By Jim Connolly
Marketing is a GREAT business. As the owner of a marketing company, I get to work with some amazing people. I help market the services of some extremely successful businesses and some that are really struggling when they come to me. One of the things all the successful businesses people have in common is that they are run by people who are always busy; doing something that takes them or their business forward.
Movement and progress
Successful people know that there is a world of difference between movement and progress. Movement by itself serves no purpose unless it is leading to something. Progress is what counts! Progress is what can turn a thought into a fortune!
Rowing hard in the WRONG direction
The ‘average person‘ works really hard, in many cases, even harder (and longer hours) than the people who are making the big bucks. The problem, is that they are moving without progressing - they are working hard doing the wrong things! Like a person in a rowing boat, who’s rowing with all their strength in the wrong direction - They work hard but never get where they want to be. This leads to frustration and unless they change their approach, it also leads to a life of missed opportunities.
Fifteen years business experience
I gave some advice recently to the owner of a marketing company. Their turnover had remained almost static for years and everyone was working really hard - getting nowhere! The head of this business told me; “Jim, I have fifteen years experience of running a marketing business and I just cannot see what we are doing wrong; why our turnover has never really grown.”
On examination, it was clear that this chap was making some extremely basic, fundamental errors. Instead of fixing these errors years earlier, he waited until now to actually do something - So that his business could finally progress.
He did not have fifteen years business experience
The owner of that marketing business actually had just one years worth of business experience - which he repeated fourteen times. He had mistaken movement for progress.
Feedback
By looking at your feedback and adjusting your approach, you can ensure that you are always moving forward or progressing. If you are employed and your salary is not much higher than it was 2, 3, 5 years ago - STOP and ask yourself ‘why?’ You are ALWAYS paid in direct relation to the value you bring to your company. If you want more money, INCREASE your value - find out what your boss or a future boss REALLY values and learn how to provide it! Don’t wait for annual pay increases of a few percent - that’s just experiencing the same old year over and over again!
If you run a business and your turnover, sales or profits have not grown much in the past few years - again, stop and ask yourself ‘why?’ Increasing sales is EASY and fun, just email me if you want to know how I can help (info [at] jimconnolly.com).
Whatever you do, DON’T mistake movement for progress!
NEVER MISS A GREAT IDEA AGAIN!
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Filed under: Business development, Marketing, personal development, small business | Tagged: Marketing, progress, small business, success
