Dear Friends,
This tip is about choices.
It's about the choices we make today that prepares us for tomorrow. It's about perspective.
I don't need to tell you that the market place is changing, it's always changing.
Whether you're in real estate, mortgages, insurance, law, investments, home inspections, title, escrow, accounting or plain old retailing things are a bit different than they were a few years ago.
"Every era of prosperity is followed by an era of decline, and every era of decline is followed by an era of prosperity."
This quote is over 3000 years old. It illustrates the natural cycles, of things, even our economies and markets.
I think Bob Dylan summed it all up:
"The order is rapidly fadin' And the first one now, will later be last For the times they are a-changin"
For the past 10 years we have enjoyed an upward direction by any definition of sales and marketing. It's harder now.
Marketing isn't working as it had in the upward trend.
It's not that sales aren't happening, they are. The opportunities today are different than the opportunities of yesterday.
For some of you this year is better than last year. For some of you it's not. Why are some people thriving while others are barely surviving?
In my humble opinion it's because of one very special quality. Here it is.
A long term view. That's it!
Those who possess a long term view of their careers, their customer relationships, their company, their referral network, their own talents and skills have an advantage in the same marketplace over those who think and act short term. It's that simple.
How can just having a long term view help you in business?
How can it help you to build a referral business?
I'll explain.
Now you may be thinking that I'm crazy to place a hierarchy of all the special human qualities and put a long term view at the top.
Maybe I am.
But it seems to me that having a long term view, in retrospect, was the most valuable and important quality that I possessed in building the arenas of my life. At least the ones that were successful.
If I look at where I failed I can now say, with certainty, it was because I had a short term perspective.
Look at it this way. There are 4 primary areas of your life.
Financial
Physical
Spiritual
Mental
Which one of these doesn't require a long term view to experience an overall wellness? Which one? Any of them?
No, of course not.
They all require a long term view and actions that match.
In order for us to not only build an effective referral business, but to succeed today in business, we may want to consider expanding our view beyond one month, or six months, to over a year.
Some of the more successful individuals view their careers over the next decade, while others struggling see them-selves only over the next pay period or monthly sales chart.
In my life the areas that enjoyed the greatest success, I had the longest term view and plan.
For our tip today try this.
Imagine its one year from now. Go there, one year from today.
What activities would you like to have performed for the past 12 months that will better prepare you for today.
Write them down. Chances are you already know what to do.
I was speaking to one of my clients who had been mailing to his Client/Referral network twice a month for the past year and a half. One email per month and one postcard each month. Like clockwork he was adding names each week and contacted his network twice a month.
His efforts paid little or no dividend for the first 7 to 9 months and then it started to happen.
His friends, family, current customers, business associates, neighbors, previous co-workers, alumni, old sports team members, college buddies, past clients, and many others who he kept in constant contact with began to call him, ask questions, use his services and refer him to their friends and family.
One year later he's at the top of his game in a field where others are filled with worry, doom and gloom.
Why is he thriving? He had a long term view. He thought last year that this year would show up and he wanted to be ready.
So whether it's your financial health, your spiritual health, your mental health or your physical health, expand your view out beyond today and tomorrow.
Look out further.
Give yourself distance.
Imagine its one year from today and ask yourself, "Where do I want to be?" Now focus on, and perform the activities, that will lead you there.
Next year will show up and you'll be ready for it.
Thanks for spending 3 minutes with me.....
The best is yet to be!
Your Trusted Advisor For Life.
Jeffrey Stanton
You read Jeffrey's Journal every week because you, like me want the best for yourself.
And you, like me want to build a strong referral based business.
Who else like you, like me loves referrals that you can share this blog with right now?
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