Global Marketing

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

You'll Never Hear Successful People Say These 15 Phrases

If you want to become more successful as an entrepreneur or in your career, you can start by making a habit of talking and thinking more like the people you know or read about who are already successful.

Here are some phrases you’ll never hear a successful person say:

1. "We can't do that."

One thing that makes people and companies successful is the ability to make solving their customers’ problems and demands their main priority. If a need arises repeatedly, the most successful people learn how to solve it as quickly as they can.

2. "I don't know how."

Instead of automatically shutting down solution-finding, successful people learn what they can in order to succeed in a project or in their career. For example, you would never see a truly successful international business consultant who travels to Italy multiple times per year refusing to learn Italian.

3. "I don’t know what that is."

Pleading ignorance doesn’t make the problem go away. It just makes the asker find someone who is able to work with them to solve the problem. While’s it’s always good to be honest with those you interact with, finishing this phrase with “but I’ll find out” is a surefire way to become more successful.

4. "I did everything on my own."

The best people know to surround themselves with others who are smart, savvy and as dedicated as they are. What makes this work is always giving credit where it’s due, as due credit to you will always come back in hand. Recognize those that have helped you or made an impact and you’ll continue to earn success and recognition yourself.

5. "That's too early."

You would never hear Benjamin Franklin or someone such as Steve Jobs say, “that is too early for me to be there.” If there is a networking meeting, project launch or interview opportunity at the very beginning of the day, the most successful people do what it takes to be there. Part of being successful is being at the right place at the right time, no matter if you’re a morning bird or night owl.

6. "That’s too late."

Along the same lines, if you’re asked to a 9 p.m. dinner by a potential business partner, and you can make it, definitely go. You may be tired the next day, but the connections you will make during a small dinner or after-hours meeting can make all the difference when it comes to your career or next project.

7. "It's too bad we couldn't work together."

Truly hitting it off with someone can be a rare occurrence, but if you truly connect with someone and want to work with them, find a way to make it work. Finding people that you really enjoy communicating with don’t come along too often, so whether it’s a case study or a new business, successful people know that working with those who truly align with your personality and interests are the path to true success.

8. "Let's catch up sometime."

Many times, this phrase is said as filler, without any true follow up. Successful people know that if they really want to catch up with someone, they follow up to make it happen. This also builds on the idea that the most successful people have worked hard to build genuine connections and relationships within their network, without any hidden agenda. Nurturing your network means being thoughtful of others, while keeping your relationships with them on top of your mind.

9. "I'm sorry, I'm too busy."

If an opportunity comes their way, successful people do what it takes to make it happen. Sure, this might mean longer hours occasionally, but if you want something to work, that is what it takes. After all, according to Lao-Tzu: "Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.’”

10. "That was all my idea."

Again, as mentioned in number four, the most successful people spread the wealth when it comes to doling out praise from a successful project. No idea is truly one’s own -- it’s a sum of their experiences from interacting and building off of collaborative ideas with a team. Doling out praise and encouragement is a crucial part of building a successful company and culture.

11. "I never read books."

Tom Corley of Rich Habits found that rich people read (and listen to) books at a much higher rate than poor people: “63 percent of wealthy parents make their children read two or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3 percent of poor.” Also, “63 percent of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5 percent of poor people.” Reading non-fiction (as well as fiction) can help reduce stress, enhance creativity and boost your memory.

12. "I'm not good enough."

Part of being successful is having a high sense of self-worth. Being yourself is one trait that promises success in business and your personal life. Follow your true interests. What you would do in your life if you didn’t need money?

13. "It's OK." (over and over)

Successful people know when to walk away and stop taking excuses from others. If there is a bottleneck and something (or someone) is preventing you from completing a project on time, build up your business, or move you forward in your goals, then it’s time to set boundaries and decide to limit your involvement.

14. "If our competitors don't have it, then we don't need it."

Copying competitors is one of the many possible deaths for most companies. True innovation comes from the flip side: figuring out what competitors aren’t doing and fill that niche to answer a need in the industry.

15. "Time off is for suckers."

True success should be seen as a well-rounded approach, one with vacations, weekends with friends and family and hours of downtime on the weekdays. While workload varies for everyone at times, taking vacation can make you better at your job.

Sometimes to get to where you want to be, the best and easiest thing to do is to simply follow the examples that others set for you.

What phrases are you going to eliminate from your day-to-day conversations and thinking?

Sujan Patel

Thursday, April 9, 2015

5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Gain a Competitive Advantage

What differentiates you from everybody else, and why should people choose you and your business over your competitors? These are questions you should be asking yourself on a consistent basis, and as entrepreneurs we're always looking for ways increase our leverage.

Leverage can change your life and business, but only if you take full advantage of it.

In this challenging new economy you need every advantage you can get, especially in entrepreneurship and business. Gaining the competitive advantage isn’t easy and chaos is almost guaranteed, but the upside outweighs the tough times. Here are five fail-proof ways to gain a competitive advantage as an entrepreneur:

1. Positioning is better than prospecting

Everybody is looking for prospects, clients and customers. This never-ending process will eventually burn you out, and is tough to scale. An easier way to approach your business is to position yourself as the leading authority, expert, specialist or trusted advisor on your subject. This takes strategic and intentional action, but the rewards are exponential.

When you’re perceived as the expert, people will start coming to you vs. you chasing them. Be more elite and exclusive, and make it an honor to work with you.

2. Plans fail, movements don’t

Reposition your business and make it “about something.” Think about Disney. It’s not about movies, amusement parks or cruises, the company is where “Dreams come true.” Think about how Subway went from being a fast-food chain to being a weight loss program.

The entrepreneurs on a mission bigger than themselves are always attracting top tier talent. Life becomes much more fulfilling when you become involved in a movement or a cause greater than yourself.

3. Stand on the shoulders of giants

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, and you sure as hell don’t need to figure everything out yourself. Find something that is already working and make it better. In an interview I did with Gary Vaynerchuk, he said:

A penguin cannot become a giraffe, so just be the best penguin you can be.

A smart person learns from their mistakes, as all successful people do, but those wanting world-class results learn from other people's mistakes so they can shorten their learning curve, and not waste as much time.

4. Become a people developer

One of the biggest learning curves I had to go through as a young entrepreneur was realizing I couldn’t do it all by myself. You not only need a solid team around you, but you need to know how to develop and lead that team.

When you watch sports, you’ll find the most successful teams play well together, compliment each other and have one single focus: winning. The same goes for business and life. The people you have in your inner circle, and those you associate with the most are your team.

Who needs to be on your team to make sure you have a “dream team"? All successful people have mastered building teams, and have supportive people around them that compliment their strengths and make up for their weaknesses.

5. Create raving fans and advocates

The likelihood of the marketplace responding because you want something is non-existent! Business is the management of promises and if you can consistently deliver and exceed promises for all your customers, you’re ahead of the game. It’s much more expensive to get a new customer than it is to take care of the ones you have.

The purpose of business is to create raving fans and advocates, who will go out of their way to promote what you do. Not because you asked them, but because they want to. Outstanding client support and service is affected by every person in your organization -- from reception to the mail room to the CEO. You must create a culture where people are passionate about meeting the clients needs.

Peter Voogd

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

What Every Mentor Should Know

As a mentor you want your time and your experience to make a difference. But mentorships, while rewarding, are not without their frustrations. Luckily, just adjusting your approach can remove a lot of unnecessary hurdles and frustrations.

Pick your niche. Your mentorship will be stronger if you first think about who you can best serve. For example, I don't have the expertise to help entrepreneurs who are interested in areas such as creating physical consumer goods. I decided to merge my specific expertise, building technology products and companies, with a focus on an underserved group: women in technology. Finding the right group of mentees helps me mentor more effectively.

Make time. Mentorships are relationships. They're not transactions or crammed sessions on an already booked schedule. Think carefully about how much time you can contribute and pick a time interval and frequency you can adhere to consistently. When you meet, be present without distractions. To progress, you'll need to meet consistently so you can gauge what your mentees' needs are and help them accordingly. Most of your initial meetings are just "getting to know you" sessions, and it's only after meeting a few times that you really understand someone, their goals and how you can help them.

Don't give advice. Too many first-time mentors offer advice instead of guidance. They offer a solution based on what worked for them, given their experience and the context they were working in, instead of a process that mentees can learn from and apply to their own needs and situation. Your mentees might have a different background or challenge and it's important to take the time to understand their interests, goals, and what's worked and failed for them. For example, I recently had a mentee who was keen on setting up her own software development consulting business. Had I just looked on the surface I would have given her advice and tips on how to set up a consultancy. However, after getting to know her for about a month, I realized her shyness might affect her ability to deal with clients directly. We took a step back and worked on her presentations skills, so she could gain the confidence she needed to attract clients.

Know when you cannot help. There are times it will seem like you and your mentee are spinning your wheels. The truth is, your mentee might need help that is beyond your abilities. If your mentee is dealing with personal issues, for instance, your mentee might be better served by a professional therapist or lifecoach. If you don't have the experience or training that your mentee needs in the moment, explain that you'll need to put the mentorship on hold. Keep in touch and connect later when your mentee is ready.

Just say no. If someone reaches out to you, and you're simply swamped, let that potential mentee know. Maybe you're overstretched at work or overbooked with other mentees. If that's the case, once you do have an opening let them know. If you've had an ongoing mentorship relationship and your schedule changes, let them know that as well – they'll appreciate your honesty. Since you've built a relationship with this individual they'll understand and you'll be able to pick up your sessions when it makes sense for you both.

Poornima Vijayashanker

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

5 Powerful Rules for Women Entrepreneurs to Live By

When I became an entrepreneur, I was motivated by one thing: freedom. I wanted the flexibility to follow my dream. Entrepreneurship allowed me to do work that was engaging and empowering.

I’m not alone. According to a Cox Business study, 61 percent of women entrepreneurs started a business to be their own boss, and more than 50 percent became entrepreneurs to have greater control over their future.

So, what holds more women back from taking the plunge? Sometimes, a “good enough” life is itself a deterrent. College, the corporate ladder, a family: Often these things feel comfortable.

“I was successful at a job that wasn’t really that difficult,” Linda Shesto, CEO of Pearl Aqua LLC, tells me. “When it was time to step into a new reality and become an entrepreneur, I wanted everything set up perfectly. I wanted the same formula for success."

But there’s no magic formula for entrepreneurial success, of course. Stepping into the unknown is scary -- and many women doubt their abilities, feeling like impostors. “I believe that no matter how thoroughly prepared a woman might be, she will feel unprepared, whereas a man will feel even more prepared than he really is,” Shesto says. Unfortunately, research supports this notion.

Other women hesitate to pursue entrepreneurship from fear of not having enough time for themselves or their families. Melissa Sherwood, CEO and creative director at Klara Kelly, says that the biggest challenge is balancing running her business with running her household. And there are many like her. Sherwood’s husband can leave work at the office. But she says that her home is her office, making it that much tougher to get work done when her kids are home.

Here, then, are five strategies to help you crush these types of entrepreneurial fears and succeed even as you step into the unknown:

1. Quit seeking validation and embrace your crazy.

This is your business. It’s yours because no one else has had the vision you did to start it. Stop seeking validation before you launch a new product, program or idea. The most successful people are those who were once believed to be crazy.

2. Celebrate even the smallest of wins.

To maintain a go-getter attitude requires positive reinforcement. Have you worked up the courage to make that call you’ve been putting off? Finally gotten through that stack of paperwork? Kick up your heels and celebrate! That energy will carry you forward.

3. Get specific.

Now that you’re trusting your own instincts and celebrating along the way, challenge yourself to break down your vision into smaller chunks. With the freedom to do what you want during the day comes the increased need to stick to a plan. What do you want to achieve this month -- and what do you need to do this week to reach your goals? As we know, writing your goals down significantly increases your chances of success.

4. Know that making money is like making broccoli.

A mentor once told me that making money is like making broccoli: You’re not afraid of using up the broccoli in your fridge, are you? You know you can always get more.

Similarly, if you’re committed to growing your business, you can’t be afraid to invest in your growth or do the things that excite you. Rather than worry about the money you’re spending, focus on making each investment worthwhile.

5. Decide to be grateful.

My dad used to say that no matter how good or bad you have it, there’s always someone who has it better than you and someone who has it worse than you. Comparison is the root of despair. Every day, we get tochoose to be grateful for what we have, regardless of where we want to be.

“At the end of the day, I work for myself, and you can’t put a price tag on that,” Sherwood tells me. “I also can’t put a value on the lessons that I am teaching my children as they watch me build my company.”

Like anything worthwhile, being an entrepreneur isn't easy. All of us, however, can be grateful for the opportunity to pursue meaningful work and build a life we love. What more could we ask for?

Sumi Krishnan