As a matter of fact, if there was one thing that could destroy a business or build it faster than a McDonaldsthis is it. A successful mindset is the foundation from which all of your business marketing, and the results you track, springs forth. As business owners, we tend to have bad days, where everything seems to go wrong. But lets analyze that for a second Are things going wrong today because they genuinely are? Or, did you create your bad day because one thing went slightly amiss and everything from that point on seemed to go bad. Think about that for a second Someone with a successful mindset tackles obstacles (the things you thought went wrong) and overcomes them. The typical person lacking this mindset will react as I pointed outeverything else spiraling downhill and the day goes to the outhouse. What the heck does this have to do with marketing? Quite a bit actuallyplease allow me to paint two similar business scenarios. Business Owner A has the typical approach. Business Owner B has the successful mindset. You can decide which business owner you want to be. I am keeping the scenario pretty simple and crude, so please dont pick it apart. Scenario: An automotive shop needs to develop and mail a simple 4 x 6 mailer to 1000 people that are new movers and have never heard of the business before. The owner is going to prepare copy for this mailer, deliver it to his/her graphic designer, and have a mailing house with the list of new movers address, post, and mail the mailers. The owner will also be tracking the results, and be the person at the counter when any responses come in to carry out the transaction. On the day that all of this is to take place, the first two customers have complaints Owner A - Being the typical Business Owner, the first two customers having complaints threw the whole day off. He grudgingly takes care of these two customersbut it has left him in a dour mood. As he prepares the copy for the mailer, his mood translates into the message he places on the mailer. Then, he is late delivering the copy to his graphic designer because he took so long arguing and taking care of his first two customers. This puts pressure on the design house, and since our Owner is in a dour moodthe personal transaction between him and the Graphic Designer does not go all that well. Now the mailing house. The list gets put together, the mailer goes out, and results start happening over the next couple of daysbut not as quick. Remember, the copy wasnt all that great Also, lets not forget the typical transaction at the counter with the customers. No referrals gathered, more complaints, business is not gooddo I have to say more? Owner B - Well she sees the first two complaining customers as an opportunity to improve her business. She immediately sends them to a restaurant of their choice, gives them a complete refund, and completes a short survey with them to find out how she could have done better in the first place. This cuts the time dealing with them in half, and in the end she actually gets a referral. With plenty of time to spare, she uses the information from the surveys, and prepares knock it out of the park copy for the mailer. Sends it to the graphic designer on time, gets a referral from them. Successful mindsets spawn more success, get it? The mailer goes out, more responses than necessary come backand she feeds another shop in town with the overflow. In turn, that shop does the same for her down the road. Also, with the positive customer interactions Need I say any more? In conclusionhere is what I want you to do today, your homework for reading this post. 1) Take a Sharpie and an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. 2) In BIG LETTERS, enough to fill the paper write the following statement I AM NOT SELF LIMITING 3) Tack this to a cork board in your office, tape it to a bathroom door, wherever you can view it often daily. Read it, absorb it. Over time, you will develop a non limiting mindset, and that is only step 1 of many to developing a successful one. I have reviewed a book by Anthony Robbins, titled Awaken The Giant Within. It is an old book, but one worth reading again and again. I recommend those of you who have Owner A in you to read it as welland I know that you are out there. It is crucial to have a successful mindset in all that you do. Thank you for reading this article, I know it was a bit longer than usualI just feel this is such important stuff. |
