- David Smith
How Persistence Shapes Your Future
“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” – Bill Bradley
All of us struggle sometimes with discouragement. Perhaps you’ve noticed that things often don’t turn out as you had planned? As much as I love this copy-writing business, there have recently been some instances that frustrated and annoyed me. There are some circumstances that always remain beyond my control, despite my best efforts. I’ve dealt with indecisive clients, uncommunicative ad sales reps, and some disappointing response rates from my personal marketing. A few weeks ago I considered slacking off on production of this newsletter. I was busy with other projects, and I haven’t been getting the response I had hoped for from it. I wondered if it was worth my time to keep producing it. Then yesterday I received a call from a friend who happens to be a subscriber. Something I’d written in my last newsletter persuaded him that I would be a good fit to do a direct mail piece for a friend of his in the HVAC business. His referral opened the door to a new prospect for me. Had I not produced last month’s newsletter, I would not have made that connection. This made me realize how foolish I would be to quit marketing myself with this newsletter. It might be months between nibbles, but sooner or later I will reel in some more business if I just keep putting myself out there. A business pursuit is really a giant step of faith. And the only way to succeed is to keep pressing ahead until you get your breakthrough. Sometimes in a low moment we are prone to question ourselves. Do we really want to keep pursuing our dreams? Is it worth the hassle when you seem to be just treading water...or worse, when you feel like you’re drowning? Everyone who has ever succeeded in business has a woeful tale to tell of some dark time when the future looked bleak. But these successful business people also have a turnaround story that highlights how they worked through their problems and forged ahead to take their business to the next level. Obviously you have to be competent...and you have to offer a product or service that people need. But given those two things, the third essential element of your future success is plain old persistence. Whatever the issues, adjust your procedures and policies to fit the circumstances and press ahead toward your goal. Persistence is what takes you from where you are to where you want to be. If you desire to work for yourself in a given field, you simply have to plant your flag there and work at it until you make it. Keep putting yourself out there. Keep promoting your services. Keep advertising and reaching out to your target market. Experienced marketers know that it normally takes a minimum of seven contacts before a prospect considers doing business with you. Too many people give up because they don’t realize how close they are to the goal line!