Let's face it. If you are in business, your main point is to make sales. Another point is to make a sale while making a profit. And one more is, if it costs you less to run the business you get to keep more money.

If business was that simple (which it really is) everyone would be successful. The problem often is that we get in our own way. We work hard to be the go-to expert, but that does not mean that you have to go it alone. It takes a community to grow a business. Parts of that community could be insiders and outsiders.

If you want to build a successful business, you have to stay top of mind, provide value, and continue to learn, grow and change. What follows are three experiences I had in the last week or so that will help me make that point!

Dad Jokes

My friend and associate, Chuck Hester, has a habit that I not only follow but support. While I post a quote of the day in the morning, and a caption contest at night on Facebook, he does the same with a dad joke of the day! Some are funny, and some are bad, but they are all read-worthy! Some are pictures, some are memes, and some are just text.

They all have the tried and true, kid-tested, dad joke formula:

• They grab attention

• They're easy to consume

• They have only two lines (for the most part) 

  • A Question
  • A Pun

• They generally make you stop and think

The initial point is to make you laugh and the second point is it keeps you top of mind. It works. Every morning while I am starting my day and posting my quote of the day, I scroll through Facebook. If I see a pun that is Dad Joke Worthy, I copy and message it to Chuck. I am always happy when I see a joke I sent him posted. It makes me realize that my efforts are appreciated.

THE POINT: If you want to get attention in your marketing, be consistent, short, and entertaining, and show appreciation for those who interact. (Oh… and have fun!)

The Testimonial

Speaking of Dad Jokes, my business coach (Marla Tabaka) and I had an awesome conversation about my progress and how I crushed my vision board (the dad part is coming).

If you are not familiar with a vision board, Marla convinced me to buy a pin board, hang it on my wall, and fill it with pictures of what I want to achieve. I searched and found a big check (with a big number to make me debt free), a golfer, a for sale sign on my home, a new home, and pictures of my perfect customers.

When I moved to North Carolina I'd already achieved everything on the vision board and started a new one (this time, a digital version) by creating a graphic that I put on the new big TV in my office as a screen saver.

Marla asked if I would be willing to write a testimonial, and that was the least I could do after all the knowledge, wisdom, and patience she bestowed upon me:

Here is a shortened version:

“When I was a kid, my father used to berate me with, “Money does not grow on trees”. Although he was right, he also instilled in me that hard work would bear the most fruit. 

I worked my a$$ off to grow a 6 figure business. The problem was that I could not figure out how to get my money tree to produce more fruit. I finally began to realize that I was the problem holding me back.

Once Marla helped me find my zone of genius, I realized that if I worked to my strengths and hired to my weaknesses, I could optimize my income, while providing more value for my clients. That’s when the “DAMN” broke open… 

Marla says… Now you have a Money Orchard!”

THE POINT: Always be on the lookout for learning, and keep trying and changing what you do and how you do it. Every follower needs a leader and every leader follows someone.

Coffee and a Biscuit

Some people you meet online are Zoom-worthy, while others are coffee worthy. Coffee-worthy means I have to take a shower, get in my car, and meet them for coffee. Zoom is easy. You sit in your chair, and for 15 to 30 minutes, you get to know each other. Coffee can take hours because of the prep, travel time, and more.

I had such a meeting with a new friend and business associate Chip Royce. The main reason for the meeting was to help each other see our respective businesses through a fresh set of eyes. The point was…

You see your own business through rose colored lenses. In other words, “You are too close to the money tree to see the unripened fruit”

Your customers see you and your business differently. “Are you selling pears while they crave peaches?”

It's always good to get a fresh perspective on what matters and why.

We had an invigorating back and forth giving each other perspective, feedback, advice, and more. I walked away with a new vision of how the marketplace perceives what I do, and how I am trying too hard to make my communications fit a mold. I promised Chip that I would review his business marketing and give him my perspective as to how it could resonate better with his customers.

As you can imagine, it takes good listening and communication skills. But the fruit that was grown was of equal value to both of us. That is what I learned from Marla. If you produce value for others, they will produce value for you.

THE POINT: Adding value to another business often ends in reciprocal benefit to your business.

Final Thoughts

So what's my reason (or point) for writing this blog post, and sharing my podcast and expert interviews (ya know all the content I create)? To learn, grow, and share value with you.

• My father instilled in me a solid work ethic and a desire to learn.
• My coach (Marla) instilled in me that it's lonely and unproductive to go it alone.
• My friends trust me and I trust them to give me guidance to apply what I have learned in new ways.

Your life, business, and money tree need nurturing, care, and sustenance to keep growing. Maybe you want to try a vision board. Maybe search for a coach, mentor, or friend to help you see things from different perspectives. It may be a coffee, a beer or glass of wine, a round of golf, or just a walk, but seek out others for whom you can provide value, and whom you can find value with.

So if you're scrolling through social media, stop and read the Dad Jokes! Sometimes, you have to Zoom, and sometimes you have to zoom out!

“Life is about perspective and how you look at something… ultimately, you have to zoom out.”
– Whitney Wolfe Herd

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about creating a vision board and Zooming out. Do you have a support group for your business? Are you actively searching for new perspectives? What value can you freely give away in exchange for value in return?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.