Dating and business seem to have very little in common at first glance. One is romantic and emotional, the other practical and reasonable. And yet, it seems that success in either of the two, quite often depends on the following points:
Research
When in comes to dating, we constantly compare ourselves to others. We learn what our competitors have to offer and do our best to become the best in show.
The same applies to business – we do care about competition. And perhaps what we should take away from dating, is the enthusiasm we have at actually beating the competition and learning from them. We can not change our (or our company’s personality), but we can develop our products or services, introduce new features and get inspiration form the competition.
What is you USP
When presenting ourselves on a date, we often emphasize the one thing that we do best, because we subconsciously know that it will make us stand out.
The same goes for our products and companies. Choosing your best advantage and working on making it even stronger or selecting a niche product or service is often a clear road to success.
Weed out the unsuitable matches
In dating, we pay a lot of attention to assessing potential candidatures. Once we realize that they are not a match, we simply let go. It seems more difficult to do it with clients, especially for new businesses. We tend to hold on to anyone who looks our way and are scared of loosing them. Yet some clients may not be right for you at this time: your company may be too small, clients’ demands may be not fitting to the service or there may simply be no “chemistry”. So let’s not be afraid to let them go.
Being direct
In dating and in business, we are often afraid to ask direct questions and keep relying on hints and signals. And in both (dating and business) this approach can lead to us missing out on valuable contracts or a possible relationship. Being clear and direct can be stressful, yet it will get you the answers you are looking for and allow you to move forward.
Dealing with rejection.
Clearly, no one likes rejection. It hurts in business and personal life. And is inevitable in both. So what will eventually make a difference is how we bounce back from it. Learn from your failures and use them to propel yourself to success.