Don’t Lose Business Because of these 10 Business Blind Spots

Face it. As a professional you have some blind spots that are making your business vulnerable. Blind spots are by definition things that are obvious to others around you, but you can’t see them. 

Here’s a list of 10, I see all the time with my Coaching clients.

1. Not building Power of Influence

The truth is, people take action on the things you say when they believe you, trust you and respect you. If this is not happening and you are frustrated by the lack of being heard by your clients and organization, maybe you are missing the message that you need to cultivate your Power of Influence. Start first by assessing the evidence of the value you bring to your clients and your organization. Promote your value by connecting it the problems you are solving and use this information to Toot your Horn (with humility) on social media and create your personal brand power which fuels your Power of Influence. If you don’t know how, get an expert to help you.

2. Not being intentional.

Intentional means you know the outcomes you desire from the investment of your time, money and efforts.

Spend some time reflecting on your WHY. Why are you doing what you are doing? What’s the benefit for you? For your Business? For your Power of Influence?

Connect your activity to your intentions. Measure your results to prove to yourself that you are not falsely secure because you have a blind spot when it comes to intentionality.

Not being intentional means not taking time to reflect – It’s the bad habit of “shoot first, aim second” and that strategy never hits the target.

3. Focusing on too many goals

There are so many things to do how do we know what to focus on 1st?

I heard a story about Warren Buffet that I am not sure is true, but I know it works! Make a list of 25 goals. Choose the top 5 most meaningful and urgent. Rate the top 5 goals according to your business priorities. Prioritize the top 3 and focus ONLY on those.

 If you don’t know which ones to choose, ask yourself which ones you need to achieve first to build momentum towards your business Vision. (Uh Oh, are you telling me you don’t know your VISION for your life or your business?) That makes putting a goal plan together REALLY TOUGH because of your blind spot of…………………………………..

4. Not having Vision

So many Professionals claim to have a Vision but when they share it, if they can share it, it’s vague. Purposeful Vision by nature is specific. Not having a Vision is a HUGE BLIND SPOT.

How can you get to a destination you can’t name?

5. Operating on an island-

Some of us operate this way even when we are not in Pandemic!

As an exercise with my clients who operate like they are “Lost” on an island I ask them to think more like a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. 

Try it. Start by knowing who’s the friend you would dial to help you find the answer for a tricky yet profitable opportunity. 

Who’s your phone a friend?

For me, it’s my Coach or my husband depending on the challenge.

Who’s your virtual audience-the resource you tap into for wisdom, information and answers?

And last, what options do you need to take off the table so you can direct your attention to the solutions that have the best chance of being winners?

6. Taking your eyes off the “till” (the place where you keep the profits)

What systems are you using right now to MEASURE the profitability of your business?

I like working with my clients on the habit of creating HIT lists for profitability management and sales growth and development. Creating HIT Lists is the system of breaking sales goals down into bite size achievable goals. This requires that you know what you need to do to hit your business goals; what you have and what you are likely to get in terms of profit for the business.

It’s simple.

It looks something like this. I need to sell 10 widgets monthly to hit my goal; who do I know that will buy 10 widgets this month; who do I know that will know people that will buy 10 widgets this month; where do the widget buyers hang out; what do I need to do to get myself noticed by the widget buyers?

You get the picture? 

Every question prompt creates an activity HIT LIST that WILL get more profits into the till! Not knowing what’s in there now and expected in there this month is a reckless, business breaking, blind spot!

7. Not having a growth strategy

As you grow professionally, you need to add people and resources. This diverts your time from selling to recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, infrastructure and more. Your VISION and planning should have time allocated for setting the framework for these processes early on because even harder than starting a business is managing a growing business.

8. Not auditing the trajectory

What you do today sets the trajectory for tracking for your Vision in the future. What you are doing limits or expands what you can do.

I have a suggestion for a book that I’m loving right now that speaks to this blind spot, “How will you Measure Your Life,” by Clayton M. Christenson. 

You’re welcome!

9. Not having a Tribe

You need support encouragement, inspiration, motivation and feedback. All those things come from your tribe. Not knowing you need a tribe is a blind spot.

You need a tribe!

10.       Not cultivating the right habits. 

My favorite right now is a habit I learned from an amazing Coachee and former LA Ram. He taught me this amazing habit that he calls, Embrace the Suck! This means that all the hard work that you are faced with right now is the training for your Championship business season! 

Embrace it! I love that as a habit! 

In truth, we are the sum of our habits. As humans with limitless potential, we get to choose which habits we cultivate in our lives and our business. 

Choose wisely my friends! But choose or it will be chosen for you.

And that is a very blind, blind spot!

Cathleen Mancino is a former CEO turned Internationally Certified Sales, Life and Leadership Coach. To inquire about how to work with Cathleen personally or as a team, reach out here on LinkedIn www.dhirubhai.net/in/coachcathleenmancino or go to www.slingshot-method.com