Top 10 Traits of Highly Successful People by Philip Humbert

Dr. Philip E Humbert
Personal Success Coach

We have all read about people who are successful briefly. They win a gold medal, make a fortune, or star in one great movie and then disappear.…These examples do not inspire me!

My focus and fascination is with people who seem to do well in many areas of life, and do it over and over through a lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Paul Newman and Bill Cosby. In business, I think of Ben and Jerry (the ice cream moguls)…As a Naval Officer, husband, businessman, politician and now as a mediator and philanthropist on the world stage, Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life. We all know examples of people who go from one success to another.

These are the people who inspire me! I've studied them, and I've noticed they have the following traits in common:

1) They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.

2) They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read—constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it's about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!

3) They network. They know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co- workers and bartenders. They don't have to be "the life of the party," in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. Successful people have a Rolodex full of people who value their friendship and return their calls.

4) They work on themselves and never quit! While the "over-night wonders" become arrogant and quickly disappear, really successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don't tolerate flaws; they fix them!

5) They are extraordinarily creative. They go around asking, "Why not?" They see new combinations, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. They wake up in the middle of the night yelling, "I've got it!" They ask for advice, try things out, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster, cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff!

6) They are self-reliant and take responsibility. Incredibly successful people don't worry about blame, and they don't waste time complaining. They make decisions and move on.…Extremely successful people take the initiative and accept the responsibilities of success.

7) They are usually relaxed and keep their perspective. Even in times of stress or turmoil, highly successful people keep their balance, they know the value of timing, humor, and patience. They rarely panic or make decisions on impulse. Unusually successful people breath easily, ask the right questions, and make sound decisions, even in a crisis.

8) Extremely successful people live in the present moment. They know that "Now" is the only time they can control. They have a "gift" for looking people in the eye, listening to what is being said, enjoying a meal or fine wine, music or playing with a child. They never seem rushed, and they get a lot done! They take full advantage of each day. Successful people don't waste time, they use it!

9) They "look over the horizon" to see the future. They observe trends, notice changes, see shifts, and hear the nuances that others miss. A basketball player wearing Nikes is trivial, the neighbor kid wearing them is interesting, your own teenager demanding them is an investment opportunity! Extremely successful people live in the present, with one eye on the future!

10) Repeatedly successful people respond instantly! When an investment isn't working out, they sell. When they see an opportunity, they make the call. If an important relationship is cooling down, they take time to renew it. When technology or a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, they are the first and quickest to respond.

These traits work together in combination, giving repeatedly successful people a huge advantage. Because they are insatiable learners, they can respond wisely to change. Because their personal relationships are strong, they have good advisors, and a reserve of goodwill when things go bad. And finally, none of these traits are genetic! They can be learned! They are free and they are skills you can use. Start now!

***

Dr. Philip E. Humbert, author, speaker and personal success coach
http://www.philiphumbert.com

SalesGiants interviews Phil Jones

Phil Jones
Helping Your Business Achieve New Heights

Phil has accomplished more than most in his fast-moving life. His vast experience in a variety of sectors has resulted in him being recognised as an authority of sales psychology and negotiation, for increasing corporate turnover and profitability, and business development.

With a track record of developing opportunities for organisations at all levels, Phil is acknowledged for his strategic intellect and has been instrumental in turning around underperforming businesses by developing new opportunities. In this interview he shares with our readers how he got started and some recommendations to improve your results.

About your work

1) How did you get started in this area?

I have worked in sales all my working life. Keen to generate revenue from an early age at 13 I developed a local car washing round and very quickly learnt the power of asking. Simply knocking on doors in my neighborhood and politely asking homeowners if they would be interested in having their vehicles cleaned bought me huge success. This then took me to corporate life were I have worked in and managed sales teams for major UK retailers like DFS and Debenhams before seeking further experience in getting involved in the commercial world of professional football and held senior management positions in 2 large football clubs. Having a passion for doing things my way I then get involved with a property business and built a sales process and team that very quickly made us a major player in our field. Throughout these experiences I developed an incredible array of knowledge and skill and when combined with my passion for helping people decided I would make the remainder of my life work focused on educating the business community.


2) What kind of customers do you usually work with and how do you help them exactly? 

My work is typically in the area of salesmanship and I help business owners and sales professionals to find more customers, who shop more often and spend more when they shop. To do this our work ranges from developing a unique sales process that teaches non sales people to achieve incredible results through following simple tried and tested processes. We teach these lessons in workshops and seminars and have a team of coaches that work with people to re-enforce our lessons and ensure people achieve their potential. Through coaching we offer support, motivation, direction and inspiration to follow through on the countless great ideas that businesses have and turn them into actions and more importantly, Results.


3) In a short sentence, what companies should be interested in your services? 

Companies that are looking for their prospects to say “Yes” more often.


4) On the other hand, who shouldn’t? What will companies NOT find in your work (for example, what kind of problems/situations are you not best qualified for or do you prefer to refer to other consultants)? 

Our work is based on exactly what to say and exactly what to do. We are practitioners and not theorists so if businesses are looking for scientific evaluation then stay away. If you are looking for results, we have the answers.


5) How are you different from your competitors? 

Our main difference is that we are current. Because we practice what we preach our lessons are taught on experience that worked yesterday and will work tomorrow. We are not experienced trainers but real people with real lessons. We specialize on the area of sales because recognize that selling skills are essential in life and business and any business that fails to find new customers will eventually die. Unlike many others we do not let ego get in the way. Our clients are our stars and we choose to let their results massage their egos and not ours.


References

6) Besides your own, what other websites in the small business/development area would you recommend? 

 To be fair the best website is www.youtube.com but independently check out www.gitomer.com and then www.mashable.com for cool techie stuff

7) How about your preferred meetings/training/business books? 

How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie. Oh and of course my own Accelerator publication (http://www.philmjones.com/accelerator).


About business meetings

8) Most disastrous meeting (or funny situation)? 

 One that stands towards the front of my mind was a meeting I was chairing not so long ago with a large audience. The highlight to the meeting was a great guest speaker called Richard Wilkins and he was due to speak mid-way through the meeting. Throughout the agenda, awards and a number of other key events I was continually building up our speaker and letting them know he was coming and a little about the story he had to share with us. The trouble was, I kept calling him Jeff which is highly embarrassing when I then had to deliver his introduction.

9) What is the biggest mistake you see in unproductive meetings?

The biggest mistake is always lack of preparation. So many people attend meetings and rely on experience and individual brilliance to see them through. They turn up with no agenda, no goals and little knowledge of their audience and then get mixed results. For me it is vital that prior to every meeting you consider 3 simple areas .

· Who are you speaking with? – Find out common interests, goals and ambitions, consider competitors and length of time people have been in the business. This information is readily available just by looking and asking. However be certain that if you don’t look then you won’t find and if you don’t ask then you won’t get!

· What is your goal? – Start with the end in mind. Designing your desired outcome for each meeting gives you direction and a road map. Even better is planning different levels of success as opposed to just success or failure.

· How do you present yourself? – People judge books by their covers and you are in complete control of yours. Consider dress, hairstyle, vehicle and all business stationary if you want to give off the very best first impression.

10) Why do you think so many business meetings or training sessions are boring and what do you think can be done to improve this?

I think many are boring because it is already pre-decided what the audience need to hear. Whether a scripted sales presentation, being talked at by a facilitator or death by powerpoint they all assume that they have already addressed the needs of the audience and do not engage. The key is to deliver 2 way meetings that engage with the audience and as such you should be able to plan structure and desired outcome but have the required skill level to adapt to your audience.

11) How do you usually start the meetings that you lead? 

I will often start meetings by agreeing objectives. I talked earlier about starting with the end in mind and in both a sales presentation or training seminar I will always start with the objectives of the audience. It is crucial for me that I deliver value and by understanding what an audience is expecting and wants to take away I can ensure that I deliver value every time.

12) Any special offer for our readers?

Grab a free audio programme worth £19 by visiting http://philmjones.com


Contact information: 

Website : http://philmjones.com

Facebook: facebook.com/RNHInternational

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/philmjones

Twitter: @philmjonesuk

Youtube:phillipmjones1

E-mail: phil@philmjones.com

3 steps to take when your reputation is attacked online, by Barbara Weltman

Barbara Weltman

Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are the Wild West when it comes to expressing opinions about customer service and other business experiences. But freedom of expression on social media outlets and other public forums does not extend to defamation (an injury to your reputation). Can or should you sue? These 3 steps will help you decide what type of action, if any, to take.

Steps to take

Step one. First determine whether anything actionable has occurred. Online statements can be:

• Opinions that do not constitute defamation.
• Physical threats that rise to the level of criminal activity.
• Defamatory statements (that meet all three criteria below).

The first type of statement is protected free speech; the second is a matter for the police. Only the third type of statement -- a defamatory statement -- may be actionable, meaning you can bring a lawsuit to recover damages.

Defamation is a false statement of fact that results in an economic injury. There are several elements to defamation, all of which must be present in order to amount to something actionable:

• A publication addressing someone other than the person being defamed. Online statements constitute a publication.
• The statement of fact must be false. Truth, no matter how unpleasant, is a complete defense to any defamation action.
• The statement must be understood as one tending to harm the reputation of the person it concerns. If the person is a public figure, there must be actual malice in making the statement.

In one case, a person whose professional reputation was irreparably damaged was able to win an $11.3 million recovery.

Step two. Determine whether a defamatory statement is worth taking legal action. If the defamatory statement is merely embarrassing but does not seriously impact your pocketbook, it may not make business sense to pursue the matter; just let things just die down. Consider:

• Time -- Any legal action involves a great deal of time and emotion on your part.
• Cost -- Legal fees for representation can be high. Attorneys do not take these cases on contingency where the sought-after recovery is something other than money (taking down defamatory statements, providing equal time and exposure to correct public misperceptions, etc.), and you must bear the cost of legal action throughout the term of the case. Do a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the cost of litigation is worthwhile compared to the damage you've suffered and the likelihood of success in winning the case.

Step three. Make a decision. After consulting with a knowledgeable attorney and assessing the time and expense it will entail to pursue legal action, decide whether to go forward or drop the matter. 

Special considerations:

• Anonymous writers. It's possible, but more difficult, to pursue legal action when the defamatory statement has been made by an unknown person. There's a good article about this at Law.com.

• Retractions. If you decide to proceed, you may be required under state law to request a retraction before you go on. The retraction usually must appear as conspicuously as the original defamatory statement. If there's a retraction, it reduces the possible monetary recovery and may help you decide to drop the matter at last.

Monitor your online reputation

How do you know if you're being maligned? It's good business practice to use various tools to track what's being said about you and your company in articles, blogs, and various social media sites. Tools to help:

• Echomail
• Echosonar
• Google Alert
• PR Newswire's Media Monitoring
• ReputationDefender
• Socialmetrix Echo

***

Barbara Weltman, Publisher of Big Ideas for Small Business®
www.BarbaraWeltman.com
info@BarbaraWeltman.com
Twitter: BarbaraWeltman