take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls,

Do you give up easily? Do you decide to take the easy way out? When the others run off to the bar for early refreshments on a Friday afternoon, are you with them? Or, are you the type that makes phone calls right up to the end of the day just before the weekend, hoping to catch a decision maker sitting at their desk. If you are the type that leaves work early, takes the easy way out or gives up then perhaps you need a lesson in persistence.

I once attended a business session put on by a training company from Toronto and I learned a very valuable lesson that I have taken into my business and into every sales call. Never give up and never quit. This was even shown on an episode of my favorite television program “The Apprentice” when one of the candidates walked off the show. What was her name again? No one remembers quitters!

Back to the lesson I learned from Ross McBride that day in Calgary. We were discussing sales and the characters of sales people. The lesson I picked up that day was that most sales occur between the sixth and tenth touch and that one percent of the original sales people are still in the game. This was a great lesson on persistence. What happened to the other 99%. They simply gave up or move on to simpler sales perhaps.

Persistence is a character trait that all entrepreneurs need to have in their toolbox. If having persistence is not a skill that comes naturally to you, you need to learn it. If you want something you need to go after it. Success comes from those who are persistent.

When you are persistent in your goals and knowing what you want to achieve, you are more focused on where you want to go and the path you need to take to get there. Distractions and noise in your world do not steal away your attention. When you are completely focused on where you are going you also take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls, m

ed a business session put on by a training company from Toronto and I learned a very valuable lesson that I have taken into my business and into every sales call. Never give up and never quit. This was even shown on an episode of my favorite television program “The Apprentice” when one of the candidates walked off the show. What was her name again? No one remembers quitters!

Back to the lesson I learned from Ross McBride that day in Calgary. We were discussing sales and the characters of sales people. The lesson I picked up that day was that most sales occur between the sixth and tenth touch and that one percent of the original sales people are still in the game. This was a great lesson on persistence. What happened to the other 99%. They simply gave up or move on to simpler sales perhaps.

Persistence is a character trait that all entrepreneurs need to have in their toolbox. If having persistence is not a skill that comes naturally to you, you need to learn it. If you want something you need to go after it. Success comes from those who are persistent.

When you are persistent in your goals and knowing what you want to achieve, you are more focused on where you want to go and the path you need to take to get there. Distractions and noise in your world do not steal away your attention. When you are completely focused on where you are going you also take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls,

scussing sales and the characters of sales people. The lesson I picked up that day was that most sales occur between the sixth and tenth touch and that one percent of the original sales people are still in the game. This was a great lesson on persistence. What happened to the other 99%. They simply gave up or move on to simpler sales perhaps.

Persistence is a character trait that all entrepreneurs need to have in their toolbox. If having persistence is not a skill that comes naturally to you, you need to learn it. If you want something you need to go after it. Success comes from those who are persistent.

When you are persistent in your goals and knowing what you want to achieve, you are more focused on where you want to go and the path you need to take to get there. Distractions and noise in your world do not steal away your attention. When you are completely focused on where you are going you also take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls,

not a skill that comes naturally to you, you need to learn it. If you want something you need to go after it. Success comes from those who are persistent.

When you are persistent in your goals and knowing what you want to achieve, you are more focused on where you want to go and the path you need to take to get there. Distractions and noise in your world do not steal away your attention. When you are completely focused on where you are going you also take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls,

take the time to do the little things that make a difference, those critical touch points that separate you from the crowd.

Persistence in business has huge pay-offs. Let’s look at the example earlier on about taking off to go out for refreshments early on a Friday afternoon instead of catching up on those loose critical ends to your business. When you are persistent in your business dealings, you will be driven to stay and follow up on your phone calls, make a few cold calls, put together a marketing campaign or finish that important proposal. All of these activities can result in a sale or service which, if you left the office early, may have gone to your competition. It is critically important to stick it out to the end; you never know what will happen, if you leave before the end of the day you may miss out and someone with persistence in their day-to-day business gets this win. The funny thing is-- you may or may not even know that this was the deciding factor for that deal.

Also if you are an entrepreneur that turns off your cell phone or blackberry at the end of the day, perhaps you need to look at a career change and go back to working for someone that allows you the freedom to disconnect. Business owners should never disconnect. Your livelihood depends on it.