Article contributed by Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman
In the movie, “A League of Their Own,” the baseball coach talked to his dispirited team, saying, “Of course it’s hard. If it wasn’t hard, everybody would do it!”
That’s the way it is with success. It can be hard. But there are four sure-fire ways to achieve success at almost anything every time without failure.
4 Ways to Achieve Your Goals & Succeed Every Time Without Failure
1. Work hard.
There’s no substitute for hard work. Simply put, there “ain’t no free lunch.”
When I look at highly successful people, I think, “It’s no wonder they’re doing so well. Look at everything they’re doing.”
Could the same thing be said about you? If someone were to follow you around for a week and painstakingly record everything you did to advance your career, would that person walk away with a long list of all the things you’re doing to get ahead? Or would that person have a long list of the excuses you gave and the time you wasted?
Sometimes people fool themselves into thinking they’re putting out a 100% effort … when in reality, they’re not. For example, many people are out of work these days, and I’ve often heard them say, “I sent out 100 resumes, and I didn’t get any response. I did everything I could.”
One hundred percent effort means that you’ve exhausted every possible opportunity for reaching your goal. If you’re looking for a job, 100 percent effort would include researching individual companies you want to work for, sending these companies personalized letters, calling to follow up, calling other people in the industry, and networking.
One hundred percent effort means telling a potential boss, “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of applicants here. But I believe so strongly in my ability to meet your needs, I’ll work for you for 30 days with no pay. Let me prove to you my ability. In 30 days, evaluate my performance. If it’s not up to par, let me go. But when I prove myself to you, I expect to be given the job and paid for the 30 days of work.”
Now that’s putting in 100% effort! And that’s what you need to do to succeed in any area of life … because success is more often the result of hard work than the result of talent.
2. Practice endurance.
To many people, “endurance” is a nasty word. They would like to come by success the “easy” way. They want it to fall into their laps.
But that’s an extremely rare occurrence. 99.99% of the time, success comes AFTER you “endure” awhile. And all the greats in every field of endeavor have learned how to “endure.”
As professional tennis player Bjorn Borg noted, “My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.”
Could the same be said of you?
Or do people … secretly behind your back … say you bail out when things get a little tough? Do they say you give up way too easily or throw in the towel too quickly? Do they point out the fact that you seldom finish what you start?
If you answer “yes” to any of these latter questions, remember the words of John Quincy Adams. He noted, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” In other words, there’s power in perseverance.
3. Keep on believing.
Believe in yourself. Believe in a power bigger than yourself. Believe in success. And believe you can be successful.
That’s what Lee Iacocca, the former chairman of the Chrysler Corporation did. When the world told him to let his debt-ridden company die, Iacocca refused. He didn’t wait for the economy to change or for a government bailout to rescue him.
Iacocca kept believing in himself, in his company, in his products, and in his workers. He pronounced, “So what do we do? Anything — something. So long as we don’t just sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.”
4. Stay committed.
Everything else being equal, commitment wins every time. So fight back any feelings of discouragement that might get in your way. Don’t allow yourself to hang it up when things get rough.
If you’re going to be successful, you’ve got to remember the letters M.I.H. It stands for… Make It Happen.
As you pursue your goals, as you strive towards excellence and success, follow these four points and you’re sure to win. After all, most people don’t fail. They just give up.
About the Author
Dr. Alan Zimmerman has taught the 12 keys to peak performance and incredible success to more than one million people. Now you can get a FREE guided tour of the 12 keys in his life-changing “JOURNEY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY” program simply by visiting: http://www.journey-to-the-extraordinary.com
Author: Pamela Swift
Categories
Researcher Research Thyself
Article Contributed by Guy Kingston
Here is a truly horrifying thought: there is actually a specialist graduate degree of Master of Marketing Research, with the post-nominal letters MMR.
Nor is this a gimmick or a cash-cow for one of those otherwise unknown “universities” that offer to send you a degree in return for your “lifetime experience” and a large fee.
No, this is a proper degree offered by over a dozen serious universities, mainly in the USA.
You wonder what sort of eager young scholar, with all the mind-broadening opportunities of a university education spread before them, would choose to dedicate one or two of the most fertile years of their life to such a narrow subject.
Of course, if anyone developed a scientific system that enabled them to predict market responses with a high degree of accuracy, it would be worth the effort. It would open the doors to success not only in business but almost every other aspect of life. The world would belong to the market researchers. Not only a year or two but a decade or two would be well spent in its study.
Indeed, some of the finest minds in academia have been attracted, both by the cross-disciplinary intellectual challenges and by the potential rewards, to the study of customer behaviour.
It is a favourite subject at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, who dole out the Nobel Prizes for Economics. Several Laureates, like Professor Daniel McFadden of UC Berkeley, who won the Prize for his theories on “choice modelling”, have specialised in aspects of econometrics which, whether or not they liked to put it this way, provided a theoretical basis for market research.
There is only one drawback to all this formidable academic output: it is useless.
The test of the validity of any scientific theory is not only how well it explains the past but how well it predicts the future.
If these academic theories of consumer choice were of any use, they should be able to provide models to predict future consumer choice.
We cannot help noticing the absence of such a model in the business world.
If such a model existed, Professor McFadden and his ilk would be very wealthy. While some do indeed make a tidy sum from consultancy, it is difficult to see how their clients are better off for their services.
For the bottom line on market research is that all the greatest failures in marketing history have been preceded by intensive market research using the most advanced specialist techniques available.
This is because big failures can only come from big product launches, and big product launches can only come from big corporations, because only they can afford big products and big launches. The big corporations usually spend lavishly on market research before the launch. This is not because they really believe the market research but so that the junior executives can cover themselves with the senior executives, the marketing managers with the general managers, the management with the directors, and the board with their shareholders.
Then, if something goes wrong, everyone can say, “Well, it is not my fault – I employed the most respected market researchers, who used the very latest methods, and they told me everything was going to be fine, so how was I to know?”
This means that every big product launch has been approved by advanced market research – and since a lot of big product launches end in failure, all these failures have been endorsed by market research.
Perhaps the great problem with market research is conceptual. It puts a great deal of thought and analysis into studying consumer decisions, but consumers put very little thought or analysis into their decisions.
This is why the focus group is a bad idea: it gets potential customers to spend an hour talking about decisions they would usually make in a second. This is artificial as a method and so any conclusions it reaches will be equally artificial.
As ever, wisdom is found not in academia but in The Simpsons. When Homer’s millionaire brother asks him to design the car that average Americans like him would want to buy, Homer puts in every fantasy element he can imagine and ends up designing a monstrosity that no one would want to buy.
In fact, Homer’s car is curiously reminiscent of one that was designed in response to a great deal of market research into what the public “really wanted”… the Ford Edsel.
About the Author
Guy Kingston produces and presents the Mind Your Own Business podcast, offering free business advice to entrepreneurs and business owners. As well as audio podcasts there are more articles like this, compelling videos and a must-read blog. All at www.myobpod.com or you can network and join in discussions on the MYOB Facebook group.
According to Forbes Magazine, businesses that don’t accept credit cards lose as much as 70% of sales to competitors who do allow this method of payment. With the number of Americans that use credit cards to make purchases increasing every day, you can’t afford to lose this many potential customers or clients. Here’s a quick and easy, real-world tested guide to accepting credit cards:
Merchant Accounts: The Basics
The merchant account is the “middle man” between a credit card account and a business’ bank account. Businesses that only process cards online usually use gateway software that collects credit card information, where retail businesses typically use credit card swipe machines. Whichever method you use, it’s necessary to have a merchant account to collect the information, verify it with the customer’s credit card provider, and make the transfer of funds from their account to yours. Merchant account providers often “bundle” the costs of online processing software into the account service costs.
Billing
Generally, merchant account providers will assess a fee for each transaction, whether a sale or a return (a “chargeback”). These fees are a portion of the transaction amount or a specified dollar amount. Many companies require monthly minimums, and will charge your business the remaining amount if this minimum is not met. Billing occurs automatically, as each “batch” of transactions is processed, typically at the close of each business day. Vendors provide reports detailing transactions, charges, and payments made at specified intervals.
Transaction Types
The fee assessed for each transaction typically depends on the way the sale or return is recorded. Swipe machines or those with signature capture devices carry the lowest risk of fraud, and thus transactions are less expensive to process. Online transaction s or those that are “keyed in” are typically more expensive, depending on the security measures taken to record the transaction. Vendors assess higher fees for “chargeback” or return transactions.
Service Contracts
Most businesses sign a service agreement that covers a specified period of time. Canceling your account before the service term expires generally carries penalties and fees, much like breaking a lease. Your per-transaction and monthly minimum rates are set when you apply for an account and sign the service agreement. The best rates are reserved for those businesses with a stable financial history and high credit card sales volume- many vendors offer “tiered” rate structures, where the per-transaction rate decreases the higher your sales volume rises. Though newer businesses just starting out might not be eligible for the best rates right away, they can negotiate for better terms as the business becomes more profitable.
Equipment and Software
Credit card processing equipment and software costs are often included in the service contract you sign with a provider. If you own or manage a retail store, chances are you’ll only need hardware, such as a swipe terminal or a signature capture device. Businesses that sell products online can puchase “gateway” software that is billed along with the merchant account service bill. Credit card terminals can be purchased, financed, or leased. It’s always a good idea to ask if there are any discounted models, or if a certain model is included with an account agreement.
Choosing an Account Provider: Where to Start
The most popular places to find a merchant services provider are through referral or using a vendor match service. You can consult businesses similar to yours in terms of size and sales volume: Ask who they use as a provider, if they are satisfied with the service they receive, and if they have any particular recommendations. A vendor search service allows you to compare several different companies, ask for quotes, and choose a vendor based on your requirements. Make sure you compare several different merchant account providers before signing a contract for services.
Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.
Article Contributed by By Sandy Grason
Last week I was having coffee with a new acquaintance, “Jen” who just happens to be one of the most successful business women I’ve ever met. I was sharing one of my crazy manifesting stories when Jen leaned into me, as if she was about to share some juicy bit of gossip and said; “Sandy, you have got such big balls and that’s why you get everything you want in business and in life”
Ahhhhhh! I fell backward, mouth wide open and began to laugh hysterically. “What are you talking about?!”
The rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Jen said and wondering “What does it mean to have ‘balls’?” Is that even a good thing?
When I stopped to look at some of the amazing and FUN things that I’ve experienced in my life, I noticed that often times ‘it’ required me to step out of my comfort zone- sometimes in a major way.
So I came up with these tips and inspirations gleaned from my new favorite compliment.
How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone & Find Your B.A.L.L.S. So You Can Get Everything You Want
B = Belief
You must have unshakeable belief in yourself and the World around you. It starts with a vision, and you have to believe that you wouldn’t have this vision if you didn’t already have everything you need to make it a reality.
A = Authenticity
You must be willing to authentically express yourself, even if it makes people uncomfortable. Be big. Be the Rock Star. Do not make yourself small in order to make others like you or to fit in. When you allow yourself to shine in your fabulousness, it will spill over onto those around you and lift them up.
L = Let’s Get Loud
These are the lyrics to Jennifer Lopez’s song “let’s get loud”, “You want to live your life, you got to live it all the way and don’t you waste it. There’s a feeling that could be so very sweet you gotta taste it. You gotta do it your way, you gotta prove it, you gotta mean what you say- you know what we’re here for! Let’s Get Loud”. There are words to live, love and laugh by.
L = Licious-ness
This is that Unique-ness that is only YOU. When you are clear in your Unique Essence, there is no competition. There is only one of you. When I turned 40, something happened & my “Sandy-ness” became “Sandy-liciousness.” You must express your most delicious & fabulous self in every moment!
S = Super-Hero
You must be the super-hero of your life. There is no knight-in-shining-armor coming to save you. Imagine that your life is a movie and YOU are the hero, the super-hero. Your life is waiting to be written, you might as well make it a blockbuster hit! BE that which you desire. Starting now….. Go!
How Having B.A.L.L.S. Helped Me Get Everything I Wanted in Business and in Life
Having B.A.L.L.S. has enabled me to write a best-selling book, land an agent and get a top publisher. Having B.A.L.L.S. helped me become an international speaker who steps out onto stages in front of thousands of people. Having B.A.L.L.S. has helped me create a 6-figure information marketing and coaching empire that allows me to work from home (often in my pj’s) doing what I love with my husband and family by my side.
What could having B.A.L.L.S. do for you?
Would having B.A.L.L.S. help your business grow faster? Would B.A.L.L.S. increase your bank account? Your client list? Your circle of influence?
You bet it would! It’s time to take action, right now. Go do something that scares you just a little. It is your responsibility to live your dreams! It is your responsibility to bring your expression, your Unique Essence, your B.A.L.L.S. to the world. It’s the only way you will get everything you want in business and in life.
So, go get ’em, baby!
About the Author
Sandy Grason is a Rock Star Author, International Speaker & Hot Mogul who helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners live their dreams and get everything they want in business and in life. Now you can take her new, free Hot Mogul Quiz and get Fabulous Free Gifts including: 60-minute mp3 download “The Manifesting Mojo Class” where you’ll learn how to rock your manifesting mojo now at http://www.sandygrason.com/freeaudio/
Article Contributed by by David Gruttadaurio
One of the most reasonable approaches to surviving an economic downturn is to slash all unnecessary business expenses.
In their panic to save money, wild-eyed and frothy-mouthed entrepreneurs begin looking suspiciously at their marketing plans. On the surface, advertising cutbacks would seem to be a logical choice.
Why Entrepreneurs Make the Mistake of Cutting Their Marketing Budgets
If you have taken a close look at the magazines that arrive in your mailbox every month, you may have noticed they’ve been down-sized… and it wasn’t the publisher’s idea.
Advertisers are running for hills in droves as they pull back and slash their marketing budgets – in many cases by half. The result is formerly burgeoning magazines that are now a shadow of their former selves.
It’s a tempting… but very dangerous strategy. Especially when you consider that your company thrives on both client retention and new growth to survive.
To stay out of economic harms way, you need to keep your marketing momentum at full throttle even during a recession. And now is the BEST time since your competitors are hiding from potential customers. Your marketing will really stand out even more!
But, if you think that “hunkering down” through an economic storm is the way for your business to survive a recession…
Here Are the Top 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Kill Your Small Business
1. STOP MARKETING and pretend everybody knows who you are and what you have to sell.
2. STOP MARKETING and fantasize that you have more important worries than promoting your business.
3. STOP MARKETING and make believe your customers won’t notice that you discontinued your monthly client newsletter.
4. STOP MARKETING and keep telling yourself that your customers would never abandon you.
5. STOP MARKETING and ignore the potential new clients that would buy your products or services if they were contacted by you.
6. STOP MARKETING and stop thinking about your competitors and the fact they want your customers.
7. STOP MARKETING and keep telling yourself it costs too much to market.
8. STOP MARKETING and disregard the fact that marketing is not a business expense but an investment.
9. STOP MARKETING and make-believe your established customers don’t need to be reminded that you appreciate their business.
10. STOP MARKETING and forget that now is the best time to market since all of the idiots are cutting back on doing it.
Certainly the choice is yours. You can follow the above practices and drive your business into the ground. It’s up to you. But do you really want to bury your business forever?
If the answer is ‘no’…
Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Should Relentlessly Market Your Business Today:
* Prove to your clients that you really do value and appreciate them – market to them using a print newsletter.
* Show your customers that you are a successful entrepreneur willing to invest in your relationship with them – send a monthly print newsletter.
* Instill trust, credibility and confidence in you and your company as well as your service or product – publish a customer newsletter.
The Bottom Line
If asked to list their company’s most valuable assets, many would include buildings, equipment, inventory and accounts receivables.
Very few would even think to include their customers.
Your clients are the most valuable asset you have. When you use attentive, relationship-building marketing strategies like distributing a print newsletter, you create a bond that will allow you to weather any type of economic environment.
About the Author
When Print Newsletter Marketing Expert David Gruttadaurio discovered the power of consistently writing and distributing print newsletters to attract and retain clients, he instantly tripled the sales of his cleaning business. Now, David is revealing his bullet-proof plan to survive this new, emerging economy with his Profit Exploding Newsletter Secrets Report at: http://www.NewslettersMadeForYou.com