Game On

The secret of victory resides in the practice before the game. The team who drills with serious planning and preparation for every possible situation during the days and weeks before the game, almost always performs better during the game. Most speeches are a success or failure before the speaker ever steps on the stage. Most sales presentations are closed or rejected before the presentation folder is ever opened.

The key is preparation. You will never hear your boss tell you to practice all week in order to make one sales call on Friday afternoon. That would be absurd. It is a known fact that being prepared and ready to speak intelligently smoothes the path to success.
Relaxed confidence comes from preparation.

A professional athlete practices for hours and hours to perfect his skill. A professional musician practices countless hours before a performance. A professional salesman has researched his product line and if possible has researched the needs of the customer before they ever walk in the door of the customer’s office. When I am delivering a speech, I have rehearsed it numerous times and perfected the timing, gestures and emphasis on words in order to maximize the impact. I know precisely the time required.

With a home based business, you will not be able to research the needs of the customer in advance; however, you do have the opportunity to determine certain important questions in advance. Personally, the more I know about the specific circumstances, goals and abilities of each individual, the more quickly and efficiently I can assist them in reaching their desired outcome. Each individual arrives with a different set of skills, desires, budget and time available to achieve those goals. Personalization assists preparation in designing your individual plan.

Game on for a home based business professional means caring about each person. That doe not mean doing everything for them. It does mean guiding them in the correct direction to find the answers and resources best suited for their individual situation. No one wants to be “thrown to the wolves” when they start a new business. In fact, that is one of the fears of a new entrepreneur; will you be there after the sale?

The home based business professional walks a fine line between being there enough to provide support and guidance or either leaving the new entrepreneur feeling abandoned or hand holding to the extent that the new business owner does not learn. Sometimes this is a razor thin line because each person is unique.

I am very good at many things, but mind reading is not one of them.

Let me know what you need but also be willing to learn and perform tasks on your own. Most resources and answers are available in the back office. Look once or twice or even three times before you dash off a quick email or pick up the phone to plead for help.

Athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, and all professionals seek guidance and examples of excellent performances. Professionals ask intelligent revealing questions, practice and follow through on the information and skills until they reach the competency level desired. “Game on” means treating your business like a business and not like an occasional hobby. Professionals are always in “game on” mode. Professional entrepreneurs are not part time or some time but all-the-time achievers.

For more information on building your business and life success, visit me at Elaine4Success.com. You will find helpful articles as well as numerous other resources.