Founding Father Ben Franklin was one of the most famous entrepreneurs of all times, and was not short on words. I was wondering what ol' Ben would have said to today's Business Owners and realized it was just what he had said more than two centuries ago. Applied to business, Ben's advice might look something like this:
Margins
• Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.
Profit
• Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.
• An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
Sales
• Applause waits on success.
• Never confuse motion with action.
• It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.
• Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure.
• Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.
• To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.
• It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.
Management
• He that won't be counseled can't be helped.
• When you're finished changing, you're finished.
• By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
• Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
• Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.
• Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
Team
• Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
• Lost time is never found again.
• The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise.
• Well done is better than well said.
• Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
• When in doubt, don't.
• You may delay, but time will not.
So, having read these . . .if you had to leave a word from the wise to future business owners, what might your quote be?
Here are just a few of mine to get you started:
• In life, you have to learn then earn; it's only in the dictionary that earning comes first.
• Action is the response to a goal worth reaching. Pro-Action is the insight to set the goal.
• On Your Mark, Get Set . . .Goal.
Are you quotable? Do people think what you say is profound? Maya Angelou said, ""I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
So, try these five ways to become more quotable:
1) Listen more, but I challenge you to also listen smarter. By that I mean that people often don't say what they mean, and as business owners, it's important to learn to listen to what they're not saying. Sometimes, that's their real message.
2) Think before you speak. Easier said than done, trust me. Someone says something and if it pushes a button or excites us in any way, we want to jump on it and respond. Instead, if you disagree with someone, practice saying phrases like, "I see it a little differently," or "You've given me something interesting to think about," and then think about it before responding.
3) Remember that words are power - they can work for us or against us, so it's true that we should choose our words carefully. Make your words memorable in a positive way!
4) Act memorably. And I mean in a good way. Be the good Samaritan, but be realistic as well. Make a list of things about you that are worthy and things you're proud of. Reflect those things when communicating with others and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how memorable you, your words, and your actions become.
5) Last, read. Ah, ah…no excuses…make time. Did you notice how powerful these simple quotes from Ben Franklin were? Reflect on your mistakes and on your accomplishments. How can you, in one statement, share with up-and-coming entrepreneurs what YOU learned from the experience?
Take your time. Give your thoughts room to breathe. I'm fond of saying (and believing) that "The only race we're in is the human race." Okay, your turn. Send me your business-related quotes and I'll post the top ones on our blog!
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http://www.actioncoachcalteam.com/ http://actioncalteamblog.com/ ActionCOACH ML Peter Williamson's 23+ years of business experience includes executive positions at both startup and established manufacturing companies domestically and abroad. owning a consulting practice, and working for Fortune 500 companies. Email: peterwilliamson@actioncoach.com
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