Success Newsletters

The one thing I know for sure about success is that to achieve it you have to be a participant. You must be prepared to take action, be a player. Success is about being willing to take the journey, no matter where it might lead you. It involves being able to stay on course, to take the bumps, the knocks, the inevitable twists and turns that will come your way on your journey. Writer, Lynn Gerald said, “If the sun can shine after the darkest storm, so can we.”

Mary Kay Ash, one of the most famous and dynamic women in American business, died recently at the age of 83. She was well known for her flamboyant personality and media savvy, as well as her generous rewards program for her cosmetic sales force. She rewarded her top sales performers with gifts, which included diamond rings and pink Cadillac cars. She loved the color pink, so much so that the 19,000-square foot mansion she once owned was painted pink, and included a gigantic pink marble bathtub. She certainly stood out from the crowd with a style all of her own.

In 1979 H. Ross Perot, CEO of Electronic Data Systems in Texas, or better known to most of us as the larger than life figure who formerly ran for President of the U.S, was pondering an opportunity to buy a fledging company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States.

We are judged by our actions in business and in relationships constantly. Think about these five principles whenever you come in to contact with people. They are rock solid and if followed will serve you well.

This was my first article that I wrote for my initial newsletter back in January 2001. The response to this article was amazing; it was picked up by many magazines and prestigious newsletters around the world including Message from the Masters and has since turned in to one of my professional speaking programs. Per the request of the many people who did not have an opportunity to read the first newsletter, I am reprinting it to start off this New Year. I hope you enjoy it.

Today, just delivering customer service is not enough. It takes a lot more to win the heart, mind and loyalty of your customer. You have to work hard to build trust with your customer, you have to work harder to nurture the win-win relationship, and your entire focus needs to be on making your customers and clients feel so important and special that they would not want to go anywhere else; then, and only then, will they go beyond just wanting your product or service to recommending and introducing you to others as well. Customer satisfaction and retention is the key to keeping and growing your organization or business. Customer service is not a choice in today’s highly competitive world, it is a necessity. It is a commitment to excellence every time you pick up that phone, try to sell your product or service, speak to the customer, or answer your customer’s questions or concerns. Customer service is how you present yourself in both formal and informal settings.

I have had the unique opportunity over the years to work with and/or study some of the smartest and most successful business people spanning many industries. I have been able to apply and practice this learning in my own business and sales success. Based on this experience I have deduced that these six rules, or powerful P’s, are truly the building blocks for success. Yes, they may be articulated differently, however, it is these same six things I have seen used by very successful companies, both small and large. They work equally as well for an entrepreneur just getting started or the sales professional, as the large corporation that wants to take their business to the next level. If you follow them, and that is the operative word, follow them…..you will not go to far wrong.

Sometimes I think we may feel that we have to do the big things in life to stand out from the crowd, to make a difference, but in my experience I have found that it is the little things that we do on a consistent basis that are usually the most powerful. I would like to share with you 8 ways that I have found help you stand out from the crowd. Some are based on my own personal and professional experience, and some I have observed in other people who I admire and respect. Make your own list, compare, but the main point of the exercise is to integrate the points in to your daily life and the key to its success is by implementing them.

Canadian born actor, Jim Carrey, is today one of the highest paid and most famous movie stars in the world, but success did not come easy for Jim. He had to leave school in Grade 9 to help his working class parents make ends meet once his father lost his job. One of his first jobs was as a janitor.

We hear a lot today about being your best, taking care of business, achieving success, performing at your peak. What we don’t always hear is what it takes to sustain peak performance.