Why do some people seem to "get all the breaks?" Why do some people simply appear to have their life path smoother than the rest? The fact is, this so- called "lucky" people, capitalize on moving through life with a different attitude than most.
They prepare for their "breaks," and develop habits that capitalize on good fortune. Adopting these habits can enhance your chance of success.
1. Risk Management
Managing your risks
"Lucky" people make a clear distinction between risky and rash, between an informed hunch and a vain hope. They know how to take calculated risk. They are constantly tucking away information, building upon a knowledge vault, to enhance their supposed intuition. They know how to leverage on the knowledge at the right time, cracking the code and executing when it is most profitable. "Lucky" people perform acts that seem daring, but they are playing out informed hunches, with a clear sense of the probability of success. These people are decisive risk- takers; upon maximizing their probability of success, they strike.
2. Perspective
Turning problems into opportunities
"Lucky" people take a second look at things others barely see the first time. An irate banker demanded that Alexander Graham Bell remove "that toy" from his office. "That toy" was the telephone. Sometimes, when life just does not appear the way it should be, learn to look at it a little more positively. In the bigger scheme of things, there is always a silver lining.
Managing a customer’s complain well is a perfect example. There was once a customer who confirmed with a waiter she could bring in a birthday cake into the hotel restaurant. However, she was halted at the door by another waiter, who adamantly pointed to a “no outside food is allowed” rule. That truly angered her and just as she was about to create a scene, the Captain came to the rescue. He quickly showed the lady and her friends to an exquisite spot with the best view in the restaurant (well, of course his charisma didn’t hurt) and served each of them a delicate artisan cake. The lady’s anger was appeased. More than appeased, she became so pleased that she typed a letter of appreciation and blogged about her fine dining experience in the restaurant. This brought throngs of crowd to the restaurant.
Only much later did the Captain realise, that this lady, was a respectable food blogger. His ability to turn a customer’s anger into an opportunity to show-case the restaurant’s finest delicacy provided an out- of- the world experience for his diners. Now, if anything, never underestimate the power of turning the fate around on a momentary appeared weakness.
3. Loss- Management
Cutting your losses
“Lucky” people know when to back off, while “unlucky” people are often stubborn. Perhaps, out of ego or ignorance, they don't know when to cut their losses and change course. One popular trick in investing,is to use the “stop loss” function, instead of bleeding to death. "Lucky" people have a knack for "getting out when the getting is good." They know how to manage their greed. The ability to gauge risk is crucial. Never take on things that you can't see the end to. This applies to all aspects of life: courtship, customer- management, investment etc.
4. Network
Reaching out to people
"Lucky" people are never too busy to meet new people and to keep up old acquaintances. They join clubs and professional organizations. They skilfully navigate around the awkward silence when strangers are made to sit around wedding banquets. Never to leave anyone out in the cold, you’ll see how instinctively they stretch out their hands and initiate a conversation. These people talk and are talked about. These people are the ones who make you feel important. Basically, they network and are mindful of other peoples’ feelings. The head of a New York executive search firm once declared, “Many of his prospects for top jobs, are simply people who have made themselves known to other people."
5. Innovate
Using persistence creatively
Let’s face it, “lucky” people have the determination to "butt their heads against the wall," but their winning edge, lies in using that resolve more efficiently by looking at undiscovered markets. In the current market condition, where companies are looking at cutting costs, think of what innovative sales solutions you can offer? Successful people go beyond being persistent. They persist, with a twist. They re-look at their failed results and reconsider their strategy. Successful people, use persistence, creatively. Successful people, offer out- of- the- box solutions.
6. Time It
Timing the right meeting, at the right time
“Lucky” people know sometimes, timing makes all the difference. Knowing when your client gets his or her budget approved can make or break. You don’t want to to wait for a month, or worse, a year, before your product gets discussed on an important budget meeting.
A regional manager once shared with me how his Indonesian client had to postpone their meeting. His inquisitive nature got him to probe a little further to understand the reason. Capitalizing on the fact that his client felt bad in postponing the meeting, his client explained that there was an important budget meeting he had to attend. Immediately, he requested for an earlier meeting and furnished his client with all the information. You want to be in the game and ensure your product gets a considerable budget. Make things easy for your client, do the homework for them. Furnish them with the details, brochures, anything which can help them to influence their decision makers. Now trust me, looking impressive in front of their bosses without having to lift their finger, they’ll be so thankful to you for it!
7. Intention
Intending to win
So you see, the secrets of success are neither dark nor deep. They do not exclude happy chance or unfortunate circumstance, but they do emphasise on intention. Being successful in life does not come by chance. Being successful in life, starts with an intent to succeed and win. To intent, is to will. To will, requires a considerable amount of effort, time and commitment. Perhaps, this is one of the hardest lessons to grasp because some people make it all look so easy. We see them enjoying the fruit and have no idea what it takes to plant and water the tree. Start sowing your seeds today, and see your plant bear fruits in future.
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