“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” – Sheryl Sandberg
This should be easy but it is something far too many practitioners fail to do. Ask for business from people you know. Obvious? Really? How many times have you asked for business in the last six months?
80% of Your Business Comes From 20% of Your Clients
There’s an old adage that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. That rule is pretty accurate and asking should already have been a part of your plan. However, it’s not about the percentages. It’s about nurturing relationships you already have and moving them to the next level.
So ask for business. Ask clients and your friends. Ask to meet people they know in their organization. Ask if there is a topic they’d like you to cover in a seminar, webinar, or some other presentation. Ask. Sounds simple, right. But how often have you actually done it?
And don’t worry about being rejected. In fact, that will happen more often than not. If that’s your concern, remember the lesson from Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis. The book is about his experience as a new broker at Salomon Brothers, where cold calling was the primary way for a new broker to get business.
Cold Calling is A Part of Every New Business
Nothing is more demeaning and frustrating than cold calling. Usually, the broker receives a terse and often uncomplimentary response. But Salomon Brothers assured its new brokers that for every 100 calls, a broker would get a $10,000 order. So, each call was worth $100. Get it? $10,000/100=$100. So they told rookie brokers that whenever they’re told where to go and the prospect hangs up, they should say to themselves, “Great. I just made $100.” I have no clue if any of Salomon’s calculations were accurate or simply created from thin air. It doesn’t matter. The lesson is, that, unless you are persistent and readily accept rejection, you simply will not succeed.
The Power of Positive Thinking
So use whatever works for you each time you’re rejected. Maybe it’s, “Great. I’m one step closer to a $100,000 deal.” But whatever message you take away, make it a positive one. Your glass should always be half full, never half empty. And if that’s a problem for you, I suggest you either consider another line of work or take to heart the teachings from The Power of Positive Thinking by Rev. Norman Vincent Peale. Put aside the religious part. It’s a compelling book on how optimism, not pessimism, breeds success.
