I was talking to someone the other day who is a perfectly competent and motivated professional, having mastered many things in her life. But she was calling me, as her mentor, to say, “I was wondering if you thought this approach to a prospect might work?”
At other times she has wondered whether she should create some models before presenting them to prospective clients, or tell the clients that she will custom-design the models as part of the contract.
Wondering Isn’t Enough
It’s a fallacy that the ancients wondered about the world and simply accepted each day or created myths to explain things. The ancient Greeks saw the curvature of the earth during eclipses, and the best thinkers reasoned that the earth was round, not flat.
The alchemists wanted to turn alloys into gold and, although unsuccessful in their theory, they were also unsuccessful in their practice. That is, they didn’t wonder about it, they cooked up all kinds of ingredients and ceaselessly experimented over cauldrons and kettles. Good for them.
We need to stop wondering and start doing. No amount of philosophic conjecture will tell you what prospects prefer until you ask, guess who?—a few prospects. You may choose low-threat, or pro bono, or jump right into the entire nine yards of big enchilada ball of wax (I’m going for an alchemy of metaphor to create my column, but that isn’t working yet, either), but you need to do it.
Queen Isabella and mate Ferdinand didn’t get wealthy wondering about whether Columbus was right or daft, they hocked some jewels and said go to it. No batter wonders whether he should swing at the pitch (there isn’t time) and the Patriots’ amazing quarterback Tom Brady doesn’t wonder whether he’ll have a good game.
I told my colleague to just try it and see what happens. The fate of Western Civilization does not, trust me, ride on the result. Nor, amazingly, should your self-worth. By best-seller, Million Dollar Consulting, was rejected 18 times! Yet, I didn’t wonder whether I was good enough or whether it was the right career. I submitted it a 19th time and that recipient just happened to be McGraw-Hill where they had a very enlightened senior editor. (I have been wondering why I didn’t start with them, but that’s another story.)
There are many good roads, most and least taken
I don’t want to sound like a lost mystic or a 60s’ seminar leader, but there are many fine ways to success, and success always trumps perfection. Consequently, stop wondering and start doing.
Try relationship building before starting a sales pitch. Try ascertaining whether the person in front of you is a buyer or just a gatekeeper who wants a free lunch in order to be your friend. Try pushing back and telling the buyer that his basic premise is flawed or her plans are simply an arbitrary alternative. Try submitting a proposal with options that are based on value, not your time, and push the limits.
I’ve witnessed more inaction among consultants who want to discuss the theoretical possibilities of forming an alliance; the permutations of methodology to bring to bear; and the infinite number of ways they would implement business which they haven’t succeeded in attracting yet. The are wondering what they would do. I am wondering how they will survive.
In this business, most don’t survive, or at least most don’t make a very good living. There is no wonder in that.
Go out and try things, both in the marketing and implementation dimensions. Over 70% of my business in 2007—and this is still another record year after 22 years as a solo practitioner—originates from services that did not exist five (and often, three) years ago. My travel is down from a high of about 85% in 1990, and an average through the late 90s of 60%, to under 20% today (and my wife often travels with me).
This moment, too, is now gone
We all have equal amounts of time. We can create money (if we’re any good), but we cannot create more time. All we can do is utilize time in the best manner possible.
Wondering about whether or not an approach will work wastes time. By all means wonder about the nature of the universe, or the miracle of birth, or how much your dog really understands (I’m betting much more than we figure). Stand in awe peering at the sunset or a baby’s laugh.
But stop wondering about your approaches, your prospects, your clients, and yourself. You can resolve wonder with very little investment of precious time by merely trying things fearlessly, not concerned about self-worth, reputation, or failure.
I told my mentor client (what do you call these people—“mentees” sounds like endangered Florida aquatic wildlife) that she should bite the bullet and take a stitch in time which rocks the boat. In other words: TRY IT!
I’m wondering if she did it….
© Alan Weiss 2008 All rights reserved.
Alan Weiss, Ph.D., is a contributing editor to RainToday.com and has been cited by the New York Post as “one of the most highly respected independent consultants in the country.” His clients have included The Federal Reserve Bank, Hewlett-Packard, Mercedes, JP Morgan Chase and over 200 similar world-class organizations. He has written 26 books which appear in 8 languages. He conducts a global mentoring program. You can reach him via his web site: http://www.summitconsulting.com or his blog: http://www.contrarianconsulting.com, where you can catch his weekly Podcast.