The first words I ever spoke to my wife were, “No, thanks.” Two years later, we were saying “I do.”
Everyone in business hears “no, thanks” the first time a buying opportunity is offered. How the conversation unfolds after the initial refusal determines the fate of the sale.
That journey – From No Thanks to I Do – is the story of our personal lives, and it’s the story of your relationship with your customers.
May is Personal History Month, a time for you to preserve the story of your life in print or video for future generations. Last week on this blog, I began the story of how my wife and I became small business owners. We learned by “failing forward” and by investing in sound coaching.
The story continues with how we learned to overcome fear and find success.
It’s not the future that you’re afraid of. It’s repeating the past that makes you anxious.
“What if?”
Nothing has ever stymied growth as much as those two words.
What if this marriage is just like the last one? What if we’re not cut out for this? What if we lose our house? What if nobody buys our product? What if somebody is already doing it better?
Have you ever noticed that the “what if” questions almost always carry negative outcomes? Seldom do we ponder “what if this is a huge success?”
Every one of those what-if’s is a question I asked myself at some point in the journey to “I do” with Lisa and in our business partnership. I’m glad to report the worst fears have not materialized, and the best outcomes have been more than I could ever ask or imagine.
This has been a trek in faith. Along the way, I’ve learned to trust God, my wife, advisors, collaborative partners and my own abilities. My questions today center around, “what next when this works out?”
Let It Go
When Lisa and I were newlyweds, I came home from work “with my dukes up.”
I had an ingrained habit of being braced for an argument, reinforced by 16 years of an unhappy marriage ending in divorce. It took a few weeks, but finally, I learned to relax and trust that Lisa was genuinely happy to see me come home. I had to let go of the old pattern for it to be replaced with a better way of relating.
As we were laboring over the decision to pivot in our business from B2C to B2B (see Part One from last week), we struggled with the question, “What if we can’t replace the sales numbers that housekeeping generates?”
We were sure the business needed to change. We knew what we needed to do to grow the bottom line. We were hesitant to make the decision because we were familiar with the old operation, and because we had a lingering doubt.
“What if this idea is no better than the other one?”
The response to that question required faith and courage. Faith to believe it could be better the second time around, and courage to examine ourselves closely to find where we needed refinement and improvement. Eventually, we learned and let it go.
Let It In
When we spoke our wedding vows, Lisa and I affirmed “forsaking all others, I take thee” to each other. We committed to our marriage relationship, to the exclusion of everyone else from our past, present, and future.
We let go of the old to make room for letting in the new.
This thought of “letting go and letting in” will be included in a compilation book in which we’re contributing authors. It’s coming out later in 2017.
When we let go of the old, familiar business and stepped out in faith as Be Media Savvy, Inc., we found opportunities for personal and professional growth in unexpected places.
We gained insight into how our story illustrates basic principles of earning trust – whether it’s in a marriage relationship or a business operation. We are telling that story in business conferences and churches. We are co-authoring our first full-length book, From No Thanks to I Do, that expands on how to adapt eight maxims for improved relationships at home and at work.
Lisa, who was once on the verge of being violently ill every time she spoke before an audience, now leads a monthly mastermind for women in business that consistently draws 25 or more.
Our goals include more and bigger stages, publishing our book, and serving 50 other small business owners in 2017 in their quest to reach their goals.
Our Charge
Our charge to you: Be Fearless.
Regardless if your challenge is in a personal relationship or a small business you own, you must be fearless and realistic as you take a personal inventory. Examine what responsibility you bear in the outcomes you’re experiencing to this point.
Realize you’re probably less afraid of an unknown future than you are of repeating the known past.
What changes are necessary, right now, to create a better outcome tomorrow? What are you willing to let go? What do you desire to let in? What is it worth to you – in terms of time, money, and effort – to get what you want?
We invite you to work with us for just 3 hours in a group setting to get started on your journey. Here’s more information on your next opportunity, www.bemediasavvy.com/events/
What story will you write for yourself and your business?
