Today I am about to let you into a secret. A secret that will help transform your business. It is something that all business coaches and business development people know and teach and it is something that all successful businesses do. And the best part of all it is (on the surface) very simple to do.
Think of this article as your mini business building program. If you follow these steps and apply them to your business, your business results will grow in a way that you will not have imagined was possible.
If you want a wildly successful business there are only 3 steps you need to take. That's right - just 3. Everything else is just window dressing.
So what are these three steps? The three steps to business success are that you need to align your business in thought, word and deed.
Each of these words are a major step in your business building program and each are sequential which means that you can't skip steps or do them out of order.
You need to apply each step in precisely the order: thought - word - deed.
Let's explore each of these steps a bit more.
Thought - The Essence of Your Business
The first step of creating any success is the thought - you need to clearly think about and know where you are headed. Think of it like setting out for a journey in your car - you need to know the destination you are headed. You don't just get in and drive - you think to yourself "I am driving to Brisbane".
With your thoughts you need to be able to visualise where you are going and to capture the essence of your business. You need to be able to clear the pathways in your mind and in your space to know what you want to create.
You need to be able to know in every fibre of your being where you are headed - be totally clear on what you are aiming for.
There are lots of tools you can use to help you with this process ranging from facilitated planning sessions, brainstorming, thinking about your ideal client and your ideal day, thinking about the sort of staff you want to have working with you and right the way through to drawing a picture of the essence of your business (or having one drawn for you if you are not artistically inclined).
Word - Create the Magic
The next step is converting your business essence into word and form.
Throughout the ages people have known that words have power. They have the power to harness emotions (think about speeches such as "I have a dream" by Martin Luther King), they have the power to declare a position ("We will fight them on the beaches" by Winston Churchill) and they have the power to inspire action ("We will place a man on the moon" by Kennedy).
Without putting pen to paper or speaking your business essence out loud, all your thoughts are just dreams.
Some of the things you can do to put your thoughts into words are create a business plan, create a corporate plan and a marketing plan, put together your website, have letters written to potential businesses, write down the process and systems you will be using to deliver your service or product, writing your position descriptions and get the essence of your business converted into design through business cards and your logo.
At this stage your words and form need to be clear, compelling and clearly reflect your business essence.
This is the stage where you may want to talk with a Feng Shui consultant or energy worker to clear your space and set your words into the space of your building.
Deed - Take the Actions
Action is vital. This is where you put everything you have thought and written about into action. You actually implement and measure the results of what you have done.
This is where you send out the letters, make your website live, put your systems into practice in the workplace, implement your business plan and do the work of your business.
But strangely enough if you have fully taken the thought and deed stages - sometimes the action comes to you!
One of my clients had this experience. We stopped and talked about her business - her dreams for what she wanted, her ideal clients and lots of other things. She knew deep in her heart what she wanted to create. I then wrote her a 3 page letter outlining her services to potential businesses.
The funny thing was as soon as she received the final letter - she had a "yes that's right - that's who I am" feeling deep inside her. The next day her phone started to ring and she is now fully booked. Oh - she still hasn't sent the letter out - she hasn't had to!
So there you have it. The three steps to business success are thought - word - deed.
If your business is not performing the way you would like it to then you need to go back to the thought stage and start with your big picture dreaming.
If you have a clear picture but are still not getting business - then words and form are your blocks.
If you have clear and powerful words but are still not getting business - how committed are you truly to action?
Align your business in thought, word and deed and reap the rewards.
Steps To A Business
In today's world finding the right business help in terms of small business coaching or small business consulting can be a daunting task. And, to grow a small business and to have a successful small business long term, finding the right people to support you is critical. And, in today's highly specialized world finding these people and the business help you need can be a challenge.
To start, what is the difference between a small business coach and a small business consultant? Here are some general guidelines. A coach works with who you are to accomplish what you want. A consultant works with a particular area of your business to help you get what you want. Before going forward I want one thing to be clear. Both these areas can have carry over into each other.
Here's an example to help with the distinctions. To have a successful small business you need to have a good marketing program to generate sales. A business consultant may come in and actually put together the program and work with you and in your office to implement it. And, very often there is a time line for the project such as 90 days. Once it is over it is over.
A small business coach would take a slightly different approach. He or she would look at who you are. They may certainly know of or have marketing programs in mind but their focus first and foremost is to discover what has the greatest probability of working for you based on who you are.
They realize that there are many great ways to market but that there is no one way that works for all. They believe that the best teaching experience is for you to actually implement the changes to get a true feel of what works and what doesn't.
The small business coach would help you discover solutions that are best in alignment with who you are. This is similar to when you embark on change in your business. You must set yourself up for success by building your success around who you are.
The business coach can help you do that. And, it requires a change in your thinking and a willingness on your part to be held accountable. Accountability in coaching is the fuel that will drive the engine of your small business success. And, very often, coaching is more of a long term relationship than consulting.
Remember, in taking your steps to business success, that different isn't necessarily better. But, better is always different. Whether you choose business consulting, business coaching or something that is a blend is a decision unique to your business. To grow small business successfully, you must always keep in mind what is best for the short term and long term.
Both Ingrid Cliff & Steve Scott are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ingrid Cliff has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Web Development and Health Care. Ingrid Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter, Business Development and Human Resources Consultant to Small and Medium Businesses. Ingrid writes a free weekly business development newsletter for small to medium sized businesses.. Ingrid Cliff's top article generates over 60500 views. Bookmark Ingrid Cliff to your Favourites.
Steve Scott has sinced written about articles on various topics from How to Sell on Ebay, Recreation and Sports and Small Business Marketing. Steve Scott is a business/life coach and a business development consultant. He specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and solo and sales professionals to create a business and life with greater freedom and abundance.. Steve Scott's top article generates over 18100 views. Bookmark Steve Scott to your Favourites.
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