Ron White's Ezine
February 20, 2008
Issue 62
Welcome!
One of the curses/benefits of being the entrepreneur and salesman in my sphere of influence is that I get approached often with business ideas or new products to sell and believe me I have heard EVERYTHING! A few years ago a family member approached me with a business idea to invest in. He wanted to start a business helping people find their lost pets, but that is not the amazing part of the story... the amazing thing is that I kept a straight face when I told him to go back to the drawing board. Yet, every now and then a winner is brought to me. Years ago my cousin approached me and wanted me to put up the money to start a business that refinished hotel room furniture. I did and it has gone well. I spend about 2 hours a month on the business, I have a positive stream of income from it and most importantly it helped my cousin.
My primary role is marketing ideas, implementation of marketing and of course sales. I will make about 5 phone calls a month to hotel owners and close deals. I really enjoy it because I enjoy selling. About 4 weeks ago we closed a deal on a big hotel, then three days before the contract was signed the hotel called and said that they only wanted us to do half the job
now and the other half later. My cousin was frustrated and upset because going back later would really eat into our schedule and profits. I told my cousin I had an idea so I called the hotel back and made a proposal. I proposed that we do the entire job now, they pay us 50% now and we will bill for the other 50% in 90 days. The owner accepted and now we only have to make one trip, one set up and our profits stayed high.
My cousin patted me on the back and said, 'I would have never of thought of that!' I share this story with you because your customers are going to say the same thing. They will tell you it costs too much or they just want half the job. Before you lower your price and start eating into your profits instead get creative with payment structure. You still need to eat in 90 days and that money will still spend in 90 days, but by keeping your price structure intact you keep your profits intact. Get creative and remember there are many ways to close a sale and get the profit you deserve!
Go for More this Week!
Ron White
PS - Today's issue is going out to more than 80,267 weekly subscribers. If you enjoy this week's edition and find it to be valuable, then if you would do me the favor of forwarding it to your friends, family and associates, it would be very much appreciated. If they would like to subscribe, have them send an email to: ronwhite@yoursuccessstore.com
In This Issue.....
1. Hang in There by Ron White
2. Quotes of the Week
3. The Leadership Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Tony Alessandra
4. In case you missed my President's Day special...
5. Customer Feedback
6. More Information
1. Hang in There by Ron White
I remember Navy boot camp like it was yesterday. An event that occurred on my 2nd day still causes me to pause when I reflect on it. You can tell a new person to boot camp from someone who is about to graduate based upon their clothes and ribbons. It was clearly my second day from what I was wearing. I was walking single file with my unit down a hall and a sailor, who was about to graduate, passed us.
He must have noticed my expression. It without a doubt said, 'I am tired, intimidated, scared and hungry.' You can't talk when walking in formation, therefore he whispered out of the side of his mouth as we passed...'Hang in there...you can do it.'
I turned to look at his face, but all I saw was the back of his head. Every night before I drifted off to sleep I replayed those words. I will never know that sailor's name. He will never know how it turned my attitude around 180 degrees. He will never know that years later I still remember the electricity of encouragement that shot through my body.
I knew that the only reason he knew what I was feeling is that because he had been where I was and felt how I felt. He had made it and wanted me to know that I could as well. I was eternally grateful.
Then it was my turn. On my graduation day I walked into a storage facility and saw three sailors leaning up against the wall. They were new and scared, intimidated, tired and hungry. I walked over to them and whispered, 'Hang in there...you can do it.' Within 1 second tears filled the eyes of the female sailor and one of the males clenched his first and gave me a million thanks with his eyes.
As I walked away I had goose bumps. I knew that my words would be motivation for the rest of the day and fuel every night to keep them focused on their goal of graduation when they wanted to quit. I hope they passed on the encouragement to another sailor before they graduated...and I know they did.
If you are in a valley, then remember this. Others have been there (including myself) and hang in there you can do it. Whether your goal is boot camp graduation, building a business or a raising a family... since others have done it... you can too. Hang in there.
If you are at a peak, do not underestimate what a few kind words of encouragement might do for those around you.
Many find it odd that at this point in my career that I am in the Naval Reserves. I generate more income by one person attending my seminar than I do in my one weekend a month. When I was activated, I earned a fraction of my current income. But, I do it because it is right for me and in my heart I have to. I also do it because the lessons like the one above are invaluable to me. I hope you found some value in it as well.
Ron White
2. Quotes of The Week
DETERMINATION
"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." -- Og Mandino
"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time a tremendous whack." -- Winston Churchill
"Life leaps like a geyser for those willing to drill through the rock of inertia." -- Alexis Carrel
"Achievement requires more than a vision - it takes courage, resolve and tenacity." -- Neil Eskelin
"I never failed once. It just happened to be a 20001-step process." -- Thomas A. Edison
"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time." -- Vince Lombardi
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." -- George Lorimer
"When someone tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, 'I'm going to prove you wrong!'" -- Picabo Street
"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." -- Leonardo da Vinci
"We will either find a way, or make one." -- Hannibal
"A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must…be undaunted when the going gets tough." -- Ronald Reagan
"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus
"The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between the great and insignificant is energy - invincible determination - a purpose once fixed and then death or victory." -- Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
"In doing you work in the great world, it is a safe plan to follow a rule I once heard on the football field: Don´t flinch, don´t fall; hit the line hard." -- Theodore Roosevelt
"Have the dogged determination to follow through to achieve your goal; regardless of circumstances or whatever other people say, think, or do." -- Paul Meyer
3. The Leadership Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Tony Alessandra
Abraham Lincoln really was born in a log cabin. The fact that he went on to become President -- and to lead the country through the most difficult period of its history -- is truly remarkable. It's even more amazing when you consider what it took to be an important leader in the middle of the nineteenth century. Although we hear a lot about people like Lincoln or Andrew Jackson or Ulysses S. Grant -- people who came from nothing to wield great power -- these were most definitely the exceptions who proved the rule. And the rule was, most successful people started out with all the advantages.
Financially, it was much harder to get rich a hundred and fifty years ago than it is today -- and if you failed, it was much harder to get back on your feet. There was no safety net from the government or from anywhere else to make sure that you didn't go hungry. In those days, it was every man for himself.
With that in mind, let's look for a minute at some of the things that Lincoln faced and overcame. You've probably seen lists similar to this, describing Lincoln's failures, but I'd like to go through it again in order to make some important points, which we'll take up immediately after the list. As you're listening to this list, I'd like you also to think of setbacks you've faced in your own life, and how you responded to them.
In 1832, Lincoln was working in a general store in Illinois when he decided to run for the state legislature. But the election was some months away, and before it took place the general store went bankrupt and Lincoln was out of a job. So he joined the army and served three months. When he got out, it was almost time for the election -- which he lost.
Then, with a partner, Lincoln opened a new general store. His partner embezzled from the business, and the store went broke. And shortly thereafter the partner died, leaving Lincoln with debts that took several years to pay off.
In 1834, Lincoln ran again for the state legislature, and this time he won. He was even elected to three more terms of two years each. During this period, however, Lincoln also suffered some severe emotional problems. Today he would have been categorized as clinically depressed.
By 1836, Lincoln had become a licensed attorney. At that time, a law degree was not required to pass the bar exam, and Lincoln had been studying on his own for years. He later became a circuit-riding lawyer, traveling from county to county in Illinois to plead cases in different jurisdictions. He was one of the most diligent of all the lawyers doing this kind of work, and between 1849 and 1860 he missed only two court sessions on the circuit.
In 1838, he was defeated in an attempt to become Speaker of the Illinois legislature, and in 1843 he was defeated in an attempt to win nomination for Congress. In 1846 he was elected to Congress, but in 1848 he had to leave because his party had a policy of limiting terms. In 1854, he was defeated in a run for the U.S. Senate. In 1856, he lost the nomination for Vice President, and in 1858 he was again defeated in a race for the Senate. Yet in spite of all these setbacks, in 1860 he was elected President of the United States.
What can we learn about leadership from looking at this chronology? To me, the most remarkable thing is how every time Lincoln failed at something, he was soon trying for something even bigger. When he loses his seat in the state legislature, he runs for the national congress. When he loses a bid for the Senate, he tries to become vice president -- and when he loses the Senate race again, he winds up President of the whole country.
Lincoln saw himself as a leader long before anyone else did -- and this is the first key to his leadership genius. He may have failed many times, but somehow he always failed upward. He was propelled by a sense of mission, and he was willing and able to do whatever it took to get that great mission accomplished.
From the very first, Lincoln saw himself as the savior of the country. Not just as a successful lawyer or a judge or the owner of a general store. To him, all those things were way stations on the way to something much bigger and more important. Lincoln saw himself as a leader long before he was one. In fact, he saw himself as the leader, right from the first. This wasn't arrogance or empty ambition. It was a sense of ultimate purpose in service of a worthy cause.
How can you bring that sense of mission into your own life? What are your big, worthy dreams? Are there are goals that you recognized from the first, which you've continued to pursue no matter what setbacks have intervened? If that's the case, then you're already a leadership genius -- you've already mastered the art of leading your life in the direction you want it to go.
On the other hand, you may be one of the many people who have put aside any ideas about changing the country or the world. That's fine -- but I do want to repeat the question I asked a moment ago: What are your big, worthy dreams? And I want to emphasize worthy.
Having a big car or a boat doesn't count. Those things are great, but can you see the difference between wanting material success and wanting to make a truly big difference in the world, the way Lincoln did? It's the difference between just being successful for your own sake, in very conventional terms -- and being a leadership genius, not just for yourself, but for other people too. In Lincoln's case, it was for all people.
Think about your life in terms of a mission - a great purpose that inspires you to leadership -- first leadership of yourself, and then of others. If you've identified that purpose, the next step is thinking practically and realistically about how you're going to bring it about. And sometimes the practical side has to be dealt with first, in order to make the larger purpose feasible.
Is there anything about yourself that you suspect might disqualify you from being an effective leader? What are they? How can you turn these perceived weaknesses into your strengths? It's tempting to think that our leaders should be without weaknesses, but that's by no means the truth. Leaders should not be without weaknesses that they're unaware of. Leaders should not be out of touch with what's going on in their minds and hearts. That awareness in itself is much more important than what challenges it reveals. These are questions that will take more than a few minutes to answer -- but I urge you to reflect on them to improve your leadership genius.
Here's to more insight,
Tony Alessandra
There are so many lessons that can be learned from our past US Presidents..
Join Ron White and look back through history with him as the characters of the Presidents of the United States are revealed. What did these men do? Who did they become? How did they forge the destiny of a nation?
These are some of the questions addressed in examining the success lessons left behind by leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan.
It's my belief that by extracting the lessons of these great men and applying them to our own lives, perhaps we can catapult the success of our lives to parallel the success of a great nation.
Follow this link to find out more:
http://www.yoursuccessstore.com/presidents
4. In case you missed my President's Day special...
As a faithful reader of my Ezine, you probably already know all about my passion for politics and my intense interest in the historic personalities who've achieved the rank of commander in chief of our great nation – you know, President of the United States!
With the Presidents' Day holiday having just occurred this past Monday, and since we're smack in the middle of a raucous presidential campaign, I'm extending my President's Day offer to you for a few more days...
It's a really special deal on one of my favorite and most recommended DVD/CD programs: Success Lessons from U.S. Presidents.
http://www.yoursuccessstore.com/presidents
Look back through history with me as the characters of the Presidents of the United States are revealed. What did these men do? Who did they become? How did they forge the destiny of a nation?
These are some of the questions addressed in examining the success lessons left behind by leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan.
It's my belief that by extracting the lessons of these great men and applying them to our own lives, perhaps we can catapult the success of our lives to parallel the success of a great nation.
Follow this link to find out more:
http://www.yoursuccessstore.com/presidents
5. Customer Feedback
Here are some of the testimonials and comments we received from our Ezine subscribers and event attendees. We love receiving comments and feedback - so keep it coming!
God Bless You! To me you are a hero to have joined the reserves knowing that you could possibly wind up going to war. You are a true hero in my eyes! I will definitely buy your scripture memory CDs. I have memorized very few scriptures, for some reason my mind fails to retain them although I retain so much more. It's very frustrating to have to run look for the scripture I need when someone comes to me with difficulties!! Have a great day!! ~Rhonda B.
Aloha Ron! Please add me to your list of readers! A gal friend of mine forwards your newsletter to me every now and I really enjoy reading them. She travels a lot and I'm sure not able to send me all of them all the time. I just read your welcome message sharing your military adventure in Kabul… it has touched me in many ways! It reminds me of how grateful I am to be American. I don't agree with this war, however I pray and support all those men and women who serve our country and pray they all return home safe to their loved ones. I have a twin brother and a kid sister both retired from the military who both, in a heart beat, re-enlisted after 9-11-2001. I'm so proud of them… and proud of you! Thank you very much for sharing your story. It is very inspiring… Mahalo, Sheila
As the mother-in-law of a Lt. Col USMC, I want to thank you for your volunteer service to our country. It is an admirable and courageous act. My son-in-law is facing his 3rd deployment this Spring and is now preparing Marines for their upcoming deployment. I have worn the 50 pound plated protection vest that our military must wear. I could barely walk! I can't imagine wearing that much armor and carrying that weight anytime let alone during an Afghanistan/Iraqi/Middle East summer! Good for you! Most of our US citizens have no idea of the hardship, stress, sacrifice and commitment our military members and their families must endure during training exercises and deployments to war zones. Thank you for stating this so expertly and succinctly. Sincerely, Karen
I am 18 years old and I play baseball for my high school and American Legion. Recently, my uncle sent me your book 22 success lessons from baseball in the mail. I would just like to say that your book will have a huge impact on the way I live my life from now on and I plan to use your tips on and off the field. You have inspired me to keep a positive attitude with my teammates and to always try my hardest and for that I thank you. In one section of the book, you say that you should always let someone know that they are appreciated so I just took this time to write to you to tell you that your book is awesome and I am really grateful to have read it. Sincerely, Andrew N.
Thank you Ezine readers, for the sincere and kind words of encouragement and appreciation you sent us! -- RW
6. More Information
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