Setting Yourself Up for Success

"Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.”

―?Lao Tzu

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Last Friday was my grandfather's 99th birthday. It had been several years since I saw him in person and after all the busyness had passed, I sat down and started talking with him.

During our conversation, we laughed, talked about life, and reminisced about all the times we went fishing together in the past.?

While on my drive back home, I thought about the conversation I had with my grandfather and reflected upon it.

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Ironically enough, as I was thinking about what I was going to write for my next newsletter, I realized that fishing is very similar to business.

That's because the principles that make a good fisherman are very similar to the principles that make a good entrepreneur.

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And to illustrate this better, here are five principles of fishing that will help set you up for success in business:

Principle #1 - The objective is to catch fish

This sounds kind of self-explanatory, but the whole point of fishing is to go out and return with fish in hand.

So, if you spend all day fishing but come home empty-handed, then you didn't achieve your objective.

And in business, catching fish can be compared to making sales.

The key thing to remember is that, just like fishing, you'll need to put out some bait (value) and cast your reel (market) in the right places (where your customers are). Which will increase your chances of catching fish (making sales).

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Principle #2 - Know what fish to catch

Just like every fish is not the ideal fish you want to catch, not every person is your ideal customer.

When fishing, you have to target the fish you want so that you can prepare the right bait, reel, and other tools in advance.

Business is no different, and you have to know who your target customers are so that you can go after and attract them as well.

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Principle #3 - Use the right bait

Different fish have different tastes, and not all of them may be attracted to the same types of bait.

This means that you'll have to use the bait your target fish likes best to increase your chances of catching them.

And in business, your target customers also have different wants than other people in the market.

With this knowledge, you'll figure out how to cast the right bait (marketing) which will attract them too.

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Principle #4 - Avoid dangerous waters

When fishing, it's best to position yourself to be in a prime place to catch fish. The key here is to avoid fast-moving flows of water like waves in the oceans and rapids, and fish in calmer places like lakes or creeks.

But ideally, the best place to fish is a private stocked pond (because there's less competition and much easier to find the fish you want).

And when it comes to business, it's best to avoid selling to everyone in a wide open market like social media.

This means that you should try to get prospects into your own stores, email, sales calls, or other areas where there are fewer distractions.?

Principle #5 - Stay focused and be patient

Typically, it takes time to catch any type of fish.

That's because you have to prep in advance, travel to the waters, set up the bait, cast the reel, and wait.

Business is no different, and you cannot expect to make a ton of sales overnight. Focus, patience, and consistency are the tools that you'll need to start and grow both personally and professionally.

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In sum, just like fishing, business also requires a lot of hard work and strategy.

And, the best way to become successful at fishing or business is to set yourself up for success through careful planning, preparation, and execution.

So,?if you apply the following five principles of fishing to business, you'll be guaranteed to become a better entrepreneur.

Now are you ready to go out and fish for more customers?

Until next time.

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Craig

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