If you’re looking to make 2016 the year you create some serious breakthroughs in your business, you need to consider doing things differently.
Especially when it comes to how you THINK.
Otherwise, it’s unlikely your 2016 business results will be much different from those you had last year.
Here are 7 mindset shifts any business owner can adopt:
Start thinking like an entrepreneur.
Business owners tend to be self-driven. In other words, they think about what THEY want to do. Breakthrough success comes to those are market-driven. They understand it’s not about what they want. Adopting a market-driven approach means expanding your thinking so that you’re on the lookout for unmet needs and desires and opportunity gaps.
Stop mimicking your competitors.
Take a look at a bunch of websites in any industry. The laser eye surgery is one of my favourites. The typical laser eye surgeon site has an image of a big eye and web copy laced with as many local city references as possible because some cookie-cutter website factory told them it’s great for SEO. Check me if I’m wrong Scotty but if we all look and say the same thing…Think OUTSIDE your industry. Take-out fast food windows came about when an executive in that industry was using a drive-up window at his bank and thought ‘we could do that.’ His idea revolutionized an entire industry.
Have a message about your business
Why should anyone care that you’ve got stuff to sell? The answer is …they don’t. The solution is to create a compelling message. You will forever hear me bang the drum on this one. One strategy you can use to differentiate yourself involves repositioning your business. Subway was in the fast food biz with McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s and …oh…a boat load of others. So, what did they do? They copied the weight loss industry. Before and after pics, a spokesperson (oops), a diet plan…I know. How could a loaf of bread the size of an Airstream trailer be part of a weight loss campaign? It happened – because Subway CHOSE a position. Other examples include Victoria’s Secret. They built on the Fredericks of Hollywood model and made sexy products palatable to women. Starbucks decided it wanted to be a “third place” business. Home, work and Starbucks. Here’s the game changer question: Who is your business for?
Learn to effectively communicate your message
You MUST shift your thinking from being a “doer” of your thing to becoming a marketer of your thing. THAT’S where the money is. The first place to start is by developing the skill to be a good (not necessarily great) sales letter writer. This will give you the power to have and do anything you want in life. Here’s a crash course in how to do it. LINK LINK
Implement a marketing system
All wealth is based on systems and processes. Many businesses have operating systems but many lack a marketing system. I see this all the time when I work with clients and it’s one of the first things we work on. You can’t enjoy the rewards you want if you’re constantly getting on and off the feast or famine rollercoaster. The cause: marketing that consists of random acts and hope. A simple marketing system will allow you to automatically attract qualified prospects, create desire and interest and give you a way to stay in touch with those who may be interested in how you can help them but just aren’t ready to buy when they come in contact with your marketing message.
Make sure your message matches your market
William Francis “Willie” Sutton, Jr. was a prolific American bank robber. When he was asked by reporter Mitch Ohnstad why he robbed banks, Sutton replied, ‘Because that’s where the money is.’ Aim your message at people who have money and have a problem you can solve. Start with WHO is out there with unmet needs and desires and then work backwards. Who can you build a product or service for? In short, be FOR somebody.
That should keep you busy.
And remember, the magic doesn’t happen by reading stuff like this and then doing nothing.
You have to take action.
