A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s books featuring Winnie & Piglet & Eyeore & Tigger and the rest of the crew have delighted children for decades. Here are a few favorite quotes from those classics and how they apply to your business today.

“What day is it?"
“It's today," squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day," said Pooh.

Attitude

Approach every day as your favorite. Smiles are contagious. You should try to infect as many people as possible. Maintaining a positive attitude is easy if you replace negative habits like gossiping and watching or reading the news with positive habits like exercise and reading books and magazines that make you better.

“Organization is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.” 

Have a plan

Brian Tracy says that the first key to being highly motivated is to have clear written goals that you are working towards every day. If you don’t have a plan for reaching your goals, how will you know when you reach them?

Every day should have a plan and you should draw up that plan the night before so you can get started right away the next day. Know the times of the day when you are best at particular activities and plan your day accordingly. We all have the same amount of time but planning how you use your time effectively can double what you get accomplished

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” 

Be yourself

Don’t try to be something or someone that you are not. Make sure your presentations sound natural for you not like some stilted, canned speech. Nothing will turn a customer off faster.

Use your differences to set yourself apart. Take advantage of the things that make you unique to create your brand rather than trying to hide them and sound like everybody else.

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"”

Know your customer

Speak plainly and simply so your words are clearly understood. Know the best way to convey your message to your customers. Beware of scripts - something the sounds natural and flows easily in one part of the country will stick out like a sore thumb in another.

Write like you talk. If you communicate with your customers in writing, such as via email, make your note sound natural and like you were saying it to them. People tend to be more formal in writing and this can come off as cold.

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

Market yourself

Don’t wait for customers to come to you. Go out and find them. Get involved in your community. This both enhances your reputation and image and gives you the opportunity to network and find potential customers.

Create your own brand. Don’t depend only on your employer to promote and advertise. Invest in your success by promoting yourself.

“Friendship," said Christopher Robin, "is a very comforting thing to have.” 

Be a friend, not a salesman

Jeffrey Gitomer says, “All things being equal, people would rather buy from a friend. All things being not so equal, people would still rather buy from a friend.” Friendship and likeability are the first steps towards building trust. Being a friend starts with caring about the customer’s needs. Don’t be a salesman and think only about the sale. Think about satisfying your customer’s needs and helping them to buy as a friend. You will be amazed at how much more successful you can be.

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” 

Don’t pre-judge

Customers will surprise you. Anybody who has been in sales over a year or two has heard a story about someone no one wanted to work with turned out to be a great customer. Treat every potential customer like they are about to become your new best friend. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and you just might be surprised.

Remember these words from Winnie the Pooh when you set out on your next adventure and meet a potential customer along the way.