The Perils of Trying to do Everything

Session Three:

Review: In Session One we discussed the importance of defining your business in one or two sentences, in plain language, and not using industry specific wording or acronyms.

In Session Two we discussed what makes your business ‘Unique’?

Hello and welcome to Session Three of our series on "How to Optimize Your Business".

In this session, we will be discussing the importance of not being or promising to be a "One Stop Shop" for everyone and everything. We will explore the benefits of focusing on specific areas of expertise and building a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy partner in those areas. By doing so, you can establish a strong brand and build long-term relationships with your clients and your partners.

Have you ever met someone in business who tries to cover every possible expertise when you ask them what they do? Or do they give you a quick answer that seems to align with the title or the industry of their business, but when you mention a specific solution / assistance / counseling that you're looking for, rather than refer this to a partner, they immediately tell you they also have expertise in that area too? Did this ever build your trust, your confidence in them?

The photo we used in this session is from a real-life experience I had recently that shows a great example of what we are trying to convey.

I reside in South Carolina, in an older community surrounded by hundreds of mature trees. These trees have been present long before the streets were carved out, and the houses were built. This was a significant factor / reason in our decision to move here.

Due to Hurricane Helene, two trees had fallen on our property, and another one had started to uproot and was leaning dangerously, putting our home and a neighbor’s at risk. A few neighbors and I were evaluating the risks and trying to figure out the best way to safely bring down the tree. during this a couple driving by stopped and offered me a quote for their business to remove the tree.

Since none of us were experts in doing this, and the risk was high, I gladly replied ‘Sure!’

As you see in this Session's Photo above, this is what they provided me.

Which one of you, reading this, would jump on that offer?

The main idea of this story is that in a professional setting, many businesses follow a similar pattern. The reply may be polished and formally documented, but when they offer to do everything as experts, the perception of the recipient of such an offer, whether consciously or subliminally, is a lack of confidence or trust.

In Session One, we worked on defining 'What Your Business Is' to establish clear guidelines for you to focus on while discussing the reasoning that your business is a suitable and reliable option for consideration. If your offer does not align with this definition, you are putting your business reputation at risk by treading into murky waters.

In Session Two, you explained What Makes your Business Unique. This allows you to concentrate on your strengths, what you are proud of, and what sets you apart from others.

The first two sessions / exercises helped you define and focus the on the guidelines of your business. Setting the foundation for success. This session (Three) is to help you consciously stay within those guidelines. Keeping the conversation focused in your area of proven expertise.

Once again, we point to a couple of our partners as an example of this:

Alescent: https://alescent.com/

InfoTech: https://www.infotech.com/

In Session Four, this Wednesday October 30th, we will be discussing how to Best Align your Business' Expertise with your proven history and talents.