I'll admit it, I talk during movies. I cringe audibly. I yell at the screen and generally get way too wrapped up in things I can't affect. Fortunately I don't live inside a movie and I have learned to listen to the scary music that comes on right before bad things happen to good clients. I can steer small businesses away from disaster, and help people out of the minor disasters they sometimes end up in. Have you learned to hear the scary music in your industry? You probably know it by instinct, but if you write it down, you can help your clients (and your prospects) hear the music too. By helping people to hear the music you too can help prevent forest fires.
If this idea is new to you, start by really looking closely at what happens around you. Do you see people making the same mistakes over and over again? Is a common problem getting the wrong common response over and over again? Does it drive you up the wall? Great! Write down your prescription and share it with your clients and prospects. Help others to see their way out of danger before it happens to them.
What do people perceive themselves as needing? Is it what they really need? Or are they missing something more important? I constantly drive my small business clients up the wall by saying, "no." Whether it's a blog or an online forum or a photo gallery or any number of things, so many business owners think that adding technology to their Web site is going to magically turn into revenue. (Hint: It's not.) I force my clients to bring me their passion and then, together, we find the right tool to implement that vision, but I never let the technology drive the conversation.
Start tracking the issues that you see. Create a little checklist and add a tick each time you see someone making (or avoiding) mistakes you perceive to be common. Keeping careful records about successes and failures in your industry may help you to develop a list of prospects for future work. But for now, take note of what's broke, and figure out how you would fix it.
