Stop Trying to Make Decisions in the Dark!
How quickly do you make decisions in your business?
Think carefully about that answer because the quicker you make decisions, the more successful you will be in your business.
Why?
Because for every moment you are contemplating, you aren’t connecting and communicating with potential or current clients. And connecting with people is the main source of revenue in your business. In fact, many business owners use “deciding” as a crutch to keep them from having to face the sales or follow-up process. When was the last time you said, “Ok, when I decide what to do with my website, then I’ll go out and get more clients?” It’s an excuse I hear all the time.
So how do you make quick decisions, especially about the big things like picking a niche, deciding what program to launch, how much to charge or what the name of something is?
Well, most people try to make this decision in the darkness of their own mind. They sit and think and think and think. Then they write. They might even get post-it notes and create a brainstorm wall. But in the end, they confuse themselves even more. Next, they try to use their intuition. They sit and meditate. They go for a walk and breathe. They might even make an appointment with an energy healer or a psychic. But the answer still doesn’t come. So in the end, this person decides that it’s just not meant to be and she gets distracted with other small details in her business – like deciding the picture on the website or the color of the pages. She doesn’t get any new clients and her business isn’t growing.
If you can relate to this situation now or in the past, then you are going to love the three steps below. I’ll show you how to stop making decisions in the dark and release the pressure of having to “know” what the right thing to do is before you move forward.
1. First, realize that if you are having trouble making a decision about something, it is usually that you don’t have enough relevant information yet. So the first step is to get more information. That means that you have to leave the darkness of your head (and often your home) and get out there and start acting and asking.
So if you are deciding between two niches, go get a client in each group. I guarantee that you’ll get the information you need to decide by working with the clients.
If you are deciding whether to launch a program or what to put into it, ask your clients what they want. I find it easiest to just pick up the phone and call one of my clients. I ask her if she has five minutes and then I tell her about a new idea. Usually she’s thrilled to be part of the creation process.
The point here is to get out and start connecting with people. Once you do that, you’ll find the answers come much more easily.
2. Second, realize that nothing is ever written in stone and it’s OK to start small. Let’s say you decide that you’d like to re-define your brand or your niche. You don’t have to re-do your whole website and give up your list today.
Start by creating a sales page for a program that is targeted towards your new group. Enroll four people in it. See how you like it. Start small and let it grow. You don’t have to revamp your whole company overnight.
Take baby steps and see how things go.
When I transitioned from Ideal Balance to Revenue Breakthrough, the first thing I did was launch a program with a sales page. I didn’t even bother to create a new website for 12 months. I focused on getting people into a program and deciding exactly what I wanted to be teaching first.
3. Third, realize that the universe will course correct for you – but you have to start traveling first. So the first thing to do is get out of your head and make a decision. Hire that assistant. Join that coaching program. Pick a color for the website.
Then have faith that if you need to go back and re-do it, the universe will guide you in the right direction.
But as long as you are sitting there and trying to figure it out in your head, the universe can’t be of much assistance to you.
I know that I used to be terrified that if I made the wrong decision it would cost me thousands of dollars and tons of time to fix it.
Therefore, I would spend days deliberating on every detail. Every now and then that voice still appears in my head.
What I know now is clear – all the time that you spend deliberating is the thing that is ACTUALLY costing you money – because you aren’t moving your business forward.
Today my income clearly shows the merit of that realization.
