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At least half a company’s obstacles to revenue success are actually internally driven. Are you struggling to keep your focus on revenue growth? You’re not alone.

Successful businesspeople get in slumps and experience a lack of self confidence in their quests for revenue. You can regain your confidence by changing your approach in business.

Operating a business is like running a marathon. You need toned muscles, and to re-discover your skills.

Take steps to get out of your comfort zone, routinely practice being assertive and document your successes.

Get better at your job by becoming fearless, and decide whether you want to be a leader or a mere care-taking manager.

Here’s a management checklist:

1. Put aside your distractions. You’ve probably been putting out fires – reacting instead of acting. Stop what you’re doing. Put your phone and pen down. Move away from the computer.

Take deep breaths. Clear your proverbial table for the right mindset – so you can focus on what matters to dominate in your marketplace.

2. Record and analyze how you’re spending your time and energy. Are you being productive? Start evaluating your situation. Don’t let complacency kill your focus. Time management is a key.

Bosses usually fail because they let distractions manage them. And they’re the folks who usually complain the most about not having enough time. So get organized to reduce your stress and save money.

3. Stay positive. Look for things that are positive. Focus on the 90 percent that’s working well in your company, career and family. Don’t let the negative 10 percent dominate your thinking. Treat every obstacle as an opportunity for growth.

Don’t let stress prevent you from working happier for for top performance. If you think positively you’ll perform better. Practice smiling. People around you will smile more, too.

4. Contemplate the big picture. Get out your goals. Are they still relevant for your company’s situation? Review what you’ve done to be successful for your objectives. Determine what needs your attention for the short and long term.

Work on developing your vision for goal-setting.

Are you in a turn around predicament? If you need to turn your company around, it’s a stressful situation. So, be diligent in following the right step-by-step solutions.

5. Take baby steps. Chances are you’re feeling burned out. Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t try to do it all at once. Block out some time – an hour or less for each project. Set deadlines for each. If expenses are too high, be careful – don’t rush into it.

If you must cut costs, avoid making reactionary decisions.

Take a break to celebrate after you’ve finished a project. Reward yourself in a small way. There are all kinds of ways. Take a walk (my favorite). Telephone your life’s partner. Grab a snack. Meditate.

6. List ways you can delegate. Avoid frustration. Not everything has to be handled by you. Develop your staff for the welfare of your organization.  Delegation is a fundamental driver of organizational growth.

Managers show a form of leadership, if they’re effective in employee delegation.

7. Consider opportunities to compromise. Learning to compromise without giving away your personal power will lower your stress. Give your associates a reason to smile. The ability to compromise is an important ingredient in successful negotiations.

8. Budget time to exercise your body and mind. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be in a better position to take care of your business. That’s because you’ll feel better with more energy.

Exercise doesn’t take up your time, as much as it makes more time for you.

9. Strengthen your business relationships. If you work for someone else, start with your boss. You’ll build a stronger career foundation, if you invest in your relationship. Better yet, learn to manage your boss.

Regarding employees, savvy employers know how to profit from their human capital – a powerful weapon for high performance in a competitive marketplace.

So engage your workers for higher morale to propel profits.

Make it a regular habit to motivate your employees to give you profitable ideas.

As for sales, build long-term client relationships with with effective meetings. If you’re a retailer, make certain your supply chain meets the expected standards of customers.

If you need better service from your suppliers, take steps to fix your vendor relationships.

10. Consider coaching or mentoring. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A great coach will help your confidence and will help you to perform better. Look for someone with qualities you want for yourself – it’s the best investment to sustain your career.

Oh yes, don’t forget your employees. Be prepared to coach them. Explain the principle behind every tip you give employees so they’ll be able to pass it on when they get the chance.

11. Engage in public speaking. What you say is often as important as how you say it. Public speaking is good for you – it leads to more skills in communication and confidence. Create opportunities as a guest speaker.

If it’s a weakness, work on improving communication with others.

12. Let others challenge you. Hire smart people to complement your vision. You and your business will get stronger, if you discuss ideas.

Keep the focus on principles and not personalities. Behind every successful businessperson is at least one savvy devil’s advocate.

13. Be due diligent, but don’t be afraid to take risks. Paralysis from too much analysis is the true risk. Unless an idea is unethical, if an instinct plants a seed in your mind, chances are you need to act. You don’t need to know every minute detail.

Just get busy. As for fear of making mistakes, don’t be afraid. A mistake doesn’t represent failure – if you learn from it.

14. Unleash your passion. All great achievements have been accomplished with hope and enthusiasm. Develop the “contagious” disease – enthusiasm is working catching. Make sure everyone catches it. The multiplier effect from passion leads to profits.

15. Keep it going. Just as you work out at the gym to keep toned, you have to exercise your business muscles on a daily basis. Good luck!

From the Coach’s Corner, more tips:

“The key to winning is poise under stress.”

-Paul Brown

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.