In my work with entrepreneurs and businesses of all stripes, here’s what I’ve found.
They get stuck not because they don’t know the right answer but because we haven’t begun to ask the right questions. (Check my rant here)
Nine times out of ten, when I consult with clients they are impatient to get to work on the tactical side of spreading their idea.
They obsess over fonts, photography, website functionality and they worry about which social media to use.
They spend hours thinking about CAC, ROI, PPC, Adwords, and how to beat SEO.
They feel overwhelmed with ideas about what they should and shouldn’t be doing online.
Maybe you do, too?
I get it, you want to get your idea out there into the world.
But, while tactics are necessary to spread your idea, in the long run, it’s more important that you first have an idea that matters.
Many of the answers to the tactical stuff can be found with a 60-second Google search.
Yes, tactics help you to promote your idea, but it’s a clear strategy that will really sell it.
Ask ‘why will people care about this?’ and not ‘how will I get them to buy this?’
Once you’re done there, move on to this exercise I’ve learned from Bernadette Jiwa.
Try it with your team and get on the same page about it early.
If you don’t, you risk getting push-back and skepticism downstream.
It goes like this.
Take a blank page.
Draw a line down the centre.
On one side, list all your tangible assets, on the other side, make a list of all your intangible assets.
Now, one by one, cross off the things that your competitors can replicate or acquire.
What are you left with?
As you build your businesses, you often work hardest on the things that are replaceable, believing that your advantage is in the tangible value you provide.
The cup of coffee brewed.
The website designed.
The training delivered.
In a world where there are several cafés on every street and thousands of professionals for hire on Upwork, you need to think more deeply about what really matters to your customers.
People place a premium on the things that you can never hand them over the counter.
It turns out that trust and reputation you have built over time is the scarcest resource you have.
"I have no interest in making the most money in the world. I have an interest in having the most people at my funeral.”- Gary Vee
It’s not that you win but how you win that matters.
How you do things becomes your legacy.
Do "it" for the right reason.
No hack or tactic trumps the intent.
Don’t try to matter by winning.
Win by mattering.
To build a truly great business, put your energy into the things that you can’t cross off the list.
P.S. Like what you’re reading here? Well, you have three choices really.
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3. When you are ready to level up, hire me.
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