There’s no doubt about it – the current economic turmoil is enough to make even the most intrepid souls run for cover. While it may be tempting to hunker down and wait things out – nothing could be worse for you or your business. Here’s why being proactive is the smart thing to do…

Nothing Comes from Nothing

Just looking at it from a common sense perspective – what do you think doing nothing will accomplish? Bzzzz – times up. So now that you know that inaction isn’t the answer – get your game going by doing the following. Think about one thing you can do – not five, not three – just one thing that can help you move forward. Maybe it’s overhauling your internal processes or technology capabilities, so that you and your staff become more productive. Maybe it’s outsourcing admin tasks to a VA (virtual assistant) so you can spend more time doing the stuff that actually brings in sales. Maybe it’s getting up to speed with what’s going on in the online world – which may mean finally taking a hard look at what your “professional sales engine” – your website – is and isn’t doing. It may be finding out how social networking on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, etc. can grow your brand, expertise and sales. Or maybe it’s retooling, cutting services or products that are underperforming. Proactively getting a handle on one thing that is holding you back is the first step forward.

Think from your Client’s Perspective

This may seemingly be a no-brainer, but in my daily doings as a business marketing consultant, speaker and writer, I come across people who do what they want, regardless of whether it makes sense. In other words – they are the biggest obstacle to their own success! That’s because they are not putting themselves in their client’s boots… seeing what their client sees, thinks and needs. Here’s a for instance: I started working with a new webmaster recently, on behalf of a client of mine. While this person had the “goods” (they could have delivered a professional end product) my client and I ended up pulling the job from them because of poor, erratic and frustrating communications. The lesson here: today’s clients are more demanding than ever. They expect a certain level of performance, professional conduct and a valuable end result too. If you aren’t delivering it, they’ll go elsewhere. Being proactively sensitive to your clients’ and prospects’ expectations will insure a positive experience for them and ca-ching for you.

Creating Positive Paths

When you are choosing smart activities that are in tune with progress – whether you are out networking face-to-face, making cold calls, creating service-oriented systems, getting feedback, learning about the latest tech tools or testing new advertising platforms – you’re also creating more opportunities to succeed. Perhaps it will come in the form of a new strategic partnership, perhaps a new product or service. Action stacks the deck in your favor. Being an ostrich insures pretty much the opposite. So by assessing things, choosing a primary focus and making it happen, you have a much better chance of opening doors you never dreamed of.

Proactive Patterns  – An Investment in Your own Success

The long and short of it: Winners do not dawdle. They keep up with things, assessing, tweaking, asking tough questions, and making decisions. They embrace proactive patterns, and are always looking ahead. They also seek out other experts; proactive professionals who will ultimately help them achieve their dreams. So, here’s to your success, to profiting from being proactive, no matter what the economy is doing!