I know that you’re passionate about creating value for your customers – and that’s awesome!
But. (Yes, there is a but).
If your strive for quality is nearing perfectionism, then you might have a problem.
Why? Because perfectionism will probably hold you back instead of help you move forward!
Perfectionism is a kind of self-sabotage that shows up as fear of failure or a fear of visibility. If you get your self-worth from high-performance, then you might be in the risk-zone for perfectionism.
But to make your business thrive, you’ll need to embrace imperfection! Here’s how going for good enough will help you build the business of your dreams:
1 ) You’ll get things done!
When you strive for perfection, things generally take too long. You’ll work endless hours on a new offer to get it just right. You’ll hold off the launch of your new website until every comma is in the right place.
But here’s the secret: you’ll probably get the customer at 80%! I bet you they won’t even notice the extra 20% that you put in – which means that it’s time wasted.
If you want to expand your business, you’ll need to get things to your customers – whether it’s a business proposal or an introductory e-mail. Because even if you don’t, your competition certainly will.
My challenge to you: stay away from the extreme fine-tuning! Go for 80% and see what happens. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
2 ) You’ll serve your customers in more and better ways!
If you find it difficult to complete your creative projects, then perfectionism might be at play. You simply don’t want to get that new product to the customer unless it’s perfect!
But you also don’t want to spend months on new product creation – only to find out that it’s not what the customer wanted! So include your customers in your development process. Present your work in progress – then fine-tune and finalize based on their feedback!
My challenge to you: choose the one project that you feel has the biggest business potential and excites you the most. Set a deadline for version 1.0 – and get it to a small group of customers for feedback.
3 ) You’ll communicate more effectively!
If you’re a perfectionist, you might be afraid to show the real you – it simply might not feel safe. So you put on a mask of professionalism with words, gestures and behaviors that you wouldn’t use privately.
But business is personal – especially when you’re an entrepreneur! Trust is a deciding factor for any business transaction. To create that trust, you first need to establish a real connection between you and the customer. Separating your business from yourself will make that connection impossible. And instead of standing out in the crowd, you’ll be just like anybody else.
My challenge to you: think about how to turn all of you – the good and the bad – into a fundament for real customer connection. What would your audience want to know about you? What stories and experiences do you have to share that will benefit them directly?
Perfection is not just impossible – it’s inefficient and it’s boring! Your customers will love you, not in spite of your imperfections, but because of them!
