You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
You may find yourself in another part of the world
You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife
You may ask yourself, well how did I get here?
-The Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime

The Ripple Effect
by Doug Grady

I have always been fascinated with how we become who we are. What creates breakthroughs in our lives? What causes some people to wake up enthused and go to bed fulfilled? How do we create a life we are excited about that also makes a powerful and positive difference for others? Why do so many incredibly talented, gifted, and “fortunate” people end up ruining their lives (insert your favorite Hollywood tragedy here)? How do others defy the odds and live extraordinary, exemplary lives?

My work has been in personal and professional development for over 17 years. I have read hundreds of books and invested thousands of dollars and hours in seminars, training sessions, personal coaching and other "self-help" strategies with the “best” in the business. They taught me how to think and act to be more successful; how to set goals; how to manage my time; how to communicate more effectively; how to be my best... I was an excellent student and became a professional trainer. I have trained thousands of people all over the country how to be more successful in their chosen field of endeavor. Still somehow several months ago I ended up “stuck” to put it mildly. My business was losing money, I was physically out of shape, and had a bad attitude. Some of my closest friends and advisors were recommending I consider a new career path. I began to ask myself,

“Well, how did I get here?”

I often brooded over the irony of how I, an intelligent, experienced man in the “success” business could allow himself to be sucked into the quagmire of mediocrity. I wanted desperately to continue to blame it on the economy and bad luck. When I got brutally honest with myself I came to the realization that I was the problem. The ripples created from the choices I had made, the habitual behaviors I had engaged in, and the limiting beliefs I had cultivated led me to exactly where I was. It was no accident. My mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and financial state- all of which were suffering, were nothing more than the inevitable result of the choices I had made. I knew something had to change and I had to change it.

Inception is the point at which thought becomes commitment.

It had been several months since I had exercised consistently. I felt tired, lethargic, flabby, and weak. I have been athletic for most of my life, but had allowed a hip injury which I incurred while training for a half marathon to become an excuse for not exercising. I made a commitment to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day for 30 consecutive days. It was a less than inspired moment, nonetheless it was a commitment.

My follow through began the next day. Initially the workouts were unpleasant and inconvenient to say the least, but I followed through. A few days later I committed to making 20+ prospecting calls per day. Several other commitments followed- healthier eating, getting up early, reading something positive everyday. Some of these simply “happened” without much thought, planning or effort on my part. Others (the calls for example) took more discipline. I began to think more clearly; my energy increased; my communication became more effective; people began to respond differently to me. I met (and now hang out with) some extraordinary people I never would have met otherwise. Oh, and my business began to move in the right direction. My life is very different now- mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. One choice led to other choices and to a series of positive outcomes. The ripples changed the course of my life.

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

The inception incubator. Perhaps you have been thinking of taking on a commitment that would change the course of your life. Your inception point occurs when you resolve to act on this thought. I recommend your “inception incubator” include the following:

• Consider your life as a series of “ripples”. The experiences in your life and your response to them have led you to where you are now.
• Think about the life you really want. Who do you want to be? Who are you at your best? What qualities do you want to develop? How do you want the world to be different because of you? Why are you here? What legacy do you want to leave behind?
• Read something inspirational, educational and/or motivational.
• Listen to your favorite music.
• Go for a walk.
• Get around people who inspire you- people you respect; people who are committed to having an extraordinary life; people who care about you.

Choose your commitment.
• Choose one. Doing something positive is always better than nothing. Do not worry about making the perfect choice. Perfectionism nourishes procrastination and can keep you stuck.
• Choose simply. By “simple” I mean “do-able.” Your daily commitment must be manageable in the face of the unexpected.
• Choose now. Now is the time, this is the place, you are the one.

“I took the road less traveled, now I have no idea where in the world I am.” –Anonymous

Once you have made your choice your ripple has begun. The road ahead will undoubtedly contain many twists and turns; unexpected pain and exciting breakthroughs; victories and defeats. Honoring your commitment isn’t always easy. Your ripple will subside very soon without:

Follow through. Don’t let your ripple die the death of most New Year’s resolutions. Choose everyday to find a way to:

"Just do it!" -Nike

"Do it anyway!" -Donald E Grady, Sr. (My Dad)

Track what is different in your life since you began your commitment.
• How do you feel? What experiences have surfaced? What results, people, places or things? What other choices have you made? What is different in you and in your life? What distinctions have you gained?
• Keep a journal- acknowledge yourself each day you honor your commitment. Write about your challenges, your accomplishments, your breakthroughs, and how you have affected others.
• Share with others what you are doing and what has happened in your life because of it.
For those of you who like formulas (I am one of them), here it is:
Inception (think, choose, commit), Follow through, Track, Repeat.

Your inception point, if you choose, is now.
• I choose to____________ for the next ____ days.

Please include me in the sharing of your experience with The Ripple Effect. I really want to hear from you.

You may find yourself making more empowering choices
You may find yourself turning your business around
You may find yourself alive and excited each day
You may find yourself in extraordinary places with extraordinary people
You may tell yourself, well I know how I got here.
-The Ripple Effect

Start your 30-day trial membership for just $1.

Today, Doug Grady, speaker, entrepreneur, musician, and President of High Achievers Network, strives to reinvent the miscalculations of unrealistic strategies that simply sit well on published pages. He may actually turn out to be the Father of “The Sales in All,” mentality and we are vouching for his elated methods.

...Grady got up in front of a crowd one day; placed his banjo on his knee and began to sign a parody about entrepreneurship to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's “I will Survive...”

What about Grady's message? Doug Grady offers sincerity. Doug Grady offers the right ticket; without the artificial additives and a pinch of entertainment. He presents the facts, as far as what needs to be done in a sales arena and he caters to all.

"I believe in building the character of the person selling... in order to get across to the client, prospect, or people in general. You can't sell anything unless you know where you are and where you are heading,”

We know Grady is on to something with his music, but more than that, is he bridging the platform between the self-help industry and the world of selling into one conference. His method of delivery is unique and radical, and is offered live, online, via podcasts, and CDs.

“I killed it! I killed my pretty sale!” –Tommy Boy

Why are you killing sales? Have you ever wondered about the sales you lost- what went wrong? Here are the biggest sales killers.
1. You have been DISMISSED. Many salespeople are dismissed before they even open their mouths. This dismissal is confirmed once they open their mouths. Your prospect is unconsciously asking, “Who are you and why should I care?” You need a specific, relevant answer to this question to avoid being dismissed. The Superior Salesperson separates himself from the masses through creative door openers, personal marketing, strategic relationships, and reality based communication. If you’re dismissed, your sale is dead.
2. Ineffective READs. There are 4 steps all customers go through before they buy anything from anybody. The Superior Salesperson understands these steps, where the customer is in their buying process, and how to communicate effectively through each step. They pay attention to verbal an non-verbal cues and adjust themselves to personality styles. Failure to READ your prospect kills sales.
3. Lack of flexibility. The average salesperson engages in “verbal vomit.” They “show up and throw up.” “Blah, blah, blah…” This may occasionally bore some prospects into submission but will seldom attract the bigger and better clients. Lack of flexibility is a sales killer.
Just one of these 3 sales killers is enough to significantly decrease your closing ratio. Learn how to be more aware and present in your communication. Learn how to separate yourself from your competition. Learn how to adjust your communication given the situation. Learn how to READ your prospect.
see How to READ People- part 1

E- Evaluation. Once your prospect is within realization (see part 1), evaluation begins. Human beings are evaluation machines. Evaluations are simply questions your prospects are asking which much be answered to their satisfaction before they buy. Your prospect consciously or unconsciously asks questions in four general areas:

• Why you?
• Why your company?
• Why your product/service?
• Why now?

Failure to satisfactorily answer just one of these areas can kill your sale.

The answers to these questions fall into two basic categories: the desire to gain pleasure and the desire to avoid pain.

Specific "pleasure" points may include:

• Return on investment
• Improved employee morale
• Pride
• Ego
• Security
• Approval from others
• Feelings of Success
• Intelligence
• Convenience
• Personal growth
• Keeping up with peers

"Pain" relief may fall into these categories:

• Increased profits
• Decreased costs
• Increased sales
• Efficiency
• Less stress
• Increased productivity
• Peace of mind
• Job security

Strategy 1: Ask “pleasure” and “pain” questions. In order to influence the valuation if others, you know how they evaluate. Earth-shattering, I know. Yet so many salespeople simply “show up and throw up”. They talk about every feature, advantage and benefit known to mankind regarding their product in hopes that one will miraculously connect with their prospect in such a way that they are uncontrollably compelled to say “I’ll take it!”

Examples of “pleasure” questions:

What’s most important to you in _______?

Why is that so important?

What do you like most about your current situation?

Why do you like that so much?

Why did you decide to go with XYZ company?

Examples of “pain” questions:

What’s not working?

If you could change anything about your current situation, what would it be?

What concerns do you have in this area?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how are things going in this area? What’s missing to make it a 10?

Strategy 2: Presentational Positioning. Your presentation should be relevant and specific to your prospect and their current situation. If you have asked effective questions, listened, and received accurate answers you are ready to give a tailored presentation. In your presentation, position your product or service as a way for them to move toward what they want and away from what they don’t want.

Recommended HAN faculty: McKain, Weldon, Grady, Sjodin, Hutson (in members area)

Have you ever wondered why some people buy and some don’t? Why you can ‘nail’ a presentation and still lose the sale? Why some prospect with obvious needs won’t even talk to you? Why some people give a fast “yes” but you end up with a slow “no”?

It’s not about you.

So much of traditional sales training has focused on what you, the salesperson do. If they say this, you respond with that; this is what you say and how you say it; you have to go through the steps of the sale, you have to close early and often, blah blah blah. This is all about you. There is really only one entity that determines if and when a sale is made, it’s your prospect. In this 4 part blog we’ll explore the 4 steps all prospects go through before they buy anything from anybody.

Part One: Realization

R- Realization. Have you ever talked with a potential customer- someone you know would be better off with your products or services than without- the only problem is… they don’t know it! Until your prospect accepts the possibility they might do business with someone in your industry within a reasonable period of time (it might even be you) the most powerful of presentations will fall on deaf ears. Realization occurs when your potential client first understands that they are in fact a potential buyer of your products or services. Your job is to find them in realization, creatively get them there, or be around when they get there.

• Strategy 1: Find prospects in realization. This is what traditional prospecting is designed to do. You keep beatin’ the streets, smilin’ and dialin’ until you find someone who is at this point of realization and is willing to talk to you. While it is true sales is a numbers game, it’s not just quantity, but quality of activity that counts. If someone is not yet at the point of realization, you have 2 choices:  move on or:
• Strategy 2: Creative door-openers. One of the questions your prospects are unconsciously asking themselves is, “Why should I talk to you right now?” You must find ways to creatively answer this question. Look for excuses to call back your best prospects. Do your homework- research your best prospects and ask yourself, “If I were this person, what would get my attention?” Find people, places and things to creatively open the door for you.
  • People: Who do you know that can provide an introduction for you to your best prospects?
  • Places: There are people who will have coffee with you and not lunch, and vice-versa. There are people who will accept a golfing invitation who will never have you in their office. Think creatively as to what type of invitation your prospect might accept.
  • Things: I once secured an appointment with an elusive prospect after finding out he was from New Orleans. I sent a bottle of Tabasco sauce with a note saying “Some of the best things come from Louisiana- I’d like to meet you.”

If you are unsuccessful at creatively opening the door you have 2 choices: move on or:

• Strategy 3: Be around when your prospect realizes. When someone in your market has a need, do they think of you first, second, or not at all? Many of the best salespeople I know are also the best personal marketers I know. They stay on the “mind of the market” by developing and nurturing an identity in their market. When realization occurs, they are thought of, sought out, and given a shot at the business. Your personal marketing efforts should include several of the following personal marketing strategies:
  • Newsletters
  • Personal brochure
  • Direct mail
  • Networking meetings
  • Business associations
  • Referral groups
  • Speaking engagements
  • Writing articles
  • Social media
  • Blogging
  • Strategic alliances
  • Advertising
  • Charity work

Until realization occurs in the mind of your prospect, nothing will happen. Once they get there, they begin to move into step 2, E, the focus of next week’s blog.

Recommended HAN faculty: Weldon, Grady, Gundrum, Levinson, Misner, Reaves