Binding Machines - The 3 Types Of Binders To Seriously Consider

Binding Machines - The 3 Types Of Binders To Seriously Consider
Book binding is still a widely used practice in organizing
literature and documentation, yet thanks to technology,
there are now new and more efficient ways to accomplish it.
With the current binding machines available on the market,
anyone can produce multiple pages of literature with one
desktop machine. However, since there are so many types of
book binding styles from which to choose, it depends upon
what presentation style you want to project for your
document. For businesses, presentation of reports,
articles, records, spreadsheets and various types of data
should not only be easily accessible, but must maintain a
professional image.

A binding machine binds the sheets of a document by
aligning the pages together, and depending on your chosen
binding style, you can have documents hole punched, glued
or held together by a form of wire or plastic holders.

Three types of popular binding machines to consider are
thermal, comb and wire binding. A thermal binding machine
uses heat and a special glue to create booklets. Documents
are placed into a pre-made thermal case cover, and then
into the binding slot. Then the binder heats glue strips to
the edge of the documents to a certain temperature. After
the glue cools, the documents are already bound into a
cover and the booklet is ready for use.

Comb binding machines are an inexpensive and innovative way
to bind creative presentations and documents. Comb bound
documents allow the document to "lay flat", and also has
the advantage of being rearranged. The plastic combs can
also be detached and reused. The basic principle behind a
comb binder is that the documents are actually aligned and
electronically hole punched together, and a plastic "comb"
is attached to the edge to bind the booklet together. These
allow a little more versatility, since there is more of a
variety of comb holders to use. You can also set a
different number of hole punches for the booklet style.

Lastly, the Wire binding machine works much like the comb
binder, and is widely recognized for its most common
use-notebooks. The wire binder uses a spiral loop holder to
run through multiple holes punched along the side of the
papers. Some times the machines will usually have a wire
closer, and come with the option of using either the Double
loop style, or a Spiral O style for wire binding. A Double
Loop has teeth that fit into each hole on the booklet, and
is usually made with metal wire. It's a sturdier than a
Spiral O, which uses a single spiral wire, that can be made
from either metal or plastic.

The need for equipment that can make your time more
productive to keep up with the constant demands of a busy
work schedule is essential. Binding machines make it easy
to create your own presentable and easily readable
documents right from your office.

----------------------------------------------------
If you would like to learn more about the different makes
and models of binding machines available online then visit
the website :
http://www.print-finishing-paper-handling.co.uk/binding/inde
x.htm

Why repetition is the key to improving your sales performance and your sales results

Why repetition is the key to improving your sales performance and your sales results
A few things have happened recently that got me thinking
about something very serious, something that could make a
huge difference to your sales results and your sales
performance...

Last week I went out for a meal with some friends and one
of them had brought along someone whom I had not met
before. This person was in IT sales. They were in their mid
to late twenties and had been doing it for about 3 years.
Judging by their conversation, description of their job and
a few other factors I guessed they were doing ok...
comfortable in their job but no sales superstar.

He had no idea that I was into sales training or was a
sales motivational speaker and during the meal we talked
about various things but towards the end of the meal this
chap (let's call him Pete) mentioned that he was a bit
bored of his job. He is finding it "so so". He explained
that he has to keep doing the same things over and over.

Every day he goes in at about the same time. Every day he
leaves at about the same time! Every day he makes the same
kind of sales calls to new and existing prospects and
clients. Every day he structures his calls the same way and
handles challenges with the same lines. Every day he sends
out similar marketing and sales emails and information.
Every day he updates his prospect database. Every day he
researches the internet. Every day he has the same sales
conversations about the same products, the same services
and the same solutions.

Every week he attends sales meetings which apparently are
always run by his sales manager and are all nearly the
same. Every week he sets the same kinds of sales targets
with the same kinds of clients. Every week his manager runs
similar mini sales training sessions. Every week he goes to
see similar customers, with similar challenges, similar
needs and wants and similar objections.

He is getting bored.

* Pete has a job - field sales.
* He has a car - a small BMW.
* He's getting a salary and commission - I'd guess
£30k + £20k + car (tops).
* His sales performance and results are ok.
* He is not getting sacked or made redundant any time soon
- not that I know of anyway!

But there's something not right here. Something not right
here, at all. Pete's sales performance and results should
be sky rocketing. He should be on his way to £100k+
and promotion but he's not...

The problem is that Pete has Sales Repetetits! That is -
Peter gets bored by any task that he has to do over and
over.

In my experience many salespeople have Repetitis.
Salespeople with Repetitis get bored and moan about having
to repeat the same tasks over and over. This in turn leads
to lack of motivation and causes them to lose focus and to
start to go through the motions. This in turn will impact
their sales performance and results. Salespeople going
through the motions do not make successful salespeople.
Salespeople going through the motions will gradually lose
their edge and become less effective. Salespeople going
through the motions will not make great cold calls, nor
will they run strong sales meetings nor make powerful
presentations.

Sales training tip: Salespeople who are going through the
motions usually think they're ok but they're usually wrong.
Salespeople going through the motions often have a nasty
shock coming.

Let's look at why solving this inability to deal with
repetition is essential not only for your sales perfornance
and sales results but also for your long-term personal and
financial success...

Firstly, as Anthony Robbins says, "repetition is the mother
of skill". The more you do of something, the better you get
at it. Period. As a sales superstar in training you want to
sweat the basic stuff.

How well you plan and prepare matters. How you conduct
yourself matters. How you formulate your conversations
matters. How you present your solutions matters. In today's
YouTube generation many people want to be titillated and
amused on a minute-to-minute basis and do not have the
stickability, the perseverance or the focus to really get
good at anything, particularly not the basic stuff.

If you want to make real money out of sales you need to
learn to focus so that you can repeat things over and over,
constantly improving and sharpening your winner's edge.
You're own mini-sales training programme if you like. Only
by doing this will you become a truly world class
salesperson. Only by doing this will you increase your
sales performance and your sales results. World-class cold
callers obliterate also-rans. World-class salespeople
outsell and outmanoeuvre also-rans. World-class negotiators
squash also-rans. World-class presenters destroy also-rans.

What's more, whatever your job, repetition is unavoidable.
Doctors see person after person after person with minor
ailment after minor ailment after minor ailment. Police
officers deal with drunks, drivers and burglaries time
after time after time. Firemen and women fight routine
small fire after routine small fire after routine small
fire.

By doing this they become expert at what they do. But what
if, instead of this, they all started going through the
motions? What could they miss? What disasters could befall
them and others? How culpable would they be?

What would you have to say if the fire crew attending your
house didn't get to your house as fast as you would have
liked because they thought it was going to be another
simple call?

I rest my case. Repetition is essential in any role.
Repetition is essential for skills development and
improvement. Repetition is essential to keep you sharp and
on the edge. Repetition is essential to increase your sales
performance and your sales results.

What does Tiger Woods do when things aren't going as well
as he would like? He goes back to practicing his basic
shots... over and over. What do top snooker players spend
hours and hours practicing? Basic pots and cue control,
that's what. What do pianists spend hours practicing? Basic
scales and more scales.

As a salesperson, like in any other role, if you want to be
world-class you need repetition. You need to sweat the
basic stuff. If you have a case of Repetititis, mild or
severe, then the only cure is to deal with it now...

Next time you find yourself repeating daily tasks keep your
focus on how you can improve. Ask yourself some good old
sales training questions like, "How could I be more
effective?", "How can I improve my sales performance?",
"How can I increase my sales results?" and "What can I
learn here?"

Once you get over Repetitis you will be amazed by how much
you can increase your sales performance and sales results
with simple stuff that you might until now have thought of
as "boring".

One way of improving rapidly is to create your own sales
training and development programme focusing on core sales
skills, techniques and practises ...

----------------------------------------------------
Get more articles like this now at
http://www.gaviningham.com .

Is Your Sales Plan Viable This Year?

Is Your Sales Plan Viable This Year?
Masterful marketer Seth Godin recently gave some timely and
prudent advice for real estate agents. His hard-hitting
advice is actually relevant to every salesperson and
entrepreneur who will listen. Pulling no punches as usual,
he had a great deal of wisdom to offer. Listen up
salespeople... you cannot afford to miss this valuable
sales lesson.

While speaking at a real estate professional convention,
Godin advised them that due to the current economic
conditions, it is now time to quit. Needless to say, he
effectively got their attention. Many took his advice,
actually having been searching for some time for someone to
give them permission to indeed quit, and left the meeting
at that point. The remaining agents then heard the rest of
his speech, the message that was meant for the true
professionals and committed members of their noble
profession.

"Now, if you're still with me, you'll be glad to know that
the competition for attention just got smaller. The agents
who built their business on low interest rates, easy money
and speculation (the order takers) have left the building.
The ones that are left, that's you, can consider Plan B. If
you're not going to be able to make a living by taking
orders, by selling houses the way everyone else does, by
using the never-ending rise in real estate prices to make
sales, then what are you going to do? Whining is not an
option. In fact, I think this is an extraordinary
opportunity for you" announced Godin.

Seth proceeded to share a philosophy with them, one that I
have been professing for a lifetime; that success mimics
the Pareto Principle in that 80% of your efforts must come
from personal development and 20% from specific techniques.
Godin fed his hungry and attentive audience a two-course
feast, teaching that there are two things they needed to do
immediately:

1. Become the expert in what you do. Micro-specialize in a
particular segment of your market. Become the authority,
the go-to person in that niche.

2. Interact with your clients and prospects, both past and
present. Open a dialog with them and communicate regularly.

Simple advice? Yes; advice appropriate for the times. An
investment in your self is always going to pay lucrative
dividends! Your specific skills and knowledge will be your
competitive edge, your differentiator. Your talent for
providing solutions will become your trademark.

Sharpen your saw; invest quality time improving your
interpersonal and communication skills. Make time for
self-investment. You are not as busy now as you were last
year at this time, so instead of catching up on re-runs of
Grey's Anatomy©, invest that time wisely, in you.
Become an expert in your chosen niche. Learn all you can.
Improve your productivity. Specialize.

We live in an age of communication, where multiple media
formats allow us to extend our reach to almost everyone,
everywhere, easier and faster than ever before! Do you have
a mailing list? A blog? A newsletter? A web site? A video
interview on You Tube? A pod-cast available on niche web
sites? Do you speak at local functions? Write local
newspaper articles? Why not? As Seth says "you're either
the best in the world (where 'world' can be a tiny slice of
the environment) or you're invisible." Learn to communicate
both effectively and regularly with your niche.

In our ever-evolving, currently slowing economy, you cannot
expect to be successful doing the same things in the same
manner that you always have. It's time for change. It's
time to reinvent both yourself and your approach. Develop a
new plan of action. You must get started now! Why are you
still sitting there watching TV? If you are, you may be
like one of Seth's "order takers." Will that realistically
work for you this year?

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development over a successful twenty-six year sales career.
Visit his resourceful blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com

Job Interview Question: Why Has It Taken You So Long To Find A Job?

Job Interview Question: Why Has It Taken You So Long To Find A Job?
It's difficult to believe that employers are still asking
this type of question. Don't they read the newspapers or
listen to the news? If they were informed, they would know
the answer; i.e. jobs are very scarce and difficult to find
these days, and unemployment is at an all time high since
1994 - in some areas reaching 14% - 30%. (California and
Arizona)

Unfortunately, quoting these facts probably wouldn't get
you a job offer and could even result in the interview
ending rather quickly. So, what is the correct answer to
give an interviewer when you're asked such a question?
There is no "correct" answer. However, a technique that
works well is to take the focus off the length of your job
search and to place it on what you have to offer.

If you look at it from the employer's side, you can see a
different perspective. It's a "hiring" market, and
employers are receiving so many resumes that they have
their choice of among many very qualified candidates. When
interviewers ask a question regarding the length of your
unemployment, one of their concerns may be that you are
undesirable or flawed - (If no one else wanted to hire you,
why would they want to hire you?)

Your task, as the candidate, is to convince them that you
have valuable skills and to be able to sell yourself as the
solution to their problem. Using the examples below, which
of these sample answers would impress you most if you were
the interviewer?

Q. "Why have you been out of work so long?"

A#1. I knew the job market was tight, and I didn't run out
and try to get just any job. I took my time thinking about
finding the "right" job. I know your job would be a very
good fit for my skills and background.

A#2. It's a really tight job market out there, and it just
hasn't been easy to get interviews. My skills just didn't
seem to be in demand, and the competition is really tough.

A#3. I'm really not sure. I have an excellent background
with five years experience in this industry, and I have
knowledge of several software programs. I know there are
other people out there with similar skills. What sets me
apart from the masses are my abilities to relate and to
work with a wide diversity of customers. Having the unique
combination of technical skills and people skills has
helped me advance in the companies I've worked for in the
past.

If you selected A#3 as the strongest answer, you are
correct. This answer offers more information about what you
could bring to the organization and takes the focus off why
it has taken you so long to find a job. You don't dodge the
question; you just change the focus. A key phrase in this
answer is "set me apart from the masses." It is important
to point out what makes you unique, and what you have to
offer that others do not.

If you are getting interviews, it means that you have
valuable skills that are of interest to this employer. Now,
the strategy is to focus on the qualifications you can
bring to this position as the solution to their needs.

By scripting your answer in preparation for this type of
difficult question before the interview, you will feel more
confident and more in control. You will also be able to
keep the focus off the length of your job search and more
focused on why you are the best person for this job. Doing
pre-interview planning about the message you want the
interviewer to receive will improve your chances of being
taken seriously as a candidate.

----------------------------------------------------
Carole Martin, America's #1 Interview Expert and Coach, can
give you interviewing tips like no one else can. Get a copy
of her FREE 9-part "Interview Success Tips" report by
visiting Carole on the web at http://www.interviewcoach.com

Accomplishments - The Foundation of an Effective Resume

Accomplishments - The Foundation of an Effective Resume
In a job search, your first introduction to an employer is
almost always your resume. As such, it is absolutely
essential that your resume immediately capture the
attention of your reader. But how do you do that? When your
resume is sitting on a desk with 475 other resumes, how do
you ensure that your resume rises to the top, making the
cut to be placed in the "keeper" file rather than the
circular file? More importantly, how do you ensure that
your resume compels the recipient to actually pick up the
phone and call you for an interview?

The solution, of course, is to remember that your resume is
a marketing document. It is NOT an autobiography. Your
resume is an advertisement—an advertisement that is
selling YOU as the ideal solution to an employer's problems.

To achieve this, your resume must present your key skills,
qualifications, experiences, and accomplishments in a way
that is both convincing and compelling. Your resume must be
written to clearly illustrate to the reader that you can
meet their needs and help them to achieve their goals, all
the while adding value to their organization and delivering
a strong return on their investment in hiring you.

One of the most common resume writing mistakes is the
development of a responsibilities-focused resume. Job
descriptions simply don't distinguish you from anyone else
that does the same or a similar job as you. A resume
focused on responsibilities and job descriptions
illustrates to the reader how you are ordinary. Instead,
your goal is to show the reader how you are EXTRAordinary.
To do that, your resume must be focused on achievements and
results. Achievement-focused resumes engage readers,
essentially painting a picture of how you have added value
in the past and thus, helping the reader to envision how
you will add value in the future to their organization. By
creating the achievement-focused resume, you illustrate
your business savvy, your understanding of the bottom line,
and your track record for contributing to it.

But, for many people, writing an achievement-focused resume
is easier said than done. Are you like so many other people
who have trouble identifying exactly what their
achievements in the workplace have been? Maybe you have
even worried that you don't have any accomplishments of
note to include in your resume. Let me put your mind at
ease right now. This simply isn't true! Every single person
has value to add and unique contributions to make.

Rewriting your resume to emphasize achievements and results
is almost always the single most impactful improvement you
can make. If your resume isn't generating results,
rewriting it to emphasize the past challenges you have
faced, the actions you have taken to meet those challenges,
and the benefits of those actions, will likely have a
dramatic positive impact on your job search results.

If you, like so many others, are struggling to identify and
communicate your achievements, the following 50 questions
will help.

1. What is special about the way you do your job?

2. What do you do in a different way or better than other
people in the same position as you?

3. What does your employer like about you and/or praise you
for?

4. Were there particular areas in which your employer
thought you were outstanding?

5. Were you given any special honors, recognition, or
awards? What did you do to earn it?

6. What positive things do your performance appraisals have
to say about you?

7. When you were hired, was there a lot of competition for
the position? Why were you selected?

8. In what ways is each of your past employers better off
for having had you work for them?

9. Does your company set goals or objectives for you and
have you met or exceeded them? Explain.

10. Have you met any particularly hard-to-accomplish goals?
How did you accomplish this?

11. Were you hired to meet a particular challenge or solve
a particular problem? What was it, what have you done to
meet those expectations, and what have been the outcomes?

12. What was the biggest problem or challenge you were
faced with in each position? Did you solve the problem or
meet the challenge? How and what were the results?

13. Did you ever have to overcome any adversity or
ambiguity to accomplish something important to the company?
Explain. How did you do it and what were the results?

14. Have you ever made any suggestions that were
implemented? What was the result?

15. What have you done that was innovative? What was the
result?

16. Have you helped to influence change in your company? In
what way? What was the result?

17. Have you been given any special assignments? Why and
what were they?

18. Have you helped your employer increase sales? By what
percentage or amount?

19. Have you helped streamline operations in any way? In
what way and what was the result?

20. Did you generate new business? By what percentage or
amount?

21. Did you bring in new clients? By what percentage or
number?

22. Did you build partnerships or affiliations with new
organizations? What have been the results?

23. Have you led your company into expanded markets? By
what percentage and how did this impact sales?

24. Have you opened new markets for your company? What was
the impact?

25. Did you save your company money? How much and under
what circumstances?

26. Have you ever developed a new system or process? Was it
implemented? If so, what were the results?

27. Did you improve customer relationships in some way?
Under what circumstances and what were the results?

28. Have you done anything to increase efficiency? How did
you do it and what were the results?

29. Did you meet a particularly aggressive or important
deadline? If so, what difference did this make to your
company?

30. Have you ever developed procedures to speed repetitive
tasks? What were the results?

31. Did you bring a project in under budget? How? How was
the money you saved used?

32. Have you ever recommended a new product or program that
was implemented? What was the result?

33. Have you ever helped launch a new product or program?
What were the results?

34. Have you ever made recommendations to improve a product
or program? What were the results?

35. Have you taken the lead on any projects or special
initiatives? How successful was the effort?

36. Have you ever taken on any new responsibilities that
weren't part of your job? Did you ask for the new
responsibilities or were they assigned to you? Why were
you selected?

37. What have you done to increase productivity? By what
percentage or amount?

38. Have you improved communications in your company? In
what way, with whom, and what was the outcome?

39. Have you ever done anything to increase profits? How
did you do it and by how much?

40. Have you helped your employer cut costs in any way? How
did you do it and by how much?

41. Have you helped your company grow business in any way?
How did you do it, by how much, and what was the result?

42. Were you involved in any negotiations? What was your
role? How did this benefit the company?

43. Have you done anything to help control costs? What did
you do? What was the impact?

44. Did your work or the results you produced stand out in
some way as better than your predecessor? Explain.

45. Did you do something to correct inconsistencies or
errors? What was the problem? What did you do? What was the
result?

46. Did you accomplish something special for a customer?
How was this important for your customer? How was this
important for your employer?

47. Do you have a strong record of on-time completion of
projects? Explain. How has this benefited your employer?

48. Have you ever done anything to increase cash flow? What
did you do? What was the result?

49. Have you led or served on teams whose work had a major
impact on the company? Explain. What was the benefit to the
company? What was your role on the team?

50. Did you foresee any problems and proactively implement
solutions to avert the problem? Explain.

----------------------------------------------------
Certified resume writer and personal branding strategist,
Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive Career
Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com

Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com

5 Steps to Attracting Former Clients From Your Competition

5 Steps to Attracting Former Clients From Your Competition
I often get asked, "How do I attract my former clients from
my competition?" Well, I've got good news and more good
news...it's far easier to get back together with a client
you've lost or had no contact with than to get a new client
-- just think about the last time you had to cold call a
prospect list.

What I have discovered over the years is that too many
small business owners stand on foolish pride and never try
to resurrect former clients. That's a mistake. It's far
easier to get back together with a client you've lost or
had no contact with than to get a new client. Your goal on
the phone should be limited: to get a meeting with the
former client at which you can pitch to become part of
their life once again. The secret to achieving this is to
play, as much as possible, on any personal relationship or
event the two of you shared. Assuming there was a problem
that caused your falling out, the former client may still
be angry. You response should be to absorb their anger and
simply ask for the chance to tell your side of the story
and make amends. To do either of those, you'll need a
meeting.

Here are the tactics you need to practice prior to your
meeting, in order to attract your former client from your
competition:

1. Your attitude must be cordial, humble, and if necessary,
persistant.

2. Before the call, gather as much personal data about the
former client and his family as you can. Now is the time to
dig through your notes if you don't remember names and
ages. Search Google for your client's name, and see if any
personal information pops up on a Blog somewhere. Also, be
prepared to call back since your sudden reappearance may
surprise them initially.

3. On Tuesday through Friday, try to call either before 9
A.M. or after 5 P.M. Do not try to resurrect them on a
Monday. Also, don't call the former client at home or on
the weekend.You'll get the most civil responses during
normal working hours when they are at the office.

4. Prepare your behavior to absorb some anger. If possible,
imply that your request to reconnect with them is a modest
one. You could even offer to bring bagels for the office
during a morning meeting, or offer to take them out to
dinner.

5. For your phone icebreaker you could say, "How are you? I
ran into our mutual friend Jane Doe yesterday and it got me
thinking about you. I'm just calling to patch things up and
see how you and your family are doing. I hope I'm not
calling at a time when you can't be bothered."

The key points to remember are:

If it's a bad time for your former client, then tell them
you will call them back later in the week.

If they are still angry, then absorb the anger and say, "I
understand your anger. I hope one day you'll be able to sit
down with me over a cup of coffee and hear my side of the
story. Sorry for troubling you."

If it's a good time for them to talk, then make amends by
saying, "That's another reason for this call. I'd like to
make amends and work for you again. What happened could
never happen again. I think I could really be of help to
you. Are you available next Wednesday to meet for breakfast
or dinner"

You can re-use these great tactics to rekindle a dorment
relationship for business networking purposes. Or, you can
tell a former client about a new product or service you are
offering. Either way, you will earn the respect, and be one
step closer to attracting your former clients.

----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Expert, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client attraction
program to attract more clients in less time. To receive
your weekly how-to articles on consistantly attracting more
local and global clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com

Are You Blaming Others Because You Don't Have Enough Clients?

Are You Blaming Others Because You Don't Have Enough Clients?
QUOTE: "The more you say to yourself, 'I am responsible,'
the stronger, better and finer a person you become. And
every part of your life will improve at the same time." -
Brian Tracy

One of the themes running through my life currently, and in
the lives of my clients, is that of Personal
Responsibility. If you've been to my workshop and on any of
my calls, you know that I believe strongly in Personal
Responsibility (I often call it 'The No Excuses Approach')
and how I do not believe you can ever achieve BIG success
without it. It's a topic that few marketing ever really
talk about in depth, but one that is crucial for success.

You see, each time I bump up against a new level of success
in my business, a lot of my old "stuff" comes back up. I've
caught myself comparing my success to others with more
success, feeling resentful, feeling less-than, and
sometimes even BLAMING others or my own particular
situation or for not being where I would LIKE to be in
terms of success in that moment. And believe me, it doesn't
feel good. But perhaps you know exactly what I'm talking
about...

What I noticed is that I'm not the only one. As different
people in my life, both personally and professionally, move
up to the next level, or really WANT to move up to the next
level, but instead, begin to feel frustrated, I see them
pointing fingers OUTSIDE themselves, blaming their
situation, a certain person, the system, a program they
too, or whatever else they can find to shuck responsibility
for where they are.

What I also noticed is that, in the end, I'm ultimately
responsible for everything in my life, every increase in my
in-come and success over the last few years. But most
importantly, I'm also responsible for every setback. I can
blame no one but myself.

Everything I have in my life exists because of my actions,
my behaviors, my words and thoughts. And it's the same for
you. Every decision we make creates our circumstances and
because of that, we are ultimately responsible for each
success and failure, happiness, unhappiness and financial
situation.

I recently found an article by Brian Tracy, one of the
world's leading authorities on personal and business
success. This article has become one of my favorites and I
refer to it often and ask my clients to read it too,
especially when they start comparing their success to
others with more success, feeling resentful of their
situation, blaming others, or feeling angry and 'less-than'
because their particular situation is not what they'd like
it to be. Here's an excerpt:

"Responsibility goes hand in hand with success,
achievement, motivation, happiness and self-actualization.
It's the absolute minimum requirement for the
accomplishment of everything you could ever really want in
life. Accepting that you're completely responsible for
yourself and realizing that no one is coming to the rescue
is the beginning of peak performance...

The opposite of accepting responsibility is making excuses
and blaming people and things for what's going on in your
life. And since everything we do is a matter of habit, if
people get into the habit of making excuses, they get into
the habit of evading responsibility at the same time.

If they set a goal or objective for themselves, they
immediately create an excuse that they hold in reserve just
in case the accomplishment of the goal is too difficult or
requires more self-discipline and persistence than they had
thought.

As soon as things start to go poorly, irresponsible people
trot out their excuse and let themselves off the hook. But
that won't get them anywhere in the long run... The more
responsibility you take, the more in control you are. And
the freer you are, especially in your own mind, to make
decisions and to do the things you want to do. So there's a
direct relationship between responsibility, control,
freedom and happiness.

A person who is completely irresponsible is subject to
anger, hostility, fear, resentment, doubt-all sorts of
negative emotions. And here's why. All negative emotions
tend to be associated with blame. Fully 99 percent of all
our problems exist only because we're able to blame someone
or something for them. The instant we stop blaming, our
negative emotions begin disappearing.

What's the antidote to blaming? It's simple! Since your
mind can hold only one thought at a time, either positive
or negative, you can override the tendency to blame and
become angry simply by saying, firmly, "I am responsible!"
You can't accept responsibility for a situation and be
angry at the same time... The acceptance of responsibility
negates negative emotions and short-circuits any tendencies
toward unhappiness. In fact, the acceptance of
responsibility often gives you insight into what you should
do to resolve the situation.

Everything that is happening to you on the outside is due
to something that is happening to you on the inside, so the
first place to look is within. As soon as you do that, you
begin to see things that you had completely missed when you
were busy blaming others and making excuses. You begin to
see that you're responsible in large measure for the things
that are happening to you.

You're earning today exactly what you're worth-not a penny
more, not a penny less. In life, we tend to get exactly
what we deserve. If you're not satisfied with the amount
you're getting, look around you, at people who are doing
the kind of work you would like to do and earning the kind
of money you would like to earn. Ask them what they're
doing differently from what you're doing. What are the
causes of the effects they're getting? Once you know what
they are, accept complete responsibility for your
situation, apply your wonderful mind and abilities, back
them with willpower and self-discipline, and get busy
making the changes you need to make to enjoy the life you
want to enjoy."

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

You've heard the saying, "Speak the truth. The truth will
set you free." In this case, I want you to be VERY honest
with yourself in answering the following... stop hiding
behind your justifications or get off your high horse and
answer the following:

Have you recently blamed someone or something for the fact
that you haven't yet achieved what you wanted in your
business?

Are you using excuses (even JUSTIFYING your situation) so
that you don't have to take action in terms of getting
clients or be embarrassed in case "it doesn't work out"?

Have you harbored resentment towards someone or something
because you feel you were "gipped" in some way?

Do you feel anger or have lashed out in the past because
your business is not where you want it to be yet?

Are you pointing fingers, saying "This is the reason I'm
not making more"?

Have you compared yourself to someone else more financially
successful than you currently are, feeling less-than? Have
you perhaps even JUDGED that person based on their success?

Personally speaking, I know that I've been able to answer
"Yes" to all of these questions at some point in my
self-employed career. Whether I knew it consciously or not
at the time, it all resulted from avoiding responsibility
for what I was creating in my life. It didn't feel good,
and it certainly did not get me moving forward towards
success.

The key for me has been to be honest with myself about my
responsibility. No one else can create my life except for
me. Only I can control my thoughts, words, actions and
behaviors. Blaming or pointing fingers does absolutely no
good. In fact, it doesn't work and it's usually just an
excuse that we use, in case we fail. That way, we don't
need to be embarrassed. We can just say it wasn't our
fault. NONSENSE.

Consider this a fork in the road of your success. This is
your opportunity to step up in your business, stop using
excuses, stop resenting or comparing yourself and STOP
blaming others for what you have or don't have in your
life. It's time to take a NO EXCUSES approach to doing what
you have to do to get clients, start being consistent in
your marketing, work through the programs you've bought, or
clear your schedule to attend events (no matter what else
has "come up") that will give you the solution you SAY
you've been wanting. Begin to take FULL responsibility and
making different choices and your life and business will
never be the same. I promise you that; I'm living proof of
it.

----------------------------------------------------
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is
founder of the Client Attraction System™, the proven
step-by-step program to attract more clients, in record
time...guaranteed. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by
mail and receive her weekly how-to articles on attracting
more clients, visit http://www.ClientAttraction.com .