For many years in a previous business I worked with independent opticians, helping them grow their businesses.
Although I don't work with them any more, I jumped on a video call with a load of former clients this week.
I'll be honest, it was depressing. It makes you realise how wonderful the MSP business model is.
Without a shop to operate from, opticians aren't really in business at all right now. The one guy who was in the best position of the lot has £4,000 of monthly recurring revenue from his patients on a health care plan.
Most of the others have nothing...
Listening to them talk, I realised some of my poor former clients feel like victims right now. Examine their language:
- "When this happened to us"
- "No-one's helping us with this"
- "I wasn't ready for this and don't know what to do"
The purpose of the video call was to brainstorm some revenue opportunities for them (we came up with several, including forward selling disposable contact lenses to their patients in case "stocks run low", and offering emergency repairs and new lenses for old glasses, posted to the opticians' homes).
As we get a few weeks into lockdown (here in the UK at least), I'm starting to see a distinct split amongst the many MSPs I speak to on email, my Facebook group and on video calls.
Not many have that victim mentality, thank goodness. There are a few that do. You can spot them by the gloom in their voices. And their inaction. They're paralysed by fear and worry, and it's preventing them from doing what they really need to do.
Instead, most MSPs I'm speaking to are hard at work. They're:
- Over servicing clients to remove their frustrations (and so strengthen their relationship)
- Looking for more work, because there's actually plenty of work around at the moment
- Really throwing themselves into long-term marketing, knowing that the real pay off to the hard work now will come in a few months' time
This is true leadership. It's what your clients and staff want right now. They want someone to show them the way.
Even as the business gets hit by shrapnel every day, it helps everyone realise this is just short-term pain... and there's actually a huge amount of gain in the long-term.
If you're one of the positive leaders, and you're looking for guidance over the next 12 weeks, I launched a new remote marketing programme yesterday. I'd love to welcome you onto it.
