h, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans

I just got off the phone with one of my book readers who claims to possess an unusual “acoustical” gift.

Sounds are important to him, he remembers them well, and he can easily do vocal impressions of John Wayne and Richard Nixon, to name a few.

Assuming he’s right, which media should he emphasize in his marketing?

Obviously, he would make a good telephone communicator, right? And cold calling should be a walk in the park for him.

Someone who is a great writer could pen articles and books and I’m sure his or her emails would be nothing less than sparkling.

People who make wonderful first impressions face-to-face should be naturals at networking, wouldn’t you agree?

Great public speakers should conduct seminars and offer speeches to various groups of potential buyers.

Each person, in other words, should highlight his gift, and make sure to exploit it for all it’s worth.

But people don’t do this, for what I believe are five reasons:

(1) Most folks don’t really know their strengths, and what they’re better geared to than other things.

(2) People who think they know their strengths are often wrong. That would-be-phone guy, the one with the amazing ear for sounds, is currently struggling with his cold calls. He admits to letting prospects seize control of conversations. I spoke with him over the course of 15 minutes, and listening isn’t his problem. He doesn’t sound CONFIDENT, and so he doesn’t seem credible, which is a mighty problem if you’re selling financial services.

(3) Our entire educational system is obsessed with eliminating weaknesses; not with accentuating strengths. The barely passing grade on the child’s report card is analyzed to death, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans,

the park for him.

Someone who is a great writer could pen articles and books and I’m sure his or her emails would be nothing less than sparkling.

People who make wonderful first impressions face-to-face should be naturals at networking, wouldn’t you agree?

Great public speakers should conduct seminars and offer speeches to various groups of potential buyers.

Each person, in other words, should highlight his gift, and make sure to exploit it for all it’s worth.

But people don’t do this, for what I believe are five reasons:

(1) Most folks don’t really know their strengths, and what they’re better geared to than other things.

(2) People who think they know their strengths are often wrong. That would-be-phone guy, the one with the amazing ear for sounds, is currently struggling with his cold calls. He admits to letting prospects seize control of conversations. I spoke with him over the course of 15 minutes, and listening isn’t his problem. He doesn’t sound CONFIDENT, and so he doesn’t seem credible, which is a mighty problem if you’re selling financial services.

(3) Our entire educational system is obsessed with eliminating weaknesses; not with accentuating strengths. The barely passing grade on the child’s report card is analyzed to death, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans

gift, and make sure to exploit it for all it’s worth.

But people don’t do this, for what I believe are five reasons:

(1) Most folks don’t really know their strengths, and what they’re better geared to than other things.

(2) People who think they know their strengths are often wrong. That would-be-phone guy, the one with the amazing ear for sounds, is currently struggling with his cold calls. He admits to letting prospects seize control of conversations. I spoke with him over the course of 15 minutes, and listening isn’t his problem. He doesn’t sound CONFIDENT, and so he doesn’t seem credible, which is a mighty problem if you’re selling financial services.

(3) Our entire educational system is obsessed with eliminating weaknesses; not with accentuating strengths. The barely passing grade on the child’s report card is analyzed to death, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans

prospects seize control of conversations. I spoke with him over the course of 15 minutes, and listening isn’t his problem. He doesn’t sound CONFIDENT, and so he doesn’t seem credible, which is a mighty problem if you’re selling financial services.

(3) Our entire educational system is obsessed with eliminating weaknesses; not with accentuating strengths. The barely passing grade on the child’s report card is analyzed to death, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans

h, while his excellent grade in another subject is nearly ignored.

(4) We don’t respect skills or abilities that seem to come to us, effortlessly. To an extent, we even feel a little guilty for not having to work as hard as other people for mastery.

(5) We get bored with what we have already learned to do, and relish challenges and difficulties.

Public speaking was famously ranked the number one fear of Americans, ahead of death, itself, in the BOOK OF LISTS.

Clearly, if you’re afraid to address groups, you’d be a fool to build your sales and marketing campaign around public speaking.

Likewise, if you have phone fear, don’t try to dial-and-smile your way to success.

Direct mail may be your cup of tea.

Take time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and when you have, forget about fixing your shortcomings. While personally rewarding, it’s not nearly as useful as selling to your strengths!