I was having a fantastic conversation with a good friend and colleague Allyson Mallah last week. It was a mentally challenging discussion on both the macro and micro understanding of one’s business – from the opportunities it has to the challenges it faces.
Back and forth we discussed bullet points including the focus and goals of the business, what defines the success of the business and what the business could be lacking.
Then we got into new territory for myself when she asked me about my blind spots.
I paused for a moment.
What areas was I not noticing? My blind spots.
These could include a multitude of things:- Why some clients hire me very often that I’m not aware of.
– Why some clients have chosen not to hire me again.
– What facet(s) of my business drive the most work?
– What areas am I focused on too much that do not have a return on investment?
– What am I not seeing or not understanding about my competition and what makes them successful?
We know how important blind sports are when driving – the idea behind finding your blind spots in business is to shed light into areas that not only had you not seen before; but perhaps were not aware were critically important before.
The heart of finding and exposing your blind spots is all about asking questions and knowing the right questions to ask.
As a talent are you being hired for jobs because of just your look, or is it your on-set demeanor, your professionalism, your timeliness? As a personal trainer, is it because of your flexible schedule or is it moreso your unique approach to your client’s plans?
The goal is not an affirmation of ideas and thoughts you’ve had before this exercise. Thus you should not only question your current clients, you should ask people you’ve worked with in the past who you no longer have transactions with, or even people that have not hired you previously that you’ve had attempts with. Why you? Why not you? Why others? Why you over others? Why others over you?
This is exclusively about finding those hidden variables that are the ones which drive or slow down your business and you reaching your goals.
James Patrick
www.jamespatrick.com
