Wednesday 10 December 2014

Steps to Success


Author: Theresa Ann Campbell 


Being in business for five years, I’ve learned 3 important lessons: 
  1. Book knowledge will not always close the deal for you. 
  2. Sometimes, the person you think is the president of the company isn’t and the person you think isn’t the president, typically is. 
  3. Its not about how fast you run. The race goes to those who finish. Ultimately, I’ve learned that staying true to my desires, dreams and goals are the only way to walk in my true destiny. 

I’m in the business of helping people navigate the every-changing terrain of taking their business from idea to reality. I’m excited to share with you my 7 Steps to Success.  

7 Steps to Success 

1. Tell yourself there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Fear of failure or rejection is why most people do not ask for what they want. Most of us are afraid that going out on an emotional limb will result in humiliation if they fail. 

Strategy: Before making your request, take plenty of time to remind yourself of the importance of what you are asking for. Tell yourself the only thing that matters is whether or not you are making good and well-articulated points. Also know that you are guided by a formidable and omnipresent force. Tapping into the universal energy always helps to alleviate fears. 

 2. Before you try to sell others, sell yourself. Two of the most important elements involved in asking for what you want — and-getting it — are self-confidence and determination. Unless you believe in your heart that you will eventually win over the other side, you will likely falter or become troubled at the first sign of resistance. 

Strategy: Focus on serving others and the results you want for your clients. Focus on loving and giving. Know that you have a special gift to offer that only you can give. There is a person right now praying for the service that only you can provide. Be humbly persistent. 

3. Organize your thoughts. You can’t expect to get the results you want if the other side doesn’t understand your request. 

Strategy: Write out exactly what you want. Then redraft your points until your reasoning is clear, ordered and can be easily related. Practice in front of a mirror, or discuss the points with friends to be sure they make sense and you didn’t leave anything out. 

4. When you ask, ask from your heart. Important requests are always better received when those making them are passionate, friendly, polite and firm. Such a stance is difficult to resist. It increases your odds of success, or at least minimizes the chance that your personality or attitude will sabotage your request. 

Strategy: Ask in an enthusiastic manner and voice. Be original. It’s okay to have a mentor or an icon that you look up to or model yourself after, but find a trait, a way of speaking, or a special way to dress that sets you apart. Maintain steady eye contact to show that you mean business, but also exhibit respect and admiration for the person to whom you are speaking. In general, you stand a much better chance of getting what you want when you make people feel at ease and show them that you are truly excited about what you are requesting.

5. Prepare to deal with obstacles. Even if you do everything right, you might still meet obstacles. The person you are asking might want to confer with someone else before he/she makes a final decision; or he may want to table his answer, hoping that you’ll retreat from your position once you have had some time to think about it, or he might just say no.

Strategy: If someone resists or challenges your request, be polite and gracious. Do not lose your temper or become discouraged. Instead of seeing the other person’s resistance as a dead end, view it as part of a continuing conversation. Translate every no into a next. Realize a no doesn’t mean stop — it simply means not yet. Never ever take anything personally. True love holds no record of wrongs.

6. Learn the art of saying thank you. Whether or not you get what you want, say thank you. Gratitude will leave the other person open to giving you what you want — or more of what you want — sometime in the future.

Strategy: Say thank you directly to the person and follow up with a written note. In some cases, flowers or a gift may be appropriate. Be polite in every situation. Common courtesy never hurt anyone. Learning the art of expressing gratitude will force you to focus on the positive. It will also keep you from holding a grudge, which is difficult to hide and only works against you in the long run.  

7. Have fun. What I know for sure is that if you’re always a sourpuss and you handle your business with a scowl on your face, you’ll go nowhere fast. Show some passion in all of your endeavors. Your clients will love you for it and you’ll have more business! 

Strategy: Dance a lot. Enjoy family time with friends with dinner and music. Take dancing lesson or an improvisational class. 

These are seven great advice that I believe that every woman entrepreneur should adopt.  They are my 7 steps to success that I use and I hope that they help you in taking your business forward. They are also applicable to all women business owners regardless of geography, business sector, and size of your business.  

2 comments:

  1. Great article Theresa! I especially like - before you sell others, sell yourself. Clients ask me if they have the right offer. I put that right back on them. Would you want that if someone were offering it to you? Is there any way to make it even more irresistable?!?

    Also love the part about having fun. It is so important! We work for ourselves - there is no reason to make it painful, or stressful. We should all enjoy.

    Thank you so much for your article. Best wishes!

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  2. You're welcome, Misti! Glad you enjoyed it! I find the more I keep things light, the easier it is to attract clients and great connections.

    To your success!
    Theresa Campbell
    Be Next Entertainment
    theresa@benextentertainment.com

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