8 Things Wildly Successful People Do

8 Things Wildly Successful People Do:
The most successful people in business work differently. See what they do--and why it works.
I'm fortunate to know a number of remarkably successful people. I've described how these people share a set of specific perspectives and beliefs.
They also share a number of habits:
1. They don't create back-up plans.
Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.
You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.
If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.
2. They do the work...
You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.
But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.
Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.
There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.
So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.
3. ...and they work a lot more.
Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.
Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.
Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.
If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.
4. They avoid the crowds.
Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.
Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.
5. They start at the end...
Average success is often based on setting average goals.
Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.
Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.
Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.
6. ... and they don't stop there.
Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.
Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...
The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.
Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.
7. They sell.
I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.
Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.
Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...
When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."
You just need to communicate.
8. They are never too proud.
To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.
To fail.
And to try again.

5 Things Really Smart People Do

5 Things Really Smart People Do:
Don't get in the way of your own learning. Here are five ways to step aside and continue to increase your smarts.
Most people don't really think much about how they learn. Generally you assume learning comes naturally. You listen to someone speak either in conversation or in a lecture and you simply absorb what they are saying, right? Not really. In fact, I find as I get older that real learning takes more work. The more I fill my brain with facts, figures, and experience, the less room I have for new ideas and new thoughts. Plus, now I have all sorts of opinions that may refute the ideas being pushed at me. Like many people I consider myself a lifelong learner, but more and more I have to work hard to stay open minded.
But the need for learning never ends, so your desire to do so should always outweigh your desire to be right. The world is changing and new ideas pop up everyday; incorporating them into your life will keep you engaged and relevant. The following are the methods I use to stay open and impressionable. They'll work for you too. No matter how old you get.
1. Quiet Your Inner Voice
You know the one I am talking about. It's the little voice that offers a running commentary when you are listening to someone. It's the voice that brings up your own opinion about the information being provided. It is too easy to pay more attention to the inner voice than the actual speaker. That voice often keeps you from listening openly for good information and can often make you shut down before you have heard the entire premise. Focus less on what your brain has to say and more on the speaker. You may be surprised at what you hear.
2. Argue With Yourself
If you can't quiet the inner voice, then at least use it to your advantage. Every time you hear yourself contradicting the speaker, stop and take the other point of view. Suggest to your brain all the reasons why the speaker may be correct and you may be wrong. In the best case you may open yourself to the information being provided. Failing that, you will at least strengthen your own argument.
3. Act Like You Are Curious
Some people are naturally curious and others are not. No matter which category you are in you can benefit from behaving like a curious person. Next time you are listening to information, make up and write down three to five relevant questions. If you are in a lecture, Google them after for answers. If you are in a conversation you can ask the other person. Either way you'll likely learn more, and the action of thinking up questions will help encode the concepts in your brain. As long as you're not a cat you should benefit from these actions of curiosity.
4. Find the Kernel of Truth
No concept or theory comes out of thin air. Somewhere in the elaborate concept that sounds like complete malarkey there is some aspect that is based upon fact. Even if you don't buy into the idea, you should at least identify the little bit of truth from whence it came. Play like a detective and build your own extrapolation. You'll enhance your skills of deduction and may even improve the concept beyond the speaker's original idea.
5. Focus on the Message Not the Messenger
Often people shut out learning due to the person delivering the material. Whether it's a boring lecturer, someone physically unappealing, or a member of the opposite political party, the communicator can impact your learning. Even friends can disrupt the learning process since there may be too much history and familiarity to see them as an authority on a topic. Separate the material from the provider. Pretend you don't know the person or their beliefs so you can hear the information objectively. As for the boring person, focus on tip two, three, or four as if it were a game, thereby creating your own entertainment.

4 Cheap Ways to Find Sales Superstars

4 Cheap Ways to Find Sales Superstars:
How to find top salespeople--without hiring a recruiter
A first-class sales team can make the difference between a company’s success and failure. But how do you find good salespeople? You don't have to spring for a recruiter--here are four inexpensive methods to find great salespeople.
1. Get referrals from friends and colleagues.
I've found most of the high performers I’ve hired in my career this way. The success rate for this method is especially high, because your friends and associates won't suggest a candidate who's unqualified. That would reflect poorly on them.
2. Ask your customers.
Customers bond with really good reps and they want the best for them. They’ll often know when one of their favorite reps is on the lookout for a new opportunity. Customers also have a vested interest in sending along quality referrals: They want to be called on by good salespeople. So, they'll typically only recommend someone who has what it takes to be an effective rep.
3. Use social media.
LinkedIn is particularly powerful. You can use it to directly advertise for salespeople, and you can quickly peruse a candidate’s qualifications, specialties, and recommendations. You can also get to know top salespeople by joining groups on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Look for groups that will appeal to sales professionals who are knowledgeable in your field.
4. Engage with people--everywhere you go.
You never know when or where you’ll find the ideal candidate. A leader should always be looking for great salespeople, especially outside of the work environment. I found one of the best sales reps I ever hired in a checkout line. While we were standing there in the supermarket, we had a short discussion that eventually led to a formal interview. Casual encounters like these allow a free exchange of questions and answers that give you an insight into a candidate’s potential. Wherever you go, keep a lookout for people who look like they might fit your business, and when you see them, engage them in a discussion. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Finding good reps is an ongoing process-;the leader’s search for the right people never ends. But if you follow these four simple techniques, you'll be able to find plenty of good potential candidates for your sales team.
In my next column, I'll give you five knockout interview questions that will help you choose the right candidate--and weed out the wrong ones.

5 Ways to Generate Good Fortune

5 Ways to Generate Good Fortune:
Some people seem luckier than others. The truth is that some people are just better at recognizing and capitalizing on opportunities. Here's how to improve your odds.
I've never considered myself a lucky person per se. I have been blessed with a good family and a solid socioeconomic background, but I certainly wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, nor do I look like Channing Tatum. Heck, at 5-foot-6, I even have to carefully pick my seats in the movie theater. Still, somehow I have been blessed. Many good things happen in my life, even when seemingly bad things such as financial crisis or divorce come as precursors. Afterward, I have gotten on my feet and capitalized on terrific opportunities resulting in four best-selling books, a decent life in Manhattan, this column, and an amazingly smart and beautiful wife who thinks I'm fun and sexy. (She obviously likes short guys.)
Those who know me well are aware these blessings haven't happened by accident. I know several others who achieve success without the benefit of luck, and not just from hard work. There are many hard-working people who don't recognize and take advantage of the opportunities in front of them; they end up looking longingly at others' successes. Of course, many of these people aren't open to the possibilities right in front of their noses.
But if you've adopted an attitude of excitement and interest in the many possibilities ahead, and if you don't want to live the life of a wannabe, start using the five tips below, and watch the blessings arrive in droves.
1. Talk to People
Yes, I am one of those annoying people who will introduce myself on an airplane and converse with you. I am respectful of those who want their privacy, but you never know whom you might meet. My last four-hour airplane ride turned into my newest book project and a great new friend. Don't sit back and wait for people to come to you. Say hello and meet someone new, wherever you are.
2. Show Interest in Others
In any conversation, the easiest place to identify opportunities is with other people's projects. Many people are swamped with work they are passionate about and are only too happy to talk about their needs. Let them share. Offer your own relevant experience. They will appreciate your empathy, and you will learn plenty. Just keep a sharp ear open for common interests.
3. Share Your Passion
If you show genuine interest in others, go figure: Most will show interest in you and what you are doing. Be straightforward about who you are, what you do, and why. If the person listening likes what he or she hears, he or she will continue the conversation and may even start brainstorming on ways you can work together. At the very least, if you tell interesting stories, he or she will be entertained and may remember you in the future when something beneficial comes along. My latest mentor came from an encounter two years ago. I waited until it made sense to reconnect, and happily, he remembered how I engaged him prior. Already new opportunities are sprouting from his connections.
4. Ask to Engage
The second I recognize a good opportunity, I always ask the question; "How can I add value?" Sometimes the answer is obvious and sometimes surprising. Either way, I can then assess if there is any substance worth my energy and effort. It's important to ask rather than offer or demand, given that there may or may not be room for you in this particular opportunity, and you don't want to offend in a way that may preclude you from future opportunities.
5. Give It a Try
Sitting on the sidelines watching won't make things happen. People respond to people who take action. They want to follow those who get involved, so do. You can always pull back if you find the opportunity isn't right for you. Just do it in an honorable and honest manner so you leave your reputation intact. Once you're engaged, you can easily increase your involvement and make the most of the opportunity.
There is a common theme here. Lucky people aren't really lucky; they are simply doers with a positive attitude who constantly look for opportunity and make the most of any situation or encounter. These tips can help generate lots of amazing opportunities, but that's just part of the equation. You need to have good filters to choose which opportunities will result in success, and you need to pursue the good ones to their fullest extent. It may be hard to discern when you are overwhelmed with choices, but having more opportunity than you can handle is sure to make you feel lucky, indeed.

4 Problem-Solving Analytics Tools

4 Problem-Solving Analytics Tools:
Buried deep in your data are all kinds of clues you need to strengthen your business. Here's how to uncover them.
When a business runs into trouble, sometimes all it takes to solve the problem is pulling one lever. The issue, of course, is finding exactly which lever to pull.
More and more companies are learning that data is the way to isolate the real source of any number of business problems. Can't figure out why your website's traffic fell off a cliff? A deep dive into Google Analytics will likely tell you what kind of customers you've lost and why. Over-budget and not sure where? There's a whole host of accounting tools that let you drill into your expenses and identify overspending trends. Read on to discover more problem-solving business tools.
1. BIME Analytics
Designed for companies of any size, including tiny start-ups, BIME is a dashboard that can read data from multiple sources: Excel spreadsheets, an SQL database, the accounting package you use for all income and expenses. Think of BIME as one dashboard to rule it all--at least, nearly all. What's cool about BIME is that the app itself runs on the Web. Once you connect the sources, you can start interpreting the data.
2. KISSmetrics
KISSmetrics might seem like yet another Web analytics dashboard. After all, it does track pageviews and how visitors arrived at your site. The big difference, though, is that the tool analyzes individual visitors before and after they become a customer. One example: KISSmetrics lets you see that, say, someone visited your site three times, once from a Twitter link and twice from a Google search. Then, it can show you that same person went to your company's "About Us" page and your coupon page. Once she becomes a customer, you can keep tracking her activities. The better your tracking abilities, the more you can finely tune your marketing and promotion strategies.
3. KXEN Predictive Lead Scoring
Sometimes, the best data analysis focuses on one very specific data set. This add-on for Salesforce.com analyzes your customer data to show you the top leads, such as which geographic locations are buying the most products. You can then re-focus your sales efforts based where you have the most opportunity.
4. Fluxicon Disco
Bearing perhaps one of the best product names ever, Fluxicon Disco (short for Discovery) is all about examining data points to make better decisions. The tool focuses specifically on process improvement. Are there bottlenecks in your customer management system, or a hold up in your inventory management? The tool helps you visualize the "in-between" gaps in the process of selling and management products.

7 Deadly Sins Of Highly Inefficient Project Managers

7 Deadly Sins Of Highly Inefficient Project Managers: There are many deadly sins that managers can fall prey to if they are not careful, which can be really damaging for the business and for their team – such as failing to give feedback, being overly critical and micromanaging – but project managers in particular can also be in danger of committing the following sins within their role.… Click here to continue »

5 Simple Steps to Achieving your goals.

5 Simple Steps to Achieving your goals.:       The swearing in of Barack Obama as the 44th American president has always been regarded as history in the making simply because he was the first black man to aim for that goal and achieve it. Just recently, He was re-elected as president making him the first black man to ever be [...]