Narrow the focus
We talked previously about the massive uncertainties that we’re facing in 2020 — unprecedented unemployment globally, a genuine public health threat, a presidential election year, and social change that we haven’t seen in a generation.
My recommendation was to narrow your focus, to pick one thing that you could do consistently and focus on doing that for the rest of 2020. By focusing on that one thing, you know you’ll be moving your business forward.
What if you did this for your whole business?
I know this is going to sound counter-intuitive — in a time when clients may be more cautious and less willing to engage, you need to narrow your focus and simplify your offerings.
What if you could only sell one thing, to one ideal client?
If you put that constraint on your business, you’d get good at it. You’d very quickly gain a deep understanding of that ideal client’s needs. You’d hone your pitch and your offer so that it was irresistible to that ideal client.
Sounds good to me!
Narrowing your focus also simplifies your marketing and outreach. You know exactly where to go — where ever your ideal client goes! You’d know who to partner with — whomever your ideal client trusts.
Narrowing your offering makes you more attractive because your ideal client knows that you are speaking to them.
This is the road to growth
The funny thing about this modest proposal is that it’s the same recommendation I’d be giving to you even if we weren’t facing the kind of headwinds that we have! Narrowing your focus is the best way to grow your business in healthy times too — it’s just tough to stick to it!
In 2020 we have a golden opportunity to make this change and stick to it — because it may just be what saves us — and on the other side, it will be what accelerates your growth!
If you had to put all your chips on just one offer to one ideal client, what would you choose? What’s keeping you from going all-in?