If you’re interested in selling, entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising stock-market trading, then you’ve probably come across Jordan Belfort also referred to as the “Wolf Of Wall Street”. But, did you know that the movie was based on the book where the real wolf – Jordan Belfort – shares his experiences and offers words of wisdom to aspiring traders, entrepreneurs, and business owners?
When I was first started marketing online, I had come across a private training system on closing sales that Jordan had presented at Greg Secker’s Trading Floor.
Regardless of what you think about selling, sales, and Jordan Belfort, when you put that aside he’s training programs have been used by corporations all over the world.
In short – that training changed my life, because no school, college, university never taught me about Influence, Persuasion and Selling. Look, if you want to share your products and services, you need to learn marketing & sales otherwise no one will ever know you even exist.
Jordan Belfort got his nickname as a result of his ruthless Wall Street trading life. His insatiable ambition and crimes led to him spending 22 months in prison.
That’s a lot of time to think and reflect on your life. This self-reflection resulted in two memoirs: The Wolf of Wall Street and Catching the Wolf of Wall Street. In those 22 months Belfort realized his wrongdoings and has drastically changed his life.
He admits to having an unethical approach, and has since been actively trying to change his life for the better. Belfort now inspires others to follow his example and do the same. Today, Jordan Belfort is a best-selling author, as well as a public speaker and an international sales trainer.
There’s a lot one can learn from the life of this former stockbroker. His well-known quotes speak volumes on the entrepreneurial life, and provide the much-needed motivation on an often arduous journey to success.
With that said, here are my favorite top 5 timeless selling lessons from Jordan Belfort – the real wolf of Wall Street:
1. “If you give people a good enough ‘why’, they will always figure out the ‘how’.”
When starting a business, the first thing you need to figure out is your ‘WHY’.
When you have a strong, convincing ‘why’, it will be much easier to identify the ‘how’.
In other words, once you know why you’re doing something, you’ll find the way to make it happen.
If you have a compelling reasons for starting that particular business, you’ll be motivated to give it your 110%!
That’s what Jordan Belfort considers one of his keys to success.
[bctt tweet=”If you give people a good enough ‘why’, they will always figure out the ‘how’.” prompt=”share with friends”]
Having a powerful “why” will give you the strength and determination to overcome any challenges and keep working towards your goals tirelessly.
Ask yourself what made you go through with this idea in the first place. Why did you chose this particular business? Are you passionate about your work?
Does it have the potential to secure the financial freedom you’re after? Are you motivated by the notion of helping other people improve their lives?
What’s your vision and your mission? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 15 years?
The answers to these question will help you identify and crystallize your ‘why’.
You’re bound to experience some ups and downs on your journey to success. When times seem rough, and you feel like throwing in the towel, you might find yourself wondering “Is what I’m doing even worth it?”
In those moments, just remind yourself of your ‘WHY’ and the answer will become obvious – it ABSOLUTELY is!
2. “Winners use words that say must and will.“
How many times have you caught yourself planning something for days, weeks, or even months – only to realize that the plan never comes to fruition?
In my opinion, procrastination is the #1 reason why most people never realize their full potential.
They always look for excuses to delay those important tasks; sometimes indefinitely.
In life, you might not see this as a huge problem (although it definitely can be). But in business, the consequences of delaying action can be severe.
And this is the difference between winners, and people who never rise above mediocrity.
Winners execute their plans. They don’t dilly-dally. Winners don’t use words like ‘should’, ‘might’, or ‘could’.
They use ‘must’ and ‘will’ instead. When winners plan something, they immediately start working on realizing those plans.
Winners don’t hesitate. They don’t put anything off. Instead, winners go out there and do what needs to be done – day in and day out!
So, if you want to be a winner and achieve success, stop procrastinating. Change your lingo and re-wire your brain.
Always remind yourself of what must be done, and then tell yourself you will do it as quickly as possible.
3. “When you live your life by poor standards, you inflict damage on everyone who crosses your path, especially those you love.”
What Jordan Belfort considers the saddest night of his life was the night before he went to jail. And not because he thought he wasn’t guilty.
Quite the contrary, he acknowledged the mistakes he made, and made peace with the fact that he belonged there.
What broke his heart was, in fact, was his kids’ reaction when he tried to explain that he’s going away.
That’s when he had a moment of clarity. Hence, the quote below was born.
[bctt tweet=”When you live your life by poor standards, you inflict damage on everyone who crosses your path, especially those you love.” prompt=”share with friends”]
It’s one of my personal favorites, because it highlights the universal truth, that so many of us often forget.
Our actions affect not just ourselves, but can have a lasting impact on everyone around us.
And when we make poor decision, we hurt both ourselves, and everyone who’s a part of our lives – people we love and care about.
Although you probably won’t find yourself facing prison time, this is definitely something to keep in mind. Especially when starting or running a business.
It’s easier than you might think to bury yourself in work, and start neglecting the people around you.
I’m sure you know at least a couple of stories where the relationship between people took a wrong turn, because one or both of them were too preoccupied with work to dedicate time to life.
Don’t let that happen to you. Learn from other people’s mistakes, and always be mindful of how your actions impact the lives of your loved ones.
4. “Act as if you’re a wealthy man, rich already, and then you’ll surely become rich.”
Jordan Belfort firmly believes that success begins in your head.
Now, this doesn’t simply mean you’ll be “faking it until you make it”.
There are actually scientific benefits to acting if you’re already successful and as if you’ve already achieved your goals – whether they are living in a huge mansion with a pool, driving your favorite sports car, or having $1 Million in your bank account.
And no, this isn’t the ‘Law of Attraction’ mumbo-jumbo. Instead, it rests upon the part of your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS).
As Jordan Belfort brilliantly put it, among other functions “the RAS acts as a sort of a gatekeeper and file organizer for the brain.”
So, what you need to do is plant that seed of success in your mind. You’ll do this by feeding your RAS a steady flow of success images, sounds, tastes, and thoughts.
The more specific you are, the better. Find images of the house you want to live in and the car you want to drive.
That way, the RAS will have an easier time capturing your new reality.
Then, once your subconscious mind internalizes the visions of success, confidence, and wealth – they will become your primary focus.
It’s like creating a habit of positive thinking. In turn, you’ll eliminate the self-doubt, insecurity, indecision, procrastination, and other harmful thoughts that are weighing you down and preventing you from realizing your dreams.
You’ll feel motivated, confident, energized, and determined to take action and achieve the goals you set in front of yourself.
That’s the main difference between this and “Secret”. You won’t be sitting in your living room chair trying to attract success.
You’ll actually ‘train’ your mind to ensure that you will go out there and make it happen!
5. “No matter what happened to you in your past, you are not your past, you are the resources and the capabilities you glean from it. And that is the basis for all change.”
The quote above came from his first ever speech after being released from prison. It was Belfort’s response to what he would do moving forward.
Although his situation was unique, to say the least, his words can still be applied to the lives of millions of people across the globe.
And that, in my opinion, is the true beauty of his quotes.
This one simply reminds us that making mistakes is simply human nature.
I’m sure you’ve made a couple mistakes in your life. I know I’ve made a fair share of mine.
But, here’s the thing: the mistakes we made don’t define who we are. And yet, so many people are haunted by their previous failures.
I’ve seen it a thousand times in the online marketing industry. People try one thing, and if it doesn’t work out on the first go, they just give up.
And I can tell you with full confidence that this is the main reason over 90% of aspiring entrepreneurs fail. They just throw in the towel.
But the thing is, rarely anyone gets everything right on the first try. It took me several years to get to the point where I’m consistently generating a decent sum of cash.
And I don’t know a single successful person who hasn’t hit a few bumps on their road to success.
So, instead of letting the past mistakes define who you are today – learn from them.
View them as valuable experiences, and use them to refine your approach and improve yourself both as a person and as an entrepreneur.
Mistakes are inevitable. How you react to them is what truly defines you!
Final Thoughts
These powerful lessons and quotes from Jordan Belfort really make you think, don’t they? If you ponder on them and then actually act on it, you’ll be able to see dramatic changes in your business and life just like I’ve done.
There’s plenty more valuable insights you can gather from the real wolf of Wall Street, so I strongly suggest you read both his memoirs.
I know they’ve been an endless source of inspiration for me, and provided me with a ton of valuable advice – on both life and business.
And I’m sure you’ll gain a ton of value from them, too.
That said, which quote from Jordan Belfort did you enjoy the most? Do you have your own personal favorite that wasn’t featured here?
Feel free to share your comments, opinions, and feedback in the comment section below!
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About The Author
Your Millionaire Mentor
Shaqir Hussyin
Shaqir Hussyin is the founder and CEO of WealthAcademy.com & Funnels.com. Nicknamed the “Backpack Millionaire”, he’s invested $350,000 into his own education and training. Whilst traveling to 100+ countries, Shaqir has built over 10+ million dollar brands and attracted over 500,000+ subscribers.
His signature program is now available: Max Income System; 14 Simple Steps To Making Your First Online Income
Shaqir is also a highly sought-after speaker and direct response “Sales Funnels” global leader. Shaqir’s work has impacted over 100,000 businesses in 65 different countries. Connect with Shaqir on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & FB Group.
