Those who are wildly successful do things very differently than the “majority” of business owners. This means, they network differently, approach social media and blogging differently, and — more than anything else — approach marketing and sales differently. (Statistics show that MOST businesses fail. This alone should have you question anything you’re doing that aligns you with “most” business owners.) Anywho, here are 4.5 steps you can take to make more money in your business. Have some to add? Leave a comment.
1. Participate.
I can’t tell you the number of business owners who have invested in creating a plan… who KNOW the power behind what they offer, and yet… fall short on their own participation. Let’s face it… we can sometimes “hang ourselves” with the slack in our own self-bossing world. We can be too easy on ourselves. We can hold tightly to our intentions, but not so tightly to our commitment. We let ourselves slide.
As entrepreneurs, we MUST remember that we are responsible for seeding our own growth. And then watering it… and battling weeds… and harvesting. It’s up to US! Prefer a hunting analogy? Great. We’re responsible for baiting the land (controversial, but advantageous) watching tracks and trends, and working on our shot. Our success is up to us. We MUST participate fully in our business in order to reach our goals. Anyone telling you otherwise is shoveling B.S. your way.
2. Respond.
Even a one-celled organism responds to what’s around it. RESPOND to the market around you. Be observant and respond. WHAT is the market — your market — telling you right now? Don’t hold SO TIGHTLY to what you want to do that you fail to be responsive. Your market gives you clues all the time regarding what they want, what they’re willing to pay for, what they NEED to hear in order to feel confident making the decision to work with you. Don’t be wishy washy. But, do be observant and responsive. The battlefield of business is littered with the corpses of businesses that “stayed the course” when they should have course corrected. (Example: Kodak.)
3. Be Purposeful.
The most successful among us are often the most purposeful among us. Every action is attached to a specific goal. And every goal is like a double-edged sword: It is good for your market, and it is good for you. This is a short step, but it is a BIG one. Imagine if everything you did, every meeting you attended, every speaking engagement you accepted… was aligned with a win-win goal?
4. Stay in Your Lane.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Don’t copy the “who’s who” of your industry. In my industry right now, ‘the names we know’ are going spiritual on us. It started with one. Slowly, they’ve all followed suit. I’m not telling you NOT TO CHANGE. Our businesses are reflections of us, and we SHOULD be growing and changing all the time. However, you’ll see a huge income jump when you commit to MARKETING only what you’ve (truly, personally) MASTERED. What do you do better than anyone else? Define this. Package this. Market this.
4 1/2. Go back to basics.
A simple weekly planning meeting is a GREAT place to jumpstart a stalled business. breathe new life into your income streams and start kicking butt in your business again. I’ve long talked about a Sunday Night business meeting. Start your own weekly planning “date.” I dare you to tell me it’s not profitable for you! =)
