Sales professionals and students of communication, persuasion and sales have a great new resource with ABC’s of Selling!

A message to experienced sales people…

Do you ever ask yourself, “Am I firing on all pistons?” or “Am I playing the sales game with attention to all of the critical essentials of effective gameplay?”  I think many sales people who are ambitious and excellence-driven wonder this, yet they procrastinate about resolving their concerns.  Avoidance is also human nature, so many deny there’s any need for concern at all.  If you don’t routinely ask yourself these questions, then you should.

Study of adult learning reveals that it is human nature to be drawn to learn new concepts that present themselves with a context or experience of novelty.  We tend to give prioritized attention to new and seemingly uniquely valuable ideas.  Yet as time passes, novelty and prioritization of previously fresh ideas lessens.  We take for granted the value of concepts, and they lose their luster in our field of attention.  It is a false assumption (most everyone makes) that, if we learned a concept before then we “know” it forever…  And since we know it forever, well then, we will always benefit from that knowing and we most certainly apply that concept at every opportune occasion.  Right?  Yeah, right.

What’s more, even important concepts, such as effective communication techniques or productive business strategies, from which we would benefit to re-consider and perhaps implement with a new vigor, are dismissed reflexively if the mind thinks, “oh, that sounds like something I’ve heard before.”  The mind reacts with, “I already know that, I’m smart enough and good enough as it is, and so everything is fine as it is.”

A moment of earnest and honest introspection reveals to us:

  • We carry around the false assumption that we we know everything we’ve ever seen before.
  • And we keep falling back into living on auto-pilot mode, “good enough and fine.”

If you don’t choose to ambitiously act out extraordinarily on your own behalf, then your mind will live your life for you as “good enough” and “fine.”  I don’t know about you, but “good enough” and “fine” have never been enough for me!  So, I seek-out fresh, bold, concise, and compelling new presentations of fundamentals for effectiveness, productivity, and success as often as I can.  While experiencing a same-old idea that is newly-framed, and so freshly-compelling, we give renewed meaning and newly-inspired attention to the most recent presentation of a concept that we have perhaps previously learned and since let slip away from our active mindfulness.

About how learning works and a message to students of sales, new sales people, and people who merely want to learn to be more effective communicators and be more persuasive…

When you are seeking out resources for engaging your mind to increase your knowledge and improve your effectiveness, some resources are better than others.  The field of educational psychology tells us that we learn more information more quickly and more deeply when the information is presented using generally-conversational language, carefully-chunked concepts, patterns, memory devices, and triggers.  So, whenever I am learning new ideas and concepts, I don’t just look for the book with the brightest colors and the glossiest cover…  I seek out resources that employ information presentation techniques and formatting that I know will best support my understanding of the information and ease the challenge of retaining new information.

THE GOOD NEWS for new sales people and experienced sales professionals…

Dale Brakhage’s book, ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette, is an ideal refresher course for essential sales concepts.  To begin with, the ABC-format of this book is easy-to-read and very understandable.  Readers will appreciate the bite-sized chapters and enjoy the insights and anecdotes featured throughout the book.  Moreover, ABC’s of Selling incorporates techniques to enhance learning.  Readers of this book become engaged in a “conversation” with the authors.  The style of the text is less formal and more accessible to attract and hold the attention of younger readers and those who communicate more frequently via the Internet.  Selling is persuasive communication, a complex process.  ABC’s of Selling breaks the complex process of selling into simple behaviors that readers can easily learn and demonstrate.  Those behaviors, called essential concepts, appear in a matrix, the alphabet, which all readers can easily recall and recite correctly at any time.  Associating the simple behaviors of selling with the alphabet provides readers with an effective memory device, called a trigger which allows them to recall the behaviors easily.

Also a valuable feature of the of the book, acclaimed celebrity chef, author, philanthropist, speaker and advertising industry business woman, Edie Hand, co-authored ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette by contributing the book's "etiquette essentials."  Hand has authored, co-authored, and helped to develop over twenty books ranging from inspirational cookbooks to novellas from a strong woman’s perspective.  Not only does ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette recommend essential “selling” strategies and methods for expressing yourself and your ideas, but the book also emphasizes a dimension of sales that is often neglected, the human-to-human conscientious courtesy of “business etiquette.”  Merging selling tactics and the practice of better human relations through business etiquette will help you learn to listen with intent and empathy, express and demonstrate respect for others with appropriate protocols and manners, better manage and present your ideas, work efficiently to achieve goals and objectives, communicate effectively, and ultimately create mutually-valuable and appreciated transactions of exchange between people.

I was recently enlisted to edit Brakhage’s ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette, and I felt so strongly about the value of the book that when I was invited to do so, I enthusiastically contributed the foreword to the book.  Most people find it difficult to sell their ideas.  Even more people struggle when trying to sell products or services.  People everywhere want to succeed in business and need to know how to be persuasive and behave appropriately.  Everyone should learn how to sell!  ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette can help you communicate more effectively, persuade others to accept your ideas and agree with you, and get more of what you want out of life.  ABC’s of Selling with Etiquette reinvigorates our focus on the fundamentals of communication, persuasiveness, and sales principles and tactics.

Buy "ABC's of Selling with Etiquette" now!

~   ~   ~
Achievement Coach Greg Kilgore
360° Achievement Coaching
Providing a 360° Perspective for
Creating Awareness, Accountability,
Action, and Extraordinary Achievement 

Aligned Leadership: A Model for Extraordinary Achievement

Aligned Leadership:  A Model for Extraordinary Achievement
Greg Kilgore, Updated August 15, 2010

It is my vision that you, me, and all of humanity work and play together free, enriched, fulfilled, and rewarded.  All of the articles I post, the information I share, the projects to which I contribute, and the clients with whom I engage are in support of this vision.  (For more about my professional passion, please visit Ventures for Transformation.)

September 2009, I posted an article about leadership, Leadership Essentials, which has been viewed 1,400+ times (source: Posterous).  In that article, I present the following essential leadership strategy:

Responsibility. Values. Commitment. Strategy. Planning. Execution. All the while, alignment to the values. Begin again with responsibility. Repeat. The game to play to win all the other games combined.

Also, in that article, we explore the value of most of those aspects of fundamental leadership strategy.

In this article, I emphasize the most critical aspect of effective leadership and WHY it is so valuable to understand and to embrace...

The most critical endeavor of effective leadership is ALIGNMENT (or "Aligned Leadership").

Whether you are embarking upon a campaign to create change within a community, a marketplace, a small business, or an organization, Aligned Leadership is required.  Without Aligned Leadership, short-term goals may be attained, but sustainability, lasting growth, innovation, and extraordinary rewards will never be achieved.  Effective leadership is only ever Aligned Leadership, otherwise leadership is ultimately ineffective.

Aligned Leadership is a phrase that implies "alignment" is required between something and something else.  So what then is to be aligned with what?  And why?  Simply stated:  Everything you do must be aligned with your VALUES and fundamental COMMITMENT(S).

Why?  A career of study and practice of adult learning styles, training techniques, achievement coaching, and human performance development reveals: People choose and act upon what INSPIRES them.

~  ~  ~

Here are the basics of the model of Aligned Leadership with enough complexity to get the big picture...

Identify and declare your VALUES. >>>  Define and communicate your VISION Statement.

Determine and declare your COMMITMENTS.  >>>  Define and communicate your MISSION Statement.

Determine, define, and maintain:  models, processes, rules, policies, systems, and methods.  >>>  All the while MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT with the VISION and MISSION.

Observe, consider, and respond to the cards you are dealt, in other words, the external environment, availability of resources, internal interpersonal dynamics, etc. >>>  All the while MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT with the VISION and MISSION.

~  ~  ~

Many of the terms here (vision statement, mission statement, models, methods, etc.) have evolved (or devolved) in corporate and business culture over the years to the point of being considered absurd.  There is one reason alone why that is true:  Leaders failed to maintain alignment of actions with Values and Commitments.  Leaders fail to maintain alignment because they  allow several aspects of human nature to get the best of them.  A few stand-out challenges of human nature facing leaders (and team players) are...

  • Novelty:  I've been studying adult learning styles most of my career.  One thing is clear:  We very often take for granted and forget critical know-how knowledge the more familiar we become with performing the exercise.  To reinforce sustained performance excellence and continuous improvement, we require being re-introduced to critical know-how knowledge in fresh, new presentations, stories, and contexts.
  • Ego:  We associate basic instinctive survival with looking good and being right.  So much so, we instinctively and habitually avoid doing what's best for others and for ourselves to avoid the appearance of impropriety, wrongness, and looking bad to others and ourselves.
  • Short-term satisfaction and short-term memory:  We will choose short-term gratification much more often than long-term satisfaction.  Often, we will put-off until tomorrow actions that we do not enjoy and then forget our long-term motivations altogether for those actions.  Ultimately, often the actions never get fulfilled.

Recently, I discovered Simon Sinek's presentation about the importance of WHY.  To quote a few Internet sources:

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers -- and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.

All organizations and careers function on 3 levels. What you do, How you do it and Why you do it.  The problem is, most don’t even know that Why exists.  The Why is your driving motivation for action.  The Hows are the specific actions that are taken to realize your Why.  The Whats are the tangible ways in which you bring your Why to life.

If you want a pleasant diversion into Sinek's perspectives, they are right on-point with the practice of Aligned Leadership, they are stated somewhat more simply than this conversation, and his presentation is enjoyable to watch or hear...

So, I emphasize here:  Once you are grounded in your "Why" (VALUES and COMMITMENTS), everything you do (sales, marketing, business process, human resource management -- everything) must BE ALIGNED with your Why.

~  ~  ~

I've been gratified to learn that there's recently been a rising-up and definition of a new role in some organizations, the CSO, Chief Strategic Officer.  The role of Chief Strategic Officer is defined as as a high-level senior executive whose main responsibility is to ensure that execution flows from strategic planning by assisting the chief executive officer with creating, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives within a corporation.  Chief Strategy Officers are normally executives who have worn many hats in business.

Chief Strategy Officers are responsible for three critical jobs that are considered to be the most important aspects of successful strategy execution: (1) Must portray a company's strategy to every business unit within a corporation so that all employees, partners, and contractors understand the corporate-wide strategic plan and how it backs into the companies overall goals.  (2) Must drive immediate results within a corporation, whereas the CEO is normally responsible for driving long-term results and providing vision.  (3) Must drive decision-making that creates immediate change.

The CSO often influences organizational development, typically in close coordination with the CEO, including consumer innovation, business process outsourcing, financial structure, product supply chain, regional expansion, communications, and acquisitions.  The CSO ensures a robust organization design which is a key component of a successful market focus and position; market focus and position of course being a building block of a high-performance business.

Thanks to Simon Sinek (video above), I now also refer to the CSO as the "Chief WHY Officer!"

~  ~  ~

Did you notice my VISION and MISSION at the start of this article?

It is my vision that you, me, and all of humanity work and play together free, enriched, fulfilled, and rewarded.  All of the articles I post, the information I share, the projects to which I contribute, and the clients with whom I engage are in support of this vision.

I invite you to hire me to collaborate with you to achieve this vision for you, your business, and your big games in life!

~  ~  ~

GREG L. KILGORE, Achievement Coach
360° Achievement Coaching:
Creating Awareness, Accountability,
Action, and Achievement!

Get a 360° perspective, and take action now!

TELESEMINAR: "How Achievement Coaching Empowers People, Maximizes Human Potential and Produces Extraordinary Results"

What is a 10% increase in productivity or sales worth to your business? 20%? Or 30%? What if you could improve the effectiveness and productivity of the most critical members of your business by even 10%? What is that worth in additional revenue, cost savings, and ROI?

Please join me, Achievement Coach Greg Kilgore, on Tuesday, July 13th, at 3:00 p.m - 3:40 p.m. for a free teleseminar to explore the benefits and value of Achievement Coaching.  Following the 20-minute presentation, I will open-up the call to any questions for 20 minutes.

Have you ever wondered...

  • What is coaching?
  • What is the difference between coaching and consulting?
  • What is the difference between coaching and counseling?
  • What is the difference between Life Coaching, Professional Achievement Coaching, and Sports, Fitness, or Wellness Coaching?
  • Why do people procrastinate about "doing what it takes" to achieve their goals?
  • Why is Achievement Coaching valuable?
  • How does Achievement Coaching work?
  • What are the benefits and value of Achievement Coaching to professionals and executives?
  • What are the benefits and value of Achievement Coaching to businesses and organizations?
  • What are the different ways coaches price their services and why?

Achievement Coaching changes everything...

  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Responsibility
  • Accountability
  • Effectiveness
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Communication
  • Productivity
  • Empowerment
  • Fulfillment
  • Wellness and Fitness
  • Work-Life Balance
  • Clarity
  • Focus
  • Rewards

For more event details and free event registration, please visit Teleseminar Presentation and Q&A: How Achievement Coaching Empowers People, Maximizes Human Potential, and Produces Extraordinary Results.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Arrange for a confidential no-risk meeting now at 360° Achievement Coaching offered by Achievement Coach Greg Kilgore.

Sales Leadership: Compensation Strategies: Commission-only vs. Salary with Commissions or Bonuses

Of all the complex business strategy decisions to deliberate, "commission-only versus salary with commissions or bonuses," is certainly the most tricky and the most important.

Over twenty-plus years in business, I've heard all the debates and the pros and cons of each approach, and I have seen each approach work and fail in varying degrees.  There didn't seem much point for me to re-tread all of the same old issues on this topic, but I did think it would be helpful to uncover perspectives and insights that are already out on the web, and to bring them together in one place for review.  Albeit, these are the insights that I've identified with which I agree and my experience validates so that bias does apply.  So here are a few citations that bring together the most salient points...

There are three situations or combination of situations where commission-only sales seems to work well...

1. When the product is easy to sell, commission only provides a way for the salesman to maximise his earnings. I have a friend that sells advertising on a commission-only basis, when his peers have a base combined with a much lower commission.  He chooses commission-only as he spends his day working lists of old customers which have a very high percentage of people that are ready to make a buying decision.
2. When the salesperson is already selling to the target audience and your product would simply be layering-on additional revenue with perceived minimal effort.  This option also covers selling though an ad hoc opportunity, e.g., "I sat next to this guy at lunch and..."
3. Commission-only also seems to work best when their are short sales cycles measured in hours or days.  Long sales cycles cause two issues: First, the time investment increases requiring a much greater ROI for the salesperson.  The second issue is the risk the sale will be “undermined” by competition during a long sales cycle.

When does it not work...

1. Obviously it's not going to work when you get the reverse of the above:  When your product is difficult to sell, when your salespeople have to find brand new customers, and when there are long sales cycles.
2. However it also doesn’t work when it's an excuse to not invest in your sales activity.  I don’t mean just pay retainers, I mean not even providing adequate training, management and follow-up.  All too often commission-only is perceived as an “I’ve got nothing to lose” solution because it supposedly costs the vendor nearly nothing.  The reality is that it can lull you into a false sense of activity or worse you can have your brand completely trashed.
3. It doesn’t work when the agreement is informal or the audit-trail is poor quality.  Both which normally translate into perceived breaches of the agreement, a lack of trust, and sales coming to a stall-out.  All too often I see merchant-banker types fighting over who was owed the commission on a deal that mutated and had mutltiple parties involved along the route to a transaction.
4. Finally, it doesn’t work when what each party brings to the table isn’t valued properly by the other party.  For instance, I am endlessly approached by people who wish to access my network for free (the one I have slaved long and hard to build) and only wish to pay me if they can conclude a transaction – an activity I have no control over.  Another regular theme is that I can have a website built for them at no cost and then make margins from their brilliant product.

A couple of other points to consider...

1. A commission-only sales force has little interest in providing customer service beyond the sale.
2. The hiring and management of commission-only staff can can be a huge drain on the management team as these people are all independent operators.

Source: Does Commission-only Sales Actually Work? (above)
By brendan at 3 March, 2010, 9:37 pm

The first condition required for this model [commission-only sales roles] to work is a short sales cycle. Most people either do not have the patience or simply cannot afford to wait three to six months to complete a sale and earn a commission. In addition to the requirement that these staffers have the financial means to support themselves for several months, a long sales cycle dramatically increases the difficulty of maintaining their interest and motivation...

The second prerequisite for success with this compensation model is a relatively simple product. Consider the items sold by successful home-based and network marketing firms such as Amway: vitamins, long-distance service, household cleaners, the list of products trends very heavily toward simple to understand and consumable goods...

Contrary to the idea that commission-only sales representatives are free, since they are only paid on what they sell, there are two huge costs of using such a sales force:  1. The hiring, training, and supervision of these workers can overwhelm the management team.  2. Independent sales representatives are given little incentive to provide customer service beyond the sale.

Source: The Commission Conundrum (above)
Column by Francisco Dao

How do you find the good reps?  It’s very difficult! The good productive rainmakers usually work with big brands that we all know. The others are very picky about who they will represent. They will ask much of you – do you have current accounts that produce revenue that they can now manage so they can earn business is ready to do business. You must have a great website, enticing brochures, great spec sheets, alluring packaging, and other basics your need to succeed. If you are not ready to play with the big boys, the good reps will take a pass on your and move on to greener pastures.

Should you hire a sales person in house?  I know, money is tight. You barely make enough to pay your mortgage never mind a high priced sales pro. But here lies the dilemma – do you invest in a dedicated proven sales pro who will devote himself to you? How do you know they will perform and at least cover their cost of having them on staff? Perhaps you tried this in the past and have gotten burned – big pay with little or no sales from them. This is always a tough call, but, if you are truly in it for the long haul, you need to invest in good sales people. They are the heart of your organization. Without sales, nothing else happens. We believe one of the best investments you can make is to bring aboard the highest quality sales help you can afford.

Source: Should you hire commission only reps or hire in house sales people? The inside story... (above) by Jim DeBetta, February 22, 2010

There are many reasons why salaries and bonuses are better for both real estate principal and salesperson alike... How you reward your sales team impacts significantly on both the profit of the [business] and on the earnings of the salespeople themselves. When you pay salespeople - or anybody - a percentage of your gross income, you sacrifice profit. When comparing the three most common systems used in real estate agency sales and using the same expenses, the same gross average selling fee, and showing the break-even Points for all three systems, the office that breaks even first is the independent office paying "salaries and bonuses" to its salespeople. Does this mean that the salespeople are worse off? NO!

So why does our industry persist with reward systems that are both unprofitable for the office and are detrimental to the financial health of all but a few of the salespeople working under those systems? [Business] leaders are afraid of losing money paid in salaries to people who do not perform, so they opt for the commission-only system which they believe will minimize losses.  Yet, without adequate hiring programs to properly train and test new recruits, then the chance of failure is high. Just as the recruit reaches the point where he or she is about to make money, the person leaves. This leads to the industry leaders complaining, "You can't find good people!" ...To build a winning team you need a few things working for you: Your office must be ATTRACTIVE. You must have HIRING PROGAMS that minimize the risk of lost salaries paid to the wrong people. You must have TRAINING PROGRAMS designed to get your new people to a satisfactory knowledge level... Your TRAINING PROGRAMS must continue developing your new people for as long as they remain with your company. These four ingredients explain why our Top 100 salespeople perform as well as they do, and thanks to salaries and bonuses there is sufficient profit for the agency to thrive as well.

Source: Commission-Only Versus Salary-and-Bonus (above)
Pittard Training Group Leadership and Sales Bulletins

The number one mistake businesses make is in assuming that commission only sales people are just like employed ones, just paid differently. If going down the freelance route is going to work for you and your business, you need to radically rethink, and the best way to start that process is to put yourself in a freelancers shoes...  He is taking a leap of faith (after due diligence) that you will pay him on time and not go bust in the meantime, that you will provide the service promised to the clients/customers he finds for you, not leaving him to answer the angry after sales calls, and most of all, that there actually is a market for your products at the prices you are asking him to sell at.

[Rules for commission-only sales to work...]
Rule 1: Be realistic and honest. If you have found selling your product yourself difficult, or it has a long lead time, tell him so.
Rule 2: Learn from businesses who have successfully used self employed sales people for years. They know you have to keep your people busy, by providing leads, appointments or data to work with (depending on the type of business). Expecting a freelancer to provide all his own leads, with no data provided to get him off and earning quickly will mean you loose them very quickly.
Rule 3: The quicker you pay his commission the more loyal and hard working he will be.
Rule 4: Motivation rules!  Sales people are a complicated breed, and freelancers the most complicated of all! They spend their lives motivating themselves, and get a group of them in one room and usually there’s a party! They are as a group the most “up”, optimistic, enthusiastic people on the planet. Yet, when the bubble bursts, many can bomb with a speed known only to Newton!  To keep a freelancer motivated and on task, you need to be aware of your role in managing him. Anything you do, any process you have, any communication (or lack of it) could affect whether you are the parachute, the soft place to land, or the trampoline which will get him bouncing back up again, this time even better than he was before and doubling his sales. Become a Sales Manager par excellence, and if you can't, then hire one!
Rule 5: Do not expect him to work under the same terms and conditions, or to have the same relationship with him as an employed sales rep.
Rule 6: Train, train, train! Give him the best product and product related sales training possible. Even if he is experienced in selling a similar product, he still needs to know yours inside out.
Rule 7: Do NOT confuse marketing with sales.  What you have on your hands is a hungry sales machine, not a marketeer. Sales mops up where marketing leaves off. He needs you to provide him with the marketing tools, presenters (and pitch), leaflets, business cards and back office support.
Rule 8: Think of recruitment as ongoing.  Freelancers rarely stick around long. They can be the “ladies of the night” of the sales world.
Rule 9: Always recruit more freelancers than you think you need.  The drop off within the first month of contracting with a freelancer is very high. The reason is simple. Just as you aren’t needing to commit to them long term, so they aren’t needing to commit to you.
Rule 10: Budget for success. Remember the “free” in free-lance means:  Not “tied," not “no cost!" There are three main areas to budget for: recruitment, training and management costs.

Source: Commission-only sales, the right choice? (above)
By Liz Sparkes, 17th Mar 2010

There are quite a few valuable insights from the sources above.  I'll add at least one more...

Consider all of the human-relations understanding, communications, behavior-styles adaptation, leadership, and management required to manage traditional salaried employees...  Now, consider applying all of that know-how and then some to managing employees who admittedly choose as their primary motivator whether or not you and your company is doing everything it can to support their success at earning even $1 let alone $100, $1,000, or $10,000. Recruiting and managing a commission-only sales team is a game that can be played and occasionally won, but I do not believe that it is for the faint of heart or the inexperienced.

One last note: Whether you are seeking to hire a salaried employee or a commission-only sales freelancer, here's a fairly good article about "How to recruit top notch sales people."  I especially like the eight interview questions.

Orlando-area Market Opportunity Report for Professional Services Vendors Targeting Small- to Mid-size Businesses

Orlando-area Market Opportunity Report for Professional Services Vendors Targeting Small- to Mid-size Businesses

Report date:  April 1, 2010.  6 pages. 
Format: Adobe PDF.  Delivery: e-mail.  Cost: $45.

The report cites six data sources for business intelligence and market opportunity data, shows criteria used to filter data, and notes four of the six data sources as resources for business contact information.

The Orlando-area Market Opportunity Report for Professional Services Vendors Targeting Small- to Mid-size Businesses is available for online purchase and will be delivered via e-mail as an attached Adobe PDF file.

Please visit RESOURCES @ Kilgore Report to purchase this resource.

Comprehensive Best Practices Guide for Business Growth Planning of Business Systems, Sales, and Marketing

Comprehensive Best Practices Guide for Business Growth Planning of Business Systems, Sales, and Marketing

Updated: 2010.  10 pages. 
Format: Adobe PDF.  Delivery: e-mail.  Cost: $25.

Want a strategic leg-up on the competition? The Best Practices Guide for Business Growth Planning is a guide for growing your business systems, sales, and marketing.  This guide is useful as a template of choices to build a strategic business plan, marketing plan, and/or a sales plan.  This guide is concise with a bullet-point format, and it is far-reaching and comprehensive!

Excerpt from the Guide...

    "This business growth planning guide is a primer for developing more comprehensive and customized plans for your company or organization.  Business growth happens in, at least, two dimensions...

    (1) Internal growth:  The development of the infrastructure and business processes that allow your business to be productive and effectively manage change.

    (2) Outward growth:  The acquisition and retention of customers; also relationship to and participation in your community, region, and global marketplace."

The Best Practices Guide for Business Growth Planning is available for online purchase and will be delivered via e-mail as an attached Adobe PDF file.

Please visit RESOURCES @ Kilgore Report to purchase this resource.

 

What Charles Darwin actually meant and Alvin Toffler's affirmation for change

I really get what Charles Darwin had to say...

"Survival of the fittest" is commonly said to mean, "the strongest will survive."  But, Darwin actually wrote, "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

More recently, Alvin Toffler wrote, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

Regarding these insights, my most earnest truth to share is:

The most profound purpose of your lifetime is to unlearn the self you've come to identify with living your life on automatic-pilot; and what there is to learn anew are the insights that reveal you as Transcendent Selfthe most intrinsic, authentic and essential You.

Having discovered and newly-affirmed yourself as Transcendent Self, you live re-awakened into experience with:

  • peace of mind,
  • clarity,
  • renewed aliveness, 
  • heightened freedom of choice,
  • greater personal power,
  • highly effective interpersonal communication,
  • enriched and deeper relationships,
  • release from judgement, fear and anxiety,
  • release from resentment-based anger,
  • and release from emotional and rationalized addictions.

~ Achievement Coach Greg Kilgore

Choose Peace of Mind as Your First Priority

To experience your greatest fulfillment and to achieve your best, you must set "peace of mind" as your first priority, and then create your personal life (and your worklife and workplace) to support it.  This is true at an individual's level of responsibility for self.  As well, this should be an on-going personnel-maintenance/support issue for management and executive leaders within companies and organizations.  It's not default human nature to achieve and thrive with this approach, so it requires extraordinary intention, commitment, and efforts to apply this methodology:  First priority, peace of mind...  All other priorities follow that priority.  It is amazing how individual performance becomes extraordinary and organizations become authentically powerful and successful when this commitment is adopted within the organization's mission and is honored by the individuals embracing it.

Get a 360° perspective, and take action now!

GREG L. KILGORE, Achievement Coach
360° Achievement Coaching:
Creating Awareness, Accountability,
Action, and Achievement