Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t!

A friend of mine regularly appears as an expert on business news programs. She called me with a question. It’s a question about a foundational truth of all business success and I think you’ll find my answer useful, so I’m sharing it with you.



Okay. Here’s my friend’s question.



I need a piece of business advice, which would work as a very short sound bite. I’m live on TV in just under 30 minutes. Can you help?



Fortunately, I had been working a few days earlier with one of my clients and shared something, which he found really useful. I figured it might be what she was looking for. She loved it. She used it. And it worked perfectly.



It was this.



“Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t”.



Allow me to explain.



Holding on and letting go



Much of what we do as part of our day-to-day business is habitual, at least to a degree. Here are just a few common examples.




We have certain service providers we go to for particular challenges.



We have a familiar set of business strategies, which we’re comfortable using.



We rely on specific people for professional, expert advice.



We use a pretty fixed selection of software and hardware for certain tasks.




Over the months or years, these providers, strategies, people and technologies become a key part of how we operate our business.



However, the most successful business owners regularly review these habits.



They keep their eyes open for better alternatives all the time. They know that meaningful improvement is only possible by reviewing what you do, holding on to what’s working and letting go of what isn’t .



Is it working or not?



The challenge with adopting this approach is that we can get comfortable with what seems to be working. And after all, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it! The thing is, we can only be certain that something isn’t broken if we check for better alternatives.



A laptop you spent a fortune on a decade ago, that’s now too slow, too heavy, incompatible with certain software and has terrible battery-life, didn’t become antiquated overnight. If you’d just carried on using it, assuming it wasn’t broken because it was still powering-up every morning, you’d be at a disadvantage today.



The same is true of the providers we rely on. Their service may have been outstanding a year or two ago, but better providers and alternatives enter the market all the time. In many industries and professions, what was outstanding a few months ago is just average today .



And what about the assumptions we make? 



For instance, consider the assumptions we make about the market we serve. Are these assumptions working for us? If not, we need to let them go and make better informed decisions. This is especially the case, if we’re seeing a drop in sales or marketing results.




With very few exceptions, people have significantly changed how they spend money and invest. The pandemic, followed by the global economic slump, has radically altered priorities. Small business owners today, who are marketing similarly to the way they did in 2020/2021, are not even close to what their prospects need to hear from them. 




Why not take some time to review the things you’re currently holding on to. Especially those you are comfortable with.



Check if they’re still optimal or not. Then hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t.
Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t! was written by Jim Connolly and originally published on Jim's Marketing Blog