As mentioned in the prior article, networking, building credibility, and making sales are similar to the planting, nurturing, and harvesting that a farmer does. Two of the most common mistakes in planting (ie: networking) are mismatching your seed and location and planting the wrong quantity of seeds. The third planting mistake is by far the most common and most dangerous and it is the lesson learned 10,000 years ago.

We were hunters and gatherers. Every day, the men went out in search of animals to hunt and the women went out in search of berries and other fruits to pick. Some days we ate and some days we did not. If we went too many days without eating, we moved to a new location, repeated the actions, and hoped for better results. We were nomads.

At some point, we realized that could develop a more reliable source of food if we stayed in one place and created the food ourselves. We could plant seeds, nurture and harvest. We settled down and farmed. Others settled in near us and became neighbors. Lots of neighbors became communities and towns. After thousands of years wandering, we settled down and that is how civilization started.

What does this have to do with business advice? In the prior article, I made the analogy that seeds are your prospects and where you plant is equivalent to what you do (ie: your product or service). The single biggest mistake I see with struggling businesses is this: They plant seeds and move away before they benefit from the harvest. In other words, they try a marketing strategy (specific target market, niche, product, service, networking group, etc.) for a short time, do not get the anticipated results right away, and move on to a different strategy.

Answer this question honestly. Are you promoting your business today in the EXACT same way you were one year ago? I am not saying businesses should not adjust to changes in the market, especially during these wild economic times. However, people are drawn towards stability. They gravitate towards companies and individuals that have been providing the same products or services, in the same way for a while and will continue to be there in the future.

I am guilty. Those of you who have known me for a long time are aware that I have "improved" my marketing strategy and message too many times over the years. I had a lot of contacts...I had planted a lot of seeds. But few of them developed roots and became fruitful, because I moved on to the next field too soon. I did not start experiencing success until I developed one clear, consistent message and a clear consistent target market.

Settle down. Take a little time to make sure you have the exact target market and message you want (I know a good consultant who can help you with this) and stick with it long enough to enjoy the harvest. Most farmers will tell you that it is important to plant, nurture, and harvest. Let me know if you find a successful farmer whose strategy is plant and move away.

There are some professionals who plant seeds and try to harvest instantly. They believe that if they work harder selling (harvesting) that they will make more money. It does not work that way. Asking for a sale prior to developing a solid relationship is a formula for failure. Large harvests are the result of lots of planting along with the ability to nurture everything that was planted. That topic will be addressed in an upcoming article.