When you find yourself having a less than fantastic week on the road, or see frustration rear its ugly head, do you ever say, "If I could only train one thing to get through to these people..."?  Just as some food for thought, as trainers, what would be the one thing you would train if you were limited on time for the rest of your career?

I would love to here from my talented peers exactly thier idea of the "ONE THING" that they are most passionate about, or that their clients need above all else, or just the thing they wish they could focus on all the time.  As a speaker, traveling the world, I became known for my signature story.  For nearly 16 years I have shared this story to tens of thousands of people.  I became known just for that story.  What's your signature?

If you could comment with as much detail as you'd like, I know every reader (myself included) would benefit from understanding your most passionate area of expertise.  For me, I'd like to know what makes you so excited to teach this one thing.

My Passion Is The Fear Of Rejection

Before I began training, before my first book was published, my resume sounded like this:  "He was fired from his last corporate job, turned down by every publisher he submitted his book idea to, and even lost a fishing tournament to his 6 year old daughter..."

Fast forward to today:  Ten books published, translated into a dozen languages, 1.5 million readers, spoken and trained throughout the US, Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Morocco, South Africa and more.

You don't have to be a genious to see there is a big gap between the two statements.  How does someone go from the former to the latter?  What's the secret?"

I always share this with my audiences.  Don't see me as I am and compare where you are to determine what your level of success might or might not be.  Fill in the gap.  See what went into making things change for the better.  But, in the essence of space, I'll share the secret to my success.

One more letter.

That's it.  My secret, just like most success secrets, is incredibly simple.  All I did was send out one more letter.  I always wish to be able to share something more profound to all who hear or read my message.  Unfortunately, this is the truth.

You see, I was turned down 100 times by publishers, before I signed my first book contract.  Now, to us "car people" 100 rejections may not seem like much.  But, the average writer quit after hearing no just 10 times.  The average sales person quits after a bad month.  The average dealer, "Tried that once and it didn't work."

The secret to my success has nothing to do with technique.  It has even less to do with skill.  All I have accomplished thus far is the direct result of reaching 100 rejections, pausing for a day, and then sending out just one more letter.  The result of that one extra try has been my entire life as a speaker/writer/trainer.

You see, the focus for me, was not on how many people told me no, my goal was to see my name on the cover of a book.  That's it - period.  So, along the way, I actually never kept count of the rejections.  I simply took the letter, put it in a file, and sent out the next letter to the next publisher.  It wasn't until the end, after I signed my first contract, that I went back and counted how many letters were in that folder.  100 publishers had told me no.  1 said yes.  Bad odds.

Had I been counting those letters, I am certain I would have given up.  But, that would be because I took my focus from where it should be to where it did no good.  If you focus on what you want, the rejections along the way become speed bumps instead of mountains.  As long as you're willing to take one more step, give it one more shot or make one more attempt, you're still in the game.

Here's a quote from one of my books:

"If you're unwilling to fail, you've already reached your maximum potential."

Fail fast, fail often.  The reward is worth it.

Special of the month:  The first 30 dealers or GM's who email me their dealer name, address and phone number will receive a new copy of my latest book.  "YES!" has been endorsed by auto industry professionals and is my 10th book.  Email me at dealerprofitnow@aol.com and get your copy before they run out.

John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group.  His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world.  Currently, he is training new sales people for dealers through his cutting edge programs.  Learn more at http://www.thedealerresourcegroup.webs.com and see the previous "Choosing" series and other articles.  (c)2011 by John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.