Helloooo? Reality check time!

The first quarter of the year is now over and the clock is ticking on the next 90 days. Are you one of those “OMG! I’m nowhere near where I want to be this year!” people? I’ve been getting emails and calls from business owners who are breaking out in a sweat over their sales for the first part of the year. There are a number of reasons why this phenomenon is occurring and they all start with YOU!

Remember: Every time you point a finger at someone or something, there are three fingers pointing back at you. (I’m just sayin …)

Here’s your mini “Coffee with Cathy” session. Go grab yourself a cup of coffee and read on:

1) In Business or a Hobby? Here’s how can you tell. A business makes money – a hobby doesn’t.  Small business does not mean small results or small $$$. Here’s the kicker: you can’t expect BIG business results with only a small amount of effort. (what a concept!)

2) Paralysis by Analysis. You’re stuck due to indecision and you think that the more research you do, the easier it will be. Get on with it! We both know that you’ve been stalling on stuff that could get your ass, er, I mean sales in gear. What are you waiting for? There’s no failure, only learning so take that leap of faith and give it a try. Doesn’t work? Regroup, revise and re-launch.

3) Are you Keeping Score? Are you that business owner that keeps everything in their head? (no wonder your hat doesn’t fit!) A weekly sales report can be your ruler, your measuring stick. It doesn’t take much. You take your sales projections that you did for this year, broken down by months/seasons or….? and then you take those weekly figures and plug them in. If you don’t keep score, you won’t know if you’re winning.

4) Sales Cycle. Do you even know what that is? It’s the time from when a prospect hears/sees what you have to offer and actually BUYS it. The higher the price, the longer the sales cycle. So get off your treadmill and onto the cycle. Plan Ahead. Most people won’t buy from you today so you need to plant “seeds” 60, 90 up to 120 days in advance.

5) It’s OK to Ask For Help. If you’re stuck – ask or hire someone to help you get unstuck. Take a course, read a book, make a call, hire a coach – it doesn’t matter how, it matters NOW!

Now Go Get Connected!

About Cathy Kuzel

With 25+ years of experience as a successful Entrepreneur and Business Consultant helping Entrepreneurs succeed, she is recognized across Canada for her in-house and public seminars on “All Things Small Biz”. Named one of the Top Ten Mentors in Canada, Cathy is the Founder of The Connected Woman Association, Author of “Are You a Collector or a Connector?”; “I’m on the Phone!”; the internationally known “Daily Espressos” and is a networking maven.