Ed Decker's Secret Formula for How To Succeed in Business by Really Trying

Poor me.. As a kid, scrambling for survival, I grew up running a trap line, hawking Coca Cola and ice cream cones, slinging hash in a hash house, working as a Dugan's bakery boy, carrying groceries for elderly ladies in the city and anything else I could do to earn money for me and my family from the time I was 10. By the time I was in high school, I had a full time job where I put I 60 hours a week as well as excelled in school.

When I went to college, it was at an inexpensive land grant school and I worked there to four part time jobs to pay my way. I finally had to drop out because of family needs.

BUT

I lived within a non-compromising self-enforced work ethic. By the time I was 30 years old, I was a corporate executive, handling much of a 65 million dollar P & L, with 1800 people under my management. Here's how got there and how I made it work.

Always make every decision based on what is best for the company, not what is best for you.

Your first job is to always make your boss look good. Absolute Loyalty! If you can't give it, get out.

Your good stuff- Give you boss the credit. His bad stuff - take the blame and fix it. I found that when this kind of a boss gets promoted, you will get his job if you have the other factors working.

First in and last out. I always was at my desk before anyone w else came in and still there when the rest left. Work by job or assignment/deadline. Think in terms of completion and not in hours. Be a steady, trusted employee. Volunteer for that messy assignment.

Always be ready to take decisive action. Do you have the documents in order to close that big sale on the first visit?

Be prepared from the start. Years ago, I was operating as an OEM for a number of computer hardware companies. Because I was the highest outside sales representative, I was invited to the annual in-house Sales and Marketing conference at a great resort.

The VP of marketing introduced me during the awards program as the top seller, he said, Here is Ed Decker, who made it here because if a giant "Bluebird sale."

I stood up, thanked him and the company for a great product and then told the audience there was no such thing as a Bluebird sale.. I said that great sales come from hard work and diligence, having a contract in my hand ready to go the first day. And because I knew my product and the customer's needs, I knew when to close and not talk my way past a 'Ready to close" signal.

Grooming and Dress. Dress for the level you want to be, not what and where you are. [That's is pretty hard to define in today's business world.]

Role Playing. I would always conduct myself in all higher-level communications, phone calls, [now emails and texts] meetings and conversations as though I was being evaluated (by each Contact) for my boss' job. (because he was getting that well deserved promotion I helped him earn).

Business Meetings a gold mine of opportunities. My best successes were business meetings. Always be prepared with Plan A and Plan B. Walk in as the best prepared person in the room. Never go into a meeting unprepared.

Expect to be called into an important meeting on a minutes' notice and have your actions laid out in expectation. Never stand there with your mouth open and nothing to say.

This may sound odd, but get there early and take a control seat, being sure you have what I call a power position where you can see everyone and there are no distractions behind you.

Body Language. And Eye Contact. Read signals and react positively. Defer to others except when the lead person defers to you, then be decisive and manage with a deferment to that leader. Listen more than talk. When you talk do it with a strong assuring manner.

Strong eye contact is probably the single most important part of verbal communications, especially in today's world of iPhones and twittering, where people have begun to lose communication skills.

Never lose your temper. Never speak harshly to anyone, from the President of the company to the cleaning people. Never back-bite, never gossip, never curse, never tell or listen to lewd comments or jokes, sexist or racist remarks.

Be an Affirmer. Go out of your way to be kind to all. Be a complimenter. not a fawner but a sincere liker of people. Use actual names when you greet people.

Be a Lifter-Upper. As a Boss yourself, be a champion of your people. You show loyalty to them, you will get loyalty back. Credit them for good work. Cover their mistakes if they make one moving forward. An employee who makes a mistake and then hides it from you, covering up is a dangerous employee to have. Fire them immediately. Second chances rarely work and you will finds yourself taking a fall down that road.

Be a man or woman of your word. If you say it, do it.

And

As a Christian in the business world.

Do not wear your Christianity on your chest. Carry it in your heart. Live it in your life. You are not there to change their faith. You are there to be living yours.

Pray each day before you enter your e workplace, for the company the business, the people and ask that you be Hi s hand extended that day.

Laugh a lot, smile, Get your secretary or fellow worker a cup of coffee when you go to the break room to get your own. Have a servant heart in the mundane things of life with others.

Don't let negativity mess with you, at work, at home or in the community. Take a bag lunch once or twice a week and stay away from those e two martini executive lunches.