| If you want to chart a fresh direction you are | | | | Ask them what they're stuck on. Ask them what |
| going to have to grab the steering wheel and give | | | | they like about your company and what they'd |
| it a hard, gut-wrenching yank to the right. And so | | | | like you to do next. Ask them about new |
| it is with your thoughts and actions. Repeating | | | | features, or new products, or new services. |
| them a few times all but insures you will | | | | If you're not happy with your current customers, |
| comfortably repeat them indefinitely unless you | | | | conduct a survey among the kind of people you'd |
| take deliberate - possibly disruptive -- action to do | | | | like to have as customers. And, if you can't do |
| otherwise. | | | | that, conduct a survey online. Write an attractive |
| Here are 7 rut busters I use with my business | | | | search engine ad, promise something of value, |
| coaching clients that you can apply immediately to | | | | and drive people to a survey page. Ask them |
| get yourself and your business out of a rut. | | | | anything you like - the answers will almost always |
| 1. Shift your mindset from self to customer. Most | | | | provide you with a neat mind-shift. |
| business people think of themselves first. They | | | | 5. Focus on building your strengths and dump your |
| craft product and service offers from their own | | | | weaknesses. From the time we are little children |
| perspective and consider themselves the | | | | we are taught to better ourselves by working on |
| beneficiaries of their actions. | | | | our weaknesses. This is often both frustrating and |
| While that's not wrong, to get out of your rut do | | | | fruitless, and certainly not as much fun as |
| this: put yourself into the mind of your customer. | | | | practicing our strengths. |
| Who are these people anyway? What are they | | | | Try this on: What if you focused 100 percent of |
| concerned about? What are they trying to | | | | your energy on being world-class in those few |
| accomplish? | | | | things at which you are already very good, and |
| If you were your customer, what would you | | | | out-tasked or outsourced those things at which |
| think of that new product, marketing campaign, | | | | you were mediocre. Imagine if you never had to |
| or mail piece? Are you selling your wonderful | | | | face any of those things again and could spend all |
| "stuff", or are you providing them tangible, | | | | your time doing the good stuff. Would that |
| meaningful benefits. Ask, "If I were the customer, | | | | change the way you felt about your business? |
| would I care?" And if not, consider, "What | | | | Would that bust you out of your rut? |
| WOULD I get excited about?" | | | | 6. Not if, but how. Think of that wild and crazy |
| 2. Shift your mindset from customer to client. A | | | | idea you had recently. The one where you said to |
| customer is someone who buys your goods or | | | | yourself, "That would be great, but there's just no |
| services. The original meaning of client is entirely | | | | way." Well, I know there's no way - you just said |
| different: someone who is under your care and | | | | so -- but if there was a way, what would it be? |
| protection. | | | | Answer that question as if you believed it was |
| Now that's a switch, isn't it? If they're customers, | | | | possible - probable even -- and then get busy |
| your goal is to get them to buy something. But if | | | | making it real. That's power, you know -- turning |
| you were to think of them as under your care - | | | | your vision into reality. Talk about a breakthrough! |
| would you approach your business from another | | | | 7. What are you willing to sacrifice? Some |
| angle? How would you take care of them? How | | | | important things are more important than other |
| would you "protect" them? What new programs | | | | important things, and trying to keep all those |
| would you want to implement immediately? | | | | plates spinning in the air saps your vigor for the |
| 3. Revisit your vision. Whenever I feel like I'm in a | | | | ones that truly matter. Dissipated energy - |
| rut I return to my vision and I do 2 things. First, I | | | | lethargy -- is one of the reasons we lie down in |
| make sure it still inspires me and that it is pointing | | | | that rut in the first place, and dropping a few of |
| me in the direction I want to go. Once sure, I put | | | | those plates can really help things break loose. |
| pen to paper and rewrite it. Not just once, but | | | | So let go. Make the sacrifice. Clear your plate and |
| over and over. And I keep writing until I can't | | | | give up some of those precious things you've |
| write it anymore because I'm jumping up and | | | | been holding on to. Focus your vitality on plans |
| down with a new idea I must do something about | | | | which will really rock your world. Ruts? Who needs |
| right away. | | | | 'em. |
| 4. Conduct a Survey If you don't know what to | | | | Want to find out about how to cook yams, |
| do next, ask your clients. (They are clients, aren't | | | | baking yams, how to bake yams, braids on men, |
| they?) Conduct a survey about anything that | | | | braids for men , braids and other information? Get |
| interests you. Ask them what's bothering them. | | | | tips from the Knowledge Galaxy website. |