It's Always Your Lucky Day

When I first met Don Levine, creator of G.I. Joe action figures, he was a guest on my New York City radio show. He told me that one of his secrets to success is to go after what he wants with passion and focus, and take action. Then he said, "Barry, fate is a hunter." I never forgot those words. What he meant is that we create our own luck in life. The following four tips will help you create your own luck every day:

1. Charm 'em. Every day you run into people and make an impression on them that leaves a mental picture of who you are in their minds. Do people see you in a positive light? What makes them more open to doing business with you? An enthusiastic and positive attitude is one way to make a difference. First impressions make lasting ones, so don't forget these important points: Give a strong handshake, look people in the eye when you're speaking or listening to them, smile, put yourself in their shoes, find something about them that's interesting, and put them in a better mood than they were in when you met them. Some people have a natural way about them that charms others, but these points can help the rest of us improve our luck.
   
2. Steer clear of unlucky situations. One way to increase your luck is to get rid of prospects who take it away, such as those who:
   *Always argue with you on price and don't see the added value you bring to the table.
   *You always seem to spend a great deal of time on, but the return on your investment is small compared to other accounts.
   *Don't have the opportunity to really benefit from your product or service.  I've found that reviewing my current account activities and cleaning up my target account list helps bring more luck to my day. It's not easy walking away from situations we've worked hard to create, but sometimes it's the walking away that creates the luck in new, more qualified accounts.
   
3. Visualize success. How do you create luck? Live your vision every day. Create a clear picture in your mind's eye of where you want to go and crystallize that vision in your mind every day. I started realizing how powerful this was years ago, whether it was playing out the scenario of speaking in front of a large audience or selling out products on QVC. I would create minimovies of my goals in my mind and tweak them every day. The mind is where it all begins--and luck seems to have a funny way of catching up with you when you start becoming what you think about all day long.
   
4. Be different and daring. When you step out of your comfort zone, exciting things start to happen. What three things separate you from the competition? An outrageous guarantee that only you can deliver? How about going after the top 10 companies you'd like to sell your product to and creating unique packages for them? Or perhaps finding other ways to get their attention? One sales rep who was selling corporate hotel events delivered a box of doughnuts to the meeting planner's office. Taped on the inside of the lid was a full-color, glossy picture of the property for their next event! Everyone who reached for a doughnut got a visual impact of the meeting site. If your aim is true and your product is strong, luck will come when you dare to be different.

Barry Farber, author of The 12 Clichés of Selling, has taught thousands of individuals and corporations how to break through barriers to achieve their sales, management and personal goals.

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