AUTHOR'S NOTE: This article came about because of a spam email I received claiming that "excellent communication is the golden ticket," and all you have to do to get it (you guessed it), is give them some of your gold. I mentally corrected the concept... It's not excellent communication. It's transferrable communication! And my thoughts about a golden ticket went on to become this...

Who is Roald Dahl?

He wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964. You may have seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the original starring Gene Wilder, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the darker version (not dark chocolate) with Johnny Depp.

The book and movies focus around a slightly nutty entrepreneur, a chocolate factory, tiny workers, and a contest to find one of the five "golden tickets" inside Wonka's chocolate bars. Almost like a lottery, if you got a Golden Ticket, the reward was an all-day tour of the secret candy factory by Willy Wonka himself.

Charlie Bucket, the hero and ideal child, was one of the five winners. The other four children were spoiled brats, and as they went on the factory tour they revealed their greed, or misbehaved in such a way as to be punished or banished. Charlie Bucket was the winner of the tour, and was rewarded with the entire factory and empire. Not a bad days work!

But there's much more to this children's story. There are lessons to be learned, both in sales and in life. Charlie Bucket was an impoverished kid with a vision and a belief. You may call it a dream - but his vision and belief were so strong, he made them a reality. He was certain he would find the golden ticket, in spite of his doubting family. And he did.

Looking for your golden ticket?
Hoping for it?
Have doubters?
What's your vision of it?
How strong is your belief for it?
Maybe you already have a golden ticket.
Maybe more than one.

NOTE WELL: A golden ticket is NOT a winning lottery ticket. It doesn't have to be money. But it may lead you to money by turning your gold into wealth.

Here are several areas to evaluate as you begin the search for your golden ticket. There may be several golden tickets you already possess but you haven't yet realized their value.

1. Communication that's transferrable. Who is acting on your words?

2. Customers that are loyal and give repeat business without a bid or quote. How many of your customers fit into that category?

3. Customers who give referrals without you asking for them. How many referrals did you earn last month? As many as you wanted? What are you doing about it?

4. Prospective customers who call and want to buy. How many unsolicited referrals did you get last month? Ouch!

5. Followers who re-tweet you. Do you understand the power of Twitter is in the re-tweet?

6. Customers who post positive things on your business Facebook page. Do you even have a business Facebook page?

7. People who watch your videos on YouTube. How many testimonial videos are on your YouTube channel? Not enough!

8. People who ask to connect with you on LinkedIn. Do you have more than 500 connections that you "value message" weekly?

9. People who subscribe to your email magazine. If you've been thinking of starting your own e-zine, but you're not sure where, how, or what, go to www.aceofsales.com. Mystery resolved.

10. People who subscribe to your blog. No blog either? Yikes! Blogspot.com and wordpress.com are both no cost (except for your labor), and come with complete instructions. Launch!

11. Your reputation in your business and in your community. This is more profound. Maybe most profound. What are you known for? What are you known as? What is your image?

12. Your personal assets. Not your material things. Golden tickets are found among your intellect, your health, your personal development, your drive, your dedication, your creativity, and other priceless intangibles.

13. Your inner circle of friends and connections. People who encourage you and lift your spirits. People who help you without expectation.

14. Your YES! Attitude. This is the foundation for finding and taking advantage of your ticket. Your YES! Attitude is not an option. It's gold.

15. The random acts of kindness you perform. Doing things that make others feel good, make you feel GREAT! They're the best one-a-day vitamins in the universe.

15.5 Your family. Family strength compounds personal strength. Family is both gold and golden. It's love at its unconditional best.

As an aid to your self-discovery, it may be time to read or re-read the Russell Conwell lecture Acres of Diamonds. It gives an interesting perspective to those in search of their diamonds, their gold, or their golden ticket. Or yours.

Acres of Diamonds has been in the public domain for years. It's easy to find a copy on the Internet. The best version I've found, which contains historical background and interesting facts on Conwell's life, is here: [ Ссылка ]

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