it's NOT your fault -- It's my fault...

Hey all,

Thought I would share this article I recently wrote. It's about taking responsibility for your life and your business.

If you think that's a lot of "blah blah," then at least scan down to the "Side Note" that I've put in bold. That talks about how to use the "it's not your fault" tactic to help make a sale.

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There is one key to success that many of us overlook: namely, taking responsibility for our successes AND our failures. It's human natures to take credit for our successes (our ego likes that), but we also enjoy passing blame to someone else.

Why were you late to the party? "Traffic jam," we say. But in reality, we didn't give ourselves enough time to get to the event.

Why didn't your product launch garner the response you envisioned? "Because we're nearly on the holiday season so people aren't buying digital products." The reality is that you didn't plan your launch properly.

You see, when you start taking both credit and blame for everything that happens in your life and your business, you become more powerful...and successful. You are no longer leaving your success in the hands of fate. You are grabbing the reigns and MAKING your success happen.

It's so easy to sit back and blame everyone else for your flops. But when you do so, you're putting your future in someone else's hands. If you can't control your "failures," then you might as well give up on business because it's out of your hands anyway, right? Because let's face it -- if you can't control your flops, then clearly you have nothing to do with your successes either.

Right about now you're probably saying, "what? I worked HARD for every success in my life! That's not fate!"

And you're right!

You should take credit for those successes. By doing so, you focus on what you did right so that you can repeat that behavior to multiply your success.

But by that same token, you need to also acknowledge your mistakes so that you can avoid doing things that don't work.

Now here's your assignment for the coming week: every time you "explain" something to yourself or others, do a quick check to see if you are taking responsibility.

For example, when you write a newsletter for your customers but they don't understand the concept you are teaching them, what happened? Dumb customers? Nope...you didn't teach them well enough.

When you're out driving and you nearly get into an accident, how do you explain it? Was the sun in your eyes? Nope...you weren't wearing your sunglasses and you didn't have the sun visor down.

When you walk through the kitchen and step on the cat's toe (which produces that blood curdling "scream"), what happened? Did the stupid cat get tangled in your feet? Nope...you weren't watching where you walk.

Next week when your sales plummet, how do you explain it? Are people not buying because it's Thanksgiving? Nope...you just aren't selling what they want (e.g., holiday stuff).

Take responsibility and see what happens!

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SIDE NOTE (on the flip side): it's human nature to pass the blame. Knowing this fact can help you with your sales. For example, if you let people know that it's not their fault that they have problems, you can put them at ease. They like having a scapegoat. Now they are much more willing to listen to your sales pitch or read your sales letter!

For example:
"It's not your fault you're overweight" helps with a diet product.

"It's not your fault you aren't making money" helps with a marketing product. In fact, be specific -- "it's not your fault you aren't making money on eBay...with AdWords... with your ebook"...etc.

"It's not your fault you can't find love" helps with a dating site.

"It's not your fault your kid is failing in school," helps with some sort of parenting product (note: the parents probably KNOW it's not their fault, but it's still nice to hear it).

"It's not your fault you can't swallow MaaMaw's brownies..." (well I don't know what that helps with, but let's face it, it really is MaaMaw's fault that they're so stale and hard).

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Thoughts? Maybe you've heard specific examples on TV, online, etc of the "it's not your fault" tactic?

Cheers,