Chet Holmes, author of the best-selling book, The Ultimate Sales Machine, was diagnosed with leukemia last year. During the months that followed, he used his “pigheaded discipline and determination” to rally and return to work. But on August 12, 2012, he lost his battle to that disease.

Although I had never met Chet in person (we often corresponded on Twitter), his writing and interviews had a profound impact on my thinking and my actions. In fact, through his work, he positively influenced hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of business people around the world.

As I reflect on this amazing man and his contributions, I realize that I took away much more than specific strategies or tactics when I studied his book or listened to him speak. Chet had a conviction and confidence that immediately captured your attention…and held it. He was clearly passionate about the work he was doing to empower businesses to greater success. His enthusiasm and positive energy were contagious.

But I believe the legacy that endures will be about the man himself – who he was to the core. These qualities came through loud and clear in his stories and case studies. Every time I was exposed to his words, I was inspired to become a better version of myself.

Just a few examples...

Self-development – Chet was a relentless lifelong learner. He never felt he had “arrived,” even after he achieved levels of success in his business that dwarfed others’ accomplishment…

“The best of the best are always seeking to be better” so when you’re interviewing new hires, find out “how dedicated they are to self-improvement. Ask them what was the last self-help book they read or CD they listened to or DVD they watched.”

Focus your efforts – From identifying your “dream clients” to managing your time, Chet’s advice was dead-on about harnessing your energy for best results…

“Concentration is like a muscle and it strengthens as you concentrate more. If you stop concentrating every time an email comes in or the phone rings, you actually lessen your ability to concentrate and you become less effective in any situation that requires concentration.”

Focus on the other person – It’s the rare individual who consistently seeks to help others, and you’ll set yourself apart if you heed this wisdom…

“Most people live their lives surrounded by mirrors, focusing on themselves. They think about how they are coming off to other people and whether or not they will get what they want…So turn those mirrors into windows and you will be a much better presenter, salesperson, trainer, executive or leader. The most mature person in a relationship is the one listening the most. He or she is thinking about the other person’s needs and how to meet them.”

Perseverance – NEVER give up, if you believe that what you're offering has value for the other person.

“How important could your product be if you go away after a single rejection or two? Everyone respects persistence in the face of resistance.”

Whenever you lose someone whose life mattered to you, you come face-to-face with your own mortality…and what you want your own legacy to be.

If you’re not achieving what you’re capable of, or living life in a way that brings fulfillment to you and enrichment to others, what one thing could you do differently today that would put you on the path to greater happiness, joy and satisfaction?

It’s important to start today, because there are no guarantees about the number of days, months or years you have left to accomplish what you most deeply want to do.

Chet Holmes

I first heard the phrase “pigheaded discipline and determination” when I listened to Chet Holmes being interviewed in 2010. I could tell he was someone worth paying attention to as his story unfolded.

Early in his career, he doubled sales three years in a row for a publication owned by Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett’s business partner). But that was after four months of having NO response from the marketing initiatives he’d implemented. Here was a man who never gave up. He spoke with such conviction, confidence and knowledge that I was sorry when the interview concluded.

I immediately grabbed a copy of his best-selling book, The Ultimate Sales Machine, and invested in the audio version as well so I could absorb the information during my commute. It continues to be one of my favorite business books, and I keep it on my desk as a daily reference.

Chet’s key principles are closely aligned with our own approach to learning and mastery of skills. No matter what field you work in, you can apply his words to achieve greater results in your life.

Three of my favorites…

“Any area of achievement in your life required you to stick with the basics until you became great…Becoming a master of karate was not about learning 4,000 moves but about doing just a handful of moves 4,000 times.”

Are you busy trying to implement every new idea you hear? The key to success is to recognize that you have to become really good at only a small number of things, not everything. In fact, when you constantly flit from one activity to another, you’re not investing enough time in practicing and repeating the few that will make the biggest difference and get you the best results.

What are the “basics” for you, and are you working on them?

“No one gets good at anything without repetition. Karate requires tremendous discipline. You’re just repeating moves over and over. This is true of tennis, golf, or any other sport. Practice, practice, practice and then, when you’ve begun to master your moves so that you know what to do automatically, it gets exciting. But pigheaded discipline comes first.”

Achieving mastery of any skill requires you to create strong neural connections in your brain, and that only happens with lots of repetition and practice. And that requires a real commitment to follow through – to do what needs to be done, every time, no excuses.

What have you committed to master? Are you putting in the necessary practice every day to make sure you become excellent?

“The missing ingredient for nearly all of the 1,000-plus clients I have worked with directly to improve their businesses is pigheaded discipline and determination. We all get good ideas at seminars and from books, radio talk shows and business-building gurus. The problem is that most companies do not know how to identify and adapt the best ideas to their businesses. Implementation, not ideas, is the key to real success.”

It’s not enough to know WHAT to do. You have to take action. That’s what separates the wanna-be’s from the real achievers. Nothing happens until you translate a good idea into observable behavior.

What idea is still in your head that you want to turn into a reality?

If you’re ready to learn business strategies from a master, make time to listen to this audio interview that JW Najarian conducted with Chet Holmes for On Purpose Magazine. Then get Chet's book, study it and implement the ideas.