What is your dream? What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?

One of my favorite quotes is this, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” ― Robert H. Schuller.  Let’s add to that, What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail and that neither money nor time was a challenge?

I believe we should each ask ourselves this question because the answer really  is our “Why”, it is our reason we are here on earth and it should be our Ultimate Goal in life.  Mark Twain said— “The two most important days in your life are the dayyou are born and the day you find out why.”  As human beings we all have the desire to know what it is that we really should be doing.  That desire comes from our Spiritual self.  The desire to know our “Why” is the subconscious mind constantly challenging our conscious mind.  Each of us have the answer to the “Why” question and it lies in our subconscious mind but our conscious mind doesn’t want us to know that answer because our fears of change and fear of failure are present in our conscious mind.

If we each take the time and effort to search deep into our subconscious mind we will discover the “Why” answer and once we discover that Untapped Potential of what we could be, should be, we will never be satisfied with anything less.  Our conscious mind knows that and it wants us to stay in our comfort zone, that place where we aren’t stretched, where we are used to being comfortable, where we believe we can’t be more and do more with our lives. Our conscious mind constantly reminds us of our past failures and it uses fear to keep us from discovering the life that we could have, should have, the life that exists in us and is available to us.  It uses fear to suppress the subconscious mind’s attempt to release the discovery of our “Why” because it knows that if we discover that answer then we will set goals to achieve the dreams that exist in us and we will no longer be held back by fear or by our past and we will never be the same person again.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail and that neither money nor time was a challenge?   Once you discover your true purpose, the fear of failure, the challenge of money and time will no longer be obstacles to reaching your goal.

Abraham Lincoln was a failure many times in his political career before becoming President of the United States.  Failed in business—1831, defeated for Legislature—1832, his sweetheart died—1835, had a nervous breakdown—1836 and so on, one setback after another, until: Elected president—1860.

Colonel Sanders was well over 60 when he made it big with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Before that, he simply sold chicken and other food at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky.

Peter Roget showed us that it is never too late to make earth-shattering inventions,such as the Thesaurus, which he invented at age 73.

These 3 men had neither time or money on their side but they didn’t let that stop them from achieving their dream. 

Ask yourself the question today, What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail and that neither money nor time was a challenge? 

Would you start that new business, go back to school, volunteer your services at a Not For Profit, become a leader in your church, your company, your community?  Would you pursue your dream of being an actor, musician, artist or write a book?  Would you move to another part of the world and start a new life?  The answer is already in your subconscious mind.  You just have to be ready and willing to search for the answer.

Our past has nothing to do with our future.  Our future has to do with what we decide to do today.  Not tomorrow, but today.  Today is the first day of the rest of our lives and true happiness comes when we discover our “Why” and begin pursuing it.

I am not saying it will be easy, but I know it will be worth it. 

Top Performers see their Untapped Potential and they don’t let FEAR keep them from achieving that potential.  Top Performers live every day with the intention of becoming all they are destined to be.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 20 years.

 If you are ready to lift your Leadership Lid and become a Top Performer contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

Overcoming the FEAR that is keeping you from succeeding.

In my 20+ years of training and coaching Top Performers I have realized one thing. Top Performers don’t let FEAR stop them from being successful.

What is FEAR?

Fear is an emotion induced by a threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events.  *Wikipedia.

e·mo·tion
A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
…instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.

FEAR is an Emotion which is a feeling about a perception we conjure up in our minds.

The following FEARS stop average people from being successful.  

The FEAR of Rejection. The FEAR of Failing. The FEAR of Change. The FEAR of the Unknown.

“F-E-A-R stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.”  Zig Ziglar

But if FEAR is just an emotion and it is False can it affect us? Yes, we have all had that nightmare where we are being chased by a pack of dogs down a dead end alley or we fell off a cliff.  The FEAR was False but we wake up breathing hard, sweating with our heart beating 200 beats a minute.  The FEAR was False but the reaction and response was real.

Top Performers experience FEAR but they don’t let that FEAR stop them from Succeeding.  

Will Smith once said that he “FEARS FEAR” because he understands that only FEAR can stop him from becoming all he is destined to be. 

The next time you experience FEAR remember this.  You have a 100% Success Rate when it comes to overcoming FEAR.  If you are reading this right now that means you are alive.  I know you have experienced FEARS in your past and if you are alive then you have successfully overcome every FEAR in your life so far.  Top Performers understand that FEAR is a part of the journey to success.  They meet it head on, acknowledge it for what it is, just a feeling, and then move past it on their quest for success.

When I feel that feeling of FEAR start to creep in I remember what the Bible tells me.  Phillippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength.”  It says I (Me) can do (an action), all things (not just some) through Christ who gives me (myself and I) strength.  It doesn’t say I won’t encounter FEAR.

So if you want to become the Top Performer you must understand what FEAR is and how to overcome it.  You will meet up with it again, but remember you have survived every other encounter with it so there is no reason to believe this one will be any different.  

Top Performers see their Untapped Potential and they don’t let FEAR keep them from achieving that potential.  Top Performers live every day with the intention of becoming all they are destined to be.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 20 years.

 If you are ready to lift your Leadership Lid and become a Top Performer contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

SHARESHARE OVERCOMING THE FEAR THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM SUCCEEDING.

God gave us our strengths and weaknesses.

As a leader we all have strengths and weaknesses.  I believe God gave us both for a reason.

I believe God gave us our strengths so that we may use them to help others and to add value to the groups we belong to and are associated with.  Every company and group needs Thinkers, Planners, Starters, Speakers, Motivators, Skilled Laborers, Dreamers, and more.

As a Leader it is our responsibility to examine our strengths and weaknesses and to build a team of people who bring all of the needed strengths together.  That team will truly become a Top Performing Team as long as each one is allowed to contribute their strengths to the overall success of the company or group.

It is our responsibility as a Leader to use our strengths in a way to lead others to be successful and to help them realize their individual strengths.  As a Leader we must be thankful for other’s strengths and be wise enough to use those strengths to make our company and organization better.

I believe God gave us each weaknesses so that we may have room to grow.  If we didn’t have any weaknesses we would have no need to grow and thus we would become bored and complacent.  It is our responsibility as a Leader to recognize our weaknesses and to develop a plan to grow and to develop those weaknesses to become a better Leader. Once we recognize our weaknesses, we must be intentional in developing a plan to grow.  Once we have a plan written down to grow and to work on our weaknesses we will have begun the journey to become better Leaders. Once we become better Leaders, our companies and organizations will become Top Performers.

I believe God also gave us our weaknesses so that we will realize that we can’t do it all ourselves. Once we realize our weaknesses we will begin to associate with and reach out to those who have strengths where we are weak.  In associating with those people we will be adding, not only to our value but also to their value.

I believe to be happy, content, and confident we must share our strengths with others and admit our weaknesses.  If we do that we will become Top Performers and we will become Great Leaders.  If we become a Top Performer and a great Leader, then and only then will our companies and organizations become successful.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 20 years.

 If you are ready to lift your Leadership Lid and become a Top Performer contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

Leadership From John Maxwell's Book The 21 Irrefutable Laws

The first law in John Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is The Law of the Lid. John Maxwell says, “Everything rises or falls on Leadership.”Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The lower an individual’s ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential.

THE MAXWELL PHILOSOPHY : “Your leadership is like a lid or a ceiling on your organization.”

This is true for each of us personally and it is also true in our companies, our schools, and our communities. Our potential for success is determined by the abilities of our leaders. If we are the leaders in our companies then the success of our companies is determined by our abilities to lead. This rule remains, if we are leaders in different clubs and organizations, the success of those organizations is determined by our abilities to lead.

You have probably heard of the 80/20 Rule in Business and Sales. It is a fact that 80% of all sales and successful businesses are made by 20% of all people. These 20% are the Top Performers in their field. For the last 15 years I have been trying to figure out the difference between the Top Performing Sales People and Leaders and the average salesperson or leader. I have personally trained thousands of salespeople. Time after time I have seen a group go through the same training, with the same materials and presentation, yet only about 20% of them will become Top Performers. For the past few years I even changed my presentation from just training people how to sell like the Top Performers to spending time pointing out the “Opportunity” that each sales person has to become a Top Performer.

A few weeks ago on a John Maxwell Team Training call, Coach Christian Simpson said something that made me realize what makes the Top Performers different. It doesn’t have anything to do with Opportunity, it is about Potential. When a person realizes their own potential they move their dreams and goals from the subconscious mind to their conscious mind. When they see their potential and move their goals to their conscious mind, it consumes them. The realization of one’s own potential opens up one’s eyes and mind to what they are missing and what they need to do to achieve their goals. Christian pointed out that we all have the same opportunities to be successful and for years I was presenting the opportunities available to become a Top Performer when the True Top Performer looks past the opportunity and sees the true potential. It is only when we realize our potential that we can raise the Lid and become a better Leader, a better Manager, and a better Salesperson. Once we understand our potential, we can become a Top Performer by working on growing.

So how do we figure out what is the lid number on our leadership? How do you find that number? John Maxwell offers the following 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.  Those 21 Qualities are CHARACTER CHARISMA COMMITMENT COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE COURAGE DISCERNMENT FOCUS GENEROSITY INITIATIVE LISTENING PASSION POSITIVE ATTITUDE PROBLEM SOLVING RELATIONSHIPS RESPONSIBILITY SECURITY SELF-DISCIPLINE SERVANT-HOOD TEACH-ABILITY and VISION .

To find your Leadership Lid number you rank yourself on each quality on a scale of 1-10 and then divide the total by 21. That is your Leadership Lid.                   TOTAL __________÷ 21 = ________________

Once we realize our Leadership Potential we can now work on raising our Leadership Lid and thus making our company, our organization, and ourselves more successful. By realizing our potential we now have the opportunity to raise our lid and become a true Top Performer.

Once we realize our potential and establish our Leadership Lid we must invest in our growth through reading books, hiring a Personal Coach, investing in training and participating in Master Mind groups and seminars.

FACT: If you continue doing what you have always been doing, you will continue to get what you already have. You must have a plan to change what you do and how you do it to be more successful.

Once you have decided to lift your Leadership Lid and grow it is now time to write down your goals and plans to lift that lid. It is not good enough to just have those plans somewhere in your mind.  You must write them down.

A few years ago there was a report by a Sales and Management Magazine.It reported that their survey found.

• 3% of the population is highly successful and financially independent.
• 10% of the population is comfortably situated and reasonably successful.
• 60% of the population lives from pay check to pay check.
• 27% of the population is dependent upon public assistance for their livelihood.

How about in your hometown? What percent do you think is highly successful and financially independent? Living pay check to pay check? What can you witness on in your town every Friday afternoon? People rushing to the bank, grocery, and gas station because they live paycheck to paycheck?

What the report also found is that the Top 3% had well written out goals. They planned on being highly successful and financially independent. The next 10% has some ideas on being successful but never took the time to write their goals. 60% wanted to do better but they are now just trying to survive. And the last 27% had no goals and they had given up. They no longer believed they could do any better.
What they also found was the Top 3% had no advantage in education or ability. The only difference was they realized their potential and had invested the time in developing that potential.

The great news is that the level of our education or our ability has nothing to do with whether we can become a Top Performer. What matters is that we realize our potential and then invest the time in writing down our goals and developing a plan to increase our skills, to grow personally and professionally and lift our lid.

Most people consider Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time. I have played basketball and I consider myself a decent coach. I believe I can take the worst ballplayer reading this and after spending just one day with them I can have them out shooting Michael Jordan on his best day.
Now I know what you are all thinking. You were buying what I was saying until I made that statement. Let me finish my statement. I believe I can take the worst player reading this and have them out shoot Michael Jordan as long as we blindfold Michael Jordan and turn off all of the lights and turn him around and around 10 times.

Of course no one would expect Michael Jordan to be able to hit a goal he can’t see, so how can you expect to hit a goal that doesn’t exist?

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 20 years.

If you are ready to lift your Leadership Lid contact Jeff atJeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.

What makes a top performer?

We have all heard the term “TOP PERFORMER”, but what is a Top Performer? The Top Performers are those who excel in their fields of endeavor.  In business the Top Performing Sales People make 80% of all sales in their company, regardless of what they sell or where they are.  The Top Performing Leaders create the most successful companies and products.  They also create more leaders.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
Michael Jordan

I have been coaching and training Top Performers for over 20 years.  I have studied them and what makes them different.  I have found that the Top Performers consistently have a desire to be better than average.  They don’t care what the average salesperson sells or makes in commission but they want to know what the Top Salesperson makes. The Top Leaders don’t pay attention to what their “Average” counterparts consider as success but they create their own definition of success which is considerably higher than the average.  Top Performers set the bar higher for themselves. 

Be determined to persist until you succeed. It’s the small extra things, the little repeated attempts, that soon add up to accomplishment.
Peak Performance

Top Performers are in it for the long run.  They don’t believe in “Overnight Success”, or “Instant Gratification”. They understand that if they follow the plans and goals of those around them they will only be “Average”.  They set goals and understand that to get from where they are to where they want to be, they must have a plan to grow.

Top Performers are motivated to do more, to put in the time, to invest in the growth of themselves and their companies.Top Performers understand that by investing in themselves and their companies growth that they will enjoy the better things in life and that is more than just money.  Top Performers enjoy less stress, more family time, more time to do what they love and Top Performers often give more back to society and their communities.

Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.
Vince Lombardi

The good news is Top Performers can be developed.  The desire to become a Top Performer can be ignited through motivation.  Motivation happens when someone understands the difference between “Opportunity” and “Potential”.  Most Top Performers can tell you the exact moment someone opened their eyes and mind to the “Potential” of being a Top Performer.  They can also tell you the people who then helped them develop into Top Performers.  No one can become a Top Performer all by themselves.  Top Performers surround themselves with other Top Performers and coaches and trainers.  Top Performers are developed over time, they don’t just happen in a few weeks or months.

Do you have the desire to be a Top Performer or are you OK with being average?Does your company have enough Top Performers or are you OK with where your company is today?  I have been developing Top Performers for over 20 years.  If you have a desire to begin the growth to become a Top Performer or you are a Corporate Owner or manager and you are ready to motivate your staff and salespeople to become Top Performers, contact me today for a FREE Consultation.

Jeff Raver, President of Begin to Win                                                                         Certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker of the John Maxwell Team                            Jeff.Raver@BegintoWinNow.com

7 Things Your Customer Wants You to Know

Are you listening to your customer?  Are you really listening?

Here are 7 things your customer wants you to know.

1. They really want to know you care about what they need.  Theodore Roosevelt said, “People really don’t care what you know, until they know you care.”  Before you start telling them everything your product or service will do, you should first ask the customer questions to see what their needs are.  The best way for them to know you care is to ask questions.  You should act more as a consultant than a salesperson.
2. They want to be treated as a customer the way you want to be treated as a customer. The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is really pretty simple.  Every salesperson is a customer daily, weekly, monthly.  How do you want to be treated when you are a customer calling for service or going into a store. If you treat your customer the same way you will make more sales.
3. They really don’t care about all of those cool features you are trying to sell them.  They really want to know how your product or service will benefit them. OK, so  your widget has 14 different settings and 12 different attachments. The customer really only needs a few of those.  Ask questions to determine what the customers needs are and then explain the settings and features that pertain to solving their needs.  That is what they are shopping for.
4. They really don’t want to hear about your referral program.  If you start telling them about what you are going to give them or do for them if they give referrals then they feel you don’t trust your product or service and reputation to get you referrals.  If you treat them fairly they will voluntarily tell their friends and relatives about your product or services. Everyone knows that a satisfied customer is your best salesperson.
5. They really don’t want to hear about all of the discounts you can give them.  Please tell them the end price they will paying for your products or services. “Price” is secondary to “Value”  “The sour taste of poor service long outlasts the sweet taste of a good price” and your customer knows that.  If they were worried strictly about price they would go to “The Web”, and order it at the lowest price.
6. They really don’t want to sign a 2 year contract to get your service.  If you provide a good service at a fair price, they are going to stay much longer than that any way.  I personally have had Verizon Mobile Phone Service for over 25 years because they have great customer service and take care of my challenges when they arise. I have had State Farm Insurance for over 25 years because my agent makes sure I am covered for what I need and doesn’t keep trying to add things I don’t need. I bought my last 6 cars from the same Chrysler dealer because they took good care of me and provided great service after the sale.
7. They already want to do business with you so you don’t have to tell them all of the great reasons they should do business with you.  If they didn’t want to do business with you they wouldn’t be calling you or coming in to your store.  If they have questions about your company they will ask them.

Take a good look at your “Sales Presentation” and your “Sales Training”.  Are you spending most of your time on selling your product, service or the reason to do business with your company rather than discovering the customer’s needs and filling those needs?  If so it is time to change your presentation and training.

Jeff Raver, Certified John Maxwell Trainer and Speaker has been training Top Performers for over 20 years. If your Sales and your Sales Team are not where you would like, then contact Begin To Win at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a free consultation.

Unlocking Our Untapped Potential

I had an epiphany today on my John Maxwell Team Saturday Morning Coaching Call.

Although I have been a Sales Coach for over 20 years, I have always been bothered by the fact that 20% of all salespeople make 80% of all sales. It has been my personal mission to train and coach all of the salespeople I can to be in that 20% group.

Today Christian Simpson revealed the secret for me to succeed at my mission. He said that most of the time we all have the same opportunities in our careers. It is what we do with that opportunity that determines our success. It is not the opportunity that makes us successful but the potential we have to maximize that opportunity. That potential is deep down inside each of us but needs to be brought forward from our subconscious mind to our conscious mind. We then must act on that potential once it is revealed and brought forward. Once we realize that potential it takes over what we do, how we do it, when we do it, why we do it. It becomes who we are.

It is my calling as a Sales and Leadership Coach to help each individual person see the opportunity, understand their potential, and then help them bring that potential from their subconscious mind to their conscious mind and help them maximize that potential.

Today 20% of all Salespeople and Leaders understand that and are tapping into their potential. It is my mission going forward to Coach others to join that 20% group so that they may lead the life that they are intended to live and have the potential to live.

It is time to quit looking at the opportunity and begin looking for all of the potential that we each personally have to maximize that opportunity.

That is what being a John Maxwell Coach is all about.

Jeff Raver, Certified Member of the John Maxwell TEAM

President of Begin to Win

Coaching Top Performers for over 20 years. 

STOP! Do you really want to move your best sales person to sales manager?

Are you considering making your Top Salesperson the Sales Manager?  Is that the best move for your Sales Team? For the Sales Person? For your company? Have you thought this through?

First let me explain, it is possible that your best Sales Person should be promoted to Sales Manager but more often than not it is not the best move for your company.

Sales management                                    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Sales management is a business discipline which is focused on thepractical application of sales techniques and the management of a firm’s sales operations. It is an important business function as net sales through the sale of products and services and resulting profit drive most commercial business. These are also typically the goals and performance indicators of salesmanagement.

Sales manager is the typical title of someone whose role is sales management. The role typically involves talent development and leadership.”

Wikipedia’s description gives us a good look at what skills a Sales Manager should have. Most Top Salespeople don’t have all of these skills.  They must be good MANAGERS and good LEADERS.  Many times a Top Salesperson is good at selling but not necessarily a good manager and leader.  If your Sales Team is going to grow and improve you must have a Sales Manager who understands leading others and teaching and developing Top Performers.

Has your Top Salesperson showed signs of being a good Sales Manager?  Have they shared their techniques and presentation with other sales people?  Have they taken new salespeople under their wings and helped develop them? Are they good communicators and are they timely with their sales reports?  If so, then they may make a good Sales Manager.  If not, then you may want to reconsider your decision.

In my  30 plus years in Sales and Management, I have seen many Top Salespeople be given a Sales Manager Position only to fail even though they gave it their best effort because they aren’t good Leaders.  John Maxwell says, “All Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.”  If your Top Sales Person is not good at influencing others around them to do better and to grow then they most likely will fail as a Sales Manager.

Now if you have already put that Top Salesperson in the Sales Manager position, it doesn’t mean you are doomed.  It means you are going to have to invest some time and money in developing your Sales Manager.  I have been developing Top Sales Performers and Sales Managers for over 20 years.  If you need help help developing your Sales Manager or your Sales Team, contact me for a free consultation.  It is never too late to become great.

Jeff Raver, President of Begin to Win

John Maxwell Team Certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker

Contact me by email Jeff.raver@BeginToWinNow.com