To succeed, be an expert

BECOME EXCELLENT IN YOUR CHOSEN CRAFT The path to sustained success begins with mastering your chosen field, in knowing and understanding your craft to the last detail.

In the past century countless books were written on how to become successful. Thousands of people have dedicated their lives to the study of success, in an attempt to dig out the hidden secrets of what makes some successful and others not.

Even successful people themselves have written step-by-step guides based on their success, to give us insight on how to go about embarking on our journeys to success. And in all these books and studies of success one recurring theme keeps popping up. Undoubtedly, it is the key and a prerequisite to succeed: you must be an expert.

Entrepreneurs seldom consider the need to be proficient in their chosen field; not only entrepreneurs, but people in all sorts of careers lack the appreciation of being excellent. It is as if we are content with averagely-skilled individuals as long as the job is done, even though it is sub-standard.

But the path to sustained success begins with being an expert – with mastering your chosen field and being a person who knows and understands your craft to the last detail.

People want to do business with those they perceive as being experts. Employers want to employ people who are proficient in their occupation. Even in the field of entertainment and sport, we as consumers pay top dollar to watch athletes and actors who are of the highest standard.

Therefore as an entrepreneur you have to have the desire to become excellent in your craft; not only that – you must make steps towards it. I’m not referring to the management of business – such as the ability to sell, market, handle customers and so forth – but to the service or product you’re producing.

If you’re an accountant, make sure you know everything there is to know about accounting. Your clients will appreciate it and they will know they are in safe hands with you handling their books. If you manufacture wooden chairs, make sure you are skilled to produce quality chairs.

But for you to produce quality it requires you to give yourself time to become excellent. You will need to study – not only institutionally but unconventional study as well. You will need to practice because practice makes perfect. Finally you will have to be patient – this is the key because it takes time to become an expert and far too many people are prematurely entering the market half cooked.

Therefore, perfect your craft before you present it to consumers, because there is no place for mediocracy in the business world.