4 Things That Successful People Have In Common
Self-employed, freelancer, entrepreneur, contractor. However, you describe yourself, there are certain traits that successful business people have. That’s not to say that there’s only one way to be successful. 50 years ago, the type of person who made it big in business is vastly different from the entrepreneurs of today. They come from all kinds of backgrounds. But here is what they have in common.
1. THEY ARE GREAT COMMUNICATORS
Effective communication skills are vital to building and maintaining your business. You don’t have to be a public speaker, but being able to build a rapport either face-to-face or digitally is a must. People need to feel comfortable talking with you, and you need to be able to clearly communicate with those listening to you.
For some people, this is a natural talent, others really have to work at it, improving their skills all the time.
2. THEY KEEP UP TO DATE
There will be a sweet spot in your working life where you are at the forefront of advancements in business thinking, tech and social media, a.k.a. The go-to person in the office, because you’re “in the know”. There will be a point where you will have to make a concerted effort to keep up with the latest trends, be able to evaluate them, and if necessary, adopt them for your business. No one wants to become outdated. I remember when I worked in retail and we made carbon imprints on the front of your credit card when you bought something! Now they have a card reader for your phone that does the whole process contactless. You may of only just gotten the hang of promoting on LinkedIn and Instagram before TikTok appeared on the scene or the newest addition to Clubhouse!
Your time is precious, and you can’t jump onto every technological bandwagon, but successful entrepreneurs still keep up with the latest advancements so that they can identify the best tools to make their business a success.
3. THEY ARE RESILIENT
Arianna Huffington once said that “failure is not the opposite of success, its part of success”. We all experience failure in our life. I like to think that without failure we couldn't’ really succeed. But it’s what you take away from that failure and what you learn from it that is the key.
4. THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Build a good support network of family, friends, specialists and mentors. They are important in inspiring, guiding and advising you to achieve. Surrounding yourself with people you can trust, and who have your best interests at heart is one of the single most important things you can do to help you become a success. Bill Gates once said that “a good mentor won’t always tell you what you want to hear, but rather what you need to hear.” You can join a mentoring program or seek out someone within your network who has experience or inspires you.
Is there one answer? One clear route to success?
No. Everyone’s path is different and let’s be real there is a variety of people that have attained success in different ways. There’s no one clear route to success when you are working for yourself, just look at some of the biggest success stories in the world and you’ll find a number of different paths people have taken, all while building one of their natural skills.