Think Of Business Success And Failure In The Same Way

Business success is about:

  • Will
  • Drive
  • Determination

Business can also be very emotional. A factor not often taken into account when experiencing business success – or failure.

Let’s take a moment to explore this concept further and why it’s important to your business day.

When you sign a contract, it’s often very exciting. It’s a victory of sorts to, for example, sign a new customer or client. You’re excited about the upcoming work opportunity.  You’re excited about working with the new customer. You’re excited about the revenues and profits it brings to the business. Overall, there’s just an exciting feeling in the air around the office.

Then there is the opposite. What if you don’t get the contract with the potential new customer? What if you come in second? You’re disappointed. Perhaps devastated. All that hard work, time and effort put into the sales process and presentation. You thought you may have won the contract. Winning this new customer would have made your day, your month, your year. But it didn’t happen. Now what?

Ask yourself:

How do I think about both of these business situations?

Answer:

Think about both business situations in the same way.

Here’s why:

If you and your company win the new contract and gain a new, valued customer you can enjoy the victory for that day and say: This is GREAT! This is FANTASTIC! But the next business day, reality needs to set in quickly. Think about the “now what?” and the “what to do next” to keep business coming in the door. That was yesterday you made the sale. Where is the next amazing opportunity to serve another customer and to make a profit for the company? In other words, what did you sell today? You can’t just sit on your victories. Keep moving forward for MORE business success. The only way to do that is to get right back in the game.

The same applies when you experience a business loss. You lose a customer. You lose a contract. You may, so to speak, grieve the loss. But that grief must be brief. You can’t wallow in your sorrows for very long – not in business, at least. It’s time to be more strategic about your business. Say to yourself: I didn’t get that one but I am going to find another. Time to change my attitude. Be positive. Look forward. Get back a winning attitude right now.

Whether you’re winning in business, which is preferable, or whether you’re losing, which isn’t preferable, you can only experience those emotions for a short period of time. Then it’s essential to get back on track with your business goals.

You always want to have a winning attitude towards your business day and everyone you meet.  You need to have an attitude of “why wouldn’t someone want to do business with my company” and do everything possible to create that ideal environment.

If the customers you want to do business with aren’t doing business with your company then analyze, ask questions and think about what you could do better the next time.

If you lose a contract; if you lose a customer, don’t be down in the dumps about it. Don’t hold onto negative feelings. Don’t put out the vibration that all is lost because all of the people around you will sense and feel something is wrong. This will only amplify and intensify those feelings which ultimately don’t help the business – or you. That would truly be a tragedy that could spiral out of control.

Remember: Emotions are a good thing – or to think of it another way, emotions can potentially be a good thing. Business can be or can get very emotional. But for business success, to make the right decisions, to be consistent, it’s often best to take the emotion out of the situation to think and act clearly. Decisively.

It’s vital you channel your emotions in the right way for the greater good of all – including the business.

Ask yourself: How can I make this business day successful?

If the results are considered to be a good day, be happy. Think about how to turn the next day into an equally good business day.

If it’s a challenging business day, know that you need to show up the next day like nothing happened the day before. No matter how bad the day may have been. Get back on track and make the business day worthwhile, productive and profitable. It only matters what you do today in business for success.

If you take care of the day. If you have a good attitude. If you have the will – drive – determination to not let anything stop you. If you work hard… work smart… understand your business, co-workers and customers… have a plan… know what direction you are headed in then every day will be important and will day upon day build onto a successful business year.

At the end of the year, you won’t need to ask whether the company made a profit because you took care of each day. You saw yourself through the success and failures and handled both in the same way to keep moving forward. To maintain balance. Never losing sight of your business goals.

To your success!