I was having a chat to a small group of entrepreneurs recently and I asked them a simple question.
Have you achieved what you imagined you would by now?
The answers were an almost unanimous NO!
While many of them had been in business for some time, most were still struggling to create real momentum and meaningful profits.
In fact, a couple of them said the success they craved felt further away now than ever.
So let me ask you, are you happy with your progress?
I think sometimes business owners feel they have under-achieved because they are comparing themselves with other entrepreneurs who SEEM to have achieved greater success in less time.
I would caution you about measuring yourself against other entrepreneurs.
This is what I call the ‘Comparison Trap’.
The truth is you’re not really competing against anyone else. In fact, you only really ever compete against one person in your life – yourself!
I think comparing yourself with others is flawed for several reasons such as…
- You don’t have a complete picture of what the other person is really doing.
- You’re likely comparing apples with oranges.
- People tend to exaggerate their position.
- You risk draining your own mojo (based on hearsay)
- It’s irrelevant to your results.
No matter where you are on your journey, to accelerate your progress and create positive momentum requires you to set your own goals and dreams.
I remember when my eldest daughter Maggie (now 19 – ouch that means I’m getting old) was only 6 and I took her down to Little Athletics.
I was the kind of dad that liked to get involved, so I became a coach. I was teaching the kids how to run, jump and throw.
Now being a naturally competitive person, the first thing I noticed was that my daughter didn’t seem to care whether she was coming first or last.
And initially I thought that was WEIRD!
Then I noticed that NONE of the kids really cared about winning or losing.
That’s because at Little Athletics, NOBODY asks a child did you WIN?
They only ask them one question.
Are you any better this week than you were last week?
That’s because they only measure ONE THING.
PB’s – Personal Bests.
What my daughter learnt (at 6) was you’re not competing against other athletes; you’re only competing against yourself.
The secret to business success isn’t found in comparison.
Business ownership can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it can also be difficult, stressful and costly.
There are many factors that will influence the level of success a person has in business, but a key factor is where you place your attention and energy.
As you’ll discover, if you are not enjoying the levels of success you aspired to, chances are your attention is focused on the wrong areas of your business.
If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, it’s likely you’ll also be tempted to try an imitate them. This usually results in becoming a shiny object chaser and not following your own planned marketing strategy.
As an entrepreneur, it is vital that you come to realise that at their core, EVERY business is a marketing business.
When you truly understand this, you will have taken your first quantum leap towards generating the income and success you desire.
When you make the shift from business owner to marketer, your business will change dramatically.
Becoming a better marketer is essential, especially in this increasingly noisy marketplace if you want to see your income and profits soar.
Placing all your attention on having the perfect product or service is not the key to success and nor is trying to copy what you see others doing around you, as ultimately this won’t impact your sales results.
Putting a well thought out and proven marketing strategy together will.
As the late Zig Ziglar said, “People who can’t market, have very skinny kids.”
When you can market what you do, then your success is almost guaranteed.
The idea of becoming better at marketing what you do rather than simply a doer of what you do, is, for many business owners, a very foreign concept.
Developing the ability to think like a marketer is the first step for all Marketing Club members to begin creating a more profitable business.
The fundamental building block of a productive, healthy and profitable business is the owner has adopted a priority marketing mindset.
The system I have taught for years is the Priority Marketing System™ which is based on four fundamental steps –
ATTRACT, NURTURE, CONVERT, ASCEND.
To build a more profitable business you simply need to stop comparing and start MAKING MARKETING A PRIORITY. The success of your business and your ability to consistently ATTRACT clients is dependent on your ability to adopt a marketing mindset.
Take a moment to assess yourself in the 12 key areas that have been identified as central to business success. This exercise is designed to help you identify areas for possible improvement that can help you accelerate the profitability of your business. Click here to start your assessment.
If you don’t know how to market what you do, to the right people (your target market), you’re going to have significantly less success than someone who may have less talent, but knows how to market the talent they have.
Good marketers don’t try to convince people to buy from them because what they offer is wonderful, amazing and superior. Instead they help prospects discover why they need their services.
Don’t tell your prospects what you do or offer; tell them how it will help remove a problem in their life or add value to them in your unique way.
When you understand that the key to your success is not tied up in what you offer, but rather in your marketing, only then will your business be on track for an income breakthrough.
Dedicated to your success.
Paul