4 Healthy Obsessions

Can Obsession Be Healthy?

YES! While the word "obsession" is rarely used in a positive way, becoming obsessed with communication, psychology, education, and relationships is what we most need to succeed in business, and in life! At STAYSUCCESSFUL, our sole focus is accelerating, continuing, and growing the success of our clients. By helping the already successful salesperson, business owner, business professional, executive, and team, we clear the path despite a challenging (and ever-changing) economy. While these times may seem extraordinary, and indeed they are, we must never lose our tireless pursuit of excellence, and these 4 obsessions will help!

Communication - a vital organ of success

Effectively conveying your message is paramount to achievement in business. Clear, concise communication is a necessary skill for profitable word-of-mouth marketing, more commonly known as business networking. Less is more. Verbal vomit, a technical term for over-speaking your welcome, is a sure way to lose the valuable attention (and time) of those who most need to know who you are, and what you do. Be specific about who you want to meet. Educate briefly on how you can help them. Differentiate your company, products, services, and acumen distinctively. Motivate your network passionately to trust you, introduce you, and refer you over the competition. How well you practice is how well you play, and how well you play is displayed in the number high quality introductions you achieve, and the number of qualified referrals you receive. Think about it!

Psychology - your mindset is the fuel for bodily action

Someone once correctly said "the mind is a terrible thing to waste", and we could not agree more! Nothing creates waste on your brain (and poor performance) more than self-imposed negativity. Starting positive is one way to ensure a successful day, week, month, and life. How do you do it? Reflect upon your best success. How did you do it? Remind yourself continuously of the steps involved in your best success, and they will become habit. Put more focus on enhancing your strengths, and just enough focus to address your weakness. Speak the language of success, hope and possibility within your client and business success stories. Also, consider who's talking favorably about you – and share it! Who’s had success with you - share it! Keep your mind in shape, think about the value you provide, and your positive energy will resonate.

Education – the continual process of learning

You can teach the old dog new tricks! OK, okay – we are not suggesting you’re a dog or that you are old; however, are you eager to learn new methods, tactics, and tools? To the point, if we humans were more like our K9 friends, we'd be so much better off. Why? Dogs are driven (and perform best) with routine; whereas humans are driven by habit. If we humans could bring more positive routine into our lives (and less bad habit), especially in the area of self-education, we'd be eager to: read more about our field, listen more to experts in our field, speak more with others about our field, and innovate more to grow our field. How are you "sharpening your saw" as Stephen Covey would say? Articles, blogs, CD's, books, podcasts, seminars, colleges & universities, and trainings are available. Become obsessed to develop the habit and routine of self-education!

Relationships - the foundation of a successful life
Connected or disconnected – which one are you? The answer lies in the level of knowledge that you purposefully gather about every relationship in your Rolodex. "I have thousands of contacts in my Outlook, ACT!, or database" is a commonly heard statement. OK - but how many relationships do you have? The advent of Google, Facebook, and Twitter have us falsely believing that we are truly connected, when in fact, we are genuinely disconnected. Disagree? Good! Try this exercise: open your database – proceed to the letter S – select the first name in your S section and answer these 5 questions: What is this person’s primary goal for 2009? What accomplishment are they most proud of from 2008? What interests does this person have beyond their work? What skills does this person have beyond business? This is called the GAINS Profile, and was introduced by Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder & Chairman of BNI. If you are like most, many of these items are not known to you. How connected you are is more about what you know about who you know, than the number of people you think you know. It is also about your ability to refer qualified opportunities and solutions to your network via meetings, phone calls, and email. Think about it! If you are not certain, or feel that you could use a refresher on your network, or networking skills, then tune in to www.getconnected10.com, and join us for International Networking Week (www.internationalnetworkingweek.com) in 2010. Plan now, save now, and invest in yourself!

I challenge you to become obsessed with communication, psychology, education and relationships. It will change your business, and your life!

The Six FUNdamentals of netWORKing

(1) Farming vs. Hunting

Your rolodex is your most important business asset. Who you know is not as important as what you know about who you know. Categorizing your contacts and organizing your word-of-mouth (networking) plan creates the opportunity for the development of profitable relationships.

(2) Less is More

Verbal vomit is the worst thing you can do to another professional, and certainly is not a good way to start a new business relationship. Please don't assume that people you meet at events want to know everything about you, or your business. Time is of the essence, so get to the point quickly, and strategically, through a focused, targeted business message that builds attraction to you and your business.

(3) Investment AND Involvement

Business professionals commonly take the either-or approach to decision-making about marketing and/or involvement. You've made the membership investment into an organization (or several), but are you involved in the organization to a level high enough to create opportunity? Hint: sending your application & check, or simply attending a breakfast or lunch or committee meeting (once) does not mean you're involved. Maximizing your participation in business organizations of different types is the starting point to building the VCP Method, according to Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder & Chairman of BNI (http://www.bni.com/). A business and professional must be visible to become credible, which leads them to profitable with involvement, thus VCP.

(4) Perfect Practice Makes Perfect Business

Sports teams practice. Doctors practice. Attorneys practice. Do you? How well you practice your business, including how well you prepare and present, reflects upon YOU. A team that does not practice, or practice well - does not play well. Same holds true in business. If you practice your communication, practice your pitch, practice your networking, practice your sales & marketing tactics, you'll soon realize that perfect practice, makes perfect business.

(5) CARE!

Sounds simple, right? Wrong! Let's talk about customer service. If you're like most, your brain just shut off. Do we really have to tell you to care more than anyone else, care more than your competition, care more than your neighbor, care more than your colleague, and care more than your partner or company? YES - obviously we do, and if you don't believe me, reflect upon your last experience where someone, anyone, went out of their way to show you how much they care, just because.... 'nough said. Care more than anyone else, everyday, and make it your habit to give more, coach more, forgive more, and share more. See what happens and let me know. I look forward to hearing from you, IF YOU CARE ENOUGH TO SHARE!

(6) How Can I Help You?

These are simply the 5 most powerful words in business networking, and in life. No alterior motive, no hidden agenda, just straight talk and committed action. Try it! Ask your best friend, your wife, your parents, your colleagues, your customers, your prospective customers, your vendors, your suppliers, your neighbors, your worst enemy - how can I help you? Don't be alarmed if at first they don't get what you're asking, because nobody ever does with sincerity, or rarely anyway. Explain that your goal is to help them with whatever they need, and if they can't think of it right now, fine... request that they let you know when they have something, and follow-up so they know you're sincere. The results will not only pleasantly surprise you, they will change your business, and your life.

The (6) FUNdamentals of netWORKing are supposed to bring the FUN back to the WORK of being in business. I hope you'll give them a try.

2009 - Your Best Year Yet!

Imagine ......

It's 12/31/09, the last day of the year. The Holidays have come and gone, and you find yourself reflecting upon the past year, when you enthusiastically exclaim: 2009 was my best year yet! How would you feel? AWESOME! HAPPY! ENCOURAGED! SUCCESSFUL! So what would that mean to your business, your family, and your life to make 2009 your best ever? Let's explore that possibility to ensure this becomes reality for you.

Success Is Your Choice......

It's a new year, and the coming days, weeks and months will be full of opportunities, obstacles, and choices. Where does success start? Right here, right now, today! That's right. Today (like everyday) is a choice. A choice for you personally, and professionally, to "better your previous days best", as Dick Zalak would say of FOCUS 4. Success can (and will) be your's, if you'll dare to decide! Decide to set s.m.a.r.t. goals. Decide to netWORK more effectively. Decide to ask "how can I help you" in every conversation. Decide to get involved in your community. Decide to focus on your core competency. Decide to communicate more succinctly. Decide that success will be yours!

I DARE YOU!

More than a statement, it's a famous little book written decades ago by the visionary Jonathan Danforth III (founder of the American Youth Foundation, (http://www.ayf.com/) The simple concepts changed my perspective, and my life. It was a gift from Harold Holden Sr., the founder of Holden Graphic Services where I spent my nights & weekends working my way through college. I am forever grateful to Mr. Holden for sharing it, and if you can find it, "I Dare You" will change your perspective, too. How? Within these rather unassuming pages are a treasure chest of meaningful statements, paraphrased as follows: I Dare You to Commit to Excellence. I Dare You to be Physically Stronger. I Dare You to Work Harder. I Dare You to Give More. I Dare You to Love More. I Dare You to Be Courageous. You get the idea, right?

I Dare You.... to succeed!

"Success is never-ending, and failure is never final", words of wisdom from Robert Shuler. Success begins with a well designed business (or life) plan created each year that drives to your vision, while keeping ever-constant your mission, with annual goals including objectives that are best measured daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

Use your imagination to envision 12/31/09, make the choice, and dare yourself to succeed!