It’s easy to point out that people are being laid off and that your regular clients are cutting back on services. It’s easy to talk about how business is down everywhere, so it just makes sense that your business is down, as well. It’s easy to commiserate with friends and other professionals and business owners about how tough things are.
“Of course business is down,” you can say. “Look what’s happening out there.”
But these are excuses.
No matter how bumpy the road gets, there are always two things you can be doing: Taking Action or Making Excuses. And making excuses is much easier.
It’s the choice between being an “Action Hero” – or as Steve Chandler puts it, an “Owner”– or being a Victim.
If you choose to be a Victim, you’ll tell the sad story of how these difficult economic times, with all their hardships, obstacles and roadblocks, made it impossible for you to earn what you did before; maybe even impossible to stay in business.
If you choose to be an Action Hero, you’ll be working on everything you can think of and learn about to get around the hardships, obstacles and roadblocks thrown in your path.
Which story do you want to tell your grandchildren: the one about the Victim, who gave up in the face of the hardships imposed by difficult times, and was never able to live the way he or she hoped to live or give what she wanted to give, or the one about the Action Hero, who found ways to turn those hardships, obstacles and roadblocks into stepping stones to a better life?
Before you choose to be a Victim of these times, take a look at your business or practice and make the following assessment:
1. Am I delivering “over the top” service to current clients, even in the face of reduced demand?
2. Am I communicating with current and former clients in a way that brings them some comfort in these times?
3. Am I asking for referrals from my best clients to people who are not being served by their current providers?
4. Am I targeting my efforts to my favorite or most lucrative market and being crystal clear about what need or problem they have and the solutions I offer for it?
5. Am I “packaging” my firm and my services in a way that is designed to attract people who could use my help?
6. While I’m looking to save money everywhere, am I continuing to spend money, time and energy in the right places, such as in training to make them more effective?
7. Am I getting the help I need to thrive in these conditions?
As Robert Shuler wrote, “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.” Instead of whining along with the rest of the herd about conditions, go out and make those conditions work for you.
I have only two openings for one-on-one coaching right now. They’re open only for “Action Heroes” and they’ll be gone very soon.
If you qualify and are ready to move forward despite the economy, call me. In the meantime, KEEP REACHING…
Sandy
