One of Jim Rohn’s audio CDs I recently listened impacted my life in such a way that it will never be the same again – he has that kind of effect on people.  I encourage you to watch part 1 (the video above) and parts 2 and 3 below to get a flavor of Jim’s message.

PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2AyudSJl_s&feature=related

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWOJt1kCYP0&feature=related

Talking to Strangers

It’s easier to talk to someone who trusts you than to a perfect stranger. That doesn’t mean we don’t talk to strangers. If someone walks through the front door to deliver a package or a service, we prospect them. We talk to every taxi driver whose car we get into. It’s second nature. If they show us the right signals, we prospect them, particularly when thy happen to be Indian. We say, “Where are you from? India? Oh, that’s fantastic. I’ve got a business that’s going India in a couple of weeks. We haven’t got much time, but here’s my business card. Let me write down your email address and phone number on this piece of paper. How do you spell your name? I’ll send you some information about what’s about to happen in India, and then I’ll call you so we can talk further.”

Prospecting

The reason we find prospecting so easy, while many people find it hard, is that we take the focus off ourselves and put it on the person we are talking to. A lot of people only want to talk about themselves, and the other person can sense that. We must take the focus off what we want and put it totally on the other person’s needs and goals. This is about what we can do for them, not what they can do for us. Yes, we would like to grow a much larger business and so we take every opportunity to prospect. It doesn’t matter what level or rank you are at, everybody needs to continuously prospect. It should become second nature, something to be enjoyed rather than feared, because every prospect is simply a friend you haven’t yet met. As leaders, we often have to teach prospecting skills to people who are in great need. Paradoxically, the only way they will get their own needs met is by putting others first.

When I came up with the subtitle (“think different”) for my blog, I may have been subconsciously referring tp Jordan Adler’s way of thinking and teaching.  I am fascinated by Jordan’s unique way of approaching success.  After watching this video, leave a comment below describing an idea that you think can cause a quantum leap in our business which is outside the realm of “how to”.

Amy Purdy talks about the power of imagination. She explains how our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by the choices we make. Imagination allows us to break down borders, to move beyond our circumstances, to create and constantly progress.