Just Keep Swimming

Persistence is the name of the game.

I have been in business for three and a half years, knocking on doors, sending emails, calling, meeting, and introducing myself over and over and over.

This week I landed my biggest contract yet, a two-year deal that will steady my ship and allow me to bring on additional work without the fear of having no net under me. It’s a wonderful chance to do interesting projects and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Instead of lurching from project to project, not knowing whether too much or too little work will come my way, I’ll finally have a solid floor that will flow regular, predictable cash into my business. Who knows? I may just start sleeping through the night!

A friend asked me how I did it.

The answer is not easy to do, but is simple to explain: I just kept at it.

Keep going, and don’t give up. Keep calling, keep meeting people, and keep talking about your business. Keep posting, keep tweeting, keep mailing, and keep doing whatever it is you do to generate business.

Don’t give up.

When I launched my company in July 2014, a number of opportunities immediately blew in my direction, before I had business cards, before I fired up my computer, and truthfully, before I even had started. I jumped at them fast and hard, and marveled at how “successful” I was going out the gate.

But, as it turned out, not all of those opportunities materialized, at least not right away. I spent nearly three years and heard six “no’s” from one of those prospects before I heard a “yes” from them.

Lucky for me, though, another of those early opportunities – albeit smaller – gave me a nod instantly, and that was enough to start my business.

As for the big contract I landed this week, I’ve been knocking on that door for more than a year. I emailed her in December 2016, left a voice mail and another email in March 2017, followed up later in March with a third email, finally met her in person in April, sent her a proposal in May, and landed the work in June. We did the work from July through December of 2017. The RFP for the two-year contract came out in January 2018, we met with them in March, and reached agreement this week.

It didn’t happen overnight, and guess what, I no longer expect it to.

My message is to keep at it. Find a way to push through the ‘no thank you’s,’ the ‘we went in another direction’s,’ the deleted emails, unreturned calls, and quiet phone.

Just keep swimming, and eventually you’ll find Nemo.

Lori Woehrle helps nonprofit organizations craft strategy, voice, and vision that advance their missions. Learn more at www.thinkleapfrog.com.