How To Keep That Fire in Your Belly For Success - What You Need to Get To and Stay at the Top

By the time I was 27 years old I
was a millionaire. In today's money that would equal over $15 million
dollars! Since then I have made hundreds of millions in sales and commissions,
all of which I attribute to a burning fire in my belly to become a top
salesman.
Could I have done this in a field other than selling? I doubt it. I never finished grammar school or high
school and I spent six weeks in college. But when I chose selling as
a career, I soon found out the sky's the limit! Anyone with a passionate
desire to succeed can excel in the area of selling.

Ettore Boiardi was a chef who could sell. He opened his own restaurant, II Giardino d'Italia at the age
of 28. Patrons continually asked for his spaghetti sauce so he had to use a factory to keep up the demand, finally going national with his
products. At the time of his death, Chef Boyardee products were generating $500 million per year. This chef could sell!
What exactly are master salespeople like? What qualities do they possess that set them apart from the rest?
The truth is everyone who accomplishes anything in life actually possesses
the same attributes as master salespeople.
In fact, in order to accomplish your own goals and dreams and to become the person you want to be and are
capable of becoming, you will need these same attributes.

Attribute #1: They live with positive expectancy
Top salespeople are upbeat, have a positive attitude, and always expect the best will result from their
efforts. They see the cup as half full, not half empty. Simply put, they are eternal optimists.
Master salespeople believe people want to buy, want to keep buying, want to be their clients, want to
give referrals, and want to be their friend. Their positive mindset carries them over, under, around, or through every obstacle. They actually
view obstacles as stepping stones on their way to ultimate success.

Mark Sequin grew up in a gypsy lifestyle. He had no education, didn't learn to read until age 14, and only knew
how to shoe horses. He decided to choose a career in selling. Mark possessed positive expectancy, a cannot- be-stopped attitude. Today, Mark earns
a multiple six-figure income…all because he chose selling.

Top salespeople have such a positive attitude they actually believe everyone is out to do them good!

Attribute #2: Contagious enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious; it paves the way for you and for your ideas. People will be more receptive to
what you say when you deliver it with enthusiasm.; it actually affects your body chemistry and the chemistry of those who come in contact with
you.
When I sold life insurance I believed in my product so much that I never met a person who had more life insurance
than I did. During my presentation, if my prospect said they already had a life insurance policy with a certain amount, I would reply, "That's
nothing, look at this!"
I would then take my insurance policies that I had connected together and flip them open like cascading stairs.
My prospective clients were always impressed simply because I believed 100% in my product.
Attribute #3: Passionate desire

Top producers have a fire in their belly. They have a passionate desire to excel no matter what action
it requires or how long it takes. They don't know the meaning of "quit."

You can succeed only if you want it badly enough; no one else can give you this desire. They may offer
you help and moral support but YOU must provide the desire and self-motivation to accomplish your goals.
When I first decided I wanted a career as a professional salesman, I was so filled with desire and motivation
I was willing to give whatever effort was required. The first nine months of my sales career was a disaster. I knew nothing about selling and
met resistance on every hand. I was fired from one job by a sales manager that told me I didn't have what it took to succeed in the industry.

Although I always respect other people's opinions, I knew I could eventually be a success if I just didn't
give up. I was totally focused on winning in the game of selling. I moved forward and never looked back…and won in a very BIG way!

Attribute #4 Self-confidence

Those who sell their way to the top of the heap have a self-confidence that is second to none! And following
right behind that trait is a very good self-image. Why is this possible? The answer: they know how to produce that confidence.

Genuine confidence comes only from know-how, know-how comes only from experience, and experience comes
only from doing, getting involved, and taking action.


In short, action produces confidence.

Many years ago, a soft-spoken, shy 5'4" tall man joined one of our sales teams. This individual, after
making 50 presentations in two months, hadn't made a single sale! Several months later, he had made up to 150 presentations and still
had not closed one sale. However, despite this dismal record he kept saying, "I'm getting better."
Finally, after the 200th presentation, the sales began to come. By that time the sales had to start coming! By taking a LOT of action, his experience and know-how
increased to the point that he began to make more and more sales. Eventually his sales generated over $100 million in commissions before he retired.
As you can imagine, his self-confidence was through the roof!

Nobody can stop you if you are self-confident.
Self-confidence is power!
Attribute #5 Persistence

Top performers allow no obstacle, no one else's criticism or their previous failures derail them from
their goal. They are determined; they press on regardless.

Persistence is certainly a characteristic we attribute to Thomas Edison. His legendary 10,000 failed attempts
at making a light bulb rank him as one of the most persistent, stick-to-it people of all time!
>In the early 1960's, while working to expand my first company, I made a commitment to write my first personal
development program. I decided, "If I am alive every Tuesday and Thursday from 9pm to midnight, I will work on this course."

I built my whole work schedule around that commitment. It took me six years from start to finish for that
program. When I took it to several publishers, they were not interested, so I printed it myself and sold it myself and then recruited other people
to sell it for me.
Since it was introduced, sales of that ONE program are now…over $700 million!
That is more than any other personal development program or course in history. My commissions and royalties were over $100 million alone on
that one program!
Creating and maintaining that fire in your belly for success is an inside job. It originates from within YOU. If you passionately desire success and won't give up, you'll have it. No one is born with these five attributes I've discussed
already in place; they have to be developed. They are learned and chosen. They are walked out on purpose. If you want them bad enough, you will
have them. To me and countless others, it's been a journey worth taking. How about you?

A millionaire at 27 and founder of Success
Motivation® Institute, Inc. (SMI), Paul J. Meyer
is dedicated to motivating people to their full
potential. As an astute businessman and
entrepreneur, Meyer believes the ticket to his
success has been his life-long love of selling.
Visit http://
theleadingedgepublishing.com/pinkslipproof/
to preview his new book, Pink Slip Proof - How
To Control All Future Paychecks.