Greetings!

So you're back in the office, back in the sales routine with some degree of normalcy. But are you picking up precisely where you left off in 2009, or have you decided to make 2010 your best year ever?

Your choice.

Today's Tip is a New Year's tradition. It's usually one of our most popular issues of the year, and most-visited in the archives.

If you're serious about having your best year ever in 2010, TODAY is the best time to start. I do suggest you take some time to sit down with these questions Think about your answers. Challenge yourself. Write them down. Them go to work!

It's quite simple: if you want to be better in 2010, YOU need to do more than simply WANT it. You need to make some changes. Start now.

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What are you going to do to improve your industry and product knowledge in 2010?

How many inactive customers will you revive and turn into regular customers again? What do you need to do to make that happen?

What will you do to ensure you're protecting your best customers, and adding more value to the relationships? How will you sell even more to them?

How many new customers will you bring on this year? How do you plan to do that, specifically?

What will you do to improve your physical health in 2010?

What, specifically, are your sales and production goals for 2010? How does that break down into quarterly and monthly goals?

How much more money will you make in 2010? How will that happen? What will you need to do, today, to take the first steps in that direction?

What will you need to do to increase THAT number by an additional 10%

What are you going to do every day to keep your attitude at a high level?

How much time are you going to spend, daily, to improve your own sales skills? What will you do?

How many referrals did you get in 2009? How will you get them? From whom? What will you do to turn them into sales?

Speaking of referrals, will you please forward this issue to two others who would also benefit from these weekly Tips? (OK, that's one of mine.)

In which areas will you improve your personal, family, and spiritual life?

How are you going to maximize the use of your time? Where will you cut out the time-wasters in each day?

What have you been putting off that you will take care of within the next two weeks?

Who can you help to feel special every day?

What challenge, wish or desire--that you've never attempted before--will you finally achieve in 2010? How will you do that? Why?

Where are you going to write all of this down so you can review and revise your plans regularly?

What will it LOOK like when you accomplish everything you've just been thinking about?

How good will it FEEL?

What will it SOUND like when you achieve these things?

Why COULDN'T you do all of this?

Any answer to that last one is not a reason, but rather a self-imposed limitation, excuse, or lack of desire or effort. The biggest deterrent to success looks us in the mirror every day.

Now, go out and plan to have, no, COMMIT to ... ... YOUR BEST YEAR EVER IN 2010!

Art

QUOTES TO BEGIN 2010

"Leap, and the net will appear." Julie Cameron

"Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it." Jack Canfield

"Jump into the middle of things, get your hands dirty, fall flat on your face, and then reach for the stars." Joan L. Curcio

"Your actions, and your action alone, determines your worth." Johann G. Fichte

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." Napoleon Hill

*About the Author: Art Sobczak works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more business by phone. He provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively.

Visit Sobczak's Web site.