In conversation with one of “me learned chums” this week, the subject of success came up – or more precisely, just what it is that makes some people more successful than others – and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that I have very strong views about this.
I believe that one of the defining and most significant qualities of the most successful people we know is confidence. It is their inner belief that they can achieve anything they want to achieve, and enjoy as much success as they wish – however they personally define success.
Of course, success is different for all of us; some people use overt material indicators to show the rest of us that they think they have made it… large houses, fast cars, ostentatious life styles, with a deliberate “Look at me, I am better than you” statement.
Certainly post-Thatcher, the British tend to judge each other based on the house they live in, the quality of their car, and most recently, how exclusive their children’s school is. It doesn’t seem to matter that the house may be heavily mortgaged or that the car belongs to the company.
But let’s get back to my assertion that successful people – genuinely successful people – have considerable inner confidence and self-belief. If you think about it, it is quite obvious. Success is not an easy thing to obtain – if it was, everyone would be successful, and the word “unsuccessful” would not appear in our dictionaries.
Did young Tom Edison ever lose his self-belief – even after 10.000 “failures”? Apparently, after about 9.000, Mrs. E questioned his sanity, but Tom, visibly unmoved by her taunts, simply replied “You’ll see the light one day my dear”
Did the visionary Walt Disney ever question his theme park plans, even though more than one hundred banks rejected his requests for financial backing? “You want to do what Walt?”
Did any of the most successful authors you have ever read give up after their manuscripts were rejected time after time? – JK Rowling had Harry Potter turned back more than eighty times I am told. I wonder how those eighty editors are feeling now – and the eighty-first really did get the cigar!
No, none of them did, because they had such strong self-belief.
Closely aligned with self-belief are courage, commitment, durability, resilience, patience, and vision. That last one is very important, because it is our ability to visualize what success will feel like that drives us on, and often keeps us going in times of adversity. It is certainly what draws me back into my study late at night.
Can anyone be successful? Yes, of course they can… if they want it badly enough. If one person can be successful, then we all can, but “most people” never work out what it is they really want: They talk in vague terms about more security, more disposable income, more holidays, but never quite make it.
“Most people” spend their twilight years looking back in total frustration – “I wish I had …” “If only I had …” but by then, it is usually too late.
In professional selling, cultivated sales skills; the use of a clearly defined sales process; in-depth knowledge, for example, will only take us so far. Without that strong inner-belief and confidence, we will never, ever, over-achieve.
And do remember that customers and prospects sense when we are confident – about our company, our solutions, and about ourselves. Conversely, they say that dogs smell fear, but customers do too!
My advice – based on my own personal experiences, is always question… but never doubt your ability to succeed.
When doubt enters our minds, confidence slips out via the back door – they can never co-exist.
Be assured, confidence really is the key to success. Arrogance is the exit door!
by Jonathan Farrington
http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk/
I believe that one of the defining and most significant qualities of the most successful people we know is confidence. It is their inner belief that they can achieve anything they want to achieve, and enjoy as much success as they wish – however they personally define success.
Of course, success is different for all of us; some people use overt material indicators to show the rest of us that they think they have made it… large houses, fast cars, ostentatious life styles, with a deliberate “Look at me, I am better than you” statement.
Certainly post-Thatcher, the British tend to judge each other based on the house they live in, the quality of their car, and most recently, how exclusive their children’s school is. It doesn’t seem to matter that the house may be heavily mortgaged or that the car belongs to the company.
But let’s get back to my assertion that successful people – genuinely successful people – have considerable inner confidence and self-belief. If you think about it, it is quite obvious. Success is not an easy thing to obtain – if it was, everyone would be successful, and the word “unsuccessful” would not appear in our dictionaries.
Did young Tom Edison ever lose his self-belief – even after 10.000 “failures”? Apparently, after about 9.000, Mrs. E questioned his sanity, but Tom, visibly unmoved by her taunts, simply replied “You’ll see the light one day my dear”
Did the visionary Walt Disney ever question his theme park plans, even though more than one hundred banks rejected his requests for financial backing? “You want to do what Walt?”
Did any of the most successful authors you have ever read give up after their manuscripts were rejected time after time? – JK Rowling had Harry Potter turned back more than eighty times I am told. I wonder how those eighty editors are feeling now – and the eighty-first really did get the cigar!
No, none of them did, because they had such strong self-belief.
Closely aligned with self-belief are courage, commitment, durability, resilience, patience, and vision. That last one is very important, because it is our ability to visualize what success will feel like that drives us on, and often keeps us going in times of adversity. It is certainly what draws me back into my study late at night.
Can anyone be successful? Yes, of course they can… if they want it badly enough. If one person can be successful, then we all can, but “most people” never work out what it is they really want: They talk in vague terms about more security, more disposable income, more holidays, but never quite make it.
“Most people” spend their twilight years looking back in total frustration – “I wish I had …” “If only I had …” but by then, it is usually too late.
In professional selling, cultivated sales skills; the use of a clearly defined sales process; in-depth knowledge, for example, will only take us so far. Without that strong inner-belief and confidence, we will never, ever, over-achieve.
And do remember that customers and prospects sense when we are confident – about our company, our solutions, and about ourselves. Conversely, they say that dogs smell fear, but customers do too!
My advice – based on my own personal experiences, is always question… but never doubt your ability to succeed.
When doubt enters our minds, confidence slips out via the back door – they can never co-exist.
Be assured, confidence really is the key to success. Arrogance is the exit door!
by Jonathan Farrington
http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk/
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