Success Through Daily Habits

In my work with clients it is not uncommon for me to hear people talk about having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month or a bad year. When we start digging into why, I often find out that they weren’t consistently doing business building activities.

There are two reasons that are most commonly shared:

1. I had a lot of business come in and I was busy.
2. I don’t like selling.

I think most of us enjoy doing the technical part of our business very much. That’s generally the reason we began doing it in the first place. But, we can never be truly successful as entrepreneurs until we embrace client creation as a part of what we do. Notice I said “client creation” and not “sales”. I say that because it is important to know the kind of client relationship you want to create and then develop daily habits that connect you with that kind of person.

For most of us, the best way to do that is through direct contact. Or, as a former sales manager of mine used to say, “Get belly to belly with the people you want to work with.” But, don’t do it solely with the intention of selling them something, do it to build relationships that are mutually beneficial – whatever that looks like.

Reaching out to people you already know is ideal. It’s easier and it’s generally more fun than reaching out to strangers. Ways you can connect:

• Warm calling – Call people with whom you have some connection with the intention of catching up and finding out what’s happening in their lives.
• A meal, coffee or happy hour – Also a great way to stay in touch get to know each other better.
• Attend a function together – While you’ll both likely do some other networking, you can generally find good time to connect.
• A personal letter or email – This is most effective when it is truly personal, and it is followed up with a phone call.

However, most of us won’t do this consistently unless we schedule it in our calendars and make it a habit. I have found that early in the day leads to the most success. Give outreach the same level of priority as working with clients has, or you’ll find yourself putting it off (again) and riding that oh so stressful roller coaster of feast or famine in your business (again).

Are you ready to put lack of success behind you? Then, try this for the next 90 days:

• Think about the activities that are most beneficial to your success.
• Schedule them in your calendar.
• Keep your commitment to doing those activities. That way they will become habits.
• If you really need to do something else in that time, then reschedule rather than deleting your business building activities.
• At the end of each 30-day period, assess the activities you’ve chosen and the time you’ve allocated: Too much? Not enough? Just right? Adjust accordingly.
• Keep building the habits that lead to your success.

A common misconception about being an independent salesperson or self-employed is that we get to do whatever we want to do. While that’s somewhat true, if you want to be successful, you must develop good habits. Figure out which activities are revenue producing and schedule time for them. Then do them. Consistently.

Wishing you great success from working with clients you love!

Cheri