Andrew is reading Outliers, The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell

Psychological Factors in Achieving Professional Success

Professional success all about psychology.

1) Most professionals, whether business owners or executives managing a team, need to be aware of their own psychology, how their mindset affects their effectiveness in all aspects in their business. 98% of our processing and behaviors are governed by the subconscious mind. In order to not simply react habitually to experiences throughout the day, professionals need to take the time each day to work on developing an optimal mindset for business success.

2) If you are in a service business, and 85% of small businesses in the US are service businesses, then you absolutely must have a thorough understanding of the psychology of your current and potential clients. I've noticed that most sales people, marketing strategists, and business owners have NOT taken the time to develop the imaginative skills required to truly place oneself in the mind of their clients. Once you can do this, you're business will grow substantially. Why? All of your marketing messages will hit home and activate prospects. All of your sales strategies will include hot buttons that trigger the right response from prospective clients. And you'll both retain and be able to upsell to your client base because they feel that you really truly "get" them. When you consistently solve someone problems exactly as they need them to be solved, you will keep loyal clients for life, who will naturally refer business to you.

3) Finally, as small businesses grow, especially from solopreneurs to 5 or 10 employees, it will be crucial that you choose partners and employees very carefully. Then, once you feel you've found the right people with the right mindset, you'll need to treat them like family. Remember that people join companies but leave bosses. How you treat people when you let them go will also affect people that you retain. Know that the emotional life of your partners and employees is often more important that you realize. Ask yourself how you'd address issues with your brother or sister, and then treat your partners or employees like that. And, the Golden Rule can be aptly refined to the Platinum Rule: treat others as THEY would like to be treated. In order to do that, you need to develop a psychological sense of how they would prefer to be treated. Sometimes you can use your imagination and be accurate. Sometimes it's best to simply ask them. Would you want to be respected and appreciated in a similar way? When you apply the Platinum rule to all of your relationships, be they partners, employees, or clients, you will have a thriving business. You are activating the Law of Reciprocity. Be of service to everyone in your life and they, directly or indirectly, will be of service in return.

If you refuse to see the world from the perspective of others, you will find that relationships don't serve your goals. When you help other people achieve everything they want, they will help you achieve everything you want. Develop these psychological talents and you'll find success chases after you instead of you chasing after it.