I’m over seeing alternative and natural therapies languishing in the sidelines. Too often we stay small, broke and marginal, because we play small in business. Who does it serve when we stay small in business? Our best clients are waiting for us to step up so they can cheer us on, while saying to their friends, “I always knew she was exceptional.”
1. Communicating telepathically
One of the defining experiences that lead me to start Yoga Reach was when a very talented Swiss yoga teacher told me that she didn’t need to promote her classes – that if people needed her, they would come. While I didn’t doubt her ability to communicate telepathically, I did doubt the telepathic abilities of everyone else to hear her. We need to communicate – clearly, compelling and repeatedly – if people are to know who we are, what benefits we offer, and how they can take advantage of these.
2. Leaving it all to the universe
Mystical thinking in business isn’t the domain of natural therapies alone – people of different faiths around the world pay priests and shamans, consult astronomers, and run their business events according to mystical advice. This is essentially harmless until we believe that we have no control over what happens in our business. While we cannot control all outside circumstances, handing your business to the universe to turn miracles – and blaming the universe when things don’t turn out – is like blaming your parents for the rest of your life. After all, the universe helps those who help themselves.
3. Listening to the squeaky wheel
In most families, there’s one kid who moans loudly and consistently and gets the most attention. In business, there’s always a few clients who makes their objections clear, whether asked for or not – who says she can’t stand receiving so many emails, or questions why you have to pay up-front for the retreat even though it’s not until November, or asks for a 6am class and then never shows up.
The squeaky wheel doesn’t speak for the majority of your clients. The squeaky wheel may, in fact, be better off at your competitor’s business down the road. Catering each and every offering and marketing message to your squeaky wheel will not only send you broke, it’ll neglect the majority of your clients while eroding your joy for your business.
4. Not pitching ourselves
Similar to how the squeaky wheel attracts attention, we must speak up if we are to be known. We need to pitch ourselves in business – whether for a local business award, as a speaker at your local Rotary Club, as a panelist on an industry event, or as a guest blogger for a large relevant blog. To pitch ourselves, we need to act confident, demonstrate sufficient credibility and expertise, and try. That last part is essential.
5. Believing small is good and big is bad
Big business is not inherently bad. In fact, big businesses are often successful because they have empathised and listened closely to their clients and delivered an exceptional product or service. Then, they’ve simply leveraged and replicated this as consistently as possible. Conversely, small businesses often stay small because they refuse to change with the times, don’t listen to their clients and deliver inconsistent products and services. Exceptional customer service isn’t the sole domain of small businesses. We just fool ourselves believing that it is. Any person can deliver exceptional customer service when they are trained and enthused by the shared mission of the company they work for.
Are you ready to step up and play big? 30 Steps Group Coaching starts September 2.
