Dog Alarm !!!

Hi, it was Oscar Wilde who said that “everytime he felt like exercise he had to go and have a lie down until the feeling went away”! He could have been excused for doing so if like me he had been trying to exercise in the weather that has lashed the country in the last week! You have to be keen (or mad) or maybe like me you have a dog alarm who has no regard for the elements and who jumps on your bed when you even consider for a second rolling over and going back to sleep!...thanks H !

Had a productive weekend assembling kit set furniture (do you always have something left over?) and putting surplus stuff on Trademe (love running an auction!).Had fun dusting off old photos and rearranging the ‘ruggers’ archive room (man cave/study). I can spend hours mesmerised by the memorabillia of the past I have collected over the years, it’s a buzz and gives me real pleasure. The latest edition to the collection is a full size cardboard cut out of Captain Fantastic Richie McCaw on the burst …..yes I have already got one but you can never have too many ! (a swap if needed?)

With the Rugby World Cup only a matter of weeks away we enjoyed the opportunity to visit Eden Park on Sunday to watch Auckland play Canterbury, it was cool to watch a game during the day for a change. What a cracker sunny day it was too, pity the Auckland performance wasn’t as radiant !

I hope you had a happy time on the weekend with your families and friends and that you were also able to recharge the batteries for another big week ahead,………….. cheers Jonesey

Harry the dog alarm says harden up and put in the hard yards if you want the body!

“Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling,as in life, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats” Og Mandino

“Selling the sizzle” was at the forefront of my mind as this ‘upbeat’ trooper reported for duty on the frontline last week.

With the enthusiasm and vigor of  a new recruit I couldn’t wait to hit the footpaths to wear out the shoe leather. My knuckles ached from knocking on an endless number of  doors in many attempts to ‘sell somebody something’. Slowly the level of enthusiasm and vigor in the tank drained.

I met a lot of people , had many ‘struggles’ and ‘countless defeats’ but through it all kept going regardless, yes it was tough and yes there were times I wanted to give up.

Selling is a numbers game, for every ten doors you knock on the law of averages say that you will get nine rejections and one opportunity. The rejection is difficult to handle, it is hard not to take it personally and even harder to keep going at times. The thing that keeps you going is ‘that opportunity’ when it comes. It is like finally reaching the light at the end of the tunnel and it brings with it an excitement and euphoria that makes the rejection and self doubt disappear instantly and seem all totally worthwhile.

Like a gold prospector you keep going in search of the elusive nugget and last week was no exception as one of the ‘nuggets’ uncovered was an invite to quote on one of Aucklands largest contracts ! This only came after plenty of digging and lots of closed doors. Just another week on the sales roller coaster and isn’t that why we are in sales for that wild ride?

Its all a bit like life really, things don’t always go your way but you have to hang in there regardless and when you do you find that eventually something will break your way. I have always believed you make your own luck and that only comes from getting stuck in rather than waiting for things to happen. Living and breathing this philosophy is the best way to succeed in any vocation, good luck!

“Many people dream of success. To me success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection. In fact, success represents 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure.” Soichiro Honda founder Honda Corporation