If you're like most of the television-watching public, you're hooked
on Season #2 of "The Apprentice" and the flamboyant entrepreneur in the
"starring role."
Love
him or hate him, you can't deny that Donald Trump is one of the world's
most intriguing success stories... arrogant, conceited, and an
absolute lightening rod for wealth of the largest magnitude. Trump is a
billionaire! His accomplishment speaks for itself.
I like the man a lot.
One
of the "big guns" leveled at "The Donald" is that he's boastful and
egoistic. But while his attitude may or may not make him good company
in a lifeboat, I think a "super" ego is a great characteristic to have
in business.
I'll admit it: sometimes I have a big ego myself. My
"ego strength" comes naturally out of the fact that I absolutely,
positively believe 100% in what I do.
I have a little gadget on my desk saying, "I might be wrong, but I am never in doubt."
If that makes me an egoist... so be it. Because if you show me a person with low self-esteem, I'll show you a loser.
Self-esteem
is the foundation of all achievement. You gotta love yourself. You
gotta stand up for yourself. You gotta believe in yourself. And don't
be afraid to toot your own horn!
Many people are conditioned that "bragging" is unseemly. But seriously, if you don't shine the spotlight on yourself, who will?
In
most businesses, the owner is the "face" of that business, and he must
sell himself as well as his products and services. Trump understands
the concept, and what's why you see his brand "Trump" on everything.
"The Donald" knows that you've got to be your own full-time marketing campaign 24 hours a day...because nobody else will!
Especially if you're an entrepreneur.
Starting
a new business is like having a new baby. In the first weeks and
months, you're surrounded by support and encouragement...love from
friends and family eager to help you with your "newborn."
But how
long does that last? Not very. Suddenly you're out there on your own,
and you've got to trust yourself. If you don't have confidence in
yourself and in your decision-making abilities, you'll be
paralyzed...unable to move.
Here's something huge: you have to
believe that you'll be able to bounce back no matter what comes your
way. Trump certainly has! And you can bet it was his unshakable ego
that made the difference.
So, before you judge "The Donald" for
being arrogant and full of himself, consider how having an
over-developed ego can be a real asset.
One of the most important
lessons I've learned in business is - don't criticize the negative
traits of super-successful people. Instead of looking at their flaws and
mistakes, say...
"What can I learn from this guy? What are some of his characteristics? How can I adapt this concept to my business?"
Frankly, if you can't pick up at least a good idea or two from a billionaire, you're pretty hopeless.
OK, enough of this "appetizing" chitchat. Let's get to the meat...
What I'd like to do is share some of the key insights I've learned from Donald Trump and successfully applied to my own life.
I'll give it to you Trump's way... then, I'll "Lok and load" it with my own personal spin.
Fasten your seat belt, because this first insight is probably THE concept that completely changed my life.
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Trumpism #1: Making It Big
"I like things big. I always have. To me, it's very simple: if you're going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big."
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Several years ago, I set a goal for myself: to make a 6-figure annual salary as a copywriter. What a small thinker I was!
Today,
I've more than achieved my goal, but I didn't get the fulfillment and
satisfaction that I expected. It's more like, "OK, I've achieved my
goal, now what?"
What if I had set the goal to become a millionaire copywriter?
What if I set the goal to utilize my marketing and copywriting and build a $10-million company?
Would that make a difference? Would I be even more successful?
I think so.
As motivational speaker Les Brown said, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."
My
mother didn't raise any ignorant kids, and you don't have to tell me
something twice. I've learned my lesson and adopted this philosophy in
both my business and personal pursuits.
My long-term goal is building a $100 million-dollar company.
Isn't that pretty outrageous? Does it sound 'impossible'? Well, I've got a lifetime to work towards it!
And if I reach that goal, I'll set a new one!
You'll experience a paradigm shift when you think BIG. You'll look at things differently. You'll look at yourself differently.
And most of all, you'll approach your business differently.
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Trumpism #2: Accentuate the Negative
"It's
been said that I believe in the power of positive thinking. In fact, I
believe in the power of negative thinking. I happen to be very
conservative in business. I always go into the deal anticipating the
worst. If you plan for the worst - if you can live with the worst - the
good will always take care of itself."
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More
success, more wealth and more money are created out of knee-knocking,
nail-biting desperation than out of "touchy/feely" positive thinking.
Positive
thinking alone won't get you anywhere unless you combine it with
practical plans, well-defined goals, follow-through, action, knowledge
and persistence, etc.
I'm living proof.
I got into the
copywriting business out of desperation. I still remember when I was to
the world of business and no one would hire me. Feeling helpless and
hopeless, I was motivated to become my own boss.
It was do or die
for me...and I sure as hell wasn't about to die. And I found out that
if I used the power of "negative thinking" in a good way, it was an
extremely powerful motivator.
I always like to put myself in
situation where I HAVE to grow, I HAVE to adapt, and I HAVE to change. I
am constantly pushing the envelope and stepping outside of my comfort
zone because...
The success that you want can only be found outside your comfort zone!
Any
time you have a decision to make, ask yourself this, "What's the worst
possible outcome? Can I handle it? Will it kill my business?"
Expect the best, but plan for the worst. Don't assume things will go smoothly because 9 times out of 10...they won't!
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Trumpism #3: Hiding Your Light Under A Bushel
"You can have the most wonderful product in the world, but if people don't know about it, it's not going to be worth much."
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I've
pitched this concept until I am blue in the face to clients who
stubbornly say, "I have a great product, so I don't have to advertise
it."
That's insane!
No business can survive without a
constant stream of qualified prospecting coming to your business. So it
doesn't matter what industry you're in or what product/service you make
available, whoever you are...
Essentially you're in the marketing business!
Having
a good product or service is NOT enough...although it's certainly
mandatory! Quality and value what brings your customers back for more.
But how the heck do they do how "wonderful" your stuff is if they haven't even bought from you yet?
In
order to make a sale, you need someone you can sell to. To achieve
that you need effective marketing systems to get these people in your
"funnel" in the first place.
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Trumpism #4: Show Me the Money
"Don't believe the critics unless they love your work."
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I have a reputation for being blunt and aggressive. It's well deserved.
I
am tough on my clients. I slap them around (figuratively, of course!). I
use swear words when I write. I use even more "colorful language" when I
talk.
I could be a real SOB sometime. I don't sugarcoat stuff and
I definitely don't care about hurting someone's feelings. I've even
fired clients on more than one occasion.
Because of my
straightforward and tell-it-like-it-is style, I get a lot more
criticisms than other marketing experts. Do you think I care what other
critics say or think or about me? Not for a microsecond.
Because
my clients either love me or they hate me. But regardless of how they
feel about my style, all my clients put up with a manic like me because I
make them rich, enormously rich.
And it's my satisfied clients that pay me... not dissatisfied critics.
The
world is full of "naysayers" eager to find fault and point to the
negative. You can't avoid them. They're a fact of life. Elbert
Hubbard said it best, "To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be
nothing."
I am a firm believer that the best way to fail is to try
to please everybody. So the only criticisms I take to heart are the
ones from my mentors, my closest associates, and my advisors.
Period.
Remember...
Your critics aren't buying from you
Your critics don't want to see you do well
Your critics probably aren't qualified enough to criticize you!
Okay,
I've "distilled" the essence of the four most intriguing concepts I've
learned from Trump's books that have put money in my pocket. If you're
motivated to go deeper "The Donald" has written seven incredible books
(and you'll notice that each of them has "Trump" in the title!)
- Trump: How to Get Rich
- Trump: The Way to the Top
- Trump: Surviving at the Top
- Trump: The Art of the Deal
- The America We Deserve
- Trump: The Art of Survival
