FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES
Hey Everybody,
I hope all is well with each and every one of you. I have to admit, LIFE has really been challenging me this week but, by the grace of God and the fact that I actually take my own advice, I am making through it. There is a lot of truth in the saying "That which does not kill you only makes you stronger !!!", and added strength is something we can all use. Welcome back to all my loyal readers and welcome home to all of the new people. If you are new and want to read back editions or maybe you just missed one, you can always read my newsletters by going to either...
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links.html (bottom left corner of page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
******************** Success University *********************
Let me ask you something. What would you say is the Number One thing that is most important to a person when deciding whether or not to be a part of a particular business? Well, as the Director of Support for our team in Success University I can give you a little insight on that. You see, I spend ours a day working with people. It is a very enlightening experience, to say the least. If you said the money you are WRONG !!! If you said having the Best product or service you are WRONG !!! I get told countless times a day that the main reason people come onboard and STAY onboard Success University is the AWESOME Support System we have in place. Above everything else, the most import thing to people , percentage wise, is knowing that they are going to have the necessary training, unlimited assistance and problem solving that is quick and personal. If YOU are looking for those same qualities in a company then YOU need to check out Success University TODAY !!!
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
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I want to talk to you this evening about how you present yourself to others. You see, you can have an awesome product, a killer compensation plan and the nicest suit that money can buy BUT, if you are not perceived as knowledgeable and professional, your efforts can fall on deaf ears !!!
Communication skills are very important in the business world and I don't just mean how well you enunciate. I'm talking about posture, voice inflection, body language and a host of other things that will determine not only how people perceive you but also what level of self confidence you will have. These things will TREMENDOUSLY impact your sales and every aspect of your business.
Here is what I do and I am sure you will find it helpful too. You need two things. You will need a partner that understands how serious you are about your business so they will be serious about helping you and not be a clown and you will need a camcorder with a tripod. If a camcorder is not within your budget then borrow one. The tripod is only $20 at Wal-mart and they fit basically ALL camcorders Universally.
Here is what you need to do. By the way, this is the techniques I use to practice my speeches and self critique. You will want to work two different scenarios. First, let's talk about the ONE-ON-ONE scenario. Explain to your helper what you are wanting to do here. Tell them they are playing the role of the PROSPECT and you are going to give them a short presentation. It will help if you make a short list of questions for them to ask you at the end so you can practice how you handle those as well. Then simply set the camcorder up on the tripod and aim it at a table and two chairs. Check the aim for accuracy, press the RECORD button and do your thing. Now, all you have to do is play the tape back later and you will be AMAZED at the things you will notice about how you handled your presentation. I know I was. Also, ask your helper for some feedback. After all, it was them you were trying to sell on the idea. Even use someone that is in your warm market that you have not yet signed up and they may be so inspired by your pursuit for excellence you may even sign them up on the spot.
Next, you want to do basically the same thing except you are going to be practicing talking to more than one person at a time. Now, a lot of people will say that they don't like doing presentations in front of an audience and that they think this is an outdated method but I have news for them !!! Let them tell that to the people that tell me the only reason that they signed up with me was that they saw my dedication and passion for what I do. It all comes down to HOW BAD DO YOU WANT SUCCESS ??? Anyway, just aim the camcorder at the spot you are going to speak from, check your aim for accuracy and KNOCK'EM OFF THEIR FEET !!! Then, of course, simply follow up as before by asking your helper for feedback and reviewing the tape to see where you are weak and work on strengthening those areas. You will find many things that need correcting but you will also find that you are not quite as bad as you thought you were either.
NOTE: DO NOT stare at the camera !!! You are not on TV. You are using the camera to record your presentation and NOT giving the presentation TO the camera.
The bottom line here it that you are never going to be perfect. GET OVER IT !!! Even the great ones still make mistakes on stage. But, you know what? If you think about it, when they do you are so into what they are talking about that you hardly even notice and by the time you leave the auditorium you have completely put it out of your mind. Other people are going to be the same way by you. Yes, they will notice your little boo boo's BUT that will only label you as being human. It's not PERFECTION you seek. It is PROFESSIONALISM !!!
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"Instruction does not prevent wasted time or mistakes; and mistakes themselves are often the best teachers of all."
- James Anthony Froude
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I would like for each of you to take just a second to think about it and then answer this question. How much time do you spend WORRYING about things in the course of your day? Now, be honest. How many times a day do you let things come flying out of your mouth such as "Boy, I sure hope they don't start laying anybody off!" or "I hope gas doesn't get any higher!" or "They say there's a virus going around. I sure hope I don't get it!" Just how much time do you spend wasting your day and giving energy to negative thoughts?
First of all, if you can't connect with where I'm coming from then you need to do your homework and study up on the Law of Attraction. I HIGHLY recommend watching the movie THE SECRET. There are other books and other forms of information on the subject but I have personally found THE SECRET to be the most informative and the easiest for the masses to understand.
Worry is one of the most destructive forces in the World !!! And what I really don't understand is why some people do it in a manner that almost seems intentional in nature. Worrying does nothing but increase your stress level and make you miserable. It has ZERO effect on you or the World in general as far as accomplishing anything or impacting the results. If two people are in two IDENTICAL situations and one worries about his while the other chooses to remain totally neutral, when all is said and done the results will be the same so WHY STRESS YOURSELF ON PURPOSE ?!?
Worrying accomplishes one thing and ONE THING ONLY !!! It causes your mental and physical condition to deteriorate. Stress brought on by worrying raises your blood pressure, makes you more vulnerable to heart disease, causes bouts with anxiety, can LITERALLY make you more prone to actual physical ailments and disease and just makes you plain unhappy. Now, considering that you do NOTHING to manipulate the outcome of any situation by worrying, why would any rational person do this to themselves?
Instead of worrying, you need to learn to re-direct your focus. You need to stop feeding energy to what you don't want or what you fear and retrain yourself to think in a manner that feeds energy to positive things. If you are worried about a test you have to take, re-direct that energy to increasing your studies. If you are worried about how things are going to turn out for your business, re-direct that energy into learning new ways to make your business better than the competition. If you are worried about your health, re-direct that energy toward improvements in your eating and exercising habits.
I guess it all comes down to one thing. Worrying is nothing but a non-productive, self-destructive and completely AVOIDABLE thing in people's lives. As for those of you who would argue and say "Well, I just can't help it !!!" I would say to you that the ONLY reason you can't help it is because you just claimed that weakness and made it yours. Remember, WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU BRING ABOUT and your words are a direct manifestation of your thoughts. So, it's up to you to change your way of thinking and purify what comes out of your mouth. Trust me, the day you stop worrying about everything you will notice MASSIVE improvements in your life !!!
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"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."
- Buddha
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Wow, the time has really gotten away from me once again. When I sit down to write it's like time just stands still..... UNTIL I LOOK AT THE CLOCK !!! Writing is very soothing, very relaxing and very fulfilling. I encourage everyone to try it. It doesn't matter if you fancy yourself a grammatical whiz or if you think you can't put two words together to make a sentence. It's just an experience I think everyone should have. You never know, you just may surprise yourself at what ends up on the screen in front of you and you, like I have, may have a new found addition. At least this one isn't bad for your health. Until the next time that The Good Lord let's us have this quality time together, just remember to.......
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY !!!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
JeffreyHodges@thedreameffect.com
http://www.thedreameffect.com
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
270-320-1324
Skype ID : jeffhodges1
