Steve Ferrante's High Performance Blog for Sales/Customer Service/Leadership Champs and Progressive Professionals!

Posts tagged ‘Motivational Quotes’

You Are An Example for Sales and Customer Service Performance

We’ve all heard the expression “leading by example”.  This popular phrase is most often used when referring to managers and leadership executives of an organization but it also applies to every member of a sales, customer service department or organization in general.

A few points to ponder…

Are you maintaining a proper positive attitude all-day while on-the-job?

Employees who are constantly negative tend to contaminate their environment and bring everyone else down with them.

Are your actions bringing to life your business’s customer service mission in each and every customer interaction?

Service representatives with no PRIDE that don’t live up to their business’s customer service pledges and demonstrate poor behaviors set the stage for their counterparts to do the same.

Are you putting in 100% effort regardless of what others in your organization may be doing?

Salespeople on teams where everyone else is failing to meet their numbers tend to adopt a “it’s not me, it’s everyone” mentality and settle into a comfort zone of mediocrity.

Are you the setting the example that inspires others to follow?

On the flip-side, when an “A Player” sets the bar with their winning attitude and behaviors this typically has a positive effect that influences others to raise their own game and perform at a higher level.

The fact is you are an example to others as they are to you.  Whether you are a good example or not is up to you.

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Make a Great Day!

Steve 🙂

* You Are An Example also applies perfectly to parenting and although that’s a whole other story it’s well worth mentioning here!

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Monday Morning Motivation, Pinnacle Performance Quotes

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Wednesday Wisdom: Hang Out With Eagles

The friends and colleagues in your immediate circle play a significant role in whether or not you achieve and sustain success. They will either boost you up or bring you down. Either positively influence you or negatively contaminate you.

As behavioral scientist, speaker & author Steve Maraboli points out : “If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.”  Choose wisely.

HANG OUT WITH EAGLES

Make a Great Day!

Steve 🙂

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Wednesday Wisdom

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The Spirit of Giving and Self-Less Customer Service

With the Christmas season upon us, most of us are in shopping mode and taking the time and effort to purchase gifts for the significant others in our lives.  Invested in that spirit of giving, we put aside the focus on ourselves and concentrate on how we can provide something of value to others.

This same self-less behavior is the very essence of customer service.

Proper customer service is a self-less act. Selflessness is defined as the act of sacrificing one’s own interest for the greater good.  This is what we tend to do at Christmas time and, as professional service-providers, this is precisely the attitude and conduct we should maintain on a day-to-day basis.

When we practice self-less service we put the power of reciprocity to work. Just as we feel obligated to return gifts to those that have given us one, the same is true of our customer relationships. When customers feel they have received something of value they typically return the occasion with their loyalty and possibly even their recommendation of your service to others.

So while the spirit of giving may be most evident during Christmas time, it can benefit both customers and your business performance year-round!

The-best-way-to-find-yourself-is-to-lose-yourself-in-the-service-of-others.-Gandhi-quote

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Make a Great Day!

Steve

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Miscellaneous Brain food, Pinnacle Performance Quotes, Steve's Articles

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Monday Morning Motivation: Make The Days Count

Welcome to Monday morning. A clean slate. Everyone starts this week (and every other week) same amount of time:  7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds.

High-achievers don’t waste time, they take advantage of it and set out each day with a clear purpose and goal. 

Many folks count the days waiting for something good to come their way. High-achievers make the days count and work to position themselves for good things.

One thing is certain, time will pass.

What you do with it this week will determine if it was time well spent come next Sunday evening.

NoTimeLikeThePresent

Winning Hours

Make The Days Count

Make a Great Day!

Steve 🙂

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Monday Morning Motivation, Pinnacle Performance Quotes

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Monday Morning Motivation: Don’t Wish It Were Easier…

Hi All,

Another work week is upon us… As always, it will come with it’s share of challenges and struggles.

Some folks will wish it were easier. Champion ‘Pinnacle Performers’ will be stronger and succeed.

Some folks hope things will work out. Champions plan and are prepared for when they don’t.

As personal development author and master motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said in the follow-up to his famous quote below, “Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.”

Fact is, you have a world of wisdom at your disposal to effectively handle any challenge.

Don't Wish It Were Easier

Make a Great Day!

Steve :-)

Looking for wisdom? Visit Steve’s Recommended Reading

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Monday Morning Motivation, Pinnacle Performance Quotes

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Persistence & Determination To Succeed

Last week Oracle’s Team USA accomplished the greatest comeback in America’s Cup history and one of the most dramatic in any sport. Trailing 8-1 to the challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, and within one defeat of losing the Cup, Oracle pushed on and proceeded to win an unprecedented eight straight races to defend the trophy.

americas-cup-win

After completing their amazing victory, the managing director of Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton said, “They just got better and better”.

While USA’s skipper and crew certainly deserve recognition and high praise for making the on-the-fly boat configuration adjustments that reduced the drag and created the increased speed required to pull ahead, none of this would have been possible without their persistence and determination to succeed.

Down 8-1, it certainly would have been easier to concede defeat and forfeit the title. Fortunately, as is so often the case with true champions, they did not give in but rather relentlessly pursued their goal despite the seemingly overwhelming odds against them.

This lesson applies perfectly to Pinnacle Performance. As Calvin Coolidge said in his famous quote, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence”.

persistance

Onward & Upward!

Steve 🙂

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Monday Morning Motivation

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Monday Morning Motivation: Hilton On Success

Conrad Hilton built a hotel empire and a became a legendary tycoon by focusing on positive action and always moving forward despite setbacks.

Monday morning is the perfect time to think about your actions..

What will you do today to put yourself on pace for a successful week?

How will you move forward and be better this week than last?

PinnacleQuote2

Make a great day!

Steve 🙂

P.S. Conrad Hilton’s book, Be My Guest, is still kind of a Bible for the hotel/hospitality industry.

P.S. The book, “Be My Guest,” written by Conrad Hilton, is still kind of Bible for all hotels. – See more at: http://astrumpeople.com/conrad-hilton-biography-the-history-of-hilton-hotels-corporation/#sthash.nfYJVzZB.dpuf
P.S. The book, “Be My Guest,” written by Conrad Hilton, is still kind of Bible for all hotels. – See more at: http://astrumpeople.com/conrad-hilton-biography-the-history-of-hilton-hotels-corporation/#sthash.nfYJVzZB.dpuf
P.S. The book, “Be My Guest,” written by Conrad Hilton, is still kind of Bible for all hotels. – See more at: http://astrumpeople.com/conrad-hilton-biography-the-history-of-hilton-hotels-corporation/#sthash.nfYJVzZB.dpuf

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Monday Morning Motivation

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Monday Morning Motivation: Branson On Success

Sir Richard Branson is a brilliant entrepreneur and true Pinnacle Performer.

Branson’s first business venture was The Student Magazine that he launched at the age of 16. In 1970, he established a mail-order record business by way of advertising in his magazine. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later transforming into Virgin Megastores. Branson’s Virgin brand experienced tremendous growth during the 1980s, as he formed Virgin Atlantic Airways and expanded his Virgin Records music label.

Today, Branson is one of the richest citizens on the planet, with a net worth in excess of $4 billion.

With all he has accomplished, there is plenty aspiring Pinnacle Performers can learn about success from Sir Richard. Much of that is summed up nicely on the graphic below.

Use these success principles as a guide to greater performance…

Branson On Success

Make a Great Day!

Steve 🙂

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Monday Morning Motivation

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Monday Morning Motivation: The Ant Philosophy

For this weeks Monday Morning Motivation, below is a great little piece from renown business philosopher, Jim Rohn.  This is a perfect lesson for Pinnacle Performers and those who would like to be one.

Walk The Path!

Steve

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The Ant Philosophy
 by Jim Rohn

Over the years I’ve been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept—the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That’s a good philosophy. If they’re headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they’ll look for another way. They’ll climb over, they’ll climb under, they’ll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you’re supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That’s an important perspective. You can’t be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants gather their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, “Don’t build your house on the sand in the summer.” Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to think ahead. In the summer, you’ve got to think storm. You’ve got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, “This won’t last long; we’ll soon be out of here.” And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they’ll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can’t wait to get out.

And here’s the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the “all–you–possibly–can” philosophy.

Wow, what a great philosophy to have—the ant philosophy. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

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Miscellaneous Brain food, Monday Morning Motivation

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Monday Morning Motivation: Success Track

Back in our school days (or school daze for some) there were specific academic achievements that needed to be accomplished to graduate from one grade to the next, from grade school to high-school, high-school to college and so forth. The track was all laid out and it was clear (to the non-dazed folks at least) what needed to be accomplished to move forward and succeed.

At some point, we entered the working world and all that changed. We had multiple tracks to choose from and the path to success became considerably more fuzzy.

Some people chose a less than desirable track. These folks can be found complaining about their job most days. Other folks were headed in the right direction but then, for various reasons, got side-tracked.  Both folks will find that if they continue heading in the wrong direction they’ll ultimately end up in the wrong place.

What you do today shapes your tomorrows. Where you end up then depends on what track you’re on now.

This principle applies to not only your long-term goals but also your short-term objectives. In sales, what you achieve in a given month will determine if you’re on track to meet your goal for the quarter. A successful quarter will put you on the right track for a successful year.

And, of course, a successful Monday will put you on track for a successful week!

Success Track

Make a Great Day!

Steve 🙂

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Monday Morning Motivation

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