It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that the housing market in America is pretty slow right now. I was thinking about this last night while eating dinner with Diane at our favorite Mexican Restaurant. Usually during the summertime I'm tied up until 8 p.m. or so most evenings. We eat late or I grab leftovers. But this summer we've been seeing more of each other than usual. Diane even invited me to her garden the other night because I was home earlier than usual! (See previous post here)
If things are pretty slow now, that means winter could be tough. This got me to thinking about what I need to be doing right now in order to be set for the naturally slower winter months. Like the story of the grasshopper and the ant, I need to be smart and proactive now.
Here's what I'm doing to be "Ant Smart" and prepare for the slower winter months ahead...
1. I'm starting a new Networking group. When I was in my BNI group we passed leads and generated right at $80k in business in one year. In an economic slowdown, being connected to a weekly source of business education and referrals is a smart move because you position yourself to be with other business professionals. Imagine the brain power you are going to bring into your life and business. It's also smart because networking groups can be excellent lead sources. A networking group brings the lesson of the grasshopper and the ant into focus because networking groups (done right) work smart to promote and support business. Our group is going to be an independent group. And the way we are structuring it is going to be very cool. I'm looking forward to participating in this new group.
2. Now is the time to make sure my other sources of leads are in place and running smoothly. This includes my referral sources, web leads and other sources of leads in business. These lead sources feed my business on a regular basis. Again, the lesson of the grasshopper and the ant at its best.
3. My social media presence must be tweaked and improved. Of course, that includes Active Rain. On cold winter days. AR keeps me connected to good friends, good information, a national audience and good referrals. And don't forget Facebook! You did know that Facebook adds 8 new users every second didn't you? I have work to do there to expand my presence and effectiveness. Back to the lesson of the grasshopper and the ant. I have been a bit grasshopperish here.
4. Seek the wisdom of the experienced. In the story of the grasshopper and the ant, the ant was smart. He (She?) did what needed to be done. I plan to sit down with some of the experienced folks in my office and ask them to teach me what they have done in the past during slow downs. You can always learn from those who have been there and I know these folks have experience they are willing to share.
5. There are a few other areas where I'm thinking of venturing out. One of these is YouTube, but I'm very convinced that with video, you have to be very savvy, very smart and very good at knowing how to do video in a way that resonates with an audience. It's kind of like blogging...only different! And video can be a very grasshopper activity (it takes lots of time) or a very ant activity (the payoff can be big).
Remember, what we do today will bring results in 60-90 days. That means October is right around the corner. If you aren't getting pro-active as we head into a naturally slower season, you might want to kick yourself into "ant" mode and get busy.
You do remember what happened to the grasshopper in the story of the grasshopper and the ant, don't you?
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Grasshopper picture from Flickr Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/casaverdesol/2518778911/
Ant picture from Flickr Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dad_and_clint/239161960/
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