Something you read, a comment you heard, people you’ve met who have influenced your outlook on life.
I’d like to share two of them.
'I have my life all mapped out, but I’ve done it in pencil'
This one is powerful to me, because it sums up my life in a few words. I left school and went to college to train to be an Interior Designer, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. My life was on track, I was going to live my dream. In the third of my fourth year I decided to travel home for the weekend on the back of my boyfriends motorbike. We never got there, at least not that night! A lorry came out of a side road and hit us side on, I lost my leg. I was 19, I had my whole future all planned out, and the lorry driver, who wasn’t looking, changed it all in an instant.
I was lucky, I should have been killed, instead I was in a position that altered my life plan.
For better or worse, it happened. I choose to think that it changed me for the better. I became a kinder person. It is amazing to be inside the body of a person with a disability and see how people treat you, the pity, the slight superiority. I dealt with it, I adopted the attitude that if you have a problem with my leg, it’s yours, not mine!
I also learned tolerance, compassion and an inner strength that has carried me through life.
So, my life changed. I dropped out of college, mainly due to the difficulties involved in physically attending, but I still loved my career choice. I built up a business from home, refurbishing houses and hotels, making soft furnishings and, despite the leg, balancing on ladders hanging curtains and pelmets.
I married and had a son, Neil, who is my complete pride and joy.
After 17 years my marriage ended, and I became a single mum and I had to make a better living than I had previously.
I became a sales designer, working for a national bathroom company, designing and selling bathrooms. I did well and I loved it. I moved to another company which did kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, more scope, and again I loved it and I did well, in an industry dominated by hard nosed salesmen, I stormed it. My first year there I was second in the company and won a trip to the Caribbean, as well as trips to Europe and lots of other incentives.
I was sorted, job for life.
Enter the recession, you’ve heard it all before, and again I rubbed out my plan and started again.
I sort of fell across an opportunity. I read an article from a guy from Newcastle, who in 18 months had gone from living in his mum’s spare room to living in a beach front apartment in the Caymen Islands, living his dream! I wanted to know more, I checked out all I could and it appealed to me, so out came the pencil – Internet Marketer! My experience of computers was basic, I could turn it on and off and send emails. It has been a revelation, so much to learn, so much to understand, but wow, what a trip.
I now mentor and coach others in life and business to become successful, sharing my experience and knowledge, and using a system that means that everyone, regardless of experience can be successful, if they have the will and determination to succeed, because in the end, that’s what life is all about.
It’s about being able to see the opportunities in life and take advantage of situations.
Which brings me back to my key moments.
After the accident I was in hospital, feeling very sorry for myself, a nurse said to me, ‘You have two choices, are you dying to live or are you living to die?’
I made my choice that day.
I’m dying to live and I’ll keep my pencil sharpened so that if things change I can just rub it out and start again.
Thursday 4 March 2010
HOW 'NOT' TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Hi, whoever you are, I have this amazing business that would be great for you. Here’s my site address – check it out.
Duh – why would I?
You know nothing about me, what I want or need and I know nothing about you either. To be honest, with an introduction like that – I don’t want to know, not about your business or you!
With the introduction of Social Media – Facebook and Twitter are two of the worlds biggest meeting places. A lot of people are trying to promote their businesses but have missed the point completely – it’s a social site. It’s a place to meet people, to establish friendships, make contacts and share information.
If you walked into an electrical shop and the assistant came right over to you, grabbed your arm and led you to the ‘special offer’ washing machine that was half price today, would you buy it? Probably not, you came in to look at televisions, but he didn’t take the time to find out anything about you or what you wanted. If he’d asked about your needs, showed you the televisions, got the one that was right for you, right size, all the features you wanted and you decided to buy it, he would then have established a relationship with you, he’d have impressed you with his knowledge and his genuine efforts to meet your needs. He could then have mentioned the ‘special offer’. It may be that yours is making funny noises and there’s always a little puddle on the floor after every wash. They have a great financing scheme and you can afford both of them – done. Everyone’s happy, he's got the sale and you’ve got a television and a washing machine, one you wanted and one you didn’t know you wanted. You didn’t feel pressured, you made the decision to buy the washing machine, you decided that it was what you wanted.
People are all different. They have different wants and needs, but the one thing that is the same in every person is that they make decisions with their hearts and then justify it in their heads.
I’m the same – I dealt with the same garage for years, I liked the servicing dept people, they always helped me if I turned up unexpectedly, the salesman knew me and went out of his way to find me the right car. One day, I needed two new tyres and popped in to the garage, while I waited I got talking to the salesman, he asked how I liked my car ( a different model from the one I usually drove) I said it was ok, but I preferred my old car. He grinned at me and took me through to the car lot, 'We’ve just got this one in, it’s immaculate, the colour you like (ok – I’m a woman, colour is important!) and a really good price'. He knew me well. I bought it ! I went home and had to explain to my other half how I’d gone in to buy two tyres and come home with a new car. I justified it in my head all the way home – this one was more practical for me, it was a great price and the other one wasn’t comfortable on long drives, I had bought it with my heart and justified it later in my head.
If you want people to buy into your business, your service, your product, firstly you have to build a relationship with them. They have to like you, trust you. They need to know that you have their best interest at heart, that you are offering them this product, service or business because you believe it is the best thing for them, not just that you want the commission on another sale. I’m not being stupid, of course you want the sale, but if you do it properly the buyer will tell their friends, they’ll spread the word and your credibility will increase and so will your business.
On Facebook it is so easy to build relationships, people are open to chatting, sharing and a lot are looking to either show you their business or are looking for an opportunity. The secret is to find out about them as people – look at their business, it may or may not be for you, or maybe it will work the other way and they’ll look at your business and decide that this, like the ‘special offer’ washing machine, is what they didn’t know they wanted.
The one thing to remember is that if you push your business in everyone’s face without making any attempt to find out if it’s what they want, they’ll just press the delete button.
Duh – why would I?
You know nothing about me, what I want or need and I know nothing about you either. To be honest, with an introduction like that – I don’t want to know, not about your business or you!
With the introduction of Social Media – Facebook and Twitter are two of the worlds biggest meeting places. A lot of people are trying to promote their businesses but have missed the point completely – it’s a social site. It’s a place to meet people, to establish friendships, make contacts and share information.
If you walked into an electrical shop and the assistant came right over to you, grabbed your arm and led you to the ‘special offer’ washing machine that was half price today, would you buy it? Probably not, you came in to look at televisions, but he didn’t take the time to find out anything about you or what you wanted. If he’d asked about your needs, showed you the televisions, got the one that was right for you, right size, all the features you wanted and you decided to buy it, he would then have established a relationship with you, he’d have impressed you with his knowledge and his genuine efforts to meet your needs. He could then have mentioned the ‘special offer’. It may be that yours is making funny noises and there’s always a little puddle on the floor after every wash. They have a great financing scheme and you can afford both of them – done. Everyone’s happy, he's got the sale and you’ve got a television and a washing machine, one you wanted and one you didn’t know you wanted. You didn’t feel pressured, you made the decision to buy the washing machine, you decided that it was what you wanted.
People are all different. They have different wants and needs, but the one thing that is the same in every person is that they make decisions with their hearts and then justify it in their heads.
I’m the same – I dealt with the same garage for years, I liked the servicing dept people, they always helped me if I turned up unexpectedly, the salesman knew me and went out of his way to find me the right car. One day, I needed two new tyres and popped in to the garage, while I waited I got talking to the salesman, he asked how I liked my car ( a different model from the one I usually drove) I said it was ok, but I preferred my old car. He grinned at me and took me through to the car lot, 'We’ve just got this one in, it’s immaculate, the colour you like (ok – I’m a woman, colour is important!) and a really good price'. He knew me well. I bought it ! I went home and had to explain to my other half how I’d gone in to buy two tyres and come home with a new car. I justified it in my head all the way home – this one was more practical for me, it was a great price and the other one wasn’t comfortable on long drives, I had bought it with my heart and justified it later in my head.
If you want people to buy into your business, your service, your product, firstly you have to build a relationship with them. They have to like you, trust you. They need to know that you have their best interest at heart, that you are offering them this product, service or business because you believe it is the best thing for them, not just that you want the commission on another sale. I’m not being stupid, of course you want the sale, but if you do it properly the buyer will tell their friends, they’ll spread the word and your credibility will increase and so will your business.
On Facebook it is so easy to build relationships, people are open to chatting, sharing and a lot are looking to either show you their business or are looking for an opportunity. The secret is to find out about them as people – look at their business, it may or may not be for you, or maybe it will work the other way and they’ll look at your business and decide that this, like the ‘special offer’ washing machine, is what they didn’t know they wanted.
The one thing to remember is that if you push your business in everyone’s face without making any attempt to find out if it’s what they want, they’ll just press the delete button.
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