Are You a Winner?!?!
"The manner in which you handle stress determines the amount you can handle!"
"The amount of stress you can handle effectively determines your level of success"
"Hence: Your manner determines your success level"
WINNING TRAITS!
Do You Got'Em?
(No fluff or background please, skip me straight to that list you promised . . .)
Perhaps you're wondering how this page came into being. In case you really want to know, I did a 6-month research project early on at the start of my work with Financial Professionals and found trends in those that were succeeding and those that were doomed to struggle if they insisted in staying in business. The more I worked with them as a business coach, the more validity I found in business professionals, in general, having the same big hurdles to get over to become successful. This is not an ironic or disconnected revelation since most every financial professional is running some aspect of a business, whether it be by themselves or within an umbrella organization. My research found that without fail, those Financial Professionals that were interviewed, observed or were talked about by other Financial Professionals, who made it "big," attributed their successes directly to "winning traits." It became clear that lacking these traits lowered their chances of becoming the success that they strived to be.
At this point, I know this statement to be a fact, as much as I suspect you might. After experiencing many years of working with Financial Professionals, both successful and unsuccessful, it became clear to me that I was becoming somewhat judgmental at times with new Financial Professionals (and toward some well established struggling older ones). Whether I was walking into their offices or talking with them on phones, I was able to, with reasonable accuracy, detect if the Financial Professional I was talking with was manifesting successful or unsuccessful traits. It was almost like walking into a room and detecting instantly whether the owner was a successful baker or a local "greasy spoon" eatery owner. The smell of success is unmistakable and it only takes a moment to know what you're walking into.
Being a profession yourself, you will most likely say "duh!" to many of the traits which are listed below. There is one other trait that is not listed below that might "jar" your reality a bit. Successful professionals instantly see this list as something to review on a periodic basis. ( If they do not have their own list that is written down already, it is most likely clearly imprinted in their habits.) They will take the time to review each item on their list and rate themselves on a scale from one to ten, making comment on what they need to put in place to make their score a perfect "10" and create an action plan that requires timely action to bring that trait into perfection.
Unsuccessful professionals will review this list by scanning it and have that inner voice they've trained to discredit anything that they think is not of their own creating, making comment on the validity of each item. The inner voice(s) will most likely say anything from "that's interesting" to "what a crock!" Either way, most unsuccessful professionals don't take any action on items that will make them more successful. It's just their way of doing business. Most professionals exhibiting unsuccessful traits cannot see the very things that they need to do, hence their lack of success.
I hope what you read here hits home. Review it; make comment on it; compare and evaluate yourself with it; and above all hone yourself toward success with it. Build on it and even let me know if there are other traits that can be added to it. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! . . .
That List I Promised . . .
Here's a list of traits shared by the winners. Do you have what it takes? Check it out!
(To fully appreciate this list, use a pen . . . rating yourself from 1-10 as to how well the trait matches your behaviour and focus. Follow up your score with what you have to do in each trait to make a perfect 10. Make a plan to bring it up to 10 and follow it through!)
FINDS CLIENTS . . .
- ______ Before prospecting, targets a niche to work.
- ______ Speaks the lingo of their niche, and speaks it well.
- ______ Has well thought out script which includes all possible objections.
- ______ Prospects non stop.
- ______ Tracks their results regardless.
- ______ Makes prospecting their least challenging activity.
- ______ Prospects and brings in new assets every month.
- ______ Looks for new assets.
- ______ Asks for referrals and gets them.
- ______ Trains self to look past rejection
- ______ Makes cold calling their easiest activity.
- ______ Does things that others don't do.
RELATES TO CLIENTS . . .
- ______ Builds relationships.
- ______ Builds rapport and relates easily.
- ______ Gets to know people.
- ______ Has consultive/coach focuses.
- ______ Keeps the objective relating to the clients and not selling the product.
- ______ Writes only good business, putting company assets only where they would put their own.
- ______ Knows their market niche.
- ______ Effectively screens and qualifies.
- ______ Makes a difference in the financial well being of their clients.
- ______ Is chronically professional in behavior toward clients, prospects and other professionals, regardless.
RUNS THE PRACTICE . . .
- ______ Commits career plan down on paper.
- ______ Writes goals down clearly.
- ______ Does business only within the scope of their business plan.
- ______ Sets many daily goals and achieves them.
- ______ Knows what results to review and reviews them daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly.
- ______ Manages time super-efficiently.
- ______ Extremely organized.
- ______ Blocks out "day" time for those things that can't be done at night.
- ______ Works hard and smart, with a really heavy emphasis on smart.
- ______ Has and uses an Automated Contact Manager that tracks effectively.
- ______ Dedicated to doing the right things & doing those things right.
- ______ Practices success.
- ______ Always keeps in action.
- ______ Has the right skills, determinations, integrities, and has a genuine love of the business.
- ______ Invests money in marketing, managing and refining the business.
- ______ Spends the first years working 6-7 days a week & enjoys what they're doing.
- ______ Maintains pipelines - with prospecting as a wellspring activity.
- ______ Delegates well; the right things to the right people for the right reasons.
- ______ Knows what can & can't be delegated & why.
- ______ Has a habitual checklist they review peroidically to keep on track.
- ______ Has a supportive team of advisors and peers inside and outside of work that can be relied on to keep sane.
- ______ Has procedures and policies in place for office staff which do not require the FP to re-inventing the wheel every time someone leaves or is replaced.
PRACTICES EXTREME SELF-CARE . . . .
- ______ Has a disciplined personal self-care plan and uses it.
- ______ Draws on the wisdom that experience has brought.
- ______ Has well established priority system based on unshakable personal value system.
- ______ Has or hires and uses a coach/mentor relationship to review direction, set guidelines, help in relating to clients and motivate.
- ______ Uses effective methods to prevent burnout.
- ______ Finds new ways of keeping energized or re-energized when burned out.
- ______ Expects burnout in 2 or 3 years if they don't take care of their self.
- ______ Values & cultivates a strong home or outside support system.
- ______ Stays in shape, conditions their mind & body, relieves stress & keeps their stamina high.
- ______ Creates supportive relationships outside of work related activities focused on non work related agendas.
"Coaches help you do for your business
what you help your clients do for their money!"
Interested in seeing what the QUALITIES FOR FAILURE are?
Coaches know that there isn't a time during the day or night when you aren't thinking about how you can increase the return on investment for your client. It's just the nature of a serious Business Professional.
On average, your special focus & service benefit immensely from the coaching support of professionals trained in making sure that your business is positioned favorably for maximum ROI.
And in a very strong sense, coaches help you do for your business what you help your clients do for their money. They are also always making sure your personal investment is getting its highest return.
Coaches work as your "personal partner" to review all aspects of your professional portfolio of skills, focus, time management, and plans. With them you locate with laser precision your best choices to develop your business assets while keeping safe, sound and sharp that which you've already achieved. You get the best feedback on performance possible to maximize your decision making process.
Having a coach makes a difference immediately, in better decisions, focus, actions and rewards.
Have a bodacious week!
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Coach John S. Nagy is CEO and Lead Business Coach for
Coaching for Success. Inc., a Business Coaching Service
specifically designed for top level decision makers dedicated to
peak performance in all facets of their activities. He’s hired to
focus them continuously in activities that bring higher returns on
their resource use. His programs are for the seriously committed.
This means having his clients work "ON" their businesses, not just
"IN" it. He’s a published author and a multi-degree professional
with a nationwide client base. Coach Nagy can be reached
through his E- mail address, his website at
http://www.coach.net and by calling 813-949-0718.
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Copyright © 2002 John S. Nagy
