Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Ask yourself the following:
- Do you have the right person or team in place to fulfil the goals of your company?
- Is there a visible plan that is shared and understood by others?
- How often do you review and analyse your new business pipeline?
Now consider your company’s performance as it compares to that of your major competitors.Think about the following:
- If you are making this comparison regularly, how does this look?
- Are you getting your share of their growth or that of your market sector?
The market may be growing at 5% per annum, but if you are only at 2 or 3% something isn’t working. It may be that the conventional approach to developing new business just isn’t right for your company. In this case, it is necessary to search for new ways to drive your business forward.
A life spent in the world of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) taught me to be alert to the opportunistic as well as the strategic. Opportunities will come along that you hadn’t planned for, but you and your organisation must be willing and agile enough to grasp them.
So perhaps instead of having the thought for the day ask yourself, your business and your customers about the new idea of the day or the week. You may get a pleasant surprise!