The Lessons I Learned While Hunting
Can you believe that while only 3% of the U.S. population hunts, the sport is a multi-billion dollar business? WOW! That’s truly incredible! And I’m one of those “3%” folks that enjoy being in the outdoors hunting.
Not long ago, I was talking with a good friend of mine, Paul Smith, and as we often talk about leadership & life, we talked about the fact that there is a lesson in everything we do…regardless of what that is. So during my recent vacation, in which I spent a good deal of time sitting in a tree stand, I thought about all the lessons I learned from something I really enjoy doing---hunting:
- Preparation
When you hunt, the majority of your success is going to be based around the pre-season preparation. This includes scouting your hunting areas, creating your food plots, setting up your stands and game cameras, practicing target shooting and many other things needed for success. Your business is no different as you need to scout out your territory that you plan to sell in, putting out your marketing items, attending networking meetings including Chamber of Commerce and other such events, understanding and being knowledgeable about your products/solutions, etc. Part of your overall success is going to be directly related to how prepared you are. So just like you have to do your homework for a successful hunt, do your homework for a successful career. - Patience
Hunting, like sales and many other business aspects, requires a great deal of patience. Nothing great comes easily or quickly. It may take multiple trips to the woods before you bag that trophy; and it will most likely take multiple meetings with your customer/prospect before you have the contract signed on the dotted line. - The Right Tools
One key to success in hunting is having the right tool for the hunt. You wouldn’t take a bow and go Duck hunting, and you wouldn’t take a .22 rifle and go Elk hunting. You wouldn’t sit in a tree stand to take squirrel (though you could) and you wouldn’t sit in a double bull blind to take quail. And the same holds true for your business. Having the right tools, the right solutions at the right price delivered through world-class service is the key to success. - Practice
Long before archery season begins, you should be consistently out target shooting. Before Whitetail season begins, you should be out sighting in your rifle scope. The more practice you get the more experience and confidence you acquire which will help in your success. In your business, having hands-on experience with the product(s) you offer is key to your ability to successfully provide them to your customers. Working in the test labs with the Technicians prior to installation, being on hand during installation, attending training sessions are all part of the practice required to gain the knowledge & skills you’ll need to succeed. - Focus
When you’re hunting, you must have great focus. Spotting a Whitetail easing through the woods is often difficult. I’ve even seen times when a deer walked right behind someone and they never even knew it. And not only must you have focus, but sometimes you need aids (like binoculars) in order to see further than you normally can. Business too needs great focus. You need to have the ability to clearly see what’s around you, but also what’s “down the road” as well. All the while making the necessary adjustments in order to achieve success. - Listening
Sometimes you spot the big trophy not because you saw it first, but because you were intensely listening and you heard it coming. When you’re hunting, you spend the large majority of your time listening. To be successful in your business or career, you must also spend a great deal of time listening. Listening to what your customer is telling you in order to provide them the exact solution they’re seeking to solve their problem. Hear what your customer is telling you and provide them with the answers they need only after you fully understand. - Mental Toughness
When you’re hunting, you may find yourself sitting in a tree stand high above the ground for hours on end (and then days on end), and never even see any game. The mental toughness it takes to hang in there when your back, your bottom, your legs are aching and screaming for relief is rough. The wind might be blowing, it might even be raining…but you hang in there. It might be brutally cold, but you tough it out regardless because you know that trophy might be only moments away from showing up. Business is the same way---you’ll experience employee problems, legal issues, billing delays, returns, vendor related problems, lack of teamwork, etc., etc. Being mentally tough through these times, yet still providing world-class service to your customers through all of it will make you smarter, tougher and better suited for success in the long run. - Storms
Of course we will all have storms in our lives. How many rain-storms have I sat through while hunting looking for that trophy? Business is no different. We must prepare for the roller coaster ride that is life and business. And old Arab proverb states that “all sunshine makes a desert”. Often, if we reflect, we’ll find that we learned the most, grew the most, and eventually prospered the most by going through these storms.
http://www.joeypeacock.com/
1 comment:
Bravo!
Post a Comment