Listen Up! Where is your attention?
“Pay attention!”
Ever hear those words when you were growing up? Hundreds of times, right? And you probably thought you were being scolded. Actually, when you were told to “pay attention,” you were getting one of life’s most valuable lessons.
Now you’re grown up, and I bet you still haven’t learned that lesson. Why? Because you’re probably more focused on yourself than you are on the world around you. And when you’re focused on yourself-how you look, what you’re wearing, and what other people think of you-you are diverting your “focus energy” away from your success.
When you’re focused, you have an intense purpose. But when you waste that focus on yourself, you’ll miss the opportunities around you and stay “out of focus.”
Now, people will tell you TO focus or to BE more focused, but very few will tell you HOW to focus. So, let me share this little secret with you. The easiest way to “be focused” is to “be aware.” Be aware of what is around you-and be aware of who is around you. Sounds simple, but it means you have to change selfish and insecure to open-minded and self-confident. Let me explain.
“Antennas up” at all times is what my mentor and friend Earl Pertnoy has preached for more than 25 years. It doesn’t matter where you are. You could be in a bathroom, on line at the airport, in a hotel lobby, at a car wash, in an elevator, or at a restaurant. All are ripe for making connections if you’re alert. And if you follow Earl’s advice like I do, you’ll get the sales lead or the deal you were never expecting.
“Antennas up” philosophy starts with being aware of your immediate surroundings. If you’re looking to be a master seller, you must understand and capitalize on where you are, whom you meet, and what you say.
It’s important for you to understand that selling yourself is not about tactics. Selling is not about techniques. Selling is about focusing and engaging the person you are focused on in a creative verbal exchange. And the only way to master focus is to keep your antennas up.
