Top 10 Secrets of Outrageously Successful Business Owners

by Denise Corcoran

Published on this site: July 24th, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Are you struggling to make a profit? Are you challenged in reaching your next success level? Would just like to reach your desired business goals faster?

Then "The Top 10 Secrets of Outrageously Successful Enterprises" is a *must* for you. These business secrets are the *Best of the Best.* These secrets were not gotten from a book or seminar. Rather they represent the wisdom I gained from coaching & consulting hundreds of businesses over the last 21 years ... from the soloist entrepreneur to multi-billion dollar companies.

I guarantee if you apply any one of these top 10 secrets with conviction and commitment, you will experience quantum leaps in your business.

Mindset Secrets

1. *Expect* to Win... *Expect* to Succeed
   
   While we all experience highs and lows in our business, outrageously successful enterprises expect to succeed over the long run. For such enterprises,
   
   Success is the only option.
   
   To what extent do you expect to succeed in your business? What less empowering expectations currently undermine your success? Make a *decision* today to succeed. "Cut the cord" on all other possible outcomes.
   
   
2. Live and Breathe Your Mission Statement
   
   While most businesses have crafted a mission statement, it is not enough just to have one. Outrageously successful enterprises live and breathe their missiion statement ... in every goal, every strategy and every project of their business. It is the life force and the reason for everything they do.
   
   Do you have a compelling mission statement for your business? Do you communicate it - both in words and actions - to every client, every prospect, every employee? If you asked any one of these stakeholders what is your mission, would they know what to say?
   
   Post and read your mission statement daily. Include it in all your collateral materials. Live and breathe your mission statement in every goal, decision and action. This one principle will make your business a compelling magnet for greater and greater levels of success.
   
   
3. Always Ask the Million $$ Question:
   
   "Where is the opportunity in this situation?"
   
   Within *every business challenge,* there is an extraordinary opportunity for a huge breakthrough. Even with the most difficult challenges, outrageously successful enterprises never see challenges. They only see opportunities. They constantly ask: "Where is the opportunity in this situation?"
   
   Where is your focus right now in your business - on the challenge or the opporunity? Make it a habit with every challenge to ask: "Where is the opportunity in this situation?" that one question will blow open the doors to new solutions, new strategies and new possibilities to take your business to the next level.
   
   
4. Become the Ultimate Business "Romanticist"
   
   Outrageously successful enterprises are constantly "in love." Yes, that's right. They love their customers. They love their employees and vendors. They love their visions. They love everything about their business.
   
   This priniciple is not something you get from a book. It comes from the very heart and soul of why you are in business. When you are "in love," it shines forth in every client interaction, every exchange with a prospect, every dealing with a peer or vendor. Remember the old cliche, "People don't care what you know; they want to know that you care."
   
   Are you "in love" wiith your clients and prospects? Are you "in love" with the benefits you offer? Are you "in love" with every aspect of your business? If not, why not? What do you need to change about your attitude, beliefs or actions to become the "Ultimate Business Romanticist."
   
   Strategy Secrets
   
   
5. Look at Marketing as a *Continuum*, not an Event.
   
   Contrary to conventional business thinking, marketing does not end with a sale. Outrageously successful enterprises know that marketing is a perpetual process. And, contrary to most business practices, these enterprises focus more than 50% of their marketing efforts **after the sale** - such as 'post sale" follow-up, repeat business incentives, backend selling, referral marketing, etc. They know that the greatest revenues are generated *after the sale."
   
   How do you see and practice marketing in your business - as an event or a continuum? What *post sales* and prospect follow-up activities can you incorporate as the focus of your marketing efforts? This one shift n your marketing focus alone can increase your revenues 100%, 200%, even 500% ... more than any marketing action you take in your business.
   
   
6. Constantly"Market Up"
   
   Within every target market, there is a high end and a low end market and everything in between. Million $$ enterprises constantly stretch their marketing sights and target prospects that most businesses would think impossible to acquire as clients. They constantly "market up" to high end prospects ... a strategy that catalyzes their business to a much bigger game.
   
   What specific prospects ... or kinds of prospects ... would you love to have a clients or customers but think it is impossible? Think out side the box and think BIG. It could be celebrities, politicians, admired companies or CEOs, leaders in your community, rolemodels, etc.
   
   Pick one high end prospect to start. Build a marketing campaign to reach that person or company. This strategy requires persisitence, yet is well worth it. From my own first hand experience, "marketing up" can skyrocket your reveneues and business exposure instantly and multiply your profits for years to come.
   
   
7. Make"Adding More Value" Your #1 Crusade.
   
   Outrageously successful enterprises are in the business of creating value. They have a stgrong conviction to contribute to more and more richness to their cleints' lives and businesses.
   
   In everything they say and do. they let clients know "you matter. Your well-being and success is important to us." They focus on "what do I have to give?" ... Not "what do I have to do to get a sale?"
   
   Where is your focus right now - on adding value, or making the sale? Make a list of at least 10 ways yo can increase the value of your products and services. Implement the easiest one ideas ... starting now. Make "adding value" a routine business priorty. When you do, your products and services will sell themselves.
   
   Performance Secrets
   
   
8. Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
   
   Outrageously successful enterprises are masters at achieving the greatest return at the lowest possible risk. They constantly look for ways to reduce the amount of time, money and energy to achieve their ultimate goals.
   
   They take what works and see if they can make it better, faster, cheaper. They know the "what if" implications of every new strategy, goal, product or service. They are pros at maximizing performance tradeoffs.
   
   Do your know the profitabilty of each product or service you offered? Do you know what clients are the most expensive, demanding or time-consuming to serve? If you doubled your client base, do you know the implications on costs, revenues and the operations of your business?
   
   To optimize your business results, think highest and best use of your time, energy and money. Always Think Highest and Best!!
   
   
9. Multiply Profits Through the Power of Leverage.
   
   Most businesses build their enterprises in a haphazard way. Outrageously successful businesses grow their businesses from a place of leverge. They look for new ways to convert their current assets, strengths and opportunities into new revenue streams. They constantly take inventory and seek ways to profit from untapped capabilities and underutilized resources. They integrate marketing activities into a single business strategy to maximize results.
   
   How can you leverage

• your current assets (eg., your client base, employees),
  
  
• your current strengths (eg., your knowledge base, processes),
  
  
• your current resources (eg., your business network, capital), to quickly grow your business?
  

How can you revamp your marketing activities so that your products and services sell each other? Leverage is one of the most under-utilized principles for multiplying profits in business

10. Develop a Bias Toward Action
    
    Outrageously successful enteprises understand that, in today's economy, windows of oportunity are often measured in months ... not years and decades. They know they cannot wait for the perfect strategy, the perfect solution to capitalize on these opportunities. They must act quickly if they want to thrive in these highly changing times.

What new projects, strategies or opporatunites are you stalling in order to achieve perfoection? What new practices, support structures or habits will accelerate your bias toward action?



Denise Corcoran - CEO, The Empowered Business (tm) - is a Business and Leadership Coach, Strategic Consultant, Master NLP Practitioner. http://www.EmpoweredBusiness.com Learn the legendary secrets of top business achievers. Our ezine is your exclusive source. To subscribe: http://www.goldbar.net/go.php?id=7996&c=1738&ac=isnare