Mark Cuban makes a marvelous mentor. You may never meet him in person, but you would do well to emulate Cuban’s work ethics and entrepreneurial actions. Whether you’re a wannabe entrepreneur or a multi-billionaire, like Cuban, his wise words will lift your spirit when you’re down and praise you when you’re up.
It’s impossible to select a one-size-fits-all Mark Cuban quote. So, this one goes out to the newbies in entrepreneur-land:
“Learn to sell. In business, you’re always selling – to your prospects, investors and employees. To be the best salesperson put yourself in the shoes of the person to whom you’re selling. Don’t sell your product. Solve their problems.”
According to Cuban, sales are the key to success. But, where, oh where to start? If you suspect his advice regurgitates the old “Do what you love…”, you would be wrong!
“There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really, really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.”
Rather than pursuing some elusive dream, which will never pan out, Mark Cuban puts the emphasis on work.
It’s not in the dreaming, it’s in the doing.”
“I still work hard to know my business. I’m continuously looking for ways to improve all my companies, and I’m always selling. Always.”
“One thing we can all control is effort. Put in the time to become an expert in whatever you’re doing. It will give you an advantage because most people don’t do this.”
“Don’t get caught up in how many hours you work. Judge success based on having goals and measuring your results. Hard work, and lots of it, is certainly needed, but focus on what you get done.”
You feel it in your bones. You want to be a successful entrepreneur. But, is there a secret for success that nobody is telling you?
“What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? It takes willingness to learn, to be able to focus, to absorb information, and to always realize that business is a 24/7 job where someone is always out there to kick your ass.”
Here are a few words of encouragement when you need a pick-me-up.
“If you’re prepared and you know what it takes, it’s not a risk. You just have to figure out how to get there. There is always a way to get there.”
It’s never too late to learn from experience, is it? What has Cuban learned?
“What I’ve learned in these 11 years is you just got to stay focused and believe in yourself and trust your own ability and judgment.”
“What I’ve learned is that if you really want to be successful at something, you’ll find that you put the time in. You won’t just ask somebody if it’s a good idea, you’ll go figure out if it’s a good idea.”
“I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you failed. You only have to be right once. I tried to sell powdered milk. I was an idiot lots of times, and I learned from them all.”
And finally, our all-time favorite.
“Entrepreneurs never die. We’re like cockroaches.”