I have a client who is an Iron Man athlete but he didn’t use his full lung capacity for his business. What do I mean? In a previous article, I equated oxygen as clients to a business. The better your business body is getting oxygen (clients) into the system, the longer you live. Even though this particular client had a great Respiratory System in his human body, he had a weak respiratory system (Sales/Marketing system) in his business body, resulting in a weak business body prone to shortness of breath.
Are you only using 1 lung in your business?
Your Lungs at Full Capacity
Sometimes we think merely breathing is good enough to have a fulfilling life. It can be, if you’re good with the status quo or mediocrity. Here are the benefits of more oxygen in your human body and the corresponding benefits of more clients in your business:
- Promotes Healthy Cells / Healthy Employees
- “Breathing exercises help alleviate stress and keep healthy cells, well, healthy! According to scientists, aging is caused by a variety of factors, including stress and cell damage.”
- Sales/Marketing exercises bring in more clients which help alleviate stress on employees, knowing they have a job to do, thus creating a healthier work environment.
2. Boosts Brain Activity / Innovation & Problem Solving
- “Researchers at the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit in Northumbria tracked two groups of participants to see how oxygen can boost cognitive functions. The group exposed to pure oxygen was able to remember up to 20% more words from a given list than participants who breathe normal air.”
- More clients give you the ability to serve more needs, create more solutions, and put your creative muscles to work.
3. Speeds Up Healing / Recovery from Downturns
- “Footballers, runners, and basketball players turn to oxygen therapy to help them speed up recovery time. Breathing oxygen is proven as an effective method to boost healing.”
- The only way to get out of a downturn is to turn on your Sales/Marketing efforts to bring in more clients and getting your business body back to health.
4. Strengthens the Immune System / Protection from Downturns
- “Breathing clean air is a factor that keeps the immune system in tiptop shape. Combined with balanced diet and exercise, breathing clean air promotes immunity.”
- Clean air in this sense are clients who are your target market. Not all prospects are ideal customers. Your loyal, raving fan clients (clean air) are what keeps you strong through a downturn since they’ll be with you through thick and thin.
So is your business merely breathing or promoting better oxygen intake? Are you operating your Sales/Marketing functions (Lungs – Respiratory System) at full capacity?
Triathlete Business Bodies
Back to my client earlier, he realized that his sales/marketing efforts were constrained by his sole activities. He wasn’t leveraging his other team members through their circles of influence, relationship skills, and willingness to bring in more clients. He was operating on 1 lung when he had another one to use. So he engaged his other lung (his other team members), thereby increasing his sales/marketing capacity resulting in increased revenue.
He has been able to gain the benefits listed above: healthier and happier employees, working on creative and fulfilling work, protecting the business from seasonal project work.
Businesses who are geared towards sales and marketing are the triathletes of the business world. They are constantly developing their respiratory system to take in more oxygen for health benefits. Not all businesses can be triathletes, but you cannot deny the benefits of having a strong sales/marketing department.
Are you Ready to Train Your Respiratory System?
Imagine your business with a strong Sales/Marketing function! What would more clients (the right clients) do for your business? You don’t have to be satisfied with “just breathing”, the status quo. If you truly believe in your product or service, don’t you want to tell the world?
Staying comfortable will not get you where you want to go. Athletes continually stretch themselves which increases their capacity, resulting in more personal growth.
Are you stretching you and your Sales/Marketing team for healthy business growth?
Ask yourself if you’re constraining your business’s lung capacity or underutilizing your team’s talents. Or do you have the right talent to bring more oxygen into your system? Find out what’s keeping you from getting the clients that you want, then stretch yourself so you can have a healthier business body!
Take the Organizational Checkup to gauge the health of your company! For more information on creating a healthy business lifestyle, read about the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
My next blog will be a deeper dive of your Cardiovascular System – your Finance Function. Remember, Blood = Cash!
To Your Business Health!