It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.- Bill Gates

I read this quote in Kirsty Dunphey's weekly newsletter today.  There is some truth to reflecting on failures, however I have come to realise how important it is to reflect on successes.

Being able to replicate & build on success is the key to continued success.

Reflecting on why we are successful  helps us do the right things more often.  Whether it's winning a new client or a round of golf, learning what we did right is often more valuable than trying to fix what we might've got wrong.

The revised quote could be:

"Celebrate success, then learn from it & build on it to replicate the success!" - Tony

Sales Success

In his book, Sales Success, Robin Daubney makes some interesting observations about highly successful salespeople. They all have a very positive mental attitude. He quotes a study that attributes 94% of success to a positive mental attitude and only 6% on aptitude or ability.

Top earning salespeople were analysed and they found that they:
- Had high levels of determination
- Had strong self-discipline
- Had a great desire to succeed
- Worked hard
- Had good health

Steps to success in 2008 and in life

The team from Red Hot Business Coaching spoke about it.

Rex Pemberton, the youngest Australian to conquer Everest, spoke about it.

The power of setting goals.

The really interesting thing is that they don't need to be realistic or achievable. They can be outrageous, unattainable and scary! The tougher the goal, the more inventive we become at how we might approach it.

So, step 1 is to set the goal.

Step 2 is to identify obstacles & develop strategies for overcoming them.

Step 3 was to know what we are passionate about because this will provide the fuel to attain the goal.

The next step was to develop the plan with milestones to achieve the goal.

Finally, get started! A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step - Lao-tzu

A successful sales lesson

Like the bungy cord itself, which is made up of hundreds of small rubber strings bound together, the team at Taupo Bungy worked together to ensure a successful jump.

I can learn much from their smooth process that enabled me to achieve my goal of leaping off a platform 100's of feet above a river.

From the moment I stepped up to the counter, it was like a choreographed dance sequence. The guy behind the counter took my money, I signed the waiver & received an explanation that there was no refund.

When I got to the platform they rechecked my weight (in case I lost too much weight between paying my money & getting to the platform) strapped me in, double checked the binding and explained what would happen. They took me to the edge of the platform and it was as simple as smile at the camera, 3, 2, 1 BUNGEEEEEEEE.... and off I went.

Now, I expected them to ask me are you ready? Or are you sure? But they assumed that I paid my money, I wanted to bungy and their job was to ensure I achieved my goal.

How many times in sales do we get to the crunch question and the sale fails? I believe we would be more successful if we assumed that we are offering what the client wants and get on & do the business.

We can learn from this lesson and develop a process that ensures success from the start.

Setting stupid goals

I don't know why I did it - probably just for the challenge.

3 years ago I set a stretch business goal - and I achieved it.
2 years ago I set a higher goal - and I achieved that too.

Last year I set a goal that was twice the previous year. I didn't need to, but I wanted to see what would happen. As I got closer to the end of 2007, I resigned myself that I would go close but wouldn't achieve the milestone.

But 3 days before Xmas it happened! I achieved the ridiculously high goal. I was thrilled (and relieved).

My boss is already talking about a 10 percent increase in business. I'm already thinking about increases in multiples.

I have learnt goals are truly powerful motivators.

I encourage anyone who wants to achieve success to plan for it.

Winning big time!

I heard a presentation by Craig Lewis who helped the New Zealand Rugby League team achieve a huge sporting upset victory over Australia in 2005.

He asserted that the victory was not due to having the best players (technical execution) or the best coaching (tactical appreciation). It was using the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement to develop a winning campaign.

The team believed they were the most passionate, developing the dream, vision and values that would help them achieve their goal.

They centered their campaign around this passion - calling it the WOW factor!

They developed themes and images that supported the philosophy.

The team won't win every game, but reflecting and learning help them to continuously improve.

How can you use these principles to help you achieve your dreams?

In search of success?

There is no point aiming for success if you don't actually know what success means.

Most importantly - what it means to YOU.

Each of us will have a different measure of success. For one student it might be getting an A+, for another it might be passing, and another it might be getting out of bed after a big night out.

Money on its own is very rarely an accurate a measure of success.

Spend the time to work out what real success means to you. If it doesn't "feel" right, it probably isn't. Keep working on it until it "feels" right.

Not knowing what success looks like can be compared to going for a drive in the car without knowing what destination you are going to. You can still travel without actually going anywhere.

Once you work out where you want to go, then you can develop the plan to get there.

Lessons from a salesman

Last night I hosted a seminar with Guy Baker, author of "Why People Buy" who shared some of his thoughts and insights.

One of the most engaging moments for me was his 3 step introduction:

1. Successful people are too busy being successful to deal with the important stuff - how can you help them?


2. Everybody has a plan by design or default.


3. Every plan has a price tag. Do your clients know what their plan costs? If they don't know, you can help them.

In answer to the question, why do people buy? His answer was "Because they want it".

He believes salespeople should focus on problems rather than solutions to uncover the pain, then be the expert to solve the problem.

Goal setting - case study

My 14 year old son recently found a story I wrote for him when he was 2. It was called The Tractor Boy, after we spent a weekend on a farm. He gave me the words and I typed them up, it started "When I grow up, I want to have my own farm..."

He already owns 2 cows and 2 sheep and he's passionate about gaining farming skills.

If we set goals by writing them down and passionately work towards achieving those goals, we are more likely to achieve them.

It's never too late to start!

I use the following free websites to help manage my goals:

www.joesgoals.com

www.43things.com

Dick's lessons

I had the pleasure of hearing (and learning from) a very entertaining Dick Tayler, winner of the 1974 10 kilometre gold medal at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

His success story can be applied to life, business and sales.

It was a very simple story with a very strong message. Meticulous planning combined with thorough preparation will position you on the winners podium.

Dick's coach, Arthur Lydiard, had given Dick a complete training plan, long distances and conditioning meant Dick was in peak physical condition. A race plan meant he had a mental plan for success. The gold medal speaks for itself.

By planning and preparing, success can be yours!