Today’s post was submitted by Kelly from MaximumCustomerExperience, who I call the Queen of Customer Consciousness. Absorb and savor her perspective on the topic of Vision:

EnVisioning the Future for Your Small Business

(Besides perhaps comics…) How many closed-minded and pessimistic success stories are there?

I had a conversation not long ago with a mentor who said he thought there were many business owners who did not have a Vision going in. I disagreed. Very few, I said, or not really thriving; people may not call it Vision, but passion, Purpose, optimism, driving force… Whatever you call it, it has to be there for optimum growth.

It’s not all there is

What is “The Secret” for your business? There is no secret. Positive thinking alone will not get you what you desire. Bad results are not somehow brought on from within. Passion will not always take you where you want to go, but I sure do believe that a lack of passion will stop you. If you believe you can… maybe you will. But if you believe you can’t, you won’t. That’s for sure. Not because you brought it on yourself; because if you believe you can’t, you simply won’t try hard enough to push past that belief. In business, you won’t inspire others in your firm if you’ve lost track of your inspiration.

On my wall, in one-foot tall gold lettering: “It’s on its way.” A phrase from Dr. Wayne Dyer that resonates with me and reminds me to keep my eyes on the big picture, for myself, for my family, and for my clients. The most important lesson is the one that’s not spelled out here: it’s on it’s way if you seek it out and bring it to you. If you sit on your duff and read the gold letters on the wall, it ain’t comin’ on its own.

So what does it take to drive growth?

A big picture. A Vision. A dream, goals, Purpose, all rolled into one.

Your Vision has to be aligned with the real world. Customers have got to love, want, need what you offer.

The most important ingredient is execution: take this fresh, focused Vision to the customer in the most clear and effective manner, demonstrate this focus in all interactions with the customer, and they will perceive that you will deliver on your promise.

There are surely lots of unsuccessful visionaries and optimists, but how many great successes are there who never knew what they were doing, were too busy too reflect or change course, and never believed in a purpose beyond getting to the end of another day’s work?

What’s your Vision?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

About Kelly Erickson
I’ve got a Vision: Your small business, growing in just the way you plan it. As the owner of VisionPoints, The Experience Designers, I’m obsessed with your success.

For more writings about Experience Design, visit the Maximum Customer Experience Blog.