Since I work in the pro shop at the golf course, I see many types of people day in and day out. I hate to put labels on people, but there are two types of people that I see everyday. Those two types of people are the not so successful people and the successful people. I’m going to give you a short list of traits that I see from the successful people everyday.
1. Successful people dress up like they’re in the spotlight everyday.
Whenever I see people that have accomplished a lot I noticed that all of them are always dressed looking decent. I’m not saying you should hit up your local department store and buy all the name brands, but what I’m saying is that you should look presentable wherever you go. When I go out, I always wear something like a collared shirt with jeans or shorts. But whatever you do, don’t get out of your house, dorm, or apartment if you are not looking your best (even if you are just going for a quick trip to buy something at the local grocery store). You never who you are going to run into and you’ll be thankful if you took the time to invest in your image. My only exception to this rule is when you are going to the gym. You are going to get sweaty so why wear something nice. In short, ALWAYS LOOK PRESENTABLE.
2. Successful people have a handshake that speaks for itself.
The handshake is usually the first contact between 2 people that have never met before. It’s usually a good indicator of how successful someone is also. The handshake that I find common in most successful people is one that is firm enough that I consciously recognize it. People that shake hands like a wuss convey that they have no confidence in themselves and that they are not driven to become successful. My high school psychology teacher put it this way, “When you shake a persons hand, squeeze as hard as you can. Do this during a job interview and your salary will start higher than what it would have been if you had a weak handshake.” The salary thing was kind of true for me, at my first job at the retirement home, my starting pay was higher than most of the other guys that I worked with. One thing I remember was the firm handshake that I had on my boss during my first interview. Though it may not get you the highest paying job, always have a firm handshake to convey confidence.
3. Successful people have a certain voice tonality to them.
All success people have a certain voice tonality to them. They all have a voice that is full and commanding. Have you ever seen Saving Private Ryan? Do you remember a part in the movie when Tom Hanks had a hint of a high-pitched voice? Neither do I. When you have a commanding voice, you usually get the reaction and the results you desire, and people take you seriously. How have you reacted to someone with a squeaky high voice in the past? The only successful person with a high-pitched voice that I have ever heard was Fred.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-CehxoJy0I
4. Successful people are excellent with eye contact.
Eye contact is probably one of the most important traits that any successful person has. I noticed that the customers in the pro shop that really mean business are the ones that hold eye contact. Eye contact is something that I’m still working on, but I’m getting better at it everyday. If you are uncomfortable looking into someone’s eyes try looking at their forehead instead. The best example of someone keeping good eye contact is Tim Tebow. I don’t know if it’s Erin Andrews’ good looks but Tim keeps stellar eye contact.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_pRe_NulJM
Overall there are more traits that make successful, but these are the big four that I see with successful people in the pro shop and outside the shop everyday. That’s not so bad is it? To start becoming successful today, start developing these four traits.
Follow me on Twitter @alexmendoza
