Change Your Business, Change Yourself

07.26.11

When you hit a snag, scan recent memory banks and ask yourself: has this happened before? If you keep getting surprised by the same pothole, it's time to look for the reason. Of course everyone's first instinct is to look outward, to the economy, opposing political forces, your snarky teenager, allergies, or whatever. But you might want to grab a mirror - because that reason very likely resides in you.

I have clients who stick to some pretty rigid ideas about their business, and in working together we sometimes realize that in order to make their business change or grow, they first need to change something about themselves.

Let's say an entrepreneur has an intense personality who pushes his services with the fervor of a televangelist. We know that rather than encouraging sales, hard-sell tactics makes clients clench both their jaws and their checkbooks tighter. His need to explain, to make the sale happen, is running counter to the business' need. So to succeed, that person must learn how to rein in that instinct and adapt his technique to suit his business.

Many entrepreneurs-myself included!- are so client-focused they forget to make time for their own business development. They put themselves last, giving reasons like "I can't tackle that speech/newsletter/blog post until I respond to my client emails," for example. Happy clients = good. But say that enough times, however, and you're walking backward off a cliff. Development, which fosters growth, brand awareness and new clients, is a crucial lifeline for your business.

Others may shy away from self-promotion because it feels uncomfortable. They need to learn to get out of their comfort zone or hire someone to promote their business for them.

So keep in mind: in order for your business to successfully respond to an ever-changing market, you may need to make some changes yourself first.