Every successful thought leader has read the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill so many times that the book is close to falling apart and highlighted beyond recognition. Yet when I conducted my “ProfitsMakeover’s Street Interviews” only two people out of over 100 individuals had any idea of what I was talking about.

If you do not make the time now to watch this 5 minute video then you have only yourself to blame for the dissatisfactions in your life and in your business. If every leader has read this book I am giving you the opportunity to watch this video. If want things to change it starts with you.

Napolean Hill dedicated his life to success. This 5 minute video is dedicated to him and his message brought to you by Wiley Studios.

American Idol top 24 contestants took the stage tonight so what does that have to do with a business owners’ business in a word everything. The difference between a client, customer or consumer buying your product or service is what American Idol is all about.

1) Branding: The contestants start to brand themselves right from the beginning auditions.
2) Stories: A story of why they are applying for American Idol is inserted.
3) Unique: What makes that contestant unique and memorable?
4) Risk: How much risk is the contestant willing to take to win the competition?
5) Failure: Is the contestant willing to fail and try again by coming back to the audition?

Now ask yourself these 5 questions about your business and see if you are a winner?

The BostonHerald.com reported on January 22, 2008

The average selling price for a single Super Bowl XLII ticket was $4,451 yesterday on resale site StubHub.com – about $450 more than last year – but asking prices ran as high as $18,500 for one main premium seat at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Scottsdale, AZ saw over 1 million additional visitors which helped all the local establishments see increased revenues.
If a superbowl ticket can run as high as $18,000, those people are paying for the “experience” to be there.

What is your business doing to make sure your customer has an “experience” while doing business with you that will unforgettable and make the customer pay more money to do business with you in the future.

Now here’s what you can do:

1. Make a list. Take out a sheet of paper and write down every advantage you can think of why someone should do business with you. Get a big list. Don’t worry about whether or not your competitors can offer the same advantages or not at this time. Just get some points down on paper. Think in terms of how your business might fit in the following categories:

A. The name of your business. Does it say what you do, and position you in such a way that there can be no mistake? Can there be any doubt what kind of business “The Hair Club For Men” is in? As another example, if you didn’t know it was a men’s clothing store, what would you think “The Men’s Warehouse” sold… men? What about your business? Can you use the name as an advantage?

B. Exclusive niche. Are you trying to be all things to all people? Or do you occupy and dominate (or at least have the potential to dominate) a certain market? The tighter a group you can cater to, the more control you’ll have and the more opportunity you can have to dominate and control it.

C. Expertise. Do you have some type of specialized understanding of a particular market segment so you can become a recognized expert? If you do, when people look to you for help and expertise they can’t get anywhere else, you’ll have a tremendous advantage.

D. Guarantee. If you have an unusual guarantee, you can use that as a competitive advantage. We’ll discuss the concept of “risk reversal,” and guarantees later.

E. Market positioning. How are you viewed in your marketplace? How do you stack up against your competition? What is your market’s perception of you versus other competing businesses? Domino’s didn’t go head to head with other pizza shops trying to make a better pizza. Instead, they went after quick, in-home delivery, and nearly completely dominated a market in a very short time.

F. Price. How are your prices compared to those charged by your competitors? Do you have the lowest prices for your products, and operate as a “discount” operation? Or, do you take a higher price-point position and operate at a more “exclusive” level? Either position can be an advantage depending on how you position your business and the products and services you sell around it.

These are just a few of the areas that you may want to consider as competitive advantages. Of course, there are more, but at least this will get you thinking.

Congruency In Work, Personal & Societal Dimensions Is The Key To Effective Performance On The Job

The fact is optimal performance on the job or in life, can only come when each of the three dimensions of work, personal and societal are congruent. That is, for a person to operate at his or her highest effective potential, they must in each of these three dimensions, be good at what they do, they must enjoy doing it, and they must feel a sense of fulfillment while it’s being done.

When a person has reached a degree of success that they are happy with in one of the dimensions, he or she is considered to have achieved one‑dimensional success. While this is possible, and happens all the time, it is not often that a person finds true “two­-dimensional success,” and extremely rare to find someone who has achieved genuine “three‑dimensional” success.

Using psychological tests, the Institute For Behavioral Effectiveness in their evaluation of more than 1,500 participants analyzed those subjects’ perception of success in the three dimensions: Work, Personal and Societal. What they found, was:

80 percent of those studied did not enjoy their work.

Even though most of them worked hard for their employers or at their jobs, and performed well, they perceived their work as being “non-” or “minimally­ contributory.” That is, they felt that while the work they were doing may be significant; they were capable of doing more… making a greater contribution.

60 percent were not satisfied with their personal lives.

Many of these people considered themselves to have successful careers, enjoyed their jobs, and had satisfying relationships with others; they seemed fulfilled in those dimensions. When asked to find adjectives to describe themselves, many had a difficult time finding positive descriptors or were very conservative when selecting them. They felt that others were more capable than themselves in a variety of categories.

Click HERE for the complete article.

The Three Operational Dimensions We All Function In Are: Work, Personal And Societal Influence

To learn more about what brings people satisfaction and fulfillment in their jobs and their lives, The Institute for Behavioral Effectiveness studied more than 1,500 people. Included were business people, professionals, artists, teachers, homemakers, and those involved in various blue collar trades. The study revealed that three significant dimensions must be considered: work, personal and societal.

Work is what a person does during his or her day. For some people, it is their job or profession… how they earn their living. For others… homemakers, for example, it includes caring for the home and children, and the myriad of other tasks they routinely perform.

The Personal dimension is what a person does with his or her “free” time. It is what they do when they are alone. It is what a person thinks or dreams about during the day or during the quiet hours of the morning while lying in bed waiting for the alarm to sound. It also includes how a person feels about himself or herself… and how they think others view them… their self‑concept.

Societal includes a person’s relationships with others, including immediate and extended family members, neighbors, the community, church and club members, and the activities associated with each of these groups.

Click HERE for the complete article.