Sara Hand

The fact that business as normal is not normal any longer is now an accepted fact. But what does the new normal look like? Well if you don’t know, don’t feel bad. It appears that a lot of people are unsure.

However, this can present some interesting challenges. 

Who is your ideal prospect?

(If you used to work predominantly with new home builders, you may not have as many of these as you used to.)

 How do you connect with them?

(If the phone book or newspaper advertising used to do the trick, you might be feeling a bit of a pinch.)

 What type of payment options do you have available for your prospects and clients?

(If in the past large ticket sales were predominantly credit, this could be a problem.)

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER IN A CHANGING ECONMOY:

Could I think bigger than I am?  

Is there a bigger picture my company fits into?Many companies are cutting back…advertising, marketing, and development.

Have I limited my thinking through preconceived notions of what is possible? 

If you want better answers ask better questions:

How can I leverage the time, money, and effort I put into my business?

How can I expand my business and capture market share with limited resources?

How can I become more valuable to my prospects and clients?

Success is often in the details.  Do I take care of the details in my business? 

If I have changed, do others know? 

 At the end of the day what do I want this to look like?

 Asking better questions, will give you better answers. And as you ask and answer, your questions will continue to get better and in turn your answers will improve. It’s a process, and not a comfortable one. However it is one where the perseverant will not only survive, but will prosper.

You can’t imagine how many times I have heard that. And it saddens me to tell you this, but that just isn’t true. It doesn’t matter how great your product or service is, or how much it is needed. People don’t buy based on need. There is someone who needs it, that won’t use it, even if you gave it away.

However this is one of the most liberating and profitable epiphanies of the business world! Understanding this, I can make more money in less time. I can arrive home at the end of day facing clients and looking for prospects with my ego intact…no longer beaten and bruised.

WHY? Because I am no longer trying to sell everyone on the fact that what I bring to the table is wonderful. I no longer have to jump through hoops trying to convince someone who will never buy that they should. I have made make peace with the fact that I am not a fit for everyone, so like a miner sifting and searching for gold, I am sifting and searching through leads for prospects. Some people are not going to buy and it isn’t because I stink, it’s because they are not a fit for the value proposition I can present.

The secret to utilizing this understanding is…I must know what my prospects look like and I must know how to recognize them when they come across my path. I still have to be skilled at my craft. I still need to do and say and bring to the table my best, but my results are going to be significantly more profitable.