4 Steps To Better Results In Building A Business

Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 1:18 PM

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs—both new and seasoned—complain that they are not getting the results they are looking for in their business. The first question I ask is, “What is it you are looking for?” The answers vary depending on the person.
“More sales…” is a pretty typical response or, “more cash-flow”; “better conversions” and “more traffic to my site.”
Wow. Does any of this sound familiar? If you are extremely successful, you can probably see the problem right off the bat.
My response to this? “You are too results-oriented.”
You are probably saying to yourself, “Yeah JT, isn’t that the point?” “Shouldn’t we be focused on the bottom line, on making the sales and converting leads into prospects; prospects in to new clients?”
My answer is a flat-out “No.”
The great Zig Ziglar points out that the key to getting anything you want out of business, out of life is to give people what they want.
You see, when you focus on the result, you are putting your own needs first. When you do this, you give off a vibe that you are only in it for the money (the end result). You present a posture of self-service and greed.
People are not stupid. They will be able to see straight through you when you are focused on the results. In the end, you will come off as desperate, whether you know you are doing it or not. And nobody wants to work with a desperate person.
So how do you overcome a results-oriented mindset?
First, focus on a ‘service-first’ mentality. Ask yourself these critical questions: “What do I have to offer my audience that will be beneficial to them?” By audience I am referring to your leads, customer base, clients and potential business partners.
Second, ask yourself, “What is it that people want? Am I providing that…and if not, how can I provide it?” It is a complex question, I know. But until you deeply examine that question, you will be chasing people all over the marketplace, rather than having them come to you.
Don’t be a hunter; be a fisher. Imagine being ‘hunted’. Most creatures that are hunted are running for their lives. Would YOU want to be hunted? Didn’t think so. Now consider fishing. A fisherman places his or her bait (offer) out for the desired target (client) to come willingly to, and consume. Sounds much better for both sides, right? (Yeah, I know…in fishing, the fish loses in the end, but it is a metaphor so just play along!).
After you ascertain what your audience wants, ask “How can I assist others to get what they want?” Ah…now you are on to something. Do you see how you are now refocusing your energy away from the ‘result’? Instead of obsessing over making the sale or closing the deal, you are now on a journey of finding how you can be of assistance. You are exploring how you can be a solution to a person’s challenges. You are acting as a leader and putting their needs first.
Instead of focusing on the result, you are now focusing on the journey. You are not only assisting others, but you are learning about them, and learning about yourself as well. You are transforming yourself from hunter to provider. You are establishing trust and building relationships.
By programming your mind to focus on the steps required to add value, and by concentrating on your clientele and their desires, you quickly center your focus on what is important: ‘service first’ thinking. And as you do, you will find your life flooded with an abundance of the ‘results’ you desperately sought in the first place.
Finally, give this gift of wisdom to the people that follow you. NOW you are starting to really make a difference, because not only have you changed yourself for the better, but now you are empowering your team with the same values and skills so that THEY can replicate the same success and begin to achieve their own desired results.
Give people what they want, and you’ll get everything you desire. It is that simple.
See you in the next post…
~JT