Seize the Selling day Thursday - Carpe Diem Day July 31st.

“......be wise, be truthful, strain the wine, and scale back your long hopes to a short period. While we speak, envious time will have {already} fled:seize the day, trusting as little as possible to the future.”

 end of  Odes 1.11  Horace (translation)

(B x A) +C2 + N

F + Pr

Cardiff University's Centre for Lifelong Learning’s  psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, has come up with a  new planning day, called Carpe Diem Thursday.

He argues July 31^st  July is a better day to make resolutions than dreary dark and cold January 1^st.

We are 60% through the year and  the weather is fine. It is a better environment for the mind.

It is a fun and creative approach which I thought might appeal to many in selling in a slacker period of business or approaching the summer holiday season.

HOW Dr. Arnall’s  FORMULA WORKS:

Boldness: Have confidence and trust in yourself to recover if a decision doesn't go according to plan.

Authenticity: Be true to yourself and don't worry about what other people think.

Clarity and commitment: Have a clear goal and seeing how to get there

Now: Don't get stuck in the past or be distracted by the future, as decisions are only ever made in the now.

N.B.       The positive factors have to be strong enough to outweigh the negative factors of Fear and Regret.

Dr Arnall suggests "The idea behind this day is don't get to 80 or 90 and wish you'd not had a go at something. Go with your instinct, your heart and make a small change, something you can control now."

For a moment consider what is involved in resolutions or objectives for sales professionals.

What will you continue to do ?

What will you do more of ?

What habits will you try to do less of ( or better still) drop for the rest of 2014 ?

The  real challenge of making resolutions

 - “When all is said and done, more is said than done.”

To keep focused and to contribute to your future success, answer the following questions of your selling resolutions for the rest of 2014.

You make like to use some of these questions to create a fresh checklist for any sales idea/resolution you wish to make happen in the last 1/3^rd of 2014 !

1.       What is my objective?

2.       How important is it to me?

3.       What results do I expect?

4.       What will help me achieve this?

5.       Which decision maker / manager do I need to involve to achieve my objective?

6.       What will I need in order to convince them and gain their support?

7.       Who else do I need to involve [team and individuals] ?

8.       What do I need in terms of resources [ people , time, money, training, equipment]?

9.       Will I need delegated authority ?

10.   What are the actions required?

11.   What are the milestones ( dates and times?

12.   How and when will I measure my progress?

13.   Who will I involve in reviewing my progress?

14.   What could prevent me from achieving my objective?

15.   What is my next step?

Now make it happen!

Good Luck and Good Selling for the rest of 2014 and beyond.