Tony Parinello created his own brand of sales training called Selling to VITO™, the Very Important Top Officer in 1995. Today, he is trusted by the majority of Fortune 1,000 and over 2.5 million sales people in more than 30 countries to help them create bigger deals in less time.
Start your day doing something you love to do, identify a time during the day when you can do your best work, and get the hardest task out of the way first. ONWARD!
Tony tries to develop an unshakeable belief that is derived from identifying a single purpose.
Tony was ready to release an audio album, but failed to deliver a pitch to a notable producer -- and Tony tells the whole story here.
“A business owner has to be able to look at the end result and make it a priority before everything else.”
“Size does not matter and it never will.”
“I would put a system in place that could help with leveraging distribution points and international channels.”
You have to make it clear to the marketplace that your organization has an unshakable belief in their product or service.
An individual that can think independently, but still understands how their thoughts align with the organization.
Jim Traister is the CEO of HospitalityFan, a Social Media & Creative agency that drive sales via social media for independent hospitality businesses every day across the country.
Consolidate your channels of communication, utilize email in an effective manner, and make sure to turn off all unnecessary notifications that can become distractions. ONWARD!
Jim’s success can be attributed to family and an overall willingness to tackle the hardest task at the start of the workday.
Jim had to let go of a valued salesperson and consequently lost one of the company’s largest accounts -- and Jim tells the whole story here.
“A business owner has to be committed to their customers, understand the customer's point-of-view, and remain persistent.”
“It’s so easy to be great if you have a good work ethic because there is very little competition out there.”
“I would have put a system in place to help with sales because an inadequate system can’t fully prepare a salesperson.”
Caring is the recipe for success. Very few companies try to form mutually beneficial meaningful relationships.
An individual that can communicate effectively, take initiative, and become a proactive problem solver.
Albrecht was a co-founder of Student-Online, a pioneer start-up in electronic publishing and online dictionaries in the early 1990's. He is the founder (and 2008- 2012 CEO) of Berliner Filmforum a business club and network for film and media professionals with 10,000 members. As a consultant Albrecht has worked for Osram, Europcar, Daimler, VW, Total, Cisco Systems, the Vatican, US-State Department and a number of Start-Ups and SMEs.
Make a schedule and understand your individual strengths. Try to identify a specific time during the day when you can excel at your trade. Don’t try to work when distractions are present. ONWARD!
Albrecht makes sure to close the door to signify when he is working. Closing the door limits unnecessary distractions.
When Albrecht left Syria during a period of civil unrest he lost all of his business connections -- and Albrecht tells the whole story here.
“A business owner has to learn to say no and prioritize their day in an efficient manner.”
“90% of what people say is total nonsense and the other 10% of the noise actually matters.”
“I would try to get out of the system. The educational systems I progressed through prepared me for a world that did not exist. I would love to go back and prepare myself for the real world.”
Repetition is an invaluable technique that helps business owners achieve a level of mastery.
An individual that can identify with the organization, hold onto their own ideas, and refrain from developing an ego.
Tom Dunkel has 25 years of finance and real estate experience. He currently runs 4 alternative investment companies and volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoys sports, music and spending time with his family.
Employ traditional and simple methods. Get a journal and write down your ideas. Tom believes traditional methods compound over time and promote efficiency throughout the workday. ONWARD!
Over the last few years, Tom has made exercise and continual learning major priorities in his daily routine.
A trading partner stole nearly $750,000 of investor-raised capital from Tom’s business -- and Tom tells the full story here.
“A business owner has to have the ability to communicate their vision with the utmost clarity.”
“Take personal responsibility to become more and your success will correlate with the person you become.”
“A system versed in communicating with internal personnel and outside stakeholders.”
Identify three vital functions to limit distractions and bolster concentration.
Clear away the clutter, limit distractions, and deliver consistently.
Entrepreneur, Hyper Networker, and Success guru. I am known for the companies and groups I have started, the thought leadership in Enterprise Architecture, and my community contribution and support.
Focus on your top three income-producing activities. Focusing on your top three income-producing activities will help your team stay on track and the revenue should follow. ONWARD!
Phil follows a personal fitness routine to bolster his energy levels. Phil credits the routine for his energy throughout the workday.
One of Phil’s largest clients sent a letter notifying the company that there was a breach of contract -- and Phil tells the whole story here.
“A business owner needs to be determined and have the ability to persevere through hardship.”
“Done is better than perfect. The creative process is dynamic, but you have to get the job done.”
“I would go back and look at systems versed in planning with an emphasis on life planning.”
Everyone within the organization has to understand what needs to be done to bring income into the company.
You have to be committed to customer service and creating meaningful relationships.
Afraa Zammam is co-founder of "The Magic of the Swarms", a charity for refugee children based on her husband's art.
Get an accountability partner. An accountability partner is anyone who is going to help you stay focused. Afraa believes accountability partners help an individual to adhere to their daily schedule. ONWARD!
Afraa makes a sincere effort to mediate and take walks throughout the workday.
A war in Syria broke out and took a toll on Afraa’s international cosmetic company -- and Afraa tells the whole story here.
“A business owner has to have patience and excellent communication skills.”
“Live life by design instead of life by default. Environment is everything. Your environment is a direct reflection of yourself.”
“I don’t think I would go back and push the reset button to add a specific system. We’ve found a way to take advantage of our particular situation over the past three years.”
Take ownership of your responsibilities, don’t make excuses, and never blame others for your own mistakes. “Do you want to be the wave or do you want to be the surfer?”
Write down all your goals and make sure to stay on track.
Shane Stott is CEO of Walker Tape Co, and the co founder of Zen Float Co. He's an inventor at heart and has revolutionized both of his industries. His inventions have been featured on ABC, MSN, and Yahoo. He is a very active industry expert in both fields producing webinars, interviews, and how-to videos that can be found at ZenFloatCo.com and WalkerTapeCo.com.
Make a “WIN-list” not a to-do list. Making a win list allows an individual to focus on their vital priorities. Starting with the hardest task on your WIN-list is a great way to initiate the day. This recipe helps Shane’s build enough momentum to conquer major challenges. ONWARD!
Shane has developed a morning routine that consists of his daily workout regiment, a balanced breakfast, and this motivational audio (Link to MP3) that gets him in the zone during his commute to work.
Shane was working on an innovative prototype when it literally sprung a leak. Ultimately, Shane’s team went back to the drawing board to find a solution -- and in the process -- improved the product.
“Business owners need to take advantage of our information world by accessing free information and making a commitment to constant learning.”
“I chased it and I got it, but it didn't bring me the joy that I had initially expected.”
“I would build a beta testing group for both of my businesses at a very early stage.”
Welcome feedback as a team because it’s an opportunity for growth.
Individuals who can manage themselves in their own respective field with the utmost honesty and humbleness.
Entrepreneur, business coach and business journalist. President of Marty Wolff Business Solutions.
It’s all about the fundamentals. Observe the practice, write down your goals, and try to review them on a regular basis. Get your heart and mind behind your goals. ONWARD!
A morning routine initiated by a brief prayer. Immediately after prayer, Marty reviews his goals, creates a concise to-do list, and continually checks his progress throughout the day.
Success at a young age gave Marty a sense of invincibility. He decided to go into a struggling retail business with the idea of reinventing the organization. He ultimately failed by hanging on too long.
“To thrive in the current business environment you have to read, keep learning, and continually absorb information to feed the mind.”
“You know you young guys think it gets easier. It doesn't. It just changes over time.”
“Financial systems, financial accountability platforms, and systems that help an individual formulate a better understanding of financial projections.”
Share the big picture within your corporation, get everyone rowing in the same direction, and implement internal systems to spread your vision.
An individual can exceed expectations by being a great team member.
Stacy Tuschl is a speaker, business coach, and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Is Your Business Worth Saving?, where she reveals proven strategies for pulling entrepreneurs out of a rut and launching them toward business success.
Do everything you can to prepare for tomorrow before you go to bed tonight!
Delegate -- but -- follow-up to check in on progress without micro-managing -- by scheduling a series of specific, regularly occurring checkpoint meetings each week.
Stacy tells her story of trying to keep her head above water at the time her business began to grow quickly -- so she hired several people without having a plan or management team in place -- all of which compounded in more problems. She was forced to learn how to onboard, train, and delegate...quickly!
“The preparation behind your performance.”
“Things are never as hard as they look.”
“Hire an assistant immediately”...someone who can do all of the $10 an hour jobs so you can focus on accomplishing your most vital priorities each day.
Set up and schedule a consistent rhythm of checkpoint meetings -- and then train your team to wait until the meetings to provide feedback all at once so it can be dealt with all at once.
Be a self-starter. But don’t ask questions -- instead -- raise questions. As a business owner, you should hire people who are smarter and more skilled than you for your various departments and then ask them to self-start projects.
Speaker, Author, Successful CEO and Student of the Game of Business. Founder/CEO of MyEmployees, a 26 year-old firm in the Top 1% Worldwide in the Employee Engagement and Recognition industry.
Take your skill set, and the skill sets of your team, to the next level by reading every day. What started as 30-minutes a day has morphed into three to four hours. This recipe has resulted in David being able to build an incredible team and he now takes 25 weeks of vacation a year. ONWARD!
Get up early and then jump start your day with prayer and thoughtful learning while everything is quiet and the distractions are minimal.
David, with full transparency, shares the story of when two people (a family member and close friend) copied David’s business. David battled through the betrayal, the lost sales, and the competitive struggles. It forced him to create a revolutionary sales strategy, which ultimately won his business $3 million in new sales.
“Tap minds that are greater than your own.”
“You don’t have a great business unless you have a great team.” David shares a specific recipe for honoring and recognizing employees consistently.
Read, study, and apply the systems described in The E-myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber. Onward Nation -- get your free Audible version of E-myth Revisited here!
Learn together -- with your team. David describes the massive ROI and teamwork his company has generated through the “Book Club” at his company, MyEmployees.
Demonstrate how you want to be better...every day.
Bonus: Get a free Kindle version and companion workbook to Built to Lead when you buy a copy of the book from Amazon. Just email David at: Davidlong @ toptenmanager dot com with the subject line: “Send Kindle Version”.
ReLaunch – Become Known in Your Niche – podcasts and resources to inspire entrepreneurial confidence, maximize visibility and promote business growth. Founders Joel and Dr. Pei.
Technique learned from Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS Magazine -- schedule a “90-minute Jam Sessions” to work on your most vital priorities.
Consistently working out / fitness has been a game-changer because it provides the energy to carry out what needs to be done.
Joel produced eight podcasts before The Relaunch Show took off. All of those lessons of what not to do contributed to Relaunch becoming the massive success it is today. But it took determination to work through those painful lessons learned in online marketing, business systems, and how to build a strategy to reach the right audience.
Business owners need to master themselves by learning their strengths, features, talents, and skills so they can move their business from A to B.
The power of “Success Vitals” learned from Darren Hardy during his live High Performance Summit in La Jolla, California. We need to zero in like a laser beam in order to maximize our result outcomes.
Developing a good understanding of what content your customer avatar wants -- and then setting up a content funnel inside an email distribution system to deliver exactly that and nurture the relationship. “Your list is your currency.”
Make 15 cold calls every day in order to present offers and pitches to develop new business relationships -- and meticulously track all of the metrics and touch points.
Delegate and teach your team to take more and more off your task list so they can “do things today that will create time for you tomorrow.” Powerful lesson Joel and Dr. Pei learned from Rory Vaden, author of Procrastinate on Purpose.
Stacey is an entrepreneur, author, business owner, attorney, blogger, and mom. Stacey’s keynotes, blogs, and radio show continue to offer a compelling message about defining and achieving your dreams.
Wake up early (4:00 to 4:30 a.m.) because by the time 8:00 a.m. hits -- the day is no longer your own. It belongs to your clients, employees, meetings, etc. During those early hours -- focus on several key priorities that are necessary for you to “win the day”.
Never focus on the immediate results.
In 2005 - 2006 the real estate market changed. Stacey went from having it all -- to having to sell it all in order to keep her business afloat. She sold her house, sold her cars, and moved into one of her investment properties. She then dug in, used the right affirmations, and has since battled back to success! “The stories in our head become the stories of our life.”
If you want to build a successful business -- and have an awesome life -- you must recognize that you are the average of the people you spend the most time with. In this interview -- Stacey shared her step-by-step recipe for connecting with, interviewing, and doing business with the most affluent business leaders, millionaires, and billionaires throughout the Boston marketplace. She is now a contributor to Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. Onward Nation...apply Stacey’s million dollar recipe for massive success within your industry. And if you want to get published in Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company -- Stacey can connect you. Contact Stacey directly using the details below.
When you are being mentored by someone -- it is a compliment to them -- if you someday fly the coup and do your own thing.
“Wished I would have applied the strategy of interviewing people 10 years ago. I cannot imagine the size of the network I would have by now had I started sooner.”
Build your own personal board of advisors by studying the books from all of the top people you want to learn from -- and share those resources with your employees to facilitate continuous learning. Then take immediate action on what was learned.
Hire people who are master networkers and excellent at strategically selecting people they want to spend time with, interview them, and expand their sphere of influence in the process.
Don Yaeger is a nationally acclaimed inspirational speaker, longtime Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated and author of 24 books, eight of which have become New York Times Best-sellers.
We simply need to do the common things uncommonly well. Don’s success comes from his ability to delegate to his team of 18 employees around him.
Read something positive in the early morning “before the world gets into my head.” And that led to the creation of Don’s “Daily Dose of Greatness”.
Don tells the painful story of when a close family friend, who also served as the office manager of his company, stole over $300,000 from his business. Don and his family had to deal with the betrayal, unpaid expenses, taxes, etc. that she had not paid. A near crippling situation -- but Don and his team persisted and made it through.
You cannot lead people you don’t know.
“You will never outperform your inner circle. Do you want to know what your capacity for greatness is? Just look at the people who are around you -- the people in your personal life and your professional life -- because you will never outperform them.” -- Coach John Wooden
Great teams are more focused on their culture than their product. Every great team should go through the process of creating a “culture document” and put the culture into practice throughout the company.
Great teams run the most efficient meetings, or “huddles”. They recognize that the habit of great meetings is a strategic advantage.
If we create a culture of empathy -- then our employees will know what is happening in each other’s lives -- and care about each other. As a result, teamwork will improve and that flows to our customers.
Be a better storyteller -- he or she who tells the best stories wins.
Don’t be stuck on finding mentors exclusively from within your industry. There are amazing lessons to learn from people who can offer you different perspectives that they learned outside your industry -- but can be applied to move your business onward.
McKain’s keynote presentations benefit from three decades of experience, combined with his innate talent for articulating successful ideas. McKain has spoken before and consulted for the world’s best companies.
“There are no secrets to success -- but there are systems.” Scott shares his insights including how to understand your best way to learn and create the right system for you.
Scott shared a daily habit he learned during dinner with Zig Zigler.
Scott shares the excruciatingly painful story of losing his wife to a battle with ovarian cancer -- and how it would have been easy to quit the business -- but Scott made the decisions and fought through the financial devastation -- and moved his business onward.
Learn how to create distinction in the marketplace and attract loyal, more profitable customers. Bonus resource: free video training where Scott focuses on how to create distinction and provides a precise recipe you can apply in your business.
Scott’s mentor in the speaking business was Grady Nutt. Scott admired Grady so much he tried to be the next “Grady Nutt” -- until Grady taught Scott this very important lesson.
Focus on setting up value delivery systems instead of sales systems. Make the customer the star of the show.
The precision with which you deliver the customer experience.
Remain focused on creating the “ultimate customer experience” -- make it the priority of the organization -- and do whatever it takes to deliver that level of experience. Hire “customer people” to work inside your business.
Focus on how you can make a critical difference for your customers. What can you do that will attract them to you?