Have you ever wondered what successful people have that makes them successful?

Ever wonder how those champion recruiters in your company manage, month after month, to get most new recruits, biggest bonuses, largest paychecks?

Well let me tell you a secret. No one starts out as a Champion. Most of them started out like you and me.

So what is it that makes a Champion different from rest?

Champions have an attitude, a mindset that sets them apart from rest. But most of these qualities are not exceptional.

Indeed each and every one of us possesses these qualities when we start out in life. But somewhere along way we tend to lose them and diminish our own potential.

To be a Champion, you must first become a Child! Let me explain:

1. Champions are Willing to Learn.

Children come into this world with an innate desire to learn, to understand world around them.

They are like sponges observing and absorbing every fact, every reaction. Because they know that their very survival depends on it.

One of most important, and oft-repeated, qualities we need to succeed in business is a willingness to learn - to be teachable.

To become a champion, you must be willing to educate yourself or be educated, to read about, learn and absorb all things you need to know, even if they are completely new to you.

If you don't, you are doomed to failure from start.

2. Champions are Willing to Act

Have you notice how children completely geared towards action? As soon as they learn a new skill, they want to put it into action.

Champions are same. They put their newly learned skills to use, taking concrete steps to improve their performance, so they can take their business to next level.

They know that they must act on what they have learned, even if they haven't perfected it. Which brings me to their next quality.

These guidelines help me prepare, and may guide you when asked to speak publicly

1. Know your audience. When in graduate school, a professor posed this question, "Why this message to these people at this occasion on this .subject?" What will I say to who they "are" about a subject they (and I) care about? The importance and impact of learning all you can about your audience and their reason for inviting you to talk cannot be overlooked. Their reason links you to what matters to them, and trust they have in you to speak on a subject they care about.

2. Ask question, "What made them invite me?" I asked this question last night when talking to woman inviting me to speak. She said, "We want you to talk about Town's finances". Since I am chairperson of Finance Committee in my Town, and our Annual Town Meeting is within a few months, I am their logical source, and this subject interests me.

3. Condense your talk to one sentence. This group wants one question answered,"Will Town budget cause me to pay more in taxes?". This is a closed-end question, but they want me to elaborate on all implications. Every speech topic demands more research than you have time to share (remember to limit your talk, in most instances, to twenty minutes). A speech should be facts and stories....facts and stories.