Insights from Dana
Set Your Priorities Straight: The Top Two Prerogatives for Busy Business Owners

When it comes to your business, the buck stops with you.

You are the leader, the decision maker, and, as a result, your To Do List is endlessly expanding. It seems as if for every task you cross off, at least three more get added on.

Your daily work routine is more like a game of whack-a-mole. Instead of focusing on your big-picture vision and bringing it to life, you’re constantly putting out fires and juggling insignificant details. You’re exhausted by all the work you’re doing, but you don’t feel like your business is progressively growing or that you’re really accomplishing anything at all.

Until you get your priorities straight, you’ll keep getting sucked into the vacuum of distractions.

You Need to Fine Tune Your Sense of Urgency

Without clear priorities in your business, every little thing that comes up flags as urgent.

Except that it isn’t. When you fail to distinguish between what is actually important to the sustainability of your company and all of the daily minutiae of your business, you’re perpetuating the cycle of distractions and busy work. 

Neither you or your brain can keep up, never mind, get ahead of the game. No wonder you’re exhausted. Decision fatigue is real, especially when it seems like there is no end in sight. 

As a High-Performance Business Strategist and Coach, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients ranging from small business owners to C-Suite Executives of Fortune 500 companies. After decades of building businesses and coaching industry leaders, I’ve cultivated a unique understanding of what businesses and business owners need to thrive in the long run. 

And if you’re going to stop spinning your wheels, you need to get your priorities in order so you can start getting strategic about the success of your company.

Set Your Priorities Straight

Clear priorities give you and your company the structure you need to close the gaps so you can focus on what really matters. 

When it comes to running and growing your business, there are two fundamental priorities you need to concentrate on. 

First Things First: Make the Cash Register Ring

If your business isn’t making money, you won’t be in business for very long. So making the cash register ring needs to be your top priority.

Anything that directly impacts the exchange of cold-hard cash gets done first. This is your number one priority when it comes to managing your resources. This is where your sense of urgency needs to lie.

Selling is the gold ring. Whether it’s a conversation or a cart checkout, the goal is to facilitate payment exchanging hands. Every single thing you or your team does can be measured by how close it is to making the register go “Ka-Ching!”

Every task or point of contact leading up to that moment needs to be prioritized by how close it is to closing the sale. With this approach, your lead generation, marketing, social media, and networking strategies fall into an order of operations that keeps your pipeline flowing.

Once you’ve closed the deal, it’s time to deliver.

Prioritize the Promises You Made 

Many business owners think delivery and execution need to be their top priority when actually, they come in second place. You have to make the sale first. 

Then you need to deliver on the promises you’ve made–and it is essential to your success that you do it exceptionally well.

Establishing a standard of excellence when it comes to your work and the products you sell is the foundation that elevates your reputation, credibility, and expertise. This is why anything that fulfills on the promise of the sale is your second highest priority. Delivering results that surprise and delight your clients not only manages your reputation and creates raving fans but also creates a feedback loop that keeps your cash register ringing.

When you deliver superlative results with phenomenal customer service, you create an experience that keeps people coming back for more–and they bring their friends, family, and colleagues along with them.

Sell and Deliver with Excellence

Your ability to make the sale and deliver on your promises is the cornerstone of your business.

This is the stuff your reputation is built on.

It’s what your referrals are made of.

It is the standard that sets you and your business apart.

Believe it or not, it’s amazing how focusing on those two priorities cuts down the length of your to-do list and the fatigue you’ve been feeling from trying to make decisions all day.

Concentrate on making sales and going above and beyond to deliver on your promises, and you will build the foundation you need to create sustainable, long-term success.

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