Got Voices? How to Avoid a Multiple Personality Business
No, I wasn't hearing voices. But it seemed that way when
I recently took a cold, hardlook at my web site.
There seemed to be a Barry v1.0 on one page and then a
Barry v1.2 on another. If that weren't confusing enough, this
ezine represented Barry v1.3!
I was beginning to think my middle name was DOS.
(Only those old enough to recall that ancient operating
system will get that one.)
========
Disconnect
========
As I read through the site, the one theme that kept hitting me
on the head like Maxwell's Silver Hammer was disconnection.
I realized that I was disconnected from a variety of important
touch stones, among them:
*clarity of purpose
*consistent message
*honesty
Not that I've lied about anything, rather I came away with
a feeling that the entire site, and its message had become
convoluted and no longer reflected the presence I wanted
to portray online or off.
======================
A Multiple Personality Business
======================
My site had become Sybil.
And it was driving me crazy.
So I 86'd it.
I'm also not the only one effected.
There are a lot of businesses out there (maybe your's),
with too many voices.
One page says one thing, the next says another.
Their marketing materials give one impression,
while their business card reflects another.
And the kicker is, we're the last to know.
We're often too close to our own work to realize
that it is subject to 'extreme vacuum.'
(If you get my drift.)
===============
Contributing Factors
===============
So how does a business become so splintered?
What contributes to that disconnected and disjointed feel?
In my case, it was caused by shifting interests.
I'm a walking poster-boy for A.D.D.
Let me tell the tale.
I launched my online biz as a commercial writer.
I met with some success and then experienced a shift in
interest and ventured into another interesting area where
my expertise was growing: online marketing and exploring
ways to increase business visibility.
After building up quite a few web pages, and developing a
loyal readership, I then hungered for the simple life of
commercial writing, this time leveraging my health care background.
I kept writing the ezine but it's focus no longer
matched the focus of my web site which I changed to
serve a more general business audience.
Can you see why I'm hopelessly addicted to Starbucks?
It took a lot of late nights tweaking HTML code just to keep
up with my own shifting interests.
However, before I beat myself up too badly here,
I must admit that my creativity is fueled and my batteries
totally energized by solitary activities.
Therefore, writing my ezine, articles, and tweaking my HTML
wasn't a bother at all. And that was probably the problem.
I just can't leave things alone. I tweak and adjust and then
tweak some more. It's my nature. I'm an INFP, what can I say?
=================
An Ounce of Prevention
=================
Is worth a pound of cure, so the saying goes, and
here is how to prevent this from happening to your business.
(If it's too late for prevention, stay tuned: I'll address the cure in a minute.)
Step 1: Ground yourself.
------------------------
Ask yourself the following questions:
*What problems do I / can I solve?
*Who experiences these problems in the marketplace?
*What do I do that solves these issues?
*Am I energized by doing this work?
*Is there something else I'd rather do?
Spend some time with each of these responses,
noting how you feel emotionally and physically
when you uncover the truth.
Often it is both our emotional and physical
responses to issues that hold valuable clues
regarding the mysteries of our decision making processes.
Step 2: Go to a fortune teller.
-----------------------------
Kidding. But do take the time to write out a detailed
description of what your business will look like in
three years if everything goes according to plan.
Spend some time creating thislife on paper.
What will it look like? Feel like? Where will you buy your
clothes in three years? What Starbucks will you hang out in?
(OK, that's one off my list.)
But you get the idea. Create a detailed picture in your
mind of what your successful life will resemble in three years.
Step 3: Chart your course.
--------------------------
Now that you've got a mental picture, get a map.
Learn the territory from those who've covered the same ground.
Don't boldly go where no man/woman has been before.
Too many first-time business owners just get in the car and drive,
not knowing that a huge pothole is in the road about two months north.
With your three-year vision of that perfect business in hand,
ask yourself, "How will I make this a reality?"
Begin to chart a course based on accurate maps created by
those who've ben there. Don't buy a map from someone who's
never left their house!
Step 4: Form or join a mastermind group.
----------------------------------------
Traveling in a strange land with another person is always more
fun and usually involves less risk. Get about three to four other
first-time or experienced business owners together for a monthly
conference call and get feedback on your business, your web site,
your marketing materials, etc.
This is an invaluable experience.
In the words of Woody the Cowboy,
"If you don't have one, get one."
Step 5: Build in rewards for yourself.
------------------------------------
Whether you succeed or experience a delay in success,
build in a reward system so that you treat yourself to
positive reinforcements for action taken. Too often we only
reward ourselves for a job-well-done.
Hey, if I waited for a job-well-done before I rewarded myself,
I'd never get one. Life's too short.
Don't aim for perfection.
It unreasonable to expect you'll attain it.
=======
The Cure
=======
If you're more interested in how to correct errors already
made (you've totally identified with my dilemma), well,
I have good news and bad news.
The bad news is that you, too, need to start over!
The good news is that you, too, need to start over!
Huh?
Starting over is the wisest, most liberating choice you
can make if you're trapped in a Multiple Personality Business.
Unless your web site has 500 pages, starting over and really
taking the time to organize your business is relatively simple.
It's not easy, but the process is really pretty basic.
If you're in this boat, you've got to ride the rapids before
you enjoy the calmer waters downstream.
Change is never easy. Those who embrace it are courageous.
Those who commit to it are brave. Those who resist it, when they
know in their heart-of-hearts that they shouldn't, are destined to
be miserable and will, most likely, delay success inevitably.
==========
Final Thoughts
==========
In this issue, I've shared with you my pitfalls.
It's probably not what you expected to hear.
But to be less than forthcoming would be a untruthful.
My experience may be familiar to you. If so perhaps you'll learn something
in the process that you can apply to your own business.
As I decide on my own next steps, the only thing I know
for sure is that I love writing this ezine.
Is it the most brilliant piece of eWriting in your in-box?
Nope. But I'll continue writing it each week until I feel
I've no longer got anything of substance to say.
(Hard to imagine.)
Unless I receive massive unsubscribes in the next few days,
I'll assume you approve of my forthrightness and wait to see what
I do next.
Thanks for reading;
I appreciate each and every one of you.
Barry
I recently took a cold, hardlook at my web site.
There seemed to be a Barry v1.0 on one page and then a
Barry v1.2 on another. If that weren't confusing enough, this
ezine represented Barry v1.3!
I was beginning to think my middle name was DOS.
(Only those old enough to recall that ancient operating
system will get that one.)
========
Disconnect
========
As I read through the site, the one theme that kept hitting me
on the head like Maxwell's Silver Hammer was disconnection.
I realized that I was disconnected from a variety of important
touch stones, among them:
*clarity of purpose
*consistent message
*honesty
Not that I've lied about anything, rather I came away with
a feeling that the entire site, and its message had become
convoluted and no longer reflected the presence I wanted
to portray online or off.
======================
A Multiple Personality Business
======================
My site had become Sybil.
And it was driving me crazy.
So I 86'd it.
I'm also not the only one effected.
There are a lot of businesses out there (maybe your's),
with too many voices.
One page says one thing, the next says another.
Their marketing materials give one impression,
while their business card reflects another.
And the kicker is, we're the last to know.
We're often too close to our own work to realize
that it is subject to 'extreme vacuum.'
(If you get my drift.)
===============
Contributing Factors
===============
So how does a business become so splintered?
What contributes to that disconnected and disjointed feel?
In my case, it was caused by shifting interests.
I'm a walking poster-boy for A.D.D.
Let me tell the tale.
I launched my online biz as a commercial writer.
I met with some success and then experienced a shift in
interest and ventured into another interesting area where
my expertise was growing: online marketing and exploring
ways to increase business visibility.
After building up quite a few web pages, and developing a
loyal readership, I then hungered for the simple life of
commercial writing, this time leveraging my health care background.
I kept writing the ezine but it's focus no longer
matched the focus of my web site which I changed to
serve a more general business audience.
Can you see why I'm hopelessly addicted to Starbucks?
It took a lot of late nights tweaking HTML code just to keep
up with my own shifting interests.
However, before I beat myself up too badly here,
I must admit that my creativity is fueled and my batteries
totally energized by solitary activities.
Therefore, writing my ezine, articles, and tweaking my HTML
wasn't a bother at all. And that was probably the problem.
I just can't leave things alone. I tweak and adjust and then
tweak some more. It's my nature. I'm an INFP, what can I say?
=================
An Ounce of Prevention
=================
Is worth a pound of cure, so the saying goes, and
here is how to prevent this from happening to your business.
(If it's too late for prevention, stay tuned: I'll address the cure in a minute.)
Step 1: Ground yourself.
------------------------
Ask yourself the following questions:
*What problems do I / can I solve?
*Who experiences these problems in the marketplace?
*What do I do that solves these issues?
*Am I energized by doing this work?
*Is there something else I'd rather do?
Spend some time with each of these responses,
noting how you feel emotionally and physically
when you uncover the truth.
Often it is both our emotional and physical
responses to issues that hold valuable clues
regarding the mysteries of our decision making processes.
Step 2: Go to a fortune teller.
-----------------------------
Kidding. But do take the time to write out a detailed
description of what your business will look like in
three years if everything goes according to plan.
Spend some time creating thislife on paper.
What will it look like? Feel like? Where will you buy your
clothes in three years? What Starbucks will you hang out in?
(OK, that's one off my list.)
But you get the idea. Create a detailed picture in your
mind of what your successful life will resemble in three years.
Step 3: Chart your course.
--------------------------
Now that you've got a mental picture, get a map.
Learn the territory from those who've covered the same ground.
Don't boldly go where no man/woman has been before.
Too many first-time business owners just get in the car and drive,
not knowing that a huge pothole is in the road about two months north.
With your three-year vision of that perfect business in hand,
ask yourself, "How will I make this a reality?"
Begin to chart a course based on accurate maps created by
those who've ben there. Don't buy a map from someone who's
never left their house!
Step 4: Form or join a mastermind group.
----------------------------------------
Traveling in a strange land with another person is always more
fun and usually involves less risk. Get about three to four other
first-time or experienced business owners together for a monthly
conference call and get feedback on your business, your web site,
your marketing materials, etc.
This is an invaluable experience.
In the words of Woody the Cowboy,
"If you don't have one, get one."
Step 5: Build in rewards for yourself.
------------------------------------
Whether you succeed or experience a delay in success,
build in a reward system so that you treat yourself to
positive reinforcements for action taken. Too often we only
reward ourselves for a job-well-done.
Hey, if I waited for a job-well-done before I rewarded myself,
I'd never get one. Life's too short.
Don't aim for perfection.
It unreasonable to expect you'll attain it.
=======
The Cure
=======
If you're more interested in how to correct errors already
made (you've totally identified with my dilemma), well,
I have good news and bad news.
The bad news is that you, too, need to start over!
The good news is that you, too, need to start over!
Huh?
Starting over is the wisest, most liberating choice you
can make if you're trapped in a Multiple Personality Business.
Unless your web site has 500 pages, starting over and really
taking the time to organize your business is relatively simple.
It's not easy, but the process is really pretty basic.
If you're in this boat, you've got to ride the rapids before
you enjoy the calmer waters downstream.
Change is never easy. Those who embrace it are courageous.
Those who commit to it are brave. Those who resist it, when they
know in their heart-of-hearts that they shouldn't, are destined to
be miserable and will, most likely, delay success inevitably.
==========
Final Thoughts
==========
In this issue, I've shared with you my pitfalls.
It's probably not what you expected to hear.
But to be less than forthcoming would be a untruthful.
My experience may be familiar to you. If so perhaps you'll learn something
in the process that you can apply to your own business.
As I decide on my own next steps, the only thing I know
for sure is that I love writing this ezine.
Is it the most brilliant piece of eWriting in your in-box?
Nope. But I'll continue writing it each week until I feel
I've no longer got anything of substance to say.
(Hard to imagine.)
Unless I receive massive unsubscribes in the next few days,
I'll assume you approve of my forthrightness and wait to see what
I do next.
Thanks for reading;
I appreciate each and every one of you.
Barry
posted by Barry W. Morris at
1:21 PM
