Ep22 Stop Solving Fake Problems: How to Identify What's Actually Killing Your Business Growth

Joe Blackburn  0:00  
Because we did a whole thing on your culture war map, like you're the culture. Not only are you the product, you're also the culture. So what are you doing there?

Jason Croft  0:08  
Yeah, whether you've decided what that culture is going to be or not, it's

Joe Blackburn  0:11  
there you dictate through, not through, what you say, because no one cares. They watch.

Jason Croft  0:18  
Welcome to the lion's edge, where top performers sharpen their teeth, hosted by Joe Blackburn, founder of The Lion, who is relentlessly dedicated to helping business owners lead multi million dollar teams and me. Jason Croft, I transform unseen entrepreneurs into industry leaders by developing their market gravity. Each week, we reveal proven strategies and raw insights to help you maximize your business, multiply your wealth and make your family indestructible. Now let's create your edge. Yeah, this idea of identifying the problem, right? How do you figure that? Sometimes it's so obvious, we've got this bottleneck, we've got this issue, or it's Bill and accounting, he's the freaking problem of whatever that is. Sometimes it's obvious. Other times we look up and it's what is happening, what happened this quarter? You know? What is that? Is there a methodology to kind of go down the the list

Joe Blackburn  1:33  
and cut the bullshit it? I mean, you basically walk through all the things you're doing, and then you want to look at all right, the, I mean, it's, I don't know if this is helpful, but is what I'm doing right now, getting me closer to my goal. Like, is what. So if I had, if I take, and, let's say, I start with my revenue goal, say it's a million bucks or 2,000,005 I don't know, whatever your revenue goal is, and then you go through like, where am I spending my time? What's my calendar look like? What are our results? More than anything? And I think, and I don't know if we put this out there, but I think what I have found with most of our clients, so be careful here, they spend an awful lot of time solving some problems that if that problem didn't exist and they didn't spend time there, they would free up a lot of capacity. And then the question in my mind is, why is this even a problem? Like, do you have an example, like, what that would be? Most of it revolves around some sort of system or administration within the business. So when someone's like, well, we can't, you know, get our apps filled out correctly, and we have to deal with someone else processing it and all these things, and it's like that, yeah, it, I guess it is a problem. But I have found that the real problems, like the real ones, they really lie in two places, the pipeline number one. So you start like this progression of, okay, I've got this person in front of me that can do business with me, and now I turn this into a problem set, getting them across the finish line, probably chase them a little bit when there's no reciprocity. I'm really guilty of that one, like, I figure out ways to instigate a response. It's called a capping where, if your pipeline, if you did the you know, the pillars work, or your SEO, whatever it is, if your pipeline was filled, you wouldn't spend your time there, because you would have more people to go back and talk to about, excuse me, your business. So the problem creation becomes, well, I can't get this person to respond, or I need this. Or we're, you know, someone, if it's fulfillment, it's stuck here, waiting. And those aren't, I don't know if I would say those aren't real problems. It's just when I'm, oh, you know what I mean, like, I don't,

Jason Croft  4:13  
yeah, it's, it's, like, that's the thing. It's, it's, it's that blinder focus you're in this it's what's right in front of you. And yes, maybe you should solve that one. But the second you do, you need to look like, Okay, what's, what's the bigger issue here? And it's going back up the line, so like the pipeline aspect, yeah, I'm having a problem getting, yeah, but, but what would solve that, outside of solving that little one off thing. What would solve that? More more folks in the pipeline. Okay, well, my problems more folks not having enough people in the pipeline. Okay, well, let's lock up from there. What's the problem, and

Joe Blackburn  4:56  
then show me your calendar. Because what I don't know. Maybe I'm not describing it well. What I'm saying is, and I cut you off. So I'm not a very good co host. Am I the co host? You're a special guest every week. Brought to you by it. There's like ripples to this problem set mostly really deep. And again, I have this problem. I understand it well, and I spin my wheels on it. So I'm not saying you dumb asses. I'm saying

Jason Croft  5:25  
I am. I'm saying I'm perfect. So I'm saying

Joe Blackburn  5:28  
there's, like, many layers to this. So, and I've been it's ironic, because I'm gonna spend some time on this, when I bring everyone down to Orange Beach in March, going back to like the genesis of this is, if my pipeline is limited, I have to solve the problems by not having the right people in the pipeline, or enough of them. So now I've got a big problem set of getting ghosted. People have life. I have all the wonderfulness of humans. And sometimes I try to solve those problems with persuasion or facts or what I mean. You pick it now, okay, now I'm, I want to put something together that changes their mind, right? Like I just, I'm a great salesperson, or whatever that is, I mean. And this probably is more on the sales side than it is on the operation side, and we can dig into that. But so now I'm solving for, how do I get this person to want or need what I'm having? Because I have a smaller pipeline, and that's all I have. So instead of going, so here's where it gets in my mind, where you have to make the shift. Instead of going out and finding someone that does want what you have and probably needs it, I spend my my time. And I think we did a thing on this, on chasing like. I don't remember when if it was assassins or this, but now I have this problem set of help me solve this where, if you think about your business, and I don't, it doesn't matter what it is, if you have a higher standard on who you do business with, these don't become as big a problems because you're eliminating them before you get into, Like you said, a month goes by. No one's done anything. I'm waiting on this and chasing on that. And so when I say the problems are solved in the pipeline the first part, so to avoid the distraction or the irritation, or whatever you wanna call it, if I get that first part right, and I have a lot of those people. Like, I don't have you guys ever heard this thing called pillars? We ever talked about that sounds familiar? One of the parts of pillars that, other than being liked or liking each other, is the listening, because you, I mean all, it doesn't matter what, like, I don't care if you're building someone's house, if you're selling them insurance, if you're giving them advice, if you're there, it doesn't matter if you give out your what you think they should do, and then the response is, let me think about it, and which is normal, whatever. But like, after that point, you can, I mean, I practice something called Patient persistence. I mean, some people, you know, they don't want to face reality. They don't think you're good enough. I don't know what it is, but what I would look for to get out in front of this is there are people, and maybe I've experienced this a lot, there are people that are like, Let's go or what, let's get started. You know, however that goes. So why did they say it like, why is that person already listening and we like each other, and they're paying versus someone that isn't like, what is it because of something I said, do you think, or is it they me? It has to be me, right?

Jason Croft  8:58  
I mean, I think, I think, why is the wrong I think it's the wrong question, in the sense that, if you know those people exist, just go find more more of those people. It's human nature, why this person does and this person doesn't? Sometimes it's just the mysteries of the world and move on.

Joe Blackburn  9:16  
Which brings me back to fill your pipeline and spend time on the people that are at least going through the steps like, you know, we talk about the mini closes and being nasty, best next action step to, yes, I totally stole that, and I love it. So are they? Are they Rhett? Are they taking the next steps? And again, you have a snowstorm, you have kids get sick, you're you know, people have catastrophes. So that's why, when we go through like, are you okay? Did you give up on this? Where do we go from here? What I've been telling them is you can shorten this cycle down to about a week. I tend to make quick decisions, and it's not like a well thought out. Like, is this the bet? Like, I don't, and maybe that's me. I don't, I don't know. But I also want to work with people like,

Jason Croft  10:07  
Well, that's exactly it. And at the same time, you do always want to evaluate that. Why question a little bit of and maybe it's 10 people and you haven't found them, and it's okay. What am I not putting in front of people that's going to convince them? But when you have that track record, and you know that there are people that they are, yes, how do I get in front of and then again, keep backing out? Oh, how did I find the last one? How did I find the last 10? Where are they? What's the commonality there? Let me do more of that. Whatever got me there, and keep backing out that way, rather than that one, I've got to close right now, no matter what, because he's the only one in the pipeline.

Joe Blackburn  10:56  
That's a good point. So when my pipeline is not very big. I spend a bunch of time spinning my wheels trying to get, you know, convince someone or to get catch them at the right time, when it might be better to do the activities that fill the pipeline with the people that are just inherently, you know, give you a sniff test and like, I like that. Dude sounds good. It's got a good track record. Someone introduced me. And that takes a lot of, I think, where people get hung up, that takes a lot more art than science. You know what I mean by that? Like, it's, yeah, that's why, you know, like, even in our assassins, we we really start with the product is, you people are, I don't know if you've seen this online. People are judgy. You know, I'm too fat, too old, too gray, too mean, like that was just what I heard before I left the house. They're around me every day, though. But do you know what I'm saying? I don't know if that's helpful.

Jason Croft  11:57  
It's an interesting piece of this too. Is that to acknowledge the fact that there is this human component, this almost intangible aspect of doing business, certainly on the sales side, we've certainly dug into here, and having that pipeline is a human side of it, and why not, number one, acknowledge it, but also dig into that even more, because it's only going to become more and more and more important as everything else is commoditized. And I think that's an important aspect, and it goes both ways. It's being that person. So hopefully more folks are attracted to you going, there's something here. Let me give it a shot. Let's do this no matter what you're selling, but also the other way, and not forcing someone in just because the money's there. Like this. I listening to your gut, knowing having that feeling, I know this isn't going to work out. I can't even fully tell you why. I just know it. Let's move on and again, back to having a full pipeline. You can act on that and trust your gut in that situation.

Joe Blackburn  13:17  
100% agreed, and when the pipeline is scarce, you tend to be more lenient on who you let into your life out of necessity, which you gotta I mean, you got to make business decisions. You got bills paying. People to pay. You might have to do that, but at least recognize, okay, now I know the problem that maybe isn't on the fulfillment side, because most people on the fulfillment side can, you know, backstage might be a, you know, a mess, but on front stage, they can probably execute it. Given all the things going on, they can probably still fulfill. But getting the right person to begin with is more valuable long term, especially on, you know, reoccurrence or lifetime value of a client. It's hard to spend a lot of time and energy on people that just aren't a fit. And it doesn't, I don't. I'm not gonna go as far to say that the no Asshole Rule. Like, that's an immediate like, you can tell that one pretty quick. Like, let's move on. Like, don't, do not spin your wheels on. Do you think you're gonna convert someone's humanity in a short period

Jason Croft  14:23  
of time, right? You owe that to yourself and your whole team and anyone that they'll interact with on your side.

Joe Blackburn  14:30  
Yeah. And the dichotomy is, all the money's in the follow up look, we can bring some sales gurus on. They'll tell you how to close somebody in one meeting, or whatever that is. And that's, I mean, it happens, but usually who that happens with is the person we're talking about. If you have a process, probably refine your process and your filter is a good step. Meaning, if I ask someone to do something and they don't do it because it you tell me what it is like. We have people that sell jewelry. Well, if someone. Something, but they won't respond to what the CADS are, whatever it is, and they're non responsive, or they put it off, like, how much time can you spend there, or real estate, you name it. I think what I would like to get better at helping our clients with, as I say this out loud, is and we talk, we talk we talk about it. Pipeline compressing is really shortening the cycle down to the actionable steps so that you can move on and backfill with better people. That would be a more fulfilling and profitable approach than only taking what you got. So let me see if I can bring this all the way back. That's how you figure out what not to do. And if you look at your calendar and all you're doing is trying to pull people through that aren't willing to go through what you're asking them, you got to ask yourself, Is this the right person? The Deep irony of this conversation is I made a decision this morning. I'm like, I'm not texting this person. Again, they need they actually need me. They just don't want me, which is hard to believe.

Jason Croft  16:10  
And again, back to the intangible. There's an energy to that that's pulling it's pulling your focus, pulling your it's not the two seconds to text or the follow up. It's that energetic aspect of it that now Awesome. That's done. Cut off. Wow, now I have space

Joe Blackburn  16:31  
who's next. And you know what the thing that's hardest about it is, and all of us have businesses where this is true is when it's not about making the sale, it's because they really do need it. That's the hardest part. Like, man, I could help this person completely change their life and business, and they just don't want it. So there's only, you know, there's only so much for me to go around. But do you know what I mean? Like, it's not like, I need, I have to have this client. It's man, they really need this, and I don't want to give up on them. But it clogs back to the pipe. It clogs the pipeline Absolutely.

Jason Croft  17:16  
And, you know, we're all gonna hover. I mean, if you have no humanity, like me, like, I don't care. That's your problem. You screwed things up. But for other people who are more human and care, yeah, it becomes a harder.

Joe Blackburn  17:26  
We're working harder for you, I'm trying. I'm trying.

Jason Croft  17:31  
So that makes a lot of sense. On the sales side, what is that identification process? Maybe on the operation side, going through, you know, overall, figuring out what's happening. Pipelines full. People are coming in, but they're dropping off, or we're not getting to them fast enough, or revenues down. I don't understand how or profits are down, revenue's up. What's going on? How do you first dig into that and start going down the checklist to identify what's going on.

Joe Blackburn  18:04  
Well, I had a group here was that two weeks ago, a different, not inner circle, but a different group we do, and we went through an old exercise called rubber and glass, and it was more about what to get off their plate. Meaning, if I'm doing all these things, identify, what is rubber? Meaning, if I handed you the rubber ball and it bounced and it came back to me, and I'm fine, and I did, and it just, it keeps it's a ball I can just keep bouncing. A is it even necessary? It's not killing us. I mean, we're still getting so before we get to loss of revenue. So what are the rubber balls that are bouncing around your business? And are you bouncing a bunch of rubber balls as the leader? That's step one. Like, you know, I don't think there's a shortage of how to delegate on the internet or chat, GPT or any of that shit. I mean, you can do templates, you can buy. Delegating is a decision like you have to decide, I'm going to let this I'm going to let this thing go to someone else and see if they can bounce it around that so if I'm the bottleneck in my business, which I usually am, how much rubber Am I bouncing? Start there. Then you can start to evaluate what's class meaning, if I drop this, we're in deep shit. I don't make payroll. We're, you know, there's a concept, a heavy consequence to this not working. That's probably where you should spend your time, problem solving. And if you want to really grow, like as the kids on the LinkedIn say, if you want to scale, you can't handle all the glass either. But it doesn't, I probably wouldn't start with, here's our most important thing. Can you go, you know, see if the shatters. So the exercise is like, list out all the rubbers. Did I say that rubber ball? Yeah, some 13. In the mind. Don't hold it against me. So all the rubber balls and then distribute those. And don't just, like, you know, you don't want to whip them at your people, like, Here, here's something that I believe you can handle. Go see what you can do. You can give them guidance and use your framework and all that shit. But then the glass ones like, and you might find out they're not even. The ones you're focusing on aren't even glass. I think we saw, I did see that a couple weeks ago, where it was like, everything's glass. Well, no, it's probably not. You know, we have a worksheet or whatever on it where you then you can evaluate them and and get them all, get the rubber balls off your plate. And if you have someone you're developing, which is important, maybe share a glass ball with them. So that's op, like, the operational side, like, and I think most people will find, if they're leading the business, there's probably one or two glass balls for them, and that's about it. It's probably how they lead their people. Because we did a whole thing on your culture war map, like you're the culture. You're not only are you the product, you're also the culture. So what are you doing there? Yeah, whether

Jason Croft  21:03  
you've Yeah, whether you've decided, right or not, it's there you

Joe Blackburn  21:08  
you dictate through, not through, what you say, because no one cares. They watch the old as my mentor said to me, when I was fortunate enough to have my own shop. You're in the fishbowl now. I drove through 11 blizzards the first year, 34 miles from Bloomington to Peoria, because the markets were open and our client associates couldn't sit at home. We had to open the office, and what was I gonna say? Oh, you guys have come in. I'm not have fun. And by the way, we had an office in Bloomington that I could have just drove to and done the same thing I did in Peoria. I think it was a I may be over exaggerating, but I believe it was 11 official. It was the worst winner. But I'm not saying that to toot my own horn. It's because if I'm asking them to do it, and I stay home because it's dangerous, what is that like? They I could say all I want. They're gonna say I'm doing it any I'm not helping anybody. So that's the fishbowl effect of they're watching all the time, and they're mostly watching the in betweens of how you carry yourself, what your standard, you know, all that stuff. So good starting places, just make an evaluation. What's rubber, what's glass? And guess what? You might hand a piece of glass that you thought was rubber off. So back to delegating the indecision. Make the decision and clean it up if you have to.

Jason Croft  22:46  
But move go before take action. Let's go FPS. You've just experienced the lion's edge. If this episode lit a fire, if you're ready to push past your current ceiling, there's more waiting for you want to see what it takes to become a member of the Lion, visit join the lion.com. To discover how successful entrepreneurs become unstoppable forces, and make sure you never miss an episode by hitting subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't just content. This is your edge.

Speaker 1  23:25  
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