Below I've matched six of my favorite quotes to real-life experiences
from Radial clients, plus a brief "lesson learned" takeaway.
Enjoy!
1) "What you lose on the swings, you can pick up on the
merry-go-round."
Got a a truly desperate phone call back
in October from Stewart, who owned a wellness center that offered CAM
and conventional healthcare - mainly acupuncture, chiropractic and
medical massage, plus physical therapy, fitness and nutritional
counseling and health coaching.
Business was fine until his
landlord started trying to force him out so that he could take advantage
of a better real estate opportunity.
As we brainstormed with
Stewart, he shared his longtime vision of a "wellness mall" where he
would serve as landlord for health and wellness businesses of all kinds.
So we started exploring what it would take to actually make that vision
a reality.
On the way to visit his mom one day, he spotted a
location that was ideal for his "wellness mall" concept. He's now lining
up tenants (which is going well, thanks to his network) and will open
for business at the end of March.
The lesson:
Was his landlord in the wrong? Yes. But that wasn't the point, and
obsessing about how to make him live up to the lease was pointless.
When a business decision doesn't pan out, tweak it and try again.
Don't be so fixated on maintaining the status quo that you're blind to
even better alternatives.
2) "In all aspects of our
lives, we must choose between the trivial many and the vital few. "
Caroline is the marketing VP for a workplace wellness provider. When
she hired us to review their marketing campaigns, we were stunned to
find that her team had a finger in every pie - Twitter, Facebook, a
blog, flyers, brochures, sell sheets, FAQs, conferences, direct mail,
AdWords, cold calling, newsletters, Internet radio and podcasts...and
tons more.
Just one problem - it took a lot of time and money
AND wasn't generating leads or new contracts.
The cure: we
killed some activities that didn't work or didn't fit their strategy,
like Facebook. We rewrote some marketing pieces so that they supported
specific steps in the sales process. Temporarily stopped some other
things, like the podcasts. And substituted a few carefully-planned new
activities that filled in gaps in their sales cycle.
The
lesson: Focus your energies on the "big bang" activities that
are critical in moving your business forward. Be clear on the difference
between "busyness" and actual results. It's much better to get a
few really powerful things finished, with excellence, than to sputter
along on a dozen activities that never quite get done.
3)
"Survival precedes success."
We consulted with a women's
health clinic a couple of years ago whose business concept cleverly
combined fitness and nutrition with a focus on several chronic health
issues that women often face. It was an excellent idea and they had the
right team to make it work.
Except: they wanted to swing for the
fences. Gradually building the business wasn't good enough for them.
They wanted a grand-slam home run, this minute. So they spent about
$90,000 (most of their investment capital) with local ad agencies in
three months, on marketing videos, expensive print advertising,
elaborate brochures and posters, and a pricey website.
Unfortunately that left them with no money to pay vendors and staff
while they built up their client base. They shut their doors about nine
months later. Heartbreaking for them, and very disappointing to see such
a promising business fail when it was totally avoidable.
The lesson: you've got to survive the battle to win the war!
Avoid make-or-break decisions that back you into a corner and close off
options. You can almost always find a way to move forward without
betting the farm.
4) "The skills that bring you to the
table don't keep you at the feast."
Our smallest clients
often face this challenge. They're great personal trainers, dietitians,
physicians, chiropractors, etc., etc. And naturally, their clients love
them. Inspired, they decide to start their own business.
Often,
they continue to pour all of their energies into being the best wellness
professional possible. They often spend most of their spare time and
discretionary funds on training workshops, professional conferences,
continuing ed, and so on.
While it's important to stay on top of
your field, those skills alone won't lead to a successful business.
It's even more important to acquire the skills that will make you a
successful business owner.
For example, getting new clients is
usually the hardest activity for a new wellness business owner. As many
of you already knkow, marketing requires more than an order of business
cards! And there's more to managing your expenses than just paying your
credit card bill every month.
The lesson:
Periodically compare the skills you're using most and investing in to
the skills that would most benefit your business at this point in its
lifecycle. Then develop a plan to get those skills - whether it's
through reading, classes, mentoring, networking, hiring outside experts,
or adding staff to your own team.
5) "Success is never
permanent. Neither is failure."
Lake and Martel were
co-owners of a yoga business. They started the business in 2003 in the
Las Vegas vicinity when things were popping! The business grew rapidly
and profitably, thanks in part to some creative guerrilla marketing
techniques that helped get their name out there and attract more
clients.
Then the Vegas economy went to hell in a handbasket.
They went without a single new paying client for five months. And the
regulars started vanishing too. Pretty scary. They were winding down the
business when they called us to figure out what to do next.
When
we started working with them, it was immediately obvious that what had
made them successful wasn't going to work anymore. The customers just
weren't there. So we helped them take inventory of their capabilities
and assets.
Lake's a former physical therapist and Martel
previously worked in human resources and understands the workers'
compensation process. They've now refocused the business on training
employers in the prevention and early identification of work-related
injuries. They also train employees in injury prevention and ergonomic
techniques. It's going quite well, since cost control is an evergreen
business concept that thrives even in a down economy.
The
lesson: Complacency is not your friend. You can't assume that
what's worked so far will keep working. Always look ahead to what's
coming, and pay attention to external developments. Don't let your
day-to-day business absorb so much of your attention that you're blind
to what's happening around you.
6) "You're not a
hundred-dollar bill. Everyone's not going to like you."
Three years ago we created a comprehensive portfolio of sell sheets,
brochures, direct-mail postcards, and marketing emails for a corporate
wellness provider, all linked to a webinar marketing strategy.
Our client's new business leads went through the roof and overall, the
project was really successful. We were thrilled, too, because it was a
new direction for Radial.
Then one day I got a call from Sharron,
our client contact. Panic!
One of their customers had complained
about their webinars - just hated the experience. Now, keep in mind that
these marketing webinars were reaching 100+ potential customers every
time. They were getting great feedback and exceeding their targeted
results. So there was nothing inherently wrong that needed to be fixed.
Webinars just didn't float this customer's boat.
My advice to
Sharron: there will always be someone who doesn't like what you're
doing. Listen to their comments for anything actionable - but don't
ditch a successful idea just because you get a small amount of negative
feedback.
They took a deep breath, sincerely thanked the
customer for their feedback, and kept going.
The lesson:
You're never going to please everyone - and you don't need to.
Rate this article and enter to win
a complimentary marketing review!
