If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.' 'Nora RobertsThe eighth salientbusiness lesson tolearn from Bartimeus is that if you don't believe in your pursuit, don't expect anyone else to.To succeed, you must be your number one cheerleader. In my latest book 'First Things First ' How To Live A Life Of Priorities,' I share the truth that over 90per cent of the time, people are too engrossed in their own concerns to even think of you! Ouch!What this also translates into is that no matter how great and lofty your business idea or the value it confers on society is, if you are not first 100per cent convinced that it is worth pursuing, no one should be blamed for not believing in it. Your commitment to a cause is of no value until you can turn the commitment into a contract.What is a contract' It is the legal expression of a commitment. Contracts are binding on the parties involved. When Bartimeus cast off his garment, he was turning his commitment to his cause a contract with his destiny. He was simply telling himself and by extension anyone else, that he was breaking his link with the present and tenaciously hugging the future devoid of blindness.How many ideas have you allowed fear to stiffle in you because of your refusal to pursue them' Several I am sure. Why' You do not believe strongly enough that they are worth pursuing. You are more convinced about the possibility of their failure than their potential for success.Wake up and give yourself a pep-talk. Even if it doesn't work, it will never leave you without some salient, life-moulding lessons you can translate into winning strategies.The penultimate lesson from Bartimeus is that you must situate your enterprise where your target market can easily locate you.In the real estate business, one of the first lessons a rookie learns is that there are three fundamental rules that affect pricing and govern success. They are 1. Location. 2. Location and 3. Location! Geography is an essential factor of success in any venture. Why' Where you are located determines who notices you! Bartimeus was located by the highway.A few years ago, a lady started a crche where working class people could bring their children while going to work and pick them on their return from work. When she mentioned the part of town where she secured a property, I advised her against pursuing it further since that part of town was not conducive for that kind of business. But she went ahead nonetheless. Recently, she called me to share her bitter experience about the project. She was now ready to relocate.The principle is simple. Locate your business where those who need your services can find you. If you find that you are presently wrongly located, then relocate or else, you will suffocate.Finally, it's not enough for you to get what you want from your market. You must be loyal to it.Bartimeus did not stop at just receiving his sight. As soon as Jesus ministered to him, he simply followed Jesus. Do you have a follow-up system for your customers or are they just figures of statistics on your turnover figures' How many of your customers' phone numbers do you have' When was the last time they had a word of encouragement from you beyond inviting them to come and buy more goods' Do you ever ask if they were satisfied with a product/service you sold to them'In this part of the world, customer service is one of the most neglected aspects of business. More often than not, customers are treated as if they are the consequence of the business rather than the cause. Each time I ask people in my seminars why they are in business, the ready answer I often get is 'to keep body and soul together'. Everyone who operates business from this perspective will only use people to make profit. Such businesses only thrive until people know that they are being taken advantage of.Business 'purposology' must be advocacy-driven i.e. it must be geared at solving SPECIFIC human problems that make it convenient for the one whose problems are solved to part with equivalent value in payment. That is what generates the profit. The customer is the cause. Profit is the consequence. When you mix that up, even if your enterprise is currently on steroids, it is a matter of time before people seek alternatives. And when they do, they will drop you like last year's news! Take a cue from Bartimeus, revere your customers and watch them grow your profit!PostscriptYou can still participate in the GIVE A PILLOW CAMPAIGN. We plan to deliver the first batch of 200 pillows to UCH next week. Call 08033306083 to know how you can be a part!Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!
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