PIZZA PARTY!

You are only as good as your last at-bat. 

You are only how you deliver NOW.

Today. 

Right this moment. 

This is true of all things.

But it is especially true in business. 

THAT’S GREAT!

So it’s great that you had some wins.

It's great that you’ve been recognized for your recent accomplishment.

·        that you were the highest grossing salesperson last month

·        that Greenwich named you “Best Trader” last quarter

·        that you landed your firm's biggest account

·        that your fund outperformed the index. 

Whatever you have done is terrific. 

But therein lies the “Accomplishment Trap.” 

That's where the average person becomes ensnared by their own accomplishments.

So don’t be average. Because this dynamic is a sneaky little bastard.

THE TRAP

You notch a win.

You bask in a little glory

You take your foot off the pedal.

That is the critical mistake.

Because in a hyper-competitive marketplace, you must keep adding new value.

It is a race. And the added value is your gas. 

What got you here, won’t get you there, as they say. So if you happen to be in any business that has customers...then your relevance is always being litigated. Your customers always want more. Better service. Custom design. Lower price. The demands are endless.

You already know this customer. She is everywhere. Your competitor calls her a “pain in the ass.” But you know better. You understand that it is exactly this type of added value that keeps them as customers. It's the hook that brings them back.

This concept translates to value creation. And this means you. YOU must create that value for them. No one else will do this for you. Except your competitor. So when you slack on delivery of real value, remember that you are taking your customers for granted. 

PIZZA PARTY

But there is a surefire way to avoid0 the Accomplishment Trap. You slip the trap by altering your perspective on business. Rather than viewing business as a mundane operation, you must merely remember one thing:

You are always sitting at table with 5 slices of pizza...and 6 people.

And every day, someone is not going to eat. 

Sure, your hustle earned you a slice yesterday. But today is a new day.

And the larger room is getting hangry...

The Navy SEALs really nailed it. "The only easy day was yesterday.”

This is not a Debbie-downer phrase. On the contrary, their motto is a declaration of strength and resiliency. And that principle is DIRECTLY applicable to you and your value situation.

And not just in business….but in life.

Jim Rohn put it this way:

“Don’t wish it were easier – wish you were better.

 Don’t wish for more fewer problems - wish for more skills.

 Don’t wish for less challenge - wish for more wisdom.”

It’s not about what is out there. 

It’s about you and what you are bringing in the value department.

THE LEADS ARE WEAK

I’ve worked with many Wall Street investment banks and I assure you the chorus is the same inside each and every one of them. Everyone bitches about what holds them back.

The problem lies with the internal tools.

The commoditized product.

The support teams.

The leadership.

The low volatility.

The management’s unrealistic targets.

The industry regulations.

And my personal favorite – the difficult clients!

But these refrains always come from the B and C players.

Because the A Players are too busy grinding. Connecting with clients. Becoming a resource. Cementing the business.

Does that describe you?

It had better. And if it doesn't, then grab your thinking cap. Because the good news is that your competitor is wasting time and energy. So take advantage of the opportunity they are providing you.

Become a value-creator.

HOW TO

To create any outcome – business or otherwise - you must start with yourself. You begin by asking the right questions.

Are you growing your own skillsets?

Are you the primary "go-to” person for your clients?

Are you seeing situations from your client’s perspective?

Are you making yourself indispensable to them?

Business is about much more than products. It is about building connection and trust. If you can do that well, you make yourself into a conduit. A connection between where the clients are...and where they need to be. You are then in a position to truly help them. And THAT is the point when you really start creating value. Because once they recognize you as their bridge to answers and solutions, they will indirectly tell you the value you need to create for them. You will know what to deliver for them.

This is what leads to revenue.

Because the raw materials of properly solving client problems, will require services and products that your firm offers. And the broader your efforts to solve their problems, the more business you will bring in the door. It is a direct correlation. You must grasp the concept that revenue is a byproduct of you maximizing yourself as a value creator.

So are you running the value play-making?

Or are you just trying to keep up?

Because SOMEONE’S lunch is getting eaten today. 

The only question is whether it is yours.