The Ballad of Bob and Steve

Bob and Steve are equally talented bakers. They both opened their bakeries on either side of the same high street on exactly the same day. And they both sell the same quality fare...

But, after just six months, Bob is (high) streets ahead of Steve in terms of sales.

Why?

Because as soon as he opened his shop, Bob started making sample delights and knocking on doors in the local area:

"Hello, I'm Bob The Baker. We've just opened on the high street. Would you like a couple of freshly-baked rolls with your lunch today? They’re on the house!"

Most, of course, said yes. So, along with the samples, Bob included a printed flyer sharing a little of his backstory, a list of items the bakery sold, information about his bread-making classes on Wednesday evenings, and a 50% discount on the recipient's first purchase.

He knocked on ten doors the first day; ten the second day; ten the third day, etc. Day in, day out. Rain or shine. And he made some new friends along the way.

And now, six months later, Bob is already doing extremely well. Many of those he visited have become regulars, and those regulars have told their friends.

What about Steve?

Steve bakes equally good products. But he's just opened his bakery and, with a fingers-crossed approach, waited for business to come to him. It has - but nothing like what he'd hoped for - it's been a trickle, not a flood.

What can we conclude?

Same talent. Same location. Same opportunity.

But one baker was proactive, while the other wasn’t.

One baker made it happen, while the other waited for it to happen.

What can we learn from this story?

And, more importantly, how can we apply it to our businesses?