Stay Focused - When The Going Gets Tough

Whenever I come across a good sales tip or selling strategy, I
put them in a composition notebook.

I have 11 of these books filled with ideas, clippings, and
quotations.

Last week I reviewed my notes from 1994.

I remember this like it was yesterday. It was an incredible,
unbelievable, and memorable happening.

The New York City Marathon is run the first Sunday in November.
This year will be the 40th anniversary.

First of all running a marathon (26.2 miles) is not for the timid
and the scatterbrained.

To win this race you have to stay focused for 26.2 miles.

Winning isn't everything, but finishing first says something
about the runner.

German Silver, from Mexico, was running shoulder to shoulder
with his countryman Benjamin Paredes.

Okay, so far so good.

With less than 1 mile to the finish line Silva made the wrong
turn. Instead of turning right on 8th Ave. he turned right on 7th
Ave. which was about 200 yards early.

It cost him 40 meters and 12 seconds and almost kept him from
the winner's circle.

He didn't panic - he stayed focused.

After the race Silva said, "I decided to catch up."

He also said, "For one minute I was thinking, yes I lost the
race."

But he stayed focused and decided, "But if you haven't crossed
the finish line, you have a possibility."

He won by 2 seconds, the closest finish in New York Marathon
history up to that point.

German Silva is a poster boy for "Never give up!"

The next time things aren't going your way think about what
German Silva accomplished with less than 1/2 mile to the finish
line.

If you haven't crossed the finish line, there's still a possibility for
you.

That's the story and here's the point. The first six-months of
2009 are history. The second half of the race has just begun for
you.

This is a big sales tip for you. Regardless of your year-to-date
performance to your sales quota, nothing is impossible unless
you agree that it is.

Screw the recession - you have a race to win!

Let's go sell something . . .