It was around this time last year, I held a workshop for around 50 people. I spent some time on discussing the importance of Belief in our success, and afterwards was cornered by a business owner who said he didn’t believe in spiritual mumbo jumbo??
I’m not often left speechless, but on this occasion I was momentarily stunned in silence.
I did smile, and later laughed as I recounted the experience, but it also made me think about his reaction, as I don’t believe he is alone.
For me a large part of our success in 2011 will be attributed to both our Belief and our Actions. I many ways they are completely intertwined.
As someone who has a strong sales and business development background, I would have to say that the ONLY reasons for failure in sales are a lack of belief, or a lack of action (activity).
These principles apply equally to running a business.
Working as a business coach I frequently come across language such as “the country is f*****d”. Our industry is “finished”. “There is just no money out there”. “Nobody is buying”.
Well I make no apologies for saying that if you start 2011 with that kind of belief system, you’ll get what you wished for.
I do live in the real world, and accept that things are tougher out there, but I will never subscribe to the mindset that believes that there are no opportunities out there. They are there, and you just have to believe this. The belief drives the awareness, the awareness drives the opportunity level and the opportunities will drive you and your business forward.
Action is likewise critical to your performance next year. In a perverse way this year, many people have actually reduced their level of activity, when they should be increasing it.
I have come across numerous businesses and sales teams who actually admit that they are doing less on the sales and marketing front than they did last year. It’s as though they have resigned themselves to disappointment (there goes the belief system again).
The truth is that many are still only servicing their ever decreasing existing client base, and not spending enough time and creating enough ACTION to get new clients.
Nobody is saying that this is easy. It isn’t, but it has to be done.
Actions;
Let’s start with Belief.
Firstly watch your language and that of your team’s. Is it always negative? Is it always reemphasing the reasons why you can’t succeed, or is it emphasing the need to look for new ideas, new opportunities and new thinking.
Just this morning with a client in a workshop, working on a 2011 Sales Strategy we identified 6 new sales and marketing strategies we can employ in 2011 that will generate additional leads and opportunities. How many have you in 2011?
Start reaffirming to yourself and your team that there is a BIG market out there, we just need to get a larger slice of it, so let’s figure out how.
Commit yourself to increase your activity in 2011. I don’t mean activity for activity’s sake, I mean focus on the key activities that needs to be measured weekly and monthly next year, in order to ensure more success.
Belief tied with the right activity will transform your business in 2011. I guarantee it!!
Best of luck.
Ronan
Ronan Kilroy Certified FocalPoint Business Coach
Profitability, Productivity, Possibility.
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