THE FOUR ENGINES OF SUCCESS

Every human being wants to be successful. For many, success
is measured in terms of power, fame or financial income,
while other people measure it in less tangible ways.
Whatever your criteria, I've never met a lazy person, so I
assume you, too, are interested in success. The question
then becomes, "What skills or behaviors will facilitate my
success in the shortest possible time?"
For many years, social scientists have tried to measure the
"causes" of success, and one of the most frustrating things
is the degree to which they have merely confused the
issues. Many people have heard that "successful" people
tend to be taller, prettier, younger or have some other
characteristic over which they have NO control. What these
studies don't tell you is that all these factors combined
account for less than 10% of the "variables" in success!
Race, age, gender, family history, all of that COMBINED
make almost no difference! On the other hand, what's
exciting is that the things that DO make a difference are
almost entirely under your control! That's amazing – and
tremendously hopeful!
In fact, I encourage you to make this note: Focus mostly on
things which you can control. Then, focus on things you can
influence. And finally, mostly ignore things which you can
neither control nor influence. Notice and take them into
account, but don't worry about the weather, interest rates
or your neighbor's opinion of you. Spend your time,
thought, effort and energy on things you can change to make
your life better. That can make all the difference!
What things actually MATTER in terms of success? Here are
some of my key observations from years of working with
unusually successful people:
1.  FIRST -- Personal stability. High achievers usually
live quiet, structured, almost "boring" lives. They tend to
settle down, have good relationships and mind their own
business. They do not fall victim to addictions, fads or
impulses. There is purpose and structure to their lives.
They get to bed on time, eat well, get a bit of exercise
and pay their bills. Their personal life actually supports
them in achieving their goals. So get organized, get a good
night's sleep and start with a good breakfast in the
morning. Boring is good!
2.  SECOND -- Positive Self-Direction. High achievers know
where they're going and how to get there. Usually, this
means specific, written goals, although many successful
people describe it as an "inner knowing" or "sense of
purpose." Whether it's a list or a vision, successful
people know what they want and permit few (or no!)
distractions. They are not tempted by short-cuts or get-
rich-quick schemes. They have chosen their direction,
purpose, goals or themes in life and like a compass, they
always point straight ahead.
3.  THIRD -- Personal Urgency. I am not talking about
impatience or rudeness. Far from it! Success people have
"all the time in the world." They are patient, persistent,
determined and resilient, but they do not waste time. They
focus on things that make a real difference. They think in
terms of priorities, progress, and action-steps, but they
are not rude about it. They do first things first, and are
determined to make measurable progress in reasonable time.
4.  FOURTH -- Constant Learning. Successful people are
curious and learn faster than other people. They read more,
ask more questions, take more classes, try more things.
They make mistakes, but rarely make the same mistake twice.
No one is born knowing how to walk, talk or write software.
Successful people LEARN to invest, invent and create. They
have mentors and coaches. They know
that practical, immediately-useful knowledge is the key to
solving life's problems and achieving their dreams.
The most important thing about these "engines" is that they
can be learned! No one is born with a stable life, a sense
of self-direction or urgency! These are habits that each of
us can absorb and master, often with very little trouble.
Success is not about luck or lucky genes; it's about
learning appropriate skills, then using them to create the
life you truly want. I've often written that a GREAT life
is actually easier than living a complicated, confusing or
mediocre life, and I'm convinced it's true. Keep it simple.
Keep it focused. Play by the rules and learn to win the
game of life.

RETAINING CUSTOMERS VS ACQUIRING THEM: WHICH IS BETTER BUSINESS?

While account acquisition is one of the main drivers of growth, acquiring new accounts is extremely challenging—and costly—for most businesses. Experts place the cost of acquiring a new customer between 4 and 10 times the cost of maintaining an existing one. Not all companies can weather the financial strain associated with losing a customer—and it could be especially critical to the individual salesperson. Even if the account isn’t viewed as a “strategic” one to the organization, it could be vitally important to you, the salesperson. When customers suddenly and unexpectedly defect, it could take months to recoup the loss—time the sales professional may not have in the current competitive selling environment.  

That’s why keeping customers is so crucial for an organization’s profitability. As competitors become stronger contenders for your accounts’ business and customer loyalty is no longer guaranteed, it’s more important than ever that your organization take a strategic approach to protect the crucial accounts none of you can afford to lose. Here are a few things you as a sales professional can do to directly aid in account retention. 

Eliminate single-point-of-contact relationships in an account. One of the biggest mistake still made in sales is having a single contact point in an account. Make sure you have multiple people associated with each key account–at your customer’s company as well as within your own company. Such relationships can also prevent situations in which that sole contact person defects to a competing company, taking that precious account along, or just leaves in general and then no one is talking to the customer. 

Spend more quality time with customers. It’s not just about increasing the frequency of customer interactions but increasing the value of those interactions. Always have a valid business reason to meet. Focus your dialogue with the individuals you interact with to let them jointly evaluate the impact of your solutions on their business goals and objectives and to allow you to check on customer satisfaction (or lack of). These conversations may lead to new opportunities to cross- or upsell, introduce new products, or penetrate adjacent buying centers.  

Learn to read the warning signs of potential customer defection. Customers rarely decamp without giving off signals. However, if the sales professional lacks visibility into what’s happening at all levels of the organization, the signs can be easy to miss. Strategic accounts often have numerous touchpoints—executives, product specialists, customer support, accounting personnel—so it’s likely that those accounts will have at least one relationship within almost every department in your organization. Each of these contacts has the potential to spot red flags that they can pass on to the sales professional, so make sure to regularly collaborate across departments. 

THE BOSS'S MOST IMPORTANT JOB

As the owner or leader in your business, you wear many
hats. You are probably the chief innovator, and certainly
you are a role model for your team. They watch you, and
they follow your lead. You are directly involved in sales,
and you are responsible for finances and a multitude of
other critical items. So, what's your MOST important job?
That's easy. To get your employees to come back tomorrow
morning.
I recently saw a case-study of SAS, the software
development company, and it was remarkable. On average,
turn-over at similar companies runs about 20% per year. At
SAS, it's less than 5% per year! Think of the thousands of
hours that saves in recruiting, training and management
time! Not to mention the savings in direct costs! What's
their secret?
The boss understands that for all his land and equipment
and proprietary systems, his most essential assets "walk
out of the building every night, and it's my job to see
that they walk back in tomorrow morning."
Even in this tight economy, there are jobs to be had.
People can make money, or start their own company and
compete with you over night. What people want, what they
have always longed for, is respect, fulfillment,
satisfaction and recognition. Research has shown that, in
general, you cannot pay people enough to stay on the job if
they don't like the work, the environment, or their co-
workers, and those things are YOUR job!
As the "boss" (even if you are your only employee!), your
key task is to see that your people are well served, well
maintained, well trained and well respected. Without that,
everything else is just a pause until they move on.

THE SECRETS TO SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT

Each of us has the potential to achieve far more than we
have yet imagined. We know that human beings use only a
tiny percentage of our brain's potential. We waste time, we
get distracted, we "spin our wheels", and we get
frustrated. Yes, we do accomplish things, but only a small
portion of what we are capable of achieving.
At the same time, other people are reaching huge goals and
achieving vastly more than us. I find it humbling that Mark
Zuckerber, Marc Cuban, Megyn Kelly and Taylor Swift are so
young! Whatever you think of him or his politics, isn't it
astonishing that Barack Obama is U.S president? He's still
a "kid"!
What are the secrets to that level of achievement?
After studying thousands of highly effective people over
the past 20 years, I believe it comes down to only four
critical essentials. Here they are:

1. Self Discipline. Self discipline has a terrible
reputation because most people think of it as pain and
deprivation, but nothing could be further from the truth!
Self discipline is the key to ultimate freedom! It means
taking charge of your life, being an adult and deciding how
you want to live your life. It means you are not dependent
on circumstances or convenience or other people's opinions.
It is choosing your own course, taking responsibility and
going in the direction YOU have chosen. It means doing what
makes sense in the long run, rather than what is popular or
comfortable or easy. Self discipline is the first essential
for massive, extraordinary levels of personal success.
2.  Effective Resource Allocation.  High achievers don't
waste time or squander relationships, or "wish their lives
away." They use their talents and abilities wisely. They
focus their efforts on their most important next steps.
We have limited resources. There are only 24 hours in a
day, and we have limited stamina and strength. High
achievers concentrate their best efforts on their most
important projects. They are very careful about time,
knowing that when today is over, it's gone forever. They
make careful choices about money, knowing that once spent,
it's gone forever, but invested wisely, it can create
literally millions of dollars over time. High achievers use
resources wisely.
3.  Environmental Perfection.  We respond to our
surroundings and high achievers create environments that
support them perfectly, all day long, every single day.
They care about their offices, and they take care of their
bodies. They dress well and keep their tools sharp and
well-maintained.
There is a reason extraordinarily successful people have
elegant offices, and live orderly, structured, simple
lives. These are the habits that MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL!
4.  Hard Work.  Extremely successful people work harder
than the rest of us. Yes, sometimes they simply work more
hours and stay more focused, but sometimes it's the subtle
things. They pay attention and actually listen to the
people they meet. They network effectively. They read and
use what they learn to achieve better outcomes. They get
more done!
Self-made millionaires routinely work 50, 60 or even more
hours per week. Often they are doing work they love so it
doesn't feel like "work" in the traditional sense, but they
show up early, they stay late, and they work all day long.
They take care of the "little things" and it shows up in
the quality of their results, and in their bank accounts at
the end of the year.
Chart your own course. Decide what you want and the life
you prefer, then focus your time, energy and effort to that
end. Use the resources available and create a Personal Eco-
System(tm) that supports you perfectly, then simply out-
work, out-perform and out-last the competition. There are
no alternatives. Extraordinary achievement is the result of
those four simple steps.