THE BIG ISSUE

Over many years in business I found that there are all kinds of ‘Big Issues’

Towards the end of a recent meeting with a prospective client, I was asked for my opinion as to what I had just learned from him regarding his company’s current position in the marketplace and its plans for the future.

Was he asking me what I thought his principal competitive advantage was what his main threat was or something else?

In other words what was his Big Issue?

I found later that he was actually asking me what I thought was the one thing he ought to concentrate on in his business in order to make it successful i.e. what should he focus on above everything else?

It was not easy to give a concise reply.

He, like many other business leaders I have interviewed, had revealed a wide range of issues that were concerning him. So how do you flag up one Big issue?

However, I did tell him that I thought he should concentrate on moving into another business sector.

His existing sectors were under threat, he had too few clients and margins had almost evaporated.

So I convinced him to identify a sector that would most easily accept his firm’s capabilities and range of services

I told him that everything else ranked a secondary issue.

I believe that doing all you possibly can  to help a client succeed should be a priority above every other business goal as an independent professional advisor.

Fortunately, he accepted my advice and we are currently well on our way to moving him into the Retrofit sector of the construction industry.

If you have similar problems, then you know a man who can help you