3 Reasons You May Be Losing Business ... Without Knowing Why

Unbeknownst to you, you may be losing business for a very simple reason. Not to your competitors, but due to your own inability to see how your actions, or lack thereof, may be negatively impacting how people view you.
The fact is, many people rely on word of mouth marketing and many miss opportunities because they fail to see that “how they do anything is how they do everything.”

A few years ago I worked with a client who I was considering hiring for a specific skill she had. That is until her behavior indicated to me that hiring her would be a huge mistake. She was fudging on agreements with me and others. She made some very poor decisions that she failed to take responsibility for. And she didn’t handle frustration well at all.
What I found interesting is this; she would post memes, quotes and images on Facebook and other social networks about being accountable to others, trusting where life takes us, and living in integrity.
Holy moly! What she said and what she did were night and day.
The fact is, she has no idea how much she may have lost by being one way publically and something completely differently privately. Not just with me, but with others as well.
“You are rewarded in public for what you have intensely practiced & refined in private!” Tony Robbinsr
Conversely, “You block your success when who you claim to be publically is night and day from who you are privately.” Kathleen Gage

Sure, there are some things we keep private because it’s good manners. I’m not saying that you need to be an open book on everything. However, if you claim honesty is a high value and then you fudge on your taxes - boom! If you claim to respect your marriage but when your spouse is not around you exude behaviors, you would not at all do if your spouse were around - boom! If you claim it’s important to respect people regardless of their station in life, but you treat the wait staff at your local restaurant harshly - boom.
The fact is, you never know when opportunity opens up based on how you live your life. By the same token, you never know when you throw opportunity away by the bad choices you make.
Here are three ways you might be missing opportunity.
1. Your postings on social media. It’s a fact, social media is a great platform to let people get to know you. What you post can put you in a positive light... or not.
I’ve seen people slam others for no other reason than to be a jerk. Sure doesn’t make the jerk someone most people would want to do business with.
On the flip side, one consultant I recently spoke with signed a client based on helpful information she provided in a Facebook forum she belongs to. Someone asked a question about a specific type of software. The consultant provided a highly valuable response. The person who posted the question private messaged her. From there, they engaged in a conversation that led to a contract.
Before posting something think about the impression you are giving others...both good and bad.
2. Conference behavior. You never know who’s watching you. Whether it be the way you treat hotel staff, restaurant servers, support team members or how you act at the bar, people are watching.
3. Following up on leads. Not long ago I gave a couple of leads to someone I know has an area of expertise both leads were looking for.
“I’ve not worked with this person so I cannot tell you what his quality of work and customer care is, but I heard he does such and such,” I mentioned to both of the individuals who wanted to talk to the “expert.”

I was shocked when I learned that this young man didn’t follow up on either lead.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” was the thought that ran through my head. The main reason I was so shocked is this so-called expert told me he could really use some business. Trying to help him out I gave him hot leads. It became apparent why his business is struggling.
Before saying the economy is slow, there’s too much competition, people aren’t buying or whatever excuse you use to justify why you are not doing as well as you want in your business, check your behaviors and get really honest about your part in where your business is at.
A truthful look at what you are, or are not, doing may be the difference between success or failure.