that I didn’t care whether anyone wanted to publish it or not; I was writing a book, and by God, how many people can say that? With this revelation giving me new resolve and inspiration, I pressed on.

 Publishing

Now here is the sad addiction that comes with writing, at least for me. This great revelation of calm that had come over me during the early writing period only lasted until I realized that I may actually complete my work. Whether it was any good became irrelevant to me. What was important was how could I get this published? Thus started a journey of rejection, self-doubt, and unfairness, for those of you on this journey, please remember that there is also hope.

Once I decided that my book would in fact become a reality, hopefully not just scrap paper used to wrap a dead fish in, I did what every novice does who is looking to become an overnight expert in anything from writing complex computer programs to gardening. I went out and bought the Idiots Guide. Somewhere within the first five or so pages, this is roughly what I read: ‘if you’re writing a book for the first time, don’t waste your time; and if the book has anything to do with yourself, you are really wasting your time.’ Boy, am I glad I didn’t read this two years earlier. I never would have started. It goes on to say that to get published you need a platform, a following of thousands of individuals who will flock to the closest bookstore the day your book is released and buy it just because you wrote it. Well just how do you build a platform? I am neither Bill O’Reilly nor Snookie, but there is another way. Have a book published. Wait, is this the chicken or the egg?

What is a would-be author to do? I have it! The Internet! You can find anything about anything on the Internet. Even things you don’t want to know! On the Internet, if you type “getting a book published,” you will find 242,000,000 results. I cannot begin to sum up the total of all the bizarre and varied blogs, articles, sales pitches, and dribble you will find. The results can be so overwhelming they’ll make you wish you had chosen stand-up comedy as your avenue of expression. However, the bottom-line of the most seemingly reliable sites is that you need an agent, you need a platform, and it will be tough to find a publisher.

So I decided to look for a publisher. Twenty-nine rejection letters later, with the final one saying – and I quote – “don’t call us even if Lady Di appeared to you in a dream and promised that your book would be highlighted on Oprah!”

But Bob, where is the hope, you ask? The hope lies in the fact that there are a tremendous number of “nitch” publishers out there who specialize in working with new authors. You don’t need an agent or a large platform. You only need a worthy manuscript and belief in your project.

The Beast Grows:Marketing

I have to say that when I first started talking to my publisher and finally sent them my manuscript, the excitement of having a real publisher willing to read my manuscript was consuming. The thirty some days waiting to hear back as to whether or not they would work with me was much like waiting for my son to be born, except this time, I was going through the labor pain

Waiting, I would tell myself I didn’t care if anyone ever bought my book. Then came that grand moment: by God, I’m getting a book published! How many people can say that? Unfortunately, that feeling only lasted about five minutes after getting the acceptance email.   

Okay, you’re getting published. Now, it’s time to sell the book!

Let’s be honest. If no one buys it, what have I accomplished? BQB has a great marketing department and will do many things to help market my book, but here is the reality. I wrote a book, great. But nobody knows me, and that’s just who will buy my book: nobody. It’s going to be up to me to market and get the word out.

My next task: how to make this thing sell. With help from the marketing team provided by my publisher, I started to formulate my game plan. But first I of course went to the all-knowing… well… the internet there are 668,000,000 entries on how to sell your book. You sure would think that with this plethora of marketing knowledge that selling my book would be a piece of cake. Well, let me give you the bad news. The most credible sources that I have found say that roughly 200,000 books will be published each year, and 98% will only sell between 200 and 500 copies. Now, isn’t that encouraging?! 

I was at a crossroads. Do I jump in with both feet and develop an attack plan with no promise of success, or do I settle with the self-fulfillment of an accomplishment that many only dream of, being a published author.

Letting the river run its own course has never been my style, so I’m in with both feet and the rest of my body. Blogging, web sites, social media, talking about my book with everyone I know, and hoping I don’t anger any of my relatives so I’m not banned from the family picnics. The task is not easy, but what in life that is worthwhile ever is?

I have been overcome with so many different emotions since this project started several years ago, from self-doubt, pride, and discouragement to a great sense of accomplishment. Then, I realize that because of my makeup, the work is just starting. I try to tell myself, by God, Bob, you wrote a book, had it published, and a few hundred people have purchased it. It doesn’t matter if it is ever more successful… Yeah, right…

Best of luck in making your dream come true!

 Bob

What’s Worry Got to Do with It!

 

Wikipedia defines worry as thoughts, images and emotions of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats. The problem is that much worry is spent on threats that never happen.

Now I must admit that I have always been a worrier, I fact my family has always said “I worry about not having anything to worry about.” My thinking has always been better to worry and have nothing happen then not worry and be surprised. Silly isn’t it?

What I have come to understand is that worry serves no purpose but to cause anxiety that can affect you emotionally as well as physically.

Dr. Edward Hallowell, psychiatrist and author of Worry, points out two specific types of worry;

Toxic Worry:  This is worry when you paralyze yourself

Good Worry:   Is worry that leads to constructive action

Here are five steps to dealing with worry;

Worry Time – Set certain time aside each day to worry. By this I mean don’t let negative thoughts into your head randomly, if they come write them down and say “I’ll think about his later.”
Can You Fix It – Ask yourself if what you’re worrying about can be fixed. If it can then put a plan in action. If not then ask yourself what is worrying about something that is out of my control doing for me? I tend to worry about not doing everything to solve a problem. When you have a plan you don’t need to worry.
Realize stuff will happen – We need to come to the realization that stuff will happen and we can deal with it if and when it comes.
Challenge Negative thoughts – When negativity enters are thought process we need to challenge it. Is it real or am I making it up?
Don’t let people put snakes in your head – It absolutely amazes me how well intentioned individuals can but thoughts in our heads that can grow like weed and cause us needless worry and anxiety. When you see these people run like hell.

To steal a line from a Bobby McFerrin’s song from the eighties – Don’t Worry Be Happy!

Your email:

 

Good Selling

Bob

www.CanStockPhoto.com

WOW, there is life after your company!

This morning I woke up and sat on the edge of my bed and realized something, I was still alive. After the shock of being let go from my position with a company that I was committed to and spending the last five days in shock, I realized this morning that there is life after your company abandons youLast week I put a recovery plan into place but I must admit that the pain and disappointment of being let go with no warning is not easily put out of my mind.

Corporate America is a like a sad drug, you get hooked on the corporate vision and slowly ingest more and more believing that the feeling of being appreciated and valued are real .Then one day you wake up and they tell you they don’t need you…. don’t come back to the office we will send your belonging to you in a box. It makes you wonder are they afraid to look you in the eye or do they think that after all those years of faithful service you’re going to steal a pen or something.

Here is my message, I don’t need you…. people make companies successful. There is absolutely  no doubt in my mind  that the individuals that made the decision that I was no longer needed will one day have their belongings put in a box and given the “bums rush” out the door themselves.

I don’t wish anyone any bad luck but life is what it is. This will be the last time I will address this issue but the fact is it is not an easy issue to forget.

If you are in a similar situation, as are millions of American, here is what needs to be done:

 

Quit crying and bad mouthing the company…. we need to move on and have a positive attitude.
Work the plan I talked about last week….work it every day. A new position is not going to jump up and bite you in the butt.
Look at this as an opportunity to do what you have always wanted to. Sit down and make a list of everything you have ever wanted to do…….figure out what you need to do to make it happen.
Believe in yourself…….you have value and talent that is needed.
Don’t get complacent………sitting around and watching Springer will not help. 
Get multiple opportunities working; network and talk to as many people as you feel can help you.
Remember the good things….. the trips and the friendships that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Don’t give up …THE SUN WILL COME OUT!!!!

This is the last time I will address this isssue…promise.

Have you faced this situation in your life and would you share with us in comments below.

Your email:

 

Good Selling

Bob

What Happens When Life’s Rain Showers Turn Into Monsoons?

The weather is a fickle thing. What starts out to be an overcast day with the risk of showers can without warning turn into a storm of gigantic proportions. Sadly life can and sometimes does mirror the weather as we move through our lives.

I would like to share with you the events of the last seven days of my life. On Friday of last week I went to my doctor not feeling well and ended up in Intensive Care for two days and spent two additional days in the hospital. It seems that I had lost 4 pints of blood over the week from internal bleeding. Unfortunately for me, my wife was in New York waiting for me fly up and meet her. We were to going to bury my mother and fathers ashes in our home town. Due to the blood lose my doctor required me to spend several days at home and I was not able to attend my parents services. On Wednesday of this week; at the exact time that my parents were being layed to rest, I was informed by my manager that my office was being closed due to corporate reorganization and my services were no longer needed. I was stunned to say the least. Seven and a half years of service, 35 years in the industry and I never imagined this happening. You want to take about a storm?                                                    

Business is business and corporations do what they do. This is not about what happened. I’m writing to share with you what will happen and what needs to happen if a storm hits your life.

 

I had my cry, yes I cried and I’m not ashamed to say it. I am passionate about my career and my family. My first feeling was that I had let my family down.
I got mad. Anger is a natural emotion and was normal considering the circumstances.
I realized that what happened, happened and there is nothing that I can do to change it. The question is what am I going to do now?
I sat down and talked to myself and reminded myself what I believe:” Everything happens for purpose and a reason and it serves us.” What that reason is is not clear to me today but I know it will show itself.
I worked on a plan to get through the storm. You see, there is always a plan that will get you through the hard times. I decided not to dwell on what has happened but what is going to happen.
I started immediately to implement my future plans. Action is the best medicine. Doing something to fix the problem is the only way to solve the problem. Self pity, more anger and more crying won’t help. Take action!
I will not allow myself to believe I will fail. I will win. I will find the silver lining, the sun will come out again.

 

We will always be challenged in this life. Like Winston Churchill said: “Never, never, never give up.”

 

Good Selling,

Bob

What Does An Alien and a New Sales Rep Have in Common?

Now you might be thinking “Has Bob totally lost it…..Aliens and New Sales Reps?Just bear with me, read these three points and then tell me I’m crazy.

First, if they did exist, what would an alien look like?  Oval head, big almond shaped eyes, grey, short. (Are you getting this?) How do we all know what one looks like if no one has ever seen one?  In comparison, our industry professes to know what a successful new sales rep looks like, although many sales managers have never actually seen one. Only about 20% of sales agents are successful, and none of them look the same.

Second, when an Alien sighting happens, it generates excitement in the community under the assumption one was really seen. Then it’s reported the local law enforcement, the media, and if receives enough attention, the government is brought in. At this time, it is found to be nothing but a hot air balloon. Likewise when a new sales rep is sighted (contracted), there is always a big buzz within the local office, and it is reported to the local general manager whom will notify the media for a press release. Ultimately, senior management gets involved until it is found that the new rep was just another hot air….balloon.

Lastly, when an Alien sighting occurs, it typically is a brief sighting and very little, if any, evidence is left behind. The same is true with most new sales reps; their sightings are brief and there is normally not much evidence left behind. Oh, maybe some donut crumbs and a dirty coffee cup but not enough to substantiate that he or she was ever really there.

Think about the well known questionable sightings like Roswell, New Mexico. The government took over that find and declared it to be nothing… it was another hot air balloon. Company Home Offices seem to know a lot about new agents and how to find them but their information seems to lead to more hot air balloons.

I don’t know if Aliens exist or not, but I do wonder if they are out there. Possibly, they could be abducting our new sales reps, we interview them, they go through the screening process, accept an offer, and when they leave the office we never see them again. They must be abducted by aliens, what else could it possibly be when they disapper?

Oh well, there are some mysteries in the universe we are not meant to know. I’ll just keep looking…for new agents, not aliens.

Good Selling and

“Beam me up Scottie”

Bob

diehardimages.com

 

 

 

Four Simple Ways to Help You Avoid Making Bad Decisions

I read somewhere that “It only takes a second to get yourself into trouble but can take a life time to get out of it.”  A statement that is so true but so often not heeded. The opportunity to make bad decisions runs over into every aspect of our lives, business as well as personal. A bad decision can cost you a marriage, can cost you thousands of dollars or in the worst case can put you in jail.

Most people don’t intend to make bad decisions, but in a split second an unthought out action can have a long term and devastating effect on your life.

As you strive to reach your goals in life you are bound to make some mistakes, but you must not hold yourselves back from taking actions because you are afraid of what might go wrong.

 Here are four simple ways to help you avoid making bad decisions:

1. Sleep on it – many times in life you get so excited about things that you make decisions based on emotion and not facts. Once you have all the details and have decided to take action, take a step backwards and sleep on it. If a deal is good today it will be good tomorrow. It is surprising how your outlook can change overnight and you can take the emotion and excitement out of the decision making process.

2.  Ask for advice – when making important decisions there is nothing wrong with asking for advice from a trusted friend or advisor. Another party can look at things from a totally different point of view. Now here is the key: if you ask for advice – heed the advice.

3. Do your homework – If you are considering going into business with someone you should obtain as much information about them using as many sources as possible.

4. Listen to your gut – We all have intuition about things. If it just doesn’t feel right ….run. Don’t be afraid to listen to that little man or women in your head – they usually know.  In an episode of Sienfeld, George Costanza once said: “My little man’s an idiot.” For George that maybe true, but for most of us it isn’t. Listen.

Every day in business and in life we make choices – big and small. These choices will   dictate our futures. Use these simple steps to give yourselves a bigger chance of making the right decisions.

Good Selling

Bob

Thoughts for Closing the Sale

 

If you want to be a truly successful salesperson and I mean the type of closer that turns leads into true clients; the type of clients that become referral producing machines, here are a few things to think about while you prepare for your next appointment.

It’s all in the preparation – You really need to do  research on your prospect and his or her business prior to your first meeting. You can search anything or anyone on the net. The more information you go into the appointment with the more professional you will appear to your prospect. Also the knowledge you uncover prior to the appointment can help you open a discussion that will build a relationship once in the appointment.

1. If your prospect owns a hardware supply store. Would it not be helpful for you to know who the competition is, how many employees they have and what are the major challenges they face day to day?

 2. All of these things can be found on the internet.

The Fact Find (Discovery) Interview   - A good detailed, in-depth fact find is absolutely necessary and will allow you to fill in the holes from your research regarding the company.

1. You need to check with your company and get a copy of the fact finder they use and you need to understand it thoroughly.

2. The first question you should ask is: “What is your biggest challenge in managing your benefits?”

3. The second question should be: “What is the biggest challenge overall in running your business?”

Build a Relationship - By asking questions and making observations in an interview you will start to build a relationship and be looked upon as someone who cares.

1. I cannot stress the importance of building a true relationship with your clients. The key to this happening is the client feeling that you have a genuine interest in them and their business. Remember people can tell if you are a phony.

Go Slowly and Ask Questions - Even on the closing interview I like to ask lots of questions.

1. My first question on the closing interview is a question to confirm what they had told me previously. “Am I correct in saying that when we met last your biggest concern was…..?”

2. As you go through the presentation be asking”Do you see how this would…?”

3. Keep the pace of the conversation to a speed that the prospective client is comfortable. You know what we are saying but sometimes the client is not with you and most times they will not tell you. You don’t understand why the sale did not close and it’s because the prospect did not understand.

Ask For The Sale - This is the number one reason that sales don’t close, sale people don’t ask for the sale.

1. If you have asked the right questions and have gathered the right information then your close could go like this. “Mr. /Ms. Prospect, am I correct to understand that your major concern was…X? Now you said that you can see how my solution would solve your problem and also save you money. So don’t you feel it would make sense to get started today?’

2. Remember, knowledge is power and you could not ask that closing question if you did not have all the information.

So remember: preparation, fact finding, relationship building and asking for the sale are the simple steps to closing. Don’t take short cuts or try to rush the sale.

Good Selling

Bob