Achieve More Succeed Faster by Deepak Bajaj teaches you why the direct-selling business is one of the noblest professions in the world and how it can empower you as well as your team. And ultimately, uplift you spritually in your life.
Achieve More Succeed Faster Summary (PDF)
This book talks about how direct selling can potentially change your life.
But don’t get the wrong idea.
If you have never heard about ‘direct-selling,’ then good for you:
Although the author focuses more on encouraging you to start a direct-selling business, he has also shared great lessons from his life.
In this summary, I’ll only talk about the best life lessons I learned from it.
Most of the lessons shared below are not about direct selling.
They are the lessons that touch different aspects of life.
In fact:
The author has given an all-around blueprint to build a great career and make an impact in the world.
Alright, so let’s not waste any more time, and dive right in.
Lesson 1: Direct selling is a noble profession
Most people have the wrong ideas about direct-selling.
When we hear about selling, what does first come to your mind?
An annoying salesman begging you to buy his product.
Nobody wants to be that guy, right?
In general:
Nobody wants to be sold.
Speaking in layman language, direct-selling is a business when you sell something in non-retail settings like homes or any other place other than a retail store.
Some do it alone.
While others do it by using chain-marketing.
Yes, some people or companies trick people and loot them through various shiny, get-rich-quick, pyramid schemes.
Ultimately, it depends on the intention of the person or company doing it.
Direct selling can be the noblest profession if a person does it with the right intention.
After you finish this summary, you’ll realize that direct-selling is a noble profession.
How?
The author has learned many life-lessons by practicing direct-selling.
And according to the author, the direct-selling business, if done properly, can help you live a life of significance.
It’s not about annoying people.
It’s about uplifting people and making their lives better.
One can build teams while doing a direct-selling business and learn leadership.
One can learn how to manage his business and learn entrepreneurial skills, which are life-changing.
It’s about improving the lives of both yours and other people.
Businesses only make money when they sell.
To be more precise, businesses help the economy run.
How can a thing like direct-selling, which helps so many people, can be annoying?
It can’t be.
It’s one of the noblest professions out there.
Of course, some people do it the wrong way and hurt its reputation.
But if you read the book and look at it from the author’s perspective, you’ll get excited about starting your own direct-selling business.
Lesson 2: Have more than one income source
Ok. That’s it.
That’s all you need to know about direct selling.
Now, let’s delve deeper into the life-lessons touching various aspects of life.
Here is the thing:
You need more than one income source.
You know why most people stay stuck in their life when it comes to money?
They stay dependent on one income source all their lives.
It’s good to keep things simple.
But when it comes to money, it’s always better to have at least 2 dependable or sustainable income sources.
Look at your financial condition.
If you have only one source of income, start figuring out how you can add an additional income source.
The more strong sources of income you add, the richer you become.
Another advantage of this is:
If one of your sources of income gets affected due to any unexpected situation, you’ll always have the other source to rely on.
It also gives you peace of mind.
So you get the time to worry about important stuff that really matters.
Lesson 3: Think about retirement when you are at the peak of your career
Most people think that they should retire when they are unable to do any job or when they get old.
But the author gives a new approach.
One shouldn’t delay and wait for his old age to think about retirement.
Instead, one should start thinking about it while he is at the peak of his career.
Once you get old, there is little energy left in you.
Here is what happens with most people:
They keep doing a job until they get old. Then they start planning about retiring.
They think of their job as punishment.
And believe that once they retire, they will be free.
Does this sound like a dream life?
Would you want your life to look like this?
The author doesn’t recommend that approach.
You must be smart.
Why wait that long?
Plan when you are young.
Not everything will happen according to your plan. But at least you’ll have the energy and time to implement your plans.
Think about how you can retire before a certain age.
It’d be even better if you find a job that helps you live your life with values.
In that case, you won’t even have to worry about retirement.
That’s why it’s said that one should choose his job carefully. Because it takes a major portion of your life.
Anyway, you are free to plan however you want.
So feel free to make changes in your plans as per your situation.
I believe nobody can give a foolproof plan that applies to every person.
The only point you should remember is:
Choose a job that doesn’t feel like work.
For instance:
If I talk about myself, I’m doing what I think is worth doing, and is of significance to me as well as others.
Not only is this book summary helping you right now to grow, but it has also helped me grow as well by improving my mindset and perception of life.
Getting some idea?
So don’t do a job only for the sake of money.
Find something that helps you live a life of significance.
Lesson 4: A good parent becomes a role model to his kids
Here is a big lesson about parenting:
If you are a parent, don’t try to teach your kids.
Become the type of person you want your kids to be.
The author introduces a new term here:
It’s called unconscious assimilation.
In layman’s terms, it’s the process by which we learn from others by copying them.
It’s how we learned our language.
We don’t realize it always. But whenever we learn a new concept or technique, we start by copying the person who knows how to do it.
That’s the reason we have our role models.
Okay, so what does this have to do with parenting?
Children use the exact same process to learn.
They copy their parents.
In fact, they don’t learn by listening to parent’s advice. They want to be like their parents.
But they don’t know the difference between good and bad. You know, until you grow a certain old, you don’t develop a proper sense of judgment.
So instead of focusing much on what their parents say, they learn by mirroring what their parents do.
So if you have a kid, and you are struggling to teach him or her manners.
Act as a mannered person would do. And your kids will learn by mirroring you.
Sound good?
The best part is:
If you are living your life like a real hero, your kids would admire you.
Isn’t this awesome?
Pay attention to your own character.
Look what qualities you want in your children.
Then develop them within yourself.
Don’t try to force those qualities in your children. If you force them, they will definitely not learn.
Nobody likes to learn by force.
Be a role-model to your kids!
Lesson 5: Master communication skills to grow faster in life
Communication skill is one of those skills that you can’t survive without.
Of course, we learn our languages. By the time we grow up, we could talk to anybody.
The thing is:
Although most of us know how to communicate, we are not all effective communicators.
For instance:
Observe any great public speaker.
Two public speakers might be saying the same thing. But one public speaker could create magic out of his words.
Look at the words you are reading right now.
Maybe some other person might use them better.
You see, not everyone can communicate effectively.
If you learn effective communication, you will be much ahead of other people.
Think about all the great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Barack Obama, etc.
They all have one thing in common:
They are all great communicators.
It’s not only about public speaking.
If you look at your personal relationships, you’ll find that most problems happen when you are not able to convey how you feel.
The ability to express yourself fully with your words is again very helpful.
Even in corporate sectors, people who are better communicators excel more than those who struggle with this skill.
In short:
Communication skills will help you grow faster in all aspects of your life.
So develop them.
You can take any course depending on your requirement.
Lesson 6: Insurances won’t help you as much as passive income sources
The author says that one should not depend so much on insurance.
They can give you some money after you retire or die.
But that won’t be enough.
What you need is a passive income source.
Passive income is when you put the work upfront and then if you do everything right, you get paid for it later without your active involvement.
In simple words:
Passive income is ‘Do the work once now. Get paid in future.‘
That’s the idea.
Is it easy? Just like anything, it requires work.
But passive income is helpful because it doesn’t require your active involvement.
So if you are planning your retirement, keep this in mind.
You would want to have at least 2 or 3 passive income sources when you retire.
On the other side, insurances only give you one-time money.
In passive income, you keep getting paid over and over again for the effort you put in once.
Most families have a single person with an income.
So when the person gets old, he is no longer able to work.
You know, our body decays with time.
So put simply:
Passive income might be a solution for you.
Lesson 7: Dissatisfaction encourages you to change your circumstances
Every object we see around us was once invented by someone.
Sometimes, people ask:
“What’s the point of personal development?”
The answer is:
People invented new things because they were dissatisfied.
If scientists were satisfied, they wouldn’t invent new things.
I believe one should be dissatisfied with his bad circumstances.
Growth stems from dissatisfaction. Not from satisfaction.
When we get comfortable with ourselves, we stop learning.
That’s the reason why most people after getting a job never read even one book in a year.
That’s the reason most people spend their lives with limiting beliefs and ultimately die without exploring their full potential.
There is always some room for improvement.
Heard about the ‘four-minute mile’ story?
Earlier, people believed that it’s impossible to run a mile in less than four minutes.
But someone was dissatisfied with this fact.
So he practiced hard.
And finally:
He broke the ‘four-minute mile’ record.
Pretty inspiring, right?
I’d say satisfaction is an excuse for not doing the work required to improve yourself.
By getting satisfied, people often limit their own growth.
Should you be dissatisfied all the time?
No. But you should always be looking at yourself and finding room for improvement.
It’s better than being satisfied and not looking for opportunities.
Often, people don’t know what to work on, so they get satisfied with their situation.
It’s a trap!
Make sure you don’t fall into that trap.
Lesson 8: Live a life of significance and contribution
Most people are satisfied with their lives.
It doesn’t matter whether they have a job or business. As long as they are getting what they want, they are satisfied.
Nothing wrong with that.
But let me give you a different perspective:
When you live a life of contribution, then not only do you grow yourself, but you also help others to grow along with you.
That is real happiness.
Nothing is more satisfactory than that.
When you live a life of contribution, your life becomes significant to other people.
Which further helps you grow.
Most people think “Why bother helping other people when there is so much to deal with?”
Well, nothing against those guys.
But they never truly experience the joy of helping others.
You don’t have to help the whole world.
Even if you can help one person, it is more than enough.
The author gives the example of how corporate jobs have people who always try to pull other people down to get a promotion.
In the direct-selling business, people are ready to help others and pull them up.
But still, I don’t agree with this thing.
No matter what business you are doing, you are dealing with people at some point.
And people can have different mindsets.
Even in the direct-selling business, I don’t think that all people will pull you up. Ya know, there are always some bad guys.
Fortunately, people are fundamentally good.
And since the author has quite an experience, let’s assume that he is saying the truth.
Maybe direct-selling guys are better than the people in other businesses.
Still, there is no guarantee.
Lesson 9: The world needs more entrepreneurs as they have some must-have qualities
A world without entrepreneurs would be lifeless.
Let me explain.
If you look closely at the best qualities which a human being must have to live a meaningful life, you’ll find that entrepreneurs have most of them.
Here are a few must-have qualities:
- Passion
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Risk-Taking
- Empathy
- Confidence
- Delayed Gratification
These qualities not only help you in doing business effectively but also in life.
The author says that in the future companies will want to have people which are both employees and entrepreneurs.
He further introduces a term: “Entreployees.”
Here is how you can implement this lesson:
Make a list of your best qualities. Then see how many of them are suited for entrepreneurship.
Even if you don’t want to become an entrepreneur, you must cultivate those qualities within you.
Ultimately, those qualities will make you stronger and help you live a meaningful life.
Lesson 10: The stronger your network, the better your quality of life
The author says that most big businesses are using the power of networking.
Even in life, the most successful people are those who have strong relationships with other people or are a part of a good network.
It’s common knowledge:
“You are the average of people in your network.”
Your quality of life is determined by the people around you.
You must have the right mindset.
The more you give the more you get.
When you help other people uplift, you are rewarded.
The more you help your network, the more your network helps you.
Which further helps you expand your network.
Also, your net-worth is determined based on how much value you provide.
So if you have a bigger network, you can reach more people and provide value to them.
Remember, networks only work when people trust you.
You need to have basic qualities like compassion, trust, etc. to maintain a sustainable network.
Here is what you need to do:
Analyse your friends.
Find out how much value exchange is there.
If you are the best person in your network, try to find another network.
Of course, you don’t have to break your relationships.
But make sure you are spending most of your time with people who uplift you.
You want to be with those people who help you ascend.
Not with those make you descend.
Keep asking yourself:
‘Am I in the company of right people?’
If the people in your inner circle are worth spending your time with, make sure you are learning from them.
And don’t forget to add value to their lives too.
Remember:
The flow of value has to be in both directions.
Lesson 11: Your academic degrees don’t matter much when you do any business
You know what’s the best thing about doing any business?
Be it direct-selling or indirect selling, you are not asked about your credentials.
Look, I don’t mean that credentials don’t matter.
The point is:
When you run a business, people don’t judge you based on your credentials, they judge you based on what value you can provide to them.
Awesome, huh?
Usually, in any corporate judge, people judge you based on the college you have graduated from.
In India, if you are not from any IIT or IIM or any popular institute, people think that you are not so good.
The reason is:
It is tough to get admission to such top-tier colleges due to high competition.
So even if an IITian is good for nothing, he will be given more respect than the person who has graduated from a decent college.
Of course, this is not a great thing.
Fortunately, businesses run on systems and profits.
So if you have a high-demand skill, you are appreciated. Here, you are not judged based on which college you have graduated from.
You are appreciated because of your qualities, not your degrees.
Ultimately, degrees are useless if you don’t have the required skillset.
Also, degrees only prove that you have the subject knowledge. They don’t talk about other entrepreneurial skills like patience, perseverance, compassion, leadership, communication, etc.
So just like in any other business, your value is determined based on the value you can add — not your college name.
Lesson 12: Direct selling is not a trick to get rich quickly
People think that direct selling is some get-rich-quick scheme.
And they will become rich after a few days.
Sadly, it doesn’t work like that.
The author says that a direct-selling business is just like any other business.
Just like every business, it also has a gestation period, which is the time a business takes to break-even the profits and expenses.
Simply put, a business takes time until it starts making any significant profit.
The bad thing is:
Most people approach the direct-selling business with such unrealistic expectations.
And guess what do they get eventually? Despair.
Just think about it:
Did you get a job right after passing the 5th class exams? No.
Generally, it takes more than 12 years to complete the school phase, then graduation, etc. to become eligible enough to do a job.
In that case, people don’t get demotivated. And stop going to school.
But when it comes to any business, people don’t want to lose their time and money.
They want results in one go.
They hate to fail.
They expect a win in their first attempt.
I wish life worked that way every time.
Also, direct-selling or multi-level marketing has a bad reputation these days. Many people have been tricked by scammers under pyramid schemes.
Look, if you are excited or curious about the direct-selling business after reading this summary, I highly recommend that you learn about it first.
Don’t jump into any business blindly.
The author has a different opinion on it though. He is confident that the direct-selling business is awesome and can potentially give you a life-changing experience.
But remember:
Do your own research.
Learn from those people who are doing it, in case you want to learn about it.
Achieve More Succeed Faster Key Takeaways
- Lesson 1: Direct Selling Is A Noble Profession
- Lesson 2: Have More Than One Income Source
- Lesson 3: Think About Retirement When You Are At The Peak Of Your Career
- Lesson 4: A Good Parent Becomes A Role Model To His Kids
- Lesson 5: Master Communication Skills To Grow Faster In Life
- Lesson 6: Insurances Won’t Help You As Much As Passive Income Sources
- Lesson 7: Dissatisfaction Encourages You To Change Your Circumstances
- Lesson 8: Live A Life Of Significance And Contribution
- Lesson 9: The World Needs More Entrepreneurs As They Have Some Must-Have Qualities
- Lesson 10: The Stronger Your Network, The Better Your Quality Of Life
- Lesson 11: Your Academic Degrees Don’t Matter Much When You Do Any Business
- Lesson 12: Direct Selling Is Not A Trick To Get Rich Quickly
Achieve More Succeed Faster Review
This book was a good read.
Deepak Bajaj has coached lakhs of people.
He even has a book with the title “Be A Network Marketing Millionaire.”
Amusingly, this book isn’t about direct-selling business.
This book is about:
How great direct-selling is!
Still, the author shared interesting life-lessons. As he is also a motivational speaker and coaches lakhs of people.
The problem with this book is:
The author is biased about the direct-selling business. In each chapter, he encourages the reader about reading his other book. And start a network marketing business.
Still, you can read this at least once.
The lessons are pretty common.
I didn’t find anything new in this book.
It can be a good book for beginners, though.
Now it’s your turn
If you have any doubts or questions, let me know in the comment box below.
And if you liked this summary, feel free to share it with people who might be interested in reading it.
Thanks in advance!
