The Secret Power of An Expert: Book One "Success - An Art or a Science?"
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The Secret Power of An Expert: Book One "Success - An Art or a Science?"
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781491850282 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 01/23/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 116 |
| File size: | 651 KB |
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THE SECRET POWER OF AN EXPERT
BOOK ONE "SUCCESS - AN ART OR A SCIENCE?"
By VAL A. SLASTNIKOV
AuthorHouse LLC
Copyright © 2014 Val A. SlastnikovAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4918-5030-5
CHAPTER 1
Wake Up Call
So, you say you're an expert ... but is it enough?
MY BOOK IS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EVERYONE WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF OR HERSELF TO BE AN EXPERT.
No matter if you are running a highly specialized company (IT Consulting firm, for example), or you have a successful fashion/ modeling/recruiting or any other kind of agency that specializes in a particular market, or you may just consider yourself to be an expert in something, like rocket science or catching flies—this book is for you.
This book is not for generalists—it is for specialists. It is for those who already became experts and for those who are striving to gain an expert status some day.
Regardless of where in the world you are located right now—I don't care if you're in the middle of Sahara Desert or at the bottom of Atlantic Ocean—if you think that you are a specialist in whatever you do—this book is for you!
Do you know what the best definition of 'an expert' is? According to Tim Knox, "It's someone who knows just a little bit more than the next guy." (Knox)
Why is it a wake-up call? Because the Experts of this world tend to believe that being an expert, i.e. "knowing just a little bit more than the next guy" is all they need to be successful! And I'm here to tell you that it's simply not true. The truth is—if you believe that your education, your experience and the fact that you specialize is all that you need to create a flood of contract offers rushing to your door—you are fooling yourself.
And YOU will be the one paying the price of these self-defeating beliefs. Not someone else—YOU. Trust me—I've been there myself. These beliefs are nothing but the road to everlasting struggle, to everlasting pain, loneliness and, ultimately, complete failure and even self-destruction.
Listen, you need to do much better than just BE an expert. You have to PROVE it to people. And you have to prove it to them on a massive scale.
This is the book that will show you how to do it. This is the book that will show you the way to success. This is the book that will show you the way to freedom. This is the book that will change your mind.
You will want to share what you've learned with all your relatives and friends, and you will want to change the way you do things right now. Why? Because you will know you should, before it gets too late!
This book is needed now more than ever, and here's why.
Rich Schefren, who is a highly acclaimed online guru coach and a great online marketer, has recently said in one of his coaching videos that "the battle for the consumer becomes more and more fierce these days. More companies are being created every day—online and offline. We are overloaded with information, and people are desperately searching for experts to help them deal with that information overload, to help them make the right choices. Customers are seeking for experts because they don't know where to go, what to buy and simply who to trust." (Schefren, Strategic Profits Vault)
Why? Because there are too many choices, and your clients are tired, scared and confused. That's why they need experts to help them decide what to do.
THEY NEED YOU. THEY WANT YOU TO DECIDE FOR THEM.
But are they finding you—did you ever think about that?
Tell me, how are they supposed to find experts if the overwhelming majority of them are working with one client at a time. Huh?! Yes, some experts handle several projects at a time, but the majority of experts work on one project, with one client at a time.
And do you know what the experts do with the rest of their time?
... They are looking for a new project!
They are very smart people, those experts. I am sure they realize how important it is to promote themselves. But the reality is that they simply have no time for that. Or, they have no idea how to do it. Or, they are used to doing it the hard way, like many talented people before them.
So, instead of promoting themselves, instead of proving how good they are on a massive scale, instead of positioning themselves as experts in their respective fields, markets and niches—they spend all their time working—or looking for work!
... What a waste of talent and opportunity!
I'm a big fan of rock music, especially of the 70's when the big bands like Pink Floyd and Dire Straits gave the world such iconic expressions as "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English Way" (Floyd, 1973) and "The game commences for the usual fee, plus expenses" (Knopfler, 1982)
But that was the 'Good Olde' 70's, and unfortunately a lot of us Experts are still living our lives, as if we are stuck in the time warp. No wonder that the younger generation, with their iPods and YouTube, is passing us by—isn't it because we are totally oblivious to what's going on around us? Isn't it time for us to start learning from the 'kids of today'? Isn't it time for us to stop "hanging on in quiet desperation"? Isn't it time for us to stop trading our skills "for the usual fee, plus expenses"?!
So, this book is my personal quest, my intimate journey, the way to discover Freedom for My Generation.
This is a book about revelations, the "a-ha" moments, the life-changing information. This is a book that has a new approach to marketing yourself as an Expert, and to promoting yourself as an Expert. And, most importantly, it's about maintaining that 'obvious expert' status in the mind of your clients—for years and years to come.
This is a book about prosperity—your prosperity AS AN EXPERT!
CHAPTER 2Definitions of Success and Failure
"The single most important principle in the field of interpersonal relations is this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Most people listen, not with the intent to understand, but with the intent to reply."
- Steven R. Covey (Covey, 1991)
Here's some compelling reasons for you to stop, focus and analyze your current situation. And then start changing it. Slowly. Carefully.
One step at a time.
But ...
In order for us to make daily progress in our journey to success, let's make it a rule:
First—we define.
Then—we analyze.
And only after that—we decide whether we can apply it or not. Agreed? Let us commence our Journey to Success then!
I am sure that you understand that Success is a journey—not an event. But what does the word 'Success' mean?
According to Wikipedia:
"Success may mean:
• a level of social status
• achievement of an objective/goal
• the opposite of failure" (Wikipedia, Success, 2010)
According to this definition, success may mean many things. (The key word is 'may' here). Success happens when you advance in social rankings, it happens when you achieve your dreams, goals, aspirations, etc. Success is NOT failure, it's quite the opposite of that.
So, in order for us to understand what leads to success, first let's try to get a better idea of what leads us to failure, which is quite opposite of success.
Again, according to Wikipedia:
"In general, failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of success." (Wikipedia, Failure, 2010)
Why do people fail? Huh?!
I am convinced that most people fail because of the way they think about success and the way they think about achieving success. Time and time again, I see the following pattern.
According to Ken Evoy, an Internet pioneer, there are these 10 types of mentality that lead to failure or a complete disaster: (Evoy, 2004)
1. The Blame Caster Mentality
That is someone who tends to blame everyone and everything around them—but not himself or herself. And if it ever is their fault, their best defense is a good offense—they just go ballistic!
2. The Angry Ones
The worst case of Blame Caster Mentality. These people make everyone feel miserable. These are the ones that blow up at anything and anyone and blame everyone for everything, except themselves. People run from them because they are constantly in fights. They spend a lot of time flaming in forums, and fighting with support staff all around the globe. These are the tough ones to change. My best advice to you is this:
'Stay as far away from them as possible!'
3. The Cynic Mentality
The one who trusts no one—not even himself/herself! This person simply believes everyone does something for a covert, manipulative reason. It's a sad life to lead ...
4. Get Rich Quick Mentality
These people actually believe that companies would SELL 'GetRich-Quick' Formulas ... that work! Their idea of becoming rich is winning a lottery, inheriting money from their relatives after they die or marrying a Prince ... or a Princess. They think that there IS free money hidden out there—just for them to take! As long as THEY don't have to do any work, that is ...
5. The Entitlement Mentality
An evolved version or variation of 'Get Rick Quick' type. These people believe that the world owes them a living. Widely perceived as whiners, they expect others do everything for them. Usually THOSE are the ones that expect everything for free ... And not only for free, but NOW! These are the ones that applaud socialism, look for a Genie in a Bottle and end up on welfare—a place where they really belong!
6. The Envious Ones
These people are jealous of others' success. They count other people's money before their own. They hope that the winners will fail ... eventually. They can never be successful because they can only focus on what others seem to be doing—not their own success ... These are the ones who believe that Success is an Art—and end up broke worshiping the Stars, as opposed to start building your own success in life.
7. The IQ-Challenged
These people just don't have the smarts to become successful in life. The fact of the matter is—they would be better off in doing some manual work.
Let's be realistic! Success is not for everyone. And if it was really THAT easy—everyone would be doing it, right?
8. The Liar/Cheater Mentality
For these folks, it's easier to lie and cheat than to do it honestly. These are the ones that sell you 'Get-Rich-Quick' schemes. Those are the ones who smile in your face, and stub you in the back. Those are the ones who believe that "There's a sucker born every minute." Rich Schefren said about those, "You can make money lying, cheating, hustling, but you can't build a business that way. Why? Because business is a long term thing, and eventually you will be found out." (Schefren, Strategic Profits Vault).
After all, as Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool some people all the time, you can fool all people some of the time, but you can't fool all people all the time!" (Lincoln)
9. The Nitpicker Mentality
These people are 'Perfectionists'. They can miss a forest of success by spending too much time trimming the trees. These folks tend to focus on the wrong things and can't move ahead until everything is "Just Perfect". With a bit of coaching they can do extremely well though.
10. The Quitter
These are the ones that give up at the first obstacle. These are always looking for a project with no problems. They hate problems. They would rather quit than deal with them. These are the ones that complain a lot, too. Luckily, it's easy to recognize them, as they are the ones that disappear early in the game.
If you recognized yourself in one of those Mentality types—great! You have something to work on, and this is a great way to start changing your mind from being 'doomed to fail' to being "geared towards success" ...
CHAPTER 3Lottery Statistics
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
- Albert Einstein (Albert Einstein Quotes)
Have you ever won any significant amounts of money by playing lottery?
If yes—good for you! But the majority of people admit that they won very little, very seldom, or never won anything at all. In fact, someone asked that same question on Yahoo Answers not long time ago—and here's what the answers were (I quote):
"$5 from a scratch off that I was given for xmas" (Unknown, 2006)
"5 bucks."
"no, hopefully someday though"
"$10.00"
"25"
"most 20.00 NY lotto stinks"
"50 bucks ... spent it all on losing tickets LOL"
"No-None- Zilch- Zedo-"
"5 lousy bucks. not worth the time. certainly not the investment ..."
And, my favorite one:
"No I never have because I believe that playing the lottery is like a tax on the mathematically challenged."
I guess you'll agree that these answers definitely reflect what the majority of people experience when playing the lottery, right?
So, how come that the majority of us never experience success through winning the lottery?
Because there is such thing out there that is called Statistics. Statistics deals with numbers, and numbers don't lie. Statistics shows for example that, according to 'Winning a Lottery for Dummies':
"Most of us play a lottery with 49 different balls, and 6 balls get drawn.
So that means, it's 49 x 48 x 47 x 46 x 45 x 44 = 10,068,347,520.
That's a big number and an awful lot of combinations! But don't fret too much. Don't forget that it doesn't matter what order the balls are drawn!
Here's another time saver—as it would take forever to work out how many times combinations are repeated by writing them all down ...
It's simply 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720.
So what, then, are my chances of winning the lottery?
Well, you've pretty much worked it out. It's 10,068,347,520 divided by 720, which comes out at roughly 1 in 13,983,816." (Chances of Winning the Lottery - for Dummies ;-))
This means that the chances of becoming successful by winning a lottery is 14 million to 1!!!
And the odds of winning the Mega Millions Jackpot are even worse—it's said to be 1 in 175 Million!
... So, let me ask you this:
Why on Earth are you still playing???
As you saw from the above explanation, only a very small percentage of people ever win anything, no matter what type of lottery they play and no matter what the lottery companies are saying.
On the same note, your chances of marrying a Prince, or a Princess are limited by the number of living Princes and Princesses, which is, like 14 who might be eligible and not married already, compared to the total number of 4 billion people that live on this planet ... Don't you see how ridiculously small your chances are?
CHAPTER 4An Art or a Science?
"The road to recovery starts with recognition."
- Paul Lemberg, Business Strategist (Time Management Secrets: Getting More Done)
And if you think you'll succeed by working harder than others (because that's what your boss wants you to believe!) you've got another thing coming once again. Most certainly, you will get tired more as a result of working harder and longer hours, but in all honesty—you will never be able to become rich that way! Yes, your company and your boss will become richer—but not you!
The idea of a job security is also false. I don't know exactly who said it, but I think this is so true: "Job security is a myth perpetuated by employers to get and keep employees in subservience for their entire lives to the benefit of the employer in the end." Also, Benjamin Franklin once said that "the man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either." (Franklin, 2010)
Of course, you might get a Christmas bonus, or get promoted one step higher. But that is all that you will ever going to get, my friends!
Stop fooling yourself!
And if it sounds discouraging, I am sorry that I had to break it to you like that. Sorry that I had to disappoint you. You see, in order for me to help you, I have to be brutally honest with you. I have to tell you the truth. Because you've heard enough lies in your life already. And the real reason you bought this book was not to continue fooling yourself, but to discover the truth, am I correct?
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE SECRET POWER OF AN EXPERT by VAL A. SLASTNIKOV. Copyright © 2014 Val A. Slastnikov. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction. Why I care about experts and how to succeed in life, ix,Book One~An Art or a Science?~, xiii,
Chapter 1. Wake Up Call, 1,
Chapter 2. Definitions of Success and Failure, 5,
Chapter 3. Lottery Statistics, 10,
Chapter 4. An Art or a Science?, 13,
Chapter 5. Values are Forever, 17,
Chapter 6. Systems Make All the Difference, 23,
Chapter 7. The First Recap, 30,
Chapter 8. Success Options Chart, 31,
Chapter 9. Why Complaints are Important, 33,
Chapter 10. Rich Dad's Advice, 3 Questions and Business Quiz, 35,
Chapter 11. Business Model - Definition, Components and Types, 38,
Chapter 12. Business Success Blueprint, 43,
Chapter 13. The Pros and Cons of "Self-employment" Business Model, 49,
Chapter 14. The Pros and Cons of "Affiliate Marketing" Business Model, 52,
Chapter 15. The Pros and Cons of a Franchise Ownership, 57,
Chapter 16. The Pros and Cons of Business Ownership, 62,
Chapter 17. The Pros and Cons of Being An Investor, 65,
Chapter 18. Business Effectiveness Survey, 69,
Chapter 19. How to Calculate Effectiveness of a Business Model, 76,
Chapter 20. The "Three Whales" of Planning, 81,
Chapter 21. The Experts Market, 87,
Chapter 22. Second Recap, 94,
Works Cited, 98,