Why Figuring It Out Alone Is Slowing You Down

Today’s Skill:  Knowing When To Invest In Yourself

I had breakfast last month with my friend Stacy Eleczko (who is a brand positioning and messaging strategy aficionado, btw) I’ll plug her newsletter even though she didn’t ask. → subscribe here

We were talking about business coaches and that got us down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what the differences are between those who succeed at their goals and those who spin their wheels.

You know what it comes down to?

Making daily deposits into growing your skills and learning from others who can see what you can’t.

Top athletes figured this out. The same with Fortune 500 CEOs. These are people at the top of their respected games. But, you know what they invest in? Help.

The less talented ones "figure it out themselves."

I see this all the time from a sales standpoint.

Every founder hits a wall at some point on their journey to building their business. Many times it’s in their sales growth.

What separates the ones who break through from the ones who plateau? It often comes down to how they approach learning and improvement.

👉 You can either point the finger at the market conditions or the President or some other factor you can’t control.

👉 Or, you point the finger in the mirror at yourself.

Today, I want to share with you the three levels of sales growth.

Most never make it past Level 1.

Hoping this is a wake-up for someone reading this!

Level 1: Figure It Out on My Own (The DIY Trap)

This feels like the smart, scrappy way. And on the surface, it is. You’re resourceful. You’re not spending much money. You’re learning by doing. But the word “Bootstrapping” wasn’t intended to mean not spend any money. It just means to build at a sustainable pace to avoid taking outside investment.

But here are three pitfalls of that thinking:

• No Accountability → You don’t have someone to lean on. Sales can be scary so what do we do when something is scary? You avoid it. The prospecting, the networking, the reviewing of our calls all gets pushed off for "later". Usually, it’s in favor of whatever feels more urgent. Having an accountability partner keeps us in check.

• No Visibility → You don’t know what you don’t know. I see this a lot when I conduct Sales Call Roasts. There is so much low-hanging fruit to tug on and grab. But, it’s hard to do that if you’re not even sure where to look. You can't improve what you're not aware of.

• No Direction → Reinventing the wheel is exhausting. There’s a difference between building from first principles and spinning in circles. If you don’t know what to look for or can’t think outside the boundaries you’ve already set, you can be set up for failure.

It might feel efficient today, but it often costs you more in lost revenue and missed opportunities than you realize.

Level 1 is the trap of working “in” the business instead of working “on the business.

Level 2: Better but Short-sighted (Information Overload)

This is where you start seeking out other people’s ideas. Books. Podcasts. LinkedIn posts. Courses. It’s likely why you are reading this newsletter! (btw, thank you!)

And while it feels more productive than Level 1, it comes with its own trap:

• Too much input, not enough execution → You’re consuming instead of applying. It’s why I put “Action Items” at the end of all of my newsletters. It’s one thing to read it and another to apply it.

• You get the "what" but not the "how" → A lot of content shares high-level strategy, but leaves you without steps to implement. Even writing this newsletter, I have to think on a broader scale than when I work 1:1 with clients. I try to grasp the essence of a topic to apply across a spectrum.

• Generic advice isn’t your solution → Your business has nuances. It’s helpful to learn on a broad scale but applying that to your specific business challenges is what takes you from good to great. You have to get into the weeds to truly know what works for your specific situation.

This level gets you on the path to growth. You’re excited and eager to learn. But, just consuming content can be a fools errand. Real growth happens with the application of knowledge.

Level 2 is an improvement but if you’re not careful the shadow of Level 1 can creep back in. You’re on the right track but there’s more you can do.

Level 3: Get a Guide (Real Growth Starts Here)

Yes, I’m biased. I am a coach. But, I’ve also used coaches for years. When I was committed to improving and had a coach, I accelerated my growth. When I thought I could figure it out on my own, I didn’t grow nearly as fast as I wanted.

Here’s why playing on Level 3 is impactful:

• You identify blind spots quickly → An experienced coach is able to diagnose the challenges you are facing AND put a plan of action in place to hit those milestones. The growth loops shorten and setbacks are less detrimental.
  

• You get actionable feedback → There is a foundational approach to sales. But, after that, it gets very specific to the person selling and the product you are offering to the market. “One-way” learning (books, podcasts, courses) don’t offer interactive learning opportunities.

• You work through mindset blocks → Sales isn’t just tactical. It’s emotional. Having someone in your corner helps with the psychology of building confidence and conviction in what you are selling.

• You stay accountable → As I said at the beginning, we push off what we fear or don’t understand. When you’re accountable (and have someone you can trust) you get to break through the barriers holding you back. You might be scared but you have someone right there helping you get over the hump.

Level 3 is all about Awareness. The more aware your are, the faster you can move with greater efficiency.

Action Item:

I want you to think about your business goals over the next year. That could be revenue targets, profit margin, # of clients, etc. Whichever metrics you are using to gauge success.

Then, I want you to have a serious look in the mirror.

If you continued to operate the business the way it is today, is it realistic to achieve those goals?

If it is, why is what you are doing working? Do you even know?

If it isn’t, what has to change to make it realistic? Do you even know?

Final Thought:

I’m speaking from a sales perspective, but this applies to every part of your business.

You can waste an entire year simply because you can’t see your blind spots, or worse, you’re guessing.

Investing in yourself and your business is essential.

I’m not saying you need to hire a coach.

I’m not saying you need to take any specific action.

But I am encouraging you to get brutally honest about where you are today and where you want to be.

There’s a gap between the two.

How you choose to bridge that gap is what matters most.