Have you ever wanted to purchase something and had someone show up at your home or they came up to you in the store to help you and because of the vehicle they pulled up in or the way they spoke and their attitude or the smell of their breath and missing teeth, you made a quick decision that you are not buying from this person? I am guessing we all have those stories.

We are all making first impressions. It is not about whom you’re showing up for but it is about you making the decision that you will show up 100% every time. It is not about whom you are showing up for or who may be watching you, etc. but this is about you. But for this blog's sake let’s just say it is about others. Do you realize how many opportunities are won and lost based on how you show up? I am guessing by now you are thinking of times and stories in your head when you're remembering that time when you showed up a certain way and it was a complete win or flop.

A rule of thumb I practice is to be sensitive to your audience. I try and 1 up their expectations. You can go to extremes on all these which can also lose the sale for you. Example. If someone is driving a Honda, do not show up in a Lamborghini. I think you get the idea. Your goal is not to match them but exceed and you will be viewed by them as the expert in your field.

So my ultimate cheat sheet gives you the best ways to show up which gives you the best opportunity to close the sale. By the way, many sales are made in the first few minutes of your meeting with that person.

Ways to show up to make that first impression:

In-Home Sales, Retail Sales, B2B Sales:

1. If driving show with a nice clean vehicle inside and out and dash clean and appropriate for what you do. (Michael Jordan used to have his vehicle washed everyday (even in the rain) so when he drove to a game or event his vehicle looked the best it could for his fans and he also got out of the vehicle before driving into the parking garage and walked around so that his fans could see him)(without fans he doesn’t have a job).
   
2. Dressed appropriately for the situation
   
3. Nice Fascial appearance
   
4. Pleasant expression—smile away
   
5. Calm and pleasant voice
   
6. Be there to serve them 
   

These are only a few things that will soon have you on the path to much greater success. The right first impressions will also create a habit for you of always just showing up the right way without even thinking about it.

Helping more people will help you get and achieve whatever you set out to achieve so start with these tips.

I host a mastermind every Tuesday and this past Tuesday’s mastermind a sales rep was saying how they had started practicing smiling more in front of their customers and how just that transformation alone had added more sales.

I wish all sales reps ultimate abundance.

CHANGE—Who do you want to be?

What must happen for one to change? Multiple things. Change is not instant but takes time. You did not become the way you are overnight. To experience change some things need to happen. Who do you want to become?

First, why do you want to change? How bad do you want to change? What will you do or what are you willing to do to change? Some things need to first happen on the inside of you. To change the inside something or things will have to be replaced. You say, I want x y z or you want to show up as x y z so get rid of how you used to show up and replace it with a new way to show up. Reach out to others who already show up that way or represent the way you want to represent and seek their counsel and guidance and pursue it. You do not go to a baseball coach to learn how to play football. Seek out those that excel at what you want grabbing onto their coattails and not letting go. Follow the steps—do the work. For some, it will take more training than others depending on where you are already at. It will require schedule changes, pattern changes, and habit changes so do it. Create new schedules, patterns, and habits for yourself to create this new life. You can be what you want but you must do an internal cleanse for starters making room for the new life you are creating.

Remember that you cannot be something else without creating that new lifestyle for yourself.

Be a new you.

Too many of us due to many reasons such as…

A. Due to past experience

B. Or what was said to us

C. Or how it was said to us

Have allowed fear of rejection and fear of others to hold me back. I forget that their response is not directed at me but at their own situation they are in. When I am able to keep their objection as not directed at me but at their set of circumstances it is much easier for me to agree with the customer (#1 rule is to always agree) and then they will feel that you are on their side and now it will be much easier to close the deal.

An example.

Yesterday while at a restaurant with another sales rep he ordered his meal with 2 slices of meat. (I was able to watch the waitress's expressions as well as sales reps). I saw her trying mentally to figure out how to tell him 2 slices of meat was more money. She paused and started saying something then paused again not sure how to remind him it was more money. She finally did but in a scared not confident at all way to which the person I was with was fine with it being more money and expected it to be more money. I paused the waitress and was able to talk to her about her approach of asking for more money. She proceeded to explain about the last few customers that had requested 2 slices of meat and had a meltdown that this would be an extra charge and that she had allowed this to get to her mind causing her to fear confidentially asking the next customer. The 3 of us had a great sales training conversation for the next 15 minutes and you could see her starting to get it and understand it. When we left her she was excited to be able to put the process of how to handle this into action with the next customers realizing that she is not responsible for their actions and she cannot take it personally. She is also going to work on her confidence and not fear asking for money.

Why do we allow this fear to stop us from helping people solve a problem? We take it personally. We allow their objections to overcome us with insecurity, fear and destroy our confidence.

So how do we solve this? Remember that they are just venting and speaking from what they know and what they don’t know. Do not allow their objection to be a direct hit on you (it is not). Say the thing that needs to be said with confidence and full belief in your company, your product, and your price, and let that confidence breathe from every part of your body, including the way you say it and your facial expression, etc. Without confidence, your customer doesn’t trust you. If you are not confident why should your customer buy from you? Confidence closes deals. We all want to do business with confident people. We also feel better in our decisions when we buy from confident people. We have fewer cancellations because the customer feels confident in their purchase from you.

The key is letting go of fear. Just do it. Practice no fear. Each time you do this you build confidence and you will find you are more confident next time and then even keep going deeper within yourself and fear will still be there but you will understand doing the hard anyway will win more sales than you lose.

As I sit in the quiet of the morning listening to the rain on the metal roof above while watering the grass, trees, and plants, I am reminded of the importance of rain. Without rain, all this would dry up, shrivel up and die. Just as rain is to these so is the importance of continually nourishing me or I will die.

Food is important but I am referring to the mental. Just a little nourishment I just sustain, but with daily water my being flourishes. What am I doing to flourish? I have to make it happen. Everything is available to me these days. Podcasts, Friends, Books, Motivational speakers, exercise options, proper diet, the list goes on. You pick it and you can have it. Create habits and a life where you thrive not just sustain. Enjoy the journey. Feel the nutrients of the rain in your life. I will not sit in a limbo state. That is not my purpose. The universe has provided it all at my fingertips. Imagine you putting food and life giving substance in front of a hungry child and they don’t eat and partake of the life you provide them. This is us too often. It is all there for me and I reject it. I allow the little things to keep me from flourishing. The choices we make are the life we live. Choose wisely remembering the outcome is in my and your hands and remember doing something 21 days forms a habit. Try it. How much do I value me? Is the reason I wouldn’t enjoy soaking in the nutrients of the rain because I don’t value me or believe I am worthy. I am worth it and I am worthy of it all. I will enjoy the rain and the nutrients it provides. I will daily open the spigot to my mind and soul and body and feed them with the nutrients they deserve and are capable of utilizing.

What are your self-worth and your value?

What does it take to live above average?

Who do you spend the most time with? What type of life do they live?

Hang out with 7 millionaires you will soon be the 8th.

Hang out with 6 drunks you will soon be the 7th.

Hang out with negativity you will become negative.

Hang out with positivity you will become more positive.

Hang out with motivation you will be more motivated.

You decide what you want. You have both opportunities in front of you as well as everything in between.

What do you want? Neither is hard. It is a choice. Is the path of least resistance actually easy and sustainable? NO. Those people are consumed every waking moment with how they will pay the next bill, or make the rent payment. I choose to be consumed with creating wealth, amazing life, and an amazing lifestyle. Your mind is so powerful and the beautiful thing is I control it. The content I fill it with.

Have you ever sat and watched people just staring into space for hours? Imagine what they could be and have with putting creativity into their minds during that time. Imagine what they could have with a little more creativity instead of blankness. Imagine how much better they would feel about themselves if productive. Pretend your house is on fire and you are seeing how much you can get out of it in 15 minutes and then for 15 minutes see how much work you can get done. Start making a schedule that creates a more proactive and productive lifestyle. You are worth it. Believe in yourself and your ability and if you have the right influencing friends around you then this will become habit. Remember it takes 21 days to create a new normal. Keep stretching yourself. You have way more potential than even you believe that you do. If you believe you do things that look impossible now and then you actually started seeing yourself closing in on whatever that was, what would that do for your belief and confidence in yourself? Why not? Have you ever wondered what keeps you from believing in yourself? Maybe upbringing—family-friends—school—community, the list can go on until you start realizing what that is. I grew up around a lot of negativity and poverty and putting others down to make certain people look better. I had to and still am putting in a lot of personal work to create the atmosphere that I choose to live in that is anything but what i just listed. We make a conscious choice before we ever say anything on how we will show up in that conversation. Make your decision based on what you want to create for yourself and then fully engage.

What is your worth and your value?