Article originally published in Business First
What’s keeping you from increasing your business if not doubling, sales?
Do you keep telling yourself that you want to get to the “next level” in your business? How long have you been “working” on it? A year, five years? What specific things have you done to get there? Or have you just been mulling it over in your head and are hoping for an ingenious revelation which will rocket you there?
You may have the most powerful ideas, but if you are not able to incorporate them into a plan, let alone implement them on a consistent basis, they’re not of much good. What’s keeping you from following through or creating a strategic growth plan?
What generally happens is that the day to day running of the business gets in the way. You have great intentions of getting to your “strategic Plan” but the phone rings, you have messages and mail to get to, everyone in your company is vying for your attention, and the list of interruptions and putting out of fires continues, day after day month after
month.
You seem to have no time for the business you already have, but know you want to grow.
What do you need to do to make sure that increasing sales and business is a top priority on the time consumption chain?
Successful owner/managers are able to set aside time each day/week to plan the steps necessary to grow and evaluate the success of their efforts thus far. They go through a step by step process of realistically exploring and dealing with the following issues, starting with the basics.
1) They define “next level” and create a specific goal- what does ‘next level” mean to you? By how much do you want to increase your sales, $5,000, $50,000, $1,000,000? How many more clients do you want, 5, 50, 100? What’s your goal? Be specific so that it is easily measurable.
2) They create a measurable monthly tracking system to chart their progress toward their goal. This allows them to rework their plan if need be and keeps them motivated. They will then be able to take corrective measures now instead at the end of the year when they realize their net profit stinks. It’s better to go in to every month with their eyes open facing the hard facts head on.
3) Next, they research, brainstorm, and explore from many perspectives what they need to do and what steps need to be taken to increase their business.
Once agreed upon, they break it down into smaller, doable, less overwhelming steps. This is their game plan of attack and gives them weekly sub-goals to work on so that they are always moving forward, toward the greater goal.
4) One of the most important steps they take to increasing their business and sales is the process of uncovering the obstacles that always seem to get in the way. They explore the most limiting obstacles first and devise simple ways of overcoming them.
5) The most critical job is keeping focused, on track and motivated on a weekly basis toward increasing business and getting to that “next level”.
If you find this type of discipline difficult, you may benefit by working with a Professional & Personal Coach who will assist and support you on a one-on-one level to help you achieve your business goals.
A Professional Coach works on a weekly basis with you to ensure that you schedule the time to plan your growth attack. Your coach will hold you accountable for following through with weekly goals that are set toward increasing your business.
By scheduling time to meet with your coach on a weekly basis—you create a space in which to explore the whole picture of your growth plan and take the necessary steps in getting there. Your coach is there to keep you focused, on track and motivated.