From the course: Entrepreneurship Foundations

Self-motivation and goal-setting

From the course: Entrepreneurship Foundations

Self-motivation and goal-setting

- I have always loved the phrase, "It's not a no, "it's just a not right now." When I first started my company, I knew I had to work with Jimmy Buffett. He was one of my favorite artists growing up. Year after year, I would contact his team to no avail. Every year, it wasn't the right time or there wasn't the right project or they just (laughs) flat out weren't interested. But I was like a fly that they just couldn't swat away. I was relentless. Finally, after six years of buzzing around, I finally got to work with Jimmy on one of his projects. The moral of the story is I never took no as their final answer, even after months and years of trying. Being an entrepreneur is kind of like being an inflatable punching bag. When someone hits you, you have to bounce right back up. However, as you keep popping back up with every no, you run the risk of becoming a nuisance. To make sure you don't become annoying, have a meaningful reason to contact someone. I'm always looking for a good reason to reach out, whether it's awards, honors, or birthdays. Any excuse to contact potential clients that doesn't have to do with sales is what I'm looking for. Remember that the best type of sales calls aren't sales calls at all. Some of my biggest projects have started with me wishing someone happy birthday, them thanking me, and then asking to hop on a call to hear what I'm up to, and then both of us realizing there's an opportunity for us to work together. Imagine an entire project starting from a simple happy birthday message. But I'm not going to lie, birthdays are hard to remember, and I don't have the best memory. That's why I utilize LinkedIn, social media, and Google Alerts to let me know when something noteworthy is happening with any potential or current client. It's easy, it's fast, and, most importantly, it helps me stay organized. I also set reminders when it comes to reaching out. For example, when Jimmy's team kept turning me down, I would set a reminder to reach out to them six months later. There are lots of great email plugins and applications that can help you stay top of mind with people. I personally love Boomerang and Mixmax because I can set dates and times for my reminders. So much of business boils down to catching a potential customer just at the right time. The only real way to increase your odds of finding them at the right time is to continue to stay in front of them. While it might uncomfortable to hear no at first, just remember it's not a no, it's just a not right now.

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