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So...you've got no skills

by kenmichaels
15 replies
Just a few rambling thoughts I had because of someones post.

1) When I first started in business I thought I had no skills and it took me
quite a while to get over that "in over my head" feeling that was always present.

When I was a kid I had a paper route - in order to make decent money
I had to grow my route - I did that by knocking on doors and convincing
people to buy a subscription.

I also had a weekend corner on long beach island to hawk papers.
(for you who don't know "hawk" means to hold up the paper to passerby's and
yell out the different headlines in order to get them interested in buying)

That corner was coveted by all the hawkers ... you had to get there super
early to claim it and often you had to physically defend it.

As I got older I started handling commercial accounts. That required me
to go into the store - get the account - and then handle billing and delivery
and the delivery amount was based on the day of the week. Wed and Sunday
were always the largest orders for ALL stores simply because of coupons.

BTW; that was my first experience with adults NOT being honest.
It's amazing how many adults will try to screw a kid out of a few dollars.

any way - the point is with just that ONE thing I did

Unbeknownst to me I had established all kinds of skills

Accounting
Sales
Purchasing
Growth
and I am sure many more things.

Unless you lived in a cave and did nothing with your life, you probably
have skills, you already have a foundation.

The key for me was to use what I already knew in the new situations ...
that and I had to learn to trust myself - specifically my judgment.

===

Second thought;

Half the crap I have been successful with ... came about because I
did not know what I was doing.

Because I did not know what I was doing - I looked at things differently
then other people who were successful in my field .

When I talked to these "experts" about my ideas I almost always
heard things like - "that wont work", "that's impossible", "that's not how
things work" and on and on.

At the time it was pretty dejecting...however... once I stopped listening
and I started doing things my way ( the supposed WRONG way )

That's when I really started growing.

So - IMHO - sometimes not knowing anything is a good thing.
It means your not constrained by what others are...

and when you're not constrained by convention - you will excel

Now that doesn't mean "don't listen to advice" --- It means question
everything. If someone says no - you need ask "why not"
and then if the answer doesn't make sense to you ... you might be onto something.

My final thought;

When you're stuck and want to bang your head on the wall.

Take a step back, in almost ALL instances you will realize that
your making it to complicated.

Go back to basic's - simplify what ever it is you're having the issue with.
I swear - it's the key to success.

OK - I'm done rambling.
Good luck
#skills #soyouve
  • Profile picture of the author animal44
    Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

    Now that doesn't mean "don't listen to advice" --- It means question
    everything    . If someone says no - you need ask "why not"
    and then if the answer doesn't make sense to you ... you might be onto something.
    Except if you challenge the cold calling clique on here

    I posted 50 shades of Jay on another thread - shade 24 seems particularly relevant to OP's comments. Helps you do a "wealth inventory" which takes you through listing your own skills and that of those around you...
    Signature

    People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
    What I do for a living

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    • Profile picture of the author Fredzmints
      Being different is the key to success. Everyone has their own ways. No one is the same.
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    • Profile picture of the author mak25
      Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

      Except if you challenge the cold calling clique on here
      It doesn't matter what the post is about, how enlightening, how thoughtful, how helpful, you have to stick your head in and take yet another jab at people who prospect/ sell by telephone. Even when it has nothing to do with the OP.

      Seriously my friend, I think you have some serious issues you should look into.
      Perhaps it's an offshoot of penis envy.
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      • Profile picture of the author cyberdenizen
        First of all, thank you to the OP for a great post!

        Okay. Here are some things you can do when you have no skills:

        1) Do research and learn the basics. Figure out the components of the skill that you're trying to learn.

        When I started out as a writer, I figured that my grammar and spelling had to be decent, so I bookmarked useful blogs and articles on grammar for future reference. I also did a lot of research on how to write good articles and blog posts. I also studied web research and eventually became an expert in using Google search operators.

        2) Look for opportunities to practice your newly developed skill.

        You can learn as you go along. Allow yourself to make mistakes. After I learned the basics, I began applying for writing jobs. Some of them were low-paying gigs, but I felt I had to build my portfolio first and gather feedback before I could charge higher rates. I did make a lot of mistakes, but I'm a better writer because I learned from them. I bought courses and e-books, but my best teacher was, and still is, experience.

        3) Also, don't forget the experience you gained from your previous jobs.

        If you were a teacher and you want to venture into Internet marketing, the knowledge and skills that you acquired on the job might be useful to you. You just have to figure out which of these knowledge and skills you can use.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sebulba
    Brilliant Post!!!

    I echo almost all of your thought in one way or another.

    Seb

    Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

    Just a few rambling thoughts I had because of someones post.

    1) When I first started in business I thought I had no skills and it took me
    quite a while to get over that "in over my head" feeling that was always present.

    When I was a kid I had a paper route - in order to make decent money
    I had to grow my route - I did that by knocking on doors and convincing
    people to buy a subscription.

    I also had a weekend corner on long beach island to hawk papers.
    (for you who don't know "hawk" means to hold up the paper to passerby's and
    yell out the different headlines in order to get them interested in buying)

    That corner was coveted by all the hawkers ... you had to get there super
    early to claim it and often you had to physically defend it.

    As I got older I started handling commercial accounts. That required me
    to go into the store - get the account - and then handle billing and delivery
    and the delivery amount was based on the day of the week. Wed and Sunday
    were always the largest orders for ALL stores simply because of coupons.

    BTW; that was my first experience with adults NOT being honest.
    It's amazing how many adults will try to screw a kid out of a few dollars.

    any way - the point is with just that ONE thing I did

    Unbeknownst to me I had established all kinds of skills

    Accounting
    Sales
    Purchasing
    Growth
    and I am sure many more things.

    Unless you lived in a cave and did nothing with your life, you probably
    have skills, you already have a foundation.

    The key for me was to use what I already knew in the new situations ...
    that and I had to learn to trust myself - specifically my judgment.

    ===

    Second thought;

    Half the crap I have been successful with ... came about because I
    did not know what I was doing.

    Because I did not know what I was doing - I looked at things differently
    then other people who were successful in my field .

    When I talked to these "experts" about my ideas I almost always
    heard things like - "that wont work", "that's impossible", "that's not how
    things work" and on and on.

    At the time it was pretty dejecting...however... once I stopped listening
    and I started doing things my way ( the supposed WRONG way )

    That's when I really started growing.

    So - IMHO - sometimes not knowing anything is a good thing.
    It means your not constrained by what others are...

    and when you're not constrained by convention - you will excel

    Now that doesn't mean "don't listen to advice" --- It means question
    everything. If someone says no - you need ask "why not"
    and then if the answer doesn't make sense to you ... you might be onto something.

    My final thought;

    When you're stuck and want to bang your head on the wall.

    Take a step back, in almost ALL instances you will realize that
    your making it to complicated.

    Go back to basic's - simplify what ever it is you're having the issue with.
    I swear - it's the key to success.

    OK - I'm done rambling.
    Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    Nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills........

    Great post BTW.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      Nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills........

      Great post BTW.
      Yes! These are fine. There are lots of people who want to learn more, buy from, and perhaps most importantly SIMPLY SEE someone who knows what they're doing demonstrate these skills!

      I'm no gun nut by any means, but one of the Youtube channels I subscribe to is hickok45.

      It's just so much darn FUN to watch that guy talk about guns, shoot guns, hit targets with guns, blow up water bottles with guns, and share his knowledge about accessories for guns. If I am interested in a model, I am definitely going to search his channel to see if he's done a video about it.

      There are people making money with 20-minute videos where they shave their face.

      If you know about something, there are others who care about that topic and will be interested in watching you "show off" about it. From there monetization is an easy step. And this is only a single path to market!
      Signature
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      >> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
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  • Profile picture of the author Leadsupply
    Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

    Just a few rambling thoughts I had because of someones post.

    Now that doesn't mean "don't listen to advice" --- It means question
    everything. If someone says no - you need ask "why not"
    and then if the answer doesn't make sense to you ... you might be onto something.
    Superb! This is how the mindset of everyone should go in this industry. Stay out of your comfort zone. Go the extra mile. Reach out. Dive in. Do what ever it takes. Successful people always had to start form something. May it be little or big, it has to start somewhere. It just the matter of how they used that something then made it to another.

    Sorry, I'm rambling too..

    Great post! Thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Love the OP!

      I would add that many times I get great ideas from clients.

      "Can you...?" can often lead to some ways of doing things that you'd never think of.

      Some of my best niches/ideas for doing things a certain way have come from suggestions from clients.
      Signature
      "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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      • Profile picture of the author Joe Stewart
        Originally Posted by ShayRockhold View Post

        Love the OP!

        I would add that many times I get great ideas from clients.

        "Can you...?" can often lead to some ways of doing things that you'd never think of.

        Some of my best niches/ideas for doing things a certain way have come from suggestions from clients.

        Yep. Always ask questions and listen to your customers. They'll usually tell you exactly what they need if you're asking them the right questions.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tastee
    Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

    Just a few rambling thoughts I had because of someones post.

    1) When I first started in business I thought I had no skills and it took me
    quite a while to get over that "in over my head" feeling that was always present.

    When I was a kid I had a paper route - in order to make decent money
    I had to grow my route - I did that by knocking on doors and convincing
    people to buy a subscription.

    I also had a weekend corner on long beach island to hawk papers.
    (for you who don't know "hawk" means to hold up the paper to passerby's and
    yell out the different headlines in order to get them interested in buying)

    That corner was coveted by all the hawkers ... you had to get there super
    early to claim it and often you had to physically defend it.

    As I got older I started handling commercial accounts. That required me
    to go into the store - get the account - and then handle billing and delivery
    and the delivery amount was based on the day of the week. Wed and Sunday
    were always the largest orders for ALL stores simply because of coupons.

    BTW; that was my first experience with adults NOT being honest.
    It's amazing how many adults will try to screw a kid out of a few dollars.

    any way - the point is with just that ONE thing I did

    Unbeknownst to me I had established all kinds of skills

    Accounting
    Sales
    Purchasing
    Growth
    and I am sure many more things.

    Unless you lived in a cave and did nothing with your life, you probably
    have skills, you already have a foundation.

    The key for me was to use what I already knew in the new situations ...
    that and I had to learn to trust myself - specifically my judgment.

    ===

    Second thought;

    Half the crap I have been successful with ... came about because I
    did not know what I was doing.

    Because I did not know what I was doing - I looked at things differently
    then other people who were successful in my field .

    When I talked to these "experts" about my ideas I almost always
    heard things like - "that wont work", "that's impossible", "that's not how
    things work" and on and on.

    At the time it was pretty dejecting...however... once I stopped listening
    and I started doing things my way ( the supposed WRONG way )

    That's when I really started growing.

    So - IMHO - sometimes not knowing anything is a good thing.
    It means your not constrained by what others are...

    and when you're not constrained by convention - you will excel

    Now that doesn't mean "don't listen to advice" --- It means question
    everything. If someone says no - you need ask "why not"
    and then if the answer doesn't make sense to you ... you might be onto something.

    My final thought;

    When you're stuck and want to bang your head on the wall.

    Take a step back, in almost ALL instances you will realize that
    your making it to complicated.

    Go back to basic's - simplify what ever it is you're having the issue with.
    I swear - it's the key to success.

    OK - I'm done rambling.
    Good luck
    Thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author mousumi1
    Starting something new where you have no experince may cause to suffer a lot, the only thing that is required to do well in this field is to concentrate on your determination at any hard situation
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    • Profile picture of the author AdwordsMogul
      Well, the truth is most people are trying to go into battle with plastic swords.

      The thing is, some skills are in demand, others are not. If you're not getting the results you want, chances are there is a skill you're missing.

      So instead of trying to succeed without a skill, pull up your sleeves and start grinding. Learn a skill!

      And if you already have one, keep improving.

      Otherwise... you'll keep failing.
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  • Profile picture of the author bashca03
    Success is worth enjoying when earned through hard work. We were all born without skills, everything can be learned if we persevere. I have been through both, being the newbie asking questions from adults/"experts", and being the older one who is being asked questions by the young ones.

    And just like you, there were times that I was stubborn with my ideas and chose to do it despite of what the "experts" told me. I got a share of both too, the experience of proving that my ideas were indeed not effective and luckily, there were some in which I was able to learn a thing or two. Not necessarily saying that those were successful but I was able to get something positive out of it.
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  • Profile picture of the author imrulnahid111
    Everybody is not skillfull. When we will go any work. Of course need to earn lot of skill
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