In My Decade Of Working With Thousands Of Small IT Business Owners, Here’s What I’ve Discovered About Success…
Helping owners of computing consulting firms (or MSP’s) achieve significant bottom-line, measurable results in business takes MORE than just giving them a great marketing campaign – it actually requires 3 critical elements all working synergistically.
By the way, these three elements have been carefully researched and documented and are essential for any individual trying to break free from bad habits or trying to achieve success in an area they have been consistently struggling with. If you want validation of this, then I suggest you read “Change or Die,” written by Alan Deutschman; this is one of the most well-documented books on this very topic.
Critical Success Element #1: A Coach. Every successful entrepreneur, actor, and top athlete has a coach. No one ever won an Olympic Gold Medal without a coach. Michael Jordan was “cut” by his high school basketball team before his coach stepped forward and personally mentored him to become the greatest basketball player of all time. The Green Bay Packers wouldn’t have been the winning team they were without their coach Vince Lombardi. And according for Forbes Magazine, more and more of the nation’s top entrepreneurs are using MULTIPLE coaches to help them take their game to the next level.
With my clients, I can see them secure dramatically better results the more personally I get involved. That does not mean giving them more “stuff.” It does mean helping them to think more strategically, coaching them on how to manage their time better and providing other staff and support resources to enable them to execute and implement.
Critical Success Element #2: A Trusted Peer Group. Also commonly called a mastermind group, as coined by Napoleon Hill in his classic book, “Think and Grow Rich.” While I’ve certainly got a lot to contribute, a HUGE part of the value in MY mastermind groups is the collective experience and knowledge of the members themselves. Even if I didn’t show up to these meetings, the value that my members would get from being in a room of sharp, heavy users of solid sales & marketing strategies would be worth 10 fold the price of admission.
Of course, I am there and DO have a lot to share…including new breakthroughs and very recent discoveries, marketing plans, business strategies and money-making opportunities, but the point is that a Mastermind group of peers in and of itself holds tremendous value.
Critical Success Element #3: Repetition. Let’s face it; learning how to be a better entrepreneur and marketer takes time and practice – no one achieves superpowers overnight. That’s why my top coaching clients insist on getting OUT of their office at least once a quarter to participate in highly-productive environments where they actually work ON their businesses, ON their marketing plans and think CRITICALLY about the direction of their business. That’s also why they have WEEKLY “Accountability Group” calls, get on MONTHLY training calls to sharpen their skills, and oftentimes need constant “reminders” to keep themselves focused. Every entrepreneur needs that “stern but loving parent” to keep themselves on track at times.
