In July I set myself a running goal. Run 5km in under 30 minutes.
I want to get fitter, and six years ago I could (unbelievably) run 5km in 25 minutes. My dream is to get back to that pace so I’m breaking it down bit by bit.
While I have been enjoying going on weekly jogs round the park, after 6 weeks of trying I wasn’t where I wanted to be.
I realised I’d been doing the same thing again and again without making much progress. I knew that if I wanted to hit my 30 minute goal I needed to step out of my comfort zone.
So last Monday I decided to mix it up and run on The Treadmill.
I told myself that ALL I needed to do was get on The Treadmill, set the speed limit to 10km per hour and RUN.
The first 2km felt easy, but by 3km my legs were getting tired. At 4km I was desperate to slow the pace down but I told myself if I could get through that I could get through anything. 5km was the home run.
I finished my run pounding away at 11km p/hour and I am incredibly proud to say that I DID IT! I did 5km in less than 30 minutes and I was thrilled.
When my breathing had returned to it’s normal speed I reflected that my journey on The Treadmill was a helpful reminder of what to do in my business when I feel stuck.
When I first started out I went to a lot of networking meetings and always gave the same pitch, but it never got me any leads.
I felt like I was banging my head against a wall until I changed my message and my target audience. Now I get new clients every time I network.
If you’ve been pitching for a while but you’re not getting the results you need, try out these lessons from The Treadmill to help you hit your goal (without getting sweaty).
Shake up your pitch to hit your sales goals
Try a new approach.
If always start your pitch by saying your name and business tagline but you’re not getting leads, mix it up so you grab people’s attention.
Try opening with sharing the number of clients you’ve helped, an unexpected hobby you love, or a favourite inspiring quote – just keep it relevant to your business.
Stay focused on your big goal
Before your next networking meeting, remind yourself of your business goals this month. Want to get more sign-ups to your free webinar? Give a pitch just about your webinar and ask people to let you know if they’d like the link.
Being strategic in how you use your pitch to reach your goals will help you get there quicker, and will give people a new insight into how you could help them.
Persevere with a positive mindset
You’ve been networking 3 times a week and yet there are no discovery calls booked in your calendar. When the going gets tough it can be tempting to stop showing up at Zoom coffee mornings.
Instead of cancelling, remind yourself of how far you’ve come as a business owner. Write down a positive affirmation that summarises your experience to remind yourself of how much you are capable of achieving. Have it on a post-it note on your laptop to keep up your good vibes when you enter the Zoom networking room.
You have got this!
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