Let’s face it, the challenge of success is a psychological one.
You’re playing against enormous odds given the chest-thumping numbers of success you need to achieve to win. Assuming you’re almost there, it’s a good thing you’re so confident you’re chasing one of the most improbable things in your life.
“Hang on” I hear you say, “how do we tell, and relatively accurately, get it right?”. That’s a fair question. But I’ve found for many consultants and small businesses, a habit made of recognising the importance of making the right decisions and a habit of not making any decisions at all, is a huge danger of Neistan(an ability to eliminate bad options by drawing a clearer conclusion).
Decisions you make can be difficult to reverse. You’re great at generating new ideas, at coming up with new solutions, at responding and being creative in coming up with new ways of working, but your decisions will only help achieve your business goals if you act on them. Although you may spend years coming up with a great idea, end up with a business compromising of fundamental values and fail, your risk has just been associated with an arbitrary action.
If you want to know what you should be doing, even when you have no clear idea or option on the next steps, try these seven ideas.
Make a list of all the core business activities you perform repetitively.
This is normally your most important activity, because it will be how you respond to all your meaningless actions constantly stopping you from conducting other actions. So long as each action you perform is consistent with those which you will already have a reasonably good idea of how to achieve and go ahead and do-it-after. Simple, yes, but make sure you understand its importance and how your actions contribute to your goals.
For example someone comes to your door, and asks for 5 steps to achieve their (so you think they want) customer satisfaction survey.
This is a request for a process, because if you have a good process, your doctor behind the window of your business and a system, there is a minimal needed wicked experience in coming up with a process for it?
Well, it’s going to be too bad for you if you’re not good at giving responses, so ask yourself – to help you sufficiently, what methods count? Do you have a specific business knowledge? (or a poor track record on this kind of questions)
Here’s the rub – do you tell your process? Do you educate your customers properly and take responsibility for taking the actions you have the right to take? If not, believe me you’re going to be more frustrating. And your customers get less service as you do this, so’s it worth it? If this is too much to ask for, look at how you respond to marketing.
Interestingly, when I have left them a phone number, I will generate a table of calls for them to take, and then the general contractor Sacramento customer will call me back.
If you’ve never asked for a referral, would you?
Are you asking your customers for references? A reason for calling them again?
But again, I’ve laughed at amateur networkers who thought it was not important enough to ask for a referral. She would call us and ask for a referral, but when we gave it, she would say “I’m not a networker at all” but her recruiters and her business contacts were leaving at least 2 calls a week.
So if you’re reading this, you’re probably a bit like me. (it’s the best career advice I’ve ever read) you think how crazy you need to be, how great you’ve got to be when you’ve achieved this finishing line, but be sure you’re handing the real work over to people who are professionals, who know when to approach, and what’s the best way?
And if you have employees, then you can facilitate their minds, and your daily actions, so if you’re not sure, ask them to take responsibility for your customer service or other responsibilities.
These are the best ways I’ve found to give your business the best possible chance for success. So get help from your support people and those who support you so you can be more effective.
Initially, it won’t be much help at all. So don’t expect a miracle when you take your first step.
Twenty-one days to get a grade A business’ small-business plan.
Background Information – including a business challenge to match, outcomes of the challenge, what to do, what have been the outcomes, and the gaps in business strategy.
Well, firstly, come back to the basics and check with yourself that you’re thinking about small-business issues along the right lines.
That your strategies and plans are not only strong, but workable.
