The fourth reason your business is failing – and a glimmer of new hope (4/4)

In a galaxy far away... nah, just kiddin'...

It's not that kind of new hope... although, I am hoping that the force will be with you :)

So, here we are, finally on the last leg of our little journey together. We have now spent the last 3 weeks bantering on why your business is probably failing. We laughed, we cried, we cringed and we smiled. Yay!

(By the way, good job on putting up with me. I am sincerely grateful. Maybe one day we can do this in person. You’ll be happy to see I’m a pretty fun guy… for someone who comes off so prickly... in these little mind jams we’ve been having…hehe...

And pssst! I’ll be honest with you here… The prickle is just a little Jedi mind trick. It's just so you can stick around long enough to try and prove me wrong… but please, DON’T tell anyone…lol!)

“These are not the posts you are looking for”

The circle of life... and death, and all the fun stuff in between...

So, back to your failing business. Ultimately, when all is said and done, after all the fun and games, we both know that things in this world are usually either growing or dying. It can sometimes turn out to be a fast death, or sometimes a slow one… but dear mother nature can be pretty binary when it comes to things like that.

(Except for maybe tardigrades, turtles, lobsters, glass sponges, some species of flatworm and some jelly fish. See! A-ha! Yes, I knooow, there are exceptions! Who knows, maybe you will turn out to be the water bear of your industry after all! :) Hey, the good news is, if you’re ever feeling down on your luck, dear old David Attenborough and the BBC can always cheer you up…)

So, despite all the unicorn-like bedazzle you can muster in your best pitch… here's the thing. We know you can show growth on a loooot of KPIs (and can perhaps even back it up with robust data). But what you still need to deliver, to have a business that is truly blooming, is pretty spectacular... as far as tall orders go. 

What you need is for that growth to offset ALL of the hidden bugs, shortcomings and kinks in your business. Everything that's hiding in your people, your processes and your systems. Everything.

It needs to be truly bigger than the sum of all that's unfolding in the shadows. You know, all the gnarly beasts and monsters lurking beneath the surface of your business?

Yup. That's what a real nightmare looks like. Man, that stuff will keep the most resilient founder up at night. And you need to outrun all of it. That’s right folks. ALL of it. ALL. OF. IT.

And yes… regardless of people knowing or not about those shortcomings. Heck, it doesn’t even matter if YOU know about it or not. Ignorance is bliss they say. Except in business. No, ignorance is not bliss here, sorry. :)

As far as your business failing goes, it 's quite simple, as we put it before; it either is or it isn’t. Period.

(Or perhaps luckily for you, comma, if you plan to do something about it… lol! )

Ultimately, what we are definitely saying here is that your business is either:

• A - a relatively unstoppable force or
• B - on a collision course with a pretty unmovable object.

(And no, despite what our good friend Bruce Wayne and his buddy Christopher Nolan want you to think: you can’t really be both… sorry.)

The Dark Fight

So, where are we at then? Well, so far, in our little excursion on the path of what might seal your fate, we essentially came across three interesting things:

1. How you treat your people
2. How well you can adapt and evolve
3. How well you really execute

So, what does that leave exactly? Why are we even here again? Since you have already tolerated my musings for roughly 39 precious minutes of your life, over these past few weeks... Will the next 13 minutes make it worth your while, in some epic and inspiring grand finale? It better!

OR will we hit the Iceberg of your denial? And sink faster than the Titanic of my hopes for you? Which is it?

Wait. What's with this fluffy metaphor sh#!*t? Dis' the right business blog? What's going on here??? I didn't sign up for this...

No, but really. What is it this time? What else could possibly be the problem?

Ok. So, let's change it up a bit. Let me ask you, for a change. Perhaps you know the answer to that question. Come to think of it, I’m actually pretty sure you do know. Come on! Don’t keep us waiting… Do tell…

What else do we need to worry about? Can you guess?

Yes! That’s it, you nailed it. Ah, you little Benedict Cumberbatch, you. You make me proud...Yes, exactly...

You nailed it: you also need to tell the real story. Yup. You got it. Tell the story. Especially, the real story.

Well doooone. Bravo! I knew you knew. That's right. You absolutely MUST tell the REAL story.

You already know you have to tell stories. All the time. But the thing is, you see, that they have to be true. And they also have to be THE real story. That means the headliner of the evening. Time to channel your inner Lois Lane, my little investigative reporter, you. It has to be the ultimate scoop: the story that is worth spending the breath to say it... and the precious minutes to hear it.

You always need the best punch. Yes, that does mean with any audience, under any circumstances, all, the, time. Doesn't matter if you're throwing jabs, hooks, upercuts or crazy combos. You just have to get up in the ring and roll with the punches. That’s the extent of what your business needs to thrive.

And all that, obviously, is on top of the foundation we already established. That is, once you already...

• Put your people first, embrace change, and execute like a pro…

And in case you're asking, it is once again a multiplier in the equation. It does mean that even if you do all the rest very well but can paint a picture, in the end, you're pretty much cooked. There is simply NO WAY around it. You (or someone… but ideally, you) have to be able to tell the real story.

As the one and only Mr. Tim Urban* would put it, Wait, but why??? We already established that you’re an awesome story teller no? So, you already know most of that, right?

Hmmm, maybe. But probably not. ‘Cause here’s the thing…

“Grab a paddle and put on your best storm gear ‘cause we’re about to go up a certain creek.”

Liar, liar, your pants, your house and your whole company are on fire!!!

First, let’s start with a quick question… Did you know that most people lie, most of the time?

Get out! Wait, WHAAAAT? That’s just crazy! That’s not true… SOME people lie… Sometimes. Not most people. Not MOST of the time.

But yes. It’s true. THAT is not a lie. ;)

Not sure you buy that? You're not baggin' what I’m rakin'? You're not smokin' what I'm rollin'? All right… Fine… Have it your way…

Let’s kick the tires a little bit on this one then, shall we?

Let’s think of times you might have lied before. We could talk about the others but it’s much easier to talk about you since you’ll know if you lied… (for the most part, at least.)

So, let’s see… Ever told someone you liked their new haircut even though…. you weren’t quite sure? White lies right? Sometimes we fib to avoid hurting people’s feelings. When’s the last time you went:

“Yo, what happened? your hair is sooo MESSED UP! Did you get it like that on purpose? That does NOT look good on you. Hey, you usually ARE an attractive person. But NOT with THAT hair. Yikes!” :)

Are you laughing a little right now? Why is that funny? Did we break a grin here? Yeah, you know why. She did NOT look good with that hair. Hmmm-hmmm. You know it. But you couldn’t tell her that. That wouldn’t have been very nice, right? Don’t you worry, your secret is safe with me. lol!

More lies?? Wait, is this a white house press conference? What's going on here??

Sometimes we lie by omission. Ever avoid telling someone a portion of something that might be painful to them or get you into an argument? That does happen sometimes.

You may even haven fibbed about why you were late to something. Or you might have said you "didn’t reach them" when the truth was you didn’t even call yet. What about saying you’re almost done when you haven’t really started? Some people do that.

Some people also say "I’ll do my best to be there" knowing they don't even want to go. Have you ever had a “check in the mail”? Or “left a message” and are just waiting to hear back? (good thing you called them outside of office hours to leave a message... after... to cover up your tracks...)

Haven’t we all? Look, I’m not saying you’re a bad person. I’m not judging. Am just saying that perhaps humans are, by the brute force of their imagination, and by the glory of semantics just… not the most forthcoming of beasts. Perhaps?

Ok. So let's dig deeper a bit, in case you're still under the impression that you're somehow magically immune to it. What about… telling your girlfriend/boyfriend about when you’re attracted to other people? Or better yet, what about coming clean with your parents about EVERYTHING? Yes! ALL of it… the whole history of things they just might not approve of... How honest are you about that?

Ever fibbed or lied about any of it? Some people have. Noooo, not you! But some people.

OR, and this is a fun one, I fib you not. How about telling a potential employer why you’re really taking that job and how you really feel about it?

Ever went:

“I can’t say that I’ve been ALL that interested in your company in the past but I did look it up for the interview. And I can think of things I like about it.... This is really not my first choice, but I could probably learn to love it... probably...

I actually spoke to one of your employees last week who said it was the usual corporate bullstuff but, that the people were kinda' nice. And the product doesn’t really suck…. I mean it sucks a bit, but apparently, you really mean well. And you’re not a horrible mid-manager. So, can I be on your team now?”

Ever had one of those? I mean, you didn't conceal such interesting thoughts for every job interview… of course. But… remember that one? Yeah, lol, that was not your first pick…now, was it? Phew! Thank god you gotta outta' there huh?

(Wait, you, the corporate guy... yeah, listen, IF you’re actually still there, am really really sorry to hear that. That ain’t right though. Please just stand up.

No, don’t pack, just leave. Go! Yes, right now.

You can figure it out as you walk it off. Come on, let’s go… you’ll thank me in 6 months once your life just gets a serious upgrade in the job department…lol! If you need help, call Liz Ryan at the Human Workplace, and don't worry...)

So, back to all the lies... Some people lie to their kids to protect them. They bend the truth. They can occasionally amplify and exaggerate.

What about saying something that is technically true but full knowing that the person you’re speaking with will get a different impression? Are you a Jedi like that? Come on, what would dear old Watto say here?

“ What? You think you're some kind of Jedi, waving your hand around like that?”

And what about your secret garden? Have one? How often do you have to lie about any of that? I mean, really...

Ok. So we agree. You’re a liar.

Sometimes you lie. You’re no saint. Everybody fibs… Right? I mean if we’re going to define it like thaaaat… then I gueeesss…. We couuuuld say that mayyyybeee… :)

Ok, ok, so you're a "casual" liar. Just occasionally, you know, when you walk, or talk, or breathe... :)

(notice the use of the Trump quotation here? huh? huh? Yeah... I knew you'd like that...)

So let’s do a little inventory here… Now that we've covered quality, let's talk quantity. Let’s see just how much truth actually sits in the bank account of your storytelling. We wouldn't want any of those reality checks to bounce, you know...

Think about the last few times you spoke with a client. How transparent were you with EVERYTHING? Can you think of something that was not entirely true?

How about your employees? You keepin’ a bit of the truth from them, for the best? And your investors, your partners, your family, your neighbor? I think we can rest easy that a little truth serum could go a long way here...

Did you pull a little slight of hands on them lately? Got a little Houdini in you? Could we say that? If I was to polygraph you right here, right now… what could we find out?

You have better been brushin' up on your interrogation skills over there… Cuz' ?? bad boys, bad boys, ? whatcha gonna do? whatcha gonna do ? when they come for you? :)

I assure you, my friend. If we go over everything you said in just the last 24 hours and screen for the ultimate truth, we are going to have an interesting conversation. And yes, if you want to challenge me on it, you’re on! You got it. Let's do this!

Your next TED talk. Fun!

I would, however, insist we do it on stage though, and preferably at a TED talk. It would be so much fun to do it in front of a few thousand people. We could be TED talk buddies. How awesome?? It would really be super fun then… It would be like Moment of Truth... Remember that show? lol! Fun!

Just let me know… I’ll set it up… :)

Yes, it’s true. Those wispy little fog-like stories we call the truth sure have a funny way of evaporating under the blazing burning sun of evidence-based scrutiny… THAT, now that is, to some extent, the truth…

So what does any of that have to do with your business?

Well, we’re not going to have a chance to completely dive in right here today, but the main idea is that you simply have to tell more of the truth…

If your employees are at risk, tell them. If you don’t think they’re going to work out, tell them. Just tell them. You won't be very good at it at first but you seriously need to practice. And give them a chance to correct the course. A real chance…

If there are problems with the product, tell the clients. Tell them why and what you plan to do about it. And listen. Get out there. Get out of the building. Have a heart to heart.

You can see some pretty serious threats to the business? Tell your investors, tell your partners, tell your suppliers. And share your plan to mitigate those risks with them. And listen. It's going to be all right. It's going to be painful, but much less painful than the alternative.

If you’re pitching for funds, try this: tell your VC everything you think might go wrong with your business first. Start with the problems. Ask them how they think you should go about it. And listen. If you do it well, you might be quite surprised by the reaction and the ultimate result…

You just hired some key positions and you’re afraid they might not like some of what they’ll run into? Tell them how hard you think it’s going to be and dare them to stick around… be blunt.

Be bold. Tell a good story. You should make it fun. But tell a bold story. And tell your story. It needs to be relevant and authentic. It has to be you. Or nobody will care. Ever. Tell a story to make a difference. If speaking up won't influence the outcome of what's mission critical, don't speak.

It's not the fact THAT the wind is blowing. It's WHAT the wind is blowing!**

Now. Don’t get me wrong. Just like strapping yourself to a tree during a tornado to prove you're tough**, it’s not easy.

And I’m not talking about the telling the truth part. That, once you commit to it, it gets pretty easy. It’s a little bit like going to the bathroom for the first time, after drinking a loooot of coffee. Once you’ve broken the seal, it feels really good to go... and then you just gotta go again, and again, and again…

But, we digress. Enough about tornadoes and diuretics, and back to the business of you.

Yes, the hard part is not telling the truth. The hard part is telling a good story.

And if you have been an awesome story teller so far (with all the half-truths we talked about) then let me just give you a head’s up here. Telling the truth is seriously like the major leagues of storytelling. This ain’t no bantam water cooler talk my friend… Time to graduate. But if anyone can do it, it's you. Seriously. You have the right stuff.

You will need a lot of empathy. You need to know your audience really well and have a super good read on them. It will challenge your emotional intelligence. You have got to know how to break the bad news but also have it be appealing, inspiring and fun.

You have to be able to give credit where credit is due. You have to learn to talk to people about their grass, not about your seeds. You have to say less and let them ask for more. And you have got to learn to ask good questions (and especially ones to which you don't know the answer).

In the end, you essentially have to hone your skill to inspire anyone, under pretty much any circumstances… Yup. Welcome to the world of entertaining! And making people feel something... Population: You.

It does require a tremendous passion and authenticity. Bigly. You need to yield humor and flare like a powerful weapon. You also need to work on your timing and learn how to deliver a line really, really well, if you can. And don’t worry, you probably can. Trust me on this.

The sayin' of the stuff and the showin' of the stuff - or Jeopardy vs Pictionary.

You will have to do it verbally.

But you also mostly have to do it visually. And exceptionally well.

The human brain is quite simply hardwired to process visuals. Don't try and fight millions of years of evolution. It doesn’t matter if you buy it or not. It just is.

Get onboard. Start painting a picture. All the time. If you’re not a pro, you need to become a master of visual storytelling. Dig in the data, find the compelling truth, craft a good story and paint a picture.

All the time, all day long.

Break free of the irrelevant email, the boring meeting and especially death by powerpoint.

(If you’re still stuck on death by Excel, then I don’t even know what to say… sigh! Call me, we’ll do some shots or something... even though I don’t really drink these days. We have got to get you out of those Excel sheets… Whatever it takes! lol! )

Let your inner data visualization phoenix rise from its ashes. There are masters out there. Get yourself one. Right now. Get the best masters to teach you. Invest in storytelling, yes, right now. Go!

If you haven’t already, look up Marta Kagan and follow her Ace the Pitch webinars. It will seriously up your game. Tell her I sent you. Marta is just awesome. She can tell a hell of a story. And she's a lot of fun.

And do yourself a favor and check out the work of Ann Handley. She can make your content shine like you didn't even know it could shine. Doesn't matter how well you write or not. She can help. She's the ER of your death by bland content. Go see the doctor, stat!

If you’re more old school and love both movies and literature, look up Joseph Campbell. If you don’t already know his work well, it will give you a sense of what makes a good hero’s journey. It will shine some light on how most Hollywood movies are constructed, and why that is…

Or, pick up any one of these fascinating books on how to craft a decent visual and have your data tell a compelling story…

Go ahead, channel your world's most interesting man! (I mean... woman/trans/bigender/intersex/androgynous...)

• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward R.Tufte. The ultimate classic. Published in 1983, so might feel a bit dated. But a classic nonetheless...
• Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic. The modern best seller. Very practical. Awesome stuff.

It’s the glue that binds it all. Tell the truth. Tell the best stories. Most of all, tell the real story. It will carry you to unseen heights. That much I can guarantee you.

So, where should you start? Why don't you check out this Marta Kagan epic Martafy! story on How to Make Your Next Pitch Insanely Great, and see if it tickles your brain…

And remember…

“Put your people first, embrace change, execute and tell the real story”

And it might just all work out. It might. And mark my words: if you do all that, with all your heart and passion and still fail... Let's just say I wouldn't worry about it too much. Because you will have learned sooo much, my friend, that you'll be well on your way.

Just one or two more failures and you might just end up putting a ding in the universe... who knows? Right?

See you on the other side! :) – If you're interested in my own shortcomings, you can always find me here.

In case you missed...

• The First Reason your Business is failing (1/4)
• The Second Reason your Business is failing (2/4)
• The Third Reason your Business is failing (3/4)

* I discovered the work of the amazing Tim Urban with his epic post on Elon Musk and have been a proud supporter on Patreon ever since. Check out his amazing work on waitbutwhy.com – It's important to sponsor the work of people that produce good content in this alternative-facts world we now live in... :)

** as comedian Ron White once put it in reference to a man who was apparently planning to strap himself to a tree... to prove he could withstand a tornado!!?!?!