Now Is The Time To Re-Think How You Serve Your Customers & Clients
With its peak at an altitude of 6,263 ft, Mont Ventoux is one of cycling’s most storied obstacles. Throughout the history of the sport, Ventoux has been the centerpiece of many a battles between man and machine. During the final kilometer of stage 12 of the 2016 Tour de France, as the peloton was climbing the fabled mountain in Provence, an unexpected turn of events forced the current race leader, Chris Froome, to soldier on in a most unexpected way….on foot.
In the Tour, the yellow jersey is worn by the rider with the lowest cumulative ride time across all completed stages of the race. The maillot jaune signals to the crowd the current leader of the “general classification” (G.C.) among riders, so they can readily identify the leader amongst the peloton of riders. Dynamic race strategy, team rider support and months of training all pour into the effort to get a G.C. rider not only in contention, but protected once they take the lead.
In the 2016 race, due to an unfortunate series of events instigated by a television crew motorbike collision with several riders pushing toward the stage finish, race leader Chris Froome was left without a working bicycle. With his team car (carrying his replacement bike ) miles behind him on the road, Froome would have to rely on a bike from neutral race support… In the chaos of the moment and driven by the need to preserve time in his overall standing, the race leader made the snap decision to simply run…in cycling shoes…up the mountain…until a bike could be delivered to him. He did finish the stage on a bike, having lost valuable time in the process..yet, he minimized the time gap, by quick-thinking and action driven by his desire to remain in the race.
We are in a different race, now.
Current events have forced business leaders and entrepreneurs to unexpectely change their attack to simply remain in the race and stay relevant. As I talk to business owners, fellow consultants, and clients, it is challenging to find ANY business that has not be rocked by the events defining the first half of this year. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, it is likely the entire “race course” has been re-written. In order to remain competitive, businesses are now all being forced to “run up the mountain in cycling shoes”.
Re-writing your strategy in 4 simple steps.
So here you are. It is the middle of the year, and let’s be fair, your “2020 vision” seems a little blurry now. It is time to re-focus your efforts. It is time to lean into the support of domestiques (team riders who primarily function in support of the team’s most elite riders), mechanics (who keep your team’s equipment in tip-top shape), chef (who delivers “performance fuel” to the team), the director sportif (responsible for managing a team’s riders, staff and race strategy) and an ad-hoc network of alliance with competitor teams….yes, you read that right…temporary, strategic agreements with otherwise competitor teams for the mutual (and fair) benefit of both teams. It’s time to consider HOW each person on your team (real or virtual) is positioned to keep your business moving ahead with every positive edge possible.
Here’s what to do now:
- Before you look forward to the future, it can be quite helpful to first look to the past. Dig into your numbers and understand EXACTLY where your past revenues came from, the truth about your expenses, and overall performance of every aspect of your business. Now is not the time to use “finger in the wind” knowledge of where your business has been. Perception is often the enemy of truth.
- Next, you’ll want to thouroughly examine the present state of your business, it’s customers, vendors and offerings. Now that many business are closed (or way off of their previous operational levels), people are out of work, and health guidelines and regulations have restricted many aspects of your business, it is important to understand the landscape of your current situation. [Remember that Froome’s “current assessment” led him to triage his reality with unorthodox, positive action to maintain momentum, when he realized his team car would not be able to reach him with a replacement bike for some time.]
- Then, taking a future view, give yourself the freedom to revisit your intermediate and long-term goals regarding the business outcome you truly desire. Sure, you may need to do “whatever it takes” to stay afloat in the short term, but do not overlook this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely reset your business into the thriving entity you always imagined possible.
- Finally, construct and implement your re-designed strategy with intent, energy, creativity and purpose. There is a good chance that your business will look very different in the months and years ahead…even if you had started off this year with a bang! By aligning your efforts and those of your team (vendors, partners, employees, clients and more…), you will be getting (as we say) #InPositionToWin!
Get started today!
To help you align your thoughts to take the steps outlined above, our team has put together resources to help you.
You are encouraged to check out this on demand program, which expands on the ideas above. It is our gift to you at NO CHARGE, and available anytime at www.InPositionToWin.com. In labout 45 minutes, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to think differently about your business, as you adjust for the new demands of today’s business climate. Time well spent, for a forward-thinking business professional like you!
At the end of the program, you will be introduced to an exclusive offer (again…there is ZERO OBLIGATION) for a 30-day program where Cooksey will work directly with you to navigate this exclusive process and get you “riding in formation” with an active new strategy to propel your business forward. In addition, Cooksey will work with you one-on-one for an ADDITIONAL 30 days to coach you through the implementation and help you fine-tune the execution of your revised strategy.
If you still have questions, or want to futher explore if this program is right for you or your team, you are invited to schedule a no-obligation call with Scott Cooksey at www.ConnectWithCooksey.com.
