Businesses fail for many reasons, but one of the biggest is inconsistency.
Being inconsistent with your efforts to start and grow a business won’t just cost you in the long run; it could prove to be the reason you decide to close down shop entirely.
Don’t let yourself fall into the inconsistency trap! Take a look at the following five pitfalls of inconsistency, and make a commitment to taking small action steps daily that keep you progressing toward your goals.
1. No Action, No Results
When you are inconsistent, you are not able to achieve the results that you desire. You may be good at certain things, but if you are inconsistent with them, then you will never be able to reach your goals.
For example, if you want to make more money but you do not take the actions needed to increase sales and commit yourself to it 100%, then you will never get there. You need consistency to make progress.
2. Lack of Focus
People who are inconsistent with their efforts and their commitment level are not likely to succeed at anything they do because they cannot focus on one thing long enough to see results. They spend most of their time trying new things instead of gradually progressing on their goals.
Being consistent facilitates results much faster than would happen for someone who jumps from task to task or project to project without ever finishing anything. The more consistently you do the things that are important, the more likely it is that they will become habits. And once they’re habits, they become automatic — which frees up your mind to focus on other things.
3. No Momentum
When you are inconsistent with your marketing and sales efforts, you will have a hard time reaching your goals because you won’t be able to build momentum around those activities. If you aren’t consistent with your actions, then people will stop paying attention to them.
On the flip side, being consistent helps you feel a sense of accomplishment, which gives you the confidence to keep moving forward. With each incremental goal you achieve, you’ll gain more momentum to reach new levels of success.
4. No Brand
If there is one thing that can ruin your branding efforts faster than anything else, it’s inconsistency. If you’re inconsistent in any aspect of your business — from marketing to customer service and product quality — it will reflect poorly on your brand and cause people to distrust what you have to offer them (or forget about you altogether).
Inconsistency is especially damaging when it comes to building a trusting relationship with your customers because consistency is the glue that holds it all together. If a customer trusts that they’ll receive consistent value from your company, they’ll be more likely to stick around for the long haul. But if they don’t trust that, they’ll move on quickly.
5. Lack of Employee Engagement
A lack of consistency can also make it difficult for employees at every level of an organization to do their jobs well, because it makes their job harder. Employees who aren’t sure what’s expected of them or how things should be done can’t be as effective as those who know exactly what needs doing and how best to do it.
When you spell out the day-to-day efforts that your team needs to accomplish, then they have a clear roadmap to follow. Instead of feeling around in the dark and guessing what their jobs should entail, they’ll be working toward shared goals that help you move your business forward.
Stay Consistent to Reach Your Goals
While consistency may not seem like a big deal, it can have a huge impact on your success rate. It shows that you are dedicated and passionate about what you do, that your business is well-run, and that you have the ability to follow through on your promises to clients. And perhaps most importantly, consistency serves as a key value marker for potential customers. When they see how you operate, the procedures you’ve implemented, the products you create, and the way you respond to clients in general, this will help them determine whether or not they want to work with you.
With consistency, you can become a leader and a trusted brand, build credibility, and establish a positive reputation in your industry. Consistency also gives you a road map to follow to keep you on track. And in business, as in other areas of your life, the clearer your direction is, the easier it will be to achieve whatever goals you desire.
