One idea to Build your Business, one idea to Scale your life. Every Wednesday.

Welcome to Winformation Weekly. My 13 years’ experience of growing a business from £0-£100m, and the life that goes with it. All wrapped up, in one winning weekly email.

Simon Says

Winformation this week...

Scroll through Instagram these days, and you'll see the same tired advice from so-called "Business Experts": 

❌ "You can’t succeed without saying no!" 
❌ "Be unapologetically you!" 
❌ "Who cares what people think!" 

Now, while there’s some truth in all that, here’s the harsh reality...people buy from people they like. You don’t need to be a people-pleaser, but being liked? It really helps.  

In today’s One Idea to Win in Business, we’re diving into how to be more likeable without selling your soul or becoming everyone's doormat.  

We don’t all naturally have a growth mindset. Sometimes it takes real focus on and work to maintain one, especially if we have been raised by people whose idea of a growth mindset is watching Rocky 3 every couple of years. In today’s One Idea to Win in Life we look at the actual steps we all need to take to maintain a growth mindset.  

One Idea to Win in Business

How to Be More Liked, by More People Without Becoming a People Pleaser!

Like it or not, it pays to be liked in business and in life. Does that mean you go around changing your personality for everyone you meet. No. But these basic steps will mean any new relationship is off to a great start, giving you the best possible chance to find the people that will like you and buy from you.

1. Ask more questions – Dale Carnegie once said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Humans like to talk about themselves. Take a genuine interest in others and watch the relationships bloom.

2. Active listening - Truly listen to people. People love feeling heard. Listening is about eye contact and body language. The number of people that call a new client and simply talk over their answers or answer the question for them is staggering.

3. Remember stuff – or have a system to help you! Jot down names, and use them! Make a note of the sports team they follow, their spouse’s name, kids etc. Next time you meet ask a question about a story from the first meeting. This happened to me once. I was blown away. I had told someone I met for 15 mins about buying a new house. I met him again literally 5 years later he asked me if I still lived in the “house that needed lots of work”. It really elevates people above the crowd.

4. Add value with no expectation of return – Offer helpful advice, share insights, or connect people in your network. Generosity sticks in people’s minds. Not all of this effort will be returned, but when it is, the benefits will far outweigh all of the effort made to everyone.

5. Own your mistakes – The very best relationships I have these days, the ones where I’m “liked and respected” the most? Is when there has been an issue I have resolved or helped. People really see what you’re made of when there has been a problem that’s been jumped on.

One Idea to Win in Life

How to Maintain a Growth Mindset

What’s the first thing that comes into your head when you think of the word education? Probably school, am I right? And after that maybe some memories of subjects you didn’t like doing. The thing is education doesn’t need to stop at school. In case you were unsure, this is a good thing. The people who succeed in life often have a thirst to further develop themselves. This tends to come from learning. If you aren’t already, I’d encourage you to bring that mindset into your life. Here are five tips to help you get started.

1. You never know it all. How boring would life be if you did. This is about committing to a life of curiosity and learning. That’s how you grow as a person. It serves a higher purpose, too. It gives you the tools to navigate and prosper in the packed lives we live in.

2. Keep a close eye. Whatever field you’re working in, make sure you know what’s happening in it. It might sound obvious, but the world is continually changing. Those who don’t pay attention risk being left behind. What’s more, keeping in the know can help you identify further opportunities.

3. The ripple effect. If a business leader is prepared to further their learning it sets the tone for everyone else. Not only does it create a culture of learning and development, it also paints a business in a great light and helps encourage new talent to join it.

4. Learning from experience. Finding a mentor who has already reached the place you want to get to can be invaluable. If you are looking for one, speak to those in your network. Don’t be afraid to ask. It can be as valuable to be a mentor as it is to receive mentorship.

5. Embrace life. We’ve all heard the expression of the importance of learning through our mistakes. But how many of us really embrace that. What some call failure can be a gift, what can you learn from that experience? Probably quite a lot.

Until next week! 

Let’s win, together!