Some years ago I was present at a Dr Ric Charlesworth (AO) presentation to the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) in Perth.
Ric is an amazing person and a successful Australian sports coach, and more. He told us how he coached the Hockeyroos to two Olympic gold medals and how we can use his coaching principles in business. One of the many tips he gave that stuck in my mind, which I often discuss with clients, was “be brilliant at the basics”.
He explained that the most dangerous time for a team was when they were winning with just a short time to go. Complacency could lead to some sloppy mistakes and cost them the game. His strategy at this stage was to get everyone to focus back on the ‘basics’. Know what the essential things are and keep doing them ‘brilliantly’.
It works in business too. When times are good we often get lax, sloppy and complacent. When the economy gets tough or the market changes, and we don’t do the basics, we struggle. Ric’s way would be to be brilliant at the basics of business – the business essentials. It’s not rocket science. Things like:
- Know where you are going and have a plan to get you there
- Know your target market and focus on giving the customer what THEY want
- Give exceptional “memorable” customer service
- Implement excellent marketing and sales conversion systems
- Get the business running like a ‘Swiss watch’ with systems and processes
- Do rigorous financial management
- Know your numbers and make better and faster decisions
- Strive for excellence in everything you do
Click Here to find out more about the Business Essentials workshops and seminars.
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