The truth is simple, yet very uncomfortable for certain people. Those who succeed magnificently in Joint Ventures and make big money are not necessarily smarter, better experienced, or better connected. A good example is the fight I watched on ESPN last night: Jose Luis Castillo vs. Sebastian Lujan.
From Boxed Ears:“Round 10: for Lujan: Lujan has thrown over one thousand punches in the nine previous rounds. He is a workhorse. Lujan is clowning and waving Castillo in over and over. He is so confident that he is willing to do anything.”
From 15Rounds.com:“Lujan threw punches in bunches to put it mildly as the punch stats read Lujan landing 387 out of 1208 punches while Castillo could muster just 154 of 530.”
That’s it. Lujan throws 1208 punches and lands 387 of them (32%). Castillo only throws 530 and lands a mere 154 (29%). Even if the percentage of blows landed by Lujan was much lower than that of Castillo, Lujan would have won, simply because of his massive amount of activity / action. Two salespeople compete, and one has a much lower closing ratio, but sees three times more people, so in spite of his inferior skill set, he wins hands down. It’s not about skill; it’s about the dreaded WORK.
For people who insist upon success and are prepared to work hard, success is guaranteed. I had a salesman that wasn’t producing, and one day I called his house and found out that after attending our 8am sales meeting, while other salespeople were out beating the bushes, this loser went home for a BATH. His wife told me. I call someone on the east coast at midday Pacific Time and he admits that he has only just checked his e mail – at 3pm! No wonder he never gets anything done on time. Probably out clubbing the night before.
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions SLEPT, were working upward in the night.” If you knew that if you didn’t make a deal before tomorrow you would be beheaded, how hard would you work? When would you quit? In Joint Ventures, there is NO excuse not to succeed if you’re sufficiently driven and ambitious, because all the resources you need are readily available. The reason why people fail in JV’s is only one of two things: You’re either plain dumb, or you’re plain lazy.
Lujan got into the ring with the right attitude, and he was determined to win, whatever it took. Castillo said before the fight: “IF I LOSE, I will retire.” There it is! He was already considering defeat! Paul J. Meyer said, “Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat.” And then, act accordingly – take determined, consistent, massive action, UNTIL you win.
