I love the irony of the Internet.
The Internet moves at the speed of light. Businesses rise out of the web seemingly overnight and burn bright, sometimes persisting to become permanent bookmarks in our minds and other times melting down in an astonishingly short period of time.
This gives the Internet the appearance of being a fast-paced environment in which to do business. This scares some people, they think that they won’t be able to “keep up.”
But the reality is that the same rules apply on the Internet that apply in all other areas of business:
- There are no short cuts.
- You must grow and maintain a good reputation
- You have to spend money (or time) to make money
- Persistence pays off (this goes double on the Internet)
There seems to be two polar opposite personalities that exist in todays business that are worth exploring. The Tortoise and the Hare. Each has its positive attributes and each has its tragic flaws that (if left unchecked) guarantee the doom of their business online.
Are you the Hare?
The Hare is constantly darting down paths looking for the “silver bullet” that will make him a success story. The Hare is unfocused and distracted and has a difficult time understanding that marketing and doing business on the Internet requires the same fundamentals as off-line business.
The Hare thrives on new ideas, new technologies, new business models, new monetization strategies….. new, new, new. They are sitting comfortably in the drivers seat in the fast lane of the Internet super-highway.
The Hare is not afraid of the speed by which the Internet changes. He is comfortable being uncomfortable. He embraces the light-speed of marketing online.
It is likely that each time you see the Hare they will be pitching a new business idea. They will know the NEXT BIG THING. They will have completely dropped the idea they talked to you about last month and will give you a puzzled look when you bring it up to them.
The Hare might be involved with what you would consider “get rich quick” scam artists, spammers or other such folk. These type of people are Hares themselves and they love to find other “movers and shakers” and sprinters.
The Hare doesn’t know how he lived without his iPhone.
The Hare moves too quickly to build substantial business relationships because those that meet him cannot pin down exactly what he is doing for a living.
The Hare is very busy reading lots of blogs, newsletters, and books and trying out the techniques he learned. But the Hare doesn’t stick with any particular technique for long — after all, he must keep up with the “speed” of the Internet.
Are You The Tortoise?
The Tortoise moves at a deliberate pace, each step bringing him closer to the prize. He rarely deviates from the plan and is not distracted by new technologies, new ways of reaching his audience, or new business models.
The Tortoise understands the basics — put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving in the direction of the finish line. Don’t get distracted. Don’t get cocky. Finish the race.
The Tortoise doesn’t own a microwave oven.
The Tortoise is set in his ways and is confident that the methods he has been using will continue to reap the same (or better) results that they have in the past. The Tortoise may be afraid of change but that isn’t really what motivates him to keep the status quo — it is more out of habit than anything else — but fear will do as an excuse when he is in a pinch.
The Successful Business Owner Is Neither and Both
At the very core of your marketing and sales strategy there should be the Tortoise moving at a deliberate pace in a well-planned, solid direction. This is the foundation of your revenues and requires steady and consistent movement forward to achieve success. He is part of your routine, your business processes.
But somewhere inside of you there needs to be a sprinter — the Hare. The part of your persona that you unleash when your gut tells you that there is a new way to market and sell your products and services and you better investigate. He is the experimental side of your marketing and sales process. He is the part of your strategy that isn’t afraid to let his hair down and get out of the comfort zone.
The goal of the work that the Hare is doing for your business should be to become the work of the Tortoise or be killed completely. Just as in off-line business — there is nothing that can be done experimentally that will ultimately build your business. Everything must be done with deliberation and consistency.
If the Hare finds that something experimental is working — it should be incorporated into the workflow of the business. It should become part of the Tortoise’s responsibilities. If the Hare finds that something is not working, it should be killed.
If you read this post and have decided that you are wholly the Hare or Tortoise — be warned. You will have a difficult time succeeding in business today with those negative attributes holding you down.
However, if you choose to — you can eliminate those negative attributes and incorporate the best of both of these personalities and –if you do so — your tiny business will win the race.
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