Its easy to feel helpless in the wake of such tragedy... but there are ways to help.

With Hurricane Harvey and vast flooding dominating the news, its easy to feel helpless in the wake of such personal tragedy. In this technology-driven world, were witnessing breaking news; reading, seeing and hearing first-hand how these disasters personally impact individuals and communities. Who can forget the faces of the heroes, carrying children through the flooded streets or rescuing the elderly and those trapped in flooded homes and apartments? Those interviewed after losing their loved ones, homes, schools and places of employment break our hearts.

Weve witnessed acts of courage, heroism and extensions of human kindness, but with such disaster, its hard to know what to say and do. Here are some ideas and thoughts on how to lend support following a natural disaster:

1. Empathy goes a long way in responding to such a catastrophe and Zig Ziglar said it best: You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life. When you interact with survivors, volunteers, or anyone impacted by the disaster, acknowledge the loss and share your sadness. People feel comforted knowing you care.

2. Offer safe shelter. If you have room and know someone who has lost their home and has no place to go, sharing your space is a blessing. As reported on national news, a family whose home was intact invited strangers from a shelter to share their home. There are heartwarming stories of neighbors taking in neighbors and friends finding refuge with other friends.For more informationon how you can open your home to those in need or how to help someone find emergency accommodations.

3. Towels and clean clothing are in demand (but confirm before sending) as well as baby diapers and wipes. So many survivors left their homes with nothing but the clothing on their backs. There will be a long-term need for comfortable clothing and sundry items. Watch the news programs and the media to see what else will be needed in the coming days.The Houston Chroniclehas an extensive and vetted list of Texas and national organizations that will provide necessities and could use all types of donations.The New York Timeshas a vetted list as well.

4. Communicate your availability. There is a tremendous need for volunteers within these hard-hit communities. The Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group has avolunteer registration by skills.National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disastershas an extensive list with links to their national members who need volunteers and donations.

5. One of the most expedient ways to help is by making a donation, but be wary of scams. The FTC has published Advice forHelping Hurricane Harvey Victimswhere youll find suggestions on Wise Giving After the Storm. If you are looking to help someone through recovery there is a section For Picking up the Pieces. Its safe to choose well-known national disaster relief organizations or use those recommended and listed on the websites of national news organizations or your local newspaper.

6. What can you do on a more personal level? If you are interacting with survivors, listen; allow them to cry or talk. Sharing their story, often over and over again, is a way for them to begin to make sense of what has happened as well as working through the healing process. If a survivor asks you for specific help, do your best to fulfill their wishes.

7. Dont forget the children; theyll need extra help in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.Tragic Times, Healing Wordswas originally prepared by Sesame Street Research for 9/11, but it offers relevant suggestions and guidelines for parents and caregivers on how to help children after a crisis.

Robbie Miller Kaplan is an author who writes from a unique perspective as a mother who has lost two children. She has writtenHow to Say It When You Don't Know What to Say, a guide to help readers communicate effectively when those they care about experience loss, now available as e-books for "Illness & Death," "Suicide," "Miscarriage," "Death of a Child," "Death of a Stillborn or Newborn Baby," "Pet Loss," "Caregiver Responsibilities," "Divorce"and "Job Loss." All titles are inAmazon's Kindle Store

Read more:
How to Help During a Natural Disaster - Legacy.com (blog)

Consider the postage stamp. The postage stamp knows it has only one job to do and it does it well. It does not try to accomplish any other goal except for the one that was assigned to it. It has laser focus. It will not sleep until it finishes its one job. What about you?

It has been said that in life, you get what you focus on. This rule applies to every endeavor in your life whether its starting a business, getting a raise, or wanting to get married, where your attention goes, energy flows. What you focus on expands.

Because ultimately, your focus drives everything you do. It drives your thoughts, which leads to your feelings and emotions which determine how you will live your life.

If you focus on negative things, you are unwittingly inviting negativity into your life. You will find that when you focus on the negative things in your life, more negative things will occur so you can focus on them. Thats how it works. You get in life what you focus on. If you focus on pain, more painful things will happen so you can continue to focus on it.

But, thank goodness, the opposite is also true. If you focus on the positive things in life, you will find more positive things happening to you.

So below are three practical things you can do to focus on what you really want out of life and how to get what you want in the next 100 days.

One of my favorite motivational speakers was the late Zig Ziglar. When it came to the topic of goals, he flat out sold you on the concept. He asked are you a meaningful specific or a wandering generality? In other words, do you have a definite, specific clear plan of action for your life and career or are you just along for the ride, wandering through life?

The next thing Zig advised was to ink your goal with pen and paper. A goal that is not written is just a dream one you will never attain.

Did you know that the act of writing actually sharpens your thinking and stimulates your creativity? When you write, you can only focus on one thing at a time. This forces you to spend that time on your goal. Remember, whatever you focus on you feel and what you feel you act on. Below are three creative ways to get your life back on track and finally attain what you really want out of life.

1. I want you to go to the store and buy three boards. Two of the boards will be large and the other medium-sized. Place one board in your office, one in your home and the medium-sized one in your car the three places where you spend the most time. On these boards, I want you to cut out pictures that represent the three most important goals you want to accomplish this year.

Every morning when you wake up, you will see a visual picture of the goals you wish to accomplish. When you drive to work, you will see the same three pictures and when you get to work you will see the same three pictures again. All this reinforcement will help your mind find ways to make what you want become a reality.

New York Times Best-Selling Author Brendon Burchard says, Major challenges, major frustrations and major problems in our lives, demand multiple areas of attack. Its like when you go to war, you send in the planes, the ground troops and people from the flank and the front. You go at it from all sides trying to win.

So if you have a major challenge, problem or struggle in your life, or some goal you desperately want to reach, you need to attack from all sides.

2. Use your phone to alert you of goals at least 3 times a day. A lot of people under utilize this great feature on their iPhones. Right now, I want you to your Clock then hit Alarm then add your alarm time. Then under Label write out your goal the same one you have a picture of on your board. Press Save. Repeat this step three times for each of your goals. So from now on, every day at that time, youll be reminded to accomplish your goals. This is how you attack from all sides. You have the vision board, you have the alarm and now lets move on to tip number three. This will keep you focused on what you want to accomplish.

3. The purpose of any goal I believe is to create freedom in some area of your life. Who of us wouldnt love to pursue everything we want with no restraints. But sadly, most of us are constrained by our jobs, our finances or both. Entrepreneur on Fire host John Lee Dumas has come up with a way to accomplish everything you want in the next 100 days with his Freedom Journal. The journal will guide you over the next 100 days to set a plan of action, to focus, to review, accomplish, identify and execute your goals. This is a built-in accountability partner. Most entrepreneurs dont succeed because they are not accountable to anyone. This journal is your accountability buddy. So stop procrastinating and start living the life you were meant to live.

And there you have it. If you want to go deeper with me on this subject, sign up for my Free Academy training. You can find an invitation on page two of my book, How a Postage Stamp Saved My Life.

Visit link:
How to Stay Focused...The Postage Stamp Method - HuffPost

Written by Jeffrey L Moore

A fews weeks ago, I was able to spend some time interviewing Edwin Britt, the President of Sales for Zig Ziglar International. Edwin has an endless knowledge base about sales, closing deals and building rapport. Hes made sales presentations to some of the biggest brands in the world, like; Coca Cola, Miller Brewing, The Walt Disney Company, Tommy Hilfiger and NAPA Auto Parts. Hes also represented product lines for Michael Jordan, NASCAR and the National Football League.

In this interview Edwin makes clear that were all in the business of selling. Whether youre selling products or points of view; getting people to see that their is a different way to do things is what selling is all about!

How to build trust and sell more in 2017

Jeff: In 2017, in a world where everyones attention is in such high demand, how can we sell our products and ideas better?

Edwin: Well Jeff, in my 30+ years of selling Ive learned that it takes a high level of preparation and planning. We often get in trouble when we try to push too fast to the end result. There is no substitute for slowing down and investing, not taking. Invest the time to plan and prepare.

Jeff: Walk us through what you mean by planning.

Edwin: Planing has many different parts. It can be reading and research. Its also physical and even spiritual preparation in advance of the activity. If you want to sell more in 2017, develop a process where you are creating the discipline needed, so you are prepared to meet the needs of your potential client.

Zig Ziglar, who Ive been a student of for 30 years, and had the pleasure of knowing him personally taught me these keys:

For me, the daily window from 5:30am to 7am is a combination of physical and mental preparation. Not only for my workday but also for my overall physical being and personal life.

Specific preparation applies to your day-to-day selling practices. Those who accomplish the most in this world are avid readers of information. He or she who has the most information has the most influence. So equipping your mind with information is going to make you an innovative, cutting edge, stand-out. Differentiating yourself from the competition is extremely important.

Next is deciding:

Jeff: What does it mean to sell?

Selling is what you do with someone, not to someone. Selling is an ongoing process, and you keep the process going by gathering information from the people you are speaking and meeting with.

Jeff: Edwin, the power of information keeps coming up. What role does being a student play?

Edwin: That is absolutely correct. For me it has been a thirty-year journey of learning.

Again Ill reference Mr. Zig Ziglar. When he was at a convention, he would be sitting in the front row taking notes. And were talking about a person who influenced a quarter of a billion people around the world. He never stopped learning. So yes, you have to commit yourself to be an ongoing student. Being a student helps us grow and their are four stages of growth. You want to continue evolving and never be content or think that youve arrived. Its absolutely a process and its absolutely ongoing. Its a proactive approach.

Jeff: What are the the four stages of growth?

Edwin: You know, weve all been in a point where we are unconsciously incompetent. In beginning almost any endeavor, we can become overwhelmed and lost. That can be sort of a slippery slope where people tend give up too quickly.

But what also happens is that people start recognizing that with success and with accomplishment, comes some pain and some frustration along the way. They will have to fight through that, and at some point you become consciously incompetent. In that particular stage, you are not very good at something and you know it. You might be prospecting and you might face rejections. You might quickly go to the price before you establish value. People often stop doing things that they are not good at. When we do that, what we need to do piles up.

Now, rather than solving problems you are putting pressure on yourself.

The third area is being consciously competent. Thats where a lot of people who have been selling a good number of years are. Theyre pretty good at what they do and they know it. In fact, a lot of the best leaders and sales managers are consciously competent.

Theyre very relatable; they can feel people move from one state to another. The ultimate example is ten thousand hours of practice and years and years of little failures and successes. Youll hear a lot of people say wow, they makes it look easy, but the reality is, its not easy. And, what that individual has done is a lot of preparation, trial and error, and stayed committed. They make it appear easy. This is when youre unconsciously competent.

Jeff: Edwin, youve spoken to some of the biggest organizations and brands in the world. For example, Coca-Cola, Miller Brewery, Walt Disney, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Jordan, NASCAR, and the NFL. As youre talking to these Fortune 500 firms and these C-Suite Executives, people who are already incredibly successful, what are a few things you tell them that help them take their selling and their overall success to the next level?

Edwin: Jeff, I appreciate your level of research. Thank you for those kind words and I always want to make sure that theyre always asking meaningful, specific questions. In other words, theyre not a wondering generality. They have a process that creates alignment between themselves and those that theyre talking to. They understand their key fundamentals.

Michael Jordan was a phenomenal basketball player as we all know, yet he was a master of the fundamentals of basketball, in addition to having unbelievable natural ability and talent.

I want to make sure that I can bring some very standard fundamentals.

So often, peoples process is personality-driven. In reality, they need to have a process that is client-centered. A means of uncovering need by meaningful, specific dialogue. A process that creates trust.

Jeff: What are few things people can do so that they gain trust?

Edwin: First of all, we recognize that we solves problems, and not just sell products. We are problem-solvers and need to speak in terms of solving problems. Solutions.

Second, recognizing that people dont make decisions based on your reasons; they make decisions based on their reasons. And, their reasons are driven by their feelings, their motives and their beliefs. Find out what their reasons are.

When you have a process that brings the need for a specific dialogue, it allows people to ultimately share with you what their motives, their feelings and what their beliefs are.

I always ask, What would you like to accomplish and then Im quiet.

People will begin sharing, and at that point I know a little bit more about the person and/or organization. As they begin sharing more, you will see a natural sequence. Its a very organic conversation that appears to be almost off the cuff, but its very structured in my mind. Next, I ask:

Jeff: Edwin, how would you define Everyday Power?

Edwin: I think Everyday Power is when we stop listening to the negativity of the world and we start talking the truth to ourselves. It comes with a positive and healthy self-esteem. You got to put the good in and you will get good out. There is so much negativity in the world and the world tries to tell us the things we cant do and why we cant do them.

For me, I tell myself I, was born to win. Today, Im going to do my best with an attitude of gratitude.

Stop listening to the negativity and start talking to yourself in a meaningful, specific, truthful way because you are born to win. You are designed for accomplishment, you are engineered for success and you are endowed with the seeds of greatness.

For more more on Edwin Britt, check him out at Zig Ziglar International and on LinkedIN.

See the article here:
How to Sell More and Build Trust Faster in 2017: Interview With Edwin Britt - Longview News-Journal

Confidence is more important than competence.

That's what the entrepreneur on stage said at an event I attended recently. People were shocked, but lots of heads were nodding, including mine. I couldnt help but agree. Because the benefits of confidence truly are unlimited.

Why? Because confidence spurs action. It fuels decision-making. It gets you up off the couch and out into the world. Competence is wonderful, but it wont do any of those things for you. And heyif you can have both, youre unstoppable.

After years working as a confidence coach, heres what I know for sure about being self-assured:

Confidence is something you decide to have. Need help? Ive got you. I officially give you permission right here, right now, to be the most confident person you know! (You're welcome.)

The most successful, happy people are not born the most wealthy, beautiful, or talented. They just believe in themselves, and they go for what they want. But they built their self-belief firstand on purpose. Im sure as hell one of those people, and I became one consciously and willingly. Whats the alternative? Uh, no, thank you.

Zig Ziglar said, Showering doesnt last; thats why you do it daily. I consume inspirational material every damn day. If I miss a day, I notice itI can feel it in my physical and emotional energy. I listen to podcasts. I read books and motivational blogs. External inspiration feeds internal inspiration. I dont know how anyone lives without it.

Its way too easy to forget how far you've come and what you've done well in your life. In his best-selling book The Success Principles, author Jack Canfield discusses how transforming your opinion of yourself begins with a reflection on your wins.

Heres how:

In coaching, we learn about the confidence-competence loop. This means that when you take action and you prove you can do something, however small, you feel more confident taking the next step. This, in turn, makes you more competent. Its a gorgeous cycle!

Follow this link:
I Help People Build Confidence for a LivingHere's What I Know for Sure About My Own - Greatist

Column by Michael Norton

"It's not where you start, it is where you finish that counts." - Zig Ziglar

"Begin with the end in mind." - Dr. Stephen Covey

These have been two of my own personal "Go To" quotes for many years. These were quick hitting powerful reminders that helped me shape my goals and to define success of the opportunities and projects I was involved in at the time. Basically, knowing what success looks like before we even begin.

As I have been speaking with different groups of people and individuals recently, it has become increasingly apparent that too many of us do not even know or understand what success looks like in the future or what they are hoping to accomplish in the near term, let alone down the road.

Now before the Ziglar and Covey fans reading this column shout heresy, you should remember that one of Mr. Ziglar's other quotes is this, "People who never take step one, can never take step two." At first glance, these quotes may seem to contradict one another, but they really do not. The truth is that they complement each other quite nicely.

Let's think about this for a minute. It is awesome to have a vision for the future, I highly encourage it. What I am hearing from some of you is that the world is changing so much and with such frequency that it is hard to think about goals and future plans. As difficult as it is for some of us, this may still be short-sighted thinking. Maybe we can agree that it is important to have all; short-term goals, mid-range goals, and long-term goals. Before we can set any of our goals, long or short, we do at least have to know what we hope to accomplish at any level. The excuse or cop-out is thinking that it's OK to justify, explain, or defend the position of, "I don't know what it is that I want to be or do in this life."

So now we go full circle, do we start with the end in mind or do we begin with the beginning in mind? You may already have your own system for this, but if you don't I would suggest looking at all three types of goals and write down only one thing in each area. Simply fill in the blank: My one short-term goal is ______. My one mid-range goal is ______. My one long-term goal is _______. Really, do not overcomplicate this, just think of one thing for each level of your goals. And if we want to get even more specific, my immediate goal is _______.

It is a pity if we are lost or get lost in the blur of a fuzzy future because we may never take step one. All we need is one little thought that we can build upon. Just a seed of an idea that motivates us enough to take only the first step. And when we do, steps two, three, four, and more will follow.

So how about you? Do you know how to get started and are already well on your way to achieving your hopes and dreams? Or are you in the place where you need to start with that first step? Either way I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can begin with the beginning in mind, it really will be a better than good day.

Michael Norton is a resident of Castle Rock, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, a strategic consultant and a business and personal coach.

Here is the original post:
To get a smart start, begin with the beginning in mind - Englewood Herald

Many Jews regard attending High Holy Day services as the obligatory minimum act they must perform in order to be considered as Jews in good standing. This station identification is seen as the price one must pay for being born Jewish. They figure it is worth a few hours of tedium and perhaps enduring a pitch for money to do one's duty, in the same way we eat healthy food before dessert because our parents told us we should do so, and we would feel terribly guilty if we didn't.

However, the High Holy Days could be so much more, and could even be transformational if approached differently. As a child, I was blessed with a father whose spell-binding homilies, jokes and inspiration led me to look forward to the Days of Awe as a most portentous time, rippling with possibilities for change. My father reminded us that "The greatest of all miracles is that we need not be tomorrow who we are today and can improve if we make use of the potentials implanted in us by God."

As my dad was fond of puns, he would hopefully forgive me for saying that the practice of sacrificing animals is a lot of bull, and always got my goat. The only "ewe" we need to sacrifice to renew our lives is the "ewe" we are today for the new "you" we could become if we lived up to our highest potential, the hopes and dreams of our parents, and the exalted vision of our prophets. We sacrifice this "you" on the altar (alter) of change as we ascend the aisle (in hopes that I'll ascend to a higher level).

Unfortunately, many Jews today fail to take advantage of this annual opportunity for self-improvement, and try to feel renewed by taking a trip to some exotic place. However, the greatest voyage of all is not to see new lands, but to see with new eyes. The word "vacation" literally means to empty out, and it is only when we can declutter or empty out our minds of trivial and negative thoughts, that more positive images can take root and true change can occur. That is why we often wear white on the High Holy Days and engage in soul searching and candid reflection. By honestly reviewing our lives, and examining what works and what doesn't work, rather than just going through the motions of mere existence, we can go through the thrilling emotions involved with the exciting challenge of charting our own destiny.

The great abolitionist Frederick Douglas understood the true purpose of the Days of Awe when he said "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." Each of us is unique and filled with unrealized potential. It is up to us to rid ourselves of the self-imposed slavery to bad habits that keep us chained to the past, and to liberate ourselves from merely trying to please others, so that we can achieve our true destiny.

This challenge of self-reflection and change often seems daunting. One skeptic told motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, "I don't believe in motivation, it never lasts" to which Mr. Ziglar responded, "Neither does bathing, that's why I recommend it daily." In Judaism we seek inspiration weekly, on Shabbat and on all other days that end with the letter "y." Our sages taught us to begin preparing for the Days of Awe in the month of Elul, which precedes Rosh Hashanah, just as an athlete is trained to begin to practice and warm-up long before the big match, in order to do his best. If we begin to review our lives now, we can hit the ground running on the Days of Awe, to maximize our ability to tap into the transcendent power of these sacred days.

With the legalization of marijuana, the High Holy Days takes on new meaning for some. However, motivated Jews need no outside substance to effectuate significant internal change to renew our lives, bring joy to others, and to improve the world.

L'shanah tovah.

Silver is spiritual leader of Congregation L'Dor Va-Dor in Boynton Beach.

Go here to read the rest:
Silver: Seeking re'Jew'venation on the High Holy Days - Sun Sentinel

Finding new lead generation strategies is a necessary evil to keep up with the ever-evolving online marketing space. The key challenge is knowing how to go about it in ways which will deliver the best returns.

Quality leads are the life force of any B2B company, but designing new methods to increase leads can be a huge challenge.

Adding to this, most businesses recognise that they now operate in an era of multichannel, multimedia, multi-device, always-on connectivity that has dramaticallyand perhaps irreversibly swung the dynamic of power into the hands of buyers.

This digitally inspired chaos has spawned a customer class capable of conducting most of its buying journey behind the scenes. Today, buyers can surreptitiously flit from one informational outpost to another, gradually building up a purchasing opinion.

Fortunately however, the same technologies powering the journey of these buyers are also generating a wealth of data through which innovative companies can identify, track and assess buyer behaviour, and ultimately use that data to influence their journeys.

So while finding new lead generation strategies is a necessary evil in order for businesses to keep up with the ever-evolving online marketing space, with the surge of data-driven marketing, the explosion of B2B e-commerce and a growing focus on automation, the future has never looked brighter. In fact, by just 2020, the total B2B sales market is forecast to hit $25 trillion.

Here are some of the best ideas for generating more leads in the new financial year using data-driven marketing:

Quite often, a prospect who hits all of our demographic marks is, from a sales perspective, actually a dead end. Even though they looked picture-perfect on paper, they simply arent looking for a solution like ours.

Thats assuming all we have is demographic data. If our knowledge is limited to the prospects industry and job title, anyone can look like the perfect fit.

If we grow our view to include behavioural data, however, the picture is very different, because the way in which prospects engage with our content tells us how interested they actually are.

By shifting from a limited focus on demographic data to a blend of both demographic and behavioural data, we can then deliver leads that are less expensive to chase and far more likely to end in a sale.

Unfortunately, most marketing campaigns only deliver demographic data, usually through a download or registration form. While this data is valuable, it takes multiple touches before we can even begin to build a behavioural prole on that contact.

The new fiscal year is the time to invest your efforts and resources into making your lead-scoring behavioural.

As Zig Ziglar once said, Help enough people get what they want and you will get what you want. In other words, your success ultimately rides on the value that you can deliver to others.

At each stage of the sales funnel, prospects are evaluating you based on the value you can potentially bring to them, so make sure that what your offering addresses this.

Essentially, buyers take action for two reasons: 1) to achieve an aspiration or 2) to alleviate some pain or problem. And a relevant offer doesnt feel pushy, because its not. If its useful, the prospect will welcome it.

A good offer strategy involves knowing what stage of the buying cycle they are in, and the common questions they are trying to ask at each stage:

So if someone is in the Consideration stage, give them the in-depth education theyre searching for with a case study or best practice guide. Theyre past the need for a how-to blog post, but theyre not quite ready for a free trial.

Always deliver content that meets the prospects needs, at the appropriate time. Offering the wrong piece of content, or not having an offer strategy at all, can do great harm to your marketing and sales efforts.

In the past, sales and marketing have acted more like opposing teams in a turf war than partners working together to achieve a shared goal. Innovative companies, however, have realised this model is out-of-date, and are now changing their structure to better align the teams.

Marketing should no longer be supplying a simple list of form fills to sales, but rather should be applying a lead intelligence program that equips them to identify actual marketing-qualified leads that are genuinely ready to engage with sales.

Integration of these two teams will be crucial to company success, as they will be better equipped to tag team and deal close, instead of functioning in silos.

Aligning the two functions will mean a better understanding of the customer buying journey, aligning incentives for both teams to ensure bottom line accountability, and leading with a clear and united focus that nurtures a culture of organisation-wide partnership and co-operation between the two teams.

Michael Savanis is vice president and managing director for global digital marketing organisation ON24.

Link:
Lead generation strategies key to boosting sales - My Business

Buy the rumor and sell the news doesn't always work out so well.

Investors who followed the old adage with Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) recently learned that lesson the hard way. Shares of the clinical-stage biotech surged after the company announced that it would provide a clinical update for its RSV F vaccine. Many clearly thought that Novavax would deliver some good news for its beleaguered program.

When the update actually happened, though, it was a different story for the stock. Shares gave up all the gains and then some as investors realized the news for the RSV F vaccine didn't justify the previous bounce. With the latest round of drama over, what's the best course of action?

Image source: Getty Images.

Prior to Novavax's update on July 24, I wrote that investors probably should brace themselves for bad news.I don't pretend to be in possession of any psychic skills in making that recommendation. It was simply pragmatism. I quoted the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, who once stated: "Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes."

Investors who placed big bets on tremendous news for the RSV F vaccine were disappointed. However, those who hoped for good news but were prepared for it to be really bad were in much better shape.The most important advice from Zig Ziglar's statement lies at the heart of what I think is the best reason to buy Novavax stock now: Capitalize on the sell-off from those who were counting on game-changing good news. Pardon the pun, but it could make sense to zig when others zag.

Sure, the story from Novavax didn't generate excitement. Still, though, the news wasn't really bad. The company's phase 2 study evaluating safety and immunogenicity of the RSV F vaccine in older adults was encouraging. Novavax now plans to initiate another phase 2 study in older adults focusing on efficacy next year. Its phase 3 study evaluating the vaccine in infants via maternal immunization appears to be progressing well.

It comes down to your time horizon. If you have a long-term perspective, buying Novavax stock after the recent plunge could make sense. There was no news that should make anyone have a more negative opinion of the RSV F vaccine. The market opportunity if the vaccine ultimately proves to be successful is still huge.

What if you don't have a long-term perspective? Your best bet is probably to stay away from Novavax for now. There are two main reasons why.

First, the biotech doesn't have any major catalysts coming up soon to drive the stock higher. The phase 2 efficacy trial in older adults won't even start until next year. There will be what Novavax refers to as an "informational analysis" of its phase 3 study of the RSV F vaccine in infants via maternal immunization, but it won't happen until near the end of 2017. An interim analysis isn't scheduled until sometime in mid-2018.

Second, Novavax continues to lose money and deplete its cash stockpile. The company reported cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling $211.2 million at the end of March. That amount could be around $40 million to $50 million lower when Novavax announces its second-quarter results. Although the biotech should be able to fund operations into the first half of 2018, another stock offering is probably in the cards in the not-too-distant future. That would mean more dilution for current shareholders.

There is another alternative for investors who are somewhat bullish on the prospects for Novavax and its RSV F vaccine but want to reduce their risk exposure. You could buy call options.

If you take this route, probably the best approach would be to go with options with expiration dates well into the future. As already mentioned, there aren't obvious big catalysts coming soon enough to make short-term options worthwhile.

With longer-dated options, though, the informational analysis of the phase 3 study in infants could potentially drive Novavax stock (and options) higher. The interim analysis next year could provide a big boost. There's also always the possibility that Novavax forges a licensing deal with a bigger company or even gets bought out. And if none of this happens, the relatively low price of the option means you won't risk losing nearly as much as you would if you had bought the stock outright.

Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Here is the original post:
The Single Best Reason to Buy Novavax Stock Now - Motley Fool

Zig Ziglar

Ziglar in March 2009

Suzan Ziglar Witmeyer (died 1995)Tom ZiglarCindy Ziglar OatesJulie Ziglar Norman

Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar (November 6, 1926 November 28, 2012) was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.

"Zig" Ziglar was born in Coffee County in southeastern Alabama, to John Silas Ziglar and Lila Wescott Ziglar.[1] He was the tenth of 12 children.[2]

In 1931, when Ziglar was five years old, his father took a management position at a Mississippi farm, and his family moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he spent most of his early childhood. The next year, his father died of a stroke, and his younger sister died two days later.

He was in the Navy V-12 Navy College Training Program and attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.[citation needed]

Ziglar later worked as a salesman in a succession of companies. In 1968, he became a vice president and training director for the Automotive Performance company and moved to Dallas, Texas.

In 2007, a fall down a flight of stairs left him with short-term memory problems. Nonetheless, by 2010, Ziglar still traveled around taking part in motivational seminars.[citation needed]

Ziglar met his wife, Jean, in 1944, in Jackson, Mississippi. He was 17 and she was 16; they married in late 1946.[3] They had four children: Suzan, Tom, Cindy, and Julie.

Ziglar, a Baptist, integrated Christianity into his motivational work. He was also a Republican who endorsed the former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee for his party's presidential nomination in 2008.[4]

On November 28, 2012, Ziglar died from pneumonia at a hospital in Plano, Texas.[5]

Continue reading here:
Zig Ziglar - Wikipedia

Alfred Lord Tennyson once said, The height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companion slept were toiling upward in night. The meteoric rise of Bezos on the Forbes rating was never sudden as he rose to the top as a result of some life principles blended in healthy proportion and linked together with a tenacious grit. There are some idiosyncratic approaches to business that can be gleaned from the man who built what is today known as the Everything Store.

There are 14 critical points that I will really like to underline to help entrepreneurs and start-ups reach the zenith of their pursuit in life. Here are some of the strategies Bezos used in building his Amazon Empire:

SEEING AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES: True riches are not measured in money but rather in opportunities seized. A sure way to miss success is to miss opportunity! It is an un-debatable truth that people get ahead in life through the opportunity they seize. Great leaders are not necessarily the first to see opportunities but they are the first to seize opportunities. Jackson Brown said, Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity. Our life is defined by opportunities, including the ones we miss. In 1994, Bezos read that the web had grown 2,300% in one year. This number astounded him, and he decided he needed to find some way to take advantage of its rapid growth. He made a list of 20 possible products to sell online and decided books were the best option. Since 1994, the web has grown exponentially and so is Jeff Bezos wealth. The ability to see opportunities when others are seeing only problems is the essential thing that distinguishes successful people from others.

YOUR DREAM MUST BE A PRIORITY, NOT YOUR SALARY: Farrah Gray said, Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. The only thing that is valid in life is your dream, not your job or salary. After graduation in 1986 from Princeton University, Jeff Bezos found work at several firms on Wall Street, including Fitel, Bankers Trust and the investment firm D.E. Shaw. It was there he met his wife, Mackenzie, and became the companys youngest vice president in 1990. While his career in finance was extremely lucrative, Bezos chose to make a risky move into the nascent world of e-commerce to follow his dream. He quit his highly lucrative job in 1994, moved to Seattle and targeted the untapped potential of the Internet market by opening an online bookstore-Amazon was born! Eleanor Roosevelt once said, The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

START SMALL; GROW BIG: The greatest tragedy of life is to do nothing just because you think you can only do little. Learning to start small is the secret of greatness. Edmund Burke captured this succinctly when he said, Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. Bezos started Amazon.com in a garage with a potbelly stove. He held most of his meetings at the neighborhood Barnes & Noble. We are permitted to start small but we must never remain small.

GET A MENTOR: Zig Ziglar said, A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could. In order to get farther in life, we must get a father! Sir Isaac Newton said, If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. Jeff Bezos was a demanding boss and could explode at employees. Rumour has it he hired a leadership coach to help him tone it down. Mentors help us manage our weaknesses and magnify our strength. Costly and damaging mistakes can be avoided when we allow ourselves to be mentored by people that are more matured and experienced in our fields of endeavour.

INVEST, INVEST AND INVEST!: The truly rich people invest their money. The easiest way to make more money is not to work for money but to let your money work for you. You become financially free when you no longer have to work for money because money is working for you. In 1998, Bezos became an early investor in Google. He invested $250,000, which was worth about 3.3 million shares when the company went public in 2004. Those would be worth about $2.2 billion today! In August 2013, Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. He also invested in space projects and his space company Blue Origin made history last year when it became one of the first commercial companies to successfully launch a reusable rocket.

TAKE THE RISK: In todays rapidly changing world, the people who are not taking risk are actually the risk takers! Jeff Bezos said, If you decide that youre going to do only the things you know are going to work, youre going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table. Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go. In the early days of Amazon, many doomsdays were predicted by experts but the e-commerce pathfinder kept saying one thing: I know that if I failed I will not regret that, but I know the one thing I will forever regret is not trying.

E-SALE IS THE NEW PHASE OF SELLING: Online sales and marketing have opened doors to a new era of global marketing. The world we are in today is being sustained by technology and information. Any entrepreneur that is not maximizing the opportunities availed by the Internet and social media will ultimately lag behind. I want to categorically say that entrepreneurs will not be replaced by technology, but entrepreneurs who do not use technology will be replaced by those who do.

DIVERSIFY: Amazon started by selling books on-line at inception but Bezos continued to diversify Amazons offerings with the sale of CDs and videos in 1998, and later clothes, electronics, toys and more through major retail partnerships. Bezos also entered Amazon into the tablet marketplace with the unveiling of the Kindle Fire in 2011. The following September, he announced the new Kindle Fire HD, the companys next generation tablet designed to give Apples iPad a run for its money.

TAKE CRITICISM AS FEEDBACKS: Winners see criticism as feedbacks; average people see criticism as an attack. Jeff Bezos said, If you never want to be criticized, for goodness sake dont do anything new.

YOUR ASSOCIATION MATTERS: The ability to connect with people that are valuable to your destination is priceless. Life is too short to be with a partner who makes you feel less than awesome. Jeff Bezos has this to say about his wife: I wanted a woman who could get me out of a Third World prison. Lifes too short to hang out with people who arent resourceful.

CREATE GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: When you make customers happy, they will tell five friends but when you make customers unhappy, they wont tell five friends, they will tell 5,000 friends! Customer satisfaction is the best form of advertisement. Jeff Bezos said, If youre competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering. Be obsessed about customers, not competitors.

MAKE NEW MISTAKES: Tallulah Bankhead said, If I had my life to live over again, Id make the same mistakes, only sooner. Nobody learns without first getting it wrong. Tony Robbins said, No matter how many mistakes you make. Youre still way ahead of everyone who isnt trying.

EVOLVE: Thomas Edison said, There is always a better way, find it. In business, it is dangerous not to evolve because old ways wont open new doors. Jeff Bezos said, As a company, one of our greatest cultural strengths is accepting the fact that if youre going to invent, youre going to disrupt. Dont glory in the past. I have realised over the years that the greatest hindrance to success is not failure; it is actually the previous success.

THINK LONG-TERM: Be a visionary. Charles C. Noble said, You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.

See the rest here:
Jeff Bezos: Becoming Bill Gates' nightmare - Guardian (blog)