It isn't easy running a small or growing business
these days. As a matter of fact,
it isn't easy running any kind of business! Companies are running leaner and meaner than ever before; it
feels as if there are simply not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that
needs to be done.
That
said, the most successful companies, no matter how busy, realize that running a
business is a balancing act between taking extraordinary care of existing
clients/customers and consistently seeking new ones.
Otherwise
there's major trouble.
You
see, when you're concentrating solely on servicing the business you already
have, you're doing nothing to generate more business. Once your major projects come to an end, or you've
efficiently interpolated new clients/customers and their ongoing work into your
database, what's next?
You've
probably heard the expression about working "on the business" rather than "in
the business." If there's no
attention paid to the former, you'll always be desperate to find new work for
your pipeline. Moreover, it
simply won't come in fast enough for your liking, when there's a major gap in
your work and cash flows.
All
too often I hear business owners and executives admit that they're the
bottleneck. "It's my fault,
Adrienne. I can't deny it. Because I can't find time to approve
the quotes or read what one of my people has written for our e-zine, I'm just
holding things up!"
It's
courageous to admit this, but what are you going to do about it? Usually it's a matter of control, of
not being comfortable letting go.
Yet that's just what has to begin to happen, if the company is going to
function on an even keel.
Should
you delegate everything off your desk overnight? Absolutely not.
You could, however, delegate a small piece at a time to one employee
who's showing promise and whom you could supervise. Once you become confident that your employee is accurate and
accountable, you can delegate a bit more.
This is not an AON ("All or Nothing"). It's more like an SIBTN ("Something is Better than
Nothing").
Your
challenge is to strike that balance between your existing base and generating
additional business. Figuring that
out will make the difference between the success or failure of your business.
The
US Small Business Administration has interesting statistics. The conventional thinking is that lack
of capitalization causes businesses to close down. Actually that's the #2 reason. Year after year the #1 reason that companies close down is lack of marketing savvy.
This
Marketing Myth doesn't want to add stress to your already busy, lean-and-mean
schedule. It does, however, want
to remind you that you don't have the luxury of ignoring marketing. Now that you've digested what will feel
like really bad news, here's something to brighten your day: in marketing
quality and continuity are far more important than quantity; and it's not what
you spend, but how you spend it.
A simple Marketing Plan will help considerably.
Continued
success.
Visit
Adrienne Zoble's website at www.azobleassoc.com. Her 2010 Schmoozing Calendar provides ideas for productive ways to sell more in
less time. This Calendar is
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copies, including shipping; $16.95 per electronic version.
Our updated workbook, The Do-able
Marketing Plan: Six Easy Steps to Help You Sell More in Less Time, is $67.45 including shipping; $39.95
electronic version.
Special
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If
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Perhaps
your company or organization is looking for a dynamic speaker to motivate
employees or members in their marketing efforts; or you would like an article/column
for your publication or newsletter.
Adrienne
Zoble will help your company grow and thrive, even in these
challenging times.
