Sales Training: Attack Your Enemies with Love

Hey Folks!

Have you ever had someone steal a sale from you? Have you ever had a prospect lie to you? Most of have to admit a big yes to probably both of those questions. Now, here is the big questions. How did it make you feel? And what did you do about it? Well, today, I have an article that can help us with just these sorts of situations. Check it out right here. http://www.takeactionsales.com/Attack%20Your%20Enemies%20with%20Love.html



Merry Christmas my sales friends. God bless!

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

Sales Training Video and Audio Clips from Live Seminars - FREE

Hey Folks!

We have just added some audio and video clips for you to see on Take Action Sales. Check them out and close more sales. www.TakeActionSales.com . You will find the links to the clips on the Home Page. Enjoy.


God bless,

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

Sales and a Successful Marriage

Hi Folks!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends. I sure did.

You know, when your relationships are good, everything else seems to be good too. This is true of your sales too. Check out this article that will help you with an extremely important relationship and that is your marriage. http://www.markbowser.com/Corporate%20Training%20-%20%20Relationships,%20How%20to%20Have%20An%20Extraordinary%20Marriage.htm

Have a great sales day. God bless!

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

Corporate Customer Service Training: The Buck Stops Where?

Hey Folks!

Successful selling and effective customer service go hand in hand. Well, I have a treat for you today. Check out this article to improve your customer service and watch your sales soar. Click the following to read this inspiring article. http://www.markbowser.com/Corporate%20Training%20-%20The%20Buck%20Stops%20Where.htm

Corporate Training: A Sales Champion Harnesses the Power of Questions

By Mark Bowser
Motivational Business Speaker




I read a fascinating story about a little girl named Markita Andrews. When Markita was eight years old, her father abandoned her and her mother. Markita's mother worked as a waitress to support them. One day, she said to Markita, "I'll work hard to make enough money to send you to college. You'll go to college and when you graduate, you'll make enough money to take you and me around the world. Okay?" That thought ran around Markita's mind. How would she ever be able to afford a trip like that? To read more click here http://www.markbowser.com/Corporate%20Training%20-%20%20A%20Sales%20Champion%20Harnesses%20the%20Power%20of%20Questions.htm

Sales Training: The Parable of Talents with Brian Tracy

Hi Folks!

Check out this outstanding article from Brian Tracy.



Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! That is the word for this sales training success article by Brian Tracy. If you want to be financially independent then this article is for you.
Take Action Sales Editor


The Parable of the Talents is the primary reason for wealth or poverty throughout history.

Reasons for Rich or Poor

Why do some people retire rich and most people retire poor? This subject has fascinated philosophers, thinkers, mystics and teachers throughout the ages. There have been so many cases of hundreds or thousands and even millions of men and women who have started with nothing and become financially independent that people are naturally curious to know why it happened and what are the common rules or principles that others can apply to become wealthy as well.

Why People Become Rich

One illustration of this key principle is called the parable of the talents. In the Bible, it says, "To him that hath, shall more be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away."

To read the rest of this article then please click http://www.takeactionsales.com/The%20Parable%20of%20the%20Talents.html

Sales Training: Keeping the Worms Warm in Sales

By Mark Bowser


Be inspired to close more sales with this humorous illustration from Sales Professional Mark Bowser

Take Action Sales Editor



You can’t count your chickens before they hatch but you can at least keep the eggs warm. I never count it a sale, until the contract and payment is in my hand. Only then, can I feel confident that the sale has been officially made.

To read more click the web address: http://www.takeactionsales.com/Keeping%20the%20Worms%20Warm%20in%20Sales.html

Sales Training: The Golden Rule for Successful Selling, Living, and High Self-Esteem

By Mark Bowser

Mark Bowser is a strong man of faith. Does faith have anything to do with our selling success? Absolutely! In this sales training article, let's learn from Mark as he teaches us how faith and living by the Golden Rule can help your sales success.
Take Action Sales Editor


Obeying the Golden Rule is the sign of a positive high self-esteem: “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.” (The Bible)

The Golden Rule is all about love. "Is love really important in my sales career? Do I really need to love my prospect?" Read on: Love for ourself and love for other people. But how can we truly follow the Golden Rule if we don’t love ourself? Click here to read more http://www.takeactionsales.com/The%20Golden%20Rule%20for%20Successful%20Selling,%20Living,%20and%20High%20Self-Esteem.html

Sales Training: The Key to Charisma

Hey Folks!

Here is a great article by Brian Tracy that we just added to our website TakeActionSales.com. I have placed part of the article below and a link where you can read the rest of it. Enjoy and make it a great sales day!

God bless,

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

The Key to Charisma

By Brian Tracy


There is a close association between personal charisma and success in life. Probably 85 percent of your success and happiness will come from your relationships and interactions with others. The more positively others respond to you, the easier it will be for you to get the things you want.The Law of AttractionIn essence, when we discuss charisma, we are talking about the law of attraction. This law has been stated in many different ways down through the centuries, but it basically says that you inevitably attract into your life the people and circumstances that harmonize with your dominant thoughts.

To read more click the link.http://www.takeactionsales.com/The%20Key%20to%20Charisma.html

Sales Training: Going Up!

Good afternoon! We are making many improvements to our website TakeActionSales.com including the addition of this inspirational article. Check it out at http://takeactionsales.com/Going%20Up!.html. Enjoy and Happy Selling!

God bless you,

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

Sales Training: Do You Have Sales Hope?

by Mark Bowser

Sales hope is a little thing that carries big dividends in the sales process. Webster defines hope as, “A desire of some good, accompanied with a belief that it is attainable...” The Bible talks about faith, hope, and love being of tremendous importance with love being the most important. As we can see, hope is a necessary ingredient to being a success at selling and to live an empowered life. When we believe something good is attainable we are more likely to take action to achieve it. Also, our thinking will be right. We will begin to visualize ourselves as successful at selling. We will begin to believe in our dreams. We will begin to see the possibilities of those dreams realized.

Sales Training: Sales Motivation

by Mark Bowser

Sales motivation without direction is dangerous. Sales motivation with positive direction is success!

There is the story of an American soldier by the name of Murphy who was part of an American Tank Unit fighting with the British in the Libyan Campaign. The young G.I. soon found himself and his unit many, many miles deep into the desert. They went days without seeing any action. Boredom set in. One day, the commanding officer of this unit found this young man walking across the sands as if on a mission. The only problem was that the young American was wearing swimming trunks.

The commanding officer shouted, “Murphy! What on earth do you think you are doing and where are you going?”

“Well, sir,” said Murphy. “It is such a nice day and I have a few hours off so I thought I would go for a swim.”

“You must have been out in the sun too long. The ocean is 500 miles away.”

“Boy!” said Murphy. “It’s a beautifully large beach, isn’t it, sir.”

You see my sales friend, of all the problems Murphy may have had, motivation wasn’t one of them. However, he did have a big problem when it came to direction. A friend of mine likes to say that you run into trouble when your mind gets idle.

So, what is your sales answer today? The answer is purpose. If you have a purpose in selling then your motivation will have a positive focus. And, positive focus plus motivation equals success. Grab hold of your sales purpose and your sale motivation will take care of itself.

Sales Training: An idea is the Greatest Sales Investment

By Mark Bowser

Not too many years ago when I was struggling in my life, I heard five powerful words spoken by motivational speaker Les Brown. The words he spoke touched my heart. His words were, “You’ve got greatness within you.” Since the day I heard those words, it has been my understanding that one of the most powerful forces in the universe is a positive idea that is acted upon. I acted upon that idea and my life was ever changed for the better.

How about you? Do you have any good sales ideas stored in your brain that you never bothered to act upon? Well, I challenge you now to pull those sales ideas back out. Dust the cobwebs off the ideas and run with them. TAKE ACTION! You may discover that you can double your sales in a very short time. WOW! What an idea!

Sales Training: Happiness in Selling

by Mark Bowser

Happiness in selling is always created from the inside, not from the outside. Where does happiness come from? Is it given to us? Can we earn it? Happiness is given to us. It is ours for the asking. Happiness is a choice. We decide how happy or unhappy we will be. Wisconsin Odd Fellow wrote a poem titled “Happiness Is Within” which says, “It’s not so much the world outside that makes us laugh or smile; it’s more the thoughts within our hearts that make life seem worthwhile.”

I know a story about an old wise man. This wise man lived in a small town. Every day this man would sit outside the local gas station and watch the cars go by. Every once in a while a car would stop and he would have the opportunity to talk with a neighbor or even a tourist passing through. On this particular day, the old man’s granddaughter joined him at the gas station.

After some time, a car pulled up to the station. A man got out of the car and started to look around. The wise old man did not recognize the stranger and figured he was a tourist. The tourist came up to the older man and asked, “What kind of a town is this? Is it a nice place to live?”

The wise old man looked at the stranger and asked, “What kind of town are you from? Is it a nice place to live?”

The tourist said, “It’s an awful town. Everyone is critical of each other and negative about the future. They gossip all the time too. I am glad to be leaving.”

The old man said, “That’s how it is in this town too.”

After an hour or so, another car drove up. This time it was filled with a family of strangers. The mother jumped out in a hurry with two small children and asked where the restroom was. The old man pointed to a ragged, decrepit sign and the woman thanked him and hurried off with the children.

The father got out and walked up to the wise old man and his granddaughter. He asked, “What kind of town is this?”

The old man asked, “What kind of town are you from?”

The young father looked at the old man and said, “It’s a great town. I wish we didn’t have to leave. Everyone is very close. There is always a friendly hello and smile throughout the day. I feel we are leaving family.”

“That is exactly like this town,” said the old wise man.

After the nice little family had driven away the old man’s granddaughter looked up at her grandfather with a puzzled look and said, “Grandpa, why did you tell the first man this was a terrible town and the second man it was a great town?”

The old man looked down at his beautiful little granddaughter and lovingly said, “Sweetheart, the truth is that people see exactly what they want to see. Our attitude is what makes the difference. The attitude we have determines whether it is an awful or marvelous place in which to live.”

Well, there we have it. We choose whether we are going to live a happy or unhappy life. Are you a happy sales professional? Kind of an interesting question, isn’t it? It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Well, I don’t know about you but I have made up my mind. I’m going to live a happy sales life!

Sales Training: Relationships - True Friendship is a Growing Plant of Shared Sacrifice and Commitment

by Mark Bowser

George Washington said that “True Friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.” Friendship is one of the great blessings from God. Norman Vincent Peale used to tell a fantastic story of a friendship of shared sacrifice and commitment.

It was a wonderful day on the west coast. On a beach near San Francisco, two San Francisco State College freshmen decided to go for a swim. Shirley O'Neill and Albert Kogler flung themselves into the refreshing surf. Al took the lead. The two freshmen swam out about fifty yards to calm water and then began floating lazily in the California sun. Little did they know that they were being watched. Being sensed is more like it. One of nature's most dangerous creatures was stalking its prey. A great white shark was moving in for the kill.

All of a sudden, Shirley heard a scream. Al was being pulled down by something. His head reappeared caked with blood. Al yelled in agony, "Get away, Shirley! Get away! It's a shark!" Al didn't want her help. If sacrificing himself would save her then it was worth it.

Shirley was paralyzed with fear and shock. Al's words rung in her ears. After what seemed like an eternity, she turned toward shore and began swimming for her life. But then she stopped. She couldn't leave her friend. She had to help him...if she could.

The water was full of red blood. She reached for Al's hand and then pulled back in terror. His arm had been ripped from his body. She wrapped her arm around Al's chest. He was alive. Shirley began kicking her feet and stroking with her free arm. The two friends began the slow journey toward shore. Would the shark return? Would it bring its friends? Shirley was getting tired. Al's body seemed to get heavier every second. But she would not let go. She would not leave her friend.

Finally, Shirley could touch bottom. At this point, she was exhausted. She could go no farther. She tried to scream for help. All that came out of her mouth was a weak yelp. Nobody would be able to hear that. Miraculously, Joe Intersonine was fishing some distance down the beach. His eyes for some reason turned. He could hardly believe his eyes. Joe began running toward Shirley and Al. He then flung his cast like a cowboy with his rope. The line perfectly landed beside Shirley and Al. Shirley wrapped it around her waist and Joe reeled them into safety.

By this time, many people saw the trouble and ran to help. They laid Al on the beach and put a blanket on top of him. Being a devoted Christian, Shirley asked if she could baptize him. Al had never had any use for religion but at this moment his heart softened. He nodded "yes" to Shirley. Shirley ran to the water and gathered some in her swimming cap and baptized Al. Al was taken to the hospital and died two hours later.

Many of us will never be in a situation to sacrifice our lives for someone else like Shirley and Al. But that doesn't mean we don't sacrifice our lives. If our motive and desire is to put other people before our self then we do sacrifice our self. Sacrifice is a necessary ingredient of loving people.

As the Ancient Writer told us, "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged."

Sales Training: Patience in Selling

by Mark Bowser

Patience is a sales weapon that can reveal miracles. Patience in selling (and in general) is something with which I have difficulty. I am a go-getter who doesn’t like to wait. But the truth is, we all need to learn patience. Through patience and persistence in our sales career is usually how success happens.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Dr. Thomas Cooper took on the tedious task of editing a known dictionary. He also improved it in other ways including adding thirty-three thousand words. Dr. Cooper had already been working on his project for eight years when his hateful, ignorant wife went into his library and burned every note he had on the project. She believed she was saving him from killing himself from too much study.

A short time later, Dr. Cooper went into his library and found the burnt mess. He inquired about who would cause such tragedy. His wife boldly and proudly said that she had done it. Dr. Cooper looked at his wife and said, “Oh, Dinah, you have just caused me a lot of trouble!” He then sat down and began another eight years of work to replace the notes she had destroyed.

Wow! Now that’s patience. My friend, do you have that kind of patience in your sales career? Do I? I don’t know. I hope I would possess the same courage and conviction as Dr. Cooper to start again, don’t you?

Sales Training Success: You Can’t Succeed Alone Because That is Not Success

by Mark Bowser

Let us suppose for just a moment that you could get to the mountaintop of success all by yourself. You have worked very hard and finally you have made it. You have reached the peak. Your success is secure. You have won the trophy. Something is not right though. It is too quiet. Where is all the clapping? Where are all the cheers? You look around and discover that you are all alone. Where is everybody? Then you remember you succeeded by yourself. All of a sudden your joy turns to sorrow. Your head falls, your shoulders slump. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This was supposed to be the best day of your life. As a tear rolls down your face, you throw the trophy off the mountaintop. You watch it descend to the valley. When it impacts it breaks into a thousand pieces just like your spirit.

My friend, what fun would success be without people to share it with? We need people and they need us. The great wonderful fact is that we can't reach the mountaintop of success all by ourselves. Only with people will we be truly successful. We help them succeed and they help us. It is a team effort. It was Jim Rohn who said, “You cannot succeed by yourself. It’s hard to find a rich hermit.”

We don’t want to be rich hermits. We want to be build rich teams. Rich in relationships, rich in money, rich in skills, and rich in faith. When you have accomplished that, that is when you know you are a success.

Sales Training: Successful Selling isn’t about Being Perfect

by Mark Bowser


A sales winner is not a perfect human being. There are no perfect human beings. A sales winner is an imperfect human being striving to be better.

Sometimes I can be a perfectionist. Because of this, I am sometimes too critical of myself and others. What I have to remind myself of is that we aren’t perfect. Because of this fact, we will make mistakes. Sometimes they will be stupid mistakes. Well, that’s part of life. When we make a mistake, we have to own up to it and then forgive ourselves. If the mistake can be fixed then fix it. If other people make a mistake, then forgive them. Mistakes are part of life. When they happen, we need to look for the good in them. What can we learn? Where did we go wrong? How can I improve this situation? How can I show people I love them in spite of their imperfectness? Where do we go from here? These are the questions of a sales winner and you are a sales winner.

Sales Training: A Sales Champion Harnesses The Power of Questions

By Mark Bowser


I read a fascinating story about a little girl named Markita Andrews. When Markita was eight years old, her father abandoned her and her mother. Markita's mother worked as a waitress to support them. One day, she said to Markita, "I'll work hard to make enough money to send you to college. You'll go to college and when you graduate, you'll make enough money to take you and me around the world. Okay?" That thought ran around Markita's mind. How would she ever be able to afford a trip like that?

When Markita was 13 years old, she read in a Girl Scout magazine that the one who sold the most cookies would win a trip for two around the world. Here was her answer. She had to go for it. She could smell that trip like you can smell those good cookies. Markita's aunt gave her some invaluable advice, which included asking people to invest in her cookies not just to buy cookies. Markita started telling people her dream of earning a trip around the world for herself and her mother. She then would close with, "Would you like to invest in one dozen or two dozen boxes of cookies?"

Markita sold 3,526 boxes of cookies that year and you know what? She and her mother went on a trip around the world. What was it that has taken Markita to the top? How was she able to sell so many cookies? Well, there are many factors to her success but I believe one of the key ingredients was the questions she asked her self. I imagine she asked herself good questions like, "How can I win that trip? How can I succeed? What is going to go great today?"

You see, God created the greatest computer right between your ears. If you ask your brain a question, it will search and search and search until it finds an answer. The problem is that many people ask themselves lousy questions. They get up in the morning and the first thing they ask is, "I wonder what is going to go wrong today?" And before they know it, their brains give them a whole list of things that could go wrong today.

We don't want to be like that. We need to use to the best of our abilities the computer in our heads. We need to ask ourselves good questions. Get up in the morning and ask yourself, "What is going to go great today?" or "What will I enjoy today?" When you ask those questions, your brain finds answers to them as well, which will motivate you in the direction of success. How we feel and where we are headed in life is in direct relationship with the consistent questions we ask ourselves.

The next time you are in a bad mood try to stop and catch yourself. What kind of questions have you been asking yourself? I can almost guarantee that you have been asking yourself some pretty lousy questions. Let's change that pattern right now. I encourage you to take some time and really answer the following questions. Roll them around in your head. Spend some time with them and then write down your answers. When we change our questions, then we change our answers, that in turn changes our focus, which then leads to our success.

1. What are you excited about today in your sales career?



2. What can you learn today?






3. Think of a challenge you are having right now in your sales career. How can you make it better or even solve it?





4. How can you serve your prospects and clients today?





5. How can you make a difference?

Sales Training: Great Leaders Capture The Power of Vision

By Mark Bowser

Throughout time, great leaders have always had vision. Vision is one of the most important elements to being a champion. The Ancient Writer states it this way, "Where there is no vision, the people perish….” Vision keeps us on track. It even shows us where the track is. So, if vision is so important to success and happiness then where do we get it? That is not an easy question. One way is to ask yourself where you want to be ten years down the road? What will you have accomplished? Where will you live? Who will be with you? Questions like these will help you discover your inner vision for your life.

I believe that there are two elements we have to keep in mind if we are to be successful with our leadership vision. One, the vision needs to be a challenging vision to stretch you and your team (REMEMBER: In order to reach your vision, you are going to need to get people on board with it which means you have to lead them. Every great leader has a vision that is worthy of following and the confidence and integrity to get people to follow them).

When I think about a leader with a challenging vision, I think of President John F. Kennedy. In 1961, he stood before the nation and said, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." That would be a challenging vision for NASA to repeat today let alone in 1961.

Let me remind you where we were when JFK made that statement. In 1961, we had just successfully launched Alan Shepherd into space as the first American into space. Up until that point we had had failure after failure. It was a miracle we didn't kill Alan Shepherd in the attempt to get him up there. Rocket after rocket had blown up in our faces. The Soviet Union was stomping on us in the space race.

Then, we have one success and President Kennedy said we are going to the moon. Our scientist probably wanted to send him to the moon. What an outrageous statement. Did we know how to accomplish it? Probably not. Was it possible? Some of them probably weren't sure. But what happened at 4:17 P.M. in the afternoon on Sunday July 20, 1969? The spacecraft ever so smoothly landed on the lunar surface. Neil Armstrong called back to earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Later, as he and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of Eagle onto the moon, Neil said, "That is one small step for man one giant leap for mankind." We had done it! We had landed two men on the moon and we did return them safely back home to earth. You see, a challenging vision isn't one you necessarily have all the answers to at the beginning, but one that will stretch you to accomplish something you didn't know you were capable of. It makes you stronger and better.

The second thing we have to keep in mind in order to make our vision a reality is the courage to put it into action. Michele Borba tells a story about Rocky Lyons. When Rocky was five years old, he and his mother Kelly were traveling in their pickup truck down a country two lane road. Rocky was asleep with his legs resting on his mother's lap. When they turned onto a narrow bridge, the truck hit a pothole. Trying to get the truck out of a rut, Kelly sped up and turned the steering wheel. Rocky's foot got caught between the steering wheel and Kelly's leg and she lost control of the vehicle. The truck tumbled over a 20-foot ravine.

The crash woke up Rocky. He looked at his mother and said, "What happened, Mama?" Kelly was hurt bad. She was covered with blood. Rocky said, "I'll get you out, Mama." He crawled out the window and tried to pull his mother out of the truck. It didn't work. He climbed back into the truck and somehow used his 40-pound body to push his 104-pound mother out of the wreckage.

Rocky was planning on climbing to the top of the ravine to get help for his mother. Fearing he would get hurt, Kelly refused to let him go by himself. Inch by inch they struggled along. Rocky not only had a vision to save his mother, he also knew how to motivate her to success. He told his mother to remember that little train. He was referring to the train in that children's classic The Little Engine that Could. In Rocky's own version of that famous line, he kept motivating his mother by saying, "I know you can, I know you can."

Well, they made it to the top and Rocky flagged down a vehicle. They got Kelly to the hospital and after 8 hours of surgery and 344 stitches, she was put back together. She looks much different today then she did before the crash. BUT SHE IS ALIVE! She is alive because a five-year-old boy had a vision to save his mother and the courage to put it into action. Rocky just did what he had to do. He wasn't trying to be a hero. He just did what he was called to do.

That is what vision is all about. A challenging vision which will get you out of your comfort zone and the courage to put it into action. What is your vision? Is it to change the entire world or just your corner of it? Whatever it is; wherever it is, GET THAT VISION AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Take some time right this moment to think about and answer the following questions. Then, come up with 3 action steps to start the ball rolling towards your vision.

1. If you knew you could not fail, what would you want to accomplish?



2. Where do you want to be in your career in five years?



3. Where do you want to be with your relationships in five years?



4. If you were able to hear the eulogy at your funeral, what would you like to be said about you?

Sales Training: Giving 100%

By Mark Bowser


There is a wonderful sales lesson in a story I found about Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln once took a sack of grain to a mill whose owner was said to be the laziest man in Illinois. Abe watched the man for a while and then finally commented, “I can eat the grain as fast as you’re grinding it.”

The owner of the mill grunted and said, “Indeed; and how long do you think you could keep that up?”

Abe looked at the man and replied, “Until I starve to death.”

Do you know any sales people who never give it their all? They are always looking for the short cut, the easy way, the fastest way. Well, selling is hard work. The quickest, easiest, fastest way is not always the most productive way. A short cut is not short cut if you “cut” corners. Give it your best and watch the sales orders come in.

Sales Training: Selling is a Daily Routine

By Mark Bowser

Successful selling is about daily habits. The kind of life we will live is determined by the kind of day we choose to live. Mike Murdock says, "The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." Because of this it is vital that we consciously choose good selling habits.

There is a great story titled "The New Leaves." As the story goes, young Tommy was fast asleep when all of a sudden he heard a voice say, "Wake up!" Tommy woke up with a start and saw a little boy about his same age standing at the end of his bed. The boy was dressed in the whitest clothes Tommy had ever seen.

"Who are you?" asked a startled but not frightened Tommy.

"I'm the New Year," said the boy. "I've brought you your leaves."

"What leaves?" asked a bewildered Tommy.

"Your new ones, of course. My daddy tells me bad things about you."

"And just who is your daddy?"

"The old year, of course," said the boy. "He says that you are greedy and that you don't treat your sister very nice. He also said you threw your book in the fire. Tommy, all of this must stop."

A little fear began to creep into Tommy’s mind as he said, "Oh, I must change, you say?"

The boy in white said, "If you don't change then day by day, year by year you will become worse and worse until you become a horrible man who has not a friend in the world. Do you want to be a horrible man, Tommy?"

A now very frightened Tommy sputtered out the word, "No."

"Then you must change today. Here, take your leaves." The boy handed Tommy what looked like white notebook paper. "Read one of these every day and soon you will be a nice boy."

On each sheet read little action steps like, "Help your mom and dad," "Be nice to your sister," and "Pick up your toys."

With that the New Year said, "Good-bye, Tommy. I will be back when I am old to see if you have been a good boy. Remember, bad boys make bad men and good boys make good men."

The New Year opened the window and was gone. The wind blew in the window and tossed the leaves out of Tommy's hand. "My leaves!" exclaimed Tommy. Tommy’s mother came into the room to see what the commotion was about.

Tommy looked around the room for his leaves but he couldn’t find even one. With confidence and conviction in his voice Tommy said, "Oh, well. But I can change without the leaves to remind me. I will not be a horrible man when I grow up." Tommy kept the promise to himself and he grew up to be a very fine man. Set your daily sales habits and keep that promise to yourself.

Sales Training: The Art of Influencing is Sales Leadership

By Mark Bowser


A number of years ago, J. Oswald Sanders defined leadership with one word. That word was “influence.” He was so right. Sales Leadership is influence. The truth of the matter is that we influence a hand full of people every single day. It might be as simple as influencing someone at work to go eat lunch at restaurant xyz or as important as influencing your teenage daughter not to get on drugs. Since influence is leadership then how do we do it?

President Dwight D. Eisenhower described leadership as “the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” That is the key right there. Did you catch it? The key to influencing others is motivation.

So, how are people motivated? Many times we are taught that we have to logically convince someone of something if we are going to influence them. But that isn’t the first step. There are two steps to motivating people. People are first motivated by their emotions, not their logic. To truly influence, you have to get the person passionate about what you are talking about or the direction you want them to go. Think about it for a moment. Have you ever walked into a department store and there it was, the most incredible, beautiful big screen HD Television you have ever seen in your life? You want it! Passion, not logic is leading your motivations.

When you passionately want something, have you ever been able to convince yourself that you logically need it? “I really need this big screen HD Television. Think about all the people I could entertain. I just want to have a warm, inviting home for people to visit.” Now, I will admit, this is kind of a silly illustration, but it makes an important point. People are influenced first emotionally, second logically.

So, the next time you need to lead or sell an individual or a group in a certain direction, think first on how you can emotionally connect with them, then back it up with the logic. When you and I do this, our influence grows and our sales leadership strengthens.

Sales Training Success: You Were Created To Be a Champion

By Mark Bowser

Well my sales friend, have you begun to see that special person that is you? You do have greatness in you and you were created by God to be a champion. All it takes is a little faith and a little gumption to make it happen. This is how ordinary sales people accomplish extraordinary sales achievements.

For centuries, the dreaded disease smallpox decimated mankind. It was estimated by Voltaire that about one third of the people who contracted smallpox died from the disease. It was a disease that had no respecter of people. About 6o% of the population caught this monster.

One day in 1763, a fourteen year old boy in England named Edward Jenner made an observation that would change history and save untold thousands, maybe millions of lives. Edward was learning about medicine as an apprentice with a doctor. The doctor was examining a milkmaid and had the sad duty of telling her she had smallpox. As the doctor delivered his devastating message, the milkmaid shockingly looked up into the sad eyes of the doctor and exclaimed, “That can’t be. I already have a cowpox sore on my hand and everybody knows that once you have a cowpox you never get smallpox.”

The doctor dismissed the remark but young Edward logged it back in his mind. What did the milkmaid mean? How can a cowpox protect someone from smallpox? What is cowpox? Cowpox was a common ailment for the cattle in the area. It was such a mild version of smallpox that it didn’t even seem to bother the cows. The people who were infected with cowpox simply developed a few sores that quickly disappeared.

Years later, Dr. Edward Jenner was waging his own war with smallpox to save his patients. He often thought about the milkmaid and her startling remark. Every moment he could spare, Edward would study the life of the milkmaids. Were they really safe from catching smallpox if they had had cowpox?

Edward had had enough. He had to do something to stop this monster disease. On May 14, 1796, Edward would do something that would forever change the lives of you, me, and millions of other people. On that day, Edward took a great risk. Sarah Nelmes, a milkmaid, had come to Edward suffering from cowpox. He took a tissue sample and injected it into the arm of a healthy eight-year-old boy by the name of James Phipps. As expected, James came down with cowpox. After James had recovered from his case of cowpox, Dr. Edward Jenner took his greatest risk. He infected James with straight smallpox. That is when the miracle of vaccination was discovered. The smallpox disease had no effect on James. The dreaded monster of smallpox was finally put into its cage.

My sales friend, we, like Dr. Jenner and the milkmaids have greatness inside of us and we were created to be champions. Hold fast to that truth and with perseverance we will reach the victory line of life.

Sales Training: Customer Service Success - The Buck Stops…Where?

by Mark Bowser

There is a customer service philosophy known as underpromise; overdeliver. That is a motto of the champion. It is one of the pillars of success. If this philosophy is so important then what does it mean and how do we live it? Well, let’s break it down and take a look at it.

First of all, I believe it means we have to give ourselves a little grace period. Let’s say it normally takes you two days to do something for a friend. What I recommend is telling them that you will have it done for them no later than three days. Why three days? Because there is a little guy named Murphy. Now, from time to time Murphy comes to visit us. He brings with him his own little law known as Murphy’s Law which basically says if something could go wrong it will. If you said you would have it done for them in two days and Murphy comes and messes everything up and you’re late then your friend is upset and your credibility is weakened. On the other hand, if you say you will have it done no later than three days and Murphy shows up and delays the progress, you still have a chance of getting it done on time because you have given yourself a little grace period. You see, by saying no later than three days, you give yourself options anywhere between day one and day three. What if you tell them you will have it done for them no later than three days and Murphy doesn’t show up and you get it done for your friend in two days? Your friend is thrilled. You are terrific. I know there are going to be times where you can’t give yourself a grace period, but when you can underpromise; overdeliver.

The next thing this philosophy says to me is that we have to take responsibility. United States President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk. It read, “The Buck Stops Here!” President Truman made that popular, but do you know the historical heritage of that statement? It goes farther back in history than Truman. Where it comes from is in the old days when they were playing cards. What they did is they would use a buck knife. They would put this knife in front of the next dealer. The buck stops here. The responsibility stops here. Over the years, they quit using the buck knife. They would use a coin instead, like a silver dollar. They still referred to it as a buck. That is why some people say that they have ten bucks in their pocket.

Years later, President Truman put that sign on his desk saying that he was taking responsibility for everything in his administration. If something went wrong, then he would fix it. If he couldn’t fix it then he would take the heat. The buck stopped with him. He was responsible. Where does the buck stop in our lives? Are we always looking for a scapegoat? Do we always have an excuse? Is it always someone else’s fault? The champion has the courage to take responsibility and action to back it up. The buck stops with us!

The third element I believe we can take from this philosophy is that we must “go the extra mile.” You have probably heard that statement all your life but do you know the historical perspective on this one? Let me give you a hint. It is older than the last one. Doesn’t help? Well, why don’t I go ahead and tell you. This saying is around 2,000 years old. It is a Biblical term. It comes from the teachings of Jesus Christ. It has to do with Roman law. In Jesus’ day, Roman law said that if a Roman soldier came up to you and said, “Carry my armor!”, then by law you were required to carry his armor for one mile. If you didn’t comply then he could probably kill you. So, as you can imagine, most people carried the armor but they weren’t too pleased about it. They weren’t too fond of the Roman soldiers. Rome was a conqueror. These soldiers were a representation of their bondage. They despised the soldiers. So, they weren’t too pleased or pleasant as they carried the armor. Well, Jesus turned things upside down. He told the people of Israel to carry the armor not only one mile but two miles. Give them more than they expect. Shock them with kindness. Give that extra effort. The result of this was fantastic. History records that when Christianity was spread to the Roman Empire, it was spread through the Roman soldiers. When we give that little extra effort, spend that extra moment with a friend, or do something that needs to be done even though it is not our job to do it, then wonderful things happen. It changes not only the lives we touch, it changes ours’ as well.


We’ll get it painted for you!

I have a friend who really taught me what it means to “go the extra mile.” His name is C.A. Bridges. At the time of this story, C.A. was the service manager at Tom Wood Lexus in Indianapolis, Indiana. A number of years ago, I was having trouble with my car. The clear coat was pealing off the hood of my Chevrolet Berretta. It’s not supposed to do that. The car looked like it had a sunburn. So, I went to my local dealer and I showed then the paint problem. The body guy said, “That doesn’t fall under our warranty for that kind of paint problem.” In other words, I am out of luck. I will have to pay for it myself. Well, I was sharing this with C.A. and he let me vent then he said, “I think we can help you out at Lexus. Bring the car into me and we will get it painted and you won’t have to pay for it.” C.A. explained to me that the guy who does the body work at Tom Wood Lexus also does overflow body work at Dan Young Chevrolet also in Indianapolis.

I drove my very badly painted Chevy Berretta onto this luxury car lot. I’ll have to admit, it kind of stood out. I don’t think they left it outside very long for obvious reasons. What I think they did behind the scenes was get the car to Dan Young Chevrolet where the car began to be worked on. Even when there was a delay on when the car would be finished, C.A. arranged for me to get a rental car free of charge. When the car was done, I drove off in a very beautifully painted Chevrolet Berretta.

What did I get out of this experience? I got help. I got help in an area I couldn’t help myself in. What did C.A. get out of this? Well, I am sure he got that warm feeling most of us get when we help someone in an area we know they couldn’t help themselves in. How about Tom Wood Lexus? I wasn’t one of his customers. What did he get out of this? For one thing, they get a lot of public relations. I have shared this story with seminar audiences all over the country. But they didn’t do it for that reason. You see, this was years ago, my speaking schedule was not near as full as it is today. There was very little PR to give. Also, I don’t think Tom Wood himself ever knew this took place. He has empowered his team to do the right thing---“to go the extra mile.”


You can have my pants

A few years ago, I had a very strange experience on a speaking engagement in Indianapolis. Since I was still living in Anderson, Indiana at the time, about 40 miles northeast of Indy, I decided I would grab one of my suits and drive down the night before and stay in the hotel where the seminar was going to be held the next day.

I was relaxing in my hotel room and something hit me---you better check your suit. I got up and walked to the closet in my hotel room. At first glance, the suit looked fine. After more detailed scrutiny, I realized I didn’t have any pants. What happened to my pants? I knew I had brought them. Where could they be? I then realized what had happened. I had carried my suit in a hanging bag from the cleaners. The type that has no bottom to it. My pants had fallen off the hanger somewhere from my home and the hotel room.

What am I going to do without any pants? Well, I decided I had better look in the hotel. I went down to the parking garage and retraced my steps---no pants! I then went to the front desk and asked if anyone had found any pants. You can imagine the looks I got.

The hotel was a Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis so it also had shops in it. I asked when the shops opened. Big Problem! Too late the next day to be of help to me. Then something amazing happened. I guy behind the front desk heard what was going on. He said, “I have some pants in the back. You can wear my pants.” TALK ABOUT SERVICE! I wore this guy’s pants all the next day. They were a little big, but at least I had pants.

Underpromise; overdeliver! What a concept. If every individual and every organization would adopt this philosophy then our success would be guaranteed. So, where does the buck stop? It stops with us! Success is our choice. That’s the mark of the customer service champion.

Sales Training: Success & Positive Thinking - A Champion Turns the “IMPOSSIBLE” Into A “POSSIBILITY”

by Mark Bowser

Have you ever felt that something was impossible? Have you ever thought that it couldn’t be done? Have you ever said to someone that they didn’t understand your situation. That it was different and that is why it can’t be fixed? Well, my friend, if you have ever felt that way, then let me ask you a question. Are you sure it is impossible? Or…could it be a POSSIBILITY in the making!

In 721 B.C., King Hezekiah of Jerusalem probably felt he had a mountain that could not be overcome until he was forced into the possibility. Has that ever happened to you? Life throws us a curve where our only option is to choose the possible option. That is what happened to King Hezekiah.

In that year of 721 B.C., King Sennacherib and his mighty Assyrian army began to attack the nation of Israel. His strategy was to conquer the coast and Galilee thereby cutting off Jerusalem’s escape routes. Then he would waltz into the mighty city and crush the opposition. Immediately, King Hezekiah called together his leaders to discuss how to deal with this Assyrian threat. He knew Jerusalem was in danger and that they must come up with a defensive strategy.

The first thing they did was to fortify the city walls and build up their armament of weapons. But would that be enough? King Hezekiah knew their most vulnerable spot would be the water supply. If the Assyrians could cut it off then Jerusalem would fall in short order. The only source of water for the city was a spring found at the bottom of a hill outside the protected city walls. How were they to keep it safe? They would have to dig a tunnel through solid rock starting from inside the city wall to the spring.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem was running out of time. The confident Sennacherib and his Assyrian army were advancing swiftly. There wasn’t time to dig the tunnel. They would never finish on time. That is when King Hezekiah was forced into his “possibility” option. The Israelites needed two work crews to dig the tunnel, one inside the city wall digging toward the spring and one digging from the spring toward the city wall. It was there only choice to finish before the Assyrians arrived. But how would they ever wind their way through the 1,700 foot long jungle of solid rock and meet each other in the middle? It seemed impossible. All the Israelites could do was believe…and dig.

One morning, just before the Assyrians arrived to attack the city, one of the work crews heard something. What was it? Were their ears playing tricks on them? It sounded like pick axes! It couldn’t be…or could it? Amazingly the work crews had dug their tunnels and met in the middle only one foot apart. Because of their protected water supply, Jerusalem withstood the attack and King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army returned home with their tales between their legs.

What have you labeled “impossible” in your life? What have you been negative about? Well, I challenge you to take another look at it with fresh eyes. It may not be as impossible as you think. You might only be one foot away from reaching your dream.

Sales Training: Silence in Selling

By Mark Bowser

Have you ever met a noisy salesperson? I mean the person that just keeps talking, and talking, and talking. How would you rate their sales presentation? Is it any good? One way of gauging it is do they close a lot of sales? My gut says that they most likely don’t close as many sales as they should and here is why. Sales and success expert Brian Tracy said, “The only pressure that you use in a professional selling presentation is the presence of silence after the closing question.”

Let me put it this way, if you speak before the prospect after you have asked your closing question, you more than likely will sabotage the sale. Why? Because at this point, your entire presentation has driven the prospect to the intersection of your closing question. Your prospect is at the crosswalk waiting to cross the street. If they answer your question in the affirmative, it is as if they have decided to cross the street. If they answer “no” then it is as if they chose not to cross the street.

The key is this, many times when you drive them to this intersection with your presentation, at this point, you don’t know if the crosswalk light says “Walk” or “Don’t Walk.” Your closing question will give you this information if you stay quiet. Let the prospect roll it around in their mind for a couple of minutes. As a sales professional, you have to get comfortable with silence. If you aren’t comfortable with silence then it is as if you barreled through the intersection and ran over your prospect as they were crossing the street. So, have you ran over any prospects lately?

Sales Training: Financial Freedom - Commissions Are Better Than Wages and Profits are Better Than Commissions

By Mark Bowser

Commissions are better than wages and profits are better than commissions. Strong statement. But why is this true? Well, with a wage, you make the same no matter how hard your work (at least for the short term and then if you don’t work you get nothing.) With commissions, the harder you work, the more you receive. The better you get and you receive even more.

Profits are better then commissions because this is where the lion’s share is found. There is more risk when you own the potential profits but there is also more reward. You also have more control to change things for the better. Remember, there is no success without risk. Profits are where the fortune is found. I go for the profits and so my fortune is secure. How about you?

So, how can you get started down the road to profits? Here is some great advice from America’s foremost business philosopher Jim Rohn. Take your weekly income and live on only 70% of it. Take the other 30% and break up as so:

10% for church and charity
10% for passive investment such as savings, a Roth IRA, Mutual Funds, etc…
10% for active investment to make a profit.

This is how the last ten percent works. Buy and Sell. Buy something and try to sell it for a profit. Today, we have the advantage of so many places where we can sell products. For example we have eBay, Amazon, your websites, flee markets, just to name a few.

Maybe today, you can’t live on 70% of your income. Maybe you are in a place where your expenses are that high. Maybe you need to start out with 3%, 3%, 3%, and live on 91%. But you have to start somewhere if you truly want to be financially free. My advice is to get up to the 10% for church and charity as soon as possible. When you honor God with your first fruits, then He will honor you with more opportunities and blessings.

Start today for your future. Little by little is all it takes. Commissions are better than wages and profits are better than commissions.

Sales Training: The Ultimate Sales Secret

Good morning folks!

Today, I have a short little article to warm your heart and to put a spring in your step. Enjoy!


Sales Training: The Ultimate Sales Secret

By Mark Bowser

What is the secret to sales success? When it is all said and done, at the heart of the sales champion is Brotherly Love!

The nine fine-tuned athletes lined up at the starting line. This is what they had trained for. The race was the 100-yard dash. As the gun was raised, tension filled the air. BANG! The gun was fired. The athletes broke out in an awkward trot instead of a graceful gait. You see, this was the Seattle Special Olympics. Special was an understatement for this race of champions.

One of the contestants stumbled and fell to the ground. The young boy began to cry. The other eight athletes heard the cry in pain. They paused, turned around, and went to help their fallen comrade. One girl with Down Syndrome kissed the fallen athlete. She said, "This will make it better." They helped the little boy to his feet and they all joined arms and crossed the finish line together.

That is what being a sales champion is all about. Care for your prospects and you will be more successful. As Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” The true victory in sales and in life is brotherly love.

Sales Training: Self-Esteem and Sales Success

Good morning my Sales Friends!

I hope your sales week has started out very, very strong. One of the greatest assets a sales champion can have is a high self-esteem. Enjoy the following article on how self-esteem and your sales success are linked together.

Sales Training: Self-Esteem and Sales Success
By Mark Bowser

In the world of selling (and in every aspect of our lives) Self-dignity and self-esteem are the greatest needs of every individual. Respect and a belief in oneself are vital if you are going to reach the top ten percent of sales professionals.

Gary Smalley and John Trent tell a wonderful story in their book In Search of the Blessing. The story is from the Civil War. One of the greatest heroes for the Union Army was General Chamberlain. He was very brave. He had nine horses shot from under him, was wounded many times, and was awarded the Medal of Honor. President Lincoln and General Grant respected Chamberlain very much so they chose him and his men to be the honor guard for Confederate General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.

When the surrender was complete, General Lee began to ride down the road with Union soldiers standing on either side of him. The Union soldiers began to laugh and make fun of the enemy’s leader. Chamberlain was not going to stand for this. He silenced his men and forced them to stand at attention, present arms, and salute General Lee as he made his way down the road.

Why did General Chamberlain force his men to do this? I believe it is because General Chamberlain understood the power of respect to an individual’s self-esteem. General Lee deserved their respect. General Lee needed their respect. Their show of honor must have put a little joy into what was probably the worst day of General Lee’s life. If we lose our self-respect then we lose who we are and then you will not be successful at selling. General Chamberlain helped General Lee keep his self-respect. My challenge for you and I today is simply this: Let’s go out there and do the same thing for someone in our sales life. It might be a prospect, a customer, or even a fellow sales professional. Who can you build up today?

Sales Training: Crawling Your Way to Sales Success

Good morning my Sales Friend,

I hope you have had a great sales week. End it on a high note today. Enjoy this article to help motivate you to more sales success. Have a great weekend. God bless you!

Mark Bowser


Sales Training: Crawling Your Way to Sales Success

By Mark Bowser

Man must learn to crawl in selling before he can walk and one must walk before he can run.

What would happen if a baby attempted to walk before it crawled? Most likely the baby would fall down, right? What would happen if someone attempted to perform brain surgery before he graduated from medical school? The patient would probably die.

Every sales goal has steps to reaching that goal. It is important not to skip too many steps. If you do, you are likely to stumble and fall. There are things we need to learn through the journey. There are things that have to be done before we can move forward. Success in selling is a balance between patience and assertiveness. Find that balance and you will soon find yourself sprinting towards your sales goal.

Sales Training: The Keeper of the Spring

Hi Folks!

How are your sales today? Well, here is a little story to put a boost in your motivation and a little strategy for your sales. Enjoy!

Mark Bowser


Sales Training: The Keeper of the Spring

By Mark Bowser

I came across a story one time which I think illustrates beautifully how we need to take care of our prospects when selling. The story goes something like this. It is about a man who lived in a forest in the eastern Alps overlooking an Austrian village. This old man had been hired years ago by a wise town council to make sure the mountain waters flowed freely into the wonderful spring which flowed into the quaint village.

The old man faithfully year after year removed leaves, twigs, and everything that could contaminate or clog the flowing water. As a result, the village spring was an attraction for vacationers and swans alike. The village was peaceful, happy, and blessed.

One night, years later, another town council began talking about the almost mythical keeper of the spring. They wondered, “Why are we paying this man? Does anyone ever see him? This money could be used for better purposes.” As a result, they decided to terminate the services of the old man.

For a while, everything stayed the same. The spring was beautiful and the village blossomed. But then came autumn. The trees began to loose their grip on their leaves. Twigs and branches broke off the trees and fell into the stream.

One day, someone noticed something different about their wonderful spring. It was changing to a different color. Soon a haze came over parts of the spring and a sickening smell began to hover around it. The vacationers left the lovely village. The swans decided to look for a new home.

The town council called an emergency meeting. They realized what a terrible mistake they had made by firing the old man of the forest. They immediately hired him back. The old man got to work and performed the miracle again. Within a few weeks, the life-giving water was flowing freely and surely to the village spring. Soon all was normal, healthy, and blessed.

Many times we treat our prospects and customers much like the town council treated “the keeper of the spring.” We appear to have no use for them and we take them for granted. Remember this, without them, we have no sales. My dad used to tell me all the time growing up in our family business. “Our customer (and prospect) is our life blood.” I leave us today with a sales thought to ponder? Are we taking care of the “keeper of the springs” in our lives?

Sales Training: What Have You Put into Your Mind Today?

Hey Folks!

I hope you are having a great sales week. Here is a thought that I believe can help boost you to outstanding sales this week and every week.

Successful selling is about the mental game. Make sure what goes into your mind is positive because what comes out is always what went in.

Most of us have probably heard the statement “garbage in; garbage out.” Well, that is a realistic representation of how our brains work. If we continually think depressing thoughts then we will begin to live a depressing life. But on the other hand, if we continually think happy, positive thoughts then we will live a happy, positive life. This is why it is vital that we pay attention to what we are putting into our brains. It is vital that we fill our brains with the good stuff of life.

Begin reading good books. Begin watching moral entertainment. Begin focusing on what is positive, hopeful, and good. If we will do these things, then we will live a fulfilling, empowering life and we will close more sales.

Now, go out there and make it a great sales day!

Take Action Sales July newsletter

Hi Folks!

I thought you would like seeing this month's issue of the Take Action Sales Newsletter. You can get a free subscription at www.TakeActionSales.com.


Welcome to the July 2008 issue of the Take Action Sales Newsletter

with Mark Bowser

Summer is a great time not only to rest, have fun, and fellowship but also to work on ourselves and to dream about our victorious future. We have two articles this month to help you become the person you were created to be and to push towards the achievement of your greatest sales dreams and desires. Enjoy…and have a great summer!

God bless,

Mark Bowser

In this issue
1. The True Height of a Person by Mark Bowser
2. Achieving Your Dreams by Jim Rohn

THE TRUE HEIGHT OF A PERSON

By Mark Bowser

Abraham Lincoln was an exceptionally tall man. He stood an impressive six feet, four inches tall. That is tall even for our day, but in his era, he must have seemed like a giant. He then would wear a tall top hat made of silk. When he had it on, he stood close to seven feet tall from toe to top hat.

President Lincoln loved to stand back to back with people to measure height. One day, President Lincoln stopped at Aquia Creek, Virginia in order to review some of his troops. Almost immediately the President's attention gravitated towards a very tall young man. This young Pennsylvania seventeen year old seemed to tower over his comrades.

The President got the young man's attention. Mahlon Shaaber stepped forward. When the young man reached Lincoln, it is believed that the President said, "Turn around, young fellow and put your back against mine while I take off my hat." Almost immediately, the President knew he had been bested. Shaaber was much taller than the President. This lanky young man hovered over Lincoln by two and half inches.

But what does height really mean? How does it impact our sales success? Well, I believe that the true height of a person is not in how much we tower above the ground, but in how high our integrity towers over immorality. In Lincoln's case he seemed to tower in physical height, as well as integrity height.

One time, an over night White House guest heard great groans and moans coming from another room. The guest quietly slipped out of bed to investigate the mysterious sounds. What was discovered comforted the guest's heart and mind. The noise was the President. The guest saw Lincoln prostrate on the floor pleading to Almighty God for His help in this national crisis, the Civil War. The guest was comforted because he knew the country was in good hands because the height of its president was flat against the floor. A height that looked straight up to God. That is the height of integrity. My friends, you and I need to live lives that will tower over life's challenges. Let us be giants of integrity. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­


Achieving Your Dreams

by Jim Rohn

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What's the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives - like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in - none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you've ever hiked a fourteen thousand-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind "How did the settlers of this country do it?" How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day's supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn't focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side – their bodies just hadn't gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You've got to be a dreamer. You've got to envision the future. You've got to see California while you're climbing fourteen thousand-foot peaks. You've got to see the finish line while you're running the race. You've got to hear the cheers when you're in the middle of a monster project. And you've got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable and until you realize your dreams.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine - http://www.jimrohn.com

Sales Training: Created with Greatness

By Mark Bowser

Sales success and inspiration go hand in hand. Now, what do I mean by that? To be successful in the world of selling, one has to have a healthy self image. To do that, we have to develop a healthy belief of who we are and why we are here. Let’s learn from sales and leadership expert Mark Bowser as he shares with us that we are created for greatness.

Take Action Sales Editor
www.TakeActionSales.com

Here is an inspirational thought that will improve your sales, your relationships, and your life. In the beginning of time, God created the earth and along with it man and woman, and He bestowed greatness with each one, greatness unique to each individual that, if developed, will shape the world to righteousness. Have you developed your greatness?

I know something about you. I may not know you personally but I still know something about you. That something is this: YOU were born with the seeds of greatness and created by the Creator of the universe to be a champion. If you choose to tap into your greatness, then you will live an extraordinary life. We may not all be famous. We may not all be financially rich. But we all have greatness to make a difference in this world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

History tells us a wonderful story about the greatness of individuals. It goes something like this. The year was 1815. The date was March first. This was the day that all of Europe will remember. It was as if all their nightmares were coming true. On that day, a small British ship sailed very quietly to dock on the French Riviera. A man stepped off the boat with a fire in his eyes. The man looked as if he were on a mission. All of Europe shivered at the thought of the return of this man. The nightmare was back. His name was Napoleon.

Napoleon had been exiled to the island of Elba, which is off the coast of Italy. During this period in his life, Napoleon didn’t want to live and he attempted suicide. He carried a pouch around his neck that contained poison. He swallowed the poison but he did not die. He suffered cramps and convulsions and then he recovered.

Napoleon spent less than a year on Elba. He knew that the Allies had many differences and couldn’t solve them at the Congress of Vienna. Napoleon hoped to exploit this weakness to regain what he thought was his right to power. After his recovery from the poison, Napoleon escaped from his British captors and stole one of their ships. Now he had just stepped off this stolen ship to begin his revenge on a frightened Europe.

The Allies immediately put their differences aside and joined forces to confront the tyrant. One of the men Europe looked to defend them against Napoleon was the Duke of Wellington. Wellington was a British hero determined to stop Napoleon. Wellington commanded the combined forces of Great Britain, Prussia, Belgium, and The Netherlands. A line was drawn in the sand and a battle was fought. That battle was to become one of the greatest military victories in all of history. The battle was called “The Battle of Waterloo.”

Before the battle, Wellington was in Brussels preparing for his standoff with Napoleon. Accompanying the Duke was a member of the British Parliament named Thomas Creevey. As they were walking through Brussels Park they noticed a lonely British redcoat staring at a statue. Wellington grabbed Creevey by the arm and said, “There, look at him! It all depends on that article whether we do business or not. Give me enough of them and I am sure of victory.”

On June 18, 1815, the line was drawn in the sand. Wellington had with him 67,661 men and 150 artillery guns. Napoleon had 71,947 men and 246 artillery guns. Because of heavy rain the night before, Napoleon chose to wait till close to noon to attack. This decision may have cost him the victory. The battle began at 11:25 in the morning and would last until 10:00 that evening. Napoleon pummeled the front of Wellington’s line. Wellington’s troops fought earnestly. Finally, all hope for victory was put on the British infantry. These solitary redcoats put together made an impressive stand. These boys stood their ground. They would not give up. They believed in their leaders. They believed in their cause. They began to believe in themselves. They did have greatness within them. The line in the sand stood and finally Marshal Gebhard von Blucher came and reinforced Wellington with his Prussian troops. Napoleon was forced from the battlefield licking his wounds. This battle finally closed the book on Napoleon’s quest to rule Europe. Europe was safe again.

YOU, like the British redcoats, have greatness within you. Tap into your sales greatness and be the best YOU you can be!

Sales Training Resource improvements on Take Action Sales

Hi Folks!

I hope your weekend has started out to a great start. Just a quick note to encourage you to check out the improvements we have made on Take Action Sales. We have made the FREE Sales Training Articles page and the category buttons on the Home page much more user friendly. Check it out at http://www.TakeActionSales.com .

Have a great weekend. God bless!

Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11

Sales Training: The Discipline of Reading

Dear Sales Friends,

We just posted a great article by Brian Tracy titled Sales Training: The Discipline of Reading on our website www.TakeActionSales.com. I thought you would benefit from reading it as much as I did. The format was a little challenging as I put it here so feel free to read it at our website if you prefer.

Have a great sales day! God bless!

Mark Bowser

The Discipline of Reading

by Brian Tracy

Some things in life are optional, and some things in life are mandatory. Taking your next vacation to the Caribbean is optional. Building a personal library and becoming an excellent reader is mandatory. It is no longer something you can choose to do or not do. It is absolutely essential and indispensable for your success.

A great many people do not read very much. Fifty-eight percent of adult Americans never read a nonfiction book from cover to cover after they finish school. The average American reads less than one book per year. In fact, according to a Gallup study of the most successful men and women in America, reading one nonfiction book per month will put you into the top 1 percent of living Americans.

It takes regular, persistent reading and studying for you to improve, to move to the front of your field. It is not optional.

There are a variety of reasons why people don’t read as much as they should. One is that probably 50 million Americans have been graduated from high school with poor reading skills.

Another reason why people don’t read is because they have not been told how important reading is. Lifelong learning, lifelong reading is the minimum requirement for success in any field today. If you are in sales, management, service, administration or any other field that relies on the written word to convey information and data, your ability to read well is absolutely critical to your success.

Some people don’t read because they are simply lazy. They are surrounded by so many distractions, especially television, radio, socializing and other activities, that they just never get around to doing any serious reading. They are so busy and caught up in day-to-day activities and amusements that they put off reading and then never get around to it. If continued, this pattern could have devastating consequences.

Another reason why people don’t read is that they probably are not working in the right field. One of the best tests for compatibility with your work is your desire to read and learn more about it. If you are doing the job that is right for you, you will naturally be eager to read everything that you can possibly find about your field. You will want to get better and better. You will be hungry for new knowledge. You will be determined to become excellent. And every single bit of new information motivates and stimulates you and makes you excited about learning even more.

However, if you are in the wrong field, you will look upon reading about it as drudgery. If the reading and studying is a required condition of your job or profession, you will do it, but only under duress. You will want to get it over with, like a visit to the dentist. If, for any reason, you are not eager to learn more about what you are doing, it could very well be that you are wasting your time and your life in the wrong field.

In one 22-year study of self-made millionaires, the researchers found that one of the common characteristics of those special men and women who went from rags to riches was that they were absolutely fascinated by their work. They didn’t think so much about making a lot of money. They were more concerned about becoming better and better at what they did. Their work absorbed them completely. In almost no time at all, because of their commitment to reading and self-development, they were paid more and more. And once they reached a high level of income, their fascination with their work still continued. Instead of drawing extra money from their business and spending it frivolously, they reinvested it in themselves and in their career. As a result, they became more and more proficient and wealthier and wealthier. Then, one day, they opened their eyes, looked around and found that they were worth more than $1 million. And the continuous learning, the nonstop reading, was the key ingredient.

Some years ago, a young man came to me and asked for advice. He had been graduated from high school without the ability to read. He told me that reading a whole paragraph actually made him tired. His problem was that he was working at a dead-end job at minimum wage, and he had been there for two years. He was living in a small apartment on a limited budget. All his friends from high school, none of whom could read either, were in pretty much the same predicament. They all were working at low-level, low-skill jobs with no future. He had been out of school for two years and had made no progress. What advice could I give him?

I told him that he had to learn to read, and read well. He said he didn’t like to read, and he wanted to be successful at something that didn’t require reading. I told him that this was not a matter of choice. The only jobs that didn’t require reading were the kinds of jobs that he and his friends were already doing. And even they soon would be surpassed by younger, more eager people with better educations.

Much to his credit, he thought about this for a while and then accepted the fact that he had to become a good reader. He began taking community-college courses in remedial reading. Eventually, he applied for entrance to a technical institute, and he managed to get in by the skin of his teeth. Because of his poor high-school education, it took him almost three years to complete a two-year program in biomedical engineering. He stuck in there and worked hard, and he finally came up with a degree.A small company hired him as a sales representative, to call on hospitals and clinics in a rural territory. It wasn’t much, but he took it and ran with it. He continued to read and studied sales and communications. He started at $22,000 per year, and within two years, he was up to $30,000 per year. In his third year, he was hired away by a rival company and paid $40,000 per year. Two years later, an international company heard about his success in the marketplace and hired him at more than $50,000 per year, with a company car, an expense account and substantial benefits.

In seven years, he went from being a semiliterate, minimum wage worker to a highly paid biomedical technical representative working for an international corporation. And he was back in the big city with a town house, a new car, a wife, children, and a great life. The interesting thing was that as he went around to renew his old friendships, he found that most of the people he had graduated with were still working at dead-end jobs. Seven years seems like a long time in the course of a life, but it passes in a flash when you are busy doing something you enjoy and getting continually better at it.

The last great obstacle to regular reading and continuous learning is that most people have been brought up with what we might call the old paradigm, the outdated way of viewing education. It’s likely that as you grew up, education was looked upon as something that was done to you by other people. For the first 18 years of your life, you went off to school and education was done to you as though you were a passive object. Even when you went to college, you signed up for the courses that were recommended, you learned the subjects that were required, and you took the exams that were given. When you came out, you were the product of an education. It was almost as though the education had "just happened" to you, while you merely went along and did your share at the right time.

However, after you finish school, you are responsible for your education. From that moment onward, you are responsible for buying your books, planning your courses of study, learning your subjects and continually upgrading your skills. It’s not the responsibility of anyone else. You are in charge. It’s all up to you.Many people think that it’s up to their company to educate them if they need additional training. Well, if your company provides training, you should take every minute of it that you can get. But if it doesn’t, and most companies don’t, you are still solely responsible for maintaining and increasing your value through continuous reading. There is no other way.

Let me share with you some ideas that helped me to go from high-school dropout and dishwasher, working in the kitchen of a small hotel, to chief operating officer of a $265 million company. These are practices of most of the successful men and women in America. Their cumulative effect on the quality of your life can be amazing.

First, if you are not a good reader, make the decision, right now, that you are going to go any distance, pay any price, overcome any obstacle and spend whatever amount of money it takes to become an excellent reader. If you do not know how to read particularly well, stop everything else that you are doing outside your work and dedicate yourself to reading. Spend every spare minute reading as if your future depended on it, because it does.It may take a week, a month or a year to become a better reader. It may take even longer. But it doesn’t matter. Your becoming an excellent reader will kick open doors of opportunity for you that you cannot now imagine.

Second, if you are already a good reader, or when you become a good reader, learn to speed-read. The Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics program is probably the best that has ever been developed. Also, many communities throughout America offer speed-reading classes. Speed-reading is like touch-typing. In typing, you can use the hunt-and-peck method all your life, or you can learn how to do it right and increase your speed to 50 or 60 words per minute. In reading, you can take your speed from 50 or 60 words per minute up to 300, 400, 500 or even 1,000 words per minute, with no loss of comprehension. Speed-reading courses are absolutely essential to the success of really ambitious men and women today.

Third, build a personal library. Although public libraries are extremely helpful for research, you should buy your own books.

People often ask me what books they should buy. To decide this, you can use the Law of Relative Importance. Buy the books that are most important to your life at this moment. The key word here is relevant. Adults learn best when what they are studying is extremely relevant to their needs, their work, their life, and their present situation. If you read material that is not relevant to what you are doing, you will find it difficult. You will not be drawn to the material, and you will forget most of it as you go along. But when you read material that is both relevant and applicable to your work, your mind sparkles with all kinds of ideas on how you can use this new information to be more effective. The prospect of learning new methods and techniques that you know will improve your life is both exciting and highly motivating.Next, in building your own library, ask the most successful people in your field what books they would recommend. Then, go straight to the bookstore and buy them.

One of the marks of the professional, and professionalism is a state of mind, is that he has a library in his field. If you are in sales, you should have a library of sales books. You should be reading at least one hour per day in sales, one book per week, 50 books per year. You should be a consistent, persistent student of your craft. You should know more about the field of selling than anybody within 500 miles does. You should set a goal to become so knowledgeable about your field that you would be able to give advanced classes in your profession within a few years. With this idea as your guiding star, you will find yourself learning and remembering far more than you would if you were just browsing through the material.Should you buy hardcover books or softcover books? I recommend that you purchase any book, of either kind, that can help you. Some books cost $20 to $30. The average person complains that he can’t afford such a book. The superior person recognizes that the information contained in that book can save him a year or two of hard work.Remember, it may take an author 10 to 20 years to learn his subject. It may take him two to three years to write a book on it. It then may take one to two years to get the book published. By paying a few dollars for a book, you probably are getting the results of 20 or 25 years of effort by one of the smartest people in your field.Never scrimp on your education. It is one of the most damaging things you could ever do.

Get some good bookshelves, and begin categorizing your books by subject. Have a section on sales. Have a section on management. Have a section on family and child raising. Have a section on personal motivation and success. If you like novels, have a section on fiction, or on history.

Organize your sections in alphabetical order, either by the title of the book or by the author. You don’t have to make it too formal or structured. The point is to set up your library in such a way that you pretty well know where each book is, you know whether or not you have a book, and you know where to go to get a piece of information when you need it.

Once you’ve bought a book, read it with a red pen in hand, underlining and making notes at every key point you find. If you read a book twice, use a different-color pen to underline points you may have missed the first time.I have books that I have read 10 or 20 times and that look like rainbows from page to page. They are literally covered with all kinds of colors and marks. Needless to say, the information and ideas in those books has soaked so deeply into my psyche that I can recite much of the material in my dreams.

You need to read an hour or two each day just to keep current with your field. You need to read newspapers, magazines, newsletters, correspondence and other materials. But you don’t get ahead with regular reading. You must invest in the future while you keep current with the present. If you want to get ahead, you must read things that give you new ideas and insights, not merely things that confirm what you already know.

Becoming a proficient and persistent reader may not be easy to do so, but it’s certainly possible. The future does belong to the competent. Those who know more will always win out over those who know less. The more you read, the better you get. The more you learn, the easier it is for you to learn. And the more you challenge your mind, the smarter you get.

Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading experts in sales. He can be reached through his website at www.BrianTracy.com.

Sales Training: Having a Sales Road Map

By Mark Bowser

How do you succeed at sales? By having a sales Roadmap. You see,the roadmap is the dream; the road is the goal; and putting it into action is the vehicle that makes your sales career go.

It has been said that 90 percent of all people have no set goals; 5 percent of all people have set goals; and the remaining 5 percent of all people have set goals and write them down. My friend, we want to be part of that last category of people who have set goals and write them down. That is the group of sales professionals who are reaching their goals and living their dreams.

Goals keep us focused on a better tomorrow. That hope is a very important part of goal setting. Because without a goal to stretch you forward, many times the hope is not seen. Better tomorrows are in store for you. Those tomorrows start today with a sales goal. In five years, where do you want to be in your life, career, and relationships? How about 1 year? How about 6 months. Set those short term and long term goals and before you know it, you will be on top of your Victory Mountain.

Sales Training - Self Image and Sales Success

By Mark Bowser

Sales success and inspiration go hand in hand. Now, what do I mean by that? To be successful in the world of selling, one has to have a healthy self image. To do that, we have to develop a healthy belief of who we are and why we are here.

Here is an inspirational thought that will improve your sales, your relationships, and your life. In the beginning of time, God created the earth and along with it man and woman, and He bestowed greatness with each one, greatness unique to each individual that, if developed, will shape the world to righteousness. Have you developed your greatness?

I know something about you. I may not know you personally but I still know something about you. That something is this: YOU were born with the seeds of greatness and created by the Creator of the universe to be a champion. If you choose to tap into your greatness, then you will live an extraordinary life. We may not all be famous. We may not all be financially rich. But we all have greatness to make a difference in this world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

History tells us a wonderful story about the greatness of individuals. It goes something like this. The year was 1815. The date was March first. This was the day that all of Europe will remember. It was as if all their nightmares were coming true. On that day, a small British ship sailed very quietly to dock on the French Riviera. A man stepped off the boat with a fire in his eyes. The man looked as if he were on a mission. All of Europe shivered at the thought of the return of this man. The nightmare was back. His name was Napoleon.

Napoleon had been exiled to the island of Elba, which is off the coast of Italy. During this period in his life, Napoleon didn’t want to live and he attempted suicide. He carried a pouch around his neck that contained poison. He swallowed the poison but he did not die. He suffered cramps and convulsions and then he recovered.

Napoleon spent less than a year on Elba. He knew that the Allies had many differences and couldn’t solve them at the Congress of Vienna. Napoleon hoped to exploit this weakness to regain what he thought was his right to power. After his recovery from the poison, Napoleon escaped from his British captors and stole one of their ships. Now he had just stepped off this stolen ship to begin his revenge on a frightened Europe.

The Allies immediately put their differences aside and joined forces to confront the tyrant. One of the men Europe looked to defend them against Napoleon was the Duke of Wellington. Wellington was a British hero determined to stop Napoleon. Wellington commanded the combined forces of Great Britain, Prussia, Belgium, and The Netherlands. A line was drawn in the sand and a battle was fought. That battle was to become one of the greatest military victories in all of history. The battle was called “The Battle of Waterloo.”

Before the battle, Wellington was in Brussels preparing for his standoff with Napoleon. Accompanying the Duke was a member of the British Parliament named Thomas Creevey. As they were walking through Brussels Park they noticed a lonely British redcoat staring at a statue. Wellington grabbed Creevey by the arm and said, “There, look at him! It all depends on that article whether we do business or not. Give me enough of them and I am sure of victory.”

On June 18, 1815, the line was drawn in the sand. Wellington had with him 67,661 men and 150 artillery guns. Napoleon had 71,947 men and 246 artillery guns. Because of heavy rain the night before, Napoleon chose to wait till close to noon to attack. This decision may have cost him the victory. The battle began at 11:25 in the morning and would last until 10:00 that evening. Napoleon pummeled the front of Wellington’s line. Wellington’s troops fought earnestly. Finally, all hope for victory was put on the British infantry. These solitary redcoats put together made an impressive stand. These boys stood their ground. They would not give up. They believed in their leaders. They believed in their cause. They began to believe in themselves. They did have greatness within them. The line in the sand stood and finally Marshal Gebhard von Blucher came and reinforced Wellington with his Prussian troops. Napoleon was forced from the battlefield licking his wounds. This battle finally closed the book on Napoleon’s quest to rule Europe. Europe was safe again.

YOU, like the British redcoats, have greatness within you. Tap into your greatness sell much, much, more