Selling a product to your potential customers must be able to visualise the outcome. They have to see what it looks like for their problem to be solved. Otherwise, they won’t believe it can be. But that’s only one of the hurdles to your goal of a conversion. Simply picturing the outcome isn’t enough.
They also need to feel an emotional connection, know how you will solve their problem, believe they can achieve the solution, trust you’re the right person for the job, etc. Vision is just one piece of the puzzle. Many people say they have a vision in business. The only way to create value from a concept is to turn it into reality through execution. It is a crucial challenge in the industry today.
Vision in business is like motivation
Motivation is a vital part of a journey, but it’s not enough on its own. You can’t rely on motivation because it’s not a constant. Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I need motivation? Well, what they need is an execution plan. Because the action needs to happen regardless of motivation, it’s great to have, but it’s not enough.
The number of undelivered visions far outweighs the dreams delivered. Why? Because the skills required to create the image differ from those required to execute and turn it into reality.
What are the necessary activities, steps and tasks that need to be done that will drive you closer to something you can touch and feel? The only way to turn your vision into reality is by actively taking steps that move you forward. That takes determination and persistence, especially when the mountain is most prominent in the early days.
So, what are 4 things you need to make your vision a reality?
1) Plan your A to B
Come across many business owners who operate a strategy on the go. They roll the dice and hope to win. Many are looking for a quick fix or leisurely route and are not prepared to do the most challenging work that gives them the best chances of success – mastering the basics!
The basics aren’t exciting or quick. They’re about going deeper with more straightforward actions, consistently over a long period. They’re about understanding what is required for you to grow. Driving your business forward every day will quickly produce tangible results.
Take goal setting as an example. Most people roll their eyes at writing monthly, quarterly and yearly goals for their business. They probably see it as an arbitrary task that won’t move the needle. And on their own, sure, they won’t.
Using them to your advantage makes taking significant strides towards your vision in business easier. Once you break your goals down and precisely what work you need to do to achieve them, you suddenly have a clear plan to follow—no more stabbing in the dark.
2) Instill a culture
One of the top challenges trades and construction business owners face is constantly monitoring their team. It is a huge obstacle for many businesses because no matter how hard they try, they can’t seem to fix it.
So what do you do? First, you need to consider your business culture and values. Then, you need to get the right people in the right roles that also fit your ethos. It means making some tough but necessary decisions.
You have to ask yourself constantly, how am I investing in the culture of this organization to make us more productive? It would help if you created that underlying ethos of we can and we will. Once everyone works as a well-oiled machine, your vision is much more likely to become a reality.
3) Don’t forget about the long-term
You didn’t go into business thinking it would be temporary, so don’t make the mistake of only living in the here and now. Thinking about where the company will be in two, five or even ten years improves the next six months.
Remember, the work you’re putting in is not just for today – it guides and impacts the future of your business. Planning towards and working with the long-term in mind is about making your efforts to cement a culture.
You’ll also think about stepping away from the business and passing the baton. When this happens, your vision in business turns into a legacy. Good companies continue to thrive and grow after the founders or leaders have left.
So what legacy are you leaving from your productive work in this business or organization? If what you have built collapses two months after you go, you can hardly look back and say you have been productive. Many business leaders are still too focused on the day-to-day. But legacies aren’t built on whim and spontaneity.
Have you created a structure for somebody else to pick up where you left off and produce bigger and better results in the future? What culture and systems have you developed? It might not seem important now, but this is what helps a business stand the test of time.
“Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.” —Peter Drucker
4) Accept that there is no finish line
Your vision is never complete and never finished. It’s a moving target. Your vision in business will never become a reality because your idea will evolve and grow any time you get close to achieving it. It, therefore, remains forever unattainable, always giving you something to strive for. And that’s a good thing!
The minute you feel your vision has been achieved, you and your business will start to move back because you will have nothing to push you to bigger and better things.
Your business is either moving forward or die. There is no in-between—another reason you should plan for the short, mid, and long-term. If you’re only working here and now, you will never catch up because the finish line is not fixed. And there you have the four things you need in addition to your vision. What are you doing to bring your vision in business and to life?
