OK so I’d like you all to do something for me.
Get a blank piece of paper and draw a line through the centre of the page.
Next I’d like you to get a marker and write the word OPPORTUNITY in capitals above this line.
Below the line I want you to write the word PROBLEM.
Next I want you to write the word POSITIVE above the line, and NEGATIVE below the line.
Now for the tough bit. I want you to take 30 seconds and think about what percentage of your time in your week YOU spend on opportunity and being in a positive frame of mind?
Write this percentage in LARGE numbers above the line.
Next write down the percentage of time you spend below the line, in problem focused time or being negative about the future.
Honesty is your friend here, don’t fool yourself. Ask yourself just yesterday what was the percentage of time I was focused on opportunity in my business?
This always does get a reaction in my workshops and quite rightly so. You can spend so much time unknowingly focused on the problems in your business that you can lose sight of the real responsibility you have which is to be the opportunity seeker. This is pure entrepreneurial territory. This is you at your best, but often stuff just gets in the way of you spending time focusing on opportunity.
Well opportunity is NOW!.
Now I’m not talking about happy clappy positivism. I too am a realist. You have had a couple of tough years. You are worrying about cashflow, about the future about new sales.
But here’s the question, have you missed an opportunity?
Is your market now offering potential you have never seen. For many businesses they have lost key competitors over the last two years. Your competitors have hurt too. Have you exploited their weaknesses?
The market may be 80% of what it was but there are also fewer competitors.
You did it all before and built a new business. You can do it again. Your business could be unrecognisable in 3 years time if you start to focus more on the opportunity in the markets than the problems.
How is it I see everyday instances of businesses with salespeople doing well and others doing poorly, selling the same product or service to the same prospects in the same markets?
Could it be they are spending more of their time above the line?
How is it likewise I meet too many people who constantly bemoan their staff, their market, their banks, their government, their customers. Are they just in permanent below the line mode?
I certainly believe so.
Now this is not an instant remedy to all your ills, but you must spend time focusing on the opportunity out there. This requires you to PLAN time for YOU. Time where you focus on the ideas that take you forward. These can be simple things like
You realise that you have not merchandised your stock in your store in order to improve cross selling of products.
You realise that your salesteam are predominantly only selling one product or service, and it is the least profitable.
You need a 90 day action plan to jump start your sales and marketing.
You decide to call all of your overdue clients and set a goal to improve your debtor days by 10%.
You decide to introduce new product lines to boost sales
You meet your team weekly to discuss the vision you have for the future
You focus on the positive in all situations regardless of how hard it can be.
The list is endless. One thing I guarantee is that you will have a renewed energy when you focus on opportunity. That in itself is worth the effort.
Actions..
Put a date in your diary, Friday 5pm each week and go through the above and below the line exercise weekly. Set yourself a goal to spend 80% of your time above the line. Measure your progress weekly. You’ll be amazed.
Best of luck.
Ronan
Ronan Kilroy Certified FocalPoint Business Coach
Profitability, Productivity, Possibility.
