Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/201

“Every day, write down your three biggest problems that need solving, to train yourself to always be solving problems.” - Jay Samit

(click to tweet)

Business is nothing more than solving problems for people. This is the premise of the book “Disrupt You!” by Jay Samit, and it is the premise that allows Jay to lay out exactly how to develop the muscle most important to the entrepreneur.

Jay says that you should make a habit of writing down your 3 biggest problems every single day. Doing this will rewire your brain to see problems and think creatively about ways to solve them, which will, in turn, turn into potential business ideas, and give you the mental abilities to become an effective entrepreneur.

Then, if you solve a big enough problem, or one that people are willing to pay you for, you will have the beginnings of a very solid business. As an entrepreneur, this is an incredible practice, and will give you the mental capacity to become a truly great entrepreneur. Learn how on this episode of the James Swanwick Show!

“Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise.” - Jay Samit

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways

• Every day, write down your three biggest problems that need solving, to train yourself to always be solving problems
• Doing this will rewire your brain to solve problems, which is what business is all about
• Solve problems consistently so that you get good at it, which will equal you becoming good at business
• In order to come up with amazing ideas and become an amazing entrepreneur, hang out with that type of person
• Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise
• Start each day with a positive attitude
• Commit to lifelong learning

Resources:

“Disrupt You!” by Jay Samit

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/201

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/201

“Every day, write down your three biggest problems that need solving, to train yourself to always be solving problems.” - Jay Samit

(click to tweet)

Business is nothing more than solving problems for people. This is the premise of the book “Disrupt You!” by Jay Samit, and it is the premise that allows Jay to lay out exactly how to develop the muscle most important to the entrepreneur.

Jay says that you should make a habit of writing down your 3 biggest problems every single day. Doing this will rewire your brain to see problems and think creatively about ways to solve them, which will, in turn, turn into potential business ideas, and give you the mental abilities to become an effective entrepreneur.

Then, if you solve a big enough problem, or one that people are willing to pay you for, you will have the beginnings of a very solid business. As an entrepreneur, this is an incredible practice, and will give you the mental capacity to become a truly great entrepreneur. Learn how on this episode of the James Swanwick Show!

“Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise.” - Jay Samit

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways

• Every day, write down your three biggest problems that need solving, to train yourself to always be solving problems
• Doing this will rewire your brain to solve problems, which is what business is all about
• Solve problems consistently so that you get good at it, which will equal you becoming good at business
• In order to come up with amazing ideas and become an amazing entrepreneur, hang out with that type of person
• Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise
• Start each day with a positive attitude
• Commit to lifelong learning

Resources:

“Disrupt You!” by Jay Samit

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/201

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/200

“The best time to prospect is when you don’t need anything.” - Bill Caskey

(click to tweet)

When it comes to accomplishing great things in this life, selling, or rather persuading, is one of the most important skills to learn. Without good sales techniques, it is nearly impossible to inspire any real change in the world. A common misconception is that salespeople convince people to do things that they don’t want to do, when in reality the good salesperson it simply helping people do what they should be doing in the first place, and doing what will help them in the long run.

Bill Caskey is my guest on today’s episode, and on this episode he is going through the 5 specifics steps to becoming a master salesperson. When it comes to sales, a lot of it is a mind game in the mind of the salesperson, and Bill’s steps will absolutely help you get your mind right on these topics, and will absolutely make a huge difference in your sales efforts.

So whether you are actively involved in sales, run a business, or don’t even consider yourself involved in sales in the traditional way, you will find these techniques and steps extremely helpful if you pay careful attention and implement in your life today! Enjoy!

“As a salesperson, you need to go deep and connect with someone to understand their pain point deeply.” - Bill Caskey

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways:

• If you cannot sell, you will never have very much money, or influence
• When you don’t know what you’re doing, sales will always be a terrible struggle. Learning the right techniques can really turn that around
• Sales are all about inspiring people to make decisions that will help them in the long run
• In a perfect sales process, you don’t even know you’re being sold
• The best time to prospect is when you don’t need anything
• When a salesperson doesn’t make the call, they’re saying “no” for the person, when, for all they know, the person could need it desperately!
• As a salesperson, you need to go deep and connect with someone to understand their pain point deeply

5 Steps to Become a Master Salesman

1. You must be detached from the outcome. Don’t be too attached
2. Condition yourself to see abundance in the world, and not scarcity
3. Understand your specific intention for each interaction, make focus it on high intent: The prospect, their needs and their problems
4. Be authentic and don’t act like a salesperson. Understand the requirements of a prospect to make a decision. Stop selling, and start creating an environment where the buyer is selling you
5. Position yourself as an expert, not by talking about being an expert, but by being an expert

Resources

The Advanced Selling Podcast

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/200

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/199

“A smile is the simplest and most powerful gift you can give anyone, including yourself.” - James Swanwick

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Are you willing, really willing, to step into someone else’s shoes? To understand what they’re all about? To approach new ideas and new experiences without judgment, but rather with an eye toward learning?

This episode is a continuation of last Monday’s report from Burning Man, and I am talking with several people about what burning man means to them, what they get out of it, and what they think that the world can take away from the ideas.

For many, Burning Man is an opportunity to get back to ground zero. To hit the restart button if you will, get back to pure nature, and take a look at the world around you from that vantage point. When you start to commit yourself to that process, you can see things with more clarity than you did, and you can often understand things about your life and decisions you need to make far better.

Many criticize or laugh at Burning Man as just a bunch of hippies out in the desert, but the truth is that there is a lot to learn here about life, and how to live the best life possible. And that’s exactly what I’m bringing you on this episode of the James Swanwick Show!

“The best people in the world are the weirdos, because they are the people who are thinking outside the box, unwilling to be contained by society.” - Thai Neave

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Key Takeaways:

• Giving without the expectation of anything in return has tremendous effects on your health and well-being
• A smile is the simplest and most powerful gift you can give anyone, including yourself
• The best people in the world are the weirdos, because they are the people who are thinking outside the box, unwilling to be contained by society
• Life is very short, we’re all going to die, youth is fleeting, so simply enjoy your life!
• You have to take time to reflect on your year, get a reality check, get away from it all, and see what insights you come up with
• Step into other people’s world without judgement, and try to understand what they are all about

Resources

Download 3 Free Books from James Swanwick!

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/199

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/198

“The youthful mind is apt to confuse temporary success for permanent success.” - Napoleon Hill

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Do you wonder what the differences are between the people who seem to actually get what they want out of life, and those who simply drift through life without a purpose, constantly consuming content and ideas but never putting them into practice nor really thinking for themselves?

Napoleon Hill calls these people who pass through life without major purpose or action “drifters” in his book “Outwitting the Devil” which I am reviewing on this episode, and he has powerful tips for how to keep yourself from becoming that drifter!

If it seems like you are always consuming other people’s ideas but never thinking for yourself, or it seems like you are always getting pumped up and motivated but never actually doing anything, this episode is probably for you. You’re going to learn how to get out of that mindset, how to stop procrastinating, and how to really get stuff done and ultimately get what you want out of life!

“When plans fail, substitute other plans, but with the same end goal in mind.” - Napoleon Hill

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways:

• The biggest thing that people struggle with is drifting: Allowing yourself to be influenced by circumstances outside his own mind. A drifter has lots of opinions but none of them are his own
• The youthful mind is apt to confuse temporary success for permanent success
• In the same token, don’t think that the down times will last forever
• When plans fail, substitute other plans, but with the same end goal in mind
• All habits, except that of the love of definiteness of purpose, may lead to the habit of drifting
• Drifters have a total lack of any major purpose in life

• Laziness + Indifference = Indifference = Drifting

• Positive thoughts can be woven by time into permanent habits
• Every human being owes himself the duty of finding out how to live a full and happy life
• Non-drifters don’t wait for opportunities, they create opportunities

Resources:

How to Beat Procrastination

"Outwitting the Devil" by Napoleon Hill

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/198

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/198

“The youthful mind is apt to confuse temporary success for permanent success.” - Napoleon Hill

(click to tweet)

Do you wonder what the differences are between the people who seem to actually get what they want out of life, and those who simply drift through life without a purpose, constantly consuming content and ideas but never putting them into practice nor really thinking for themselves?

Napoleon Hill calls these people who pass through life without major purpose or action “drifters” in his book “Outwitting the Devil” which I am reviewing on this episode, and he has powerful tips for how to keep yourself from becoming that drifter!

If it seems like you are always consuming other people’s ideas but never thinking for yourself, or it seems like you are always getting pumped up and motivated but never actually doing anything, this episode is probably for you. You’re going to learn how to get out of that mindset, how to stop procrastinating, and how to really get stuff done and ultimately get what you want out of life!

“When plans fail, substitute other plans, but with the same end goal in mind.” - Napoleon Hill

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways:

• The biggest thing that people struggle with is drifting: Allowing yourself to be influenced by circumstances outside his own mind. A drifter has lots of opinions but none of them are his own
• The youthful mind is apt to confuse temporary success for permanent success
• In the same token, don’t think that the down times will last forever
• When plans fail, substitute other plans, but with the same end goal in mind
• All habits, except that of the love of definiteness of purpose, may lead to the habit of drifting
• Drifters have a total lack of any major purpose in life

• Laziness + Indifference = Indifference = Drifting

• Positive thoughts can be woven by time into permanent habits
• Every human being owes himself the duty of finding out how to live a full and happy life
• Non-drifters don’t wait for opportunities, they create opportunities

Resources:

How to Beat Procrastination

"Outwitting the Devil" by Napoleon Hill

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/198

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/197

“If you don’t have something that differentiates yourself from competitors, the only thing you can do is lower prices - which is a race to the bottom.” - Matthew Pollard

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In business, far too many people and companies are trying to be all things to all people. But early on this is a losing formula, and business coach Matthew Pollard is here to explain why today.

The value in focusing on a niche market is that you can understand in a deep way your particular customer, what they look for and what their pain points are, and then you can speak to them in a way that makes perfect sense. The broader and less niche you go, the more you’re forced to compete purely on price, which, unless you’re an established company like Wal-Mart, is a losing formula.

Matthew has a 5 step process to learn how to uncover what your unique competencies are outside of your functional skills, which is the key to understanding what your particular niche is, and how to sell yourself. He also has a powerful 5 step sales process that we go through in depth, so you definitely want to pay close attention as we go through the step to achieving massive and rapid growth in business!

“Look for competencies that you have that are outside of your functional skill. This is what sets you apart from competitors.” - Matthew Pollard

(click to tweet)

Key Takeaways:

• Unique things that you are willing to do above and beyond are what is going to set you apart from your competition
• If you don’t have something that differentiates yourself from competitors, the only thing you can do is lower prices - which is a race to the bottom
• Look for competencies that you have that are outside of your functional skill. This is what sets you apart from competitors
• Most people focus on the functional skill instead of marketing
• Understand your goals very well to implement smart marketing
• Most people try to sell to everyone at first, and niche down when they get more successful But it’s much better to start with a niche and expand later
• If you have a niche, you know your potential customers better than they know themselves, and can speak directly to them
• In sales, just get people talking about their problems, then shut up and listen
• You must understand that if someone needs and could benefit from your product, and you don’t sell them, you’re actually doing them a disservice

Rapid Growth Marketing Exercise

1. Write down a list of all the customers that you’ve worked with
2. Write down a second list of all the people that you make great money from
3. Look for similarities between the two lists, and group people by their similarities. Circle every group that you get great referrals from, and circle with a different color the ones that you make good money, but they don’t love you. Make a decision of which group you want to work with
4. Of the group you enjoy the most, what are the benefits above and beyond your functional skill that you provide.
5. Look at it, and try to understand what the higher-level benefit is of what you do above your functional skill

The Process of a Sale

1. Build rapport
2. Set an agenda: “In order for me to help you, I’m going to have ask you a few questions.”
3. Find the pain points, point them out and bring them up
4. Connect the cost of your product with the cost of not purchasing your product, connect it to emotional problems as well
5. “So, how soon do you want to start fixing this problem?”

Resources:

MatthewPollard.com/Growth

BetterBusinessCoachPodcast.com

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/197

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/196

Burning Man has a unique reputation in the world. Most people associates hippies with it, but most people also feel quite a bit of curiosity toward it. I took a trip out to burning man just recently, and recorded some of my thoughts on the whole experience, and I’m presenting them to you in this episode.

One of the key thoughts here is to avoid being too judgy about any idea before you have tested for yourself. A lot of people think about the more ‘spiritual’ practices of forgiveness in your heart, perhaps writing down what you’re holding a grudge over on a piece of paper and then burning it, to be too much of the ‘woo woo’ sort of self-help.

But don’t close your mind to anything that has the possibility to help you! Test everything! Some things won’t be for you, but some things may really surprise you with how much the help! Give anything a shot for a set period of time, and see if it produces the desired results. If it doesn’t throw it away. If it does, make it a part of your process.

Key Takeaways from Burning Man

• Find times to let loose in a way that would not always be considered socially acceptable, if you’re the kind of person who needs outlets like that
• Find ways to connect with your primal self when you can
• Forgiveness is a very freeing experience. Don’t hold grudges against anyone, move on!
• Test everything! You may think it seems strange or that it won’t work, but test everything to find out for yourself

Show Notes: JamesSwanwick.com/196

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/195

“Commit to your business.. Believe in it more than everybody else. You can overcome shortcomings by bringing sheer passion to your work.” - Sam Walton

People say you should only take advice from people who have actually done what you want to do. Not just written or spoken about it, but actually done it.

Well, if you want to make money, there’s absolutely NO ONE you should pay more attention to than Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart and Sam's, whose remaining family currently possesses a net worth of $149 billion from Sam’s business ventures.

How did he do it? In the book “Made In America,” he lays out the 10 more important tips that helped him achieve what he did, and I’m giving them to you in today’s book review. So take notes, because you will probably never get 10 tips from anyone quite as qualified to give them to you in your life! Enjoy!

“In business, motivate your partners with more than money. Continually think of new ways to motivate and challenge them.” - Sam Walton

Key Takeaways

• Commit to your business. Believe in it more than everybody else. You can overcome shortcomings by bringing sheer passion to your work
• Share your profits with all your associates and treat them as partners. Encourage associates to hold stake in the company
• Motivate your partners with more than money. Continually think of new ways to motivate and challenge
• Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners. The more they know they more they will understand and care
• Appreciate everything your associates do for your business. This will buy more than a simple paycheck
• Celebrate your success, and find some humor in your failures. Loosen up!
• Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking. The people on the front lines are the only ones who really know what’s going on
• Exceed your customers expectations
• Control your expenses better than your competition does. This is where you can always find a competitive advantage
• Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. This is how you can find your niche

Resources:

“Mad in America” by Sam Walton

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/195

Get your question answered by James on the Podcast! Click here.

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/195

“Commit to your business.. Believe in it more than everybody else. You can overcome shortcomings by bringing sheer passion to your work.” - Sam Walton

People say you should only take advice from people who have actually done what you want to do. Not just written or spoken about it, but actually done it.

Well, if you want to make money, there’s absolutely NO ONE you should pay more attention to than Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart and Sam's, whose remaining family currently possesses a net worth of $149 billion from Sam’s business ventures.

How did he do it? In the book “Made In America,” he lays out the 10 more important tips that helped him achieve what he did, and I’m giving them to you in today’s book review. So take notes, because you will probably never get 10 tips from anyone quite as qualified to give them to you in your life! Enjoy!

“In business, motivate your partners with more than money. Continually think of new ways to motivate and challenge them.” - Sam Walton

Key Takeaways

• Commit to your business. Believe in it more than everybody else. You can overcome shortcomings by bringing sheer passion to your work
• Share your profits with all your associates and treat them as partners. Encourage associates to hold stake in the company
• Motivate your partners with more than money. Continually think of new ways to motivate and challenge
• Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners. The more they know they more they will understand and care
• Appreciate everything your associates do for your business. This will buy more than a simple paycheck
• Celebrate your success, and find some humor in your failures. Loosen up!
• Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking. The people on the front lines are the only ones who really know what’s going on
• Exceed your customers expectations
• Control your expenses better than your competition does. This is where you can always find a competitive advantage
• Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. This is how you can find your niche

Resources:

“Mad in America” by Sam Walton

Show notes at: JamesSwanwick.com/195