I was speaking about this with a fellow usher at my church this morning.  He's in charge of online marketing for Florida Ford dealers.  As we were talking about the economy, he related to me how he attempts to impress upon his dealers the importance of the circle of influence rather than the circle of concern. Since my last blog post about marketing touched on this, I thought I'd follow up on these circles and how to re-focus attention to what can be influenced and changed rather than the problems over which we have little or no control.

The circle of influence concerns the people, places and things over which we can have a positive impact.  The circle of influence may include our marketing program, continuing education, seminars, our professional network, and colleagues.  The circle of concern involves outside factors over which we have little or no direct control or impact such as the economy, the credit crunch, unemployment, and the negative attitudes of those around us.

By focusing on the circle of influence rather than the circle of concern, the influence circle becomes larger which necessarily restricts the growth of the circle of concern.  In other words, focus on positive thoughts and actions that grow your business.  Grow your network of business contacts, continue to learn about your craft, revamp and change your marketing strategy.  DO NOT focus on the bad economy or declining credit.  If you put your energy and effort into the positive aspects of your business, you'll be prepared and prosper when the economy turns around.  In the meantime, you'll learn how to grow in spite of a tough economic environment.