Courage Despite The Fear

We all have a fear of something. There are people who go through life with a fear of this and a fear of that. Fear is a paralyzing state. I was reading a book, "Born to Win" by Lewis Timberlake, a motivational speaker, and there was a quote that said, "Fear is a dark room where negatives are developed."


Doesn't that sound right? Imagine a closed in damp, dirty, dark, musty closet where fear resides. What can possibly come from a situation like that except fear. Fear is not knowing what lies ahead. When our way seems dark and we are not sure which direction we should take there is a sense of dread and fear. Fear is generated when we are not familiar with our surroundings

If we make an attempt to journey outside of our comfort zones then fear sets in, because we are not accustomed to the new environment. We are challenged to do something new and take some risks and give up our old habits and old ways of thinking. Can this possibly, maybe set us up for failure? Who wants to fail? Right? Ah just as I thought, the fear of failure.

I also heard someone say we were born with two fears; the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned. Hmm? Can we unlearn those fears?


Consider this poem, by either Marianne Willamson and Nelson Mandela. I am not sure who the originator is, but I believe it to be Marianne Williamson. Nevertheless the short version is, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.


What an awesome statement. We all have a fear of the great success we can become if we step out of the shadows of mediocrity and shed the ranks of obscurity, and move beyond the confines of our comfort zone and push fear aside.

When we actually get a picture of who we are and what we can become it frightens us. So we sabotage our success with unbelief, negative thoughts, and we embrace our comfort zone.


What do you fear? What's holding you back? Are you in a dark room watching all the negatives develop? Are you afraid of who you are and what you can become? Does fear have you in it's icy grip?


If so I would say it's time to move up and out, past the comfort zone. It's time to move on to pursue your greatness and fulfill your destiny. It's time to face your fears and unlock your potential.


Be of good courage. Courage, I have heard, is not the absence of fear but the ability to act despite the fear. Can't get past the fear? Then encourage yourself. Your words have power.

Say good things to yourself. Say, "You Can Do It", Come on, let's go, Say things that get you motivated and excited. Is there a motivating and uplifting song you can listen to? An abundance of wealth is waiting for you on the other side of fear.

There are rich and wealthy relationships beckoning to you ; rich and wealthy family relations; rich and wealthy social life; rich and wealthy spiritual awareness; rich and wealthy
intellectual development; rich and wealthy health and hapiness; and a rich and wealthy bank account.

Think of the awesome reasons that you are pursuing your great dreams. Think of what you want to accomplish.

Now I can say, Come on, You Can Do It! It's time to move. It's Time To go forth and make things happen. Nothing can stop you.


To Your Great Success


Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
P.O. Box 22661
Beachwood, Ohio 44122

Melvin21@msn.com

http://wwwwealthbuildingstrategiescom.blogspot.com

Foundations of Success

It occurred to me that the starting point of all success is a solid foundation. Before you can achieve an extraordinary level of success you must be clear about what you are trying to accomplish, in other words you must establish your purpose.


We all have a specific purpose or a definitive thing we are to accomplish in this life. Once you understand your purpose you are in line to achieve greatness. Having purpose gives you a reason to get up in the morning - It creates energy, excitement, enthusiasm, passion, direction, and drive. You get the feeling that you can accomplish the impossible. And the truth be told you can!


I also noticed that a lot of students graduate not knowing there purpose - therefore they go from job to job, business to business, and activity to activity. I like to call it aimless drifting. They never achieve the great results and accomplishments they were destined for.
An understanding of your purpose unlocks the creative genius inside you then establish a burning desire to achieve your goals because you are operating within the confines of your purpose.



You are then contributing to society in a beneficial way and you are having fun. And it's my purpose to help those in the pursuit of great success to establish a solid foundation and build from there and ultimately go on to greatness.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
P.O. Box 22661
Beachwood, Ohio 44122

http://www.amazingpowergoals.com

Melvin21@msn.com

The Power Of The Subconscious Mind

About ten years ago I discovered the great power of the subconscious mind. I stumbled upon it by accident. I had gone to a local gym to play a pick up game of basketball. Now I have to tell you I am a very super competitive individual. However on this particular day I really did not feel like being competitive. My main objective was to play a couple of games and get some excercise and just have some fun.

We were playing a half court game. The team that reached 12 points first won. Each basket counted as one point. My team consisted of 4 players as did the other team. As I mentioned earlier I did not feel like being really competitive and apparently everyone else on my team felt the same way, because before long the score was 9 to 3 in favor of our opponents. That's when the game took a strange turn. When the other team scored their 9th point one of their team members yelled out .... NEXT!!!!

What's meant by this is the winning team is telling the next team on the sidelines to warm up and get ready because for all practical purposes this game is over. It's really a sign of disrespect to the team that is still on the court, even though they are losing. I took offense to that. I remember thinking these thoughts immediately afterwards...."We will not lose this game". Suddenly I increased the intensity in my own game and my teammates sensed this new level of intensity.
I played harder and they played harder. Eventually the game ended and we won by a score of 12 to 10. After that game I really did not give it much thought. The only thing I know is that we increased our intensity and began to play the game at a higher level.

But there was more to it than that. I now can sit back and reflect on how I was feeling. After I began to think those thoughts..."We will not lose this game", there was absolutely no doubt in my mind. There was no time sit back and rationalize a game plan. I had no specific plan of action on how we were going to win that game.

I merely sent to my subconscious mind an unquestioned belief backed by supercharged emotion and my subconscious mind mapped out the game plan, for the victory. Your thoughts are things and they form the basis for what you become and what you do.
Never underestimate the power of your subconscious mind. Once you send an unquestioned command to the subconscious mind backed by a state of belief mixed with faith and charged with emotion the subconscious goes to work to make it come true. It begans to work even while you are sleep. It never rests until that goal is realized.

Tap into the power of your subconscious mind to reach your goals in 2007 and become the success you were destined to become. Make your massive fortune a reality.



To Your Great Success.

Mel Richardson - CEO
P.O. Box 22661
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
216-956-3640VisionStar Enterprises

www.amazingpowergoals.com
Melvin21@msn.com

Bank sales training - Product Knowledge

The first line of attack
Within every organization you have a certain group of associates who are on the front line and they ultimately become the first line of defense. In other words they determine the level of success your organization is going to experience while trying to accomplish its mission. At restaurants it’s the cashiers or the employee handling the drive through window.

At a grocery store it’s the clerks and the cashiers. Within a car dealership it’s the salesman. This same principle or concept applies for tellers at a bank. They set the stage for on going relationships with customers and future transactions which ultimately translate into cash. That’s why it’s so important to establish rapport by delivering world class customer service. Actually nothing else should be acceptable. If you have two establishments and both have identical products it’s the customer service received that can sway their decision to buy or not. This is what determines if them will frequent your organization or your competitors.

Remember a dissatisfied customer may not always voice their opinion they just won’t return to your establishment to do business. Not only that they will tell everyone they know about the displeasure they experienced.

If a teller is not giving outstanding customer service or becomes rude with a customer there is a good chance you may lose that customer to a competitor. Or they will never purchase another product from your organization even if they need it. This definitely affects the bottom line. Or along the same lines what if the tellers are not asking probing questions that will determine the needs of customers which can help bring in revenue for the bank.

What if rapport is not being established. Once needs are determined the correct product can be offered to your customers. The more of your products and services that a customer has the least likely they are to leave your bank. That’s why it is so important to maximize every single opportunity.

Customers should come to depend on you as their banker or consultant who has their needs and best interest at heart. If a customer determines that you’re looking out for their best interest they will be more likely to do all their banking with you. Some where down the line this can lead to as many as three or four different products that a customer has with your bank. And that’s the ultimate goal.


It’s not the Tellers responsibility to sale a product to the customer, but they must make the connection, establish rapport through probing questions, determine a need and refer the customer to the platform staff for the actual sell. Therefore it does require that they have some basic product knowledge. And it all starts with a great attitude accompanied with a great smile. If your staff of tellers have a great attitude half the battle is won. A great attitude can do more for referrals than you can imagine. Some customers will be referred even if they don’t have a need for a product based on a tellers superior attitude, ( Of course we always want to do the right thing and it’s up to the platform staff to determine if a need does in fact exist) .
So it starts with a great attitude which comes with a great smile.

When you put the customer at ease with your superior attitude it is far easier to establish rapport. Customers will more than likely want to be converse with you. They will look at you as someone that can be trusted. This opens the door to determine the customers needs.
So now it’s time to recognize the customers needs . How do we that? They always give clues. Just listen to the customer and they will tell you in so many words what product or service they need.
Be on the lookout for customer needs --- they always give clues.

Example: customer: My checking account is overdrawn again ---- answer: offer the over draft protection. The first time you use it it will pay for itself. Let me get someone to speak with you further.

Example 2: customer ---- these bills are keeping me from enjoying life I have to mail ten checks per month ----answer: offer the home equity line of credit. Mr. Johnson we can offer you the home equity line of credit and consolidate all your debts. At the very least we can offer a credit card with a promotional rate which can save the customer money on one of the credit cards at least. Perhaps we can refinance the first mortgage and consolidate everything. How about the online banking service. This will save the customer time and money. No longer will the customer have to write out checks.

Example 3: customer: My mortgage payments are too high so is the interest rate. Answer: offer to refinance the first mortgage and the customer may want some cash as well --- or maybe there are some other bills to consolidate.

Example: 4 customer: I just retired. CSR: How are you going to handle your 401k or retirement money.
Those were just some of the many examples of how customers give us clues to their needs.
When you talk to your customers today what needs can you uncover.


This will serve to increase your product offering per customer.
Now lets talk abut Customer Relationship Management and some key statistics. Consider these facts.

Customer Relationship Management is important because the more products and services
from your bank that a customer has the more likely they are to stay with your bank.

A customer with four of a banks products and services is more likely to stay with that bank
than if they only had one product or service.

That's why it is so important to continuously engage the customer to see if another need
exists.

So you can see why it is critical to build those relationships and increase your product offering per customer.

Put your game plan into place:

It starts with a superior attitude accompanied with a smile.
You have to have the rightAttitude
You need basic Skills in place
Knowledge ( a basic knowledge of the products and services offered)


How do you get more referrals

Getting those referrals
Be enthusiastic and sincere
Believe in the products
Know that you are truly helping your customers

So as a teller it’s always a good idea to stay mentally sharp so that you will be able to recognize the needs of the customers which puts you in a position to respond to the customers needs and make recommendations for the customers .And finally you are able to refer the customer to the appropriate platform staff for the sell.

Recognizing the customer needs always centers around several key items. First the customer has a problem that needs to be solved. We live in a microwave society people want things done better and faster so there is definitely a need for convenience. What product or service can you think of that provides convenience for the customer.

Practically every customer has a need to save money whether it be in a checking, savings, CD, IRA or whatever type of savings vehicle you can think of.
Also customers have a need to borrow money. We live in a credit based society therefore we use credit to finance large ticket items like homes, cars, boats, RV’s, vacation home, vacations, consolidation of debts etc.

During your encounter with customers it’s a good idea to actively listen for the words that can trigger a need.


After recognizing the need you want to relay the features and benefits to the customers. Always mention the benefit that is most important to the customer. Then try to bring or mention the other benefits that the customer will derive satisfaction from. The more benefits you can give the customer the better, of course you don’t want to overload and overwhelm them.

Now you want to put yourself into the equation. Show how you understand the problem and how you can help provide a solution . Use phrases that show you are concerned about the customers problem and you are ready to help.

Example: It looks like you will need help consolidating those debts.
Or, I can help you get that 401k moved over into an IRA.

Benefits Vs. Features
Credit card with a promotional apr Feature --- This card will save you money
Home equity line of credit $10k ---- feature ---- saves money with low Apr --- tax write off ---
Save time by consolidating.
A good selling point is to point out the benefits. Stressing the benefits help you to relate to
The customers needs better.

Send the customer to the platform.
Here are some good phrases to use when you send a customer to the platform:
Example: Based on what you have told me I think it is very important for you to speak with John or Marilyn they are the experts for that particular product. Always build the credibility of your team members. O r this is a great idea…. Let me get someone for you to speak to.

Role play with someone. Pretend you are the teller in a situation then switch it around and be the customer.

Objections -
1. If there are objections you may have to clarify some other things with the customer
2. You may have to provide more information
3. Don’t take rejection personal
4. Stress the benefits
Common Objections:
Objection: I don’t need any more credit

I don’t want to pay any fees

I keep my savings and checking accounts
At another bank.

I don’t have the time --
I don’t think I will qualify



Overcome the objections:
1. First acknowledge you heard the objection
2. Clarify the objection --- this may call for you to paraphrase ---
3. Then take action with the referral



I understand how you feel Mr. Johnson…..
Many of my customers felt the same way…
However, after trying it out, they found that they could save a lot of time
By…….
Feel Felt Found.

Role play to overcome objections
Put together an action plan to put the information into action.
Celebrate your success.


All of these activities help to build wealth and increase profits and revenue with your bank.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson

Career Success- College Graduates --Set Goals

Lights, Cameras, Action --- Are you looking to become a star employee??? Is Career Advancement your goal? Great!!! Pay close attention!!! You have got to become a super star.

That's right. You must stand out from the competition by doing what losers don't like to do. Become an overachiever. Let your boss know about the good ideas you have and keep a track record of the ideas whether they are implemented or not.

Also it's a good idea to improve your communication skills. Your ability to advance is going to be largely dependent upon your interpersonal skills. Therefore it would be a good idea to make an investment in your communication skills. Take a speech class, join toastmasters, speak up in team meetings. Always look for ways to develop those skills and watch the difference it makes.

Have a vision of where you want to go---- talk to someone in the position you are going after. See what the opportunities and challenges are---- shadow someone in that department to see if this is what you really what to do. Get a feel for that job.


Get yourself a mentor---- Find a coach --- all the great ones have coaches --- Michael Jordan , Tiger Woods ---- Alex Rodriguez and the list goes on.


A college degree is no guarantee of success --- always develop your skills ---- takes continuing education classes --- go to seminars ----listen to CD's --- read motivational material and then put the information to work --- Your mind is like an ax --- you must continually sharpen it so that it works more effectively.

Tap into your creative genius --- go above and beyond the call of duty --- become a problem solver

Always think interms of the big picture --- make it a win/win situation

Set goals in all six areas of life ---- have a balanced strategy.


Put together your own personal development plan. ----

Learn from the experts ----

Understand your purpose --- make sure you know how you fit into the entire scheme of things. What is it that you do better than others --- what is your assignment? Tap into your spiritual gifts... Begin to flow in the direction of your purpose -----fulfill your destiny --- What are you passionate about? Your purpose should align with your values and your own personal mission statement.

Find out where you can utilize your talents and ability to their full extent.

Find out what's going on with your competitors ---- keep abreast of industry news. -- Read the Wall Street Journal --- Time --- Business week ---- The New York Times --- USA Today.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson

Successful Coaching

Have you started your journey to success? Watch out for the land mines because they are there. You can probably make your way through the landmines with a few casualties of course. Maybe you will get lucky but all the time you spend going very slow trying to avoid the landmines will be astronomical. You lose time, money, energy and patience trying to find your way without any help.So why bother? Get a coach. Someone who has already navigated the fields you are about to cross. Get going and follow the tracks to success. You owe it to yourself to get a life coach that will help you wipe out the deficit between where you are and where you want to go. A coach will hold you accountable and help steer you in the direction of your dreams. To Your Great Success Mel Richardson- CEO VisionStar Enterprises P.O. Box 22661 Beachwood, Ohio 44122 216-752-1039 Melvin21@msn.com

The Amazing Power Of Visualization

A runner walks out to the track. He begins to stretch and warm up in anticipation of the race that’s about to unfold. He takes some deep breaths to relax himself and oxygenate the blood. Now he positions himself in the starting blocks to make sure he has maximum acceleration. The hands spaced appropriately on the track. He rocks back and forth to feel what it is like to propel himself out of the starting blocks. A few mock take offs are done which leads to a sprint equal to about 60% of his normal race speed. Everything must be concise and precise. He walks back to the starting blocks and rehearses this ritual all over again.



Now the race official appears and asks all the participants to line up in their appropriate starting position. He barks out the command, “Runners on your mark, Get set! Then the gun sounds! The runner takes off down the track, with all the other participants, careful to keep perfect form. He is aware of every step. He sees his competitors closing fast on his left and right. Now he goes into overdrive and really begins to accelerate down the track and he is quickly coming to the finish line and it’s a very close race, neck and neck, he and several competitors. At the very last instant he sticks his head out over the finish line and wins by a nose.

Cameras are flashing, the other runners come over to congratulate him and he begins his victory lap excited about the feat he has just accomplished. Ah! Now it’s time for the real race to take place. You see the aforementioned scenario only took place in his mind. He simply visualized what he wanted to accomplish.



This is the procedure so many of the most successful and great individuals follow in preparation of the event or activity they are trying to accomplish. They visualize it in their minds first. It is their uncanny ability to mediate and see clearly in their minds the entire event unfold just as they want it to. Before anything can be accomplished in the physical realm it first comes into existence as a thought or image.

Once a thing or event is visualized and one is in a state of total belief the subconscious mind works day and night to make it a reality. This is one of the marvels of the magnificent human mind. It has the ability to bring things into existence which sometimes can seem like an impossibility.



The mind makes them possible. This amazing power works no matter what it is one is trying to accomplish. An employee in the lower ranks of an organization might visualize himself as an executive of that same organization. If this process is done consistently and in a state of total belief the subconscious will eventually make it a reality. Putting this power to work right now can make your dreams a reality. Start visualizing what you want to accomplish.

Begin to visualize those great accomplishments in your own life.
Unleash your greatness.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
P.O. Box 22661
Beachwood, Ohio 44122

216-752-1039
Melvin21@msn.com

P.S. It's time to visualize your way to success