Seven Traits of Highly Successful Businesses October 30, 2009

Recently, I attended a luncheon hosted at the St. Louis Business Expo that had a guest speaker who shared these characteristic traits.  Her name was Nancy Friedman, “The Telephone Doctor” who was off the charts!

She discussed what the Best of the Best in Business all have in common.  Here are the bullet points of her speech but I’ve added my own comments to what she explained.

1. Make the decision to have a great ATTITUDE
   I believe attitude is the basis in which we all start with.  If you’re approaching people or projects with the wrong attitude, you’ll get the wrong results.  How many times have you had trouble achieving your goals and later realize you didn’t have the right mental attitude to attract it into your life?  So many people start their day without taking time to do an ATTITUDE check.  For the next few days, wake up and think about what attitude you plan on having throughout the day and see if you get better results.
2. VISUALIZE obtaining success
   First of all, define what that means to you.  Is it being able to have the freedom to decide what you do with your time?  Is it making the front page of your daily news?  Maybe it’s being able to walk on your treadmill for 20 minutes several times a week.  Whatever your definition, spend a few minutes in the morning when you get up and again before you go to bed at night.  What’s if feel like when you visualize success?  What emotions come up for you?  If you’re a visual person, think about finding a picture out of a magazine that reminds you of your success.  Hang it somewhere that you’ll see it every day and study all the features in the picture.
3. ENERGY, HUMOR and ENTHUSIASM
   My 3 favorite characteristics!  Have you ever been around someone that puts out great ENERGY?  You know, it’s so highly charged that you leave them feeling better than before you met them!  I love being around these types of people because it usually rubs off on me somehow and I give it away to someone else!  In addition, having a great sense of HUMOR puts people at ease and makes a strong connection between you.  Whenever you find the right moment to make someone laugh, take advantage of it.  We don’t always have to take things so seriously to have a successful business.  If you know me at all, you usually see me filled with ENTHUSIASM!  I embrace life and encourage others to do the same.  I’d like to also add INSPIRE to this list so you find a way to lift someone else as you climb the ladder of success!
4. Resist NEGATIVE tendancies
   This one takes practice.  It’s much easier to look at how bad things are instead of taking a positive point of view.  When things do go right, we have a tendancy to put blame on someone or something else.  One of the hardest things to see is the bright side of a bad situation.  Remember, when life hands us lemons, it’s up to us to turn it into lemonade!  Make a commitment to only see the GOOD in everyone and everything and the negative will slowly disappear.
5. Do WHATEVER it takes - Double check and offer extra effort
   Do you go the extra mile for your customers?  I make it a point to over deliver and under promise.  When anyone gives something to me, I look for ways I can not only balance the scales but tip it over!  The world is a very abundant place and there is so much you can give.  Take time to learn about someone and give them something they’ll cherish forever.  Make it meaningful and you’ll always be remembered.
6. Embrace CHANGE
   Change can often bring uncertainty and can make you feel uncomfortable.  The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing but expecting different results.  If you’re looking to progress in your business or professional life and the old ways of doing it aren’t working anymore, it’s time for a change.  Look at becoming “solutions based” and find a way to change things to fix the problems.  If it doesn’t work, keep changing it until something produces the results you’re after.
7. GRATEFUL for what they have
   If you want to receive more, take time to look at what you already have.  Gratitude is the best way to increase the flow of abundance and ignite the sparks of the law of attraction.  Slow down and acknowledge all the good things and accomplishments you are making.  Find a quiet space and reflect on all the amazing times you’ve had or the incredible people you know or feel how healthy and alive you are.  Count your blessings and believe you can achieve success.