Got your business hustle on? Or, do you let things slow down and slack off during summer months? You may be missing the most opportune times for networking and growing your business.
For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere reading this post, the summer months are most welcome. Here in Ann Arbor, MI, winter seemed to hang around forever. Then Spring showed up for approximately 24 hours (or less), everything sprung up from the ground, bloomed and leafed out. Voila! Summer arrived at long last.
The longer days and longer rays of the sun (and pollen!) create a long-awaited euphoria that slows down business-building momentum. Along with the euphoria come the excuses for why we “deserve” a break, a few hours off, long lunches, etc.
As a result, our productivity slows. It doesn’t have to be that way, however.
Business hustle can downshift during summer months without compromising business growth, expansion and sustainability.
I find that attending networking events, especially during the summer months, provides a more relaxed atmosphere to listen. Not sell. Nor pitch. Or seek follow-up appointments after one cup of coffee or cocktail.
Just listen to what other professionals are planning and doing, experiencing and acting on.
And then, connect with the individual via social media, like LinkedIn and Twitter. Continue the conversation and, most importantly, the listening.
In addition, taking Friday afternoon “off” (yes, I said that) for a long lunch with colleagues, is a great way to discuss new ideas. Talk about topics of interest in professional magazines and books. Collaborate. Innovate.
And, besides, when colleagues are encouraged to bring along associates, we just never know who will be sitting at the table with us. In a relaxed manner, exploring areas of mutual interest. With no hidden (or obvious) agenda.
Often, decision makers in smart factories have a bit more time to meet with us during summer months. Especially if there is scheduled downtime for preventive maintenance. Or, a savvy business actually shuts down for several weeks to allow employees to take vacations.
And when it comes to renewals and customer retention, wow, those summer months are golden for having the time to sit down with loyal customers. Find out what really is going on, inside their houses. With their people. Within their industry.
Why not change how we create customer micro experiences?
Instead of making excuses that no one is around to meet, start looking one millimeter beyond our current definition of business hustle.
Far too many of us are so busy chasing someone else’s KPI’s during the year, that we overlook how summer months create business-building opportunities. In our status quo playbook (and our employers’) hustle is equated with frantically hunting and chasing, rather than listening, curating and growing.
Acknowledge the different pace and cadence which the summer months afford us. Instead, disrupt the status quo. Then, make this change in mindset work to everyone’s advantage. Create something different and refreshing, in the process.
Take the time to make the time to network and meet, with an open mind. Without having an agenda. It is surprising who we meet, what we discuss and how, over time, we create synergies which add value to all of our businesses.
Interested in more strategies to execute, about how to Disrupt Yourself and grow your business? Start moving one millimeter forward, today.
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Babette Ten Haken, Founder & President of One Millimeter Mindset™, is an innovative speaker, strategist, and storyteller. Babette’s One Millimeter Mindset™ Workshops and Speaking programs leverage collaboration to catalyze professional innovation, workforce engagement and customer retention. Babette’s playbook of collaboration tools, Do YOU Mean Business?, is available on Amazon. She is a member of SME, ASQ, SHRM and the National Speakers Association. Image source: Fotolia
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