Business Insight: The Real Cause Of Inaction!
“I need that service, but…”
But what?
Have you ever been in a situation were you saw the value an offer presents, but couldn’t get yourself to take that offer? What usually causes that?
The reason only a small percentage of people make head way in life is not because they have larger heads or superfluous know-how… they are just strategic action takers, period! They possess good business insight from experience (some call it “experiential knowledge”).
If you’ve been through the phase of skepticism and uncertainty (like most of us) when presented with any offer, in some cases, it is not necessarily because you don’t want it, it’s because you’ve probably been ‘burned’ in the past and that thought still lingers, and then it grows into something you can’t control.
You shouldn’t let that be a continuous excuse for not taking action though, especially if you know your business needs help, because if you keep projecting that excuse, then you will never surpass it. It will engulf you!
So someone gave you a shady offer, big deal! You learn from that mistake and become wiser. It’s the world we live in, and we just have to understand how things work prior to jumping on board.
What is the real cause of inaction?
It’s FEAR!
It’s the one thing that many people are battling with today (not only in business), and to overcome it, you must muster up courage and summon your will power to face it.
Prior to quitting my job working as a fish monger in a local supermarket, I didn’t know if I was ever going to make head way in life if I left the job. But one thing I was certain about was that I wasn’t going to continue working there. I had had enough and was ready to move on with my life.
The major downside to my decision was that I didn’t have a concrete plan while exiting the job, however, I knew I wasn’t afraid of venturing out to start my own business. That lack of planning came back to hit me across the face, but that not withstanding, I didn’t call it quits and go back to beg for my job, I stayed on… it was either this or nothing else!
The road to entrepreneurship is a rough, lonely and turbulent one, and through the years I’ve learnt to master and overcome fear (it still lingers though, but not as it was at the initial stage… I’m more in control now).
As a Consultant, I no longer beat myself up when someone says “no” to my offer, mainly because a “no” doesn’t always mean what we think it means. It is my place to either invalidate the objection or simply move on, if I feel we are not going to be a good fit to work together.
A “no” could mean the person is not ready yet; he/she doesn’t see the value, so I have to get that aspect right; he/she sees the value but does not trust me yet (another aspect I’d work on); he/she just wanted to pick my brains and head off to do it him/herself (not always nice!); he/she is afraid of losing money, even though he/she needs help, etc!
So, if you are afraid of taking up a service, bear in mind that the cost of not taking action is greater than when you actually take the plunge.
How so? If you ask every successful person, you will find out the same trait in them… they were able to get to where they are because they took action, and someone was there to put them straight by telling them the truth. That someone is a mentor or a coach! Someone who is gifted with valuable business insight and can point them in the right direction.
On the other hand, the person who never takes action never gets to discover his/her true potential, and will often stay stuck in a particular spot for a long period of time, until he/she decides to do something about it.
To set the balance here, this is not promoting the “shinny syndrome” mindset. I’m not saying you should jump at every offer put in front of you, but with due diligence, you can figure out if the person you are speaking with is the right person to help you get to the next level. The ball is always on your court!
I hope this helps!
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Cover image credit: Confused man – Shutterstock.com
