One of my favorite analogies for effective business writing is the clear window. Below are five simple guidelines to ensure your written communication is effective.

Write the Way You Talk

Imagine your reader is looking through your words, not at your words, for the meaning beyond the text. Whenever you use ultramajestic, high-fallutin, quadrasyllabic words, you force the reader to look at the words, often stopping to comprehend their meaning. When this happens, the message is clouded and even lost. The beauty of short, simple words is they speak clearly and in language that is typically the way you would talk in person. Write the way you talk. Great business writing means the Read More...

Thank you to everyone who entered our contest. We had great submission to the most popular question in America, “How are you doing?” If you missed the deadline for entering, I highly recommend you take a look at the answers we received. Our Blog readers are a very creative and positive group of people!

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, the Winners!!

• 1st Place – Winner of a Freedom Personal Development Sweatshirt:
  Bobkat’s whose response was:
  “Fabulantastic!”
  Anytime you make up a new word I love it
• 2nd Place – Winner of a Read More...

Many people think of their time management skills in relationship to their time organization device. Yes… your calendar, Outlook, or PDA can be an extremely valuable tool in helping you to organize your time, but those things are not your time, nor do they have any power to determine where you use your time.

Time Management is a mindset. And the way you look at and value the hours and minutes of each day. Today I have several simple ideas that can revolutionize your experience of time freedom.

When you hold onto the mindset that there is a shortage of time, that it is scarce… that is what it becomes. When you consciously choose to look at your time in a state of abundance, Read More...

I had an amazing time teaching the Proper Care and Feeding of Your Attitude workshop! I really have enjoyed getting to know all of the participants during the Fundamentals of Freedom Series. Here are some of the comments from the graduates of this workshop:

“This is the real stuff – what matters most – our choices (attitude) is the only thing we actually have control over. Great job Roger – as always!” Candace Kriner, President, C21 First Realty

“My favorite class yet. Read More...

We all know people who seem to do everything: A clean and organized house with a well groomed yard, kids that are active in many extra curricular activities, family vacations, they train for a marathon and still have time to volunteer in the community. How do they fit it in? Does it just happen? Are they lucky? No. They’re intentional with their long-term planning.

For example, Gold Medal Olympians do not just wake up one day able to be the best in the world. Lance Armstrong does not just happen to be a great cyclist and also have time to start a cancer foundation. John Coltrane didn’t pick up a saxophone and sound like a jazz legend. Successful people work at their trade and they plan Read More...

For those of you who are memorizing a calendar, images for the days of the week are helpful. Here are some suggestions I have. Remember, there are no right or wrong pictures – it just has to work for you. Once you decide on an image, don’t change it.

Memorizing the calendar is a great way to help you stay on schedule. If you want to learn more about improving your memory, check out our Memory Training Workshop.

Days of the Week:

Monday: Moon
Tuesday: Ties
Wednesday: Wedding – or – Camel (for Hump Day)
Thursday: Thor (the day is Read More...

Today I am going to discuss the fundamentals of increasing your sales income. This income depends on two factors:

1 – your commission, and
2 – your sales volume.

You have no control over your commission, but you can control your sales volume. Sales volume is the direct result of two factors: your closing rate and your average sale size. Let’s look at these two factors more closely.

Your closing percentage is how many presentations you make, divided by the number of presentations you close. Ten demonstrations and 3 sales make a 30% closing rate. To increase your closings you make more demonstrations. It doesn’t matter what business you are in; showing more Read More...

You know radio station, WII FM. It is all about your primary concerns, needs and wants. “What’s in it for me?” When you are trying to persuade people to your point of view, it is counterproductive to tune to that radio station. Instead, the best way to win over people is to focus the message on what is in it for them.

One of my favorite books that illustrates and proves the power of this idea is, How to Win Friend and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. If you have not read it yet, I highly encourage you pick up a copy today and read it.

Overall the main concept in Mr. Carnegie researches is the fact that most people’s favorite subject is, you guess it, themselves. He Read More...

Recently I had a discussion with some business leaders regarding our language and how it affects our state of mind and attitude. Specifically, we talked about the answer to the most common question in America, “How are you doing?” The typical response, “Fine. How are you?” doesn’t do much to boost our attitude or outlook on our day.

We started brainstorming alternative and positive answers such as:

“Terrific!” ~ “I am unbelievable” ~ “If I was doing any better I’d be twins” ~ “If I was doing any better, vitamins would be taking ME!” (my personal all time favorite)

Here is my challenge to you: I want to know YOUR best response to the questions “How are you Read More...