Success Tips Newsletter

March 19, 2008

In this issue: The 90 day rule

by Eric Albertson

Word count:  838

Time to read: 2-3 minutes or less

You probably want more new business. Most people who read a newsletter like Success Tips, the weekly newsletter from www.succeedinginbusiness.com, do so to improve their ability to get new business. If that is true of you, then knowing the 90 day rule may be as important to your success as the 80/20 rule.

Why so important?

Here is what we have observed and tested for the last 20 years: You won't really “get” a new behavior until you’ve consciously done it for 90 days. Also, you might not get the full results until after 90 days of fairly consistent effort.

Why is that so?

Brain plasticity. If you give your brain a new task, it will do it. Your brain is "plastic," or flexible. Now for the nasty part: As soon as you quit focusing on the new task, your brain's memory will go back to the way it did it in the past. That is the power — and the pain — of brain flexibility.

Your brain is like a fishing pole

When you cast your line, or when you catch a fish, your pole will bend. When the pressure is off, the bend goes away. That is just like your brain, with one major exception.

Keep the focus or pressure on for 90 days

If you keep the pressure on your brain for 90 days, it won't snap back to its old pattern when you take the pressure off. At least it won't snap back as quickly. Once “bent” for 90 days, it takes relatively modest effort to keep it bent.

The power of 3, 5 and 11

Some educators will suggest that they see students experience major jumps in performance 3, 5, and 11 months after the introduction of new material. I routinely see the same thing with my coaching clients. It is so predictable that I put it on the calendar for them.

Here is the critical success point

80 percent of your results will typically come from 20% of your activities, so pick those activities carefully. Realistically you can make only a few real changes in your life at any one time. Take those 2–3 things that you want to focus on, and give them 90 days of persistent focus. Pick more than 2-3 focus points, and I can practically guarantee failure.

If not 90 days, why bother at all?

If you won't give it 90 days of persistence, you might as well not bother with it at all, in most cases. For many worthwhile things, you will not see any significant results in less than 90 days. If you are not willing to go the 90 days, why start at all?

An example

Using the "What's-in-it-for-me" (WIIFM) point of view: Nearly 100 percent of the people who take my Marketing Fast Track program come into the program — no matter what they initially think — not looking at their businesses from the customer's point of view. Most of the messages they send to the market are completely ignored.

The power of the shift

By the end of the class, everyone knows, at a very deep level, the secrets of how to say things that customers will pay attention to and act on. They learn to speak WIIFM fluently. For those that keep the WIIFM focus for 90 days, a steady increase in new business is the usual result. You can read a small sample of their success comments here.

But I need relief now

Let's face it; we all would like results right now. Sadly, for most worthwhile results, that is just not in the cards. Waiting for someone else to bring your future to you is what I call being a victim. If you want and need relief, consider picking a few focus points that are worthwhile and try sticking with them for at least 90 days.

Are you ready for more customers despite this recession?

Pick 1–3 new strategies or tactics and focus on it or them persistently for the next 90 days. If you pick wisely, and stick with it, I suspect that you will have taken a major step to blunt the impact of this recession on your life. For some, it will be as if there never was a recession. For nearly all of my coaching clients, 2008 will be their best year ever.

Why is that?

They follow the advice in this particular newsletter. It’s one of my foundation principles.

90 percent of your competitors are asleep, and will not do the 90 days

Just remember, while it may seem that the competition is stiff, it isn't usually as tough as it seems. First, don't give up. Second, choose carefully when you build your recipe for success. Third, focus on those things (1–3 of them) that you suspect are the 20 percent that could drive 80 percent of your improvement.

 Relax

Now focus on those points with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have done all that you can do.

To your success,

Eric’s ability to distill critical information from complex sales concepts makes this book a must read. His ability to simplify the same makes it a quick read as well. If you are in sales or marketing, buy & read this book right now! 

- Bill Herr, sales manager
www.unica.com

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