You Gotta^™ Get In The Game Playing to Win in Business, Sales and Life Billy Cox Copyright c Billy Cox

You Gotta Get in the Game! 13 Chapter 1 – You Gotta Get Off the Bench 17 Chapter 2 – You Gotta Have a Dream 27 Chapter 3 – You Gotta Think Like a Winner 39 Chapter 4 – You Gotta Get a Competitive Advantage 53 Chapter 5 – You Gotta Use the Power of Numbers 63 Chapter 6 – You Gotta Be Coachable 73 Chapter 7 – You Gotta Sell Yourself 81 Chapter 8 – You Gotta Raise the Bar 91 Chapter 9 – You Gotta Have a Team 103 Chapter 10 – You Gotta Be a Straight Shooter 113 Chapter 11 – You Gotta Stay In to Win 123 Chapter 12 – You Gotta Overcome Adversity 131 Why Not You? 143 Table of Contents Copyright c Billy Cox

In the game of life there are no time outs, no overtimes. You only get one chance to play the game. The question you gotta ask yourself is, “At what level do I want to play – do I want to wait on the sidelines of life or do I want to win?” If you want to win, you gotta get in the game! Although I’ve never made a dime as a professional athlete, I have discovered there are many similarities between success in sports and success in sales, business and life in general. In sports, it’s not uncommon for two athletes with the same talents, skills and abilities to perform at dramatically different levels. One might be an average player while the other is a superstar. The same is true outside of sports. Oftentimes someone will sell twice as much or make many times the income of others who have the same basic talents and skills. They may also live happier, more successful and productive lives. In fact, the superstars in business and in life frequently have less education and experience than the average performers, and yet they achieve extraordinary levels of success. Why? Early in my life I was fortunate enough to study and learn the concepts, traits, habits and techniques that distinguish and separate the superstars and high performers from those who only get average You Gotta Get In The Game 13 Copyright c Billy Cox

results. You see, the neat thing about success is that it leaves clues. There are patterns for success (and patterns for failure, for that matter). People who succeed aren’t lucky; people who are consistently happy aren’t just born that way. They follow a specific pattern of thoughts, actions and behaviors that creates consistent and predictable results. Through my studies and personal experiences, I discovered a pattern for success that I call “the winning edge.” The basic concept is that small differences applied to key areas of your business and life can lead to enormous differences in results. To put it another way, only small differences separate the superstars from the average performers. There are many people who play the game but never win. I’ve found that, most of the time, failure is not due to a lack of effort or a lack of skills. Instead, it’s due to a lack of “the edge.” People fail because they don’t do the little things that will give them the edge it takes to win. As a result, they’re playing to lose without even realizing it. The good news is that you can learn and apply the success patterns of superstars and accelerate your achievement of success. This book was written to show you how to get the winning edge so you can compete at the highest level. It’s easy to read and straight to the point. The strategies and techniques are tried and true – they work. They have worked in my life, and I have seen them work time and time again in the lives of many others. As you read, you’ll notice how much I use the phrase you gotta. Though it may not be proper grammar, this is one of the most powerful phrases that can be used to emphasize important techniques and steps for success. You gotta means you absolutely 14 Copyright c Billy Cox

must. All of us have a list of things we should do: we should save more money; we should get in shape; we should take a vacation; we should make those extra sales calls. I’ve learned that we rarely accomplish our shoulds, but we almost always get our musts. You gotta turn your shoulds, coulds, woulds, mights and maybes into absolute musts if you want to achieve lasting success. So, when you come across the you gottas, pay special attention and read very carefully. They identify the steps that are crucial to getting the winning edge. The you gottas are also constant reminders that if you want to win, you’re going to have to make decisions and take action at each step. When you learn and apply all the you gottas, you will experience a massive increase in all areas of your business and life. To get the full effect of this book, you must first understand that when I started out in sales, I was young, inexperienced and broke. Over a period of 15 years, I worked my way to the top of every sales and management level and eventually became President and Chief Operating Officer of the same company I started with. Throughout this journey, I made many mistakes and learned a lot of lessons. I had many triumphs, but I also faced a lot of adversities. I’m living proof that your past doesn’t have to dictate your future. High achievers in all walks of life have ups and downs, victories and setbacks. Learning how others have turned their setbacks into comebacks can give you the determination to follow through and get the winning edge. I believe that inside of you there is a champion. You have the potential to play your game at any level you choose. You can sit on the sidelines and watch others win the game, or you can jump in 15 Copyright c Billy Cox

and play with strength, purpose, passion and power. You can be a spectator, or you can be a superstar. It’s your choice. My hope is that by reading this book, you will decide to set some goals and stretch yourself. I hope you’re willing to discipline yourself. I hope you want to compete and that you will develop a burning desire to win. I hope you will make the decision to Get in the Game. 16 Copyright c Billy Cox