The Keys To Success

The Keys To Success

by Willie Crawford

Let's take a minute a review some of the keys to success that we all intuitively know but, for some reason, don't always apply. These keys apply to any business whether online or offline. The first key to success that I noticed lacking in a lot of online businesses is internal, deepseated, motivation.

You must have an internalized drive to make your business thrive, and that drive has to be emotionally charged. Without this drive, everything about the way you conduct your business will reflect a lack of commitment and a lack of belief in what you are doing. Many of the ads you see in ezines and posted on classifieds sites clearly relect a lack of belief in what the promoter is doing.

You can actually read the ad and tell that the marketer doesn't really BELIEVE in his products merit. The tone of the ad is wrong. So... how do you develop this emotionally charged drive?

You need a internalized reason why you must succeed. This deepseated reason will drive you to learn the things you need to know about operating your business. This deepseated drive will cause you to continuously examine how you operate your business. You will be looking for what is working and what is not. Do this continuously. Then stop doing the things that don't work and keep doing the things that do.

Sadly - if you just copy what everyone else is doing, you will not be applying this principle. Most people keep doing the wrong things, and aren't becoming more successful. They keep doing the things that don't work and hope that some day they will work. Change that though process - TODAY.

Doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different outcome some day indicates insanity. A quick example of personal motivation! I have two teenage daughters, fast approaching college. They are the center of my life and their success is of prime importance to me. I cherish them! I also have elderly parents and inlaws that I want to be able to help have happy, less stressful lives as they age.

This motivates me to keep my business related activities in high speed. It keeps me focused. At the same time, I do not plan on NEEDING to work when I am a senior citizen. So I keep reminders around my office that keep me charged up (pictures, sayings, books). I continuously recharge my motivation engine. I also keep in touch with the people I grew up with, to remind me of where I came from.

I came from such a poor community that I once wore my grandmother's shoes to school for a week until she could convince a local merchant to sell her another pair, for me, on credit. I remember vividly the kids at school making fun of me wearing what were obviously "grandma shoes" and that keeps me saying "never again."

Another key to success is networking. We need others to mentor us and teach us things that helped them succeed. As importantly, we need others to tell us of the mistakes they made so we avoid making the same mistakes. The people I communicate with every day are more that happy to share this information with you. They share it in postings to news groups, on bulletin boards, and in ezine articles. They have selfish motives - building their online presence - but they do share their "insider secrets" freely.

Read widely, listen and learn. Also, if you read something that confuses you, write a short note asking for clarification. When you discover a tip or technique, share it with you online friends. Give as much as you take - networking is not a one way street. The third key to success that I want to share with you is critical examination.

Look at the setup of any company you are thinking about becoming involved with. Check them out. Check out their products and their business practices. Ask others already in the industry about how satisfied they are with the company - being forever mindful of their motivation for giving whatever answer they give. The internet is a wonderful place and you can do searches and find information on about any product or service. Do some digging now to save yourself a lot of grief and money later.

Critical examination also involves applying the old cliche, "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is." Ask yourself, if this is such a great opportunity why aren't people flocking to it by the hundreds of thousands. After all when you do find that really great opportunity, you certainly share it with everyone you really care about. Real "great opportunities" - like discovering gold - are nearly impossible to keep secret.

People flock to real opportunities without being prodded. Examine anything you are considering getting involved in thoroughly. Look at the investment in time, money, effort. Is it worth it - or can you earn better money doing something else? The final priciple I want to review with you today is having the right product. That right product MUST fill a need!

It's no secret that if you create your own product or service you will earn a higher percentage from each sale. Knowing that - the best way to thrive in an internet business is to see a need (perhaps based upon your personal experience) and develop something to fill it. If you can't do this, you must offer a product or service that pays you a substantial percentage of the sales price as a commission.

Businesses that pay you a residual commission month after month are also recommended, because, over time, each sale made translates into a worthwhile income stream. Always look at how much income your efforts will generate over the longterm, and then decide if that "really great opportunity" is worth your time and effort.

Apply these keys religously and you can't fail. Your business online or offline will thrive. You will be doing what successful business people have been doing for centuries!

Willie Crawford is a well-know internet marketing consultant and writer. His website is filled with articles designed to help you succeed.

Visit http://www.williecrawford.com today!

This article may be freely used in your ezine or on your website as long as it is reproduced in it's entirety, to include this footnote and it is not altered.