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Congrats to subscriber Traci G., our March contest
winner. Thanks to all who entered by successfully locating the hidden
typos and spelling errors in each of our Quote of the Week and Business
Writing That Works March issues. Traci receives a $20 Amazon gift
certificate.
We're raising the stakes for our April/May
newsletters. During these two months, we once again challenge you to find
the hidden typographical or spelling errors. If you find one of them,
e-mail me at rmox@WriteWorksAgency.com and tell me what it is and where
you found it. If you are correct, your name will be put
into our April/May drawing for a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. Now, on
to this week's quote ...
Ric Moxley – Managing Editor
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Success
is ninety-nine percent failure.
— Soichiro
Honda, founder of Honda Motor Corp.
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Key Point
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It
is well worth remembering that the great white stallion of success most
often makes its gallant entry after the mule train of hardship and
desperation has been whipped into shape.
Success has much less to do with luck than with unbridled
determination.
Themes to which this quote
may be applied: Attitude, positive thinking, business success, education success,
forgiveness (letting others fail, to try again another day), goals and
goal setting, management, relationships, taking risks, success and
failure.
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Marketing Value
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If you are in marketing, you may be able to save your job
by using this quote! If you have had some failed marketing attempts, or
campaigns that performed poorly, you may find it handy to quote Mr.
Honda a few weeks before your annual review. ;-)
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In Speaking and
Writing . . .
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I have personally used this
quote as an introduction when speaking on the topic of starting your
own business. In the Kaufman foundation FastTrac program, they
emphasize to the students, all potential business owners, that
entrepreneurial success is often predicated on
one's ability to accept mistakes as learning opportunities, not as
failure. Mistakes and failings are a part of learning success in any
worthwhile undertaking. When the outlook seems dim, use Honda's quote
to spur on your audience to try again.
When writing words of
encouragement, consider quoting Soichiro Honda. Most of us get caught up in the glamour of success, such as
what we see in Soichiro Honda, Bill Gates, Paul Newman, and others we
admire. But do we consider (or even know about) the perspiration that
went behind and before their moments of inspiration? To the degree that
Mr. Honda is speaking literally, a person who has failed 99 times is
probably very close to success.
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Beyond the Workplace . . .
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So many people retreat into the
recesses of self-pity because they have equated losing in love with
failure to succeed. For those who have been "dumped," or who
are suffering through the agony of a failed marriage, consider how much
wiser you are now than you were before this loss. Like those who have
succeeded in business, such as Mr. Honda, those who have suffered
failed relationships can take their hard-learned lessons as
opportunities for making better choices in the future.
Consider this: where would Mr.
Honda be if he took failure to heart, allowing himself or his company
to believe that so many failures meant they could not succeed? Apply
that same never-give-up wisdom to relationships! Thus, with each failed
relationship, you are much better prepared for
successful relationships tomorrow by learning from the pain of today.
To quote (dare I?) the Jackson 5, in a line
from one of their '70s songs, "One bad apple don't spoil the whole
bunch, girl." Success rides in on the back of many failed
attempts.
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What is Your Favorite Quote?
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Do you have a favorite quote that has either served
you inspirationally in the workplace or has been a nice bit of spice in
speech or in writing? Write
and tell us about it. We may feature your quote in a future issue
to inspire others.
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Let WriteWorks Help
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Are you searching for the right turn of phrase and
not sure if you've got it? Whether for a
speech or for written communication, call on WriteWorks when your words
need to count. We can wordsmith your proposals, presentations,
articles, reports, speeches, brochures, manuscripts, help files or
instruction manuals to assure that they succinctly and effectively
bring home your message. With our extensive network of freelance
writers and editors, we can quickly find the perfect writer to ensure
the success of your communications. Contact us to discuss your needs
and learn how easy — and beneficial! — it is
to do business with us.
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