It's Not Over.

I live in Manhattan, the financial capital of the world, a city of almost unimaginable wealth. And yet, nearly seven days after Superstorm Sandy came ashore, the high-rise apartment building where we live is still without power or water. It is a major inconvenience to live off of peanut butter sandwiches and other foods that don't require cooking; to ferry water up nine flights of stairs to drink and flush our toilets and to be forced to trek each day to the apartments of friends and family in order to shower, shave and recharge the digital devices upon which we have all become so dependent. It is not certain when the lights and water will be restored to our building. It could be today. It could be a week. No one knows for certain.However, we have had it easy. Our troubles are nothing compared to those who lost loved ones to Sandy. And our daily inconveniences are insignificant next to those of the thousands of people in New Jersey and New York that have lost their homes and lost their businesses and livelihoods to the ravages of this unprecedented storm and that face the daunting prospect of piecing together their lives and starting all over.For most of the country, the news cycle for Sandy has passed. The commentators understandably have moved along and are focused on the presidential and local elections that are taking place tomorrow night. The temptation is to think that if a news event has faded from the headlines then everything must be all right. In this case, nothing could be further from the truth. There are tens of thousands of people in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut who are still without power as the local temperatures begin to plummet to freezing levels and who face the prospect of several more weeks, or even months, until power can be restored to their homes. There are huge numbers of people whose homes were swept away or damaged by the storm and are living in shelters or with neighbors and family. The New York Times reported that in the NYPD alone, over 500 police officers suffered catastrophic damage to their homes.And, if that weren't enough, a new damaging storm system, a classis Nor'easter with 50-mph wind gusts and heavy rain, is approaching the NY/NJ area and will hit on Wednesday and Thursday. This will bring lower temperatures and possibly even snow to some of the inland areas impacted by Sandy. And it will truly make relief efforts for those stricken by the storm more difficult.The victims of Sandy are your neighbors. And they need help. Your help. And they need it today. Please click here to donate whatever you can to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance to the victims of Superstorm Sandy. Or text REDCROSS to 90999 to immediately donate $10 for disaster relief.

Andy Paul is author of the award-winning book, Zero-Time Selling: 10 Essential Steps to Accelerate Every Company's Sales. A frequent speaker, Andy conducts workshops and consults with B2B sales teams of all sizes and shapes to teach them how to sell more by selling faster. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, “The Speed of Selling.” Enjoy what you just read? Subscribe to our blog!

© Andy Paul 2012