When I was a kid I was raised on a farm. I used to help my grandpa plant fruit trees. Some of them were hybrids - really cute little trees.
I said to him, "Grampa, I can't wait for all the vegetables to grow so we can eat them, but I especially can't wait for the apples from this dwarf tree."
My grandpa replied, "This tree isn't even in the ground yet. First we have to plant it. Then it has to mature, and then apples will appear, but you won't be able to eat those apples. This tree won't have apples you can eat for several years."
In business, we don't necessarily have to wait years before the fruits of our labor are available to us. We do have to plant the seeds, nurture and tend to our businesses as they grow.
I don't mind working hard, putting in the time, the sweat, the financial investments for more education and state-of-the-art equipment because I know, ultimately, that apple tree is mine and that fruit is going to be delicious and will sustain me in every way.
And through growth periods, what can carry us through?
Watching my students over the years as they bear the fruits of their labor as a result of persuasion training is an amazing process. We all grow together, learn from each other, and thrive on the richness of our diverse backgrounds.
Sir Isaac Newton said, "If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent."
The concept of 'patient attention' is important, especially when we're faced with a huge amount of information (like a beginning piano student, or even a beginning persuasion student).
We're not always going to get it right the first time. I caution new students not to be hard on themselves. Even if your conscious mind doesn't think it's getting all the information, if you're paying attention and putting in the time, your other than conscious mind is absorbing.
In order to "get it" you need to be present. You have to have the "attention" part in play for it to begin to bear fruit.
Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of wealthy clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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