Like so many of the posts I write here  . . . this one is really personal to me!

For the longest time I was absolutely miserable!

On the outside I appeared happy and content but on the inside I had what I called “an urgency”. In other words, a feeling that I was supposed to be doing something more, but I hadn’t a clue what.

The more I tried to find out what this meant, the more it became like that dream you know you had, but it keeps slipping away from you as you try your best to catch it and recall it.

Actually, that’s exactly what was happening to me . . . my dream was slipping away and worse yet . . . I felt trapped!

I felt trapped because I had bills to pay, obligations, and probably more than a few issues with comfort zones and a chronic case of what experts call “not having the balls to do it”!

We can’t give up on our dreams . . . it’s a lousy feeling and there’s a much bigger picture at stake . . .

The world needs your ideas, your contributions, you as a resource, an innovator or maybe even just a glimmer of hope.

Quite selfishly, you need to step to the microphone and sing the song in your heart . . . because going to your grave with your music still in your head deprives you as well!

Not to mention the feeling that something died long before the actual closing of the coffin but I’m getting really freakin dark so let’s shift gears!

Actually, I just depressed the hell out of myself . . . that was messed up but any who . . .

What do you do when you feel trapped?

Well . . .

I’m not a big advocate of this “leap and find your wings on the way down” mindset . . . I think its a great way to become one with the pavement! That’s why you have to “moonlight” as in . . .

Work your day job. Give it your all. Pay your bills and keep food on your table . .

Then get to work on taking some kind of action each day, before or after hours to move you one tiny step closer to a new reality.

Perhaps it could be “Googling” a topic that would help you learn more.

Reading a few pages of book.

Meeting someone after hours to pick their brain.

Spending some thinking time mapping out some steps.

Taking a few dollars out of your pocket and tossing it in a coffee can as your future war chest.

The point is to do something!

And that’s when the magic happens!

I’m dead serious when I say “magic” in fact I’m upgrading to an all caps, bold MAGIC!

It’s “magic” because the moment you begin to take a step of any magnitude . . .

You’ve embraced your dream again and . . .

You’re in control!

You know, I wish I could tell you that I’m writing this today as someone who is now some multi millionaire, living his dream. Unfortunately, I’m a few million dollars short of hitting that milestone but . . .

Every time I speak to one of my clients, train in a class room, speak at a sales convention and write on this blog I know I’m doing what I wanted to do for so long.

How long?

All the way back when I appeared topless in this photo!  :)

I now have joy and a sense that I might  have evicted that horrible feeling of being trapped.

I won’t ever allow myself to feel that way again!

Well enough about me folks. I do believe it’s . . .

Your turn . . . What would your advice be to someone who has this urgency to do something more with their life but at the same time, an overwhelming feeling of being trapped?

Meanwhile, I hope you’ll take a tiny step today towards getting back to your dreams . . . you are worthy!

Peace!

We just announced our latest webinar series and its based on numerous requests I’ve received. It’s a little topic called How To Bring In More Business and you can find out more about it by clicking here

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I’ve seen it way too many times when I’ve been brought in to help sales teams.

I’ve been asked how to handle it from distraught sales professionals and I even had someone mention it on a discussion in our Sales Playbook book group on Linkedin.

I’m talking about the Sales Manager who wants to ride along with a sales rep and then proceeds to take over the meeting with the client/prospect.

Not bueno and really freakin annoying!

What’s an aspiring sales rock star to do?

I have one suggestion and then I’m going to ask for your help in brainstorming this further.

Roles should always be established PRIOR to a sales call.

As a sales leader, I always said the following to my teammates PRIOR to a meeting.

“There are typically 3 types of meetings you and I will run together. One where I will observe you and give you feedback after the meeting. One where you might need me to take the meeting and demonstrate a particular skill. And one where you and I will handle it together in which case we should discuss who will cover what. How should we handle this meeting?”

I also established a “secret signal” that my sales reps could throw out to me so I knew when it they needed me to intercede.

My sales reps would simply say “Paul is there anything you would like to add?”

And yes, sometimes I would screw with them and say “Nope. I’m good but thanks for asking.”

But seriously . . .

In an ideal world, you would say something like this or similar and you and your sales manager would be just like “peas and carrots” as my friend Forrest Gump would say.

Then there’s reality and the reality is, some Sales Managers still insist on taking over the meeting.

That’s where I’d like your help . . .

What would  your advice be to a sales rep who works with a Sales Manager who continually takes over their meetings?

Meanwhile, we just announced our latest webinar series and its based on numerous requests I’ve received. It’s a little topic called How To Bring In More Business and you can find out more about it by clicking here

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Too many times we allow meetings, tasks, etc to make our calendar.

Why?

Because they’re  important and we need to make sure that we get to them.

Today, I decided to make sure that I respect the other important . . . things that are important not to my business or my clients, things that are important to a really cool dude that I always forget to respect . . . ME!

On my calendar for 7:00 pm tonight . . . “Campfire!”

The other day at 9:30 pm . . . “Guitar time” but unfortunately I couldn’t put my amp on “11″ at that hour but it was fun nonetheless!

I guess what I’m trying to say is that life is short and perhaps we should start giving ourselves the same respect we give others by putting a few selfish items on our calendars.

Call me crazy but I think we’re worth it

Happy Saturday to you!

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There’s lots of talk lately about a projected reduction in sales professionals over the next decade.

The thought (or one of them anyway) is that the online experience will render many sales positions obsolete.

Here’s one silly reason why I think smart companies are crying bullsh*t on that one.

Sales People have a vested interest in the sale and more importantly the overall relationship . . . a computer program typically doesn’t nor do many of the salaried employees hired to respond to online inquiries.

Case in point . . . I had an issue with an online organization that I won’t name here. It wasn’t a major issue but it was something that was keeping my business from making money.

It took me forever to even find a way to contact them, even then they restricted my options for contacting them and 48 hours later I still haven’t heard back.

Another case in point. I reached out to a company for something that I needed for a big launch we have coming up on this website. Once again, a real pain in the ass to contact them. I email them and I get this ridiculous, scripted response that confused me further.

I never responded to their response and they never responded to my lack of response but . . . (and please put on your earmuffs because my language is not going to be appropriate)

A good sales person would have jumped all over that sh*t!

For this next example, I will name the guilty party because overall I’m a huge fan . . . actually an obsessively huge fan!

Amazon.com didn’t score points with me last year when there was a major screw up with my affiliate link. My website was showing a substantial amount of clicks and my affiliate reports showed a big goose egg!

Being the mathematical genius that I am, I figured if they aren’t showing the clicks, they aren’t capturing my sales.

I reach out to them and get this ridiculously scripted response . . . that further confused the heck out of me so I did the logical thing and said “screw this” and pulled my affiliate account.

Ready for the shocker . . . A commissioned sales person would have jumped all over this!

But here’s the great news gang . . . I bet the companies in these examples saved a whole bunch of money at the expense of . . .

Making money!

Your Turn . . . What are your thoughts?

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