Your Internet Business has everything it needs to achieve success and make money. However, there are a few key principles you need to take your Internet Business to the next level and make significant amounts of money!
For those of you who have taken the time to learn more about me, by now you know that I was a U.S. Marine for 15 years.  As a Marine, I was and still am expected to uphold the highest leadership principles.  It is these principles for which I live my life by as well as conduct my business by.
This post is the start of a four part series in which I’ll explain what each of the 11 Marine Corps leadership principles are and how they help me to build a thriving, successful Internet Business.
I hope you enjoy this series and know you will find great value in what each of the principles can teach you about running a successful Internet Business.
Leadership Principle 1: Know Yourself and Seek Improvement
Marine Corps Application
This principle of leadership should be developed by the use of leadership traits (A later post series is to come on leadership traits).
Evaluate yourself by using the leadership traits and determine your strengths and weaknesses. Â Work to improve your weaknesses and utilize your strengths.
With a knowledge of yourself, and your experience and knowledge of group behavior, you can determine the best way to deal with any given situation. With some Marines, and in certain situations, the firm, hard stand may be most effective; however, in other situations, the “big brother” approach may work better.
You can improve yourself in many ways. Â Self improvement can be achieved by reading and observing. Â Ask your friends and seniors for an honest evaluation of your leadership ability. Â This will help you to identify your weaknesses and strengths.
How This Applies to Internet Business
To become a successful Internet Business owner, you must gain a firm understanding of yourself. Learn what your weakness and strength are and then build your business accordingly while working to improve on all aspects of yourself. Â Partner with others who’s strengths compensate for your weaknesses. Â Work with them to build a successful Internet Business.
Having a firm foothold on who you are, what you are about and what you are passionate about will enable you to quickly develop and implement ideas, strategies and actions which will grow your Internet Business to the successful level you desire.
Self improvement should be an ongoing effort. Â The more you focus on self improvement, the more successful your Internet Business will become. Â You cannot have one without the other.
Leadership Principle 2: Be Technically and Tactically Proficient
Marine Corps Application
Before you can lead, you must be able to do the job. Â The first principle is to know your job.
As a Marine, you must demonstrate your ability to accomplish the mission, and to do this you must be capable of answering questions and demonstrating competence in your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).
Respect is the reward of the Marine who shows competence. Â Tactical and technical competence can be learned from books and from on the job training.
How This Applies to Internet Business
Never ask someone to do something you have not or are not willing to do yourself.
Each of us possesses our own knowledge and experience within our particular field of expertise. Having a full understanding of your industry and job expectancies is key to establishing yourself as an expert within your industry and creating a brand.
If you appear incompetent from your customers point of view, they will lose confidence in you and fail to trust you.  Without that trust, sales cannot be made.
You must be able to answer questions proficiently and confidently. Â Your ability to answer your customers most pressing questions and address their most pressing needs will build customer loyalty and establish trust.
Again, continuous education is key here. Â Keep up with industry changes and share the best of what you have to offer with your customers. Â This in turn will build trust and lead to great success with your Internet Business.
Leadership Principle 3: Know Your Marines and Lookout For Their Welfare
Marine Corps Application
This is one of the most important of the principles.
You should know your Marines and how they react to different situations. Â This knowledge can save lives.
A Marine who is nervous and lacks self confidence should never be put in a situation where an important, instant decision must be made. Â Knowledge of your Marines’ personalities will enable you, as the leader, to decide how to best handle each Marine and determine when close supervision is needed.
How This applies to Internet Business
In this case, the knowledge of knowing your customer and what they want will guarantee your success!
You’ve heard it from me as well as other Internet Entrepreneurs… Knowing your customer and what they want is an absolute must if you are to succeed with your Internet Business. Â Your main responsibility is to provide them with what they need. Â Fill that need and they will reward you significantly!
Conduct online surveys to find out what your customers expect of you. Â This will help you to determine what types of products and/or services you can provide to them.
Spend time answering questions and interacting with your customers on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Â Engage in conversations with your customers through blog comments and various other methods.
The key here is to provide the highest level of customer service you can provide.  Lookout for your customers and they will fiercely lookout for you!
That’s it for today! Â I hope you found this post informative and look forward to hearing your comments! Â See you in part 2 of this post series.
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