The Difference between Luck and Good Preparation

Uwe Hermann

Do you remember spending hours in a field searching for those rare and lucky four-leaf clovers hoping you would be in the right place to happen upon one? We would spend so much time as kids bent over searching the grass for those tokens of luck when we could have gone to the store, bought a packet of seeds and grown our own.

What is the difference between these two strategies? Searching in the field reveals sporadic and exciting results, while growing some in a pot is predicable and gradual. Consider these two scenarios: One kid spends his time searching in a field for clovers. The other grows his in a pot. In a few hours, which kid would have more clovers?

The kid who searched in the field would have more clovers to show in just a few hours. The one growing his own clovers would still be giving care and attention to his seeds as they develop. However, consider these same two kids in a week. Who would have more clovers at this point?

The clovers picked from the field would all have died and dried up while the ones in the pot would have grown tall and strong with careful dedication and attention. And if the boy who grew his from seeds wanted more clovers, all he would need to do is get more pots and nurture more seeds to full growth. The key is how you nurture your contacts and grow your relationships.

Which kid’s actions resemble your business strategy? Are you looking for customers randomly, exhausting yourself by searching in a large field for small clovers that don’t last? Or are you nurturing your contacts then over time working to grow your relationship with them until you have a strong group of customers?

This is a fundamental business strategy. You can either spend your energy hoping luck will show you a clover, or you can prepare for long-term results with research and a focus on relationships.

Which path are you taking?