What can consistent practice do for your business growth? Consider these examples. Have you ever seen a fellow business owner’s video such as the ones by Bob Bratt, and wished yours could look that great? Or heard a colleague give a speech and been just a tiny bit envious of their ability? Or heard someone talk about their sales growth and wished your sales skills were as amazing as theirs?

Do you know the secret to your colleagues unleashing their business power and winning clients with their finely tuned new skills?  Consistent practice.  Yes, practice…and practice and practice and practice.  Once you make the commitment to gain a new skill, to become better at something such as how to select the right payroll tools, and set aside the resources needed and the time to practice, you can become just as good as your colleagues, or even better. Don’t believe me?  Let’s look at some historical examples. 

Winston Churchill

We think of Churchill as one of the greatest orators of all time, or certainly among the top contenders. It was not always so.  Authors Brett and Kate McKay tell us in The Winston Churchill Guide to Public Speaking, “As a boy he stuttered and stammered, spoke with a  lisp, and had a shy and timid temperament that hardly commanded the respect of his peers, much less a nation.”  That did not stop Churchill.  He made it his life goal to be a “master of the spoken word” and he “honed his prowess…through consistent nurture and practice.”

Michael Jordan

We know Michael Jordan as a basketball superstar, considered by many as the greatest basketball player of all time.  Did you know he didn’t make his high school varsity team until he was a junior? He wasn’t the best basketball player at University of North Carolina as a freshman? The title of Tom Huddleston Jr.’ article, How Michael Jordan became great: ‘Nobody will ever work as hard as I work,’ talks about Jordan’s journey.  He achieved his superstar success in part through his amazing competitive drive, his strong work ethic, and practice.

The article quotes UNC teammate James Worthy’s experience playing with Jordan. He says, “After about 2.5 hours of hard practice, I’m walking off the floor, like, drenched [in] sweat, tired. And, here comes Michael pushing me back on the floor, wanting to play a little one-on-one, wanting to see where his game was.” I personally saw Michael Jordan’s skill on the basketball court in Chicago, and it remains one of my Chicago highlights.  I am not particularly a sports fan.  I am, however, a Jordan fan.

Steve Jobs

In 5 Incredible Public Speakers and What You Can Learn From Them, Printsome Insights talks about how nervous and terrified Steve Jobs was in his first TV interview in 1978, and they talk about how his tantrums bled through when things went wrong. They fast-forward to his presentation of the iPhone in 2007, saying it is considered “one of the best business presentations ever delivered.”  How did Steve Jobs become one of the “most remarkable corporate storytellers ever”? “The simple truth behind Jobs’ seemingly effortless public speaking is rehearsal and repetition.”  I call that consistent practice.   

You

Now let’s move from historical examples to you. As a small business owner, what do you want to become better at?  What will be most impactful for you and your business if you up your game in a specific skill?  Do you want to be better at in-person presentations? creating and posting videos? sales? your elevator pitch? creating a stronger digital footprint?

Decide where you want to improve, create a plan, and implement it. Keep practicing consistently. When you learn a new skill, it feels awkward at first. Be prepared for that and find the support you need.  With consistent practice, you will soon master your new skill. 

If you have questions or comments about this article, please reach out to me at [email protected].  As a small business coach, I help people create their plans of action based upon solid business principles….and support them as they implement consistent practice on their way to mastery. I wish you much success as you level up your small business skills!   

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Robin Suomi, MBA, is an experienced small business expert and founder of Startup to Growth. She has worked with thousands of small business owners through coaching, mastermind groups, education and training.  Robin believes success is rarely accidental and her passion is to help her clients set and reach their goals. Working with clients remotely through video platforms, she helps clients answer their technical business planning and execution questions as well as supporting them while they explore their potential.

Robin encourages clients to dig deeper, dream bigger, and works with them to create their tangible Success Steps. Check out the website for ongoing virtual Small Business Coaching, Small Business Blueprint Coaching, and MEG (My Entrepreneurial Group) Membership program. From time to time we launch new MEG Connect and MEG Startup mastermind groups. Email [email protected] with your questions or to set up a free 1-1 consultation.