I don’t see a ton of movies in the movie theaters. However, a while back, I saw the movie American Sniper. Now, I certainly don’t want to get into a political conversation, but there is a huge business lesson in that movie about focus.
Snipers aim at very little targets. In the movie, when U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is in sniper training, his instructor spoke a line in there that I absolutely love.
The instructor said, “Aim small, miss small. Aim big, miss big.”
Now I’d heard that before, but for some reason it didn’t really resonate with me until I heard that in the movie.
In the movie, the point is that as a sniper, the smaller a target you aim at, the more leeway you have if you goof up a little bit. But when I heard the line in the movie, the business application is what came to mind.
It’s all about focus! Think about it in your world, as it applies to your ideal prospect. Too many people start the definition of their ideal prospect something like this:
“We help anybody that...”
If your definition of your ideal prospect starts out anything like that, you’re aiming too big. Which, of course, means you’ll miss big.
Think instead about something more laser focused:
“We work with business owners who...” followed by more specifics. Of course, even the beginning part may be different in your world, but the point is that it will be specific.
It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about sales or marketing. If you try to put out an ad like a postcard, one that captures everyone, you’re going to miss out on tons of potential business because it’s too broad. But if you put out an ad that’s specific, you may exclude some people, but the right people will be way more likely to respond.
Again, think about your own world. Are there areas you need to get more specific in? For you, that may be your ideal prospect profile. It may be the cookbook of sales activities you do each week. Or perhaps it’s the clear next step for a specific opportunity.
Where in your business could you use more focus?
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