Inertia

An object in motion stays in motion. - Isaac Newton

You're probably familiar with Newton's first law of motion and that famous quote. What you might find less familiar is the second line in Newton's first law.

An object in motion stays in motion. Unless it is acted upon by an unbalanced force.

It's the unbalanced force that we'd like to discuss today. Being in motion is the same as inertia or momentum. As business consultants, we must be the experts and the advisors that help our clients, our sellers and our properties recover and continue to move forward despite the unbalanced forces.

Recently in our Leadership MasterClass coaching session, we learned that South Dakota is experiencing one of the worst droughts in history. That's certainly an unbalanced force that can have a consequential impact on momentum. Virtually everyone in the market we were discussing has an income tied in some way to agriculture. So how do you continue forward momentum with clients and salespeople when the weather is such an unbalanced force? According to the manager we spoke to, "you sell what you have and don't worry about what you don't have." That applies to businesses who are continuing to struggle with supply chain issues or lack of employees… You help them maximize what they do have and minimize what they don't have.

Sometimes this requires thinking differently and looking at problems from a different perspective. What prevents us, and clients, from doing this? Fear.

Newton's law is that an object in motion stays in motion, but our role is to get the object moving in the first place. That's usually the hardest part. A client dealing with trouble won't start. While we now know that the best cure for fear, doubt, procrastination, etc. is often a simple act. If this were a personal issue, you would force yourself to start an activity that would increase your chances to feel more enthusiastic. Sitting and worrying don't work. You can't worry your way out of a problem, you can only take action to solve problems. Take this same principle and, not only apply it to yourself, but apply it to the business relationships you have. If they too are having trouble, help them to find the simple thing that will bring back that enthusiasm. It may be as simple as just a conversation to discuss different ways you might be able to help or just to bounce new sales ideas. It may not always lead to a sale but at least you've got them and yourself moving.

Your ability to energize yourself first will have a positive impact on your clients, prospects and even your family and friends.

What actions can you take today to keep your inertia and momentum moving forward?

Jeff Schmidt is SVP-Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can reach Jeff at jeff.Schmidt@Rab.com or follow him on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn.