Sales Go To The Most Prepared – Are You Doing These Things?

This principle is so simple that it is often overlooked. The hallmark of the true professional is thorough preparation, reviewing every detail, before every sales meeting. The very best salespeople are those who review their presentations and study the details of their products and their sales materials repeatedly prior to every new sales contact.

You cannot imagine a top athlete who did not train regularly and warm up thoroughly before every competition. In fact, the period of training for an athlete consumes far, far more time than the actual competition itself. When you think of a crack military force, like the U.S. Marines or the Israeli Commandos, you think immediately of rigorous, disciplined training. In every field of endeavor, it is the most thoroughly trained and dedicated professionals who rise to the top.

It is relatively easy to get into selling with little experience. But that is where the easy part ends. 

It is relatively easy to get into selling with little experience. But that is where the easy part ends. From then onward, hard, hard work and continuous training and preparation are essential for success. If you want to be the best, and get the results that the best people get, you have to do the same things they do. And this means to prepare and prepare and then to over-prepare.

The first corollary of the Law of Preparation says: “The salesperson with the best knowledge of the real situation of the customer will be the one most likely to make the sale.”

The more time you take to thoroughly understand your prospective customer and your prospective customer’s situation, the more likely it is that you will be in a position to sell at the critical moment.

The second corollary of the Law of Preparation says: “Sales professionals plan their questions in advance.”

To continue reading this and other interesting article, please visit my FocalPoint Newsletter

Live by the Light: Abraham Lincoln

"I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. 

I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. 

I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong."

Abraham Lincoln

FocalPoint Coaching: Training week 2015!

What will FocalPoint coaches and trainers have in common next week? We will all be dedicated to training and facilitating managerial and entrepreneurial growth throughout the world.

Yes, the week of November 16^th- 20^th will be dedicated to training business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and managers in many areas, from setting goals, to time management techniques to improving sales; also many of us will be training in personal and professional development and peak performance. This is what we - at FocalPoint Coaching -do all year round; however for the first time we are dedicating a full week to training and, more importantly, will do it all over the world.

Our goal is to help more people grow, achieve their goals faster and feel more empowered with engaged team members. This is why we are inviting as many people as possible to join us next week in the many places and cities throughout the world to grow both personally and professionally.  Now is the time to take massive action and go start unleashing your peak performance levels.

International Training Week is next week! We will also be donating 10% of proceeds to children's cancer research. This is why training is also very important to all of us as we contribute constantly to improve the lives of others as well.

We will be delivering training and coaching sessions in several cities simultaneously, like in different places in the US and Canada, and in cities as Sydney, London, Singapore and New Delhi, India. I myself will be training teams in my home city of Caracas, Venezuela on Monday and then will be flying to Nicaragua for a series of training and coaching events in Managua with Alejandro and Margarita Pasos from SuccessFactor in Nicaragua. A very interesting week indeed!

Start getting the new skills and learning you need and that will drive you forward for years to come.

If you are interested on learning more on what FocalPoint Coaching and Training can do for you and your company, please contact us at www.focalpointcoaching.com or myself at www.coachluisvgarcia.com

To Your Success!

Luis Vicente Garcia, FocalPoint Coach & Trainer.

When Last Becomes First

When Last Becomes First
By Bob Burg

Law #3, The Law of Influence, from John David Mann’s and my book, The Go-Giver, says that “Your influence is directly proportional to how abundantly you place other people’s interest first. Please understand, from being self-sacrificial, it’s actually the key to building successful business and personal relationships.

Recently, I cam across the following quote from one of my heroes, High Point University President, Dr. Nido Qubein:
“People who invariably put themselves first will find that others tend to put them last.”

True, isn’t it? The more we focus on ourselves the less others focus on us. The more we focus on others, the more they focus on us. In his classic, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles touched on this as the natural principle that “action and reaction are always equal and in opposite directions.”

As you place your focus on the interests of others and constantly ask yourself how you can add value to them (again, this includes business and personal relationships) you’ll find they tend to do the same. Or, in today’s lingo, “right back at ya’!”

The question some will have, however, is, “but what if they don’t? What if they’re just the ‘selfish’ type who cares only about themselves?”

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter. If, for whatever reason, the benefits of the relationship (business or personal) are worth it to you, then no need to change anything. Just be aware and watch your back.  So long as both parties benefit, carry on.

Or, depending upon the unique circumstances and the type of relationship, you have choices including, but not limited to:

• Continue to focus on them believing that they are simply in the growth process. You can gently and tactfully coach them along, as well. Some will get it and grow into it.
• Immediately remove yourself from their life and influence. You don’t need to be mean or nasty about it or even verbalize it. What if circumstances dictate you’re not being able to sever all ties. That’s okay. Stay classy. Always treat them with respect. However, you won’t be emotionally involved in the relationship.

Most people though will indeed respond as you set the frame.
To paraphrase Dr. Qubein, put them first and they’ll tend to put you first.


Life is good.
————————-
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann is now available in an expanded edition. It includes a Discussion Guide, Author Q & A and a Foreword by Arianna Huffington. You can receive Chapter One by visiting www.thegogiver.com/tggee

Transition into your Q4

Every Company is entering the final quarter of the 2015 Calendar this week. Are you ready and prepared for it? Have you met your goals and objectives so far and have the energy to continue with the energy and enthusiasm these last three months?

As we enter this Q4 there are four tips I would like to suggest so that you get ready to FINISH STRONG your 2015!

1.       Review your results up to date: every business owner and manager need to understand where you are today. You have had a certain level of revenue and production; have engaged in new transactions, business relationships and made new clients; have had to pay your costs and expenses. Are you in the level or range which is acceptable to your company and industry? Do you know your metrics?

2.       Review your GOALS for Q4: now that you are here, today, you need to review your goals for Q4; do not change them, adjust them. Our goals need to remain the same. Only our strategies, actions or plans need to change and adapt. Maybe a new sales level (lower or higher); maybe a new product or service you have been working on through the year; or maybe a new marketing strategy. Develop them and see how the complement your current goals and then go and work on them;

3.       Share your stories of success. The people in your company have been working hard this year; and probably this will be the strongest quarter for your company as it is to many others throughout the world. You most probably have had very interesting stories these past nine months that are an immense source of ideas, vision, client testimonials and possibilities. Share them with your team; let them know what your clients say, what the management team is thinking; share these stories with your team members. They will get the energy to Finish Strong! 

4.       Celebrate your Success! Las weekend I had the chance to speak to a group of insurance brokers during their annual convention. One of my messages was: celebrate your successes. Usually we wait until the end of the year; or we wait until the completion of a certain level of sales or production. What if we start celebrating every significant accomplishment? What can we do to create a sense of pride in every action within our companies? This is why I suggest that you start celebrating your successes and accomplishments on a regular basis as they will make a difference in your companies.

To finish STRONG Start NOW! 

At the end it is your company, your team, your products and services, your people, your clients. Work with them, review your goals, understand the level of satisfaction and get ready to finish the final quarter of 2015 very strong!

Luis Vicente Garcia, Key-note Speaker at the United Nations!

Dear Friends, queridos amigos

It is my real pleasure to share with you the video of an amazing opportunity I had to speak at the headquarters of the United Nations last June. I was one of the founding members of the Global Economic Initiative where 30 entrepreneurs from seven different countries gathered to speak and discuss about some the issues that are affecting the world of business, education and economics today. It was an incredible event.

Luis Vicente Garcia speech at the 'Global Economic Initiative' at the United Nations

My message was that regardless of our circumstances, you need to be positive, be an optimist and have a strong personal motivation. Once you have these key-ingredients, you will be able to become a better entrepreneur and business owner, have more clarity and see things in a much better way.

We cannot leave everything that needs to be fixed to the governments we have in many countries, particularly in Latin America. This is why I call out to the local and regional entrepreneurs to:

a)      Be the ‘change factor’ we need to be and want to become;

b)      Generate the initiatives that are needed to empower our people and our teams – basically through training and education; and,

c)       Guide our countries to a higher level of growth and development.

We can do this and much more form the private sector and need to start working on these initiatives today, as taking ACTION today is a must.

Thanks to the National Association of Experts, Writers and Speakers and to the International Entrepreneur Foundation for such an incredible invitation to speak at this life-changing event on this magnificent institution in New York.

Luis Vicente  

When opportunities knock on your door: becoming a VoiceAmerica Radio Host!

Sometimes you can really expect the unexpected. In my case, I have had such an amazing journey over the past six years I cannot believe it somehow.

It all started back in February 2009 when I went to my (back-then) boss and told him I was going to resign after being at the company for almost 7 years. If you could have been there with me, you would have seen his shocked face, as I was the CFO and GM of his group of companies. His first question was why? Immediately came his second question, what will you do? My answer was a simple one: I want to do something different.

How many times have you had that thought or feeling that you want to do something different? As I was not prepared to answer exactly what I would do, so for him that conversation “never existed”; well, at least on his mind as for me it was just a matter of time. In 2010 I went to become the CFO of a large multinational corporation - something we finance people of course like very much – only to have that thought come over many times until late in 2012, when I decided it was time to do the something different I wanted to do, which was helping others but was not sure how.

My fields had been corporate finance, franchising and entrepreneurship and I knew I would do some managerial and entrepreneurial related activities; and my decision was in 2013 to become a business performance coach with FocalPoint Coaching. And my life changed. I have met incredible people like Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Dan Sullivan, and Michael E. Gerber among many other; I am a business coach and do have my very own business coach (thank you Margaret!) as we all need to continuously improve. I write in Spanish since the late 90’s (started my blog www.motivandoelfuturo.com in 2010) and have since published two books on Franchising. And then I was invited to write a chapter for a book in English (and yes it is really very different). And after that first chapter, came another and another and I have already co-authored six books with amazing people from all over the world; and of course, soon after I started an English blog on Leadership and Entrepreneurship (which you can read at www.entrepreneurperformance.com ).

And then a few other things followed. I was invited to speak to amazing audiences in Latin America and in the US and then to appear at the America’s Premier Experts TV Show which led to other incredible opportunities, such as being invited as a guest on a few radio shows.

I never had thought that I would write books or be on radio or TV; even less was I prepared to what happened last February. I was contacted by VocieAmerica Network to have my own radio show; really? Remember that I wanted to do something different? Well, all is different but it is the same. It is my way of still helping others but now doing what I like, working on management and entrepreneurship; with business owners and empowering teams. My clients range in age, industries and geography; but they all have something in common: are looking for new ways to do things in a better way!

So what do you do when you have a dream or a thought? You act on it, make decisions, start implementing a few ideas and put your mind into making it work. All takes time; all costs more than what you expect; everything requires effort, hard work and dedication. And still

you need to find the energy to continue forward, regardless of the circumstances. You need to be constantly inspired and motivated and do that for others, as leaders inspire people and visionaries motivate everyone. It is never easy, but all is worth it.

When opportunity knocks on your door, open it; if it doesn’t knock, go out and find it.

Never say I have never done it (you will someday);

never say I do not know how to do it (go out and learn);

never say it is too difficult (even less if you have not tried).

Never say no to an opportunity, and

never back down from a chance to do some incredible act and start a new adventure.

And after four months of design, preparation, weekly conferences, and decisions and now in training, this is what I will also do starting next week. On June 2^nd I will be the host of an incredible new radio show at VoiceAmerica’s Business Channel. Just the name of it might be intriguing to some: “Performing at Your Best: Mindset Evolution with Luis Vicente Garcia”.

This has been a family event: my wife and kids commenting on every single item related to the show; form the image, to the show’s name to the pictures and images. From my wife helping me to choose the right music, to my eldest son learning Photoshop and making all the show banners, to my youngest son making design suggestions (he even asked me why I included the word ‘Evolution’ on the show’s name; interesting question). And working with an executive producer for the network every week was also a first and as always, a learning experience (and of course, thank you Winston).

So I invite you to join me every Tuesday starting June 2^nd at 3 pm Pacific time or 6 pm Easter time, on the new show “Performing at Your Best: Mindset Evolution with Luis Vicente Garcia” . It will be an English radio show for a native Spanish speaker; a show on Internet which might be new to many people; a show on Performance and Mindset. And at the end, it will be the new beginning of that idea to do something different. Just how different you will never know, until you try, until you start, change, adapt, and see things with a different perspective. I invite you to follow the link to the show’s page at http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2462/performing-at-your-best-mindset-evolution-with-luis-vicente-garcia

This is what the show will be about, but it will also be about you and about me, and about business and empowerment; and about being positive, motivated and on changing our mindset. And my goal with the show is that you will also find that ‘something different’ that you want to do and take the necessary steps to start doing it. Simply said, as Brian Tracy wrote on the book The Ultimate Success Guide, a book we both co-authored, when he dedicated a copy to me:

“LUIS, YES YOU CAN!”

Here is to all of you who are doing that ‘something different’, as you are already the “Change you want to see in the World’ (Gandhi)

To Your “Motivated” Success!

Luis Vicente 

Is there a Future for Optimism?

I have been an optimist all my life!

I have worked and strived for giving every person that I meet and have worked with, a reason to be happy, to be motivated and inspired and always to look forward to a better future. It is with hard work and determination that you make it right. And yes, it is not an easy task and I wish more and more people do and act that way, but it is something that is everybody’s responsibility. This is not a single act or someone else’s job. It is our job.

But where is it all going? Will we get somewhere with this crazy and strange idea that we can all be happy and positive?

I was privileged to be invited to a private screening of the new Walt Disney Pictures movie, TOMORROWLAND. For all of us who grew when you needed single tickets to ride on the monorail at Walt Disney World or needed to buy extra tickets to get on the rides again, it was an experience like no other. Yes it was during the 60’s and 70’s when many of us went for the first time to Adventureland, Fantasyland and to the future world of Tomorrowland. We read or were told by our parents about the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and about Disney’s Carrousel of Progress and the It’s a Small World attraction. And they, and maybe we, were part of a kind of fairytale.

But as stories start to fade, so was our hope for the future. At some point in time “our” future did not start to be seen so bright and wonderful; and no more happy endings as the world entered a series of critical issues, from wars, to conflicts, sickness and disasters; to natural catastrophes, to an uncertain future. At some point in time, our future looked positive, full of ideas and innovation and optimism. But we let it go; we did not give it all our best, or did we?

There was no more a “… hope-filled future like the ones promised us in the 1950’s”, as Robert Ito wrote in his “Back to the Future for ‘Tomorrowland’” article on the New York Times[1].  But, when did this change? And Why? No one is certain of when and why our moods became negative and our vision about the future changed. Our positive view of the future dimmed and over the years, and as a result, more and more adults see the future more difficult for their children.

However, we have lived in an era of unprecedented change, growth, research, new vision, and of course, future oriented developments. It is true that we need to cope with the realities of our complex world and try to solve its major issues and conflicts, but there is hope. When we see what organizations and institutions are doing for an improved educational system for all children; what companies are doing for the conservation of our planet Earth; when we look forward to space travel and exploration beyond Mars or the research that goes into the future of medicine; or that still inventions created by da Vinci, Edison, Verne, Eiffel and many others are yet to be perfected and improved upon, we can see a better future; a new Tomorrowland.

Walt Disney envisioned a park where all the family could - together - spend a happy day; he created lands for adventure, frontier exploration, and fairytales; and of course, for a new tomorrow. He envisioned a prototype city for the future. And we can still work to create a future, our future, based on what we want and how we see it: positive and optimist. 

In the movie there is a very interesting character, ATHENA, played by Raffei Cassidy who believes that “it is her mission to recruit DREAMERS energized to realize the promise of a better world.” Is that only her belief or could it be ours as well?

As Tomorrowland’s Screenwriter Damon Lindeloff said in an interview: “The future is what we make of it.” We can still create our future how we want it to be; we can build our “Tomorrowlands” filled with the hopes we had before and better yet, with more optimism and enthusiasm.  We just need to work together on making it work, seeing the future not as it could have been, but as it can actually be.

And if we do so, we can start building our Tomorrowlands the way we want them to be; and yes, we can still create a future for Optimism.

"Be Inspired to Motivate". 

Luis Vicente

---

[1] Robert Ito, “Back to the Future for ‘Tomorrowland’”, The New York Times, Sunday May 17, 2015, p. 25, 28.

Excellence in Entrepreneurship!

Have you ever wondered what makes an entrepreneur and their companies excellent? or for example, why do you always seem to use the same companies as examples as having the best products or services or management practices?

One feature that all these companies have is that they are always looking to innovate to meet the growing and changing needs of their customers; and behind them there is always an entrepreneur who has the will to make it possible. In other words, it is the entrepreneur who always strives for excellence.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a lecture on strategies for growth to a small group of entrepreneurs. During the lecture I spoke about successful people, amazing companies developing new ideas and also, about transformational leaders. And always one refers to the most innovative companies. We talked about Disney and Disney Institute; on Amazon and its founder; I talked about Peter Diamandis and the X-Prize or the Zappos Culture. And we discussed about the characteristics of successful people (if you want to obtain my PDF on the Characteristics of Successful People write to Info@luisvicentegarcia.com ).

Often when talking about great products we refer to Apple or Sony. When we speak of excellent services they have emerged as companies like Zappos or Yahoo in the digital age that have stood out far above the others for the service they give. And there is a long list of companies including The Walt Disney Company, IBM, BMW, The Coca-Cola Company, TOMS and many others that are always in our minds when we think if excellent service. Each of us has our favorites, from movie theaters to restaurants or places we think when going on vacation. And, what characterizes them all? Why, that when we talk about something we use a company or a person as a reference? The answer is simple but complex at the same time: all these companies and all these people are in continuous search to improve the quality and excellence of their products and services, and thus, our lives.

Make a list of what you think that makes people and their companies successful. Make separate lists and see the characteristics and qualities of both, and look for similarities even though you will be talking about people or companies. In doing so, see what calls your attention and start understanding why they have been successful. It is a mix of desire and decision, creativity and innovation; and of course, continuous work - in addition to always have a good work team which makes them excellent.

And after all that, see how each of you, as individuals and professionals, along with your own companies can do to follow the path of Excellence!

Luis Vicente Garcia

TEC: TEEN Entrepreneur College Summit

I am very honored to have been invited to be the Key-Note Speaker on the first ever TEC - Teen Entrepreneur College Summit organized by the Houston Community College @HCCDistrict

High School students form Houston and surroundings areas will be able to learn first hand form real entrepreneurs and college professors on the importance of 'Entrepreneurship' and embark in an entrepreneurial adventure.

In recognition of these high school students and future entrepreneurs, here is a new article to 'Start Early on Entrepreneurship!' 
- It's your TIME.

Luis Vicente

Start Early on Entrepreneurship!

Entrepreneurship is about daring, taking chances, not knowing where you are going and yet, taking action.

Entrepreneurship is about movement, using action verbs, about implementing strategies to fulfill your dreams. I say fulfill as you will reach them along the way and then you, the entrepreneur, will be looking for new ways to improve your company, your team, your performance; in the simplest way, to improve yourself.

As a business performance coach I meet regularly with business owners and entrepreneurs alike. And yes, there is a big difference in their definition. While business owners most times manage their companies, entrepreneurs look for ways to innovate, create and constantly improve their current and new ventures. You may agree or disagree with me on this definition, but put some thought into it. Most successful entrepreneurs I have interviewed have mainly one regret, not having started earlier. However, the good thing I tell them is that they have started already.

And the only way you will succeed in life and in business is if you put your heart and soul into making your team and your company, very productive.

This is what entrepreneurs do every single day. They start with a dream and then go working out of their way to see it become a reality.

As the title of this short article suggests, you need to start early.  And then start again and again until you get it right and do it right. Taking the first step gets you going and moves you in a direction. It may not be the right one; you might have to change courses from time to time; so you have to set your mind on your goals. Developing your goals and creating the strategies to implement them is of crucial importance.

Start early. Your idea does not have to be perfect; nor does your plan (and of course you do need a plan). But until you start you will never know what you will need to change, to adapt, to modify. Simply put, start and start early so that you can become the entrepreneur you have in you.

Start early on Entrepreneurship: It will give you a New and Brighter Future!

Luis Vicente Garcia

Earth Day 2015: Managing our Environment.

Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22^nd since 1970, when then US Senator, Gaylord Nelson, saw the oil spill off the coast of California and decided to do something about it. Raising awareness was his goal and already by 1990 had reached a massive turnout, mobilizing more than 200 million people in over 140 countries.

This year we are commemorating the 45^th anniversary of that first day when people decided to celebrate "Earth Day". A movement - perhaps as many - which failed at the beginning to see the extent it would have. For many, this is the starting date of the modern environmental movement.

Yes we do have events in many countries, states or cities; we have understood and probably changed our own judgments about what is good or bad for our environment. But this has to be something more. We all need to realize the importance of our natural resources and our precious Earth, understanding the use we give them, and more importantly the commitment we have to make not only for us but for future generations. It should be the ideal of a better, greener, less polluted and more livable world.

Since the 90’s, with creativity and getting various groups and institutions involved, different activities and movements worldwide have resulted. Among the many achievements we can cite the following:

- Home Recycling;
- The Conservationism movement;
- Major Environmental Commitment;
- Sustainable Agriculture auto;
- Promotion of local production rather than the big international chains;
- Changes on many topics related to Nutrition
- The development of organic replacing the synthetic;
- Understanding the consequences of global warming;
- Development of Energy "Clean";
- Efforts for reducing Carbon Dioxide.

There are many initiatives, programs, movements and ideas that have come out so far; but more effort is required. A joint effort of all and for all required; greater commitment on the part of companies and governments is required; more action is required. And this goes beyond planting trees or visiting a festival during Earth week. That of course has to be done; but our commitment must be in education, teaching, generating new ideas to improve the use of these precious resources and, of course, our active participation is required.

As for the past five years, around this date I do not write about attitude, motivation, entrepreneurship or leadership; I dedicate an article to the welfare of our environment. But if we think in a serious way, this is rather a matter of "ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE". It means to be accountable for what needs to be done; creating different initiatives; and realizing the changes that we can generate for a better environment. I think we're just - still - starting out, and really need to do more. In other words we should be talking about ‘managing our Environment’.

Let's make Earth Day every day. 

This is the only way that will lead us to act in a different and more sustainable way.

In other words, let’s start 'Motivating' the idea of ​​caring for and improving our environment.

Luis Vicente Garcia.

2015: A new Year of Adventures, Learning and Experiences!

While we begin to think about the next year at the end of the current year, very few do so with due seriousness; and, as a result, few real and serious goals are set for the New Year. As 2014 just ended, we probably thought about what we did, what we accomplished and what really happened. For some it was a year of challenges and changes; for others, it was a year of learning, experiences and exploration. For me, I can summarize this year in one word: 

ADVENTURE!

In an article I wrote earlier this year, I commented after an article that I read that at the beginning of 2014 we all had 365 days ahead of us. Days, at that time still blank, which could filled with whatever we wanted: new ideas, thoughts, business, jobs, or education; in short, everything new. For some people it was a combination of all this plus something else, such as writing our words and ideas; or embark in new actions, goals and activities. Those days would be filled with all our experiences with our family, friends, work colleagues or university friends. Some of those would be good days or excellent days (never bad ones as Zig Ziglar once said). Well, the same is true for 2015, as we have 365 days ahead of us.

I ask a lot of questions so I get a lot of answers. This means that for some people, the year 2014 was - as I was told - a quiet or normal year. For others, it was a really difficult year. To you my friends, a warm hug of solidarity and appreciation. For a few, as someone told me a few weeks ago, the year was more or less the same as previous ones; in that case, however, my comment was that it might have been the same but that it was also different, given the experiences we've all had in the last 12 months.

But, for most, I'm sure, 2014 was a year of adventures. As I try to do sometimes, I searched the definition of Adventure and the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines 'Adventure' as:

1. Occurrence of an strange event;
2. Chance, or contingency;
3. Uncertain Outcome or something that presents risks.

You can see the year as a change or a challenges depending on your personal attitude, which has had to be a positive one in everything we do. If we do so, we need to figure out how 2014 was a year of personal motivation, positive attitude and continuous growth and learning. There is no other way to see any kind of year. We have an obligation: to always motivate others. And we need to start seeing 2015 as the year for 'highly motivated teams'.

As we embrace the new 2015, with more energy, emotions and of course prepared for more changes and challenges, how do we prepare for it? When I talked with my kids about 2014 they told me that it was a "different and unusual" year. We might see our future different from the past and better than the present. Nobody knows what the future holds; just understand that it is up to us to define what we do with it and in it. Our decisions will guide us along the way and take us through the path that will result from our actions.

In this new 2015 full of challenges but also full of hope, with 365 new and ready to be filled days ahead of us, with changes and decisions to be made, we will need to define our course of Action. There will be uncertain adventures and events, but let’s work so that they are the result of our actions and steps. And make it a year where we all carry forward the goal to become better at our personal development: with the optimism, enthusiasm and motivation that drives us to inspire others to join us on this adventure that is our own life.

Enjoy the New Year; seize it; learn, be inspired and motivate all around you; and make 2015 a fabulous year for everyone.

Luis Vicente Garcia

@lvgarciag

www.luisvicentegarcia.com

Managerial Lessons from the World Cup

A big portion of the world’s population if following the world’s most important and international event: the 2014 FIFA Brazil World Cup. For those of us who follow soccer (of football as it is known in Europe and elsewhere besides North America), this amazing world sports event has just finished its first round of elimination games. After two years of qualifying round, the best 32 teams met, with the top 16 going on to the second round. And it is an interesting time to reflect on some important issues not only about sports but also on management itself. Some issues would have to deal with the previous preparations that have to be carried out to infrastructure, roads, security and many other issues that need to be ready for the arrival of millions of visitors and tourists into the host country, so that their experience is the best one possible. Other issues would have to do with what it means to be the host country of such an important global event. However, I also believe that there are important lessons in various management topics that would be appropriate to point out.

For fans - and not so fond fans - of international soccer, a World Cup has a number of important features. First brings together the best players from the best teams in the world; secondly, this is an event both very important and highly relevant to the host country; thirdly no other sporting event brings together so many viewers worldwide. According to a statement from FIFA, the 2014 Brazil World Cup has already broken box office records in worldwide television and on mobile devices because for the first time in history, people are watching the games on their phones or tablets. Even in the US, it was estimated by ESPN that 24.7 million viewers watched the US-Portugal game, plus other 5 million estimated viewers watched it online (http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/23/usa-v-portugal-most-viewed-soccer-match-ever-us).

While we are starting the second round and probably still missing the most important part of this world cup, in the knockout round we have seen some very interesting aspects that relate very well to some managerial areas:

1. Better teams have arrived. Most incoming teams are - usually - those who are better prepared and have better players; however, this time we have seen teams that have worked hard and dedicated beyond what they have done in other World Cups. Thus we see, for example, that the Costa Rican Team was the first that gathered to prepare, study techniques, train as a team and be ready for what was been his best performance in history, during the first elimination round.

2. We all need inspiration. No matter who is the host, the favorite, or the better prepared team, inspiration always helps. It was very exciting to see in their inaugural game, how the Brazilian team was motivated and inspired by all the fans who were in the stadium singing their National Anthem, a Capella, once the music stopped. The excitement and energy level were so high at that time in the inaugural game that it was reflected in the face of both the fans and the players themselves and this is something to appreciate. You can feel that inspiration by watching the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG5xZCsB_m0  

3. We must always develop new talent. While this is something we always know we do not on it all the time. Talent must be developed continuously; and this involves not only the technical areas, on effort, preparation, strength and resistance, but also the mental preparation for such an important competition. Additionally we all must always be on the lookout for new talent. For this World Cup we are seeing new faces, such as: Sayouba, from the Ivory Coast team; Pulido from Mexico; James from Colombia and Neymar, from the Brazilian team. Of course we always have the experienced players and new players. We also see that there are figures that stand out for the preparation they have had, for the great effort they have made or the skills they have to do things better than others. And I do not want to get into a discussion of which player is better or has the best qualities, but would simply like to mention that both Neymar and James are playing in their first World Cup, being considered already as among the best players in the world. So how do you get two 22 year old new talented and new members of your world cup teams?  Always be on the lookout for new and better talent to help your team reach their goals.

4. We must prepare for the unexpected. In our daily life, people and businesses have emergencies or urgent situations. In a professional, business or sports team, things happen that do not allow you to grow, expand, train or plan. During the first round of this world cup we saw the unexpected and some, where not ready to see it. For example, we saw how Costa Rica, to which I referred earlier, finished first in the group where the other three teams always been considered among the best teams in the world; secondly we saw that Spain, the reigning champion, did not go past the first round; and there were games where the number of goals against the favorites went beyond what is acceptable. These are situations that happen to us daily, with our teams or how we handle some situations. However, what we have to do is always to focus on what's important and be prepared to handle the urgent and unexpected.

5. We need new leaders. Every day we need our leaders tell us the way to go. Of course we come to the image of Nelson Mandela who was tough, and had the knowledge and courage to manage and change the destiny of a nation. For some companies its leader is not its president/CEO; when working with teams, there is always one leader that stands out and who might not been appointed as such. The important thing is to allow the new leader to emerge and develop. What caught my attention was reading headline news that appeared during the classification of Mexico that said things like "…Guillermo Ochoa is the goalkeeper that Mexico does not need." For us who watched the first games of the Mexican tem viewed a different reality. So these past few days I read an article that mentioned that "Guillermo Ochoa is Mexico’s new Hero." We know things change; and new heroes and leaders emerge, grow, evolve and are maximized at the times most needed. This is why we should not be surprised to continue to see the emergence of new leaders and new heroes who will carry their teams into new places and new heights.

Still missing the most important part of this World Cup and the definition of the new champion, we might expect that the more prepared team and with the best talent, will have new heroes and leaders, who will collectively strive and work with the rest of their team members to become the new world champion. The important thing is always to learn the lessons that we experience, understand that we have to adapt and be flexible to achieve these targets, and that in one way or another, we should be striving every day more to create and sustain better teams that will propel us to have a better company.

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Luis Vicente Garcia is a business Consultant, a FocalPoint Business Coach, a Best-selling Author and an International Speaker. He helps businesses and business owners reach higher levels of performance. You can follow Luis at @lvgarciag and contact him at   coachluis@luisvicentegarcia.com  

Working on your ideas.

We usually have many ideas on our minds. Some might be vague, while others may need a little help. However, every so often we come up with an inspiring idea that is worth taking care of, for it is clear that the most important thing right now is to focus and clarify our ideas and our thoughts. None of it is easy.

Walt Disney once said, "A dream is a wish come true." But let's go further. A dream is something that we want to achieve and thus we need to work on making it a reality. Our minds are full of words, lists, ideas, plans, dreams, thoughts, activities, previous or future commitments and so many other things that we seldom stop to think what we really need and have to do to achieve our dreams and our goals and our objectives. And we need to develop a process for putting those ideas into action, even mentally, which we then need to develop into a plan.
I do not want to sound over simplistic, but everything has a methodology, steps that if followed, will help you get in the right direction. We are allowed to believe in what we want and we just need to work on them. Most people never start! Do your list and create a plan. Have all your ideas set up like actions, one by one, and make the necessary commitment to achieve them, meaning, you need to believe in yourselves.
If we want a better job, work harder on your skills, start planning, be proactive, and learn how to market yourselves and your ideas and do new things; never stop. If you have your dream job (so that the best possibility is doing what you love and loving what you do), you then need to improve and innovate continuously. Be creative and generate results. Do it as a student and as a professional; do it as an employee and an entrepreneur. Always be alert, attentive and seeking new opportunities for learning, understanding, reading and so many things to keep improving, being alive, and being able to enjoy life.
Believe in your dreams and take action on them. Decide what you are going to do in order to achieve them; work constantly on your goals. Then put your dreams into actions, do not live them as ideas in your head. So define what you want, be clear and specific on how to get it, work on your goals and above all, make a plan to achieve your dreams. 

Luis Vicente Garcia

Welcome to Entrepreneur Performance.

Welcome to Entrepreneur Performance.

This new Blog will focus on the point of view of the Entrepreneur. We will learn, write and study many of the critical areas that any entrepreneur, young or old; with a big company, a small company or just a simple idea, needs to focus and look for in his or her journey to success.

There will be new opportunities to be discovered and ideas to be generated, as we all define our mindset, work on our goals and look for growth alternatives. Many topics will be analyzed, like team work, strategy, sales, road maps and vision; and also, those issues that have been called soft areas such as leadership and success, motivation and attitude.

My idea is to help business owners and entrepreneurs work and develop, grow and prosper and find their passion to make their teams and their companies reach their performance potential.

Here’s to your Success.

Luis Vicente Garcia