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Florida Custom Home Builders: How To Build Your Dream Home

Florida custom home builders offer many homeowners the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to build their dream home. Of course, like any investment on this large a scale, it is necessary to take certain steps to make sure you do it right, and to make sure the end result is really the dream home you set out to get.

But don’t let this scare you into not pursuing the perfect home. Hiring Florida custom home builders and building your dream home can be easier than you might think, if you break it down into a to-do list. Here are five steps you need to take in order to build your dream home.

1. Plan your budget. It might seem like a very unromantic first step on the road to the perfect house, but actually it is very smart to start planning your budget before you do anything else. Think of it this way: you don’t want to build that dream house, only to lose it because you bought more house than you could afford, right?

Planning your budget may take a little research to find out what price ranges you have to work with. For instance, you should look into Florida property values and total cost of hiring Florida custom home builders. Another important thing to do is to start shopping around for loans, to find out how much financing you can afford.

2. Choose a location. You have no doubt heard people say, “Location, location, location.” This saying reminds us how important location truly is in the housing market. Location is especially important when you are building a custom home. The layout of a lot can impact the floor plan and other design factors. If you have already chosen a lot, a custom home builder can help you choose a floor plan that will work well on your property. Likewise, if you have a design in mind but no location yet, your builder can help you choose a lot that will work well with your desired design.

3. Shop for floor plans and architectural designs. If you don’t already, you need to get an idea of what your dream house should look like. Shopping for a design for your house starts with browsing the floor plans and architectural designs available for custom homes. As you narrow it down, you can begin looking at more specifics, such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amount of storage space, and other necessities. Don’t forget, most Florida custom home builders can customize floor plans to suit your vision of the perfect house — that’s why it’s called “custom” home building.

4. Do your research. Any time you are hiring someone to do some kind of work for you, whether it is fixing your car, working on the plumbing, or building your custom home, it is a good idea to have a basic knowledge of the industry. By understanding building codes and other principles that Florida custom home builders follow, you’ll make sure that your builders are never able to pull the wool over your eyes. This ensures great service and a dream home that turns out just the way you always wanted!

5. Interview builders. When the time comes to choose a builder, make sure you interview a wide selection of Florida custom home builders. You can’t find the best builder by just talking to one or two. Remember, their goal is to make sure you don’t keep looking, so they’ll say anything they think might convince you otherwise. Don’t let anyone con you into going with a builder who can’t give you your dream home.

Building your dream home is a huge undertaking, and one that can be rather nerve wracking at times. Good Florida custom home builders know how stressful this time can be for you, and strive to live up to the trust you have placed in them. By following these five steps, you can make the process of building your dream home as smooth and as painless as possible.

Andy West is a freelance writer for Arthur Rutenberg homes, Florida custom home builders.

Choosing A Florida Luxury Home Builder: 7 Questions To Ask

Choosing a Florida luxury home builder can be a difficult decision, made more so by sales tactics. Although it is in your best interest to interview half a dozen or more builders before making your choice, the salespeople are usually trained in ways to convince you that you don’t need to keep looking.

The best way to beat such tactics is to have a list of questions to ask, followed by a written reminder to keep looking and compare notes between builders before making your decision. Here are seven questions that should be on your list.

1. How much experience do they have? Some people may take a chance on an inexperienced Florida luxury home builder and come out of it okay, but others may not be so lucky. To protect yourself and your investment, you should look for a builder who is experienced in building the type of custom home you are looking for.

2. What kind of reputation do they have? This is where things such as referrals and word of mouth come in handy. If you know someone who has hired a Florida luxury home builder and been very happy with them, that is probably one of the best recommendations you can get. Likewise, stay away from builders that have generated many complaints.

3. What building plans do they have available, and can they be customized? Not every custom home is completely original, so a wide variety of building plans is a must for a good luxury home builder. The custom part comes in when you make subtle changes to a floor plan to make it more like what you want. For instance, you can make rooms bigger or smaller, upgrade appliances, and add cosmetic things such as moldings and trim work. The more freedom a builder allows you, the more custom your home will feel.

4. Can they help choose an appropriate lot? Choosing an appropriate lot can be difficult for someone who is not a professional Florida luxury home builder. The way a lot is laid out can impact the floor plans that can be used on that particular lot — and there is nothing more heartbreaking than finding out your dream house just won’t work on the lot you’ve chosen. Many people therefore feel more comfortable if the builder helps them locate an appropriate lot. If this is important to you, you will want to be sure to ask potential builders if they offer this service.

5. Can they build on a lot that has already been chosen? Most builders should be able to build on a lot that you have already chosen, but still, it’s good to ask. As already noted, the lot may affect what can be built there, so be sure you discuss your housing plans with the builders as you are going through the interviewing process.

6. What warranties do they offer? Experienced, reliable home builders stand behind their work. With each Florida luxury home builder you visit, ask about the specifics of their warranties: what is covered, and for how long. Then compare these and eliminate the builders whose warranties are noticeably less generous than others’.

7. Can they provide references? Happy customers are a sign that the builders are doing their jobs correctly. Be sure to always ask for references, and be sure to follow through once you’ve asked. If you speak with the references in person, be sure to ask about specifics, such as whether they have had any problems and how the builders handle it if they do. However, remember that the builder is most likely only going to give out names of people whom they know will give glowing references, which is why a builder’s reputation and word-of-mouth referrals are also very important.

Building your dream home is an emotional as well as a financial investment, and it is therefore important to find a Florida luxury home builder that you can trust to do the job right. By interviewing numerous builders before making your choice, and asking each builder a list of questions that you have come up with ahead of time, you make it more likely that your ultimate decision will be based on things like quality and value, rather than sneaky sales tactics.

Andy West is a freelance writer for Arthur Rutenberg Homes, a Florida luxury home builder.

5 Tips To Stop Dog Growling

To make the task of stopping a dog from growling easier, we ought to understand why the dog growls in the first place. Growling is considered to be an assertive behavior which is triggered by any unfamiliar event, person or even another animal. Thus a dog would growl when an unknown or sometimes known entity comes his way. This is his way of saying that he wants to be left alone or he does not approve what he expects would follow.

In other words, he feels threatened. As soon as the approaching person or animal moves away, this would be interpreted as showing respect to the dog and soon the animal should stop growling. Anyone who has a pet dog at home should understand many such myriad ways in which canines communicate so that there could be safe co-existence between the dog and the rest of the family.

This is especially important when the household has children, who are known to be particularly affectionate towards any pet. What happens when someone ignores the growling and continues to approach the dog casually? The dog treats the situation as threatening and expects adverse events to follow. Therefore he may start barking, or even snap and bite the approaching individual or animal as the case may be. Having briefed you so far on the reason why a dog growls, let me provide you with 5 sure-shot tips to stop the dog from growling:

1. It is recommended that you should never punish a dog for growling. Your punishment or reprimand may stop the dog from growling temporarily, but he would develop a latent behavior where he bites or snaps at people, without any warning in future. So the best solution under such circumstances is to respect the animal and let him be. He would stop growling as soon as he realizes that there is nothing disturbing his peace any more.

2. Explain to your children why a dog growls and if the dog starts growling suddenly, they should immediate stop doing whatever they were doing as it is obvious that the dog is getting irritated with their activity. Ask them to simply move away gradually from the dog’s vicinity. Tell them to never run away from the growling dog as it irritates him further. Such incidents must always be

reported to the parents, as then you could focus more on this area while training.

3. It must be understood that dogs growl when intimidated by some one. Sometimes sheer size is perceived as a threat and the dog starts growling. So when a huge man approaches a dog, however kind his intention may be, the dog thinks him to be a threat. In such cases the man should squat and bring himself at the same level as the dog. Then approach him gently with extended hand – palm facing up. Then talk to the dog in a calm and gentle voice.

4. If you find that the dog is growling for no apparent reason and is snapping at every thing, it might be right for you to get a medical check up done for the dog. Your vet could do some tests to check hormonal balance, neurophysiologic functions and allergies, if any. You never know, there could be underlying causes for his growling, which when corrected could stop him from growling.

5. There are some dogs which growl when he is eating and someone gets close. The reason for this is that he is simply possessive about his food and scared that this person might take his food away. To correct this behavior, choose an adult who the dog loves most. Let this adult start feeding the dog and stay close to him while he is eating.

To start with, simply stay with the dog and talk to him with a reassuring and calm voice. Once the dog is used to this, then let the adult approach the dog while he is eating, go on reassuring him with his gentle voice.

Once the dog is used to this habit also let the adult touch the dog with slow and gentle movements while he is eating. Though this procedure to stop him from growling could take a long time, but this happens to be one of the sure-shot ways to reassure a dog and take away the threat element, which makes him growl in the first place.

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Exercises For Different Dog Breeds

Dogs of different breeds behave differently and have different physical characteristics. It is therefore advised that different breeds of dogs should get different exercise routines so that they do not get over exhausted or obese. Selecting the right exercise regime for your dog depending on the breed is therefore essential.

Breeds and their exercises

Based on the different classes of breeds, a set of exercises can be determined.

1. Terriers- This class of dog includes breeds such as the Jack Russell Terrier, Irish Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Welsh Terrier and the famous American Pit Bull Terrier. They are highly intelligent and full of energy and can thus manage mind and body games such as obstacle courses and Frisbee. Chasing games are also good for this class of dogs.

2. Companion Dogs/ Toy Dogs- These are generally dogs, which are bred for companionship rather than utility such as Chihuahua, Pug, English bulldog and Shih Tzu. They require only minimal exercises such as walking. However, some breeds, which are also for companionship like the Dalmations and the Yorkshire terriers, need walks that are more vigorous.

3. Hounds- The hounds can be sub classified into two more subtypes: the scent hounds (which are bred to search on the basis of scent e.g. Harrier, Coonhound and Dachshund) and the sight hounds (which are bred to search on the basis of sight e.g. Greyhound, Irish wolfhound and Basenji). They have tendency to switch between work and play and therefore are recommended for walks, runs and hikes.

4. Guardian Dogs- These include breeds like the Bullmastiff, Great Dane, Great Pyrenee, Doberman Pinscher and the Rottweiler. These are strong dogs that can be quite active, however behaviorally they tend to start taking the play quite seriously, which could be problematic. It is therefore recommended that these dogs should be given exercise in the form of runs and obstacle courses but within limits.

5. Northern Dogs- This class includes dogs from breeds like the Chinook, Siberian husky, Malamute and Chow Chow. They are highly active and should be exercised a lot with hiking, runs, games (like sledding) to keep them active.

6. Gun/ Sporting Dogs- This class includes breeds like the Irish Settler, Labrador Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel and the Standard Poodle. Being bred for sports and hunting, these dogs have a lot of stamina and require a lot of exercise. Long walks, hiking and running activities are good. In addition, games like fetch can be played to keep the activity up.

7. Herding Dogs- Breeds, which come under this class, include the English Sheepdog, Welsh Corgi, Collie, Border Collie, German Shepherd, and the Schnauzer. These breeds generally have a moderate to high energy level and are therefore suited to a variety of exercises. Almost any games and sports are good for the dogs, especially runs, walks and challenging hikes.

Thus, depending on which class of breed your dog falls into, you should select an appropriate exercise regime for it. You must also determine the personality of your dog to best choose games and activities, which it can do for its wellbeing.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Mental Exercises For Your Dog

Dogs, like humans have a brain, which also requires some activity to keep them active. Physical exercises are good for the body of the dog; however, they often tend to miss out the intellectual component, which are needed. This is why there are some special mental exercises, which you should perform with your dog to keep it healthy in all aspects.

Why train the intellect?

An intelligent dog will be able to handle itself better in a variety of situations. After all in today’s world, animals cannot just survive on brawns. The smarter your pet is the easier it will be for it to survive in case something goes wrong. In addition, intelligent dogs can perform tricks and be a better companion to you as well. It is therefore needed to train the brain of the dog as well as the body.

Mental Exercises

Mental exercises often go hand in hand with most physical exercises. This is because most physical exercises require the dog be active mentally as well. Alertness is therefore a component of physical exercises albeit a small one. For example, a dog that is swimming needs to be mentally alert to keep paddling and see where he is going.

Nevertheless, this type of exercise is not sufficient to train the dog’s mind. More complex mental exercises are as follows:

1. Use of toys

Toys can be a great non-tiring mental exercise, which the dog can perform indoors as well as outdoors. Popular toys involve some easy puzzles, which require the dog to tackle to get to the prize of some dog food or biscuits. Such toys help in solely training the dog so that it comprehends the fact that it needs to do something in a particular way to receive the reward (the biscuit).

2. Games

A variety of different types of games helps in developing different aspects of the dog’s mind. For example, a game like Frisbee, which is primarily for the purpose of physical exercise, is also a great mental exercise. This is because in Frisbee the dog has to calculate the movement of the Frisbee so that it can catch it successfully.

Other games for example, chase is a good way to train the dog to follow you. In this, you must take some article, which is valued by your dog and run so that it runs after you. Then in turn you must give the dog one of your articles and you must chase it. Slowly develop strategies to catch the dog, and it will also do the same by developing its mind.

Another game worth mentioning is “hide and seek”. This game develops the dog’s intelligence to use its senses to track down things. This is particularly important for training dogs. You can play this game with the dog indoors as well as outdoors.

3. Training

Training your dog to perform tricks is a great mental exercise, although it requires a lot of discipline on your dog’s part and a lot of effort on your. However, training your dog will definitely improve the ability to handle the dog better.

Getting your dog to perform these mental exercises can be a little tricky though. The best way to enforce these mental exercises for your dogs is to incentivize it with some sort of reward in the end. This will train the mind of the dog and also make a better pet out of it.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

How To Drywall A Room Efficiently

Contractors have a very labor-intensive job. Although the work that they do is incredible, there are many steps that are needed to accomplish their project. Skipping any of those steps may give the project an unfinished or unprofessional look.

Installing drywall is perhaps the most difficult part of any project because of all the steps that are needed in order to complete it. When installing drywall it needs to be done right the first time, there is no going back and repairing the damage. The entire project may have to be started again, costing a lot more money and time.

Drywall contractors rely heavily on the tools that they use to complete a project. There are many different drywall tools; however doing without even one can lengthen the time it takes to complete a project. If a mistake is made, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Drywall hammers and screwdrivers, mud, tape, and drywall screws are all very important tools needed to create a wonderful finished look to a room, however, there are also finish tools and texturing tools, each are equally important to a drywall contractor.

Finishing tools are necessary to complete a project. They give a room a more polished professional look. A room that is done with finishing tools has clean crisp lines that really stand out should you decide to sell your house.

Another tool that many contractors use is texturing tools. These are amazing hand held tools that allow the contractor to create stunning patterns on walls and ceilings. There are many different patterns to choose from, each giving its on uniqueness to any room. The patterns range from simple to elegant, allowing the homeowner to decorate any way they choose.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits to using a texturing tool is that when applied properly, it can actually add value to your home. For real estate investors, this is a major factor.

Having a magnificent modern wall design in a home can turn it into a showplace. With texturing tools, it is possible to create one of a kind wall textures that will have your guests begging to know how it was done.

Hanging drywall can be very hard on your back and legs, not to mention your arms and shoulders. It can be a very strenuous task if you do not have the right tools. There are many different tools that contractors use, including lifts and stilts.

Lifts are used to stack sheets of drywall and lift them up to the contractor so he or she does not have to carry them up a ladder one by one, over and over again. The stilts are used by the contractor when he or she wants to apply tape or mud to ceilings or high walls.

Drywall tools have really come a long way in their design. They still do the same job, however they have been revamped to be smaller and more user friendly. Most fit in your hand making them safer to use then the older, bigger models.

Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group marketing company. Peter provides marketing services for finishing tools, including Drywall Tools.

Building Real Estate Leads Through Word-of-Mouth Referrals

The most powerful advertising and marketing tools you have at our disposal are word-of-mouth referrals. Unfortunately, they’re the hardest to control. You can do a great job for hundreds of clients, but how do you make sure those clients tell their friends? Keep reading to learn how to increase your personal referrals and start building more leads for your real estate business.

Always Follow Up With a Thank You

Never leave a real estate deal right after the papers have been signed. Always follow up with a client a month or two after the deal is done and even a year after the sale. Let them know that you sincerely care about their purchase and thank them again for choosing you as an agent. It would also be of value to include a brief survey, seeking honest feedback about the overall client experience and your role in it.

This kind of gratitude and attention is not only good business, it also puts you back in the client’s mind - making them more likely to mention you in conversation or remember your name when prompted by a friend.

If you do get a referral from a past client, always thank them formally with a nice note and even a small gift like a dinner certificate for two, a bottle of wine, or a small painting for their home.

Incentives and Rewards

Some real estate agents set up formalized referral reward programs. They actively encourage referrals and offer their clients set rewards and incentives in exchange for them.

For example, one real estate agent offers $500 in Home Depot gift cards for any successful referrals that result in a sale. Another offers past clients a weekend stay at a popular local hotel. This proves to be a win-win scenario.

Simply Ask for Referrals

One of the easiest ways to obtain referrals from clients is to simply ask for them. If you’re a new agent, don’t be afraid to ask a client with whom you have a good relationship if they wouldn’t mind mentioning your business and services to a few friends.

When you and the client are on good standing and get along well, they’d probably be happy to help out a burgeoning business. It reinforces the need to provide clients first class service throughout the home buying process.

Collect Testimonials From Happy Clients

Create your own word-of-mouth referrals by asking past clients for testimonials about your ability, service, and follow through. Then, post these testimonials on your website or include quotes from them on your direct mail programs or newspaper display advertising.

Testimonials help build trust in your business and allow prospective clients to view you the way your other happy clients see you.

Finally, remember that word-of-mouth is a powerful force and can be even more effective when it becomes negative. Always make sure a client finishes a deal happy and try to work through any problems before the relationship is severed.

Some difficult business relationships simply cannot be appeased, but most can. Don’t let an unhappy client walk away without giving them your best effort.

For valuable information on real estate agents & brokers, please visit http://www.realtorsbrokers.com, a popular site providing helpful home recommendations including, Shorewest Realty, California home loan mortgage brokers, Austin real estate agents, and many more!

Exercise Your Dog With Games

The best exercise for your dog, both physically as well as mentally, could be the various games which you can play with it. The health of your dog could be determined by how active it is in mind and body. Playing games to improve your dog’s fitness is far better than to just take it for a walk or jog as it will lead to both the physical and mental well being of the dog. A few of the games which you can play with your furry friend to maintain its health are:

1. Frisbee: One of the best games, which you can play with your dog is Frisbee. This game involves complex movements and calculations which the mind of the dog has to perform so as to comprehend the trajectory of the disc to catch it. This will act as the mental exercise for the dog. Apart from this, the game also involves running and jumping which will give the dog the physical exercise it needs.

2. Hide and seek: Hide and seek is a great game, which you can play with your dog to enhance his sensing capabilities. By playing this game, the dog will learn to use his senses better so as to track you down. This enhancement of the senses will help the dog’s development.

3. Chase: This game involves you taking some object, which is of value to the dog and running, and the dog will chase you down. Try to outrun and try to run in varied patterns so that the dog has to use the mind and the body to catch you. The game is great for the health of both you and the dog as you will also end up getting some exercise. Similarly, you can reverse the role and let the dog run with something, which you have and you should chase the dog.

4. Fetch: The classic game of fetch involves you throwing an article like a stick or a ball and your dog will run to retrieve it back. In this the dog can get physically healthier and mentally more alert as well. To improve mental alertness of the dog you should sometimes just pretend that you throw the stick and see if the dog runs.

5. Wrestling: mild wrestling with your dog over stuff can increase his strength. But in this game care should be taken that the game doesn’t get out of control. Don’t overdo it or else either the dog or you will get hurt. Also playing this game a lot is not good as it could hamper the way the dog looks to you. It is better to play this game only occasionally.

These are just 5 out of the many commonly played games by dog owners with their furry friends. You can even develop your own personal game with your dog depending on its nature. It is very important the game which you play matches the behavior of your pet, so choose wisely and enjoy yourself.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Exercises For Your Injured Dog

A dog, which is injured, should not be made inactive, as it will adversely affect its health. Exercises for your dog are a must to keep it healthy and fit. Although, upon injury, the dog would probably be a little incapacitated to do various exercises, you can choose the regimen below for the proper exercises for your dog’s recovery.

Type of Injury

Identifying the type and area of the injury is essential to determine which exercise will best suit the dog. Generally, dogs get injured in the legs and hence cannot perform most exercises. Sometimes however, facial injuries or other parts can also get hurt. The dog can then perform a variety of other set of exercises.

Choosing the correct exercise

Depending on the type of injury or disorder, specific exercises should only be done by your dog.

1. Swimming

One of the best exercises for an injured or recovering dog is swimming. Swimming in water reduces the load that the dogs’ feet are exposed to. It is generally the legs of the dogs, which get injured and hence should be cared for the most. Swimming in warm water is a great exercise for an injured dog or one who has orthopedic and neurological injuries. The dog would feel like doing this exercise more since the pain associated with the load bearing on the joints is reduced.

The thing about swimming is that it targets a number of areas in the body for the dog to be healthy. Swimming improves the cardiovascular circulation, joint range of motion and strengthens muscles and ligaments of injured areas. Thus swimming is a great way to maintain, if not improve the health of an injured dog. However, swimming also means that there is exposure to water. If there are any flesh wounds to the dog, it is better to avoid swimming as exposing that to the water could result in infections. For such injuries it is important to let the skin heal prior to exercising or to look at other exercises which the dog can do.

2. Walking

Injured dogs can generally not walk and it is in fact advised to not walk the dogs for a particular period of time to allow the injuries to heal. However, once the healing period is over (which again depends on the type of injury), you must encourage your dog to regain its strength in the injured parts by walking gradually. In-door walking is preferred initially until the limping of the limbs is reduced.

Encouraging the dog to walk will help the muscles and ligaments to regain strength and is an important part of the recovery process for injured dogs. If the dog can is injured in a part of the body, which does not affect the way it walks, it is a very good exercise for it. In such cases, walking in all forms be it indoors or outdoors, is good for the dog. Care must be taken not to exhaust the dog as it is still recuperating from some other injury.

3. Running and Other Activities

Running and other strength and stamina activities such as hiking and playing games should be avoided until complete recovery of the injury has taken place. It is highly risky to make an injured dog run or play. However, once the dog can walk outdoors in a regular manner, slow trotting and small hikes should gradually be encouraged so that the muscles and joints strengthen more.

Keeping the type of injury that your dog has and the above-mentioned exercises, you must devise a good exercise regime for your dog so that it remains healthy and can recover faster.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

There’s No Secret To Mental Success

The art of sales is replete with plenty of lead-generation and marketing systems, websites and toll-free hotlines that promise to bring prospects knocking down your door. But is it possible that there’s another factor—one that we only give periodic lip service to— that might be the real missing key to top producing success?

Napoleon Hill made his mark in the early 1900’s with his landmark book, Think and Grow Rich. In fact, it’s no surprise that many, if not most, of America’s noted self-development gurus admit that Hill’s book opened doors (& minds) and served as the catalyst for massive and on-going success. Interestingly, numerous real estate coaches and top brokers and sales coaches and trainers from all industries will note the same claim to fame. What was it about Hill’s book that hit home for so many? He acknowledged the power of the mind: we get what we think about.

Not to insinuate that Hill’s ideas suggested we think nice thoughts and then sit around on our laurels waiting for prospects to drop from the sky. Indeed, action is the impetus of measurable results, but before anything—comes the power of thought. When Hill wrote his book, some of his ideas seemed a little bit beyond the ozone layer. However, something gave rise to his credibility. Since steel magnet Andrew Carnegie commissioned Hill to set about the 20-year task of interviewing the richest men in America—men who had last names like Firestone, Woolworth and Wrigley, not to mention Thomas Edison himself—credibility was difficult to challenge.

Fast forward 100 years or so and let’s consider how we can use that ageless wisdom and technique to find prospects and close transactions. While Hill’s verbiage included less explanation than what today’s quantum physics can define a bit better, the fact is that we get what we focus on. If you focus on a deal falling through, catching a cold or getting a flat tire, please don’t be surprised when the dreaded event occurs. In fact, with enough consistency, you can almost bank on it.

While so much press has been given to the movie, The Secret, that it’s surely not a secret anymore, many advocate viewers seem to miss the whole point, and others insist it’s because the whole point isn’t included in the film. In writing somewhere around seven books now (I only lose track because I’ve written hundreds in my mind!) I can tell you that my very first book, Girl Gets World, from 2000, focused on the law of attraction and every book thereafter (with the exception of one real estate book that was more pragmatic). That said, hundreds, no, make that thousands of authors, speakers, trainers and gurus alike have been major proponents and teachers of “the secret.” So why all of a sudden did America seem to wake up and run to the video store?

My guess is that it was simple and “dumbed” down in a way that everyone could “get it.” You see a beautiful diamond necklace, you imagine yourself wearing it, and presto! You wake up and it’s on your neck. So no, it’s not that easy as most of us have figured out. However, and this is what’s important, the idea of “the secret” has gotten more people interested than ever before into understanding a bit about the law of attraction and how it can improve (and sometimes save) lives. And, I suspect if Napoleon Hill had created a Technicolor movie replete with catchy sound bites from Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison, well, Mr. Hill might just have won an Academy Award.

There are no tricks or patentable “methods” for using the law of attraction. In fact, it works with or without your buy in, effort or attention. Like gravity, but more difficult isolate and prove. It’s there, though, trust me. So, we all—especially those of us in sales!—would do well to explore the not-so-secret-secret should we wish to excel beyond all rhyme and reason.

The trick is to use this technique to create a healthy business. To constantly keep your mind as focused as possible on the results you do want as opposed to worrying about those you do not want. Unfortunately, we live in a time when negative focus is the order of the day. Just think about it. People are always talking about how the economy is bad and things could get worse; that kind of focus is creating more of the same even if we don’t mean for it to transpire that way. Fortunately, some—not most, but some—salespeople are aware that success in sales starts with the mental aspect; your mind-set. Even top producers in any industry who have never read about or understood the power of their thoughts are using those positive thoughts to create more sales.

Why not take a chance and try embracing the practice of positive thought and expectation? See the preferred end-result in everything you do, every action you plan on taking. Then take that action, keeping your mind constantly and powerfully focused on the excellent outcome you want to occur. Watchdog worrisome, negative thoughts and fears and replace them with determined, desired results. It might be worth the effort…what do you think?

I love to hear success stories to include in my articles and books, so feel free to pass yours my way!

Tamara Dorris, MA is a sales coach, hypnotist, professor and author. Order a free report on six strategies all top producers employ, regardless of industry. http://www.wealthyrealestateagent.com.

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