If you want to know the 5 attributes of successful people so you can go from Point A to Point B with more confidence and speed, then read this letter carefully…
An important announcement from Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy
Dear Friend,
What is it about the mega-successful people in life?
- Ever drive through one of those luxury neighborhoods and wonder to yourself “what do they have that I don’t have”?
- Ever stop at a traffic light next to a $100,000 sports car and think, “what did that person do to be so successful”?
- Ever open up your morning paper and look at the articles about people who got big promotions, or received prestigious awards and are highly respected and celebrated by their peers?
What is it about these people who enjoy the kind of life success you’re looking for?
Did they merely “win life’s lottery” or is there something more, something they’re doing or thinking on a daily basis? A mindset? A way of living? What is it??!!!
And I’m not just talking about money, because there’s so much more to success than being wealthy.
I’m talking about joy. Personal and professional fulfillment. Peace of mind. Inner happiness. Significant career success. And a conscience that’s as clear as your vision of the future.
Successful people, I mean truly successful people, have all these things.
And the best news is that you can have the same kind of success!
With the right tools and resources, combined with the right spark and that elusive “a-ha” moment, you can start down a path to life success that’s quicker, easier and with far less obstacles and detours than you may be used to.

That’s what my new book, Straight Talk for Success, is all about.
Straight Talk for Success gives you so much advice, so much hard-earned wisdom, you’ll be hard pressed to put it down.
And even when you do put it down, this is one of those books that you can open up, anywhere, any time, to any page, and get something useful and potentially life changing.
Bud, your advice and "common sense" is a welcome change from the usual standard of today's thinking. I have been trying to implement as many things as possible that you regularly blog about because it just makes sense.
I can't tell you how glad I am that I have found this site and that I am able to tap into the insight that you hand out day after day.
You have helped inspire me to be great, in every aspect of my life. I know it won't come easy, I know it may not come quickly enough, but the journey is worth it.
Sincerely,
Steve Wagner |
Dear Mr. Bilanich:
Thank you so much for the signed copy of your book Straight Talk for Success. I just completed reading it and found the points and ideas incredibly helpful and inspiring. Especially for a recent, naïve college graduate entering the business world like myself.
I am currently working for the Denver Nuggets where my daily duties consist of making over 100 calls to local businesses about the idea of purchasing season tickets. To say the least, it gets repetitive and frustrating – not just being told not, being told no in a crude and unfriendly way 98% of the day.
Your book taught me that staying optimistic and positive will eventually return greater results. And I have absolutely seen great evidence of this compare to my colleagues.
Thanks again, Mr. Bilanich. Your wisdom and common sense have paved the way for my success in the business world.
Ryan Horsley |
Imagine being in a room with someone who’s learned how to be successful the hard way, through trial and error, questionable choices and painful experience. This person then tells you, step-by-step, how to become successful without the pain that he endured.
That person is me. Bud Bilanich. The Common Sense Guy. I have a unique outlook on business, life, and the business of life that has brought me a great deal of praise, and business, from major companies and famous personalities around the world.
I graduated from Harvard and have a refreshing, no-nonsense, common sense approach to my life and my work.
My clients include Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, PepsiCo, General Motors, Citicorp, JP Morgan Chase, UBS Financial Services, AXA Advisors, AT&T, Pitney Bowes, and The Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
I’ve learned the lessons, felt the pain and made the choices, but through it all I was steadfast and determined to succeed, and succeed I did.
In this book I open up, for the first time ever, about my many stories of both success and disappointment. I also give you many stories of inspiration and humorous anecdotes that will keep you laughing and thinking as you see ways that each one can be applied to your own situation.
But I don’t just give you ideas. In Straight Talk for Success you’ll discover a link to a downloadable workbook that you can use to actually apply what you learn!
So if you want to know what successful people have in common, here are the 5 things that we cover in depth:
- Successful people are self confident.
- Successful people have powerful personal impact.
- Successful people are outstanding performers.
- Successful people have excellent communication skills.
- Successful people are interpersonally competent.
The way to really possess these 5 attributes to career and life success is clear-cut, but still so elusive for millions of people.
Every day we’re bombarded by negativity in the media and by the people around us. It’s no wonder there are so few truly successful people.
That’s why I wanted to write this book. It’s so comprehensive and jam-packed with useful information on how to succeed in life and work, and addresses these 5 traits of successful people, even providing you with checklists and action items that you can take and run with before you even finish the book.
But that’s just the beginning. Take a look at the huge Straight Talk for Success Table of Contents:
Part 1: Self Confidence
Positoovity
Experience and Confidence
Overconfident / Underconfident vs Confident
Realistic Self Image
Stress Kills Confidence
Chapter 1 : Be Optimistic
The Optimist Creed
Higher Self and Lower Self
A Lesson from Serena
Mark Twain and Me
Fake It Till You Make It
My Unique Affirmation
Chapter 2: Conquer Fears
Be Hardy
Types of Fears
Chapter 3: Positive People
Be Positive
Find Your Dottie Walters
Part 2: Positive Personal Impact
Your RATEing
Be Civil
Be Punctual
Chapter 4: Be a Brand
If You Don’t Brand Yourself, Someone Else Will
Be Authentic
Be Cool and Calm
Be Memorable
Margarita Hunts
Create Good Career Karma
Chapter 5: Polish Your Appearance
Dress One Level Up
Become Wildly Sophisticated
A Note on Baseball Caps
Watch T-shirts, Too
Chapter 6: Master Basic Etiquette
Be Nice
Don’t Get Outed as Rude
Business Meals – Not About Food
Power of “Attending”
Part 3: Outstanding Performance
Be Tenacious
Heed the Dalai Lama
Failing Successfully
Chapter 7: Be Competent
Keep Learning
Chapter 8: Set and Achieve High Goals
Faulkner and Goal Setting
The Pareto Principle
Goal Killers
Ask Why
Resilience
More on Resilience
Finish What You Start
The Final Word on Goals
Chapter 9: Get Organized
Manage Competing Priorities
K eep a Notebook
Procrastination
Circadian Type
Performance Dashboard
Part 4: Communication Skills
Chapter 10: Conversation Skills
Ask Good Questions
Networking
Rad Air Andy
Voice Mail
Conversation Things To Avoid
Chapter 11: Writing Skills
Write Simply and Clearly
U se First Person
Bafflegab Thesaurus
Email
Chapter 12: Presentation Skills
Preparing Your Presentation
Delivering Your Presentation
Mobility, or the Power of the Remote
Controlling Nerves
Good Stories
Advice from Jyareem
Part 5: Interpersonal Competence
Assertiveness
Chapter 13: Know Yourself
Chapter 14: Build Strong Relationships
Serve Others First
Art Rooney
Rich Relationships Are Key
Relationship-Building Competencies
L istening
Build Bridges
Mon Meilleur Ami
Empathy
Feedback
Chapter 15: Fight Fair
Rules For Fighting Fair
Resolving Conflict Positively
L earn From Conflict
Don’t Be an A-Hole
Bonus Advice
Advice From Kathlyn McConnell
Advice from Emerson and Thoreau
In Summary
Afterword
Recommended Books
Recommended Blogs and Web Sites

Here’s what people are saying about Straight Talk for Success:
“If you’re aiming to succeed at virtually any endeavor, make a beeline to Straight Talk for Success, Bud Bilanich’s brilliant book that shows you how to use not smoke and mirrors, but common sense to achieve your goals. When you do read it, you’ll realize that common sense isn’t very common these days, but Bud has captured its lightning in this book.”
Jay Conrad Levinson, The Father of Guerrilla Marketing
“This fast-moving book is loaded with practical ideas and strategies you can apply immediately to achieve greater success.”
Brian Tracy – Author – the Way to Wealth
“In this readable and actionable book, Bud Bilanich explores five elements of success and shows how to maximize your performance in each area.”
Roger C. Parker,
32 million dollar author,
designer, and www.PublishedandProfitable.com writing coach
“The way to create a successful and fulfilling life is found in the pages of this fabulous book! Uniquely delivered, you will find yourself captivated by the stories, the insights and the easy-to-use strategies. Simple, yet brilliant. Brilliantly simple! I highly recommend this book!”
Peggy McColl, New York Times Best Selling Author of “Your Destiny Switch” http://destinies.com
“Straight Talk for Success”…As I read one common sense point after another, I was cheering the Common Sense Guy. I can’t think of one person who wouldn’t recognize themselves more than once in this book. We all need some Straight Talk. No matter how successful you are and how much common sense you think you have, you must read this book. Guarantee – you’ll want everyone around you to read it too.
Diane Craig, President, Corporate Class Inc.
“Bud, The Common Sense Guy, Bilanich, has done it again..........put together a roadmap for both career and life success. Straight Talk for Success is jam packed with hundreds of tactical and practical tools that leaders, at EVERY level, can apply immediately . Bottom-line: this is one of the very best “how to” success books I’ve ever read and recommend it highly.”
Eric Harvey, co-author Walk the Talk: And Get the Results You Want.
“If you’re interested in building a successful and fulfilling career, Bud Bilanich’s new book is a must-read! Bud understands what it takes to be successful and he distills his wisdom into an easily readable, fast paced text.”
William Arruda, author of the bestselling careers book, Career Distinction
“Bud Bilanich has again shown us how to remain ‘true’ to our higher self. In this book, he shares the common sense thinking of we can all choose where we want to be. This insightful, practical approach to career and life success should be added to your shelf of ‘read often material’.”
Mila N. Baker, Ph.D. Vice President, Human Resources, SourceMedia
“Straight Talk for Success identifies personal characteristics and critical skills needed to succeed in today’s business world. It’s about bricks and mortar. Bilanich shares the critical skills and personal characteristics high performers must possess, such as confidence, competence and communications capabilities, and then suggests how to put them into practice. This book offers practical, actionable, no-nonsense guidelines: not theoretical, academic platitudes. It gives readers a roadmap for success. Add what Bilanich prescribes to your toolkit and skill set, and you’ll perform at a higher level, experience greater professional success and higher personal satisfaction”.
Peter Lathrop, CEO (retired) Hartmann Luggage; Faculty,
Daniels School of Business, University of Denver
“In Straight Talk for Success Bud Bilanich has compiled a number of anecdotes demonstrating the five traits all career stars possess: self-confidence, personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence. A must read for all those young career seekers – or those pondering a career change. If you’re wondering how to stand out, Dr. Bilanich presents common sense wisdom and offers practical examples of how to improve your career and your life.”
Kimberlee Morrison, Know More Media, One of the original Freedom Writers
“If you are looking for one success book to read this year, you must choose Straight Talk for Success, by Bud Bilanich. His style is authentic, yet forceful, comprehensive, yet simple; entertaining, yet serious. Straight Talk on Success is a compendium of wisdom for the road – touchstones to remind us of what important and vital to focus on as we embark on our leadership journeys. A great read to start your day with a positive attitude and with a focus on success.”
Judith E. Glaser, author of 2 best selling books: Creating We and The DNA of Leadership, and CEO of Benchmark Communications, Inc.
“Bud Bilanich’s Straight Talk for Success is like having Cliff notes for success but much more entertaining. He is a pithy writer who tells fascinating stories that illuminate the point he is making. I particularly liked the story about networking on a flight; probably one of the most difficult venues in which to get someone to talk!
“Bud also gives the “doers” among us advice in the form of bullet points: eye-candy for those constantly wanting to improve but starved for time. He covers practically any facet of success you’d want to know about: from the basics; grooming to thank you notes to personal character traits – confidence building, serving others and so much more.
“Bud is generous with his advice, sensitive to the reader’s time and highly entertaining.
This is a must read. I’d highly recommend this book to our viewers.”
Helen Whelan, CEO & Founder, SuccessTelevision.com
“Bud Bilanich is a keen observer of life and what it takes to succeed in your life and career. In Straight Talk for Success, he offers up some great common suggestions for getting ahead in your life and career. From personal experience, I can tell you that Bud’s ideas work. Anyone who wants to be a career and life success should read this book.”
Sue Healy, President, My Eye Dr. Inc.
“Straight Talk for Success is a great book for anyone who wants to become a career and life success; especially engineers. All too often, we make the mistake of thinking that professional competence and high performance are all it takes to succeed. Bud Bilanich’s book shows us that there’s more to it than that. I’m going to buy a copy for all of the young professionals in my office.”
Cecil Windsor, Senior Vice President, Gamma Construction
“Bud Bilanich IS the Common Sense Guy! Reading Bud’s work sparks two thoughts: 1) Hey, that makes sense and seems so obvious. Why didn’t I think of that? And 2) It’s so simple anyone can do it. Bud is known for his “no nonsense,” jargon-free approach to management and success and it works! It may be called Common Sense, but it is not so common. Bilanich provides a simple and sustainable roadmap for building a successful career.”
Gordon S. Borteck, Vice President, Organization & Human Resources, Minerals Technologies Inc.
Straight Talk for Success is just that.
You get a book that’s free of fluff, hyperbole and empty rah-rah cheerleading from the sidelines.
You get a book that’s straight to the point on every success issue that matters to you. A cut-to-the-chase compendium of motivational gold, powerful stories of accomplishment, and road-tested strategies that work every time both in your career and in your life as a whole.
I don’t mince words. That’s why they call me the Common Sense Guy. So when you order this book you’ll be getting a success wake-up call. A kick-in-the-pants instruction manual for living a better life.
Plain and simple. And yet so effective.
Click here to Order
Plus, when you order today you’ll also receive the bonus gifts that are being held over from our book launch campaign! Just take a look at what you receive:
The Power of Positive Habits- 3 Week E-course by Dan Robey (Value $59.00)
Seven Maxims for Creating the Ideal Life - E-book by Gary Ryan Blair
The Story that Must be Told: True Tales of Transformation- E-book by Irene Watson
Powerfull Living: Transform Your Fear in the New Year- audio bonus by Lorraine Cohen (value $39)
Turning Your Goals into Gold- E-book by William Arruda
How to Think Like Major Media to Attract Major Media - audio recording by Suzanne Falter-Barns
Release Your Inner Expert - Special Report by Nancy Marmolejo
The Top 501 Inspirational Quotes of All Time - E-book by David Riklan (value $14)
I’m convinced that you’ll experience more career success and life success than you ever thought possible when you start implementing the advice in this book.
I’m living proof that these strategies work.
Just order and see for yourself!
To Your Success,

Bud Bilanich
The Common Sense Guy
PS – Read through the testimonials, look over the bonuses, and think to yourself what is possible in your future with the no-nonsense advice you’ll be receiving when you order. Straight Talk for Success can propel your life and work to new places, but you must make the first move. Order Now!
PPS – Picture yourself one year from now. What does your future look like? How’s your career going? If you think that any of the elements of this book can help you get there, then you owe it to yourself and those you love to make that move toward a better, brighter, more successful life RIGHT NOW. |