Today, I’m taking a long, unpleasant look in the mirror and facing the truth that I’ve fallen into a very common business mistake. A mistake that I advise clients against on a regular basis: Assuming An Audience.
NOT ONLY have I assumed an audience for a particular arm of my company (i.e. assuming that those who SHOULD be participating KNOW they should be participating.) but here are two other examples of business mistakes I’ve been making for that SAME arm of my business:
- I’ve walked away from what I KNOW to be effective sales strategies because I assumed –wrongly– that I didn’t need them. Talk about blatant hubris. I’m cringing at myself right now. And, YES, I CAN hear myself telling others, “Um, no… your product WON’T sell itself!”
- I assumed organic growth would “happen” simply because what I’m offering is — frankly — superior to anything else out there. You know what ASSUME means, right? (Hint: It makes an ASS out of U and ME.)
Is it ANY wonder that THIS particular arm of my business is under-performing even while other parts are going gangbusters? Of course not! Anyway, this wasn’t meant to be a tell all confessional, the REAL #TuesdayTruth is two-fold:
- We ALL make mistakes that cost us, and our business. NO ONE is immune. Even when we know better.
- NO mistake (or in my case today, no combination of mistakes) is immediately fatal. VERY fortunately for me, the rest of my business has been going forward with gusto. This arm, though — has been “feeling the pain!” EITHER way, though –and here’s the most important truth of all: You can turn it around. It’s what we entrepreneurs do: We bob and weave. Zig and zag. And we course correct.
There’s something that can be done. By you. Today. Now let’s get to it!
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