“Life begins where your comfort zone ends!”
We’ve all heard that cliche so, so many times.
There is great truth to it.
Continuing to do the same thing, over and over, may not lead to success if it hasn’t already. That said, just trying something new to try something new, without thinking about it, is unlikely to be successful as well.
Planning and strategy are important, as is being able to react to circumstances quickly.
There’s one question that Danny Star and the team often ask before attempting something new. It can serve your business well, too.
“What if This Goes Wrong?”
Asking that question isn’t being overly negative, a “downer,” or anything like that.
Rather, it’s a corrective.
When you and/or your team think of something new, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush of it. The “A-ha” feeling can be powerfully intoxicating.
Asking what the downside to this could be, the “worst-case scenario,” can make you more clear-eyed about exactly what it is you’re about to do.
A great example of this thinking is in this article.
In the last year, for many reasons, companies either started or brought back “layaway.” Customers could put some money down now, get their product or service, and then pay the rest later.
With so many closings, it was good for customers as well as business owners, in many cases.
However, there are many potential downsides to it.
One such particular potential downside for business owners was well said by Sara Rathner, a “travel and credit cards expert at Nerdwallet.”
“Trust is huge because when you’re dealing with something as personal as people’s money, if you feel as if the company has done you wrong, it hits you in the gut – you’re not going to give them your business anymore.”
Indeed, something like layaway-going-awry could be enough to make even the most devoted customer/client turn from a company forever. There are real high stakes to that.
So, if you were to institute a layaway program for your business, that might be the “one worst-case scenario” question you may want to ask.
This exercise usually doesn’t take long and it can allow you and/or your team to identify potential weak points before they become catastrophes.
For help with anything related to growing your business, you can schedule a remote marketing consulting in Los Angeles session with Danny Star at (213) 457-3250.
