New Jersey Entrepreneur

If you?ve completed a self-examination of your business, you?ve probably identified a few areas for improvement and come up with a handful of ideas to accomplish those improvements. Do a little bit more of this?be more consistent with that?complete a marketing plan?be more diligent asking for referrals, and so on. You may have even started working on some of the ideas. But, with the day to day activities of doing business, the great ideas are eventually given the same degree of attention a New Year?s resolution receives on January 31st ---not much.

Perhaps, it?s time to look at things differently?from a 180° perspective. Rather than attempt to determine how to grow your business---an activity which typically results in ideas of how to do what you?re already doing?only better or more frequently---ask yourself, “What would it take to destroy my business?” That?s right, what would it take to run your business into the ground? Certainly, the quickest way to ruin a business is to lie, steal, and cheat. But, without resorting to those tactics, and continuing to deal with people in a fair and ethical manner, what could you do to destroy your business? Here are a few suggestions:

You could avoid any proactive prospecting activity and wait for prospective clients and customers to approach you.

You could neither pay attention to the political, legislative, or economic conditions of your local business community nor determine the challenges for existing and prospective customers created by those conditions.

You could maintain a superficial relationship with your clients rather than becoming more knowledgeable about and involved with their company and providing them with more service than they expected.

You could avoid any activity that would help you become a better business owner, manager, or salesperson.

How many more items could you add to the list? Give it a try. Take a few minutes and write down as many ways as you can think of to ruin your business while still acting in a fair and ethical manner.

Have you completed your list? Was it easy to come up with additional items? (A bit too easy, perhaps?)

You may be thinking, “What?s the point of all this?” Here?s the point: When you stop thinking about how to grow your business and start focusing on how to tear it down, you begin to uncover some truths?things that will most likely make you feel uneasy.

Of how many items on your “destroy” list are you currently guilty? You can?t grow your business until you stop destroying it. How do you stop? Make sure that you?re not guilty of any of the thing on the list. Choose one item of which you are guilty and commit to turning it around. Start immediately! When you?re well on your way with the first item, choose another, and then another until you?ve worked through the list.

Where else can you apply the 180° thinking? Suppose you asked yourself, “What would I have to do to lose my clients?” or “What would I have to do to make my clients uncomfortable giving me referrals?” Here?s another: “How would I have to act to turn off a prospect during a meeting and lose the opportunity to do business?” Go through the same exercise of creating a list and determining what you?d have to do to eliminate any item on the list of which you are guilty. Then, do it!

Invest some time to take a 180° view of your business. Perhaps you?ll see some new solutions for growth. David Sandler once said, “There is no status quo?you?re either growing or you?re dying.” So, employ 180° thinking and make sure you?re growing.

Danny Wood, an affiliate of the Sandler Sales Institute, is one of New Jersey?s most respected sales force development experts. His work has been recognized by business leaders and corporate managers for providing their people with the aptitude to realize millions of dollars in additional business that would otherwise have never materialized or would have been lost to competitors.

To receive free weekly sales tips via email from Danny Wood, call 201-842-0055 or email danny@dwesalesgrowth.com.