Regaining Lost Momentum

MOMENTUM MAKES OR BREAKS THE LEADER

When leaders have momentum, they appear better than they really are, conversely, when leaders lack momentum, they appear worse than they really are.
 
If you have ever had momentum and then lost it, you know queasy, if ever there is queasy. 
 
To regain lost momentum, go back to the basics of what sustains momentum in the first place: 1) as leader, be willing to accept responsibility for creating and sustaining momentum in the first place; 2) be willing to direct momentum instead of letting it direct you; and 3) be willing to be enthusiastic at all times no matter what (negative attitude is a momentum killer).
 
Key Principles of Momentum

One’s ability to accomplish one’s goals has to do more with inner resources and obstacles than with external events, people and circumstances.  Markets may turn against you and customers may leave for reasons out of your control.  However, the greatest obstacles to success have more to do with your ability to stay focused on your goals and communicate those goals to others in a way that brings them along.
 
Your goals and values provide guiding direction

in everything you do. When you loose that sense of direction, you lose your momentum and are reduced to living at the mercy of reaction and fatigue.
 
The biggest cost of business does not show up on the P&L. It is the cost of wasted time, lost productivity and low morale.
 
A company’s most important asset is trust:  Lack of trust imposes a kind of tax - an overhead on all transactions and interactions. Trust is what enables you to work together for each others’s benefit and toward a common goal.

Appreciated people = appreciated profits: 

Recognition, acknowledgment and appreciation are needs as basic to a human being as is love. Without appreciation, employees are individuals working for a paycheck. With appreciation, we each become partners with one another. We see that we matter and have something of value to give. This is the greatest motivator of all.
 
Growth and development often starts with disruption:  This is a natural result of being in unfamiliar territory. In fact, it is in recognizing this state and seizing the opportunity to learn that you move yourself forward.

A leader’s job is to make individuals feel that opportunities exist for them. It is not about issuing orders or setting the rules. It is about creating a vision that everyone wants to contribute to.

Chaos, change, complexity and ambiguity are par for the course. Don’t try to eliminate them. You won’t succeed. Instead, learn to thrive in chaos, change, complexity and ambiguity with commitment, purpose and ambition
 
The success of your business depends on your ability to build marketing momentum. Without the ability to generate new sources of leads your capacity to sell will slump and the growth of your business will stagnate or shrink. 

Unfortunately, many small business owners are at a loss when tasked with coming up with new ways to market while others are frustrated into stagnation by seeing consistently ineffective results from their marketing efforts. 
 
Five Tactics to Build Marketing Momentum

Is your marketing effort one dimensional or stagnant? Here are five tactics you can use to build marketing momentum:
Deliver a Great Marketing Message
A great marketing message will have the effect of generating interest in what you do. It never ceases to amaze me the number of small business owners that fail to use a compelling marketing message. If you answer the “what do you do?” question with a savvy marketing message you will find that more people associate what you do with a need of their own or that of a friend, colleague or relative and you will win more referral business. Develop and use an outstanding, compelling marketing message and you will find that more people show interest in what you do. The result will be more better sales.
Make Cold Calling a Hot Source of Sales
Many small business owners hate to make cold calls. Their derision is understandable. By making cold calls they are setting themselves up for rejection. No one likes being rejected. However, rejection is part of the game when making phone calls. Once you realize that it’s not your fault when someone says no during a cold call you can move passed your barrier and add cold calling to your marketing arsenal.  The fact is that by regularly picking up the phone and reaching out to potential clients small business owners increase their chance of finding new business.  Add cold calling to your marketing strategy and you will increase your opportunity to generate new business.
Use Your Web Site as An Effective Marketing Tool
Many companies have web sites that fail as effective marketing tools. Does your web site consistently generate leads and sales? It should. And it can.  A company without a web site as part of its marketing team is missing a fantastic opportunity to increase its revenue stream. Deliver a web site that functions as an effective marketing tool and you will consistently add to your marketing momentum.
Develop Your Network
Another great tool to use to build marketing momentum is networking. Networking is a highly effective means of generating referral business (which is some of the easiest business to get, once you get a referral). A person who is willing to take someone else’s advice to contact you about your product or service will transfer the trust he has in his friend or colleague making the referral to you. Making it easier for clients to trust you removes one of the barriers to making a sale. 
Measure Your Results
No matter what tactics you adapt to market yourself or your business be sure to measure your results. By measuring your marketing results you will be able to move away from or correct what does not work and stick with and reinforce what does. By diligently measuring your results you will improve your ability to ad to your marketing momentum and grow your business and success.
 
DAILY PRAYER  
When Nehemiah lost momentum in building the wall, he regained it by praying for the work and the workers, creating a plan to address problems, calling for the best out of his workers, providing a new strategy for victory, and rallying the people to support each other. (4:9-20). 
 
Lord, thank you for providing us with excellent examples and models of leaders and real-life issues like regaining lost momentum for us to follow.  In Jesus name, Amen. 
  
Momentum lost, can be regained.  Take responsibility, take control, model success.
 
Grace and peace multiplied to you.