Business and Fishing

As a child I use to love when my father would take my brother and I fishing. It was cold and we were very tired (less than desirable conditions for a 7 and 8 year old) however we loved it. We loved that thrill of seeing your pole shake and the potential of bring home tonight's dinner. As I have developed in business I have realized that Fishing and Business have a lot in common  for example:

Go Where the Fish Are
In fishing you need to go where you have the best chances at catching a fish, lakes provide a certain type of fish and environment for fishing (safe, predictable conditions, calm waters) while the Ocean provides several types of fish l(mostly large and some that can eat you) and a very unpredictable. In business you have to go where the best customers(fish) or where you have the higher probability of catching those customers(fish)  so use tools like Googles Shopping Insights to look at where the customers (fish) are biting and what keyword/products (bait) they are searching for.

Using the Right Bait
You can find the perfect fishing spot where the fish are literally jumping out of the water, however if you do not have the "right" type of bait you will simply be a hungry spectator. In business your bait will consist of 1) Your Offer: Customers(Fish) are very particular about what they put into their houses, minds, bodies and more so make sure you have the right offer. 2) The timing: Fish like to feed at different times of the day, and the same hold true for customers too. Make sure your offer is timely and convenient for the customer. 3) The equipment: If you go Ocean fishing using freshwater lake equipment you will be in for a very rude awakening when a 40lbs Grouper bites and pulls you and your fishing pole in the water. In business when you are finally in the right market and have the customers attention make sure you have the capacity to handle the customers and their needs. There is nothing worst than constantly being sold out, or not having the right people to handle the customer calls.

Patience is Key
The one thing that all fisherman understand is that the "Fish Bite when they want". Some fishermen and businessmen give up or move spots way to fast. Sometimes the customer(fish) wants to see how committed you really are to catching them/earning their business, so stay the course. They want to see if you are serious about business/fishing and more importantly serious about giving them the right bait at the right time to earn their business. So in business you need to make sure that you are where your customers are, have the right bait, and wait for the fish to bite.

---