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4 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones has been hailed as one of the most successful TV shows in history. But what does it have to do with business? Although it may seem like an unlikely source to refer to, some of the lessons in this epic show are actually relevant for entrepreneurs and business people alike. Let’s take a look back at the key entrepreneurial lessons that we can derive from this show.

1.       Know who to trust

Eddard Stark’s life was cut short when he put his trust in Littlefinger, a master manipulator who jeopardized Eddard’s grip at leadership and his family’s only chance of survival. Eddard’s mistake in trusting the wrong people cost him his life. Had he known his true allies, he would have had a good chance in ruling the kingdom.

In business, the greatest battle of a leader is putting trust in the right people. As a leader, knowing who to trust is essential when it comes to building a company because trusting the right people gives the leader a powerful strength to keep their businesses on track. Thus, relationships are important. If you come across a person who believes in everything that you are, that is the kind of person you should surround yourself with because this kind of trait will bring a positive influence on your career.

2.       Cultivate wisdom

Tyrion Lannister is the archetype of wisdom. Although he is the least respected member of the Lannisters due to his size, one cannot deny that he truly is the brightest of them all. A lover of books, Tyrion uses his wit to influence people and defeat his enemies.

In business, the key to finding your success is to never stop learning about your competitors, potential customers and most importantly, your industry. You don’t have to be an industry giant to shape the landscape because even the smallest business can produce a profound impact. You can start by attending workshops and industry events to gain knowledge and access in networking with minds alike.

3.       Have the courage to achieve goals

Daenerys’ rise to power is not attributed to one event but a combination of factors. From the naive wife of Khal Drogo she was, she eventually rose up from the rank to the powerful leader she is today with her own armies, allies and even dragons.

Her success serves as a reminder that if you set big goals for yourself, you are on the route to a business success. It takes a long time to reach there but once you have the determination and you stay true to your goals, you’ll be heading in the right direction and may even end up conquering the whole industry. Keep challenging yourself and perhaps learn a new skill. This way, you will be able to create a “game plan” that ensures a great road towards your goals.

4.       Prepare for the challenges ahead

There is no question that this show is also known for its iconic line “Winter is coming” and believe it or not, it does carry a powerful meaning. The line translates to the potential threat that the kingdom might face in the long winter.

This serves as a valuable lesson for every entrepreneur that being prepared for challenges and threats is important. In this sense, preparing yourself for hard times makes it easier to manage when they come, and with proper measures in places to foresee such events you can ensure a smooth process, you will meet good results and your business becomes even more desirable.

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5 Direct Marketing Mistakes You Should Avoid

Although direct marketing can be incredibly rewarding and profitable as certain tenets dictate marketing success, there are certainly mistakes any marketer can make for their business. If you’re looking to start or even revamp your business, it is definitely best to be aware of the common mistakes made by marketers alike and start avoiding them. Here are the five common direct marketing mistakes you might be making:

  1.       Going too broad

The number one rule for successful direct marketing is to have a target audience. Not drawing up a targeted list will put you at a higher risk of landing your business in jeopardy. When you identify and target your ideal customers, your messages will be delivered. Take the time to do research to help you draw up a highly targeted list, because this method allows you to get better responses for your business.

  2.       Not prioritizing customers

Here’s a truth that is often overlooked – direct marketing is not just about achieving your sales target. The most essential part about your business is your customers. If you don’t prioritise your customer needs, chances are your business won’t grow. The thing about understanding your customer is not through fancy marketing messages, it’s always about what your product or service can benefit them. Surprise them. Be engaging rather than just telling what your product/service is about. Conversation is key to success.

  3.       Not knowing your value proposition

When a prospect asks what you do, you should be able to respond quickly that describes the value you create. Be clear, concise and know your value proposition. Once you put that into account, it should be a breezy process for you from here on out.

  4.       Constantly offering discounts

Sure, everybody loves discounts but consistently offering discounts can be bad for your business. Not only it can lower your value in the eyes of prospects, it also takes away your opportunity to engage with customers. You should know that customers care about value, not price, and that should be your top priority. Thus, instead of rushing to offer discounts, you should focus on your value and offer a solution on the market.

  5.       Poor follow up

The very essence of direct marketing is that you need to be constantly proactive in your business. Poor follow-up will only cause your business to crash and burn. Establish your lead qualification, sales conversion plan, fulfillment and better yet, prepare a sales team for yourself before all else.

  It sure takes a lot of commitment when you take part in direct marketing, and that should be a good thing. It teaches us perseverance in the face of adversity. The ability, coupled with humbleness to admit your mistakes will actually save you a lot of pain because it is always important to remember that you can’t just climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

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These 5 Apps Are Proven To Be Useful for Entrepreneurs

Technology has changed work habits everywhere. The way we manage our daily goals, and accomplish tasks are a lot easier compared to the past. This progress has definitely been beneficial for many, especially entrepreneurs who are always on the go.

 Fortunately for them, technology helps entrepreneurs become more productive and efficient in their work. There are many apps out there to choose from, but how to choose the right one? Here’s our list of the best apps for entrepreneurs.

1)      Evernote Scannable 

Get it on App Store. Unfortunately, this app is not available on Google Play.

If you’ve heard of Evernote before, be ready to be amazed by yet another invention by them. One word: digitization. Evernote Scannable saves you from all the trouble of keeping receipts, business cards or any paper that comes your way using nothing else but your smartphone and its camera. All you need to do is just take a photo of the document and the app quickly stores the data on your phone.

 2)      Quotes: Daily Quotes

Get it on: App Store or Google Play

Sometimes, we need a bit of a pick-me-up before we start our work. You want to be inspired and motivated to go about your day. Consider having Quotes: Daily Quotes. This app provides you with a brief daily moment to reflect, or in times of desperation, the inspiration to persevere. 

  3)      Trello

Get it on: App Store or Google Play 

There are many apps that help us manage our tasks but our best bet is Trello. Not only it is free, it is also a project management tool that allows you to collaborate with your colleagues or even family when it comes to planning out tasks together. The best part about this app is that you can play with emojis and colours too while you happily organize.

 4)      Slack

Get it on: App Store or Google Play 

If you’re working remotely, you can consider using Slack. Although the name doesn’t sound convincing but we promise you that this is yet another technological invention that you should explore. Slack brings team communication into one place so you can get more work done. But how is it any different that normal messaging apps? You get to integrate your workflow with tools and services that you already use like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.

5)      Wally

Get it on: App Store or Google Play 

As entrepreneurs, we always need to keep track of what we spend every day and sometimes, if we don’t, we may not be able to monitor our expenses very well. If you like colourful user interfaces, Wally is the answer. This app is the fastest way to track your expenses, income, set a savings target and even scan receipts! Not only it is a convenient app, it is free too so what are you waiting for?

 Are you tempted to download these apps? If you happen to have them all on your phone now, then you’re on the right track 😉 Or, do you have any other app that you would like to recommend? If so, let us know and share with us why.

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5 Top Qualities A Leader Should Have

Good leadership is essential to business. Having an idea is great, but assembling a team to bring that idea to life takes a lot of commitment. The ability to have a team of strong visionaries and innovators is what determines a good leadership, so what makes a good leader? Here are the five key qualities that every leader should possess: 1. Empathy Empathy is almost often overlooked in leadership. It is true that sometimes, we tend to feel down in the dumps, but the most important thing to do as a leader is to take a moment and clear your mind before we speak because words can cut deeper than a sword. When you apply empathy in your leadership skill, you create a strong bond with your employees. If we take the time to understand their opinions and perspectives, you will be able to lead with an open mind. As former US president Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”. 2. Passion You must be able to love what you do and let that passion consume you. It sounds cliché but it’s the definite truth. Your business won’t grow unless you have passion in it. With passion, you can lead by example because a great leader ignites passion not just in themselves, but their employees too. Passionate people are optimistic, and when you promote that mentality to your workplace, it puts halt to negativity and fuels the drive to succeed. 3. Inspiration All success stories start with an inspiration. More than likely, your employees could use a boost to start their work, and as a leader, it is your responsibility to offer them motivation. When you know the power of inspiration, you can make a difference. Take Bill Gates as an example. He leads by inspiring a shared vision, which he believes will empower his employees, so they can do better than what they’ve done in the past. 4. Confidence This is one trait you should not take for granted. Confident leaders have a clear vision as to what they want to achieve and how to go about it. But sometimes, when we don’t control ourselves, it can lead to overconfidence that can be damaging. Instead, have humility. It’s tricky to have this balance, but when we understand that being authentically humble humanizes a person, we will be able to lead with a strong courage. When courage is combined with confidence and humility, any leader is able to face difficult situations. 5. Patience When a leader has patience, it is a sign that they are more compassionate and willing to manage any circumstance. Having a business isn’t always a breezy process, thus the path to great success consists of having strong patience. A good leader always tries their best to eliminate stressful situations, and with patience, he/she is able to pick themselves up and look for solutions without getting frustrated because having the ability to keep going with a calm heart accentuates a good leadership. Being a leader isn’t a one-time thing, it’s also not about having a fancy title. In fact, it all comes back to acknowledging your capabilities and putting them to good use. It takes time to develop leadership skills, but being active helps so have an open mind and start assessing yourself and never stop growing.

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'Being ready' is a myth! Why there’s no such thing as the ‘perfect time’

“I’m too young. I don’t have enough experience.” “I’m already old. Opportunities have passed.” “I’m busy. Where will I find the time?”

Are you guilty of these lines? Have you ever stopped pursuing something simply because you’re not ready yet? While the importance of preparedness should never be underestimated, it also does not give us the excuse to sit still and wait for the right time.

Growing up, one of the famous lines that made an impact on me is that ‘in business, you are never ready for anything’. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. There is no right time. You take a leap of faith and then you start.

Looking back, I was not ready for school. I was not ready for higher education. I was not ready to face the real world after graduation. I was not ready to settle down and get married. However, if I had chosen to remain complacent, surely my story would remain stagnant.

“Vishnu, I’m not ready for sales. I’m not yet ready to do my own presentation” is something I commonly hear from my new trainees. My simple response is, “You can never be ready, so the best time to do the presentation is now.” I complement that line by telling them that as a Leader, I exist to help and guide them.

At the end of the day, it is FEAR that impedes us. We fear failure, we fear criticism, and so on. Nonetheless, here are three things you can do to fear crippling you:

1. Take action It is only through action that you can combat fear. Dwelling on negative thoughts is the catalyst of fear. The next time you are afraid to do something, stop doubting yourself and just do it because action kills fear.

2. Count on experience Experience is a valuable commodity in business and it cannot be bought off the shelf in a supermarket. Even if you cannot predict the outcome of a particular circumstance, think of it as an avenue for learning. Look at everything you do as a process of gaining experience and you will come out more enthusiastic.

3. Stay focused on your purpose Purpose brings clarity. It is difficult to go astray if you constantly think about your mission. When the fear of trying kicks in, remind yourself of the reason you’re supposed to do something.

Being ready is a myth. There is no such thing as the ‘perfect time’ because something will always stand in the way. Don’t fall into the trap of ‘analysis paralysis’ because the more you think about reasons not to start, the more you cripple yourself.

Step up and take action because as the old adage goes, ‘yesterday was the best time to do it. The second best time is NOW’!

Vishnu Annapareddy, Organisational Head, Centurion Marketing Group, Malaysia.

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What has the biggest impact, wants or needs?

On average, I speak to 30 to 50 people per day. Sometimes they can be customers whom I have never met before but most of the time they are teams I work with both within and outside my organisation. One of the most common words I hear is ‘want’ in statements such as: • I want to be successful • I want to build my team • I want to travel • I want career advancement • I want to do more sales

My question is why are the above only wants? Why are they not described as needs?

Here is a list of things I want in life: • A big house • A fast car • Travel to space • Gold, diamonds • Expensive watches, etc. and so on.

In my opinion, the difference between wants and needs is that if you do not get what you want you still have the choice not to have it and life goes on. However, with needs, it is something you must have in your life and it is not a choice.

I would like to reference Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Maslow used the terms "physiological", "safety", "belongingness", "love", "esteem" and "self-actualization" to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.

Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires. Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled i.e. psychological needs, or air, food, drink, shelter, warmth and sleep, a person seeks to fulfil the next one, and so on. One must satisfy lower level basic need before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization. (Source: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html)

Source image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs I am fortunate to have met many successful people over the years. I’ve found that the common denominator with all these successful people is they all have the need to be successful and for ‘self-actualization’ – realising their personal potential, achieving self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth when they start their career. It is not a choice for them.

If you work every day as if you need to be successful, then you will be successful. I have learnt in life that having no choice is the best choice you can have. As much as you need oxygen, food and water to live, you do need the big house, to travel overseas and in general, to be successful. In order to achieve success, you need to work as if you have no choice. A small change in attitude from ‘I want’ to ‘I need’ will help you in the long run.

Usually, people who want to be successful, wait around for things to happen to them. However, people who have a need to be successful or realise their self-actualization, go out of their way to make things work for them. They do not wait around, but instead pursue their goals, as they need to be successful.

So, how do you change your attitude from ‘I want’ to ‘I need’? It is actually not complicated. If you know why you need to be successful, then you will find a way to make it happen. Ask yourself: what are your reasons to work? What is your motivation to move forward when everything is against you? Why do you take one more step when everyone you love says otherwise?

You need to find out why you do what you do. It requires a shift in mind-set from thinking about wants and needs and once you do this, you need to find a way to make things happen.

Vishnu Annapareddy, Organisational Head, Centurion Marketing Group, Malaysia.

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Working as a face-to-face fundraiser

Ingrid Clayton-Horne is an independently contracted face-to-face fundraiser who currently represents Starlight Children’s Foundation on behalf of Appco Group Australia. As an Independent Contractor, she raises awareness for the charity, and signs long-term donors so Starlight can continue its vital work in granting wishes to sick Australian children. Ingrid talks about why she loves being a face-to-face fundraiser, and the reasons she feels a strong connection to the cause she says she is lucky to represent. How did you first start in the direct sales industry? Completely by chance! I’ve been in Sydney now for two and a half years; I moved to Bondi after travelling the world, and just needed to start earning some cash. My work background is in hospitality so I first planned to do something along those lines, however recognised this was a fantastic opportunity to learn a whole new valuable skill set.

Before coming to the city, I grew up in a small town around six hours’ drive north of Sydney. I also lived in Coffs Harbour (on the mid-north coast of New South Wales). Which other charities have you represented as an Independent Contractor? Although I currently represent Starlight Children’s Foundation, I have also had the opportunity to fundraise and speak to the public on behalf of the Australian Red Cross, the Heart Research Institute, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and WWF-Australia, among others.   Describe your typical day. I start my day early, usually between 7.30 and 8am. The other Independent Contractors and I take part in a morning meeting to find out the available territory to work in that day, then I help with product training and sales coaching and advice.

I aim to be out in the field talking to potential donors by around 1pm, and I generally work until about 6pm before returning to the office to hand in paperwork and help with the team debrief.   Have you had any memorable experiences in the field? So many – definitely too many to count! It’s always memorable when you come across a donor who strongly believes in what you do.

For example a donor, whose daughter came out of surgery, knew of Starlight and wanted to get behind their initiatives. It’s the personal connection you get from those types of people that assure me I’m in the right place doing what I do – rain, hail or shine! What do you like most about the Starlight campaign, and face-to-face fundraising? I love that it’s so easy to be passionate about it! Every campaign teaches you something different, and shows that you can give back to the community in such a wide range of ways.

On a personal note, I get to work outdoors and keep quite fit. I meet incredible people – and get to talk to them, all day every day! Not only this, but I can come to work each day knowing that I’m building an amazing future for myself whilst helping others on the team do the same.

Changing anything can be scary, but this opportunity has affected my life in such a massively positive way. In turn, it also helps create awareness and support for vulnerable people in Australian society who need help the most.

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Why the Appco direct sales journey is as important as your success

Appco Vice President and owner of Tuscan Organisation, Michael Scully, reflects on what he has learned during his 22-year career in the direct sales industry, and why the journey has been more important than his considerable success.

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more 
important than the outcome.” So said Arthur Ashe, former world number one tennis player.

But when I joined Appco’s door-to-door sales network as a student, in the summer of 1993, I had a very clear definition of success in my mind. It was simply to achieve massive material wealth and live the life of my dreams.

For me, the Appco network was not only a route to achieve that success, but also a way to do it in a short period of time, if I was determined and worked hard. I was hooked and I was very happy to postpone my opportunity to go to Oxford University to study maths and instead focus on building a team of direct salespeople. My family was not so excited, but I felt confident I could succeed despite the fact I was 18 years old and had zero experience.

Sales, work ethic, enthusiasm – these things came to me pretty easily, but learning how to build and mentor a team was a huge challenge for me. I simply couldn’t understand why other people could not see what I could see, or why they weren’t as motivated as I was about the opportunity the Appco field sales network offered.

This led to me getting incredibly frustrated for a few months – almost to the point where I wanted to give up – until it dawned on me what was going wrong.

Very often, the problems we face also contain our solutions…

This was the first of many business lessons that I learned. I needed to be patient and coach people properly so that I had a strong foundation for my own office.

But I just wanted to rush to this point, not realising that what I would learn along the way was actually more important and, in fact, was what I needed to know to run a successful business.

I had heard that being single-minded was a huge part of being successful and I still believe it is. But, early on, I used this information to validate my own opinions and found it almost impossible to see things from someone else’s point of view.

This was great if I was going to work alone, but having the ability to see things from other people’s points of view is hugely important if you want to have a big team. I learned this the hard way by losing many people on my team who were frustrated by my lack of understanding of their situations.

I set a goal to become a Vice President long before I truly believed I could…

And certainly before I had the skill set to hit the goal, yet there is magic in the goal itself. I would repeat my goal over and over to myself, convincing myself that I could hit it, knowing that I could never convince other people unless I was convinced myself.

Little by little I began to see myself as a VP and developed the necessary skills. This put me outside my comfort zone when it came to public speaking, dealing with conflicts, pushing people, being patient and being organised.

Even when I wasn’t close to becoming a VP I could see I was getting better in so many areas. This filled me with confidence that I could actually achieve things that, in the past, I couldn’t even conceive of in my own mind. What a breakthrough! This has inspired me to try many things in my life because I realised that most of my limits where self imposed and not actually real.

I have set myself many goals over my career; lots of them I have achieved and some I haven’t. But again, the process of setting those goals and striving to achieve them contains just as much enjoyment and education as attaining the end prize.

Along the way, I have been able to recognise things about my personality: I don’t like to give up, I don’t like to admit defeat, I will keep going even when the route forward is not clear, I will stand by people I believe in and fight to help them succeed.

These are qualities that I didn’t know I had when I started in direct sales, but that this journey has allowed me to develop. And they are traits that help me outside the business as much as within it.

It’s what I’ve learned about myself by being challenged that has given me value and self-esteem…

These are things that can never be taken away from me. I value the lessons I have learned and the experience I can share with other people as a result of that. I believe in living each day as it is and that there is something to be learned in every situation.

Over and over I have been presented with problems. I now know that within every problem there is a valuable lesson from which we can either choose to learn and progress, or we can ignore it and keep facing the same issue in different situations. It’s much quicker to face up to our lessons than run away from them.

It has also become obvious to me that timing is important. There were times I just wasn’t ready to understand something and the only thing that had to happen was time had to pass – you are ready when you are ready.

My personal philosophy is that ‘I am exactly where I’m meant to be’, wherever that is, whatever I’m doing…

Sometimes it’s not clear at the time why I have had to face certain challenges or situations. But I have experienced enough to know that later on it will usually become clear and I will see the value in the situation.

Sometimes the worst of circumstances have led me to my greatest successes and biggest breakthroughs in understanding myself or other people.

I believe that you could learn many of these things in all walks of life, but what makes the Appco Group network special is that it accelerates that learning and often compels you to take a long hard look at yourself – and that isn’t a bad thing.

Finally, I realised that striving to be successful is ultimately more fulfilling than the success itself…

It comes down to what we learn about ourselves in terms of our commitment to our goal, our determination in the face of adversity, our character when under pressure, the pleasure in knowing that you gave it 100% and you are a step closer than you were yesterday.

I have achieved more material success than I had ever imagined when I started, but I remain motivated not because I am greedy, but because I am excited to discover more about myself by setting even greater goals.