So, have you read Recycling in Sales, yet? It was the first peek into my September program and can help you start doing business with someone that you've already met. I forgot to mention that one of the first things that I do with a client when I work with them is look at the opportunities that they've missed over the past year. We can always turn one of them into a customer.

You can too, but you may have to read tomorrow's post first!

So, today's topic asks the questions, "What should you do that you can't do or won't do."

I wrote "Developing Confidence & Personal Motivation" for the May-June Issue of Sold Magazine. In it, I used one of the best explained 'yeses' that I've ever gotten. When Steve said, "Yes." he added, "I figure that there’s enough room in your shadow that’s outside of my comfort zone so that you’ll be able to help me.” Think about that.

Two days ago, somebody asked a LinkedIn group, "do you leave voice mail messages when you cold call and get a voice mail to you leave a message? If you do any tips on how to get call backs?"

My reply was, "the #1 rule is, 'Don't give them a reason not to call you back.'". Another commenter asked, "Rick, i would appreciate if you can give some examples, seems you have mastered your skills."

I replied privately, "may I ask, what makes you think that I have "mastered my skills"? We've never spoken, and don't know each other. You haven't looked at my LinkedIn profile. Are you basing your assumption on my small comment?"

He has not replied and I don't expect that he will, but I'd like to explain why I didn't just give one of the 100+ ways to leave a voice mail. I don't know what they can do. I don't know where their comfort zone ends. I don't know if they want to stretch and grow or if they're looking for confirmation that they're already doing the right thing.

Furthermore, if I suggest something that anyone reading can't do, who have I helped. Let me give a stupid example. Pretend that a salesperson has a heavy accent and is difficult to understand. I may be able to give them the right words and show them the right tonality, cadence, etc., but if their accent gets in the way, my advice will not work. So, I won't try to help them. I'll suggest that they talk to someone about their accent.

There are dozens of obstacles that you may have to overcome to stretch outside your comfort zone to get your business to the next level and that's the subject of the first module in the program that starts right after Labor Day. Experience shows that if you learn and try something new, you may grow a little, but if you understand what's been in your way, where it came from, how it's impacted your success, and how to break out of your comfort zone, you can double or triple the size of your business.

(Just an aside...I read an article yesterday about an entrepreneur who's going to grow her company from $225,000 today to $3,200,000 by the end of 1Q14. How does that compare to your plans?)

Is it time to stop holding yourself back? Try this.