Professional Documents
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The Action Principlesfor Success
The Action Principlesfor Success
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Table of Contents
1. Set Goals......................................................................6 2. Divide and Conquer ...................................................7 3. Write A Personal Mission Statement ..........................8 4. Follow Through ..........................................................9 5. Embrace the Hard Work...........................................10 6. Dont Complicate Matters .........................................11 7. Commit to Never Ending Improvement..................12 8. Be Frugal ...................................................................13 9. Make Today Special..................................................14 10. Record Your Thoughts..............................................15 11. Persist to Win ............................................................16 12. In Business, All Are Not Equal ................................17 13. Risk Failure ................................................................18 14. Get Tough..................................................................19 15. Be the Valued Employee ..........................................20 16. Find Another Job.......................................................21 17. The Wide World of Business ...................................22 18. Stop Wasting Time ....................................................23 19. Spread Your Enthusiasm...........................................24 20. Applaud the Beginner ..............................................25 21. Give Yourself the Gift of Self-Reliance....................26 22. Lead by Example ......................................................27 23. Control Conflict .........................................................28 24. Listen to Your Instincts .............................................29 25. Keep Pushing ............................................................30 26. Style and Attitude and Work Matter ........................31 27. Donald J. Trump: Get Tough ...................................32 28. Buying and Selling Businesses.................................33 29. Be Proud....................................................................34 30. Be Decisive................................................................35 31. Three Rules for Business Success............................36
32. Embody Integrity.......................................................37 33. Stay Centered.............................................................38 34. Love Many Things.....................................................39 35. Forget Everybody ......................................................40 36. Maintain Your Presence............................................41 37. The Business Doesnt Matter....................................42 38. Appreciate Your Appeal ...........................................43 39. Develop Your Sense of Humor................................44 40. Create a Winning Team............................................45 41. Show Loyalty .............................................................46 42. Advance Your Career................................................47 43. How to Delegate.......................................................48 44. How to Manage Projects ..........................................49 45. Develop Your Special Talent....................................50 46. Copy Success.............................................................51 47. Develop Winning Habits ..........................................52 48. Salespeople Rule .......................................................53 49. Accept Hard Work ....................................................54 50. The Boss is The Rainmaker .....................................55 51. Communicate with Ease ...........................................56 52. Helping Troubled Employees ..................................57 53. Imitation before Innovation .....................................58 54. How to Choose a Partner.........................................59 55. Invest In Your Future................................................60 56. Retire Early ................................................................61 57. Have Faith .................................................................62 58. Your Core Values ......................................................63 59. How to Build a Team...............................................64 60. Look in the Mirror.....................................................65 61. Imagine ......................................................................66 62. Hold Sacred ...............................................................67 63. Focus on Your Strengths ..........................................68 64. Understand Courage .................................................69 65. Sandra Day OConnor: Aim High ............................70 66. Run the Short and Long Roads................................71
67. Advertising Basics .....................................................72 68. Close the Door on Regrets.......................................73 69. Raise Your Prices.......................................................74 70. The Typical American Millionaire............................75 71. Act With Boldness.....................................................76 72. Aim for the One Percent ..........................................77 73. Do What You Love Doing........................................78 74. Appreciate Your Customer .......................................79 75. Build Networks ........................................................80 76. Hire Slowly...............................................................81 77. Fire Quickly .............................................................82 78. The Example of Wal-Mart .......................................83 79. Jack Welch: Self-Confidence ...................................84 80. Learn.........................................................................85 81. Ask a Lot of Questions............................................86 82. Read Biographies.....................................................87 83. Be Open to New Ideas ...........................................88 84. Heed the Warnings ..................................................89 85. American Business Slogans.....................................90 86. Read, Read, Read.....................................................91 87. Write Your Elevator Pitch ........................................92 88. A Few Important Words ..........................................93 89. Go Green .................................................................94 90. Start a Business Now...............................................95 91. Thank Your Ancestors .............................................96 92. Supervise ..................................................................97 93. Go for the BIG Fish.................................................98 94. Magnify Your Effectiveness .....................................99 95. Deal With It............................................................100 96. Embrace Technology .............................................101 97. Invest in Commercial Property .............................102 98. Start Your Revolution.............................................103 99. Become an Action Principles Champion.............104 100. Your One Life ......................................................105
Set Goals
You have one life. Set a goal right now to rise above the average and live an extraordinary life. These are your goals, so dont be shy. Dream big. What you plan, or dont plan, is where youll go. You need the time and the resources to develop your individual potential and special talent. Plan for it. Write it down. Commit your mind and actions to do what it will take to succeed. Average people work forty hours a week. Set a goal of working 20% more, working fifty hours and using the extra income to invest. Average people buy one house, hoping that this single investment will ensure a comfortable retirement. Plan to do what the average person has done once and do it again and again until you become a millionaire. Average people watch twenty hours of television each week. Set a goal to watch ten hours and use the other ten hours more constructively.
Follow Through
Follow through is the secret weapon of the highly successful businessperson. It is bettering the standard. It is doing the optional. It is always performing above and beyond expectations. It is the wow factor. It is openly and honestly talking with a customer who has a problem and doing your best to correct it. It is the contractor who cleans up, not just at the end of a job, but every night. It is the restaurant manager who visits every table after every meal. It is the florist who calls the week after the wedding. It is the car salesperson or the real estate agent who doesnt treat you like a one time opportunity but as a lifetime customer. It is appreciating and respecting your customer. It is making the customer feel special and important.
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Be Frugal
Employees understand that your company is in business to make money. You make money by generating revenue and by looking for ways to reduce the unnecessary; especially frivolity and waste. An effective manager sets the example for employees. You can fly coach. You can eat in the company cafeteria. You dont need a private bathroom or reserved parking space. You see litter and you pick it up. Get everyone involved. Corporate frugality is a team effort. Everyone should be engaged in looking for ways to cut costs and rewarded for sharing their suggestions. Think before you make major corporate purchases. Dont be impulsive. Give yourself a day or two to consider the purchase and if you can still justify the item, then buy it knowing that you will use it. No one likes a cheap person. Everyone will accept a leader who sacrifices along with the troops for the good of all concerned.
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Persist to Win
You will be successful. Of this, there is no doubt. You will never give up. It will never be over until you say that it is over. Keep trying. Be good. Get good. Or, give up. Any particular day may be tough and demand your best effort and concentration. To walk ten miles, you take a step and then a step. After six miles you are tired, but you take another step. After eight miles, you are in pain; you take another step. It would be easy to find an excuse to stop and few average people would blame you. Winners persevere and take another step. You face a pile of papers on your desk. You pick up the first paper and deal with it. You pick up the next paper. You want to make ten cold calls today. You make the first call. You have twenty emails to answer. You respond to the first email. Take a deep breath; suck it up and do it. Do it knowing that what you are about to do may advance your cause only slightly or have no effect at all. However, with patience and honest hard work, the rewards of persistence will burst forth or slowly emerge. Either way, you win. 16
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Risk Failure
Average people are risk averse. They will cling to the perceived safety of the status quo. They delude themselves into believing that big companies will always be there to protect them. Sadly, many have learned otherwise. The extraordinary person accepts the fact that the real economic protection for themselves, their families and their futures lies in their self-reliance and, often, their willingness to change, to face the unknown. You are alert and aware to problems. You are working for a poorly performing company. You dont ignore the warning signs. Sales are dropping. Your suggestions for corrective action are ignored. Get out now. Take the risk. Find another job or start your own business You are alert and aware to opportunities. Your boss at the flower shop announces that she will be retiring and selling the business. You love your job. Take the risk. Make an offer to buy the company. If it were easy, everybody, the average majority would do it. It isnt always easy to try new things without proven guarantees. Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone may be difficult but it can also be exhilarating and profitable. Research, plan and then take the risk. 18
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Get Tough
On your way to extraordinary, you might be passed over for promotion. Partners and employees may disappoint you. You will lose a big deal. For no good reason, customers, clients or patients will switch to your competitors. You will introduce products or services that will fall flat and cost you time and money. You have hit the wall. Push over because all self-made successful people have been there. You are being tested. The world of business is not waiting anxiously for your amazing personal contribution. The time to prove yourself is at hand. Get tough. This is the wall. You need to climb over it. You may bang your knees and skin your knuckles. This is the price that you are being asked to pay. Pay the price. Climb over the wall. Others have gotten over that wall and you can learn from them. Without whining, second guessing or complaining, suck it up and do what you know you have to do to succeed in business. And, yes, there will be other walls blocking your path. So, get ready and get tough.
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Lead by Example
If all you do is talk, employees are apt to dismiss your wisdom or completely ignore you. All your motivational slogans and rallying cries will go for nothing. Lead by example. Show how its done. As a teacher, counselor, coach or manager, when youve been in the trenches, walked the talk, gotten a little banged and bruised yourself, youve earned the right to be taken seriously. You are a veteran and carry the status necessary to command. You dont hide in your office. Sometimes, it is important to walk the factory floor and get out into the field. Get to know your employees, ask for their ideas and understand their concerns. This is how a leader acts.
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Control Conflict
Welcome to modern living. At any time you may encounter the rude, the crude and the obnoxious. In the workplace, you may be subject to those who gossip, cut corners and take unfair advantage. Since you are ambitious, some may be jealous of your progress and ultimate success, seeing in you what they were unable or unwilling to do. At home, your contribution may be unappreciated and you may suffer disrespect. Your first instinct is to retaliate but never retaliate in anger. Relax, release the pressure and consider your options. Is the conflict personal or permanent? You dont want to get bogged down by pettiness. What would be your best course of action to defuse the situation so that you can move forward? You must be the example, the rock in the middle of stream allowing everyday frustrations and stress to wash by you. You do this for yourself, your employees and your family. Release the stress from your feet, legs, trunk, arms, hands, neck and your head. Breathe deeply and let it go. You may not always like what is happening but this too will pass. 28
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Keep Pushing
To push yourself beyond your comfort level is a must as you travel up the ladder of success. If it were easy, everyone would do it. If it were easy, the rewards for success wouldnt be as pleasant. Average people dont want to push or be pushed. They are content with the sameness of today being like yesterday. If you want to take the easy road, you will find many to support your reasoning. Because you validate their own inaction, average people will agree with your choice to delay or avoid. You put your name forward for that raise or promotion. You are that somebody willing to take the risk of starting a business. If ten customers tell you no, and you still believe, you ask another ten. Understand that no one wants to face rejection again and again. Yet, it is persistent effort that separates winners from losers. You may not succeed immediately. You may take a few lumps as you move along the learning curve. However, with each challenge faced, you gain strength.
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or a taxi driver or a shop keeper or a contractor or a commissioned salesperson and achieve financial independence by working hard and investing. An exceptional man or woman will succeed at any business any where. They always have. They always will. It is a style and an attitude. It is having a goal and working passionately toward that goal. The ambitious young office cleaner with a plan to building a building maintenance company is a much better prospect for financial and personal success than the depressed middle age lawyer whose office he is cleaning. The man of confidence wearing a two hundred dollar suit will look much better than the slouching weakling in the two thousand dollar suit. Stand tall, smile and get busy.
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Donald J. Trump Businessman
Get T ough
Toughness is pride, drive, commitment, and the courage to follow through on things you believe in, even when they are under attack. It is solving problems instead of letting them fester. It is being who you really are, even when society wants you to be somebody else. Toughness is knowing how to be a gracious winner and rebounding quickly when you lose.
Donald J. Trump
For a nation, toughness means avoiding complacency, meeting and solving problems head-on, while keeping the big picture in mind at all times. In business, toughness means playing by the rules but also putting those rules to work for you. It is looking at an adversary across the desk and saying, simply, No.
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Be Proud
You exercise and watch what you eat and how you dress and how you treat others. You study and work hard. You are a listener. You are a volunteer who is generous with your time and resources. You delay gratification and invest. There is no secret to your success; you have more because you do more when more is needed. Be proud of who you are for good reasons. You are a demanding employer. You set the bar high for yourself and you expect the same from your workers. You are ambitious and goal oriented. You are a leader in your industry. You employ a staff that wants more than being ordinary and they expect and receive above average compensation. Many employees cant stand the pressure of working in a competitive, dynamic work environment. These average employees, often working just hard enough to not get fired, perpetually waiting for the next paycheck, can find employment elsewhere. Take joy in doing an exceptional job. Be proud of yourself and your company or keep changing until you are. 34
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Be Decisive
The United States Marines are a rapid deployment force. They train every day to face all types of scenarios. When a dangerous job has to be done quickly, the generals frequently call them. The Marines have to be ready to fight anywhere under any conditions. They have to be adaptable and decisive. Marine battle planners look for a seventy percent advantage and then they go, go, go. In combat, you cant plan for every possible eventuality; youve got to take action and adapt to the environment and the circumstances as you find them. In business, you have to train every day to be prepared to meet the challenges of the marketplace. No one is going to come up to you and hand you a bag of money. You have to plan and take decisive action. Dont over analyze. Dont procrastinate. You can become a perfectionist. Take action. Do what needs to be done and get it done.
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Embody Integrity
You can take advantage of customers who arent knowledgeable or particularly sophisticated. You can cut corners on your products. You can recommend unnecessary services. You can be deceptive in your advertising. In the short run, you may think that taking advantage is an advantage. In the long run, others will have noticed your duplicity and may plot against you. You will be rich but reviled. Eventually, many will relish your demise. It is much better to be a serious person who takes his business seriously. It is much better to live by a code of honor and core values. You can decide to set the standard for your industry and maintain your core values. You can feel good about who you are and how you earn a living. Your word and your handshake should mean everything. You know the right thing to do.
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Stay Centered
As a successful person, there will always be demands on your time from competing interests. As a successful person, your natural inclination will be to try to do more. However, there comes a point when enough is enough and when you must save yourself and say, no. If you are overworked, need sleep and are stressed and angry, your efficiency and productivity will diminish. Your health will be affected. All those forced to be around you will suffer. At times, youll need to leave work alone, forget the email, put away the cell phone and just retreat to where you can find your own way to relax. You need days off and you need vacation time. Whether thats playing golf or sailing or lying on the beach or gardening or doing nothing, do it. Naps arent only for children and meditation isnt only for monks. Find your calm center where you can recharge your batteries. The work and the problems and the opportunities will all be there tomorrow.
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Forget Everybody
Rather than trying to reach everybody, many with little or no interest in your product or service through traditional mass media advertising; newspapers, magazines and television, you might be much more effective by finding online niche markets. Introduce yourself and company to the individual websites and blogs and reporters with a specific interest in your field. Find ways for those with influence to sample your product and talk about it. Start the buzz. You can never be all things to all customers. All customers are not always right. Some have unreasonable expectations. You are in business to make money. Sometimes your better course is severing ties with a perpetually disgruntled customer and finding a new one. Not all employees are created equal. Some bring to the workplace personal issues far beyond your control to correct. You are in business to make money. Sometimes you have to make personnel changes.
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Ross Perot American Business Leader
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Show Loyalty
Build employee loyalty through fair dealing. Let employees know that you appreciate their efforts. Reward them. With good news or bad, keep them informed and in the loop. Make everyone feel that they are a part of an important team doing honest work. It is much more cost and time effective to retain loyal employees than constantly hiring and training new employees. You need your core of loyal veteran workers to set the example and lead the way for new hires. Most consumers are not natural risk takers and will remain loyal to brands that consistently deliver a quality product or service. Thank them. It is much more cost and time effective to keep existing customers satisfied than to search constantly for new business. It is easier to sell to a loyal repeat customer than to try to sell to someone new. Loyalty is a two way street. To get it, you have to give it first.
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How to Delegate
You can get more done with others help, which means learning how to delegate assignments. This will help you to concentrate on what you do best and allows you to think, plan and improve organizational efficiency. You assign tasks that are cost and time effective for others to do for you. You also delegate tasks that employees can do better than you. Match the right person to the right task. Precisely explain your expectations for the task. Establish a realistic completion time. Be sure the employee understands the requirements and due date. Ask the employee to assume responsibility for the task. Encourage feedback if problems arise. Periodically, follow up. Say thank you.
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Copy Success
You learn all you can about your product and your customers needs. You learn all you can about sales and you find the leaders in your industry. To find the superstars in your industry, read your trade publications and identify all trade websites and blogs. Join all applicable trade associations and participate in meetings, seminars and conventions. When you find suitable role models, take them to breakfast or lunch. Find out what they are doing and do what they are doing. Ask and listen. What are their thoughts on where your industry is headed? What do they see as future challenges in the industry? Who were your role models role models? And, maybe most importantly, what would they do if they were you? This is called copying success. Dont be shy about asking for advice and networking assistance. Most successful people will be flattered and not annoyed by your attention. Of course, you must follow-up with a thank you and this is also copying success.
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Salespeople Rule
Every company relies on its sales force. All the jobs in the company depend on the sales forces ability to sell. A person who can bring in business is a very valuable asset. This is why sales people are highly paid professionals. Most people cant do this job. They cant work alone. They cant knock on doors. They take rejection personally. If you have the courage to talk to customers about buying a quality product or service at a fair price, your fortune is make. You dont need advanced college degrees, partners or venture capital. You are among the elite. You are your own business. You have all you need you. If you can understand and accept the following little reality of marketing, you can be a successful commissioned salesperson. Some will. Some wont. So what? Next.
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Retire Early
Kirk Kirkorian kept building Las Vegas hotels into his nineties. Summer Redstone was one of the most influential men in Hollywood into his eighties. The average age of Untied States Senators and Supreme Court Justices is nearly seventy. These men and woman love their jobs. You may love your job enough to never retire. Or, maybe not. Its tough to launch a singing, writing, acting or artistic career, but not if you are young, rich and retired. Volunteers can assist with many problems in the world. Its easier to give your time if you already wealthy. Maybe youd like just to relax and play golf or be more involved with your grandchildren. These are nice options for those with sufficient investment income. Retiring early doesnt just happen. If you work for someone else, early retirement might never happen. However, if you work for yourself as an entrepreneur, early retirement can be your specific goal. You will work hard for fifty or more hours a week for twenty or thirty years. Invest, sell the business and retire. This is the plan. It is a young persons plan to make.
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Have Faith
Anyone can be hard working and motivated for a little while, but only those with faith can sustain their efforts for the long haul. Only those with faith will try and try again. Will your new business succeed? Will your investments prove wise? Will you retire early, and will your special talents be developed and recognized? Have faith. When you venture out beyond where average people are comfortable, when you dare and challenge and test the status quo, you will meet many doubters. Some doubters will be your family members, trying to protect you. Some will be skeptics who are jealous of your courage and your willingness to take risks. Some will be pessimists who always look at the bad side of everything. You may need a thick skin to listen and then, proceed anyway. Have faith in yourself. You research, observe and study. You have seen what others have done and you see no reason why you cant do the same. Persist. Believe in yourself. Go for it. Have faith. 62
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Imagine
You are what you think about all day long. You have the free will to choose who you will become. So, think of yourself as an Action Principles Champion, a tough, thoughtful, spiritual person of action. See yourself as a successful businessperson, a leader in your industry. See yourself earning in the top twenty percent of your profession. See yourself as a hard worker with enough money to pay your bills, live comfortably and still have 15% - 20% extra to invest. See yourself as appreciated by your family and friends because you are strong and confident enough to be selfless. See yourself as a respected member of your community. See yourself having enough to give back to those deserving who are less fortunate. Now, stop imagining and do it.
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Hold Sacred
Your word is your bond. When you make a promise to a customer, you will do everything in your power to deliver what is expected and more. You will do your best to offer the highest quality goods and services, which means not just perceived value, but real value to your customers. When customers put their trust in you, you will never betray that trust. You will give honest recommendations; whether that means more business for you or not is not relevant. You will be truthful. You will lead and insist upon on a team effort to provide a clean, safe work environment where all employees can prosper. You will probably be so successful in business and investing that you will have the option of early retirement after twenty or thirty years. You will still build your business for the longer haul based on honesty and integrity. Your good name and your solid reputation will be held sacred.
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Understand Courage
Rarely will you find a perfectly smooth straight road to financial success. More likely, the road will be curved, with plenty of pot holes and boulders to avoid. You will be delayed. Your faith may be tested. With the best of intentions, you will risk and fail. Many around you will be quick to say, I told you so. It will be perfectly natural for you to second guess your own decisions? Did you do the right thing by choosing the more difficult path? It would have been so much easier just to have just stayed at home. No one expects you to be more than you expect for yourself. When you hit a wall, it will be easy to quit, as most do. It will take courage to be a contrarian, to carry on and persist. You may try again and still meet defeat. Now, you may feel crazy to keep going. If you are making the same mistakes again, you are crazy. However, if you are learning from your mistakes, then, with courage, you will become a seasoned veteran and your persistence will pay off. Have, courage, face your fears and do it.
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Sandra Day OConnor Former Assoc. Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court
Aim High
The habit of always doing your best regardless of how unimportant the task is a habit of the successful. As Abraham Lincoln once said: I always prepared myself for the opportunity I knew would come my way. As his career attests, devotion to excellence in all things, even when it seems that the world will little note nor long remember the small tasks in which you find yourself engaged, can have its rewards. Sandra Day The individual can and does make a OConnor difference, even in this populous, complex world of ours. The individual can make things happen. Its the individual who can bring a tear to our eyes and cause us to take pen in hand. It is the individual who has acted or tried to act who will not only force a decision, but have a hand in shaping it. Whether the individual acts in the legal, governmental, or private realm, one concerned and dedicated person can meaningfully affect what some say is an uncaring world. So be a full participant in lifes opportunities. Aim high. If you strive for excellence you can and should have a substantial impact on the world in which you live. 70
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Advertising Basics
Know your business. What is your Unique Value Perspective [UVP]? Your UVP is the single compelling reason why a consumer would choose your product or service over your competitors. Know your target audience. No business can be everything to everybody. Focus. Find your niche and the media that targets your niche. Talk to your customers about their preferences. Talk with and not at your audience. Know your brand. Your logo, colors, slogans, stationary, website and advertising should be simple and direct. They should compliment each other. At a minimum, it will take 7-12 consistent impressions before you are noticed and more to be memorable. Know the media. Do your research. Find the leaders in your industry and design your advertising campaign around their online or offline strategies. Keep it clean and honest. If you have to worry if your message is in good taste, it isnt. Set measurable objectives. When you produce an ad that delivers the desired result, keep running the same ad until it stops working. Satisfied customers are your best advertising, so ask for testimonials and start the buzz. 72
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Act With Boldness
If you want to be in the elite, you have to be self-reliant, make a plan and execute that plan. Every day will bring you one day closer to your goals. If you like your job, figure out how you can advance your career and act. If you dislike your job, figure out an exit strategy and act by getting another job or starting your own business. If you are a business owner or salesperson, remember these ten important words: Know your customer; know your product; ask all to buy. Rich people own real estate, so figure out how you are going to raise downpayment capital to acquire investment real estate. If you have to work fifty hours per week rather than forty, you are prepared to do that. You do what you have to do. Average people waste a lot of time. If you are well organized, you can work to pay your bills. You can work to raise money for investment and manage your investments. You will still have time to fulfill your family, social, health and spiritual needs. It takes a plan. It takes a will. It takes sacrifice. It takes boldness. 76
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One hand washes the other. You are not a monk living alone in a mountain cave. You are a businessperson in the real world. You need to form satisfactory relationships and connect with lots of people: customers, suppliers, shippers, technicians and even competitors. It should be a long list. All networks begin with you as a strong link. You should make a solid impression on those linked to you. Think likeable, competent and helpful. Networking is a two way street. You get what you give. If someone gives you a prospective lead, he will expect you to reciprocate. Dont make people have to guess what you do and what youd like them to do for you. Speak up. Be able to explain clearly what you do. Hand out lot of impressive businesscards. Ask for the business. Ask for testimonials and referrals. Join trade associations. Become involved in local business groups. Volunteer for committees. Learn who the powerful people are in your community and court their support. Cultivate relationships. Practice remembering names. Keep in touch. If people smile when they see you enter a room, you are a good networker. 80
Build Networks
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Hire Slowly
Hiring, which is giving people money, is a lot easier than firing, which is taking money away from them. Hire slowly. You want to hire people with the right qualifications for the right job. You want workers who will comfortably coexist with present staff. Ideally, you want new workers to be smart and hard working. They should not need a lot of hand holding and can either hit the ground running or learn quickly. You want front counter staff to be pleasant and accommodating. You want sales people who are knowledgeable and ambitious. You want customer service employees who are problem solvers and who follow up. You want executives with good communication skills who will get up from behind their desks and lead. Frequently, your best new hires will come from the recommendations of existing employees and from your own networking. If you want the best, you have to be the best yourself. When you have acquired a winning staff, you want to retain them by offering competitive salaries, benefits and perks. Between the first and second interviews, ask prospective employees to read The Action Principles. What do you think about what they think? 81
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Fire Quickly
There is a difference between laying off and firing an employee. A laid-off employee is released for business rather than personal reasons. The business may be in a slump or the employees position may have become redundant. This person may be given an excellent reference, severance package and grace period to find a new job. You fire employees for personal reasons. These workers may have been involved in unsafe, deceptive or dishonest practices. Their image or manner may be unprofessional. They may be missing during work hours or, have shown repeatedly that their job performance was unsatisfactory. The termination should not come as a complete surprise. The fired employees should have received prior written warnings regarding their behavior or performance. Normally, a final warning will carry a thirty-day grace period to correct the problem or be terminated. Do not disparage the problem employee. Call him to the office and be short and to the point. Explain benefits to which the employee may be entitled and how references will be handled. He should be escorted to his work area to collect personal items and immediately escorted out of the building. Document everything. If you expect trouble, have a witness present. This is a difficult part of a managers job. Dont linger. Do it. 82
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Jack Welch Former Chairman of General Electric
Self-Confidence
Arrogance is a killer, and wearing ambition on ones sleeve can have the same effect. There is a fine line between arrogance and self-confidence. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner. The true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open to welcome change and new ideas regardless of their source. Self-confident people arent afraid to have Jack Welch their views challenged. They relish the intellectual combat that enriches ideas. They determine the ultimate openness of an organization and its ability to learn.
How do you find them? By seeking out people who are comfortable in their own skin people who like who they are and are never afraid to show it. Dont ever compromise being you for any job in any institution.
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Learn
All education is ultimately self-education. Keep repeating this fact to yourself and you may save yourself a lot of educational time and money. The job of the teacher is to guide and motivate. You must do the studying. You must make your diplomas and degrees worth more than the value of the paper. Going to a prestigious university used to mean that you had privileged access to the worlds best teaching. You had an advantage. Those days are gone forever. Today anywhere in the world, a motivated student equipped with broadband can get a better education than a lazy Ivy League student. Your life must be a never ending thirst for knowledge. You are curious to know how and why some people get rich. You question why civilizations rise and fall. You try to understand why happy people are the way they are. You want to know lots of things because you want to do lots of things. You read. You listen. You question. You hang out with smart people. You learn. You contribute. You are proud and confident in your self-education. 85
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Read Biographies
The lives of the greatest people ever to walk the earth have been documented. From Confucius to Caesar to Jesus to Leonardo Da Vinci to Abraham Lincoln to Mother Teresa, their lives, their style and their attitudes have been researched and recorded. Why and how did they do what they did? You can choose to read all about it and be inspired From all countries and in all times, there were heroes who shaped the world. Who are your heroes? Who are the people who have already done what it is that you now want to do? Learn about them. There were also dictators and despots but we can be grateful that the good of the human spirit usually does triumph. You can read the history, heed the warnings and stand on guard. As a business person, you are lucky. Besides biographies, most famous business leaders have written autobiographies to show you the way to achieve your own success. The work is there. In the libraries, in the bookstores, on the web, it is there. All education is self-education. Take advantage. 87
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Go Green
Its good for you, your family, the world and your businesss bottom line. Being environmentally conscious can be referred to as eco-capitalism, sustainable business or simply called going green. Many small businesses have reported energy savings of 20%-30% simply by becoming more conscientious. This means adopting measures, such as using more energyefficient lighting, turning down the thermostat, turning off lights, and recycling. Being green is a team effort. Encourage everyone to participate. Buying new appliances is a smart strategy, since many new models are significantly more energy efficient. Easy first steps might be using water filters rather than plastic water bottles and reusable coffee cups rather than polystyrene foam cups. Making electronic copies rather than hard copies and using email more than snail mail are good options. Choosing to drive hybrid corporate vehicles is an increasing popular corporate choice. Supporting vendors who are supporting the environment is always a smart idea. Today, half of all consumers dont care about green but this number is changing as people become more aware of mans impact on Mother Earth. The good news for businesspeople is that half of their buyers do care and half of that number or 25%, a huge niche market, would specifically select a product or service because it was environmentally friendly. 94
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Start a Business Now
You cant just think about starting a small business. At some point, you need to take action. You need to find a way. Here are some suggestions: You can start a business at home. You can start a business on the Internet. You can start an eBay business. You can start a business with a mall cart. You can start a business on the street. You can start a business at swap meets. You can start a business at flea markets. You can start a business with garage sales. You can start a business by sub-letting part of a store. You can start a business part-time. Expand your thinking. You can put yourself in business as a taxi driver, waiter or commissioned salesperson. Find yourself a lawn mower, and start knocking on doors. With the mindset of an Action Principles Champion, you can start many businesses right now! Select choices over excuses. 95
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Supervise
You cant become so preoccupied with your own work that you presume that others are doing their jobs. Youre the boss and supervision is an important managerial responsibility. Do the employees appear cheerful and helpful and ready to help or bored, rude and self-involved? Are customers greeted with a hello when entering the store? Are customers thanked following a purchase? Are the employees attractively and appropriately dressed? Is an apology offered if a customer has had to wait or for any other inconvenience? Do the employees appear knowledgeable about what they are selling? Do employees care enough about their jobs to offer feedback? Do employees make an effort to increase sales for the company by suggesting complimentary items or upgrades? Following your continual observation, you should immediately take corrective or supportive action. In private, give suggestions or warnings to employees needing remediation and in public, praise exemplary behavior. 97
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Deal With It
As an Action Principle Champion, you wont be a business owner without problems. You will be a business owner who knows how to deal with the problems you have. How serious is the problem? Is it permanent or personal? Can you handle the problem yourself or should you enlist the support of others? Have you dealt with a similar problem in the past? How would your heroes and mentors resolve this problem? Use your quiet time to clarify the exact problem, eliminate extraneous aspects and develop possible strategies. Begin by precisely defining the problem. Analyze the problem from different perspectives. Consider solutions. Brainstorm, if necessary. Project the consequences of different strategies. Choose your best option and take decisive action. Review, follow-up, adjust and move on. Dont let small problems linger and fester into unmanageable crises. Take the lead. Make a decision. Deal with it. 100
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Embrace Technology
Dont be left behind. Modern technology is evolving quickly making the entire world your marketplace. Get the right hardware and software and stay in tune with the changes. What are the best and the brightest innovators in your industry imagining and doing? Its probably something thats wireless and probably involves video. Sites like YouTube and Facebook and MySpace are creating social networks of thousands, sometimes millions, linked through a common interest or event. Be there. Start some international buzz. Yesterday, the Internet was the secret world of the nerd and the hipster. Today, your company website or blog or podcast can reach potential buyers anywhere from eight to ninety-eight. The world is listening. Say something.
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