The Only Skill YOU Need To FastLane

[Penguin]

Disclaimer
(Sorry about the title I am trying to work on copywriting I will change it if you guys want me to)


I have read a quite a few books, watched videos, read from the forum and what I have noticed is the most important skill you HAVE to learn is......

Selling​

Nothing else really as much from what I have seen as many other parts of a business can be outsourced on freelancing sites, CL, or to people you know in the field. By learning to sell it would also help against being a wantrepreneur or action faking because you would have to practice selling in order to become better at it. I also don't know if copywriting and marketing fall under selling.

I know other threads have been started on selling (@Scot has some really good threads on it filled with valuable information if you are interested in learning) just wondering what everyone else on the forum thinks of this and would be glad to hear if you think any other skill is far more important.

 

[HelpAndProsper]

Marketing is very important, of course....

I would argue the ability to spot opportunity is even more important. Often, this is just a change of mindset like it has been for me...."How can I help someone today?" "How could I help this person increase their business?" "How could I help a neighbor and provide them valuable service of some kind?".

If you develop that mindset, you don't really have to "sell" much because word gets around that you're great and you really "helped this person". All of the sudden, people start contacting you because a friend that you helped referred them to you.

I've gotten clients that way as a web developer. I always tried to go the extra mile and check up on them and their site I built. One friend recently told me anytime anyone talks about needing a website, he tells them my name. Just great customer oriented mindset like MJ describes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Musk said he's done basically no marketing at all for Tesla because he always focused on building the best product and serving customers. He said that he understood "word would get around".

 

[Bhanu]

For me it would be :
GIVING

Giving value to fellow human being . Quoting from one of my Favorite book :
"Watch out for the other guy. Watch out for his interest.Watch his back.Forget fifty-fifty son. Fifty-fifty is loosing proposition.The Only winning proposition is one hundred percent.Make your win about the other person,go after what he wants.
Because if you place the other person's interest first,your interest will always be taken care of.Always.Some people call it it enlightened self interest."

 

[NuclearPuma]

Good products sell themselves.

Good selling can move bad products.

Good selling and good product is the best.

 

[HelpAndProsper]

Marketing is very important, of course....

I would argue the ability to spot opportunity is even more important. Often, this is just a change of mindset like it has been for me...."How can I help someone today?" "How could I help this person increase their business?" "How could I help a neighbor and provide them valuable service of some kind?".

If you develop that mindset, you don't really have to "sell" much because word gets around that you're great and you really "helped this person". All of the sudden, people start contacting you because a friend that you helped referred them to you.

I've gotten clients that way as a web developer. I always tried to go the extra mile and check up on them and their site I built. One friend recently told me anytime anyone talks about needing a website, he tells them my name. Just great customer oriented mindset like MJ describes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Musk said he's done basically no marketing at all for Tesla because he always focused on building the best product and serving customers. He said that he understood "word would get around".

 

[Penguin]

Marketing is very important, of course....

I would argue the ability to spot opportunity is even more important. Often, this is just a change of mindset like it has been for me...."How can I help someone today?" "How could I help this person increase their business?" "How could I help a neighbor and provide them valuable service of some kind?".

If you develop that mindset, you don't really have to "sell" much because word gets around that you're great and you really "helped this person". All of the sudden, people start contacting you because a friend that you helped referred them to you.

I've gotten clients that way as a web developer. I always tried to go the extra mile and check up on them and their site I built. One friend recently told me anytime anyone talks about needing a website, he tells them my name. Just great customer oriented mindset like MJ describes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Musk said he's done basically no marketing at all for Tesla because he always focused on building the best product and serving customers. He said that he understood "word would get around".

I Agree and had not thought of it that way. Makes sense for the product or service to sell itself!

 

[Deleted52409]

Very true. Lately I've been applying for entry level sales jobs in order to learn the ropes. So no matter how many times I fail at business at least I'll have that as a transferable skill.

 

[Late Bloomer]

Disclaimer
(Sorry about the title I am trying to work on copywriting I will change it if you guys want me to)

You just demonstrated your copywriting talent to make an enticing headline!

 

[Real Deal Denver]

Very true. Lately I've been applying for entry level sales jobs in order to learn the ropes. So no matter how many times I fail at business at least I'll have that as a transferable skill.

Well.

I'm not sure quite what to say.

I would not call it a transferable skill. It's a lot more than that.

It's like being able to develop a business from thinking, and then building it, and then managing and guiding it. Is that a transferable skill? I wouldn't say that. I'd say that is who you are. It is who you have become. Hopefully, over time, you grow and learn and become better at everything.

Which brings me to my next point. You may not have succeeded in business before. No matter how many times you fail? Wrong. No matter how many times you tried. After each try, I guarantee you that you learned something, and you became more confident and stronger. So you couldn't succeed right away. That's pretty much the RULE of how things go. I have worked for years on things that I'm pretty good at now. It might have only taken me 5-10 years to be an overnight success! Tried, failed, learned, and kept trying the whole time. I still fail - but I succeed much more. I now succeed 80% of the time. I don't succeed 100% of the time, and I doubt that's even possible. When I started, I failed 80% of the time. THAT'S how you become successful. You just - fail - less and less. But you still fail. Or, learn. Someone once told me that success is the worst teacher in the world, because it neither teaches you anything, nor makes you stronger.

You think I got this strong and this good looking by accident? Haaaaaaaaaaa. Little - very very little - humor there. You see my point?

I know you are incredibly young Johnny. You can fail miserably for ten years and STILL be ahead of the game of 90% of the people "in the game." Don't put yourself down, and don't rush yourself.

The fact that you are here speaks volumes. Do you think - pick anyone - say, Steve Jobs was successful when he became rich? No, he wasn't. He became rich because he was successful. YOU are already successful. Sorry - you're in chapter one of your story right now. You have long ways to go. When you're in chapter seven, things will be very different. You will be "more" successful - but you couldn't possibly REACH chapter seven unless you went through chapter one first! Starting to make sense?

How can you learn 7th grade material - if you don't take grades 1-6 first?

I can see you smiling now. You get it. I knew you would. That's why you're here in the first place. You already speak the language of success, and you're hungry to learn more.

You can be your own best friend, and you can be your worst enemy. You want to know which one is stronger and going to influence you more? The one you FEED.

List your qualities. List your experiences. List what you want to do in five years. And THEN list the steps you need to take to get there. Then list the steps you need to do for every step. Do THAT honestly and completely - and THEN work it. What are you going to do the next week to better yourself? Next month? This year?

You. are. already. successful. Start on the next chapter. Yourself, five years from now, is counting on it - and waiting for you! The meeting is already arranged.

Don't be late.

 

[Real Deal Denver]

Disclaimer
(Sorry about the title I am trying to work on copywriting I will change it if you guys want me to)


I have read a quite a few books, watched videos, read from the forum and what I have noticed is the most important skill you HAVE to learn is......

Selling​

Nothing else really as much from what I have seen as many other parts of a business can be outsourced on freelancing sites, CL, or to people you know in the field. By learning to sell it would also help against being a wantrepreneur or action faking because you would have to practice selling in order to become better at it. I also don't know if copywriting and marketing fall under selling.

I know other threads have been started on selling (@Scot has some really good threads on it filled with valuable information if you are interested in learning) just wondering what everyone else on the forum thinks of this and would be glad to hear if you think any other skill is far more important.

To a point.

You are right.

But then, things can get a whole lot better.

Let's use MJ for an example. Selling is important - but do you want to stay at that level forever? Many people do, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Limos.com. That's a whole different ball game. Own the show. Gotta love it.

Maybe you can build a business. Not a job - a business. If you own a business, you don't have to be there - at least not nearly as much. If you have a job - different story.

I have sold all my life, and it is a critical and rewarding skill to have. No doubt.

But I'd sure like to have my own enterprise paying me - whether I work every day or not. That, of course, takes money. Selling is the means to get there, for me anyway.

Even a Subway Sandwich Shop is appealing for that reason - if I don't have to be there. Three or four might be a pretty good gig to have.

Just trying to expand the universe a little bit. We'll see what others that have already obtained that level have to say.

 

[Deleted52409]

Well.

I'm not sure quite what to say.

I would not call it a transferable skill. It's a lot more than that.

It's like being able to develop a business from thinking, and then building it, and then managing and guiding it. Is that a transferable skill? I wouldn't say that. I'd say that is who you are. It is who you have become. Hopefully, over time, you grow and learn and become better at everything.

Which brings me to my next point. You may not have succeeded in business before. No matter how many times you fail? Wrong. No matter how many times you tried. After each try, I guarantee you that you learned something, and you became more confident and stronger. So you couldn't succeed right away. That's pretty much the RULE of how things go. I have worked for years on things that I'm pretty good at now. It might have only taken me 5-10 years to be an overnight success! Tried, failed, learned, and kept trying the whole time. I still fail - but I succeed much more. I now succeed 80% of the time. I don't succeed 100% of the time, and I doubt that's even possible. When I started, I failed 80% of the time. THAT'S how you become successful. You just - fail - less and less. But you still fail. Or, learn. Someone once told me that success is the worst teacher in the world, because it neither teaches you anything, nor makes you stronger.

You think I got this strong and this good looking by accident? Haaaaaaaaaaa. Little - very very little - humor there. You see my point?

I know you are incredibly young Johnny. You can fail miserably for ten years and STILL be ahead of the game of 90% of the people "in the game." Don't put yourself down, and don't rush yourself.

The fact that you are here speaks volumes. Do you think - pick anyone - say, Steve Jobs was successful when he became rich? No, he wasn't. He became rich because he was successful. YOU are already successful. Sorry - you're in chapter one of your story right now. You have long ways to go. When you're in chapter seven, things will be very different. You will be "more" successful - but you couldn't possibly REACH chapter seven unless you went through chapter one first! Starting to make sense?

How can you learn 7th grade material - if you don't take grades 1-6 first?

I can see you smiling now. You get it. I knew you would. That's why you're here in the first place. You already speak the language of success, and you're hungry to learn more.

You can be your own best friend, and you can be your worst enemy. You want to know which one is stronger and going to influence you more? The one you FEED.

List your qualities. List your experiences. List what you want to do in five years. And THEN list the steps you need to take to get there. Then list the steps you need to do for every step. Do THAT honestly and completely - and THEN work it. What are you going to do the next week to better yourself? Next month? This year?

You. are. already. successful. Start on the next chapter. Yourself, five years from now, is counting on it - and waiting for you! The meeting is already arranged.

Don't be late.

It's all about building that fastlane mindset first, isn't it? Thank you so much! I really appreciate your perspective and you're absolutely right.

 

[Scot]

Marketing is very important, of course....

I would argue the ability to spot opportunity is even more important. Often, this is just a change of mindset like it has been for me...."How can I help someone today?" "How could I help this person increase their business?" "How could I help a neighbor and provide them valuable service of some kind?".

If you develop that mindset, you don't really have to "sell" much because word gets around that you're great and you really "helped this person". All of the sudden, people start contacting you because a friend that you helped referred them to you.

I've gotten clients that way as a web developer. I always tried to go the extra mile and check up on them and their site I built. One friend recently told me anytime anyone talks about needing a website, he tells them my name. Just great customer oriented mindset like MJ describes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Musk said he's done basically no marketing at all for Tesla because he always focused on building the best product and serving customers. He said that he understood "word would get around".

Don’t confuse marketing campaigns with selling. Musk may not have run ads for Tesla, but you better believe he’s selling.

As for web design, referrals are fine, but ask @Fox how well selling does for him.

Also, Tesla has solar roof reps in s lot of Home Depot’s, selling them.

Good products sell themselves.

Good selling can move bad products.

Good selling and good product is the best.

Good products don’t always sell themselves.

Take mine for example. I have raving fans, a big fan base online. Sure, I can sell a couple thousand units online a month, but in order to get true scale, I need to get into wholesale.

Grocery stores with valuable shelf space don’t just bring products in on their own. You need to get into the stores. By selling to them.


All skills are important to build a business. Hell, not selling, you can still build a decent lifestyle business. But selling is the only way to scale your business.

 

[Penguin]

Very true. Lately I've been applying for entry level sales jobs in order to learn the ropes. So no matter how many times I fail at business at least I'll have that as a transferable skill.

To a point.

You are right.

But then, things can get a whole lot better.

Let's use MJ for an example. Selling is important - but do you want to stay at that level forever? Many people do, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Limos.com. That's a whole different ball game. Own the show. Gotta love it.

Maybe you can build a business. Not a job - a business. If you own a business, you don't have to be there - at least not nearly as much. If you have a job - different story.

I have sold all my life, and it is a critical and rewarding skill to have. No doubt.

But I'd sure like to have my own enterprise paying me - whether I work every day or not. That, of course, takes money. Selling is the means to get there, for me anyway.

Even a Subway Sandwich Shop is appealing for that reason - if I don't have to be there. Three or four might be a pretty good gig to have.

Just trying to expand the universe a little bit. We'll see what others that have already obtained that level have to say.

Don’t confuse marketing campaigns with selling. Musk may not have run ads for Tesla, but you better believe he’s selling.

As for web design, referrals are fine, but ask @Fox how well selling does for him.

Also, Tesla has solar roof reps in s lot of Home Depot’s, selling them.



Good products don’t always sell themselves.

Take mine for example. I have raving fans, a big fan base online. Sure, I can sell a couple thousand units online a month, but in order to get true scale, I need to get into wholesale.

Grocery stores with valuable shelf space don’t just bring products in on their own. You need to get into the stores. By selling to them.


All skills are important to build a business. Hell, not selling, you can still build a decent lifestyle business. But selling is the only way to scale your business.

What I am getting out of you guys (I believe) is that selling with the proper mindset would be the skill? Sorry to sound redundant if that is the case.

 

[Scot]

What I am getting out of you guys (I believe) is that selling with the proper mindset would be the skill? Sorry to sound redundant if that is the case.

No, just knowing how to sell in general. Whether or not your mindset is right is irrelevant. You can be a great salesman but lazy. Or you could be a good salesman but have loose morals (used cars).

But at the end of the day, every business has to sell something to make money.

 

[Ayanle Farah]

That's the conclusion I came to sometime last year, the thing is if you want to be successful then definitely learn to sell(see Grant Cardone) but if you're trying to create a lasting impact make your product or service so good it practically sells itself(see Elon Musk's Tesla).

Personally I've chosen to do the latter.

 

[ChaseFade]

For me it would be :
GIVING

Giving value to fellow human being . Quoting from one of my Favorite book :
"Watch out for the other guy. Watch out for his interest.Watch his back.Forget fifty-fifty son. Fifty-fifty is loosing proposition.The Only winning proposition is one hundred percent.Make your win about the other person,go after what he wants.
Because if you place the other person's interest first,your interest will always be taken care of.Always.Some people call it it enlightened self interest."

The Go-Giver! Highly recommend this book to everyone. Short, sweet and to the point.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Penguin]

That's the conclusion I came to sometime last year, the thing is if you want to be successful then definitely learn to sell(see Grant Cardone) but if you're trying to create a lasting impact make your product or service so good it practically sells itself(see Elon Musk's Tesla).

Personally I've chosen to do the latter.

Good tips, Thanks!

The Go-Giver! Highly recommend this book to everyone. Short, sweet and to the point.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I will look into that book too. Thanks for the recomendation!
By the way I was looking through your 4k in three months thread and wanted to tell you I am happy it is going well for you!

 

[ChaseFade]

Good tips, Thanks!


I will look into that book too. Thanks for the recomendation!
By the way I was looking through your 4k in three months thread and wanted to tell you I am happy it is going well for you!

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[WJK]

Grocery stores with valuable shelf space don’t just bring products in on their own. You need to get into the stores. By selling to them.

You don't just "get into the store". You pay a "shelf space" fee for every product they let you put on their shelves. And then you have to meet selling goals. Different shelves have different rates, since the ones at eye are more valuable. And end caps have their own scale of fees and selling quotas.

Places like Costco are even more difficult for the sellers that rent floor space. And each store has a set number of products they are allowed to handle.

And everyone whose product that is pictured in an ad or informational piece all paid advertising fees -- even if your product is included as part of a back scene in the ad. It's the same for movies and TV shows. If you see it in a scene, somebody pay to have it there.

Yes, selling is the basis of everything in business. BUT, understanding how these markets work, is the threshold issue for your selling efforts.

 

[Christian McGhee]

Great topic!

In an effort to bring clarity for myself and hopefully others that may read this, here’s my EPIC opinion (haha)

The skill of selling is actually a culmination of various skills, the main one being effective communication.

I guess my point is that their isn’t one skill per se. you have to create/find value, and then communicate that value effectively to someone. It’s a mix of personal and interpersonal skills.

I’m not writing this to argue, but the ME from a couple months ago may have read this post, and thought, “Let me read every book on selling”, or “I should get a Sales job to get experience.”

I think the road to fastlaning includes the ability to understand others AND understand yourself. You have to be able to look at the market, and make educated assumptions - then test those assumptions. At the same time you have to be able to look at yourself and say, these are my strengths/weaknesses. If I want to be truly effective this is where I need to grow.

Thanks for the post!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian Fleig]

I have had a few pure sales jobs over the years but mostly sales has always been secondary to what I'm doing. Through the years I have been to many a mandatory "sales" seminar although it's usually labeled "customer service".
Anyway, the main take away that I will never forget is that no matter what product you are selling it's really YOU that you're selling. And we all do it every day. It's about the basics. Enunciate, make eye contact, listen at least twice as much as you talk, empathize (with sincerity) and so much more. People can tell the difference between sincerity and someone acting sincere.
Sadly, at least for me, little if any of those skills translates to online sales.

Disclaimer
(Sorry about the title I am trying to work on copywriting I will change it if you guys want me to)


I have read a quite a few books, watched videos, read from the forum and what I have noticed is the most important skill you HAVE to learn is......

Selling​

Nothing else really as much from what I have seen as many other parts of a business can be outsourced on freelancing sites, CL, or to people you know in the field. By learning to sell it would also help against being a wantrepreneur or action faking because you would have to practice selling in order to become better at it. I also don't know if copywriting and marketing fall under selling.

I know other threads have been started on selling (@Scot has some really good threads on it filled with valuable information if you are interested in learning) just wondering what everyone else on the forum thinks of this and would be glad to hear if you think any other skill is far more important.

 

[Penguin]

Great topic!

In an effort to bring clarity for myself and hopefully others that may read this, here’s my EPIC opinion (haha)

The skill of selling is actually a culmination of various skills, the main one being effective communication.

I guess my point is that their isn’t one skill per se. you have to create/find value, and then communicate that value effectively to someone. It’s a mix of personal and interpersonal skills.

I’m not writing this to argue, but the ME from a couple months ago may have read this post, and thought, “Let me read every book on selling”, or “I should get a Sales job to get experience.”

I think the road to fastlaning includes the ability to understand others AND understand yourself. You have to be able to look at the market, and make educated assumptions - then test those assumptions. At the same time you have to be able to look at yourself and say, these are my strengths/weaknesses. If I want to be truly effective this is where I need to grow.

Thanks for the post!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I kind of feel the same way about selling! That it is rather a bunch of skills put together in to one "Master Skill". I also agree on your 2nd point too good stuff.

I have had a few pure sales jobs over the years but mostly sales has always been secondary to what I'm doing. Through the years I have been to many a mandatory "sales" seminar although it's usually labeled "customer service".
Anyway, the main take away that I will never forget is that no matter what product you are selling it's really YOU that you're selling. And we all do it every day. It's about the basics. Enunciate, make eye contact, listen at least twice as much as you talk, empathize (with sincerity) and so much more. People can tell the difference between sincerity and someone acting sincere.
Sadly, at least for me, little if any of those skills translates to online sales.

I have felt that selling online is a different experience than in person.