“I know all I have to do is get more organized.”
“I need to be more direct with people. And, if I can get Kathy on board then this will work. But she really doesn’t understand how I communicate. So, I need to figure out a way to articulate my vision so she can. Then I think this idea can succeed.”
This was a conversation I had with a client of mine. She has an amazing vision for her business and the way her mind works is truly unique.
She had made a common mistake of surrounding herself with well-meaning people who were advising her how to grow her business effectively. The challenge was often it was conflicting advice. I kept reassuring her, “You’re the business owner. You see the vision of this business. They don’t see it yet. You need to step up as the owner and lead. If you do that, everything will turn out fine.”
She agreed…and then uttered the words above. “Hang on a second,” I reacted. “Back up. I said, step up as owner and lead. And immediately you describe someone completely different than who you are. You can’t grow your business while acting like someone you are not.”
Because she had taken my personality assessment, I knew the behavior changes she was suggesting (more organized, more direct, communicating differently) meant changing, not how she was doing business, but changing who she was. She felt to become more successful in business, she must change how she was designed to operate.
This is a debilitating trap I see so many business owners fall into. Any attempt to change our core self will inevitably fail. Each failure will slow down the momentum of a successful business model. And for my client, each time she failed to change who she was, she saw the failure as evidence that either her business was flawed, or she could not be a successful business owner.
The Trap…
As individuals each of us have inherent strengths and challenges. As business owners, we often hear messages of overcoming our weaknesses or turn them into our strengths. We receive well-meaning advice from others in our business community or coaches we hire on how we can “do things different” to be more effective. After hearing it over and over, it is easy for us hear the message as, “You need to change.”
Individuals who make decisions through inspiration and intuition are called flighty or chaotic. They begin to think, to be successful, I just need to:
Other people who communicate in a direct and succinct manner are called brash or rude. They think, to be successful, I need to:
If I was just a little different, a little better…then I would be successful.
Believing we need to change our inherent nature is the trap that keeps business owners feeling confused and beaten down, and keeps their businesses frozen without growth. If your unique design includes being relaxed and challenged with organization, you can work on that all you want, and all you will get is frustrated. You cannot change your inherent design.
The Solution…
Laura Hulleman
Endotype Branding
One of the basic needs of all people is to feel seen, to feel heard. So ask yourself, “How does my marketing allow clients to feel seen and feel heard? How do I know who my ideal clients are?”
Most marketing programs want you to GUESS who your ideal clients are. That will not work!
Stop guessing and use the Formula to not only determine WHO your clients are, but HOW they think, WHY they buy, and WHAT to write in your marketing.