Curious about Approach: How We Approach Everything (People, Sales, Careers, Learning, Life and Goals) Can Be the Most Important, Yet Most Difficult

“My own approach, whenever I do something like this, is to try to learn how the other person thinks, so that I can anticipate him.” - Roger Zelazny, American writer

I have been reading, with great attention to the details and suggestions, Frank Bettger’s book, How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling. The book is incredible in its total scope!

I recently completed the chapter where Bettger writes about the importance of approach and ways to approach a potential client. It prompted me to consider how I approach everything from people to sales, my career, learning, my life, goals and so much more!).

I started listing my approach and approaches – along with those I aspire to. When I network at an event, I work on being approachable. When I am in a selling mode, I work on being a listener who asks great questions. In my career, I work on a professional approach. As for learning, I use an enthusiastic approach to new information. You get the idea.

How about your approach and approaches? How do you approach you day(s)? Do you set them up to be positive?

The number of quotations in the area of approach were overwhelming. Here are a few that I found especially interesting and enlightening:

• “If we all knew we were going to live to be 150 years old, we'd all approach our lives very differently.” - Eric Bogosian, American actor
• “The analytical approach to working with the mind is enormously helpful. It's something very clear to fall back on.” - Richard Gere, American actor
• “The reason why I have survived as long as I have survived is what my friends, comrades and supporters thought was an extraordinarily cautious approach.” - Ernst Zundel, German activist
• “What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.” - Ray Charles, American musician
• “My basic approach to interviewing is to ask the basic questions that might even sound naive, or not intellectual. Sometimes when you ask the simple questions like 'Who are you?' or 'What do you do?' you learn the most.” - Brian Lamb, American businessman

And, then there are those with a bit of a different twist:

• “The land of literature is a fairy land to those who view it at a distance, but, like all other landscapes, the charm fades on a nearer approach, and the thorns and briars become visible.” - Washington Irving, American writer
• “We must be vigilant in our actions towards criminals, and innovative in our approach towards solving crime.” - Thomas Menino, American politician
• “If you take the approach that you want to scrape every last nickel off the table, that'll work one or two times, but after awhile, your reputation will precede you.” - Tom Hicks, American businessman
• “Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” - Tony Robbins, American author
• “The English approach to ideas is not to kill them, but to let them die of neglect.” - Jeremy Paxman, British journalist

Here are some more for you to consider and chew upon:

• “You're in a much better position to talk with people when they approach you than when you approach them.” - Peace Pilgrim, American activist
• “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.” - Mark Twain, American author
• “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” - Denis Waitley, American writer
• “Some people approach every problem with an open mouth.” - Adlai E. Stevenson, American politician

Interesting topic and word! Let me know about your approach and approaches.