you know the drill: work on the business.
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
there’s something special about the word ritual. it sounds sacred, like you wouldn’t dare break it. it sounds a little mysterious, as if there’s a component you can’t quite control. and it sounds colorful, like something full of character that you would never get bored of.
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these days, rituals can bring much-needed certainty to our lives. we don’t think about rituals much when it comes to business, but i think we should. what rituals could you create in your business that will rev up your revenues and reduce the uncertainty that is swirling around us? here are two ideas to get your engines started.
your daily question
start every day with a big-picture question. in our profession, it’s too easy to get mired in the weeds and go down that rabbit hole for hours before we look up.
instead of starting in the details, take a 30,000-foot view and ask yourself one of these questions:
- what is the top income-producing opportunity available to me right now, and do i have time allocated to work on it?
- what am i willing to give up that isn’t working? (sometimes we need to look up to realize that the “old normal” is not coming back any time soon, if ever.)
- what skill can i get better at so i can serve my clients better?
- what 10-minute task can i do that will bring me the quickest cash?
- what can i do to bring my energy up today?
- what favor or compliment can i pay forward to my top client, employee or partner?
i’m sure you can think of more questions to ask based on your business needs, whether it’s revenue, cash, time or inspiration. you can work the same question for a week or a month, or have a different question for each day of the week.
asking yourself your daily question will keep you focused by providing you with your anchoring thought of the day. it will help you keep working on what’s important and not so much what’s urgent.
the report card ritual
there’s nothing better than accurate, cold, hard metrics to set things straight, kill procrastination in its tracks and create excitement about meeting or exceeding goals. to practice the report card ritual, identify a number in your business that you are continually missing and are growing tired of falling short.
here are a few options to get you thinking:
- revenue (in total or for a particular line you are growing)
- total hours worked
- net income
- take-home pay
- number of customers
- number of leads
- revenue per client
- revenue per employee
- sales conversion ratio
now, track it at the end of every day. your ritual should consist of measuring, recording and analyzing this metric at the end of each day. make a spreadsheet and chart your progress over time. are you gaining on your goal or losing?
you can’t improve something until you measure it. when you can spend time and attention on the metric you want to change, you’re already 90 percent there.
got ritual ideas of your own? take a look at where you can practice rituals in your business, especially the ones that will provide you with certainty and boost your revenue all at the same time.