Why doing one thing over and over WORKS (Reading Time 2 min 20 sec)
Finding your core service that is valuable to your ideal client and focusing on that means that you are going to do a lot of similar assignments. For creative people, this sounds like a kind of death. “You want me to do this thing over, and over, and over, and…ARUAGHHHH!”
Well, yes, and no…
First, if you are growing your business, you don’t have to do that assignment over and over. Your team will do it. Plus, each assignment brings new challenges. The client is different, the situation, markets, etc. are all different. But here’s why you want to focus on doing something similar over and over.
1. You get good at it.
The first time you do something you will likely be terrible at it. The tenth time you will be better. The twentieth time you should be getting pretty good at it. The hundredth time? You’re approaching mastery.
Athletes repeat the same drills over and over. Dancers repeat the same exercises over and over. Musicians rehearse the same songs over and over… WHY? It’s called practice and it’s how you get good at something!
2. You build efficiencies (so you make more money).
What happens when you take your learnings from the first ten tries and write out a great procedure guide? Then following the procedure guide, you find some efficiencies, and it gets even better! After that, newer clients teach you more about what works and what they value/need, and you iterate again!
3. You bring more insight to your clients.
Having done similar assignments for several clients, you will start to see patterns: places that clients get stuck, ways your work impacts them, and ways they resist the change you bring. You will start to see even more valuable ways to apply what you are good at with clients and that insight will add value to your offer.
Plus, you’ll be able to close more business. When you can speak confidently about those insights in the sales conversation, prospects will trust you faster and buy more often.
4. You become known for something (that will make you money)
The BEST thing about focusing on delivering one thing is how much easier it is to talk about what you do and to get referrals. Once you’ve got 10 or so great projects under your belt, you can write up some compelling case studies. Once you’ve developed those insights, start publishing and speaking about those things and before you know it people call you out of the blue to work with you!
What’s your superpower that you need to unleash on the world? Can you simplify ALL THE THINGS you do into a shorter list of core offerings?
