I learned this a few years ago from a mentor of mine when I first heard about online marketing. Looking through some notes I saved, I thought this was important to share with you. There are two types of entrepreneurs in the world:  

Average entrepreneurs and extraordinary entrepreneurs. 

There’s a BIG difference between the two, especially in terms of how much freedom you desire and the kind of lifestyle you can achieve. This is intended for entrepreneurs who aren’t content to settle for average, and don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease to become extraordinary. If that sounds like you, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes, here are the seven steps to help you make it happen.

Starting with…

1. Make the decision

First, you must make the decision to become extraordinary. I know, sounds almost too basic. Yet most people never make a true commitment to excellence. Now, the mere fact you’re reading this shows you’ve made a commitment to build your business, but that’s only half a step. The first step is to make a FULL commitment to become truly great. In my opinion, if you’re going to do something, you might as well be great at it.

What’s interesting is that the actions you must take may seem somewhat basic and elementary. Yet they will make all the difference in whether you become extraordinary or whether you stay average.

That’s the first step: make the decision and commit. Next…

2. Feel great about money

This is a biggie. You need to feel GREAT (not just good) about making money. Seriously. This is a big sticking point for a lot of people. Many people develop these weird tendencies around money, Money is a tool, just like a flame is a tool. With a flame, you can cook a meal, you can keep yourself warm, or you can burn down your home. It all depends on how you use it. 

Or look at a hammer: you can build a house, you can fix things, or you can smash somebody over the head. It’s all in how you use the tool. And the same is true of money, which is just a piece of paper you can use to exchange value for value—that’s it. 

Now, here’s how a lot of people think…

“If I have too much money, what are other people going to think of me?”

And sure, they might not say that, but they’re certainly thinking it. So if you’re going to become extraordinary, you must equate money to service, where you make money by providing VALUE to people. And if you feel good about providing value to people, then there’s nothing wrong with making a lot of money, right? So, we need to feel good about it. In my opinion…

Money represents freedom and choices

It allows you to provide opportunities for you and your family. It’s not about hoarding it, or simply having a big bank account. So focus on what money can DO for you, and the experiences you can create in your life, and in the lives of the people around you. If you feel good about money, you’re going to become a much more effective entrepreneur. You’re going to have no problem asking people for money in exchange for your product or service, whether it’s in your marketing ads, over the phone, or in your one-on-one communication. Making sure that you feel good about making a lot of money should be at the top of your list. Next…

3. Feel great about selling

You must feel GREAT about selling. A lot of people have this picture in their mind of a used car salesman, which creates an unhealthy attitude towards sales. The truth is you don’t have to be slick, pushy, or aggressive to get your prospects to say “yes”, but you must feel good about selling. Because here’s the deal. Selling is exchanging value for money. Somebody is going to PAY you something for the value you provide for them. And that’s a great thing, because none of us would have the luxuries we have in our lives if selling wasn’t involved in the process. Think about it…

You’re reading this either on your computer or on your phone, right?

Somebody sold that to you Now, maybe it wasn’t a high-pressure sell. Maybe you just walked into the store and said, “I want this.” Still, there’s sales involved, because how did the idea of getting a computer or a new phone come into your mind? At some point, you had to be convinced this is a product you wanted. Somebody sold you on the idea, either through a marketing campaign, or online advertising, or face-to-face selling—there was selling involved that got you to buy the computer or phone, and now it makes your life better. Everything you have in your life right now, all the luxuries you enjoy, somebody had to sell something in order for it to show up in your life.

Even if you’re not selling somebody face-to-face, you must feel good about the fact that you’re making a difference in somebody’s life, because the transaction provides value to them. Next…

4. Feel great about what you sell

You gotta believe in what you’re selling. Because if you don’t feel good about what you provide to people, you’re going to have a very hard time coming up with the right words to use in your marketing, in your emails, and in your ads to effectively sell it. So get a deep understanding of your product and exactly how it helps people.

Before I got started online, I worked corporately for fifteen years. I even learned about the futures and options industry. I got started when I was 19-years-old and knew nothing about it. But, I was intrigued with sales, and so later in life, I decided to dive into retail sales and learn everything I could.

I started feeling good that I was serving people because I knew that I could make a difference in somebody’s life if they said “yes” to me. And until I was able to get myself mentally to that point, I wasn’t very effective. But when I started feeling good about what I was doing, I was able to transfer that enthusiasm through my presentation, using my words, to my customers. The same thing happens with whatever you’re selling, whether online or off.

There’s nothing magical about selling!

If you feel good about whatever you’re selling and know that it will make a difference in your prospect’s life, then your enthusiasm and belief will transfer. However, if you don’t feel good about what you’re selling, then you have no business selling it, and you need to go back and either get excited or find something else. It’s a tough, uphill battle if you don’t have a high-level of belief in what you do.

I know some people who can fake it for a short period of time, but long-term, you’re not going to win or feel good about yourself. And your customers are not going to feel good about what you’re telling them, because they’re going to sense that something is wrong. The next step is…

5. Become competent

I just mentioned that I worked in retail sales.  I didn’t know much about selling or about designer brands. Imagine this. I had to get really comfortable with myself in order for my customers to take me seriously.

When you become transparent, that breeds confidence. And when you’re confident, people begin to say “yes.” I started to dig in, so I could understand and speak the language of retail. And within a short period of time, I started to sound and look like an expert in the eyes of my customers. And remember what I said…

Competence breeds confidence

So whatever you’re promoting, learn the product and the industry. That way, not only are you going to be competent, but you’ll also feel good about selling it. And when your prospects sense your competence, they’re a lot more likely to say “yes” to you. Next…

6. Become a student of marketing

Extraordinary entrepreneurs are passionate about marketing and dedicate a little bit of time each day to studying effective advertising. Also, look at what other marketers are doing online. How they’re communicating in emails, what they’re doing with their video sales letters, what they’re saying in their blog posts, how they’re posting to social media. Almost every day I dedicate some time to studying marketing. My philosophy has always been that if you invest at least one hour a day to getting good at what you do, by the end of the year, that’s 365 hours. 

Imagine if you did that for the next 12 months—one hour every day

Now, you’re not going to become the best marketer in the world in a single year, but you’re going to be in the top 3-5%. And your income is going to reflect that. Because you’re going to know so much more about marketing and advertising, and understand what’s really working. Is that worth one hour a day? I think so, if this is part of what it takes to become extraordinary. Finally, here’s #7…

7. Get comfortable being uncomfortable

As human beings, we’re hardwired to seek comfort. When you’re sleeping at night and you get a little uncomfortable in bed, what do you do? You toss and turn until you become comfortable, right? If you’re sitting and you cross your legs and you feel some pain, you adjust yourself so that you can get comfortable. By nature, we seek comfort. However, as entrepreneurs, it’s like we’re going against nature, because this business is an emotional roller coaster. Things go wrong all the time. These kinds of things will happen, and…

You must get comfortable with the fact that it’s going to be uncomfortable

Okay, those are the seven things! But I have one more, because like all extraordinary entrepreneurs, I go above and beyond to deliver value.

8. Make taking action a habit

A lot of people say, “take action!” but you need to make it a habit. Anybody can watch a video, attend a seminar, or read a book. But, most people don’t take action on the stuff they learn. Most people sit back, and think about how great it’s going to be when they implement—but they never do it. That’s what makes all the difference. It’s not the number of books you read, or the seminars you attend, or the videos that you watch.  It’s the ACTIONS you take. One thing that I’ve noticed is this…

All extraordinary entrepreneurs make taking action a daily habit

So commit to taking serious action this week. 

And if you want to learn more about how to become an extraordinary entrepreneur, then I strongly encourage you to apply for the next Mastermind to move your business forward towards success!