What a difference a year makes
I’m just back from my company’s big autumn convention. On the last evening there is a reception for the speakers during which everyone kisses everyone else and there is much back-slapping and mutual congratulation.
Last year I was new to the stage and flattered to be asked – obviously I was not going to miss the celebration. I joined in for half an hour or so and then decided I had a long drive ahead of me and had better get going.
But as I walked out of the door a voice inside my head told me: “Are you an idiot? Don’t you realise every single one of the most successful distributors in your business is in that room… and you’re walking out!”
I went back in and proceeded to talk to every one of those leaders and soak up as much knowledge as I could hold.
Of course it was the right decision. It didn’t matter what time I got home – if I could associate with successful people, I was going to do all the associating I could.
Well this year I was in the same room but this time I was one of those successful distributors – and I was very conscious that people were coming up to me to see what knowledge they could soak up… what success would rub off…
And, almost without thinking about it, I began to exude knowledge.
There is one thing that came out almost without any thought and here it is:
Your “No for Now” list is more valuable than the list you start out with.
Here’s how to get the best from it:
Continually work the list. Call everyone in strict rotation every six months or every year. If they say “No” again, just say: “That’s fine. Maybe another time.”
Most will agree to that (they think they’re getting off the hook).
You are thinking: “That’s great, they just gave me permission to keep them on the list.”
If they say “No”, it’s: “That’s great, I don’t have to clutter up my list with people who don’t want to know.”
But after three years -… or four years… or ten years, people will say: “Are you still doing that thing?”
- Absolutely. It’s great.
“Does it work, then?”
- Certainly does. It pays for the shopping/the mortgage/holidays.
Then they will say: “Do you think we should join?”
What do you think?
Meanwhile just to show you that life goes on, today I was sorting out the pile of books in the downstairs cloakroom when I came across a collection of receipts addressed to our builder – he had been fixing the roof last week.
But no, he said he wasn’t missing any receipts – and now I came to look, I realised they were dated 2008 (is that when I last sorted out the shelf?)
But I had noticed the size of his bill for his mobile phone: “I could save you 75% on what your’re paying now,” I told him.
I had his attention (builders use their phones a lot).
So now he’s coming round tomorrow morning.
As a sort of quid-pro-quo, I’ve promised to pay for the roof…