The 50 Best Quotes About Business, Sales, and Success You’ll Need to Motivate You

Are you starting your own business in 2017, have been the CEO of your own enterprise for a while now, or are just motivated to achieve big things in the business world this coming year? One of the key attributes of almost all successful business men and women is that they are constantly learning. There are two ways to do this: learning by experience and doing, and then by studying the lessons of other successful people. In fact, there are very clear road maps to help us achieve great things in the business world – we just have to take advantage of them. So to start, we’ve assembled the 50 best quotations about business, sales, and success you’ll ever read.

1.         "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."

-Thomas Jefferson

2.         "People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy."

-Tony Robbins

3.         "Don't let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning."

-Robert Kiyosaki

4.         "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

-Walt Disney

5.         "The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus."

-Bruce Lee

6.         "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."

-Herman Melville

7.         "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

-Henry David Thoreau

8.         "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."

-John D. Rockefeller

9.         "There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed."

-Ray Goforth

10.       "If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary."

-Jim Rohn

11.       "All progress takes place outside the comfort zone."

-Michael John Bobak

12.       "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--It is: Try to please everybody."

-Herbert Bayard Swope

13.       "A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that other throw at him."

14.       -David Brinkley

15.       "Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember--the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you."

-Zig Ziglar

16.       "The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well."

-John D. Rockefeller Jr.

17.       “Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”

-Warren Buffet

18.       "Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value." 

-Albert Einstein

19.       “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” 

-Henry Ford

20.       “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”

-Abraham Lincoln

21.       “When you delve deep enough, you find that practically every great fortune and great enterprise in America has sprung from the courage enterprise of some individuals.”

-B.C. Forbes

22.       “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.”

-Biz Stone

23.       “Stay self-funded as long as possible.” 

-Garrett Camp

24.       “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.”

-Sir Richard Branson

25.       “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

-Bill Gates

26.       “Any business plan won’t survive its first encounter with reality. The reality will always be different. It will never be the plan.”

-Jeff Bezos

27.       “Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.”

-Tony Hsieh

28.       “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.”

-Dave Thomas

29.       “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

-Mark Zuckerberg

30.       “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

-Colin Powell

31.       “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

-Sam Walton

32.       “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.”

-Harold S. Geneen

33.       “Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can't miss.”

-Lee Iacocca

34.       “Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun.”

-Don Marquis

35.       “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

-Steve Jobs

36.       “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

-Dale Carnegie

37.       “Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman - not the attitude of the prospect.”

-W. Clement Stone

38.       “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.”

-Arnold H. Glasow

39.       “I want to put a ding in the universe.”

-Steve Jobs

40.       “People are definitely a company's greatest asset. It doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”

-Mary Kay Ash

41.       “Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile.”

-Gary Ryan Blair

42.       “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

-Andy Warhol

43.       “Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them.”

-W. Edwards Deming

44.       “Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work.”

-Robert Orben

45.       “It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.”

-Tom Brokaw

46.       “Anyone who has lost track of time when using a computer knows the propensity to dream, the urge to make dreams come true and the tendency to miss lunch.”

-Tim Berners-Lee

47.       “Punctuality is one of the cardinal business virtues: always insist on it in your subordinates.”

-Don Marquis

48.       “I am certainly not one of those who need to be prodded. In fact, if anything, I am the prod.”

-Winston Churchill

49.       “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”

-Napoleon Hill

50.       “Markets change, tastes change, so the companies and the individuals who choose to compete in those markets must change.”

-An Wang

25 Facts about Shark Tank, the world’s most popular business show

1. Ratings and general info

Shark Tank is a television show produced by reality mogul Mark Burnett that’s aired on ABC since 2009. On the show, real life entrepreneurs pitch their businesses, concepts, and products to six mega-successful business people, or “Sharks.” Currently Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Lori Grenier, and Mark Cuban are on the panel of Sharks. 133 episodes of Shark Tank have aired over its 7 seasons.

2. The Emmys keep coming

Although ABC doesn’t trumpet their own success with the show, Shark Tank has received four consecutive Emmy nominations and won Outstanding Reality Program the last two years.

3. The show actually started in Japan

The concept for Shark Tank originated in Japan in 2001 with a tough love business show called Tigers of Money where entrepreneurs pitched to investors. However, the “Tigers” made a point of being abrupt, rude, and sometimes even sadistic to the contestants, who begged and pleased for money but rarely won it.

4. It quickly spread internationally

After the popular Japanese show, a spinoff called Dragon’s Den started in Britain, and then again in Canada. In fact, the Canadian version featured both Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary, who are now Sharks on the hit U.S. show. Other countries with their own versions of the show now include the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine. Australian, Portuguese and Italian versions are in production.

5. It’s more difficult to get on the show than admission to Harvard

It is a long and improbably process for entrepreneurs to actually make it on air on Shark Tank, starting with open casting calls, then a brief live pitch to members of the production crew, followed by a screening round and finally on set. Of the 45,000 people who applied for the show in 2014, less than 1 percent actually got the chance to pitch their business opportunities to the Sharks. But producers and the Sharks themselves also look through social media and crowd funding sites like Kickstarter for promising and exciting young companies who may be a good fit.

6. It wasn’t a very popular show at first

While Shark Tank is a smash hit these days, the show didn't even make the list of top 100 primetime shows in its first season. Only after Mark Cuban joined the cast as a Shark in season two did in the show take off. By season five, the show averaged up to 8 million viewers every week, almost double their first year numbers.

7. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy was a Shark Tank judge

Trying to spice up the format and boost in lagging ratings, Shark Tank had comedian Jeff Foxworthy on the panel of judges in the second season. As you could guess, it was a strange and illogical fir and the experiment failed miserably – and was never replicated.

8. Pitches take a long time

When we watch the show in our living rooms, most entrepreneur pitches take only about ten minutes of edited video. But in real life, they usually last about an hour, with the Sharks carefully scrutinizing and frilling each contestant until they all eventually opt out or someone invests.

There are times when the Sharks dismiss an entrepreneur in only twenty minutes. But the longest pitch in the history of the Show was entrepreneur Michael Tseng who pitched his microwave-safe food cover PlateTopper for two and a half hours before Shark Lori Greiner invested $90,000 in his company.

9. It’s a grueling filming schedule for the Sharks

Filming is not all fun and games for the Sharks, either, and in fact can be downright grueling. They shoot the show within a 17-day marathon session with 12-hour days of listening to 6-8 pitches per day, plus prep and other work.

"We're cold, we're hungry, we're miserable,” says Shark Robert Herjavec, explaining why they could be testy when entrepreneurs don’t get to the point.

10. The 30 Seconds of Silence is brutal

Before each pitch begins on the show, we see entrepreneurs walk down the corridor and stand in front of the Sharks, then a pan of their faces and reactions in silence before they are invited to speak. In fact, the show does this on purpose, mandating that every contestant stand there facing the Sharks in silence for 30 seconds so the camera crew can capture the “stare down” – and the tension.

11. Only a tiny proportion of entrepreneur pitches make it on air

Even if you make it to the round of pitching live on camera to Sharks, at least 20% of those pitches won’t see our television screens as they get cut for being uneventful or other reasons.

12. The sharks back out of a lot of deals

Yes, Shark Tank is genuine. But that doesn’t mean the agreements they enter into on air are legally binding. In fact, after the on-air portion of the show, every deal, company, and shred of data presented it carefully scrutinized and verified by the Sharks. In many cases, entrepreneurs have over-inflated their numbers or outright lied to make their companies more attractive, causing the Sharks to back out, justifiably.

13. But so do entrepreneurs

Surprisingly, a good portion of entrepreneurs get “buyer’s remorse” and back out, even after deals have been set and funding and terms agreed upon. "I would say 90 percent of the time it's the entrepreneur who backs out," says Shark Robert Herjavec.

14. Some contestants come on the show with no intention of striking a deal

Knowing they’ll see a huge spike in sales whether they strike a deal with a Shark or not, an increasing number of entrepreneurs go on the show with no genuine intention of making a deal. Called "Shark Tank gold diggers," they ask for ridiculous terms or vastly over-value their companies in order to NOT get a deal, though the show tries to weed them out. "We're getting better at spotting the people who are obvious about it," Herjavec says.

15. There is a psychiatrist on set

The show actually employs a psychiatrist on set who meets with every entrepreneur right after they give their pitch. Most of them are real people and emotions and pressure run extremely high, as they know a lot of money and success are on the line and it can be crushing when turned down. There have been contestants so wound up that they actually feinted out cold in the middle of a pitch! So now, the show psychologist meets with everyone to make sure they are feeing mentally healthy and have a chance to “debrief.”

16. During the show, the Sharks are communicating with producers

Most people don’t know that the Sharks all wear concealed earpieces during the show, allowing them to get messages from producers. While far from staged, this allows producers to feed them information and suggest questions and prompts about each entrepreneur’s back-story.

17. But it’s their call

Ultimately, it is up to the individual sharks if they want to invest, how much, the terms of any deal, and it is there own money, so the show is an authentic reality experience.

18. Mr. Wonderful (Attendance)

Shark Kevin O’Leary, the self-proclaimed “Mr. Wonderful,” may be known for his bravado and acerbic bedside manner, but no one can question his commitment to the show, as he’s the only cast member to appear in every single episode since its inception.

19. The “Where are they now” segments are extremely valuable

Every episode, they’ll have a brief segment that shows past Shark Tank “alumni” who gained investments, with an update how they are doing now. Apparently, even that small exposure has huge value and the Sharks can offer to pitch companies they have an interest in.

20. Donald Trump was never invited

For years, a rumor floated around that Donald Trump was first cast as a Shark, but turned the opportunity down. There is speculation he even perpetuated the rumor himself, but truthfully, he was never offered a spot on the show and was under contract with NBC when it started.

21. Cuban is the wealthiest Shark

While all Sharks look equal up there on the panel, in fact, Mark Cuban is the wealthiest – bar far. With a net worth of over $3 billion, Cuban actually has more money then all of the rest of the other Sharks combined!

22. Mark Cuban also stood up for the entrepreneurs

For the first four seasons of Shark Tank, contestants who struck a deal on the show had to automatically sign over 5% of their profits, shares, or products to ABC and the show producers. Judge Mark Cuban was always vocal about his opposition to this policy, which he thought took advantage of entrepreneurs who were just trying to get started. So before season 5 began, Cuban demanded that the 5% “Shark Tank charge” be removed, threatening to not participate in the show if it remained. The show’s producers acquiesced and upon Cuban’s wishes, even the contestants from the first four seasons got their 5% back.

23. Sacramento has been well represented on Shark Tank

An entrepreneur named Christopher Johnson – a UC Davis graduate - appeared on the show to pitch is Rapid Ramen Inc. that sells the Rapid Ramen Cooker, and walked away with a successful $300,000 deal with Mark Cuban.

24 Sacramento won’t be bullied

But another Sacramento contestant left the show without a deal, but gained respect and notoriety along the way. Sactown’s Paul Watts actually appeared on Shark Tank during its first season, bringing his vision for the Graffiti Removal Services franchise to the Sharks and asking for $350,000 for a 15% stake in the company. In one of the most controversial and interesting exchanges in show history, Watts had Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary team up to offer the money, but for a prohibitive 75% stake of his business. But the cool, calm, and collected Watts wisely declined the offer; to which O’Leary went on an epic rant that ended with “You’re dead to me!”

But Watts stuck to his guns and declined, and went on to modest but steady success with his graffiti removal service – without surrendering 75% stake in the company.

25. YOU can audition for Shark Tank!

So you have a hit product, ingenious invention, or cottage business that is starting to skyrocket? Why not pitch it to the Sharks on Shark Tank? Like all reality programs, Shark Tank holds open auditions where you can make your case to try and get on the show.

To apply to be on Shark Tank, go here: http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/open-call

15 Proven methods to detect if someone is lying to you.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

-Sir Walter Scott

If you’re like most people, you probably tell a few white lies during the course of your day, half-truths to make others feel better, avoid conflict, or out of polite social necessity. But then there are the big lies – the manipulative or mean spirited falsehoods people spread that can really hurt others. So if someone lies as they’re trying to sell you something, lies to you at work, or the worst of all, lies to you in a relationship, how are you supposed to know what you can trust? How can you detect when someone is lying to your face? 

Numerous studies, such as those conducted at Stanford University as well as training offered by the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence organizations, have revealed that definitive patterns emerge in the nonverbals, physiology, and language of someone who is lying. These cues are accurate predictors of deception and when used in combination, are almost a surefire way to tell if someone is lying to you. 

1. Ask unexpected questions and watch their initial response.
It’s not the information in their answer you’re looking for as much as the way in which they answer. Carefully watch them during the first few seconds before they respond – if they pause, stall with “ums” and “ahs”, repeat the question, or lowers their voice and looks down, they are probably lying, no matter what they say next.

2. Look for insincere emotions and microexpressions.
It’s almost physical impossible for most people to fake a smile - the timing will be wrong, it will be held too long, turn into a frown at the end, their eyes will be too squinted, etc. This is just one manifestation of what are called microexpressions, which last only 1/25^th of a second and reveal the person’s true emotion when they are being insincere.

3. They provide too much information.
If you ask someone a question or to explain themselves and they lie to you, they often ramble on and give far too much information. They also tend to use qualifying language like “to tell you the truth,” “in all honesty,” and “as far as I know,” that’s easy to spot.

4. Ask the person to tell their story or go over the answer in reverse chronology.
Psychologists reveal that our brains aren’t wired to retell stories or reconstruct memories in chronological order, as we often start with the most emotional parts then fill in information. But when someone is lying, they carefully arrange the story – and retell it – chronologically, so asking them to do otherwise will trip them up.

5. Measure their attitude.
People who are being dishonest often become agitated, defensive, or uncooperative when you ask to discuss something or for help filling in the details.

6. Verbal cues and speech patterns.
Certain words and phrases or speech patterns reveal deceit. If a person uses excessive religious imagery (I swear to God), overemphasize their truthfulness and honesty, repeat themselves (a way to buy time while they’re gathering their thoughts), or question or attack the question, it may be an indication they’re lying.

7. Are they minimizing?
"Minimizing language" is used to try and downplay or distract from the importance of the question or the facts, such saying “It’s not a big deal,” or referring to “the company” when they would normally say “we.” 

8. Changing their head position quickly.
When you ask someone a direct question and they make a sudden head movement, they could be lying. If their head is jerked back, retracted, bows down, or tilts to the side right before they respond, it could be an inadvertent signal.

9. Their breathing shifts.
When someone tells a lie, their breathing usually changes, becoming shallow, their shoulders rising because the increased heart rate and blood flow, nerves and tension, change their normal breathing patterns. 

10. They either stand very still or shift their feet.
When someone gets nervous, defensive, or feels they are backed into a corner, their flight or fight response usually kicks in. That means they’ll either hold perfectly, unnaturally still, or shift and move far too much for relaxed conversation.

11. They touch or cover their mouths.
One of the easiest ways to tell if someone is lying or at least being shifty is if they touch their mouth, their face, or put their hand over their mouth when they speak or answer a question.

12. They cover certain parts of their bodies
Likewise, if someone inadvertently covers up certain vulnerable parts of the body like their throat, chest, head, or abdomen, assuming defensive positions, they may be lying. If they bite their lips, pull on their chin, or play with their hair, it may be more signs of fibbing.

13. It becomes harder for them to speak.
When someone lies, it can actually become physiologically harder for them to speak, as the automatic nervous system decreases the flow of saliva during stress, make their mouths and lips more dry. 

14. They don’t blink enough – or too much.
People blink more when they are nervous – like when they are lying - but some liars overcompensate and will hold a stare too long without blinking.

15. They point a lot.
If someone points a lot during their answers to questions or explanations, it may be an unconscious sign of the passive-aggressive nature of lying.