It is only natural in a poor economy, you tend to let things happen to you and your business instead of letting “you” happen to your business world.
As clients cut back or new business slows or the media shrinks in the case of PR firms like ours, you tend to play defense instead of offense and just hold onto to what you have instead of building on it and going for more. This stance obvious leads to a murky middle ground that is not satisfying to you, your employees, your clients or your business. So how can you break out of this? Here are some thoughts:
- First, admit you have a problem: The first step is to agree with yourself that you have been laying back and letting things happen to you. There is nothing wrong with this and it is usually the first step on the road to recovery.
- Take some risk: Not the “I’m going to do something stupid risk,” but the “I’m going to force myself out of my comfort zone” type of risk. Risk by the nature of it makes you more aggressive.
- Enlist the help of the rest of your organization: When you lay it out in front of them most of your partners, co-workers, employees will admit they have been laying back as well. Most of them will welcome the challenge even though they may share their initial discomfort.
- Challenge your customers or clients: They hired you to not only to perform a service, but also to provide expertise. If they feel that you are not being aggressive and challenging them, they will likely go off and find someone else who does.
- Set a six-month goal: Usually financial but this goal can be physical or spiritual as well.
There are more but with the holiday and all I don’t want to take up too much time. Also remember that aggressiveness sets you up for a quicker bounce back once the economy really turns for the better.
Please share what you do to reignite your business aggressiveness, I’d love to know.
Julie Bonn Heath
/ May 25, 2009LOL. Sorry but I had to giggle at the first step. I am looking forward to reading more suggestions on how to successfully continue to grow in the recession. It has been a struggle for us and I will admit that most every strategy we have put into place has not worked to the extent that I would like to see. Is the answer then to remain stagnant and just be happy to remain in business? I am not content with that answer for us either. p.s. Why am I am your category cloud? That’s funny too. Julie Bonn Heath
Rebecca Jones
/ May 26, 2009These ideas and strategies have many applications to a well-lived life, let alone a well-run business.
An excellent article in a recent New Yorker also discusses the rewards of smart risk when most others are doing safe bets. It looks back at 20th century companies that achieved industry dominance during downturns. This was precisely because they moved forward aggressively with PR and advertising instead of following their competition in cutting those budgets. Think about it – when others are NOT putting their messages out there, your message is amplified. Here is the link: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2009/04/20/090420ta_talk_surowiecki
This thinking applies also to the personal/business recommendations in this post. In a bull market, everyone is charging forward with alpha-male bravado and aggressiveness is often the only thing that counts. In a bear market, talent and risk are more likely to win the day — in part because you don’t have to shout over the loud-but-average to be heard.
Daniel Durazo
/ May 27, 2009Great post Jon. I have never seen despair and opportunity coexist as strongly as they do now. I have had a parade of people visit me who are looking for the next thing: the next client, the next job, the next sign that things will turn around. But few people are willing to take the chance to create what will be their future. My advice: go with your heart and create something that offers value to others, like a brand new revenue stream for an existing business or industry and be sure to keep your overhead low.