The Small Things

...That Get in The Way

I write all the time about how you cannot "see the forest for the trees" when you're right in the middle of the FOREST. Are you on a path or are you walking in a rut? There can be a rut, worn into your path by the way you do things. Some of these things you do well and they do well for you. Some of these things, not so much.

Most of the time, when I meet a new client they have some idea that "only if..." something were different, they'd be doing so much better. It could be postage costs, unruly suppliers, or an office space that's costing them too much. I can confidently say that I never agree with their assessment of what's wrong. Sure, what they identify as not working in their favor is probably not helping their situation, but it's not THE thing.

THE thing that's not working for them is something that is much more in their control. That's the good news. The bad news is that sometimes THAT thing is something they really had not seen an issue with. They feel blindsided and a little disoriented.

The most common: The message of who they are and what they do or sell is not well expressed to their market.

When you know what you do, and you tell people about it, chances are you're entering the conversation mid-sentence. It's because you do it all the time that you don't really know the starting point of your consumer. You may have identified who they are but perhaps you are trying to read their mind instead of just laying it all out there.

When I studied Art History, I learned about looking at a painting with the awareness of where the "entry point" was. What was the route that your gaze traveled as you looked at the canvas? Do you know where that "point of entry" is for your consumer? Do you know what it really looks like to them? Do you see what they see?

No. You cannot truly see what others see. You can however, work with people who see things differently than you, so that you can see more of the available choices. Every choice you make in building your business adds up to the sum. Many of those "small things" may carry more weight than you realize.

Life is a constellation of choices. Let's take a look at the choices you're making now.