What is important to understand firstly, is you must have a product or service that provides significant and perceived value for customer.

What you also need to understand is you don't need to be an IT specialist, sales or marketing expert, professional copywriter, or have an accounting designation to be a successful entrepreneur (unless of course it is service you offer!)

You do, however, need to surround yourself with trusted people who are skilled and knowledgeable in areas you aren't.

It's all about creating a success team and leveraging your time so you are focusing on what is most important and on what you do best.

You've probably heard this many times over, but you need to work "on" your business and not "in" it.

You have vision of where you want to take your business and future you want to create, so don't allow yourself to get bogged down by tasks that take you away from your big picture.

I learned how to do things differently after what some may call dismal failures. (I prefer to call them valuable learning experiences.) I became wiser and put my ego on shelf.

I understood that working alone and trying to be and do everything was foolish and counterproductive. It didn't mean I was weak or lacking in any way.

I learned how to create a success team and a mastermind group. I surrounded (and continue to surround) myself with mentors, coaches and people who are always a step or two ahead of me on life and business success ladders.

I have a Sales Coach who constantly challenges me to expand my thinking, and a Marketing Genius as my mentor who bestows his infinite wisdom on me, and moves me to higher and higher levels of development and achievement.

I have a mastermind group I speak with bi-weekly who share in my wins, explore ideas and opportunities with me, help me analyze results, and hold me accountable to remain in balanced action. I provide same support for them.

Surrounding yourself with people who are as committed to your success as you are and who not only fill gaps, but continuously push and pull you forward is absolutely necessary if you want to achieve business success without paying a heavy price.

This week, take an inventory of where you are allocating your time.

Have you created a healthy balance between life and work to point you are fulfilled in both areas?

If balance is tipped, what activities can be discontinued, delegated or leveraged to regain stability?

What type of people do you need to surround yourself with to ensure smooth, continuous progress without placing entire burden on yourself?

Nancy was also polite but she took time to ask some important questions about her current insurance company that she will be able to use to her advantage when comparing companies. If Nancy has exact same price as Tom she would most likely have advantage.

Agent 3: Hi Jill. This is Joe from Huge Insurance Company. Is this a good time for you? How is life treating you? Jill, I see that you live on Vine St. Do you know Bo Neighbor? He is one of my clients. It says on paperwork from HometownQuotes.com that you are a writer? What type of writer are you? You know my wife was trying to break into that business, what sort of tips could you give to help her out? Anyway, sorry about my rambling there, I just find it important to get to know each of my clients on a more personal level than what kind of car they drive. It is also important for me to know that you feel same way. I know you could call 1-800-555-Quote and get a price but I want you to know me and my family same way I want to know yours. So, what is going on over at your current company? Oh yea? Well tell me Jill, what are some of things you really like about your current company? I think we will be able to offer you some solutions that will be comparable to your current company in some ways and exceed them in others. I will take some time to prepare a proposal for you, when is a good time for us to get together so I can present that to you? Great I will talk to you then.

What has Joe done? He was polite, learned about what was going on with her current company and most importantly in short amount of time he had with her he became her friend. He knows personal stuff about Jill and Jill knows same about Joe. Sure he may or may not have best price in town but as long as he is in ball park he has a chance at business. This is a chance that he probably would not have had if he had been even $5 more than first two agents.

I can promise you this: There is no better felling than closing deal on a new client than when you cost them more money that what they were currently paying and they came to your company because of you. Take a chance on this one and try to be way different that your competition for one week. All you have to lose is some time. If you are selling on price alone now you will still have same price, you will just deliver it in a different manner. After all, my Dad tells me all time that "if you put it in one end of pipe, it will fall out other." In other words if you quote enough people you will eventually write business. I guess I just want more of my "it" to get to other end of pipe.