Success Secret: Benefits of Being Skeptical

Cover via Amazon

The benefits of being skeptical far outweigh blind faith and conventional wisdom. When it comes to success, there are many attributes and lessons to be learned.

I was reading an interview with investment legend Jim Rogers about his recent book “A Gift to My Children: A Father’s Lessons for Life and Investing.”

Jim Rogers is best known for co-founding the Quantum Fund with billionaire George Soros.

This fund famously returned 4,200% in just 10 years. He retired at age 37 to travel the world, and has since written five books on investing and success.

He has a long storied career and I encourage you to learn more about this man and investment legend.

What’s That Have To Do With You

I found the interview a good read and noticed near the end, the interviewer was asking about some of the wonderful life-lessons he learned over his career and various travels.

He responded:

Rogers: Sure… Be skeptical… Be curious… Don’t believe anything you read until you’ve done your own research, your own thinking. This idea is responsible for some of my biggest successes.

Be Skeptical, Be Curious, don’t believe anything you read until you’ve don your own research and thinking.

This characteristic made him hundreds of millions of dollars financially, and served him in other areas of his life.

Being Skeptical Is a Good Thing

Why this interview struck me is that recently, on two occasions, I’ve been charged with being skeptical as if it were a bad thing.

The people directing the charge implied negative intent – mostly because I just didn’t “buy” what they were saying, or reserved agreement or judgement until I’d done my own research.

I took their charge of skepticism as a compliment. So should you.

To be skeptical means to not be easily convinced, to have doubts or reservations.

To me, it’s the opposite of blind faith.

Another Benefit of Skepticism is You Can Get More Clients

Getting more clients, investing and overall success can happen quicker through skepticism. Let me explain.

Let’s say you get an email offering a WordPress Plugin that will; drive and convert traffic, build a product for you, sell it and send you the money while you sleep – all you have to do is give them $97 and it’s yours.

This scenario is easy, you get this emails almost daily and are already so skeptical, you probably won’t even go check out the offer.

But what about investing?

Are you the type that hears a good tip on CNBC or a friend, and goes and buys 100 shares?

The investing skeptic may consider such a tip like the email offer, and just discard it, or best-case, research the company and compare it against what they heard.

Politicians say a lot of things, but what they do is more important. One might say they seek peace, but continually authorizing more military intervention.

And what about all those fitness/exercise infomercials – do those products really work?

Well, that’s why they use all those testimonials, to try and address your skepticism.

What About Getting Clients

When talking to prospects about what I do, I sense some hesitation, or doubt. They seem to put on their “skeptic hat” once I talk about anything business related.

I think it’s based on our heavy sales and marketing culture. People are bombarded with advertisements and pitch’s all day long. It’s made us all a little more skeptical.

And that’s a good thing.

Here’s How You Can Benefit From Skepticism

When you’re talking or writing to prospects, consider them as highly skeptical. Consider their objections to your various claims, features and promises… and address them.

What objections come to mind regarding your product or service?

• Cost?
• Have too many other programs I haven’t implemented?
• Not sure what I get out of your program.
• Not sure what it does.
• Not sure how it works
• Not sure why I need it
• How do I know it will work?
• What if I don’t like it?
• Is it expensive (or a good deal?)
• Why are you uniquely qualified to sell me this?

Can you think of others?

By understanding their objections and other considerations keeping your prospect from signing up, buying or otherwise engaging your services, you can address these in your messaging.

Dealing with skepticism as a business person is not a passive affair. If you rely on your prospect to go and research the answers to the above objections, you won’t see many sales.

If, however, you anticipate the sources of their skepticism and address their concerns, you can help them overcome their doubts and make the purchase.

And that’s when you can start welcoming more business, and success, into your life.

To Your Skeptic,

David Koons
LetYourMillionaireOut.com
FreeAgentCoach.com

Tags: CNBC, George Soros, Investment, Jim Rogers, let your millionaire out, Philosophical skepticism, Quantum Group of Funds, Skepticism, Success Secrets