The Business Linchpin: Can It Destroy You?

By Mark Bowser

I have been thinking. Is there a linchpin that could start a domino effect that could devastate your business, career, or life?   And, is there a tipping point that could start an avalanche of success like a runaway snowball?

Interesting questions, but are there answers?  My wife and I love to watch the hit ABC TV show Castle.  Last season, they had an intriguing two part episode that explored this concept of a linchpin.  In the story, an economic linchpin was discovered that if put in motion would destroy the United States economy and start a downward domino effect that would lead the globe to World War III.  It was a very entertaining escapade from our daily lives and in the story the bad guys almost succeeded?  But, it got me thinking.  Is it possible?  Could one event in our lives do so much damage and destruction?

Well, as I continued to think about it, I began to believe that there very well may be a linchpin or a tipping point for our careers, business’, or even our lives.  Let’s explore the linchpin first. What if you had all your eggs for success in one basket and you lost the basket?  Do you see where I am going with this?  Brian Tracy says that “Everything Counts” when it comes to selling.  What if you or one of your associates kills (accidentally of course) the business with your largest client?  What if that client composed 85% of your annual business?  Could you survive…or would it be your linchpin? 

So, what is the solution?  We must avoid the business error so many of us are guilty of, including myself.  We put most of our eggs in one basket and if we lose that business, we are headed towards economic devastation known as Chapter 11.  We avoid it by spreading out our sales and marketing.  By kicking into high gear our prospecting for new and more clients. 

The only way to avoid the business linchpin is to make sure that no one event or any one client so controls the life blood of your business existence. Spread it out. Market more. Do business with different sized clients.  From a personal standpoint, we have to make sure that we put aside a part of our income from every paycheck.  Why?  What would happen to you and your family if you lost your job today?  How would you avoid a personal linchpin?  In this economy, we all know friends and family who are currently out of work or were out of work at some point in the last few years. We must have a cushion of resources to fall back on.  That strategy and discipline will kill the linchpin…and not you.

Now, let’s talk about the tipping point.  Is there a point where all your marketing, all your sales, all your success converge into a place where it spills over to tremendous, incredible visibility, and success? I believe so.  Why do some products go viral? I don’t think we can know the answer for sure…but we know they do.  In fact, this article may go viral, but why this one and not another one?  Malcolm Gladwell wrote a great book titled The Tipping Point.  Go pick yourself up a Kindle ebook version today.  It is awesome! You can get Malcolm’s book for $9.99.  And while you are there, I invite you to take a peek at one of my books like Three Pillars of Success. 

Your tipping point exists and it will find you…if you continue to practice business success. In fact, do more of it. Supercharge it. What will make you more visible? What will get you and your product or service more attention? How can you get your product or service into the hands of more people? How can you serve them more than you currently are?  Seek the answers to these questions and take action on what you discover and before you know it, your tipping point will find you.

Three Pillars of Success by Mark Bowser on Amazon Kindle.  Only $2.99

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