“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work” – Stephen King
The other day, at the end of a long, arduous client call where I was helping a member map out a plan to overcome a long period of low growth and stagnation, he blurted out in frustration, “I’ve been in business for 15 years now – I should be doing better than this!”
Boy, I wish I had a nickel for every client or business owner I’ve heard utter some variation of that one. “I work long, hard hours – I should be further along by now!” Or “We’re the BEST at what we do – we should have more clients by now!” Or “We charge more than most – we should be more profitable!”
The biggest problem with ALL of this is the word “should.” It implies entitlement based on a set of rules only YOU have. Maybe you’ve heard this from an employee: “I’ve been here for X years…I should be making more money!” I had an employee who once asked for a raise purely on the basis of the house I lived in. She said, “Since you’re clearly doing really well, I think you should be able to pay me more.” Needless to say, she doesn’t work here anymore.
Entitlement is a very unproductive emotion, and one of the reasons many fail to achieve any real growth, success and profits in business is that they REFUSE to do the activities that actually DRIVE success, profits, more clients, more revenue and growth. You can’t sit there grumpy about your lot in life if you’ve flat-out failed to do the specific things in your business that drive those results – namely, implementing an effective, consistent and productive sales and marketing engine – and then somehow feel ENTITLED to more success, profits, clients, etc. Life does not work that way.
Yes, business is tough. Yes, we’re all awash in problems, setbacks, difficulties, disappointments. Yes, many of these are not our fault. YES, we’re all BUSY. But money doesn’t flow to you for being “busy,” being a hard worker, being at something for a “long time.” Money flows to those who DO THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES that attracts it. It’s absolutely as simple as that. And the more mature you’ll be about accurately thinking this way, the faster you’ll get to where you want to go.
So, if you ARE behind your personal goals…if you ARE annoyed, aggravated and frustrated you’re not further ahead in your business by now…if you absolutely believe there IS a way to get the income, profits, growth, success you want that has been eluding you…then let me give you a few things to examine that may reveal why you’re stuck…
#1. Stop Doing Low-Money Work:
This is a BIG one. You have “no money” to hire a marketing manager. Or a salesperson who can bring in more revenue. So YOU’RE doing all the sales yourself (poorly, I might add) or it’s not being done at all. Or you’re still doing ALL the technical work. Want to make more money and progress in your business? STOP DOING LOW-MONEY WORK. Unprofitable managed clients. Cheap break-fix services for clients you don’t really want and who aren’t going to grow into higher-paying clients. Ever. Admin work. Screwing around on social media sites for even an hour.
What are the HIGHEST-PAYOFF activities? Yes, marketing – more specifically the strategy and actions that bring in new, higher-paying clients profitably. But even more so, hiring, building and managing a TEAM who will prospect and bring in sales. Creating, managing and optimizing client-getting systems. STRATEGIC PLANNING that involves setting goals with CLEAR milestones, based on intelligence and action plans.
#2. URGENCY Of Action:
The other day, a member told us he couldn’t attend Roadshow because he had to get a new tech up to speed. This was in early June and the events kick off at the end of August and September. You mean you can’t get a new tech up to speed in 3 MONTHS? Either he’s truly and honestly clueless (and I mean that in a good, loving, Christian way) or he’s just reaching for any lame excuse to not invest in improving and inspiring himself. Methinks it’s a little bit of both. Another guy came to me starving, begging for my help. Said he was barely keeping the doors open and had no money to do marketing. I gave him 3 really simple, really quick fixes to his problem. When I saw him at an event a few months later and asked how it was going, he told me he had been “too busy” to try the ideas. Too busy? TOO BUSY? Too busy doing WHAT?!?!? He muttered and fumbled around with a few excuses but really couldn’t tell me. Just “too busy.”
So, here’s the deal: if you want any hope of succeeding in business, you need to be able to make a decision to do something and then get it IMPLEMENTED FAST. Get employees productive FAST. Get a good marketing idea implemented FAST. React to a threat FAST. Follow up on a hot lead FAST. Not think it over, puttering and pondering. Not take months to “ramp up” and “ease” into it! You’re DEAD by then!
Napoleon Hill correctly identified “decisiveness” as one of the great characteristics of highly successful people. They make a decision and ACT. They don’t take weeks to think it over…or wait for the “right” time…or put it off until they have more money, more time. Low-performers operate that way. They’re afraid to make a decision. They deliberate about it not because they’re investigating it or doing research – they’re doing it because they DON’T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION.
3. Take MASSIVE Action:
I can pretty much guess your bank balance – money or moths – if you’ll give me the answers to the following questions:
- Where is your money coming from? And I don’t just mean revenue – I mean PROFITS. Which products/services are most profitable? Which clients? What specific activities are most profitable?
- Follow-up: How much TIME do you invest into the specific activities that drive/build/produce the “assets” from which your money (profit) comes?
- Give me a list of the books, seminars and business-related education you’ve listened to, watched or received in the last 3 months that SUPPORT your STATED OBJECTIVES in business. Do you even have a goal? A quota for sales? Profits? Income? How can you hit a target you don’t have?
- What sales and marketing systems have you either implemented (new) or improved in the last 3 months?
The late Jim Rohn would tell you that if you want to know why someone is successful, just follow them around for a day. You’d end up saying to yourself, “It’s no wonder they’re so successful…just look at everything they DO.” Jim coined the term “massive action,” which was later made popular by his protégé Tony Robbins. Regardless of who thunk it, the principle is sound: if you want to achieve a BIG goal, you need to take MASSIVE ACTION toward achieving it.
Sending out drip marketing e-mails is good, but it’s a far cry from MASSIVE ACTION. Massive action would be hiring a marketing admin, a couple of appointment setters, a salesperson and marketing manager to ramp up your list building, cleaning and lead generation efforts. Then raise your rates. Then get your salesperson to start doing QBRs with your top clients consistently, with the goal of increasing their MRR no less than 10% plus getting referrals and project work. Then make sure your website is optimized for conversion, then search engines, and utilize LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Business profile, Facebook and Google display network (retargeting). Maybe add on AdWords. Then make a list of 100 potential JV partners and call them all about doing a project together. Repeatedly.
Then join 2 or 3 industry associations for your chosen target market so you can network and generate leads. Hire another salesperson and get them to canvass the office parks in your area, then follow up by phone. Then hold a series of seminars for existing clients and prospects alike. Then hold a client appreciation event. Then make sure you’re sending out drip campaigns to the leads you’re generating. Then perfect your sales process. Etc., etc., etc.
Too much? Well, that may be why you’re still trading dollars for hours, making less than if you went to work for someone who WILL get this done. Sorry, I love you too much to not be honest, and I’m not saying you’re a lesser human being. What I am saying is that is the type of action required…the HUSTLE needed…to massively grow your IT services company.
I know this SOUNDS like a LOT. And to a certain degree it is. However, once you get rolling and building, you don’t start from scratch every time. The hardest part is getting ramped up, getting STARTED and not quitting. From there, it’s maintaining.
The question is, are you getting STARTED TODAY or finding another excuse? Another reason why it has to wait until tomorrow, next month, next year? You don’t go down a path of slow mediocrity and suddenly happen upon success.
If you’re an owner of an MSP or IT services business, who wants a proven blueprint to get more high-value and appreciative clients WITHOUT discounting or doing all the quoting, closing and prospecting work yourself, you MUST attend our 2-day MSP Sales Roadshow. Click below for all the details and to register.
