We’ve all heard of the 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) by now, but I’d like you to consider something else: my 3Ps for business development.
As an entrepreneur we wear many hats: we develop our expertise, nurture our clients, seek new business, build a reliable team, find original ideas for marketing and business development purposes, and the list goes on and on.
But beyond all things we need to get done, there’s one element that impacts and influences our success the most: our mindset.
You can have the best action plan, the greatest team, and the finest tools to get there – if your mindset doesn’t support your aspirations, all these elements are worthless.
This month, I’d like to share my 3Ps theory, based on what I consider the cornerstones of the entrepreneurial mindset: panic, pleasure and progress.
Panic
Everyone carries fear. And in a recent article, I spoke about the #1 fear most humans experience: the fear of dying. But beyond death, our decisions are tainted by all sorts of panic-inducing situations. In a business setting, these could be:
Rejection :
- Thinking a potential client could refuse our offer
- Imagining a client that decides end our business relationship
Failure :
- Anticipating that no one will sign up for our event
- Worrying that a new employee won’t end up working out
Humans are possessed by all kinds of fears, but it’s the anxiety linked to fear that unnerves us the most. Our brain creates all kinds of scenarios, anticipating how we should react in the event of… “if he tells me this, I’ll answer that”, “if this happens, I’ll do that”. We spend a phenomenal amount of mental energy panicking over hypothetical stories and they prevent us from moving forward.
So, what counters panic? Pleasure, of course.
Pleasure
Panic and pleasure can’t coexist: the more I’m afraid, the less pleasure I can experience. And the more I find things enjoyable, the less panicky I feel. There’s an undeniable inverse relationship between the two. All the time.
Knowing this, how do we increase pleasure in our daily lives?
We start with rest. There are 2 excellent videos on my Facebook page that discuss the importance of taking breaks (in French). But though most will speak of sleeping or doing nothing when they talk about resting, I prefer to think in terms of recharging your batteries. Do you empty your mind in order to energize it?
The second pleasure-inducing activity is celebration. Make it a ritual to recognize and honor your accomplishments regularly. Take a few moments to acknowledge what you’ve done today, this week, this month.
This takes us to the 3rd “P”…
Progress
In a world where everything moves at the speed of light and we’re zooming all day long (pun intended!), without ever moving from our chairs, it’s easy to lose sight of the road we’ve travelled. Take a mindful step back and appreciate your journey and your accomplishments. This shifts perception of what’s possible going forward.
Motivation comes (in part) from realizing how far we’ve come. With clear awareness of the past, you can ask “if I was able to do this, what else is possible?” Take a break, look at your path and ignite your motivational fire.
My 3Ps theory is simple:
- Uncover what makes you panic: when you’re aware of your fears, you understand what’s holding you back.
- Add a daily dose of pleasure to your life: it decreases panic and anxiety to increase positive energy.
- Recognize progress: what are you proud of today? (I ask myself this question every night before bed!)
The 3Ps are one of the keys to having an exponential mindset that serves you. Use them to propel your business to a whole new level of success, and accomplishment.
Walt Disney said it best: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Use my 3Ps theory to help you get there.
It’s always a pleasure (one of my Ps!) to read your comments. You can contact me at the following address : Sara.Gilbert@Strategist.cc, and connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and most recently on Instagram.
