Why You’re Not Getting Results

Have you ever wondered why you're not getting results? Why no one showed up for your event, why nobody bought your book, or why nobody thought your business idea was as cool as you thought it was?

Want to listen? There's an audio version below

I'm tired of it. I'm tired of people complaining that they're not getting results, that they're not making progress, and that they're no different today than they were six months ago.

If you started your business because you thought it would be easy or because you wanted to make a quick buck, just stop now. Quit. Leave your business behind and go back to what you were doing before because entrepreneurship is neither quick nor easy.

“But Ellory, I'm a creative. I make art!”

Well, dear reader, I don't care. And neither do your customers. There's only one thing your clients care about, and that's results. And, if you can't deliver, you won't get results in your business. If you're getting the results you're looking for while being “a creative,” then cool – this post isn't for you.

But if you've stuck around this long and if you're serious about pushing through and making your business a success, keep reading. I've come up with four reasons why you're not getting results and why most people throw in the towel and give up before they make it.

Why You're Not Getting Results

Over the past 6+ years of being in the online business world, I've seen a lot of people come and go. Over 90% of the people who I met in 2014 aren't around today. Why? Because they weren't getting the results they were looking for.

Today, I hope to point out a few flaws in their plans, and hopefully, we all learn from their mistakes.

There is No Magic Pill

Far too many “entrepreneurs” get into business for the wrong reasons. They think there's a magic pill that will turn them into what they need to be. Or, they think they've found the magic pill and can sell it, and people aren't interested in buying.

We saw this play out at the beginning of 2018 with the meteoric rise of Bitcoin. Sleazy “entrepreneurs” who'd bought when Bitcoin was low tried to sell their “strategy” to other people who were interested in the cryptocurrency.

These con-artists thought they could sell the illusion of a magic pill that would make them rich when all they did was buy low and sell high.

There is no magic pill in entrepreneurship. There is no easy way. And no one is going to do it for you. Nobody will care about your dream more than you, and you can't outsource passion for your business.

You Didn't Put in the Work

A lot of people come to me asking about how to start a business.

“It's simple”

I tell them; find a need, meet a need. While that's a gross oversimplification, at its heart, it's good advice.

However, people need to know who you are and know about your business. They need to like your products and the solutions they provide. And, usually, they need to like who you are as a person or company. Then, finally, before anyone can buy your product that meets their need, they need to trust that what you have to offer will solve their problem.

To accomplish that goal and help people to know, like and trust you, you need to create content that develops each of those feelings toward you and your business. And the most cost-effective way to do that is to create content around your products, services, and business. That is called content marketing.

Content marketing is the most effective way to build a business in today's modern and connected world. But the entrepreneurs who don't get results think content marketing is a waste of time.

They think their previous works will carry them successfully into business, and that's just not true. The skills and talents that got you on the team aren't good enough to take you to the championship. If you want people to know, like and trust you, you have to show them why you're worth paying attention to. You must prove to them that you're good enough for them to spend their hard-earned money with you.

Most entrepreneurs who don't get results are unwilling to put in the work that will show the world they're credible, knowledgeable, likable, competent, and trustworthy. And because they don't do those things, they don't get results, and then they give up and quit.

You Quit Too Soon

A few years ago, I wrote a post called Are You Tired? Here is What Keeps Me Going (and can keep you going too!). I hope you'll read it, but the punchline is this: the horizon is always just over the next hill, and you have to keep going.

Most people who don't get results simply quit too soon.

Our society has become entranced by the overnight success that doesn't exist. We hear a new artist on the radio and think, “wow, where did they come from?! They must've gotten lucky or known the right people.”

We refuse to take into account all of the hard work that goes into building a business. Because if we chalk it up to “luck” or having the “right connections,” things that are external and that we don't have, we don't have to face the reality that success comes from putting in the work over an extended period of time.

I ask my mastermind members to commit to working with me for at least six months. I know, after coaching dozens of entrepreneurs and having spent thousands of hours working with them, that it takes time to change directions and make improvements.

We've bought into the “Biggest Loser” myth that we can get the body (or business) we want in just a few weeks. But the truth is, real change takes time, and to get massive results, we have to put in massive amounts of work.

Far too many entrepreneurs who don't get results simply quit before their inflection point, and before they give the seeds they've planted the opportunity to take hold and grow.

Never give up. NEVER give up. NEVER GIVE UP!

You Weren't Committed

Q: In a bacon-and-egg breakfast, what's the difference between the Chicken and the Pig?

A: The Chicken is involved, but the Pig is committed!

Another reason you're not getting results in your business is that you aren't committed. When your friends, family, and followers (if you've stuck around long enough to attract any), see you bouncing from one idea to another, they don't see it as you trying to find your niche. They see it as your inability to stick with anything.

Of the 90% of people who I met in 2014 and who aren't around today, almost none of them were committed. Even if you're not sure your business will succeed or if your idea will work, when you show up, you have to be 100% committed to the cause. Put another way, you don't have to work on your business 24/7, but for the 2-3 hours a day you put in, you better be ALL in.

Don't half-ass your passion and don't phone it in where your dreams are concerned; your customers can feel it, and your non-commitment is palpable.

In any endeavor and with any goal you want to achieve, if you aren't committed, you will fail to get the results you want.

How to Fix it (i.e., How to Make Sure You Get Results)

If you've ever suffered from any of these things, you're not alone. If you've ever felt like you were searching for a magic pill, if you've ever felt like the work you've put in should be enough, if quitting now and saving face has been on your mind for weeks, and if you've felt your commitment wane… you're not alone. I've been there too. I've felt like giving up, and I've felt discouraged.

Building a business is one of the hardest things you can do, so don't expect it to be easy.

There are a few things you can do at this point assuming you want to keep going in entrepreneurship.

1st

First, increase your knowledge and improve your skills. Read more. Go to conferences. Study business. If you want a good place to start, check out my book Exit Strategy, and I'll show you how to get good at content marketing, how you can attract buyers, and how you get your business moving (again?).

2nd

Second, surround yourself with positive people who have goals that align with yours. I suggest working with a mastermind frequently and regularly. I owe so much of the success of my businesses to surrounding myself with like-minded people who will keep me accountable. If you're interested in applying for my next mastermind group, click here to learn more about the program.

3rd

Third, find a coach or a mentor who is doing what you want to do or who has been where you want to go. If you wanted to climb Mount Everest, you'd hire a Sherpa who's been there before and who can guide you on your journey. A coach is your business Sherpa. If you're interested in hiring me, click here to learn more about my business coaching program.

Summary

Finally, don't give up. Entrepreneurship is extremely hard, but you're stronger than you think you are and you can rise to the challenge. Don't look for a magic pill or a quick fix. Don't expect it to be easy then quit when it's not. As my momma used to say, “When the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin',” so don't end your journey too soon. And don't half-ass your passion.

You can do it. I believe in you.