In times like these, our natural tendency is to circle the wagons and go into ‘conservation’ mode. But it is also when the contrarians, those who do the opposite of everyone else (think Warren Buffet and Ray Dalio), tend to prosper.
For most of us, our businesses have been virtually wiped out. For some, the devastation is too much and they will abandon the industry altogether. But many of us will rise from the ashes and rebuild. In fact, now is the perfect opportunity to reimagine your business the way you have always envisioned it… even if it is contrary to your old way of doing things.
My advice is to start with the desired result and work backwards to create a business that supports your agenda. Seriously, what do you have to lose?
There are two things in this world, those that you can control and those that you can’t. It does not do us any good to waste time worrying about the latter.
The business belongs to you, not your prospects or clients – but to you. You may never have an opportunity like this again, so why not reimagine it to be the business of your dreams, not someone else’s.
Today, I will share five things, completely within your control, that you can do to reimagine your business persona.
- Identify what is important to you. The business should support your personal priorities, yet many of us have been letting the “tail wag the dog” for so long we have forgotten what it is like to have a personal life without interruptio
- Get Your S.H.I.P. Together. You are probably in need of some new habits and skills to go with your reimagined business. Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis on yourself to help identify what they are. Don’t be afraid to invest in these skills. I’m not talking about free product education, but in the actual transferable skills you will need to dominate when “normalcy” returns.
- Reimagine your team. Look holistically at your model. Now is the perfect time to consider a change if the goals and objectives of your consortia, host, or suppliers are not congruent with your own. Lastly, you will want to invest in a trusted business adviser or coach that can see the bigger picture to help guide you and your team down the path that supports your vision.
- Be prepared. One perfect client does not make a business, but it is a good start. So, identify the ones you want to work with and start building these relationships now. Practice your sales process. Believe it or not, your prospects really don’t want to spend an hour or more with you. The faster you can serve them, the happier they will be. Speed takes practice.
- Give yourself permission to sell and your prospects to buy. It is okay to shift from what Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners called on a recent Wealthy Travel Agent Podcast episode, “From reactive mode to recovery.” It is like falling off a horse. The quicker you get back on, the easier it will be to ride the road to recovery.
The effects may last for years to come. Still, there are fortunes to be made and now more than ever is the time to be proactive, take control, and not just reimagine – but build the business of your dreams.
Dan Chappelle is the leading authority on sales performance in the travel and tourism industry. His best-selling book “Get Your S.H.I.P. Together – The Wealthy Travel Agent Guide to Sales” is available on Amazon and Audible. To learn more about his High-Performance Sales System and onsite training programs. visit www.WealthyTravelAgent.com.
© 2020 Dan Chappelle / CCI, Inc.