Do You Leapfrog Over Failure?

The following question was posed during the question and answer period of my talk: How do you handle failure? Stunned, I paused for an answer. Recovering quickly, I acknowledged that many famous people, including Winston Churchill, stated that one must pass through a series of failures to get to success.

Somehow failure was never adopted into my vocabulary. Why dwell on failure? This will only serve to get you depressed and slow down your progress. Instead of viewing something that does not work out as failure, I suggest you view it as an educational opportunity from which to learn; or yourmarketing research project.

In either case, it becomes clear to let that project go, learn from the errors, and move on to another path that provides better opportunity. When you simply change your vocabulary, your mishap does not seem so bad. By turning it into a learning experience instead, you will advance more quickly.

Couple your ownmarketing research learning projects with those of others that is, learn from their mistakes and adjustments too. Your willingness to be open and critique your own work as well as to learn from others will set you apart. By keeping a careful eye on others, you will know in advance what to avoid and which other process might work best.

This new-found attitude will help you advance far more quickly. If you believe in the concept of failure, you will set yourself up for failure. This is evidenced by the fears that hold people back from doing what they truly wish they could do. Fear and failure are tied in to one another. The best step for advancement in business or career is to conquer the fears that are holding you back. If you were to take the philosophy that this is the last day of your life, you will become more carefree and willing to dare to do anything that comes your way because there would be nothing to lose. Within reason, resolve to try one new scary task or venture today. It could be as small as calling the CEO of a company or offering to speak in front of a small group. The outcome may surprise you by how well you accomplish what you thought was previously insurmountable.

Once the first fearful task that kept you awake at night is completed, success will propel you onward and make you less afraid of the next worrisome item on your list. Make it a habit once a quarter, month, week or day to try something you secretly had contemplated doing but were afraid to tackle. Now that you know you can accomplish one previously frightening action with moderate success, and you view the next as a learning experience if it does not quite work out, there is far less to lose and everything to gain. This is the mindset you will want to attain in order to achieve your greatest success ahead.

Over time, your confidence will greatly increase and little will scare you because you will have learned first-hand, you can achieve what you set your mind to do. The real fun and true challenge comes when you volunteer to help others achieve their dreams. At this level, the unknown may appear and you will adeptly handle the situation and demonstrate to others in the group how easily it could be resolved. By volunteering and being a leader, you will attract an additional clientele. Your business will soar!

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, is a sought-after speaker, and trains and consults on business growth strategies. The Smooth Sale product line complements all programs. Her Close More Sales blog is highly rated and reprinted by many; and her book, Nice Girls DO Get The Sale published by Sourcebooks, sells worldwide. Call 800-704-1499 and visit www.smoothsale.net