Kasper & Associates maintains faith in the American spirit and we believe in the power of positive thinking.  To that end, we’ve presented Maxims for Success — a collection of our favorite motivational quotes, essays and leadership advice.  (For a complete collection, e-mail your mailing address to contact@kasperassociates.com.)

MAXIMS for SUCCESS

–Part 23–

The Art of the Deal

(Donald J. Trump)

1. Think big!  Don’t be afraid of SUCCESS, afraid of making decisions, or afraid of winning.
2. Aim very high and keep pushing to get better and to get it done.
3. Protect the downside, and the upside will take care of itself.
4. Keep a lot of deals (balls) in the air, because most deals fall out no matter how promising they seem at first.
5. Get the word out.  You can have the most wonderful product in the world but if people don’t know about it, it’s not going to be worth much.
6. Deliver the goods.  Have fun.  Don’t take anything too seriously.
7. Fight back.  There are times when the only choice is confrontation.
8. Listen to your gut no matter how good something sounds on paper.  Also, you’re generally better off to stick with something you know.
9. Do your best and don’t let any detail escape you.  If it doesn’t work, move on to the next deal.
10. What I admire most are people who put themselves directly on the line.
11. Much more often than you think, sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure.
12. The most important thing for a Successful Life is to love what you’re doing, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be good at it.