The old saying that time is on our side feels like a mixed bag of emotions for me. There is so much that I want to accomplish in life, that it can feel overwhelming at times. But on the other hand so many people in business are simply inpatient. They don't want to put in the time it takes to achieve greatness. This is a tremendous advantage for anyone willing to play the long game.
In 2016, time is your biggest commodity. How you spend it, who you spend it with and how you waste it can greatly impact your life and career.
I heard a mattress commercial on the radio recently claiming that we spend 26 years of our life in bed asleep. That is so unbelievably depressing to me. Most days, I end each day with a creative defeat only because the amount of contact I want to produce in my life will never be reached. From articles, books, social graphics, web development, and video content, there is a mountain of work that I want to tackle in 2016, but our time is so limited.
Less than three months ago, I lost my father after more than a two-year battle with cancer. The experience has changed me greatly. I feel more focused than ever. Prior to his battle against cancer, I assumed that everyone I love would live long healthy lives. In reality none of us knows how much time we really have. It makes you extremely pissed off about wasted time.
While this topic is highly depressing to think about, it is also great for business because time is a commodity. How much time and attention you put into a presentation for prospective clients matters. But even before you are at the point of presenting, the time and attention you give to courtship with a client matters.
An ever growing merging lane of technology in your industry can make things seem even more overwhelming. Focus is key for survival in a world where constant distraction is in our pockets on our smartphones. I often talk about the stream of data in social media. Every brand is competing for attention in a stream of data that goes by as fast as the user can flick their finger. You are competing with baby photos, delicious mouth watering food recipe videos, sports highlights, cute puppies, videos of people getting hurt and beautiful celebrities.
A lot of corporate businesses want instant results by the end of the quarter. This often sacrifices the long-term value of the company instead of focusing on core values. Companies that roll up their sleeves and put in the work have a tremendous advantage, always. Here are some important questions to ask.
5 Questions To Ask Yourself
- Has your company put in the time to research prospective clients on social media and the Internet?
- Have you mixed new media techniques into the traditional sales process?
- Are you willing to put in the natural time it takes to court potential clients without turning them off with a traditional cold call sales pitch approach?
- Are you taking advantage of the tremendous amount of data available on social channels and the web for finding out what your clients really need and want?
- Do you really care about your clients needs or are you in it only for a profit?
I believe that the answers to these questions are crucial for future growth of all companies.
As a classic rock fan this topic makes me immediately think of one of the greatest bands ever, The Rolling Stones.
If you put in the work, then the Stones are correct, time will be on your side. This is true, because so many of us don't have the patience to build anything. Dream big but most importantly put in the work.