The Defining Attribute of Successful People

Successful people not only drive our culture and our business, they often redefine WHAT IT MEANS to be successful… but defining success can prove a moving target. It’s different for each of us. Our definitions of success will even change over the course of our lives. Yet, even absent a single definition, what if there was one universal characteristic shared by successful people everywhere? Imagine: a single attribute that each of us could focus on excelling at. As it turns out, there are some pretty smart people who believe there is! In this week’s edition of Platinum Rules for Success, contributor Scott Zimmerman shares his defining attribute for successful people. Is he correct? Tell us your lifehack for personal success in the comments below!

The Defining Attribute of Successful People

by Scott Zimmerman

“The only difference between successful people and those who struggle is that successful people do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done—to the best of their ability—whether they feel like doing it or not!” – Jim Cathcart Truer words have never been spoken. So, here’s my challenge to you: Ask yourself some hard questions and pay careful attention to the honest answers…

• “Am I willing to get comfortable being uncomfortable?”
• “Do I keep an updated ‘To Do’ list and refer to it often?”
• “Do I attack my list by priority or by doing the things that are fun/easy first?”
• “How much time do I waste each day on the Internet?”
• “Am I my own biggest source of interruptions?”

Please don’t overwhelm yourself! Just find one bad habit and replace it with one productive one. For example, when you are tempted to log onto Facebook and see what folks are up to, pick up the phone instead and call your prospects and customers. Or, when it seems easy to call your favorite customers/clients, spend an hour calling prospects instead. You’d be surprised how many more sales you will make when you develop a habit of starting each and every day doing the hard stuff first! Honest self-evaluation and habit replacement are two sure-fire ways to increase your commissions, earn promotions and create job security! PS: These will also carry over into every other aspect of your life.

As a speaker, trainer and consultant, Scott Zimmerman is known for his lively, humorous delivery. He gently leads people into a new way of understanding interpersonal relationships, the power of persuasion and how to leverage new technologies. As an entrepreneur, Scott had the vision to combine his own cutting-edge marketing technology with Dr. Tony Alessandra’s proven sales psychology. The end result was Sales Elevator. Sales Elevator helps professional salespeople build—and maintain—meaningful relationships with (literally) hundreds of their clients, prospects, colleagues and referral partners. Scott has also co-authored several books, including The Platinum Rule for Sales Mastery, The Platinum Rule for Small Business Mastery, The Platinum Rule for Trade Show Mastery and Selling with Style. In 2010, Scott was voted one of the most influential people in his field by the Sales Lead Management Association.