Trouble finding clients? Pound the pavement.

I knew this guy. He just did not look good, and he had the personality to match. Not so much ugly in character, just a little rough around the edges. Sorry to say it. But not that sorry, because he was happy, and he had exactly what he wanted. Lots of hot girls. Always. And we’d all look and wonder, and think, “How?” And, you know, this I do hate to say, but we were all a little jealous too. “There must be some secret…” Nope. The key to his success was dead obvious. You just had to watch him in action. It was a little painful. He was a little awkward. He didn’t seem to have the social graces you were supposed to have for this type of thing. But no matter. Because he just did not stop. One rejection didn’t phase him. Nor did two, or three, or four. And, you know, it’s tempting to say “Well, I just don’t want to be that person,” and, in fact, that’s exactly what I thought. And I didn’t want to be him. But truth be told, I admired his nerve, and I still do. He was fearless.

Today’s daily wisdom? Lowering prices while offering more is a little like going out with someone you don’t like and don’t find attractive. In both cases, you’re getting people to come to you by way of their desperation instead of your offerings. The better solution? Get yourself out there and pull people in. In the short term, you may need to do what you need to do. But don’t make it part of a long term strategy. Where do you think that guy wound up? In the dumps? Going nowhere? Not a chance. He is a lawyer, a business owner, and he could just as soon retire today in his forties, if he felt the urge. That’s what happens when you don’t stop.

It’s pretty much the same thing, over and over, isn’t it? There are two stories. The person who made it and the person who didn’t. And the story of the person who made it always starts the same. They are people who are driven, energized, and willing to go get out there, knock on doors, and hit it hard to get the job done. And the story of the person who didn’t? Well, we don’t hear that story usually, because it’s as common as it is commonly forgotten. But it usually starts with a few too many beers, a few too many days doing nothing, and a little too much time watching television.

We call it lazy. But I don’t believe in lazy. People are activated or they’re not. No one is destined to be less. But it happens. Because of fear. Because of things we’re told and inhibitions we have. We settle. We go for less. Meeting the person you want doesn’t start with working out, grooming yourself, looking better, and overhauling your personal worth. And neither does keeping the business going. It’s starts out with something much simpler. A tool we all have. Just a little bit of boldness, a hand to reach out, and a “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”