The Niche Strategy for Success
                                                                  By: Brian Tracy

The starting point of career success is for you to select your boss carefully and refuse to work for a difficult or negative person. Much of your happiness and job satisfaction depends upon your relationship with your superior. If you don't get along, make every effort to resolve it or get transferred but if you can't, be prepared to walk away.

Make the Right Choices
Choosing the right work, the right place to do it and the right people to do it with is laying the foundation for career success.

Now you are ready to implement the "niche strategy." The niche strategy is based on the fact that some jobs in any organization are more critical to the health of the organization than are others.

Influence the Cash Flow
A strategic niche is a job or position that influences the cash flow of the company. In most companies, cash flow is determined by sales and marketing and if you want to get ahead rapidly in those companies, you must work your way into the sales and marketing function.

How to Make More Money
Many people ask me how they can make more money at their jobs. When they tell me their positions, the problem is usually clear. They are working in areas of the company that are felt to be of lesser importance than other areas. As a result, their services are not highly valued no matter how hard they work or how well they do their job. Their increases are set at the level that will keep them from quitting or that will enable the company to hire someone else fairly quickly.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to use the niche strategy in your career.

First, identify the positions in your company that are the most important for cash flow and company success. Find out the key skills possessed by the most respected and highest paid people.

Second, make a plan today to work your way into a key position in your company. Ask for a transfer, develop a skill, offer to work overtime - but never quit until you succeed.

Your thoughts, Do you agree or disagree? What have you found to be your niche for success? Thank you.