The Green Sheet Online Edition

July 11, 2016 • Issue 16:07:01

Inspiration

Finding opportunity

In Good Selling!^SM: The Basics, Paul H. Green suggested readers consider what opportunity means to them. He asked, "Is it money falling from the sky? Is it someone walking up to you and asking to buy your service?" He went on to say that those notions are just fantasies, not opportunities. "Sure they could happen, but it's not likely," he wrote. "What is likely is that you will get the sales and earn more money if you know how to recognize opportunities and are prepared for them."

Eclectic blogger and entrepreneur Steve Olson wrote, "Opportunity is in front of your eyes – right now – and you don't see it. So how do you open your eyes wider? How do you see the hidden opportunity that exists everywhere in your environment?" He shared several ideas on how to do it.

Recognizing opportunity

Olson suggested you:

• Develop relationships with creative people. They "see opportunity everywhere, and their insights will rub off on you."
• Write down everything that surprises you. Indeed, "many great opportunities are fueled by surprises."
• Journal about your problems. In truth, "for every problem there is a solution and that solution will have value to others."
• Journal about possibilities. Doing so will help you "find the opportunities hidden inside your imagination."
• Be open to unorthodox ideas. Don't react defensively. Instead, "wait, listen, let them finish. Listen to the entire idea and then imagine the possibility of the idea."
• Eliminate limiting beliefs and mindsets. These inhibit "your ability to sense opportunities."
• Be grateful. Gatitude is an antidote to resentment and complacency, which "block your ability to see clearly."

Preparing for opportunity

Once you've got your mindset geared toward being open for opportunities, how do you further prepare? Here are some ideas from Ryan Clements of Lifehack:

• Stay informed about developments in your field. If you aren't aware of what is going on, then you may miss out on opportunities that will manifest for those people who are in the right place at the right time.
• Build your platform. Look for writing and speaking opportunities. Start a blog and create a meaningful contribution to the advancement of your field.
• Make learning a habit. The more you educate yourself, the better prepared you will be to immediately contribute when you have the chance.
• Establish positive relationships with people in your field. Network, network, network, but do it in an intelligent way. Look to add value to people.
• Determine how you are going to create value. The more value you can create for others in your chosen field, the more successful you will be in your field, and the more opportunities that will continually come your way.
• Pace yourself where your heart wants to be. You should consistently shop up. You don't need someone's permission to start a business. Are you interested in working in a particular industry sector? Then are you attending the important conferences and networking events in that sector?

You cannot leave anything up to luck. As Green said, "luck doesn't really exist; preparation does."

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