I have a prospective client who has been considering working with me…for seven years. Like many of my clients, it’s a multigenerational family business in an industry in which I’ve had a tremendous amount of success generating significant growth.

We’ve not yet worked together because the owner has not yet felt like it was the perfect time. There has always been a star not totally aligned — like one manager, out of several, who may not be completely ready for a change project. Interestingly, the owner, who I respect greatly and have an excellent relationship with, recently shared with me that he has wanted to do this revenue growth work for the entirety of this time.

Let’s assume that seven years ago, this was a $100 million company (it was significantly bigger). If we had started working together back then, and generated 20% sales growth annually directly from this work, which is on the low end of what my clients generate, this would be a $358 million business. That’s 3.5x growth.

This growth cannot be recaptured. It’s gone. We can grow going forward at any time, but we cannot travel back in time to generate the kind of sales increases that a system of organic, proactive selling would have generated all those years.

Here’s the thing — you will never feel like it’s the perfect time to start something new and important.

Because the perfect time does not exist.

You will never feel like the stars are totally aligned.

I have a client, also a large family business, who waited “just” three years to start working with me, who now talks about how happy the company is that they pulled the trigger when they did. “Take action before you’re totally ready, because that time is unlikely to come,” he now tells his staff.

If you wait for the perfect pitch before swinging, you’ll strike out looking and you’ll never swing the bat.

Don’t wait until the perfect moment to pick up the phone and call your customer.

Don’t wait until the perfect moment to ask for the referral.

Don’t wait until the perfect moment to take action.

Swing the bat.

You’ll never feel like it’s exactly the right time.

Something will always be happening that you can use as an excuse to not take action. Today, and years from now.

Reasons not to do something are not interesting.

It’s the doing — the action — that’s interesting. Because that’s what creates the impact, the energy, the excitement…and yes, the growth.

Personal, and financial.

If you wish to take action now, and discuss growing your organization by 15 to 30% annually, like my clients average, please reply to this email, or call me directly at 847-459-6322.