What is a paradigm shift?

Paradigm shift?
Ironically, the biggest challenge most people face when
implementing some of the very best in investment and business ideas is NOT in executing the actual steps (that's often the easy part), but rather in generating enough courage and faith to believe that some of the things they�re advised to do are actually possible.

I know that you have the desire to get to the next level financially. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't. But desire and belief are two different things. To truly get to the next level in your business and finances, you must first make a leap of faith in your thinking. This lead of faith in thinking is called a paradigm shift.

A paradigm is a model or a pattern; it�s a way of seeing and
understanding things, of interpreting the world around us. It is your understanding of the world, and of the way things are done.

Your paradigm is formed over the years by all of your thoughts and past experiences: the way you were raised, your mind-set, what you were taught, everything you believe in, how you were trained, etc. That is your paradigm, and as such your paradigm is very important.

Extremely important.

Unbelievably important.

It determines what you believe is possible and impossible.

Most people never question their paradigm. They never change their perspective. Instead, they allow it to build artificial walls around them, let it define what is possible and impossible� without their ever being aware of it. It is completely out of most people�s awareness. This limits their possibilities and opportunities.

In short, their paradigm tells them what to do.

If you are ambitious (as you and I know you are), and you let your paradigm imprison you in this manner, you inevitably hit the glass ceiling, or hit the wall, or hit a level of stress and frustration that I can tell you from first-hand experience is debilitating.

Maddening.

Paralyzing.

When this occurs, one of three things happen. You either:
1. give it all up and try something else
(i.e. you get sucked back in to your old paradigm)

OR you

2. keep charging and ramming your head against the wall, hoping and praying� and even �logically� rationalizing� that if you just work hard enough things are bound to get better
(i.e. you accept, and are conditioned to have your actions limited by your paradigm)

OR you

3. find a better way to do things to achieve better results
(i.e. you change your paradigm)

I have chosen the latter route - i.e. I change my paradigm.

I refuse to accept that life has to be so hard.

That there is any wall I can�t bust through. Climb over. Tunnel under.

Luckily, you too are an entrepreneur.

As a real estate investor, you DO think outside the box. You DO ask the tough questions of yourself. You DO question why things work and don�t work. You DO examine your paradigm.

You DO these things because once it�s in your awareness that your major limitation in life is the six inches between your ears�

Sometimes you can get a little obsessed with changing what goes into and what�s stored in that infinitely dense space you call your mind.

But still, our paradigm is there.

That�s why we go to one more seminar. That�s why we read one more book. That�s why we hear one more success story. That�s why we join one more networking group. That�s why we order one more audiotape set. Each one of these steps further enlarges our scope of what is possible, and every new idea is an excitement.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said that �the mind, once expanded, cannot return to its original dimensions�.

I want my paradigm to be one in which I am infinitely resourceful. Where I have all the tools and materials I need. Where I have all the support and allies I could want. Where I have motivation and encouragement surrounding me. Where every idea I have can become real.

What about you?

First, I want you to understand that there's very little special about
me. I'm not terribly different than you. I haven�t had any secret real
estate training. I have a high IQ but so little common sense that I�m pretty normal.

There�s nothing too special about my market either. My market goes through cycles just like any other, and as such over time will be pretty average, with average prices, standard competition, usual problems.

The reason I say these things is because I know it�s easy to fall into the �that person can but I can�t� disease. Don't wimp out. Don't give yourself the excuse that others have some kind of advantage that you don't. That's simply untrue.

False.

If you want to know the truth, most people who make it come from pretty humble beginnings. I certainly haven�t been an overnight success. Like most success-striving people, the things I�ve done and am doing are a lot of work. Toil. Sweat. Sacrifice.

�9 to 5� jobs might give you a lot of free time, but very few dollars with which to enjoy this free time.

Many who put gruelingly long hours and hard work when first getting into real estate completely reverse this equation. They then have money to spend, but no free time to enjoy it in.

I was stuck in the same situation that most people find themselves
in - the same rut. My old paradigm said that I had to trade my
time for money. In other words, if I wanted more money, I had to
trade more of my time to get it.

And that's exactly what I did - that was my strategy. I traded my
time - my life - for money, and quickly realized that the problem
with this strategy was that eventually you hit a glass ceiling.
There comes a point when you have no more time to give.
This, too, I refuse to let happen to me. It�s why I chose NOT to become a real estate agent. I saw it as just one more way to trade my time for money. Uh hunh. Not having it.

In a word, I got obsessed. When I hit that glass ceiling or wall
or whatever you want to call it, I absolutely refused to admit
defeat. I refused to believe that there was no way to get to the
other side.

When I feel defeat, I look for ways to take action. I get myself around success-minded people. I call my family who loves me. I talk with my accountability partner. I talk to the people who look up to me.

I refused to let the feelings of defeat hold me.

Has it been easy? No.

Have I been able to do it alone? Heck no!

Is it an ongoing process? You better believe it!

That�s the thing about paradigms. They don�t stand still. They change, so why allow your paradigm to BE changed when you can BE the one who changes it?

Think about it.
Danny Welsh is the editor of investing newsletter �The Good Steward' with Investing Do's, Don'ts and Deals! Read More articles and check out Investment & Wealth Building Opportunities & Strategies at Home Investing Solutions

Shut-up and Sell!

Contrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn't matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn't matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn't even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be successful in selling is your ability to shut-up and listen.

On numerous occasions, everyone in sales has heard how important it is to get the customer talking, so it's imperative that they have an arsenal of great questions to ask. Despite trying to follow this guideline, every salesperson seems to overstate the amount of time they believe they allow the customer to talk. The many interviews I've conducted over the years with customers and salespeople alike confirm this reality. Therefore, salespeople need to take a step back and consider their sales presentation.

To talk less means you have to ask questions that truly engage the customer. However, this doesn't mean you need to develop complex questions. Instead, the best tactic is to ask shorter ones. Long questions tend to result in short answers, while short questions will generally result in long answers. An example of a great short question is, "Why?" In my opinion, there isn't a better follow-up question you can ask after the customer has shared with you some information. Consider how your customers would respond to other short examples like, "Can you elaborate on that?" and "Could you explain more?" These shorter questions elicit detailed responses and that's just what you want. On the other hand, asking complex questions often tends to perplex customers. Because they are not sure what you are looking for, they respond with the universal answer representing total confusion, "What did you say?" Questions should not be your means of showing your customers that you are an expert. Save that for your statements.

When preparing your sales presentation, a guideline I subscribe to is to limit yourself from talking for more than 20 seconds at a time without asking a question. The question you ask should be one directed at the comments you just made. By doing so, you're checking with the customer to see if they understood what you just shared with them. Again, this is something many salespeople overlook. They get caught up in sharing with the customer their expertise and the features of their product or service and forget all about what the customer is thinking. Even if your product or service requires a complex presentation, you should still follow this rule. Whether you're selling software, high value medical equipment, or technical tools, it's essential to check your clients understanding by asking a question every 20 seconds.

Your goal on any sales call is to talk only 20% of the time. To help ensure that this takes place, you have to plan ahead. Before you start developing your sales presentation, create your list of questions. This is contrary to the pattern of most salespeople who often spend a substantial portion of their time developing their presentation and, at the last minute, develop their list of questions. Consider that if you're expecting to have a 20 minute presentation, you should have 40 questions (2 questions per minute). Even though you may not use all 40, you'll definitely be more prepared. In addition, you'll be able to pick and choose which ones you want to ask. If you're following the rule of asking short questions, you'll ensure that the customer is doing most of the talking. You'll learn valuable information that will help you better understand the customer's needs.

If you want to move your questioning process to the next level, make half of the questions you ask be ones that help the customer see and feel the pain they have. By doing so, they will be much more open to receiving your solution. For example, if you're selling computer back-up systems, you might ask, "Can you explain to me what happens when data is lost?" This short, concise question is designed to get the customer thinking about the risks they face. Furthermore, the beauty of this type of question is that no matter what the customer's response is, some good follow-up questions will naturally arise.

By adhering to these guidelines, you will be able to see dramatic results in the number of sales you are able to close. As simple as it sounds, the more you shut up, the more you'll sell. And, the easiest way to achieve this goal is by asking more, short questions. So, shut up and sell!

Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information or to receive a free weekly sales tip via email, contact "The Sales Hunter" at http://www.TheSalesHunter.com

Internet Marketing - How To Make $10000 Per Month Promoting Offline Businesses!

As an experienced Internet marketer, you have what it takes to become a consultant. All you need to do is to find offline businesses who need your services, and market their business like you market yours.

Very often, you will find that their business is really easy to promote since you will be promoting a local business.

1. Build a website with explanation of you services

The very first thing you need to do is to build your website. It doesn't need to be a fancy site. You just need to have your home page and five or six subpages.

The role of your website is to explain what you are doing to potential prospects. Be sure to have a contact page, and if you are really serious, you may add your telephone number as well.

2. Determine your hourly rate

Here is the best part. If you want to earn $10000 a month, you need to know your numbers. Let's say that you decide to work 40 hours per week. Your hourly rate would be $250 per hour.

Not bad.

4. Find new prospects

You need to find potential customers. You can use seo, craiglists, guru.com, elance.com and many other websites. Don't worry about this, there are so many offline business that want to start Internet marketing that you will find plenty of people.

If you want. you can do this part time, only a few hours a day. Why not being and Internet business coach? You don't need to earn $40K every single month to become a coach. In fact, even if you earn $3k a month, you can mentor people who aren't making any money online.

Don't forget that these offline business owners don't have a clue about what works and what doesn't work on the Internet. Just one hour of your time is worth thousands of dollars for them in the long run.

To learn more, download my Free Guide: "How To Earn $100K Per Year With Article Marketing".

Franck Silvestre makes thousands of dollars a year from affiliate and article marketing. Wonder what the secret to his success is? Discover how he does it at: http://www.mynetmarketingland.com/article-marketing/

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