I was just going through some notes I took, following a talk I gave to a group of entrepreneurs. I spotted something, which they found extremely useful on the day. So, I thought I’d share it with you.
It’s based on my answer to a great question. Someone wanted to know why over a thousand articles on my blog are tagged as professional development, when it’s a marketing blog.
Here’s a shortened version of my reply.
The reason I focus so heavily on professional development, is that without it, NONE of the information a business owner receives is of any value to them. I then shared one of the foundations of all business success:
Business development seldom exceeds professional development.
In other words, we can’t give our business something, which we don’t have. Here are a few of the examples I used.
- We can’t avoid mistakes if we fail to see them coming.
- We can’t benefit from opportunities if we’re blind to them.
- We can’t enjoy a bumper crop if we harvest too soon.
I then explained how that’s only 50% of the problem caused by a lack of professional development.
Here’s the other half. And it’s a biggie!
Even if you give a business owner the exact answers they need, if they lack professional development… they’ll ignore it. That’s because when you lack professional development, REAL improvement always, always sounds scary.
It looks like this.
- Improvement = change.
- Change = risk.
- Risk = fear.
Every business starts to grow after it launches. Then, the business reaches a certain point and hits a plateau. Some plateau in the first 12 months. Others don’t plateau for a decade.
And it doesn’t matter! Because it’s what happens when they reach that plateau that makes all the difference.
Business owners tend to fall into one of the following two, broad groups.
Group one
Business owners in this group need additional professional development. They are deliberately targeted by marketers, who exploit the business owners eagerness to grow their business. They entice them with webinars, Facebook Lives, growth-hacking secrets, and countless online training products; all promising “too good to be true” results.
That kind of advice sells. It’s all gain, with no real effort. And those testimonials are always so inspirational. It’s easy money too, because there’s an endless stream of business owners… hoping that THIS motivating promise, MAY finally be the one that works.
Of course, it fails.
It has to fail.
Why?
Because as we know, in business, meaningful improvement only comes after making meaningful improvements (meaningful changes). If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. Business, like everything else in life, works on the law of cause and effect.
Now for some great news.
Group two
Every business owner in this group, (including me), started in group one. Then, at some point, they figured out they were wasting a lot of time and making very little progress. So they jumped ship into group two.
They now insist on expert advice from proven professionals. Professionals who will look at their unique situation and provide the unique roadmap or solutions they need. It’s why business owners in group two thrive.
Think about it. There’s a really good reason why:
- Literally every successful business owner makes important decisions based on trusted, informed, targeted advice.
- Literally none of them make important decisions, like how to grow their business, based on the toxic junk that business owners in group one rely on.
That’s why I focus so much of my content on professional development. I try and educate business owners, so they avoid the stress and wheel-spinning of being in group one. I strive to inform business owners who are trying to get the help they need, but looking in the worst possible places.
I hope you found this useful. Moreover, I hope you do something with it.
IMPORTANT: If you want to make more sales, boost your profits and grow an amazing business, this will help you!