The Four "P's" of SUCCESS

Recently I was reading an outstanding article that gave me some good insight into business success. I was also listening to some great stuff on how to become the greatest salesman alive. Pretty interesting. I not only ordered the book, I ordered the cassette tapes and the iPad version, so I could read it over and over again. If you read the book I'm reading, you'll know why I'm doing this.

Anyway, the article talked about the fact that all successful businesses have several things in common and I'm always looking for clues. Everyone knows that there are 2 key ingredients a company has to have in order to be successful: a good product and excellent customer service.

However, the article went on to point out that if you could focus on four particular areas of your business, you would be in a better position for success. Now I said focus. That means real focus. So I'm going to tell you about those four areas you need to focus on.

The researchers found that all successful businesses had four things in common. Not only do I like it when information is clear and simple, I also like it when it is easy to remember. That's why I'm putting it here on this blog.

The researchers narrowed down the success of companies to 4 P's.

1. Power - This has to do with knowing where you're headed in your business. If you are going to sell chiropractic, then you need to have a plan to market it. Success doesn't happen by accident! It requires thoughtful planning and commitment. It's true that almost every company makes adjustments along the way, but you must be crystal clear as to what you are all about and the direction in which you want to move. I once read a simple sentence that I think says it all: "The people who first climbed Mt. Everest didn't do so by simply going for a 'stroll' one day in the mountains!" You have to know where you are headed and take the necessary steps to have power and control in order to succeed.

2. Positioning - This has to do with having good connections. We have all heard that it isn't so much what you know as who you know. We all need to be well connected. We need to be acquainted with people who can help us move ahead in what we are doing. No man (or woman) is an island unto themselves. I know that there are people that believe they are, but I'm here to tell you, they are NOT.

Someone once said that the most important thing in life is having good relationships. I totally agree with that. It's tough to find those relationships, but that's the real deal. By having good relationships and connections with people, you can be in a position to succeed much faster.

How many times have you either recommended a good business to a friend of yours or had a good business recommended to you by someone else? That is what positioning is all about. It is having good connections in order to help one another on a daily basis. I can honestly say that almost everything that has happened to me and my business is because of GOOD connections. And I have to be honest, they're only getting better.

3. Polite - This has to do with customer service. Although it is a "no-brainer", we sometimes forget that in business, everything rises or falls on customer service. I have said it before, and I will say it again, if you write down the names of ten businesses that you pass on your ride down the street, ten years from now seven of those businesses will be closed and only three will be left! The seven that fail will likely do so because of poor customer service and the three that remain open will succeed because of good customer service. That's what it means to be polite, to care, and to have an attitude of cooperation and kindness to your patients.

I've been in businesses that are so terrible at customer service, I'm surprised that they're still open. They don't GIVE me anything to RAVE about except the TERRIBLE service and that's NOT really going to build any type of relationship.

4. Performance - This has to do with knowing what you are doing. In other words, if you are not clear on what you are trying to accomplish, you will lose your way and it will not be long until you are totally lost. I sometimes think that performance is the most difficult aspect of business because it is so easy to get distracted by every opportunity that comes along. Good ideas are a dime a dozen, but to be successful, you must be clear about what are doing and do it day in and day out, with excellence.

In the past, I have been distracted by many different endeavors, but from now on, I am focused on one thing: helping people understand their personality style in order to build better teams and create better relationships. That is what I WANT to be all about - nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else!

I want to know what I am doing and continue to learn how to do it better every day.

There you have it!

Those are the four keys to building a successful business: Power, Positioning, Polite, and Performance. Are you excelling in each of those four areas?

More than likely, one or two of those topics are strong points for you and maybe a couple of other points need improvement.

I have made a 3 x 5 card with those words printed on it and keep it where I can see it often. It helps center me and allows me to stay focused on what I am doing every day. I would suggest you do the same thing.

You won't be sorry. I can guarantee you that!

Ask any successful person you know about these four key traits.

See what they say.

Now go and do likewise!

Dr. Carney

PS I am not that great a writer and I'm not a great copywriter, but I am a person that can share things with you and this is one of those things I would like to share with you.