How to Stop Doing “Stuff” and Start Getting Results

They wanted results but it was clear they were headed for overwhelm and frustration.

I had two different conversations last week with entrepreneurs who rattled off a list of “stuff” they were doing to promote their business.

“Monday and Friday I’m on FB. Then I’ve got a newsletter I’m working on. I’ve done three networking events this month. I just got on Twitter so now I can really put myself out there. I’ve got to be more visible so I’m…”

Sounds great at face value right? Using on-line and off-line networking to build visibility and credibility is key to launching and growing a business. But both of these brilliant ladies were missing 2 fundamental components: They couldn’t clearly explain who they were targeting or how they would know if all the “stuff” they were doing was working.

Let’s start with knowing who you are targeting. You can attend 100 networking events a month but if only two of them are filled with people who will actually buy your product or service you’ve just wasted a lot of time and money.

Well what about referrals? They might not buy from me but they can give me referrals, right? How comfortable are you referring someone you’ve just met and know nothing about and who is not a part of your regular network? At best you might find a few relationships to cultivate and possible leads but is it really worth your time – especially when you are launching a business part time?

I made that mistake, when I first got to St. Paul. I was eager to jump in and start networking so I attended the first thing I found that fit my schedule. I showed up suited up, armed with business cards, radiating confidence, ready to tell everyone I met about the benefits of working with a career coach. I sat on the edge of my chair, listening to the introductions: Financial planner, telecommunications sale rep, printing company, loan officer, etc… and they were all looking for other business to connect with. How many people do you think wanted to talk with me after the introductions? I’m sure they were all scratching their heads  wondering what I was doing there- I know I was. I still talked to people – if nothing else it was good practice. And its a good thing it was a free event! But I would have gotten more ROI from my investment of time and gas if the attendees were actually part of my target audience.

Knowing your audience allows you to streamline your networking, so that you attend the right events. In the context of the right event it is easier to connect with the right people and generate high potential leads which can result in referrals and more business. Those are the results you really want from the “stuff” you do.

You need to know what results you want. One of the quickest ways to create frustration is to confuse the busyness of doing stuff with real strategic action. How can you tell the difference? A strategic action is directly tied to two things: goals and results. For example, if your goal is to be more visible, how will you know when you are more visible? Will you have 3 opportunities to present to your target audience? Will you have two articles posted in an industry magazine? If those things happen – then you have accomplished your goal and all of the tactics or “stuff” got you what you wanted. Without clear results you’re just spinning your wheels, wondering why nothing is working and why you aren’t getting results.

Want to change the game?

1. Get clear about what you do and who you serve. It’s not just fluff that marketing coaches try to sell you programs on – it’s being strategic about how you invest your time, money and energy.
2. Get clear about exactly how you will know you’ve been successful. Would you rather be busy or effective? Effectiveness is measured by results, not how much “stuff”you do.

Are you clear on who you serve and what results you want? No, then you are wasting your precious time. Stop what you are doing and figure it out. If you are, share your genius by leaving a comment.

Hope this was helpful!

Tai

• Pin It
• Share
• Tweet