If you’ve ever heard me talk at business gatherings, meetings, and conferences around the world, you’ll be aware of this. I am of the opinion that there are three areas of business you need to stay well-informed in order to see your plan a reality. In my book, Serious Business Growth, I discuss:
1. Your base. I’ve developed Six Fundamental Rules, which form the foundation in every profitable business I’ve witnessed.
2. Your employees. Your employees whom you associate around are those who help your business plan a reality.
3. Your numbers. The business world is about profit, and if you aren’t a fan of this idea, then you ought to consider donating to charitable causes.
Three out of three isn’t sufficient.
You need to be proficient in all three components of the equation in order to be successful, and two simply isn’t sufficient. The area where a lot of people fail is the third one that is numbers. Firms with solid bases and a great staff make mistakes because they aren’t able to or don’t accept that when it comes to success, the answer is on the data. For me, it’s glaringly evident: the one who ends with the highest numbers is the winner! If you’re not a fan of this kind of thinking, you’re probably going to find that you’ll never become the top brand in your industry.
Losers aren’t happy being measured.
Focusing on numbers allowed my US company to grow into the largest company in the western world. This is how I see things, and each time I meet a highly successful leader in the corporate world, I am sure I’m on the right track. The most effective sales professionals I’ve had the pleasure of meeting was Jack Daly. He’s the one responsible for establishing and growing more than a dozen companies and has also taken some of them on Wall Street. Jack once said to me, “Winners prefer to be judged by numbers; they aren’t.” He’s absolutely right. If you employ an outstanding salesperson from outside your business, Two things will occur:
1. Your top salesperson will be thrilled by the challenge, and the end outcome is both will be more successful.
2. Your salespeople who are not performing well won’t like the idea of having a salesperson being added since it will highlight their weaknesses.
If you’re a business owner, you’re involved in sales.
Some say that numbers are only for salespeople. I remind them that if you’re in the business and you’re selling, the numbers are crucial to everyone. Here’s a simple question to reveal if you’re already focussed on figures: which group do you spend the most time with? Your top performers in sales or your least successful ones? Take a look at these numbers to realize that you need to be focusing on helping the best performers improve even more. The evidence is clear repeatedly that this is where you’ll get the best return on your investment. Concentrate on the data in many ways like this since concentration is the only way to achieve the achievement.
The numbers can help you weed out the lazy.
Nomads – or poor performers, as I prefer to call them – usually are able to hide behind bigger and better numbers created from another department. One way I’ve discovered to bring them to the surface and increase overall performance is by making each department accountable to their individual figures and responsibilities – just like businesses. There are many companies that have the top line P&L; however, if you let every department function as a business with a president who is in charge and has the P&L responsibility, you’ll see a dramatic change in the way they function.
Let the numbers shine on your business, and I guarantee you that your business will be successful. You’ll get the most significant numbers and are thriving.
Jack Sims has literally “been there and done this.” He started one of the most innovative organizations in his hometown of England and then went on to do it again in his home country within America. The United States. His marketing company was the top-ranked in America. Today, as an author and consultant, Jack speaks to companies and organizations seeking to improve their image and increase their revenue.
Jack’s presentations for meetings and keynote speeches are energetic and packed with valuable information that has proven effective in the real-world business environment. You’ll be entertained by his stories and be enthralled by his presentation, and most importantly, you’ll leave with information that can help you to achieve lasting business expansion.
