Don't Quit!

About September last year I started working with a new client to help him improve his business. He was in a desperate situation. He was working ridiculously long hours because he was taking on any work that came his way, but making no money because of poor credit control and the lack of other management controls. It took quite a while to sign him up as he forever cancelled appointments due to this emergency or that.

Eventually we made a start on the journey to change his business and his life, but no sooner had we been going for a couple of weeks that he "went to ground" again, reneged on his first payment and did not return emails, texts or phone messages. This went on for 3 MONTHS. Me leaving message after message; visting his office in the vain attempt to catch him in, and texting in between times.

Eventually I decided to call him at home one evening. Something that I don't like to do, but the complete lack of response had left me no option. Surprisingly he was glad to hear from me and recounted the stress he had been under for the past couple of months. He actually thanked me for getting hold of him and it looks like we are going to get back on track with the original plan. Here's hoping anyway!

It reminded me of the dogged determination you need to exhibit to be in business. When you get to the point of giving up on something, just try that one more time, make that 1 extra phone call or hang on just that little bit longer. You don' know how close you are to succeeding.

To quote Walt Disney, "The difference in winning and losing is most often... not quitting." I am also reminded of the last verse of a poem I had on my wall from an unknown author.....

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not QUIT.

I think I will print that poem out again and hang it up in my new office.