While speaking to a friend a few days ago, he recounted his conversation with a very successful man in the country. He asked this great man a question, ‘Sir, what would it take a young man like me to achieve what you have achieved in a shorter period of time’. He smiled and replied, ‘If you want to be an elephant, start eating what elephants are eating’. After pondering over this statement for a while, I found this to be a great truth which we all must learn: If you want to be a champion, start doing what champions are doing.
THINK LIKE A CHAMPION
One of the greatest hallmarks of a champion is the way he thinks. He is absolutely in control of his thought life. He understands that thoughts are the most powerful influences in a man’s life. Whatever we think we can or we can’t, would eventually determine what we achieve and accomplish. While majority pursue external factors to determine what they can do or can’t do, the champion looks inward. The beauty of this is that there are no barriers in the world of imagination. The champion decides on what he wants and then begins to create amazing and pleasurable pictures of it in his mind. He faces fear, uncertainty, anxiety, nervousness and other emotions like every other person but he never allows them to stop him from achieving whatever he wants to achieve. He consciously accepts responsibility and keeps working until he wins.
PLAN LIKE A CHAMPION
Energy, enthusiasm, determination and diligence are all products of the amazing mental pictures that the champion has created about his future. Although thinking helps him to answer the question ‘what do I want to achieve?’, he engages planning to answer the question ‘how?’ The true champion is a strategist. He doesn’t work without a goal in mind. And with his goals he establishes a plan that will help him reach the goal. He works tirelessly on his plan until his goals are achieved. For more on effective planning you may refer to the July edition of CityHub.
FOCUS LIKE A CHAMPION
There are two Jacks that never succeed in life: Jack of All Trades and Jack of No Trade. Focus on nothing and you’ll achieve nothing. Focus on everything and you’ll still achieve nothing. But if you focus on one thing, you are on your way to becoming a champion. Champions focus on one dream, one vision, and one cause at a time. Common sense says ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ but focus says ‘put all your eggs in one basket and watch it with everything you’ve got’. The power of focus is one of the ultimate reasons for a champion’s success.
LEARN LIKE A CHAMPION
The champion’s food is knowledge and ideas. Their achievements are a direct function of the quality and quantity of information acquired through diligent study and search. They promptly apply new ideas they find to their circumstances. Champions never know enough to settle for status quo. They know that trends, circumstances and events are constantly changing. And changing with them are methods, approaches and strategies for achieving success in vital aspects of their lives. Therefore they humble themselves and submit to constant learning, corrections, improvements.
Haven’t you been around some folks who have this feeling of ‘I know everything and there is nothing new for me to learn’? Watch such people closely; any success they achieve is short-lived. Champions carry the mentality that they will never know enough. Even when they know quite a lot already, they still need to add what others know to what they know to stay relevant and maintain their top place. Therefore you must constantly unlearn old ways and habits, relearn new ones, apply them effectively to your present situation and keep improving on your current resourcefulness until your capacity level becomes formidable. That is how to remain a true champion.
LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION
There are two worlds you can choose to live in. The general world (where everybody lives and anything goes), and the champion’s world (where only champions live). The champion’s world is a world of possibilities, pleasure, productivity, rest, excitement, fun, fame, fulfilment and enormous wealth. But little do many realise that this good life was created by the champion himself from adventures, risks, rejections, mockery, losses and temporary pains faced in the general world. Everyone has his or her own fair share of challenges but what make champions soar is what they do with the challenges they face. For the average person, challenges are their excuse for failing. But for champions, the good life is too precious to be left at the mercy of conquerable challenges.
You have an amazing future before you. A future so big that if you could just dare to consistently think, plan, focus, learn and live like a champion, you’ll become unstoppable and success-bound. Start your journey into greatness today!
Ejiro Eboh
Author, Consultant and Conference speaker
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Creating an Unforgettable First Impression
To sign profitable deals and win giant clients in the business world you would need to develop your skills for making the kind of first impression that wins potential clients, customers and partners at business meetings or appointments. And in most cases you have less than five seconds to be assessed. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.
These first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo especially after the deal is lost or transaction aborted. Therefore we will be exploring some useful hints that will help you along this line.
Pass the Punctuality test
There is no excuse for running late when meeting a first-time business prospect. Plan to arrive five minutes earlier. If the place of appointment is 15 minutes away from your location, add another 5 minutes for contingency purposes. Arriving early is far better than arriving late when trying to create a great first impression.
Relax and Be Yourself
If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can make the other person to feel uneasy and that’s a sure way to create a wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so the other person will feel more at ease, you are sure to create a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one. One way to calm yourself when you’re about to get in front of an important ‘stranger’ is to spend a few minutes earlier consciously visualizing the person as pleasant.
Don’t Misrepresent Yourself
The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to assess you. But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. The key to a good impression is to present yourself appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So the “picture” you first present says much about you to the person you are meeting. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?
Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? In a business setting, what is the appropriate business attire? Suit, blazer, casual? And ask yourself what the person you'll be meeting is likely to wear. If your contact is in advertising or the music industry, a business suit may not strike the right note! Also, a good haircut, clean shave, modest make up are few things that can make your grooming appropriate and help you feel more confident.
A Winning Smile!
Somebody once said, “Smile and the world smiles too.” So there’s nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other person at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great first impressions. But don't go overboard with this - people who take this too far can obviously appear insincere.
Be Courteous And Attentive
Good manners and a courteous behavior would help to make a good first impression. In fact, anything less can ruin the one chance you have at making that first impression. So be on your best behavior! One modern manner worth mentioning is to turn off your mobile phone. Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less and you’ll create a less than good first impression.
Be Open and Confident
When it comes to making the first impression, body language as well as appearance speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and encourage both you and the other person to feel better at ease.
Strike Amusing conversations
Conversations are based on verbal give and take. It may help you to prepare questions you have for the person you are meeting for the first time beforehand. Or, take a few minutes to learn something about the person you meet for the first time before you get together. For instance, does he play chess? Does she love children?
Is there anything that you know of that you have in common with the person you are meeting? If so, this can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing.
Be Positive
Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.
Most importantly, commit everything into the hands of God and know that there will be no regrets if you know you did your best. With the above tips you can be sure that the big business breaks you desire will soon become a reality.
These first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo especially after the deal is lost or transaction aborted. Therefore we will be exploring some useful hints that will help you along this line.
Pass the Punctuality test
There is no excuse for running late when meeting a first-time business prospect. Plan to arrive five minutes earlier. If the place of appointment is 15 minutes away from your location, add another 5 minutes for contingency purposes. Arriving early is far better than arriving late when trying to create a great first impression.
Relax and Be Yourself
If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can make the other person to feel uneasy and that’s a sure way to create a wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so the other person will feel more at ease, you are sure to create a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one. One way to calm yourself when you’re about to get in front of an important ‘stranger’ is to spend a few minutes earlier consciously visualizing the person as pleasant.
Don’t Misrepresent Yourself
The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to assess you. But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. The key to a good impression is to present yourself appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So the “picture” you first present says much about you to the person you are meeting. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?
Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? In a business setting, what is the appropriate business attire? Suit, blazer, casual? And ask yourself what the person you'll be meeting is likely to wear. If your contact is in advertising or the music industry, a business suit may not strike the right note! Also, a good haircut, clean shave, modest make up are few things that can make your grooming appropriate and help you feel more confident.
A Winning Smile!
Somebody once said, “Smile and the world smiles too.” So there’s nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other person at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great first impressions. But don't go overboard with this - people who take this too far can obviously appear insincere.
Be Courteous And Attentive
Good manners and a courteous behavior would help to make a good first impression. In fact, anything less can ruin the one chance you have at making that first impression. So be on your best behavior! One modern manner worth mentioning is to turn off your mobile phone. Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less and you’ll create a less than good first impression.
Be Open and Confident
When it comes to making the first impression, body language as well as appearance speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and encourage both you and the other person to feel better at ease.
Strike Amusing conversations
Conversations are based on verbal give and take. It may help you to prepare questions you have for the person you are meeting for the first time beforehand. Or, take a few minutes to learn something about the person you meet for the first time before you get together. For instance, does he play chess? Does she love children?
Is there anything that you know of that you have in common with the person you are meeting? If so, this can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing.
Be Positive
Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.
Most importantly, commit everything into the hands of God and know that there will be no regrets if you know you did your best. With the above tips you can be sure that the big business breaks you desire will soon become a reality.
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