When my husband, Tom, and I got married 18 years ago he promised to always give me romantic gifts and never, ever give me something with a plug. He has stayed true to that promise but the most recent gift was marginal…..a Smith & Wesson 38 Special. “Why?” is the obvious question and would take way longer than this blog so I will spare you the details. The story here is about my first time at the range with the gun I now call “Ouiser Boudreaux” (named after a strong yet grumpy character in Steel Magnolias) and what I learned.
The first time you handle a new gun is interesting…you are learning all about its’ personality. Ouiser had a frustrating personality. I would line up the sight with the target but every single time I hit the upper right corner of the target. Over and over again I lined Ouiser up perfectly but continued to hit that corner.
Does that matter? You may ask. After all I was hitting the target. Yes, I was hitting the target BUT with the same about of effort I could be hitting the center of the target sparing myself frustration and angst.
Suddenly a man approached me and said, “Sugar, all you have to do is move your thumb two inches.” I looked at him blankly because I didn’t understand. “Here”, he said, “Put your thumb there.” Then he physically moved my thumb from one place on the gun to two inches over. I lined up the sight, pulled the trigger and there was a perfect shot. Over and over I hit the center of the target.
After leaving the range I found myself thinking about this experience. Meeting that man was very fortuitous. Really, the idea of moving my thumb would never have occurred to me. Having someone who looked at the overall situation from a completely different vantage point was so valuable. If only I had someone like that every time I had a problem.
The next thing I pondered was about the size of the change. I didn’t have to do dramatic things to get the result. Those two inches was the difference between being okay and being really good. I found myself wondering where else there was an opportunity for a two-inch change in my life?
Here’s a two inch story. A friend of mine, who is also an author, told a story of selling books at speaking events. She was frustrated because book sales weren’t doing well. Then someone told her about this technique…when talking about her book to the audience say, “If you get a copy, I’d like your feedback on the book”. That one sentence made a significant impact on her sales.
So here’s my suggestion. Start with a category; say prospecting and ask the question, “Where am I frustrated with the result?” That will help you identify where you need help. Then ask the question, “What small change can I make that will improve my results?”
Just take one area and make a two-inch change….today.