Since the start of this year I’ve heard a lot of the usual chatter. In 2012 we seem to have turned up the dial on negativity about the volatile or shrinking markets in which we do business. Let me give you one piece of advice – STOP THAT NOW. It might make you feel better for a few minutes but it drags everyone around you down.
If you look ahead and see doom and gloom, then that’s what you’ll focus on. It comes back to something that Henry Ford once said “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right”.
The way 2012 pans out for your business is far more likely to be influenced by things that you CAN control than things you cannot. Think about the service you deliver each day to your customers – currency exchange rates won’t dictate the level of connection you make with them, unless of course you open dialogue with them by whining about currency exchange rates! Don’t bring people down, cheer them up!
When economies slump, as has been the cycle for the last hundred years, it clears out the deadwood. Those businesses too slow to adapt, too worried to take risks and those that were built on sandy foundations to begin with, crumble and fall.
If your business is going to survive, thrive and grow you’ve got to stop worrying about the things you cannot change and start to look closely at what happens between your ears and inside your business.
If you break things down it comes back to the basic building blocks of getting your product and service to be outstanding no matter what your business is. Remember the days of “Customer is King” – when exactly did that change? In my opinion, it never has but it has never been so important to earn the loyalty of the people who are putting money in your pocket. Get your staff focussed on that same simple lesson and you’re already on the road to securing the future for your business.
All of this creates a positive approach, a clear focus and direction and it sets you apart as a market leader. Now isn’t that much nicer than being down in the dumps? Do something with your business this year to be proud of. Get focussed, stay positive.
That’s why I think we all should simply focus on P.R.O.F.I.T.S. Let me explain a little more about that in my next post – WATCH THIS SPACE 🙂