Sunday night, I watched a documentary about one of my favorite athletes. The first episode of “The Last Dance: Michael Jordan” showcased Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls, and highlighted the two things that set him apart from his competitors—his mindset and discipline. Heavily discussed was the fact that Jordan played every game like it was his last. Why would that be the case? Because at every single game, Jordan knew there’d be someone new in the stands watching—someone that had never seen him play before and he wanted to play the best for them and himself.
Think about this—what if you worked your specialty with this exact mindset? What if you woke up every morning, dedicated to working as hard as you could because you know you’ll meet people who’ve never heard of your business and they’ll be curious about what you do? What if, every single time you met someone new, you showed them why you’re brand is the best? Michael Jordan was such a phenomenal athlete because he never got complacent and he never lost his growth mindset—and you shouldn’t either. From today forward, I encourage you to be like Mike!
Growth Mindset
Michael Jordan said: “I can accept failure. Everyone fails sometimes. But I can’t accept not trying.” In business, if you’re working hard and failing a lot, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing! This could mean you’re generating a lot of movement and you’re ultimately being an innovative risktaker, coming up with new ideas and new ways to work your business. These actions will eventually lead to growth: not giving up = feeding the growth mentality it takes to succeed! When you embrace your failures and your business starts to thrive, get excited about the momentum, but never be content. Each and every one of us must put in work to get results, because at the end of the day, if you don’t quit, you can’t fail.
Failure Isn’t Just Accepted; It’s Expected
Yes, you read that right; failure isn’t just accepted; it’s expected. In business, failure is okay, as long as you are also continually improving. Winning isn’t everything—growing is! Think about the first time you did something new in business and failed…even though you failed, the important thing is, you didn’t give up! You may have been nervous or tried to talk yourself out of doing the task, but- you pushed through, and that put you one step closer to success and living your life by design. Never forget, your attitude determines your altitude.
You’re Doing Good, But Strive to be Great
Here are 9 simple ways to take you and your brand from good…to great!
1. Constantly Clarify Your Mission. What is it that you’re going after, and what are you trying to get done? What are your goals?
2. Figure Out What You Do Best. Maybe you’re great at doing business on Facebook? Or via Zoom? Or even in person? Whatever works best for you, hone in on it.
3. Be Engaged! If you want to win, you must be engaged on all levels. With your customers, your business partners, your employees, and most importantly, yourself! Seek out ways to stay a student to help your business succeed.
4. Break Down Your Mission Into Specific Goals. How many calls do you want to make a day? How many follow-ups should you do? Whatever your goals, breaking them down will make them more achievable.
5. Sell to Your Customers’ Needs. Pay attention to your customers and their buying patterns, then give them what they want!
6. Create a Relationship. The only way to create a relationship is with organic engagement! As a business owner, you’re also a relationship builder. Make sure your customers always know how valuable they are to you and your business. Furthermore, make sure your messaging to each customer is unique—this will make them feel valued and keep them coming back.
7. Sell With a Purpose. Track everyone who does business with you. Where are your customers coming from? Analyze these people and find what they have in common because THIS is your target market.
8. Listen to What Your Customers are Posting on Social Media. Social listening will take your business to the next level. Social listening is merely listening to your audience and interacting with them to see what they want. This unique engagement will let your customers know that you care about more than selling them a product—you want to gain their trust and take them from being buyers to forever customers.
9. Take responsibility, not credit. Take responsibility for what your future growth will look like and how you will keep it going.
Do the Work
Ultimately, success comes down to doing the work! Show up, be present, be in the game, and do what it takes to succeed. Don’t give excuses because excuses never produce results! Always remember, if you don’t quit, you can’t fail. Get out there and be like Mike, each and every day.
