Do You Know Your Best ASSETS?

Each of us, have certain attributes and/ or assets, which we should be proud of, and serve us well, and others, where we need improvement. Whether evaluating yourself in terms of your personal life, or evaluating whether you are fit to be a leader, or whether you are being the best you can be, in terms of your profession, occupation, or job, knowing these, and taking advantage of them, are invaluable tools! For example, shouldn't your doctor have not only technical skills, but an empathetic, caring soul and bed - side manner? Shouldn't your real estate professional emphasize what's best for you, and how he might best use his skills, abilities attributes and assets, to best serve his clients? Shouldn't you always strive, to be the best you can be? Let's review, from a mnemonic approach, why it helps to know one's best ASSETS.

1. Attitude; aptitude; attention: Proceed with a can - do, positive attitude, and not only will you be more successful, you'll feel better about yourself and your actions! Work on enhancing your skills and abilities, so you possess the finest aptitude! Pay attention to details, and to how to be better, in every aspect of your life!

2. System: Develop a system which works most effectively for you! Know what you seek, and persist in your efforts!

3. Stress: Everyone undergoes some sort of stresses. The key is how you handle them! Will you let them control you (negative stress), or will you use them positively (Eustress), so you become better, and make lemonade from lemons?

4. Empathy; energy: Throw all your energy into everything you do! Will you proceed with empathy, understanding how others feel, think, perceive, are concerned, and their priorities?

5. Timely; thoroughly: Avoid the temptation to take shortcuts! Examine things thoroughly, and never procrastinate. Putting things off, or burying your head in the sand, doesn't fix the obstacle! Proceed in a well - considered, timely manner!

6. Secure; self: Are you secure in your own soul? Do you like you? How self - confident are you, and is it deserved?

When you know and use your best ASSETS, you will potentiate your possibilities! Will you take that all - important leap? 

How Important Is Personal QUALITY To You?

Most of us have many options, and how we decide to proceed, generally says, quite a bit about us! Will you simply proceed, without concern for quality, or will you demand the highest personal excellence, integrity, etc, in everything you do? This must apply to our personal lives, as well as every aspect of our professional lives, as well. This means, for example, if you  are a Realtor, don't settle for good - enough, but exceed expectations! If you are a health professional, it's not enough to only treat the disease and/ or symptom, but examine how you treat your patients, as people! 

Let's look at personal QUALITY, from the mnemonic approach:

1. Quest; questions: What questions will you ask, and why do you ask them? Examine your quest thoroughly, and determine the best way to proceed!

2. Useful; unique: Will you serve others, in a useful manner? What about you, is unique, and makes you worthy of the trust of those you serve? What are you willing to do, to get better?

3. Attitude; aptitude; attention: One must proceed, consistently, with a can - do, positive attitude! What do you do, everyday, to enhance your aptitude, skills, knowledge and effectiveness? Will you be willing to focus and truly, pay attention?

4. Listen; learn: You have two ears and only one mouth, so listen at least twice as often, as you speak! Learn from every experience, conversation, and whatever obstacles you face!

5. Ideas; integrity; ideology: What is your true ideology, and what does it say about you? Are you an individual, whose ideas focus on being the best, you can be? Is you integrity, absolute?

6. Timely; trustworthy: Do others consider you trustworthy? Will you procrastinate, or take timely action, in a well - considered manner?

7. You: Remember, your overall quality, must always be all about you! Be the solution, rather than type of individual, who blames and complains!

Whether you focus on enhancing your QUALITY, or not, is a personal decision! What will you decide?

How Often Do You Give Yourself, A Checkup from the Neck Up?

Some people believe they know all they need to know about themselves. At some point, they've thought about their strengths and weaknesses, abilities and failures, etc. Why is this important? Probably, because, regardless of what one does, whether in their personal lives, as an employee, manager, business owner, self - employed, etc,, it is essential, to truly know yourself, to become all you might be, in any area of life!

How will you give yourself, a checkup from the neck up? Are you ready, willing and able, to know your true - self, rather than merely misidentify your priorities, goals, etc? Will you like who you discover? What will you do, to create a better - you?

Only when we know ourselves, are we able to become better in every aspect of our lives, including personal and professional arenas! Will you look deeply, and take off the blinders? 

Few people ever go through the entire procedure of taking this inner look! Some never think about it, while others seem to prefer to delude themselves! For example, how can a real estate agent help anyone else, if he isn't comfortable with himself? How can a physician heal others, if he can't eliminate and address his own dysfunctions?

The first step is taking the leap, and taking that internal look. Then, you must be willing to do something, to address what you discover.

Your mental and physical health, as well as your professional success, often begins with liking yourself! Give yourself that checkup from the neck up! 

Know Thy Self: An Adage for Leadership, Selling & Life!

How well do you really know yourself? When was the last time, you took the time, and made the effort, to thoroughly, introspectively, give yourself a checkup, from the neck up? Whether you are a leader (corporate, business, or not - for -profit), a professional (physician, dentist, etc, or Independent Contractor (such as a professional real estate agent, or Investment Adviser), the better you know and understand yourself, the better off you'll be.

This process begins with knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and having a strategy to best use the strengths, while positively addressing areas of weakness. Can you admit your faults and/ or weaknesses, and what will you be willing to do, to improve?

Do you see yourself as others do? Would you like you? Why? If you're in leadership, why should anyone pay attention, listen, or follow you? If you're a professional, what is it, which distinguishes you, over others in your profession? If you are Independent Contractor, why should potential clients seek you out?

What makes you unique? Why should others care? How do you point out these strengths, as part of your Elevator Speech?

It all begins by Knowing Thy Self, and asking if you are the best you can be? Will you live up to, and perform, up to your potential? 

What Makes You Unique, In A Good Way?

This reference to unique relates to far more than merely being different, or, in some ways, quirky, etc! Rather, if we look at what it means, to attract positive attention to you, and make others want to business with you, there must be some unique characteristics, qualities, or something you offer, or provide, which others may not, at all, or, at least, to the same extent/ degree!

Some of these unique features might include:

1. Your level of integrity: Many use the term, or say, they have it, but do you clearly demonstrate it, in everything you do, even when others might not be looking?

2. Your commitment to excellence: Will you consistently seek doing things the right, best way, even if it may be easier, more popular or expedient, to take some short cut?

3.  Your negotiating professionalism.

4. Your positive, can - do attitude.

5. Your focus on service!

6. Attention to detail.

7. Will you, follow my trademarked slogan, I'll always tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear TM   ? 

8. If you are a real estate agent, will you provide a focused, clear- cut reason for the pricing you suggest, and your strategic approach?

9. Will you and your client, be on the same page?

10. Will you put your client first, always?

These are just a sampling of simple, basic, unique, features, characteristics, etc.   Wll you be that rare, unique, service - first individual?
 

Why Should Someone Want to Do Business With You?

You might be in real estate, investment sales, or selling a product (such as inside or outside sales rep) or service professional (e.g. physician, dentist, etc). Regardless of your field of endeavor, you should ask yourself, in a truly honest, introspective manner, why someone should do business with you, rather than the competition!

What is unique about you? How do you prove you care more, and/ or are more qualified, capable, empathetic, etc? Why should others be attracted to you? Do you focus on your success (whatever that means to you), or on providing the best, highest level of service? How will you articulate this, in an easy to understand, and believe, way?

Will you do things the right way, or always seek shortcuts? When you come to the fork in the road (as Robert Frost wrote), which path will you choose? Remember, you might make a deal or a sale, but you will never be truly successful, until you do these things in an honorable manner!

Do you understand why you were born with 2 ears, but only one mouth? Realize, for most people, their favorite sound, is the sound of their own voice and name! Can you pay more attention to someone else, than your own ego? When you lead, with empathy, understanding and considering the needs of someone else, you stand out from the crowd!

How Will You Differentiate Yourself from The Crowd?

How will you differentiate yourself from the crowd? Whether, you want to simply be your own person, feel you have something unique and important to say, or want to market yourself, regarding some specific niche, such as in real estate, investments, leadership, or another service, this is important to consider, and become more proficient at!

Will you step forward and say something unique, and courageous, or merely articulate the same - old, same - old? Is your message positive, motivating, and solutions - oriented, or do you emphasize and consider obstacles as problems, rather than challenges?

Are you truly empathetic? What proportion of your time will you spend listening, as opposed to speaking? Most people's favorite sound is the sound of their own voice, but what impact does that have on others? What type of person would you prefer to listen to, and hang out, with?

How do you determine how you rate others, and why do you think that way? Do you live up to the expectations you articulate you seek in others?

When you advertise and/ or promote, is your message consistent, throughout the various type of media, including internet, Social Media, your website, print marketing, etc? Why do you believe your central theme/ message, is an important one? Why should others buy into your vision, and adopt it as theit own?

How are you different, in a good way? Why should others care? What will you do? Do you have a well - defined, positive, elevator speech? Do you speak of solutions, or get hung up on perceived problems?

What are you willing to do? What have you done? What are your plans?

I am sure that you have heard how important to differentiate yourself from the crowd, which generally means showing how you or what you do/ represent is in some way interesting and unique. However, unless you are prepared, ready, willing and able to take an objectively introspective look within, this process may become both challenging, as well as burdensome. Beware that it is only beneficial to stand out if it is in a positive, inspiring way, and that others, as well as you, perceive it to indeed be that way. It generally takes a combination of a positive attitude and self - image to pursue this important challenge in a productive manner, and to be willing to understand and evaluate both your personal strengths as well as weaknesses or flaws. It might be helpful to you if you did this by following and understanding these six considerations.
1) How are you different or unique? Do these merely make you somewhat odd, or do they rather make you stronger, more effective and relative? Are you willing and able to take personal ownership of these qualities and/ or assets?
2) What do you or can you offer that others (also known as the completion) either do not, cannot, or won't? How do you use, communicate and articulate these differences in the best, most beneficial and impactful manner?
3) What does your personal appearance, manner and mannerisms, and body language say about you? Are you willing to rehearse in a mirror in order to witness how you come off to others? Are you going to ask someone you trust, and believe in, for his unbiased feedback and evaluation? Do you look others directly in the eye, stand erect without crossing your arms, and take the time and a make a true effort to listen, without interrupting? Have you ever been objective enough to ask yourself if you would want to do business with you.
4) How do you address/ respond to concerns, questions or objections? Are you calm and patient, welcoming questions as a positive indication of interest, or do you become defensive, somewhat belligerent, and go on the offensive in a rather strong - armed manner?
5) Do you listen first, intently and effectively, before you respond, and to a far greater extent than you speak or interrupt? For most of us, this is indeed challenging!
6) Do you close the deal? Remember you must usually sell yourself before you can be convincing to others! Even if you wonderfully and perfectly perform the first five steps, you achieve little of a relevant or sustainable manner, without closing.
It is far better to be an original you, than any carbon copy of another, because it is how you are unique in a positive way, that attracts others to pay attention. Use these 6 Considerations for Making Yourself Stand Out.


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