Stuck In Your Own View
The longer you do something, the better you get at it. True? Sure. However, there is also the possibility that you stop growing and get stuck where you are, unable to see alternatives or opportunities. I call this being stuck in your view. You get so entrenched that you can't see out.
This is a situation where you've done all the right things to get to a profitable, stable place. Your sales are good, and your relationships with clients and prospects are going well. You feel you have a system that works for you. So you keep doing it - doing the same things over and over.
Not a bad plan unless you find yourself experiencing one of these warning signs:
1. Your business has been at a plateau for a while - for a year or more. It may even be slipping a bit
2. You're satisfied but not hungry
3. You aren't energized to jump out of bed and hit the ground running
4. You find yourself engaged in a lot of detail work instead of a lot of prospecting and relationship building
What's really happening is that you are getting stale; like day old bread. Your world has become so routine you've actually stopped growing. You aren't exploring anymore. It's just not fun, is it? You are in your way. If you aren't motivated to acquire more business with enthusiasm and you lose clients through natural attrition, you are going to find your business heading for a downward spiral (the wrong direction). The longer it takes you to realize your situation, the harder it's going to be to change it.
So, what do you do to spice things up and jumpstart your energy for growing your business? The goal is to keep what works and change what doesn't. To do that, you first have to identify those things. Change your view - step back and take a critical look at how you conduct yourself on a day-to-day basis. Also, put down on paper the process you currently use. Highlight the parts that you enjoy most. Now take a good, hard look at that process. Ask yourself if it's really still working for you or if some changes should be made.
Solicit the help of others. Talk to other salespeople or small business owners. Ask them what process they use to acquire new clients. You might also want to ask them what they do to keep things interesting and fun. Once again, you are looking at things from a different view - someone else's. Enlist the services of a business coach. Most coaches are adept at looking at situations from various angles and helping their clients explore alternatives.
Ask people who know you well how they see you. You can ask them what they think makes you good at what you do, or you can ask them what they see as your strengths. You may hear things you never thought of. The people we know see us through their own window so their view is always going to be different from ours. This can be a life-changing experience!
Feel free to adopt ideas that work for others if they sound good to you. However, don't try to incorporate a system that feels uncomfortable simply because you are looking for a change. That won't work.
I find that when people are 'stuck in their view' it takes them a while to truly own it. Once they accept where they are, they are in a position to affect change. You owe it to yourself to create your best view. Begin by accepting the idea that you are allowed (and really required) to change your view from time to time to keep it interesting.
Action cures a lot of things - fear, anxiety, inertia, etc. So give yourself a nudge, a push - however slight. Move to a different window, or walk out a different door, and take a look. What do you see?
Scary? Maybe. Exciting? Absolutely! Interesting? Without a doubt!
It's working already. You've started on the path to a new view! The movement will build on itself and the results will equal the effort.
Copyright 2008 Diane Helbig
Consumer electronics group cuts 4th-quarter view - Reuters
Yum issues 2009 earnings forecast, backs 2008 view - Reuters
Reuters Yum issues 2009 earnings forecast, backs 2008 view Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, forecast on Thursday 2009 ...