All good things do not come to those who wait

Reflections on Branson Centre Foundations Course - Session 1

This week has been an interesting one, with my brain in business overdrive. One of the aspects at stood out for me during the business board game "Vantagepoint" was that as entrepreneurs we need to carefully assess where the business is, and take advantage of the opportunities that come our way. There's no room for passivity if we want to stay open for business.

So how does what I learnt in my first week at the Branson Centre apply to my business?

Let me start by making a statement I'm sure will resonate with many other small business owners. I hate cold calling. It's like ripping off a band aid. You know you have to do it. You "um" and "ah" because you're anticipating the agony.(Often the anticipation is the most painful part.)

After alternating between starting at my computer screen, then at my phone... then back at my screen... I picked up the handset and dialed a prospect I had meant to call a while back. She was very pleasant the conversation flowed with ease. Unfortunately when I got to the part where I asked for a face to face meeting, she informed me that another company had beaten me to selling her the service I was offering. (This is the part where I quietly face-palmed myself)

Quick thinking kicked in, exploring how I could turn the situation to my benefit. Someone had beaten me here, and I wanted to know more about who this someone was. If you're going to up your game as an entrepreneur - then you need to know what your competition is up to.

I managed to convince the prospect to meet with me so that the next time a need arose in my area of expertise, she would at least have some options to choose from. My primary objective was to find out more about my competitor but through listening and asking the right questions I uncovered some other opportunities that were ripe for the picking. I left the meeting with two strong sales prospects and some insight into a new competitor's activity.

I've learnt a few lessons outside the classroom this week.

1. Don't procrastinate. Call that prospect. Set that meeting. Ask. Listen
2. If someone beats you to a client, find out who they are - and what they are doing that you are not.

I get that in life, there are situations that require patience - and that there is a time to exercise caution and not act rashly or make foolish decisions. Most of the time though, when you're running your own business - good things do not come to those who wait.

Good things come to those who act.





For more on the Branson Center visit www.bransoncentre.org
For more on Vantagepoint visit www.vantagepoint.co.za


Image from www.sxc.hu - http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1385312