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Newsletter-Header---August

Do You Have The Business You Want?

 

In today's business world, success hinges on consistent team growth, operational scalability, and staying ahead of market dynamics. That's why, at Petra Coach, we team up with our network of industry experts and thought leaders to deliver regular learning events to arm you with the tools, knowledge, and skills necessary to take the business you have to the business you truly want.

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IF YOU experience a business slump in the summertime, chances are you’re not doing enough to get ahead of that slump. Waiting to regain momentum until the fall means that your organization misses out on 3–4 months of revenue gains. I know this because we’ve seen it with our business, too. 

 

At Petra Coach, it took us a few years to realize this, but we were seeing a major downturn in business activity during the summer months. People are on vacation, spending time with their kids, and finally relaxing after a hectic first half of the year—they simply don’t want to do a lot. That left us playing catch up when September rolled around, feeling more panic around what we did or didn’t get done over the summer, and failing to maximize our organization’s potential. 

 

Instead, consider these five tips to head into fall with momentum—no matter how many PTO days your teams enjoyed during summer. 

 

CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN 

After taking a look to understand where business lulls might exist for your organization, focus on making adjustments where you can actually have an impact. There’s so much that even the best leaders can’t control, but you know what we can control? Our effort and activity levels. 

 

At Petra, we make a big push in April and May. Since summers slow down, we want to book new clients during the months before summer and use those bookings to maintain our momentum through the slower months. 

 

If that momentum isn’t happening organically, create an incentive for it! This can look like new-hire sign-on bonuses to bring in top talent in the spring, ramp them up quickly, and support them in driving growth and revenue ASAP. This can also look like offering new clients incentives such as discounts or access to special perks. 

 

If you feel like there’s nothing you can do to mitigate slow periods, then you’re not getting creative enough. 

 

DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE 

One quote that everyone needs to hear is, “Tomorrow is a mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation, and achievement is stored.” Pushing things off until tomorrow, next week, or next quarter is the easy way out—it’s lazy at best and negligent at worst. Get things done now. Dig deep, focus on finding discipline on a personal level and an organizational level, and you’ll be amazed at what starts to take shape. 

 

If we send an employee survey out with a two-week deadline for submission, 85%–90% of people will wait until the day before to complete it. The day before! If we wait on things that add to our to-do lists, work becomes a lot more overwhelming. But if we “ just do it,” we feel that sense of accomplishment and it drives more productivity. 

 

The most successful people in the world do two to three times more than everyone else because they’re disciplined. They don’t let small tasks pile up and take over; they get things done quickly so they can focus on more strategic goals. 

 

ADJUST YOUR FOCUS TIMES 

In the same way that some people are more productive during certain hours of the day, organizations will have their own natural rhythm—leaders just have to find that rhythm. At Petra, we have quarterly leadership meetings for planning and strategy, but the meeting in the June/ July timeframe is almost always impossible to plan. 

 

Between summer schedules, holidays, and family commitments, we can’t get 12 executives in a room. When we stopped making excuses and started capitalizing on our times with the highest productivity levels, our business transformed. Now, we have that meeting in May. It’s a wide-open month and our leaders are able to give the session the time and focus it deserves. 

 

SET REALISTIC GOALS 

Even with the best intentions, people often overcommit. We see it with clients, business partners, and even colleagues. Because of the pressure to produce, people take shortcuts instead of being honest about what’s possible. One of my favorite playbook exercises is in place to challenge us on timelines and deliverables. It forces us to assess how much time we actually have to get something done. 

 

It might look like you have 64 business days to complete a project, but when you take out the July 4th holiday, a week of vacation, and getting your kids back to school, you only have 54 days to work on it. This exercise creates a natural opportunity to scale back deliverables and set goals that leave everyone feeling accomplished. 

 

LEAN ON ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS 

If you can’t hold yourself accountable, you’ll fail. It’s as simple as that. But since we’re human, use tools to help drive accountability. These can look like accountable business partners, accountability dashboards, project tracking software, or even meeting mechanisms. 

 

Every morning in our daily huddle, I announce to my team what my top task is for the day. If I say it out loud to everyone, I know I’ll get it done. Accountability is an individual effort first, but it becomes a whole lot more powerful with the force of a group behind it. 

 

DON’T “FALL” INTO FALL—DIVE IN HEADFIRST 

You can keep making excuses about why your business isn’t doing well throughout the year, or you can take charge of the situation and make a change. I recommend the latter—do you have what it takes? 

The Petra Post is a seasonal magazine showcasing trends and actions to take on scaling a business.

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Upcoming Events For You and Your Teams

Our learning events, free to the public, are specifically curated to help you and your teams master your craft and scale the business. 

8.22.24

THIS WEEK

Thurs., Aug. 22nd@ 10AM CT

Successful Selling for People Who Hate to Sell with Don Williams

In this workshop, Don Williams – entrepreneur, advisor, speaker, and 4x best-selling author –  will uncover that selling becomes effortless when approached with the right mindset and techniques. You will leave with a newfound understanding of sales and practical strategies for success.

60-Minute Habits: Brand Promise: Building Trust and Consistency to Help You Stand Out in the Marketplace

In this workshop, you will define and articulate a unique Brand Promise for your organization that builds trust, resonates with your audience, and drives your business forward with actionable strategies you can implement today.

10.10.24-1

Thurs., Oct. 10th@ 10AM CT

12.5.24

Thurs., Dec. 5th @ 10AM CT

60-Minute Habits: Know Your Numbers, Know Your Business: Utilizing Critical Numbers, KPIs and Targets

In this workshop, we’ll walk you through tips for gauging progress in your organization, how to define the few most important things your team needs to do to move the company forward, and setting real, actionable steps toward starting to use these tools right away.

Register for an Upcoming Workshop
 
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