Greg's Right FIT #447

Quick notes to help you grow your business in less time with less effort. . . sometime next week. 

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on Action
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on Action

• Warren Miller, "If you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do."
• John Burroughs, "Leap and the net will appear."
• Anonymous, "Make a decision, then make it right. 
• Larry Winget, "Never wonder, 'is it me?' It's you."

Being Human - The new, new  

"You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to." – C.S. Lewis

A short description of my work is listening to what people want and designing a path to work both within their constraints and containing the fewest obstacles. Successful engagements rely on a clear vision. That lets you eliminate a lot of options. 

An issue clients bump into comes about when the next new tool arrives. The salesperson will tell them, "you need to be doing X Y and Z." It sounds good. The vendor has examples. Soon the client is asking, "why aren't we doing these things?" It's a fair question. A  better question is to ask "will doing X, Y, and Z get us to our goal sooner, cheaper, better?"

Your Process

Even better, get into your current process and ask the vendor where this new tool enhances what is currently being done. In my book, "The Human Being's Guide to Business Growth" I used this graphic to help understand the point I'm making. 

A strong vision informs your strategy. A strong strategy informs your tactics. Those tactics produce results which you run back through the process. New tools assume a strategy and recommend tactics that fit inside it. The vision used is broad because it's easier to sell. "You want more customers, don't you?" 

Asking how new tools fit the current strategy and tactics is the best way to get the most from them. 

For example, buyer intent data is hot right now. "We know who is looking for products and services just like yours right now." Who wouldn't want that? 

A typical question sounds like, why aren't we using buyer intent data? It sounds like a winner. 

A better question sounds like, will this buyer intent data get us to our goal any faster/cheaper/better?

The best question sounds like, where can we plug buyer intent data into our sales process, and test results?

Keep your eyes on your goal. The best tools are the ones you can use with the least disruption to your momentum. Like Gen. Patton said, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." 

Random Stuff

"With great power, comes great responsibility." – Uncle Ben

I've told you about my composter. The Aerobin 400. A model of efficiency. When it's loaded correctly. I'm good at adding wet materials, but not enough dry compost. It's supposed to get up to 140F, but I'm at 95-100F most days. Seems to work anyway. 

The finished compost goes into the garden and flower beds. It's full of goodness and the plants thrive. This time of year we have big green tomatoes (multiple heirloom varieties this year), some squash, cucumbers, a few beans, and the roses are fired up. The harvest comes soon. 

Once again, as harvest gets here, we'll be out of town. I get to be the old guy leaving an unreasonable number of instructions for the neighbor kids. Water this, but only if seems dry. Pick this if it's ready, but you don't have to eat it. Look out for this, watch out for that. My harvest challenges will become their problem. 

I'm become what I've made fun of. 

In high school, there was a guy who lived by a park we used to frequent. If you drove down his street after dark, he would jump out from the bushes with a spotlight, taking down your license plate, and threatening to call the cops. He became "the spider man" and when we were bored, which happened a lot, we'd detour by the spider man's house. Once, I remember a line of cars queued up at the end of his block, filled with kids waiting for their turn to harass that man. We laughed and laughed. Poor guy.

I'm about ready to take up the mantle. When I'm in the front and I hear someone tearing down the block, I go to the curb, give them a steely stare, and do the, "really?" shrug and shake, staring as they pass just in case they peek at their rearview mirror. 

In another decade, I'll be hiding in the bushes with my spotlight. Those meddling kids will queue up at the end of the block. As each car comes by, I'll jump out and give them a little show, shining my spotlight, and recording their details with my Apple Vision thing. I'm from the future so it will be livestreamed on TikTok or whatever. I'll have an online store and merch too. 

I'm ready. I've earned this.