The lack of confidence in the marketplace today is not because of a failing economy but because individuals lack confidence in their own abilities to produce without artificial stimulus. Confidence and security come only as a result of a person\'s confidence in their own abilities and skills. The Government, the economy, the banks, the stock market, or the company where you work is able to make you feel confident if you lack the skill set to produce.

From the consumer confidence press releases. Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index™, which had retreated in June, declined further in July. The Index now stands at 46.6 (1985=100), down from 49.3 in June. The Present Situation Index decreased to 23.4 from 25.0 last month. The Expectations Index declined to 62.0 from 65.5 in June.

What this report does not tell you is that if the economy miraculously recovered tomorrow, people would still lack confidence. Why? Because individuals and businesses now know for maybe the first time in two decades that they lack the abilities to produce without the aid of programs and artificial stimulation. We have become too reliant and dependent upon others for our false sense of security. The very institutions we relied on for easy credit and cheap financing have gone away and left us with this reality. From the book, Sell to Survive. Business people are now aware of just how dependent they have become on artificial stimulus for their production. While the financial pundits suggest that the economy will only recover when the consumer does, the truth is, people only recover their confidence when they finally restore their abilities.

Earlier generations knew their survival and security was dependent upon themselves and not on others. Families farmed for food, made their own clothes, built their own homes and even defended their own rights. They did not depend on welfare and handouts from the government or stimulus from institutions for their confidence. As time went on we became more dependent upon others for our survival and less dependent upon our own abilities.

Mr. Obama, the Congress -- free health care, free food, unemployment benefits, your boss, your parents, the economy nor anything or anyone else can provide you with confidence or security. Confidence and security are only available to individuals and companies when they break their reliance on artificial programs and dependence upon others. Those that develop revenue generating skills and abilities that will see them through any economy will experience confidence and security for themselves!

The most important abilities today are sales skills no matter your position. Sales skills drive revenues and this the measurement of the company\'s ability to produce in the marketplace and the backbone of confidence. Sales training, sales development skills, sales approaches, sales process training will develop abilities that will most quickly benefit the organization and rebuild the confidence of the company and then for the economy.



Grant Cardone, International Sales Training and Author Grant Cardone, author of Sell To Survive, is being called The Entrepreneur for the 21st Century. Starting from modest beginnings, he is now the founder and owner of three multi-million dollar companies: a successful software company, a sales training and consulting business, and a real estate company with a portfolio valued at over 100 million dollars. Cardone also speaks internationally to industry leaders, managers, CEOs and entrepreneurs