“I have a problem”. “A challenge”. “An issue”.
These are words that entrepreneurs use to describe the obstacles they are facing in their businesses. The list of problems for many entrepreneurs (seems) endless!
The question is, are you dealing with a “problem” or a “symptom”?
If you are always trying to solve symptoms in your business (thinking that they are the problem) you will find yourself in an endless cycle of frustration.
But, if you can identify the real problem (and solve it) then the symptoms go away.
In this Episode of Shop Talk, I’ll show you how to find the root cause of your symptoms so that you can fix them once and for all!
Here’s a snapshot of this episode:
- 3:27 – How to Spot a Symptom
- 4:05 – How to Identify a Problem
- 5:45 – Defining The Outcome You Are Seeking
- 8:01 – Exploring Possible Solutions
Links mentioned in this episode:
- None
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
“I have a problem”. “A challenge”. “An issue”.
These are words that entrepreneurs use to describe the obstacles they are facing in their businesses. The list of problems for many entrepreneurs (seems) endless!
The question is, are you dealing with a “problem” or a “symptom”?
If you are always trying to solve symptoms in your business (thinking that they are the problem) you will find yourself in an endless cycle of frustration.
But, if you can identify the real problem (and solve it) then the symptoms go away.
In this Episode of Shop Talk, I’ll show you how to find the root cause of your symptoms so that you can fix the real problems once and for all!
Let’s dive in….
A symptom is an indication that something is wrong.
Example: Let’s say your son/daughter is running a fever. We know as parents that the fever is not the problem, it’s a symptom of the problem. Totally makes sense – right?
Well, a problem is the root cause of the symptoms.
Example: Your son/daughter may be running a fever because they are teething, have a cold, or have a viral infection, etc. The problem can (typically) be diagnosed when a doctor is given a list of ALL the symptoms so that they can identify the core problem.
Why does this matter?
This is an important subject to discuss because when it comes to business, most entrepreneurs spend a tremendous amount of time trying to solve/cure/or subside symptoms instead of solving the core root of the symptom – which is the actual problem.
Again as an example: If your son/daughter is running a fever most parents will give their child a Tylenol to lower their temp. The challenge with this approach is that the core root of the symptom (aka the problem) has not been addressed. So, there’s a good chance that once the Tylenol wears off, the child will still have a fever.
The same is true in business. If you find yourself constantly putting out the same fires in your business, chances are you are tackling the symptom not the actual problem.
The good news is…once you know how to identify the real problem you can solve that and all your symptoms will go away!
Exciting – right!?!
In this Episode, we are going to discuss how to spot the difference between a symptom and a problem so that you can get to the source and solve the issue for good so that you stop wasting valuable time, money, and resources trying to solve/cure/or subside symptoms that keep showing up time-and-time again!
Let’s Start By Discussing How To Spot A Symptom
As I previously stated, a symptom is an indication that something is wrong.
Need more leads for your business? That’s a symptom.
Need more money? That’s a symptom too.
Are employees not hitting their KPIs? Symptom.
Unruly customers? Again – symptom.
Wait – what?!?
Yes, all of these are symptoms which is an indication that something is wrong, but they are not the actual problem.
Stick with me…I promise it will all make sense.
So, How Do You Identify A Problem?
Well, to get to the root cause of a problem you must ask “why?”.
Let me explain what that means by drilling down on one obstacle that I see many entrepreneurs bring up – which is needing more money.
I mentioned just a minute ago that not having enough money is a symptom of a problem. To uncover the problem we must ask “why?”.
Why do we not have enough money?
Well, here’s a possible answer: I haven’t made any sales.
Why haven’t you made any sales?
Another possible answer: I don’t have time to make sales calls.
Why don’t you have time to make sales calls?
Possible answer: I have too much on my plate and not enough time to complete everything (which by the way is another symptom).
Why do you have too much on your plate?
Possible answer: I’m the only person in my business and I can’t do it all.
Each time you can answer the “why” question, you are most likely identifying a symptom that is caused by something else. If you keep asking “why” until you can no longer generate a logical response then you’ve most likely uncovered the actual problem.
So, in this example, the real problem is that you don’t have time to complete all of the responsibilities you’ve taken on in your business.
Ok, great Misty – so, what do I do about that? Hang on, I promise we’ll get to some possible solutions.
Identify What Outcome You Are Seeking?
The next step in the process is to clearly outline the outcome you are seeking.
The symptom that we are dealing with is that you need more money – but, that is extremely vague. We need to get specific here. How much money do you need? And by when?
So, let’s say (as an example) you need to generate $24,000 in sales in the next 6 months. That’s $4,000 a month in sales.
Now that we are clear on what outcome you are seeking, it’s time to look for possible solutions.
Possible Solutions
One thing I want to point out before we dig in here is that every problem has a solution.
Let me say that again…
Every problem has a solution.
It is really important that you keep your mind open here. You see, most people approach problems with the idea that there is only one path to success – and that’s not true!
Just because you (might not) want to take a specific path doesn’t mean that the problem is unsolvable – it means that you have decided that you aren’t willing to do what it takes to solve the problem.
Let that sink in for a moment…
It’s extremely empowering to realize that you do have solutions and that solving a problem is simply a decision to implement a possible solution.
Let’s take a moment to recap and then move into brainstorming some possible solutions for our example here.
There are (3) Symptom(s) You Are Experiencing:
- I don’t have enough money.
- I have too much on my plate.
- And I can’t get everything done.
The Root Problem:
- You don’t have time to complete all of the responsibilities you’ve taken on in your business.
Outcome You Are Seeking:
- $24,000 in sales in 6 months (averaging $4,000 a month in sales).
Now that you are clear on what are symptoms, the root problem, and the outcome you are seeking we can talk about some possible solutions which is what we are going to do now.
Possible Solutions:
The first thing that I’d recommend you do is to make a list of everything you do in your business, and see if there are any responsibilities that you can remove from your plate.
As an example, you could leverage automation to complete tasks that are repetitive so that it can save you time to make room for more important activities (such as making sales calls).
As an example. Many Entrepreneurs spend a lot of time engaging in back and forth email communication with prospects and customers to schedule calls. You can use an appointment scheduling service to create a link that you can share with prospects and customers so that they can click and schedule with you.
You could also take this one step further. Did you know that email service providers (like Gmail) have a feature that allows you to create canned responses?
Canned responses are templated email messages that you can create ahead of time that you find yourself using frequently.
You could create a canned response that you send to:
- Clients
- Prospects
- And Referrals
This is an example of a canned response that we might send to a client.
“Hey Sue, it’s Misty. It’s time to schedule our monthly 1:1 success coaching call. I’m excited to see what you’ve accomplished over the last 30 days and uncover another opportunity I can help you within your business. Here’s a link to my calendar so that you can schedule a time for us to connect.”
Another canned response that we might send is when we receive an email from a client or someone in our community referring us. When we receive these emails they usually do a quick intro and cc the person they are referring. That email might read…
“Sue, thank you so much for recommending us to (referrals name)! You are amazing my friend! I appreciate you!
(Referrals name), it is very nice to meet you. I would love to connect with you to learn more about you, your business, and your goals to see if we can help in any way.
Rather than trying to play “email tag” on each other’s availability, here’s a link to my personal calendar so that you can schedule a time for the two of us to connect.
I look forward to meeting you soon!”
I’m sharing these emails with you so that you can see that the responses appear to be custom written. They don’t feel like “canned responses”.
I bring this up, because some people may resist the idea of using the canned responses because they don’t feel authentic.
If you are writing your canned responses as you would typically respond then it IS authentic!
If you sat down to think about your business, there are probably many emails you’ve spent a ton of time on recreating that you could put into a canned response that would save you a ton of time.
Ok, let’s get back on track here. The root problem is that you don’t have time to complete all of the responsibilities you’ve taken on in your business so you aren’t able to make sales calls which is leading to a money issue.
Another possible solution is to hire someone part-time to help you with some of your responsibilities.
Wait, Misty. I don’t have money remember? I get it. But the reality is there are many options that you could explore to make a little extra money so that you can get help with taking some things off your plate so that you can be consistent in making more sales.
As an example, you could have a garage sale to sell items around your home that can help you generate a little money.
You could also delay putting on non-urgent tasks for a few weeks so that you could “hunker down” and make some sales calls that could lead to more money being generated.
You could get a business loan.
You see, when it comes to uncovering possible solutions you might need to get a little creative.
I’ve personally been in this position in my business before. Whenever my back is against the wall and I need to make money quickly – I get my creative thinking cap on. I take action. I have always found a way. I gave myself some breathing room (financially) so that I could invest in help to free up my time.
If you are reading this thinking, “that’s a lot of work” or “isn’t there an easier way” or any other thought that might hold you back I would suggest that you take some time to determine if you really want to achieve your desired outcome (in this example, you want to make more money and you don’t have the space in your calendar to stay consistent with your sales calls).
You see…
“If it’s important enough you’ll find a way, if it’s not – you’ll find an excuse.” – Misty Kortes
Chances are, you know what needs to be done to solve the real problem you are dealing with in your business – you just need to make the decision to take the action that will lead to your desired outcome.
I hope that you find this helpful.
I know firsthand how (mentally) debilitating it can be to think you have a ton of problems but, in reality, you have many symptoms of one problem.
If you can apply the process I shared with you here today you can get clear on the real issue that needs to be addressed so that you have more mental space to find possible solutions.
Once you’ve uncovered the possible solutions it’s just a matter of taking action.
It’s that simple.
Closing Remarks
People say that building a business is hard work. I don’t believe it’s “hard” – it’s work, but it’s not hard.
Having a garage sale is not hard.
Hiring someone part-time to help is not hard.
Leveraging automation to complete repetitive tasks is not hard.
It’s work. That’s all. Not hard work.
My hope is that you leave this Episode with clarity around how to identify the difference between symptoms and problems so that you stop spending your time, money, and resources trying to fix symptoms so that you can get to the root of your problems and overcome the challenges that are holding you back (temporarily) from reaching your goals.
Here’s to your success, my friend!
