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Every great business story begins with a dream. An inspiring, exciting and motivating dream. A dream that propelled the business owner AND those around them, to make amazing things happen.
Steve Jobs famously motivated top people to work for him, by sharing his dream with them. The most famous example was when he asked John Scully to leave Pepsi and join Apple.
Jobs said.
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
It’s hard to reject an offer like that! That kind of compelling dream literally changes how people feel. Feelings are what precede actions. As such, it massively increases the chances of people wanting to take action and invest in you, hire you or buy from you.
Just think about that for a moment.
The power of a compelling dream
In contrast, the ambition behind the typical small business is predictable. It’s pretty average. Here’s the thing: an average ambition won’t attract the best clients, customers, investors or partners. It won’t compel people to want to share a business’s vision or talk about them, either.
You end up working just as hard, but without the power of a compelling dream, the ceiling on your potential is unnecessarily limited.
This begs the question; how do you know if the dream behind your business is motivating enough? In my experience, there are 3 very good indicators.
- One way to know, is by how enthusiastic and driven you feel regarding your business. Compelling dreams bring energy and optimism. Average ambitions bring frustration and pessimism.
- Another powerful indicator is the way people react when you share your dream with them. If you’re on track, people will sit forward. Eyes wide open. Focusing on what you’re saying.
- And finally, you’ll find that other people pester you to become a part of your dream. They want to be on your team. Either as a customer, client, investor or advocate.
If your business isn’t energizing you, or isn’t attracting the people or attention it needs, check how compelling your dream is. Look at how motivating your plans are. Determine if you’re settling for less than you truly want.
Because it could be time to level up. It could be time to create a compelling dream that’s worthy of you, my friend.
The small business owners I work with enjoy far more sales, attract better clients and grow amazing businesses.
If you want the same, here’s exactly how it happens.