Ray Lewis You're Fired!

No this is not some silly Donald Trump ploy, ha. Ray Lewis is actually fired! He recently got released from his position at ESPN doing NFL analysis. A two-time super bowl winning champion, two-time defensive player of the year, future NFL Hall of Famer, and arguably top 5 linebacker of all time, got fired? Yup, that's right. Naturally I couldn't help but find a great takeaway in this situation.

Sure, Lewis will be fine, he's made millions throughout his career but that's not the point. This should be a stark reminder of the world we live in today. Yesterday's accomplishments will always be trumped by what can you do for me today and future days. Also reminding us that excellence in one specialty does not guarantee excellence in another. It merely and typically just grants us the opportunity to try.

The need to perform our best on a daily basis has never been in higher demand. The interesting challenge to note with this is the more you take on, the more prolific your position, and the higher you climb then the more in demand you and your job will be. Peak performance, continual growth, and improvement are a must to simply remain. Just ask Ray.

DV

6 Tips On Engaging People Effectively

You walk into a room or an event and you know nobody, what do you do? Okay that's a silly question, beside make a b-line to the bar, ha. If you're like most of us you will either make small talk the entire time with the person you came with, if you're alone latch on to the first person you encounter, OR worst case you become a wall flower counting the minutes until you leave. Get over the fear of engaging, it's not that scary, I promise. Below is a quick list to help you engage with people effectively.

1. Dress for other peoples comfort. Don't worry, you can still be best dressed Mr. and Mrs. Fashion but make sure your attire aligns with the situation. You want to be approachable.
2. Find common ground - quickly - absolute must when connecting.
3. Less is more. If people want more they'll connect with you at a later date or they'll ask.
4. Be cautious of jokes BUT if you can't resist make sure it's at your expense. This displays humility and makes you approachable.
5. Listen intently...pause...then respond and refer to tip #3. (Super struggle for me - people love being heard - super important!)
6. Always end a conversation by using the persons name - people love their name. (I.e. It was nice to meet you _____. Enjoy the rest of your evening.)

There is no secret science to this. These are just key pointers I TRY to use when I am in unfamiliar territory. There is no replacing the trial and error method so get out there, start engaging!

DV

groundupSALES Quote #7

As promised groundupSALES audio will be ready for download this month and I am SUPER excited about it! Below is another quote pulled directly from the audio. This is something I continue to challenge myself on daily because quite honestly it's just not that easy to do. Transferring knowledge into action is hard. It takes guts! However in my eyes it's a must!!

Learn. Apply. Fail. Learn. Try again.

DV

STOP Asking For Permission

Apparently my personality type suggests that a quality of my person is that I often act then ask for forgiveness as opposed to asking for permission then acting. Although you can definitely play devils advocate in viewing this as a benefit. I will suggest we ALL should stop asking for permission - figuratively and literally. I watched a short Seth Godin interview this morning that helped me affirm this idea.  "All of us are surrounded by people who can't wait to get picked," says Godin. Encouraging us to just pick ourselves! If we continue to ask for permission we are forfeiting the POWER we have to disempower "gatekeepers." 

Over the years people have asked me, "do you think I should get into sales?" All I would say is that is totally up to you. It's not because I'm not interested, I don't want to help, or I don't care. In fact it's exactly the opposite. It just takes me back to my original point about permission. The people who are going to thrive and succeed in sales will despite my answer. 

No permission required. Stop asking. Start doing.

DV

Pick me, pick me!

The DV Weekend Pickup #8

On the heels of all this diet talk, well, I figured why not?

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett, M.D.

What I like best: This is actually the first nutrition I ever read. It set the domino effect for what would end up being permanently changed eating habits and I can't not applaud the first "domino." In a nutshell this book sums up pretty much everything you need to know about general nutrition. It deconstructs myths like the food pyramid, what you think you know about fats, carbs, and sugar, and why you can probably still drink/eat what you enjoy. Asking questions like what is the best time to eat fruits? vegetables? Why are some fats good or bad? Why is some protein better than others? Dr. Willett remains surface level for those who just want key takeaways but gives enough content to allow you to dive in and get granular if you desire. Above everything else this is a reputable resource that uses 20 years of Harvard Medical School based research to support and provide nutrition facts. In an industry with so many "pretenders" this isn't always easy to find. Bottom line if you want to improve your nutrition IQ then this a good, reliable place to start.

Best Quote: "Coffee is a remarkably safe beverage...it is low on the totem pole of health risks and even has a number of benefits."

It's hard for me not to love that quote, yes, I am a slave to coffee. I love you coffee.

DV

Diet of a Sales Consultant

Okay so let me preface this post by saying I am not a nutritionist, doctor, or food expert. In fact I have absolutely no professional training in food at all. My nutrition training simply comes my own personal experience, curiosity, and research.

In 2009 I dropped from 225lbs to 185lbs and  I've maintained that approximate weight for the last 7 years. My metabolism is fast but only because I've trained it consistently to be that way. I reserve a 24 hour period from Saturday 8pm to Sunday 8pm where I eat whatever I want - pasta, pizza, ice cream - you name it if I want it, I eat it! I thought it would be fun to share my daily diet because I do feel it helps me perform at my best day in, day out.

*Note - There is slight variation when I go to dinners, events, holidays, or travel but the diet below is what I eat most days. 

• Breakfast (2 options)

  • Protein shake (Always)

  • (1) 1/4 cup steel cut oatmeal with 1/2 cup apple sauce

  • (2) 2 eggs over easy, side of dry wheat toast, and cup of fruit

• Mid-Morning Snack

  • Protein bar (300 cal - high protein, high fat, mid carbs, low sugar)

• Lunch (3 Options)

  • (1) Grilled chicken (8oz) with cold bean salad (8oz) & veggie side

  • (2) Sushi and shashimi (Watch quantity)

  • (3) Grilled chicken (10oz) salad loaded with greens, avocado, peppers, fruit, etc. (Oil & Vinegar Dressing)

• Mid-Afternoon Snack

  • Nuts (300 cal - Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, etc.)

• Dinner

  • Grilled chicken (8-10oz) with 1 cup brown rice & 1/2 bag of green veggies.

• Nighttime Snack

  • Two scoops of peanut butter

Use at your own risk!

DV

Grilled Chicken

6 Things Salespeople Should Never Do

Personally I always found it useful to consider things I should NEVER do as much as things I should ALWAYS do AND since I love you I figured I'd share my personal "never" list with you! So avoid doing these things at all cost, ha! These are easy ways to prevent you from both growing and winning consistently.

1. Never allow yourself to feel someone else's success inhibits your success. There is no shortage on success.
2. Never allow failure to be viewed negatively. Link failure with learning.
3. Never act for today with disregard for tomorrow.
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
5. Never assume people understand. Always explain. (Personally I struggle with this one but I try to combat this with a high level of transparency, its a battle!)
6. Never EVER forget to follow up. Super, super important.

I like putting together takeaway lists. Let me know if you find this list useful and impactful. If so I will try to incorporate more lists into the blog. Crush the day!

DV

Quickest Way To Lose An Audience Of One

Over the weekend I came across this tabloid article about Kelly Ripa throwing Michael Strahan under the bus live on air regarding his past divorces. Much has been made in the media regarding the recent riff between the two since Strahan's announcement to move on from Live! to a full time spot on Good Morning America. She is making her feelings of hurt and betrayal known through a series of low blows and unflattering actions. Only time will tell if this will or will not affect Ripa's future endeavors or image. Chances are she'll hire great PR people and in time it will all go away EXCEPT for one person, her next co-host. It would be impossible for him/her to not have this in the back of their mind especially at first sign of any adversity between the two.

I couldn't help but take this as an opportunity to remind us that we must win and LOSE gracefully. It shows character and real concern for your audience. In the real world with only you as your PR being a sore-loser guarantees you nothing except MORE losing and a bad reputation. The hard reality we all face is that we cannot control everything despite our efforts. 

Losing is learning and learning is growing.

DV

Keep It Simple, It's That Simple

What makes Stephen Curry great? The answer is: SIMPLICITY. He has mastered the most common basketball skill - shooting. Greatness is achieved by mastering simplicity. I can name thousands of examples. Apple has done it with the iPhone. Google has done it with search navigation. Instagram has done it with social media. The list goes on and on...

Simplicity doesn't mean easy. Simplicity means it's easy to use, understand, or deal with. Simplicity allows you to connect with ease. The freedom from complexity is of the highest importance in business.

Simplify the problem. Simplify the solution. Simplify your focus. Simplify your energy. Simplify your message. Simplify your investments. Simplify your goals.

Keep it simple. It's that simple.

DV

The DV Weekend Pickup #7

Since I post my reviews every Friday I decided to change the name to "The DV Weekend Pickup." It just feels more natural. Anyway...

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

What I like best: This is the FIRST business book you should ever read, hands down. The fact that it was written in 1936 and still revered and purchased regularly (30 million copies sold) is amazing. Carnegie shares timeless anecdotes, examples, and techniques to simply become a better person. I always felt the title of this book should have been "How to Treat People Right" because essentially that is what this book is all about. It is recognized as the relationship bible for business and I will argue it will have equal impact on your personal life. "It changed my life," says Warren Buffet. He is just one of thousands of famously successful people throughout the years who have touted this book for it's ability to have lasting IMPACT. In 2011 it was listed by Time Magazine as #19 most influential book of all time! Pick it up, highlight, take notes, and learn from a literary legend.

Best Quote: "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get other people interested in you."

*Note - This book is PACKED with excellent quotes and one-liners.

DV