In our highly diversified and ever-changing world, it’s harder than ever to focus.
We have access to so many good ideas and opportunities, and we want to do them all. It’s hard to say “no” to what might make us another couple quick bucks.
And that’s where we get stuck in what I call “the scatterbrained business syndrome.”
Are you there?
You dream of making it big, but in the day to day, you keep getting caught up in little things. Your attention is divided between so many projects that none of them gets your full energy, heart, and soul.
You feel like you’re spinning your wheels a hundred miles an hour in every direction—and ending up in the same place you started.
You might already have that one big idea, the one you just know will be your legacy to the world. But it keeps getting pushed to the back burner by lesser projects—things that seem more urgent or that promise a more immediate return.
In the meantime, any efforts you do make toward your big idea fall flat on their face because they don’t get the best of your energy. You’re hearing “no” a lot, not because it’s a bad idea, but because your attention is divided. And nobody likes hearing “no.”
Enough of that. It’s time to focus in on what will bring you the most success and the deepest fulfillment, and let everything else go.
It’s not easy, but learning one mindset shift will help you get off the hamster wheel of good ideas and on your very own road to greatness.
First, let me tell you what you’re doing wrong.
The Number One Reason I Turn Pitches Down
“Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.” ―David J. Schwartz
I’ve received over 50,000 pitches in my career and I get requests to pitch me daily. It’s inevitable that I can’t say yes to them all. Unfortunately, I have to turn down a lot of the clients and opportunities that come my way.
Want to know the number-one reason that I’ll turn down a new opportunity? Most of the time it’s not because it’s a bad idea, or the business plan stinks, or they don’t have enough other investors. My number-one concern is whether they have the entrepreneurial mindset.
That’s right, the number-one reason I turn people down is because they aren’t thinking big enough.
My way of doing things is never half-hearted or small. When you’ve got a great idea or a great company, you’ve got to be all in. I will be ALL IN as an investor and a partner, and I need to see the same on the other side of the table.
People have come to me offering 10% of a company with no investment. But I’ve said no. At this stage in my game, if a company is only going to be worth around $100,000, then 10% isn’t worth my time.
100X Your Next Pitch
“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” —Albert Einstein
Not every person who pitches to me will be at the same level of “thinking big” as I am. They might still be working on their entrepreneurial mindset and their ability to see a big vision for the future. And that’s okay. I respect the value of their time by telling them “no” up front. And often I’ll tell them what to work on so they can hear “yes” from the next guy they pitch to.
Don’t waste your time and that of investors by underselling yourself. If you’re going pitch an idea, think big.
To appeal to investors, you have to show them exactly how their involvement and dedication will benefit them in the end. Convince me. If the big thinking isn’t present, I’ll turn down the deal.
On the other hand, I’ve been known to accept offers that might be lacking in another area if the person pitching to me truly has a fire and a vision for their future. I’m always looking to work with innovative entrepreneurs who can blow me away.
What’s your vision for your company? Take that and multiply it by 100. Now we’re talking. Then plan some concrete steps that will get you there: in marketing, development, production, and sales. Present that plan to me and I’ll have to say “yes!”
Good, Better, Best
“Good is the enemy of great. …Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good—and that is their main problem.” —Jim Collins, author of Good to Great
Are your current projects really worth your time? You probably need to say NO to some good things so you can focus on saying YES to the best.
How about that big idea? Is your own business venture worth your time? If not, think bigger! Find a way to 100X it and make it worth your time—and others!
Know your worth. Think big.
Then you’ll be able to get out of the “scatterbrained business syndrome” and focus on what really fulfills you. That is what will bring you the greatest success.
And you’ll never hear a “no” again.
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