APRIL 17, 2008

** Why Inspiration is so Important to Your Success
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

Having a sense of perseverance and inspiration, and being motivated can get you through the tough times in business. They can also help you achieve your goals and give purpose to what you are doing. The greatest benefit is that you will succeed with a lot more ease if you believe you can achieve anything, than if you don't believe it. If you give up easily, then being in business for yourself is probably not the route to take.

The good thing is that you can alleviate the stress all by yourself. People aren't born motivated; they gain it through everyday actions. So can you — all you need is to want to achieve great things and you will find a way.

Motivation in a traditional office setting can be easy to achieve. People are striving for raises and promotions all the time, and there is an unspoken competition among co-workers that keeps the fire burning. When you start out on your own, you're just that...on your own. So you need to motivate yourself.

I advise setting goals for yourself every single day. Big or small, it doesn't matter. Having goals will give you something to shoot for. It will ignite that fire again. Perhaps your goal can be to call a certain number of potential customers that day. If you succeed, then up the number by a few more for the next day.

Don't forget to celebrate your successes. Acknowledge to yourself that you have done well. Talk to your spouse and family about your accomplishments. Trust me; even though your successes are your own, your loved ones will be happy for you and this will give you a boost.

You also need to have desire and drive. You can't succeed unless you know you can and have convinced yourself of this. You have to get up every single morning knowing that this new day is going to be better than the last.

Learn from your mistakes. If you have encountered an obstacle, take time to figure out what went wrong so that you will never make that mistake again. This can be used as a form of motivation as well. Overcoming an obstacle requires more desire and drive for success than succeeding on a smooth road does. Trust me, I have made plenty of mistakes, but I can proudly say that they have made me more successful because I have never let them hold me back.

Don't see limitations for yourself and your business, only see possibilities. What I mean is that I too often hear people saying, "I won't be able to do this!" or "I can't accomplish that!" Well, negativity does not win races, and it certainly will not help you succeed.

When you talk to a new customer, tell yourself that it is possible to get their business and then devise a plan to make it happen. Never mind wasting time thinking that you won't be able to achieve this. Trust me; people, like animals, can smell fear and can sense a lack of confidence. Try to see every situation as a possibility to succeed — not a potential failure.

If you're just getting started in marketing, then you may not be familiar with the term "Unique Selling Proposition," or USP. When you're trying to create interest in a buyer's mind and make your product the most desirable, you need to focus on one key point.

And that one point is your Unique Selling Proposition.

Your USP should stand out above every other product you're competing against. Your USP should make your potential customer see why your product is the best. Your USP should grab one big benefit and wave it around for everyone to see.

Now, finding that one big selling point is where things can get a little difficult. When you're just starting out, it can also be your biggest challenge.

Your first task when uncovering selling points should be to take a good, long look at your competition. Find as many marketing and advertising materials from them as possible. Next, grab your pen and paper and start writing down the USPs you see your competition using.

This may take some practice, so you may also want to consider the big selling points of other products as well. Take a look at the small space ads in the yellow pages, or flip open any magazine. You'll find dozens of companies, all with the same or similar products and all of them trying to make a sale with potentially different USPs.

Now, once you have your list, it's time to focus on your product. Get to know what you're selling. Use it, abuse it and try to figure out every benefit (and even some of the problems) your product may have.

Next, consider your target market. Ask yourself, "What benefits are going to attract them the most?" and "What benefits are nice to have, but not necessarily all that important?"

Hidden within those benefits is going to be your big selling point. Now all you have to do is focus your sales materials on that selling point and watch the customers come rolling in.

** The Hidden Gas Station Tax?
By John Hurd, Chief Wealth Researcher

I find myself on the road a lot for business meetings far and wide.

When I need a break from driving, I'll typically pull into a gas station to top up my tank and stretch my legs. On the way to paying for my tank of gas, I usually have to maneuver past rows of snacks and treats in brightly colored wrappers to reach the attendant behind the counter.

Now, I do have a bit of a sweet tooth and it does take some effort not to grab a few candy bars to snack on for the journey ahead of me.

But, I make sure not to be lured into making those small purchases I really do not need to make.

That is why I call those candies and snacks the "hidden gas station tax."

You see, you're typically not going find yourself heading over to a gas station to pick up a snack. You're just there to fuel up your car, but you may end up with a few extra overpriced items simply because they are right there, tempting you.

Over time, those small purchases of only a few dollars each will really start to add up. The worst part is that you're not going to notice right away how much money you are spending because you'll just be using pocket change, but if you tally up those costs over months and years, the numbers could be staggering.

And all you get out of the deal are chocolates and sweets that do little more than give you a short sugar boost and saddle you with empty calories.

To help you avoid the hidden gas station tax, I suggest planning ahead when you know you're going to be on the road. Bring snacks from home to battle temptation. And if that doesn't work, visualize your bank statement as you deposit all of the pocket change you're saving instead of just throwing it away on junk.

** All You Need is a Little Respect
By Michael Newman, Self-made Millionaire

One of the most common qualities of successful people is that they have respect — both from the people around them and from within. In fact, I'd go a step further and say that it's not only a common quality, but a required quality.

Having respect is essential for success, because it generates confidence in your abilities and shows a genuine appreciation for what you do and what you're capable of doing. In other words, it can bring about all kinds of business.

In order to gain respect from others, you've first got to generate respect for yourself. This means that you have to set priorities and develop a clear conscience. Have the confidence in yourself to know what you can accomplish and to get it done on the conditions that you choose. It means not selling yourself short when you don't have to. If you're always second guessing your decisions and looking for the easy way out of a situation, it can show a lack of integrity or drive, which can limit the amount of respect you can generate.

If you're having a hard time developing respect for yourself, don't worry, because it can be done by making a few adjustments. Take a step back and ask yourself what your goals are and how you can most effectively meet them. Then, come up with a plan to carry out your objectives, and you'll notice how much more fulfilling your work is when it's done with a purpose.

If you prove to others that you stick to a level of ethics and performance, you can quickly gain their respect as well. When you're working towards a goal, others take notice. They'll see you as a hard worker who can get things done, and not someone who is just doing a job.

You also gain the respect of others by building relationships and keeping your word. This means you have to prove to others that you are reliable and willing to do what it takes to accomplish a task. Once others see your drive, their respect should follow.

Building respect takes some time, but work hard at it and people will begin to see your true value. Keep focused on achieving your goals to earn respect and the success that accompanies it.