“The first person you have to learn to sell to is you! Before selling successfully to the world, you must learn to sell successfully to yourself. This means learning to identify with your own character and makeup; it means getting in touch with your own personal truth. I define my personal truth to be what I say to myself when no one else is listening. By experimenting with this process, you too will discover your own personal truth. This is a great way to discover the “real makings of you.” I refer to this concept as a “self-talk” – what we say to ourselves when we are quiet with ourselves, listening to our inner voice, which is constantly chattering to us. These are the tapes we play back to ourselves in our head, over and over again. So, if you don’t like the messages you’re hearing, change the record and play it repeatedly!”
This short excerpt comes from my sales training book for relationship selling, Just Treat Me Like I Matter: The Heart of Sales. And it was not until my book was complete, did I really realize what I had written. The theme of my book appeared in a testimonial from Pat McQuillan, Owner and CFO for Bay Plumbing Supply in Santa Cruz, CA. Pat said, “Diane has tapped into a new resource for selling – YOURSELF. This is a refreshing new outlook for the sales professional to look deep inside yourself and truly believe in what you are selling…” Now as I go back to my book, as I do, over and over again, I see that Pat was absolutely right. I am teaching salespeople how to become sales professionals, by teaching them how to market the best product they will ever have to market. And that product is YOU!
In these tough economic times, there are many people who are out of work, or they are employed in positions that are below or do not fit their capacities and talents. So, as a sales trainer, coach and mentor, what advice can I give, to assist you, in these hard times? Take some time to tap into the best product you have to offer: YOU!
Here are some activities and exercises to help you to get started:
· Take time each day for tranquility and/or self-growth before starting your day, out in the world. Some ideas:
First and foremost: Give thanks for what you do have. Write your list down, if you wish, and you will be pleasantly surprised that you do have a lot to be thankful for!
Sit quietly and listen to what comes in, pray, or meditate.
Get acquainted and very honest with yourself.
Journal your feelings and concerns.
· Pay attention to your attitude and the self-talk that is chattering in your head. Is it either, more positive or more negative? I say there are only two things we have any control of in this life. One is our actions and the other is our attitude. And both come from what we think. So listen to what you hear and if you like it, enhance it. And if it sounds like “stinkin-thinkin,” change it! Do not wait for anyone to save you or rescue you. With each negative thought that comes in, answer it with a positive one. Facing this feat takes self-awareness and self-discipline. Accomplishing this change come from the desire, belief and willingness to want to transform.
· As you start to counteract any negativity, bring in the positive. Start visualizing or focusing yourself for a great day of success. Become your own life coach and mentor. Tell yourself, “You can do it. You can become more upbeat and have a more positive outlook. Yes, you are what you think! So make your self-talk positive!
· Make personal enrichment one of your primary intentions and/or priorities? Each day make it a habit to take time to feed and/or nurture yourself for your personal and professional growth and development?
Read at least 10 pages from a good personal growth book.
Listen to a CD in your car or headset.
Find like-minded people that want to improve their life and work together.
· Grow to love the process. Grow to love the journey. Personally, I have grown to be much gentler and easier with myself, especially in tough times and challenging circumstances.
I have realized that every personal challenge I face offers me an opportunity to learn and mature with grace. See yourself as a “work in progress.” Look at your life as an opportunity for growth, evolvement and transition. As I taught my three boys when they were growing up, there are no such thing as a problem as long as they learned a lesson from the experience. And with each lesson learned they would receive a new tool to add to their toolbox for living their life. And that new tool would be their gift from learning the lesson from the bad experience.
· Create your dream or vision, and commit your heart to it. It is your thoughts that form your life, and it is your inner feelings that will manifest the results you want for your life. You design the blueprint for your life, for your future. So visualize your path, your journey to success. Program yourself for what you want your life to be, and make it happen! Your success starts with planting the idea or seed of how you want things to be. By aligning your inner desires and passions with your self talk, ultimately your desires will be realized. Be imaginative, be creative, and be disciplined in your process. True to your heart, lock in your intent and remain unbending for achieving your desired outcome. It will pay off!
· Remember, all life decisions are choices. Your life is constantly offering you options; you get to set your own intentions, then make your own choices. That’s one of the gifts of your existence. So, no excuses – ultimately you do choose! And doing nothing is still a choice!
I know these behaviors and disciplines are not an easy assignment when you are worrying about, how are you going to pay your bills. But, they are an absolute must for your personal survival. And they certainly can't hurt you.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you well. Diane
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
If You're Not Getting Job Offers, You're Doing Something Wrong! by Marshall Northcott
I have the pleasure of being a guest blogger over at the Consultative Sales and Sales Management Professionals of Canada site. What a classically great example of the power of social networking through communities like LinkedIn. Marshall Northcott (editor) and I connected over LinkedIn. He liked my comments in groups and my blog posts and he invited me to join his team of guest bloggers. It may have taken me all of 5-seconds to say yes:). As a long time sales professional, Marshall has great insights about selling, but today he posted something just a little bit different. This one is all about what you are probably doing wrong if that job is still eluding you! The principles apply to closing deals by the way, so READ THE POST and leave a comment if you are so inclined. If you like…please pass on the love by ReTweeting!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rich Pearls for Your Success
I would like to share a beautiful excerpt from my book, Just Treat Me Like I Matter: The Heart of Sales. When I drafted this section I had such feeling for what I was doing, so that is probably why it turned out so special. Because, with each word I wrote and each sentence I composed, I was truly genuine and coming from my sincere heart.
Locally I am having businesses wanting a copy and they are posting the couple of paragraphs of text and the Personal Qualities for Success list in their staff lounges and work rooms. So I thought it was time to bring this beautiful message to you. Please feel free to print out a copy and share it with others in your workplace, or just make a copy to enjoy for yourself. And, if you chose to share it, I would appreciate if you would note and add where this excerpt came from.
Please enjoy!
“Lastly, I will list our showroom’s Personal Qualities for Success. These qualities were stellar then, and they are stellar today. I suggest you reprint the following list and make them a motto for living your professional life. And, believe me, they won’t hurt you for living your personal life, either. Please honor these keepers and practice them 24/7!
Personal Qualities for Success
• Be forthright
• Be open-minded and willing to grow and change in order to prosper.
• Be genuinely caring and show it by listening, educating, and facilitating.
• Be loyal to our philosophy of self-dignity and respect for others.
• Be true to yourself. Be who you really are!
• Have fun!
• Treat people like they matter – always!
• Come from the heart!
Embrace these endearing words and keep them alive in your heart as you continue on your own journey. Tap into your own rich, God-given resources; discover what is important to you. Find your own touch of greatness; discover your uniqueness, and define your purpose for being brought to this earth! Your healthy intimate relationship with yourself allows you to achieve amazing personal growth and also opens up many avenues for you to inspire others as well as delight in the world around you. Have faith in yourself that you have the capability to accomplish amazing things. Believe in you; believe in the best product you have to offer.”
From: JUST TREAT ME LIKE I MATTER: THE HEART OF SALES by Diane Marie Pinkard, Bonny Doon Publishing, Copyright: 2008, pp256,257.
Knowledge IS Power
Knowledge is power! According to Wikipedia “The phrase implies that with knowledge or education one’s potential or abilities in life will probably increase.” I find the wisdom tucked within these three little words to be worth its weight in gold! Over and over again I have realized the rich value and impact of these words. Experience has taught me that by gathering reliable information, I am able to make better choices and produce more positive outcomes. By turning all my stones and thoroughly educating myself, before I make a major decision, I find that I am much better equipped to make a wise choice. I am more likely to successfully complete my tasks and accomplish my goals. And I am much more skilled and qualified to assist and/or influence.
You know the old saying, “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Yes, people with knowledge and power are the ones that get things done. Also, people with knowledge and power know how to get things done. People sense this strength in others and they know exactly where to gravitate to, to get the help they want and need. I like to say, “I think I wear a sign on my forehead that says, ‘IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMETHING DONE RIGHT AWAY, AND DONE RIGHT, ASK DIANE!’” In fact this proclamation about myself reminds me of the talk I am seeing on the topic on LinkedIn. The big question is:
What good is “Knowledge is Power,” without Action? And my response to that is: That the person who is diligent enough to do the most research and gather the most information about any given subject matter or situation will more than likely be the one to control the outcome, decision, or solution. Remember, the words, “assist,” “influence,” and/or “persuade” are all actions!
So, with good knowledge, not only are we better able to function and influence more proficiently and successfully, but we grow to like ourselves so much better. Success is, also, power. It is personal power! Our accumulated knowledge gleans us valuable self-confidence that creates greater opportunities for our own success and advancement. Humbly gathered knowledge encourages us to have better understanding of others. It teaches us compassion, so we can cultivate rich self-confidence for ourselves, and a genuine caring respect for others.
Yes, the more knowledge we possess, the more we learn about ourselves and our profession – and the more secure and confident we become when we are working with our clients. We gather more excellent tools of our trade, which gives us a greater professional edge and builds our self-esteem. We feel great! We feel successful! We are able to have more fun with our work.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Diane's "Tip of the Week"
Good morning!
Today I am going to give you a great tool for dealing with negative emotions and feelings. I would like to share a “fluffy” experience that has lightened life’s load for me when I feel down and out. I hope it can add a touch of lightness for yours.
At midlife I spent a summer in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Besides much self-discovery, I also gained many wonderful tools for living life during my summer there. One of my favorite activities to do was to take walks and horseback rides out to the lush green pastures and soft rolling hills, all splashed with shimmering aspen trees. Then I liked to find a nice plush spot to lie down in the green grass and wild flowers and listen to the rustling aspen leaves and watch the cloud formations move across the sky.
If you have ever been to Wyoming, you know what I am talking about when it comes to enjoying the constantly changing weather patterns and exciting drama in the sky. Witnessing these rapidly evolving cloud patterns is an enthralling experience – one you can never forget.
As I lay in the grass and wildflowers, sometimes I would even wonder whether I was still planted here on this earth, or had I already moved on to the next world. Often I would say to myself, “I believe I have gotten myself as close to heaven as I am going to ever find on this earth.” For it was not at all uncommon to see brilliant rainbows illuminated across the sky, feel the rain falling from the dark clouds, and then experience bright sunshine breaking through the clouds to warm and light up this grandiose scenery. And there was still more: In the majestic backdrop, there were the snow-covered peaks of the Grand Tetons, smothered with rapidly changing, brilliant colored, billowing clouds. It was such a rich and delicious experience of nature, and all free – just there for the taking.
One day while viewing God’s Theater, a brilliant epiphany popped into my head: The clouds in the sky are exactly like emotions – they are each constantly changing and never remain the same. Along with so many other things I learned that summer, I have never forgotten learning this simple lesson from the clouds in the vibrant Wyoming sky.
Hardly does a day go by that I do not go back to that rich simile and apply it to a situation at hand. I find it to be a great tool for helping me deal with people who exhibit bad behavior and emotions. And I constantly use it when I find myself in a bad emotional space with myself. I just imagine myself lying in the grass and wildflowers again, watching the rapidly changing, dramatic sky. And all of a sudden, I don’t feel nearly as attached to my bad emotions. I see and feel the dark, threatening clouds rapidly moving on, only to be replaced by soft, light, fluffy ones.
Researchers indicate that most of us have anywhere from 12,000–65,000 thoughts pass through our mind each day. Like the ever-changing theater in the sky, our minds are working vigorously. And for many of us, our thoughts can be filled with skepticism, negativity, anxiety, or fear. Allowing yourself to become attached to these bad feelings and troubling emotions will certainly drag you down. But, if you can learn to view these bad feelings as you would a dark cloud simply passing by in the sky, you can lighten your emotion load. Remember the dark clouds come over, but the sun always comes out again!
Please contact me if you wish to share. I would like that. Thank you for your precious time and have a wonderful week!
Diane
Today I am going to give you a great tool for dealing with negative emotions and feelings. I would like to share a “fluffy” experience that has lightened life’s load for me when I feel down and out. I hope it can add a touch of lightness for yours.
At midlife I spent a summer in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Besides much self-discovery, I also gained many wonderful tools for living life during my summer there. One of my favorite activities to do was to take walks and horseback rides out to the lush green pastures and soft rolling hills, all splashed with shimmering aspen trees. Then I liked to find a nice plush spot to lie down in the green grass and wild flowers and listen to the rustling aspen leaves and watch the cloud formations move across the sky.
If you have ever been to Wyoming, you know what I am talking about when it comes to enjoying the constantly changing weather patterns and exciting drama in the sky. Witnessing these rapidly evolving cloud patterns is an enthralling experience – one you can never forget.
As I lay in the grass and wildflowers, sometimes I would even wonder whether I was still planted here on this earth, or had I already moved on to the next world. Often I would say to myself, “I believe I have gotten myself as close to heaven as I am going to ever find on this earth.” For it was not at all uncommon to see brilliant rainbows illuminated across the sky, feel the rain falling from the dark clouds, and then experience bright sunshine breaking through the clouds to warm and light up this grandiose scenery. And there was still more: In the majestic backdrop, there were the snow-covered peaks of the Grand Tetons, smothered with rapidly changing, brilliant colored, billowing clouds. It was such a rich and delicious experience of nature, and all free – just there for the taking.
One day while viewing God’s Theater, a brilliant epiphany popped into my head: The clouds in the sky are exactly like emotions – they are each constantly changing and never remain the same. Along with so many other things I learned that summer, I have never forgotten learning this simple lesson from the clouds in the vibrant Wyoming sky.
Hardly does a day go by that I do not go back to that rich simile and apply it to a situation at hand. I find it to be a great tool for helping me deal with people who exhibit bad behavior and emotions. And I constantly use it when I find myself in a bad emotional space with myself. I just imagine myself lying in the grass and wildflowers again, watching the rapidly changing, dramatic sky. And all of a sudden, I don’t feel nearly as attached to my bad emotions. I see and feel the dark, threatening clouds rapidly moving on, only to be replaced by soft, light, fluffy ones.
Researchers indicate that most of us have anywhere from 12,000–65,000 thoughts pass through our mind each day. Like the ever-changing theater in the sky, our minds are working vigorously. And for many of us, our thoughts can be filled with skepticism, negativity, anxiety, or fear. Allowing yourself to become attached to these bad feelings and troubling emotions will certainly drag you down. But, if you can learn to view these bad feelings as you would a dark cloud simply passing by in the sky, you can lighten your emotion load. Remember the dark clouds come over, but the sun always comes out again!
Please contact me if you wish to share. I would like that. Thank you for your precious time and have a wonderful week!
Diane
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Diane's "Tip of the Week"
I am Diane Marie Pinkard and I am just starting my "Tip of the Week" from my Websites: http://www.heartofsales.com and http://www.dianemariepinkard.com. I am delighted to finally be getting started! Just this morning, after sending out my first Tip (or lesson), I thought it might be a great idea for me to also introduce myself. Then, share my first message with all of you on my blog.
You are going to learn right off the bat that I will be writing these tips and newsletters, just like I am talking to you, because that is how I like to communicate. I like to make each and every one of you feel “like you matter.”
I look forward to sharing some of my wonderful gems and I hope you will enjoy receiving them. Besides being very personable, I will work to keep these newsletters brief. In fact that is what I like about Twitter. I love that I can leave a message with a punch in just 140 characters. If you would like to join me on Twitter my user name is dianesplace84. I have just starter “twittering” and I am finding it to be such fun! You will get some great tips from me there, in fact, some will probably be the same, or similar.
So are ready for this Week’s Tip? Life for me is all about building rich connections with one another. My Tip for you for this week is to make a point of reaching out in a more personal way with all your exchanges and interactions (at home and at work!). Whether it be on the telephone, in an email, or face-to-face, please take a minute to make a personal connection. Take a breath, be in the moment, pay attention to your awareness – do whatever it takes to raise your level of consciousness. Then say something or write something that builds a bridge for better connecting with your recipients and/or listeners. Make a personal comment that shows appreciation, compassion or caring. TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THEY MATTER! If this is not comfortable for you, just take a baby step and say something that that has to do with “being in the moment,” and connected. My closing sentence in this letter is a perfect example!
Please feel free to to respond to my blog this week and let me know how you are doing with this first Tip. And if you have a question or you want more help with this “seed” I am planting. You will quickly find out that my tips will sometimes, also be lessons, as that is what I am – the schoolteacher!
Thank you for your precious time and have a wonderful week!
Diane
You are going to learn right off the bat that I will be writing these tips and newsletters, just like I am talking to you, because that is how I like to communicate. I like to make each and every one of you feel “like you matter.”
I look forward to sharing some of my wonderful gems and I hope you will enjoy receiving them. Besides being very personable, I will work to keep these newsletters brief. In fact that is what I like about Twitter. I love that I can leave a message with a punch in just 140 characters. If you would like to join me on Twitter my user name is dianesplace84. I have just starter “twittering” and I am finding it to be such fun! You will get some great tips from me there, in fact, some will probably be the same, or similar.
So are ready for this Week’s Tip? Life for me is all about building rich connections with one another. My Tip for you for this week is to make a point of reaching out in a more personal way with all your exchanges and interactions (at home and at work!). Whether it be on the telephone, in an email, or face-to-face, please take a minute to make a personal connection. Take a breath, be in the moment, pay attention to your awareness – do whatever it takes to raise your level of consciousness. Then say something or write something that builds a bridge for better connecting with your recipients and/or listeners. Make a personal comment that shows appreciation, compassion or caring. TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THEY MATTER! If this is not comfortable for you, just take a baby step and say something that that has to do with “being in the moment,” and connected. My closing sentence in this letter is a perfect example!
Please feel free to to respond to my blog this week and let me know how you are doing with this first Tip. And if you have a question or you want more help with this “seed” I am planting. You will quickly find out that my tips will sometimes, also be lessons, as that is what I am – the schoolteacher!
Thank you for your precious time and have a wonderful week!
Diane
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I HAVE A DREAM AND I AM FOLLOWING IT!
Twelve years ago, I encountered what you might call a mid-life crisis. I needed to reassess my life’s purpose. My background had been in education and sales for 40 years, launching and operating three successful businesses, with special expertise in high-tech retail showrooms. But, sadly, my heart was no longer singing its song.
Eager to take some reflection time and get my life back on track, I headed out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to work on a dude ranch. It was the first time I’d ever gone anywhere alone for an extended period of time. During the months I spent on the ranch, I got to see myself in a whole new light. The summer was rich with emotional challenges, spiritual upheavals, and personal transformation. In the end I reconnected with my life’s passion and realized that after having multi-tasked my way through my working and family-centered years, life’s lessons and those earned as a professional are inevitably entwined.
Today I’m an author, speaker, and sales coach, and haven’t strayed too far from my original path. I offer professional sales coaching and training services to companies and individuals who are seeking to build quality relationships and loyal trust—first with themselves, and then with their customers.
I feel grateful to be living in a slightly out of the way part of California, with beautiful gardens, dogs and cats, and a later in life husband who has introduced me to the wonders of his Mississippi upbringing, which has also helped me come to terms with who I am.
Writing my book, Just Treat Me Like I Matter, turned out to be a natural progression of my dream as an advocate for the art of selling as a craft, as a business, and as a way of living. Even though it took 10 years for it to materialize, the fruit it bears is a culmination of my practiced teaching concepts, life lessons, and the numerous opportunities I’ve been afforded along the way.
I hope that my brief story here will enliven other LinkedIn Power Women to connect more fully with their life’s passion or if needed create a new window of opportunity to make that happen.
All my best,
Diane
I’m committed to creating possibilities for other sales professionals to find their true purpose. To learn more about my services and me, visit www.dianemariepinkard.com
Eager to take some reflection time and get my life back on track, I headed out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to work on a dude ranch. It was the first time I’d ever gone anywhere alone for an extended period of time. During the months I spent on the ranch, I got to see myself in a whole new light. The summer was rich with emotional challenges, spiritual upheavals, and personal transformation. In the end I reconnected with my life’s passion and realized that after having multi-tasked my way through my working and family-centered years, life’s lessons and those earned as a professional are inevitably entwined.
Today I’m an author, speaker, and sales coach, and haven’t strayed too far from my original path. I offer professional sales coaching and training services to companies and individuals who are seeking to build quality relationships and loyal trust—first with themselves, and then with their customers.
I feel grateful to be living in a slightly out of the way part of California, with beautiful gardens, dogs and cats, and a later in life husband who has introduced me to the wonders of his Mississippi upbringing, which has also helped me come to terms with who I am.
Writing my book, Just Treat Me Like I Matter, turned out to be a natural progression of my dream as an advocate for the art of selling as a craft, as a business, and as a way of living. Even though it took 10 years for it to materialize, the fruit it bears is a culmination of my practiced teaching concepts, life lessons, and the numerous opportunities I’ve been afforded along the way.
I hope that my brief story here will enliven other LinkedIn Power Women to connect more fully with their life’s passion or if needed create a new window of opportunity to make that happen.
All my best,
Diane
I’m committed to creating possibilities for other sales professionals to find their true purpose. To learn more about my services and me, visit www.dianemariepinkard.com
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