The stories we tell ourselves…
Somebody used this expression the other day, meaning that we tell ourselves stories so frequently and consistently that we start to rule out any possibility that isn’t consistent with that story - it then becomes our destiny.
Everyone does it, whether you realize it or not.
“Starting a business is too risky.”
“Most businesses fail.”
“Managed services is a pot of gold.”
“Managed services is a very difficult business to make money in.”
We’ve each got our own story running through our head, shaping how we view everything. At Everon, we had a story in our collective heads about what kind of gross margins and net margins we should expect to achieve. Then we met with Paul Dippell, and he told us about the people in our industry that were kicking Everon’s ass in terms of margins.
Well…the good news is that awareness is curative!
One thing that I love about our team is that when you stick a goal in front of them they get completely focused on achieving it. Now that we know what’s possible, we have a new story that is much more exciting and lucrative! I have no doubt that we’ll be giving anyone in our industry a run for their money by the end of 2008.
So what kinds of margins are realistic? I know that most companies in our industry operate in the low single digits in terms of net margins. I also know that many are operating around 20% net margins. I know which ones we are shooting for.
What stories are you telling yourself? What can you do to get a different perspective?
MRC
