Indecision – The greatest enemy of successful eCommerce
“Then indecision brings its own delays, And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days. Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I have been in this industry for nearly two decades now and I believe that I could tell a few stories about success and fall. There are many occurrences of both between endeavours of clients, employers, people I know and admittedly also some of my own. Looking back for a cause behind the imaginary scale leaning towards either side is somewhat simple if you don’t overdramatise the events leading up to the point of examination.
Indecision. Being able to make decisions is the most fundamental building block of the life of human beings ever since we have climbed down from the trees and started looking for a way to make our living out in the open. If our ancestors hadn’t been so adamant hunting their games on the great savanna, if they had threw their javelins in hesitation, now the human race would be extinct and might have given room to other species on the face of the earth.
What does this mean in nowadays running around society? Well, it simply forms one of the rules of life that made man successful for millenia, from Alexander the Great to the Henry Fords of the last few centuries. The rule is simple; “Make your decision promptly and change it slowly and rarely”.
This is all great and most successful people would probably agree with this, however, not everybody understands the core meaning of the words; it is not nearly enough to make a decision quickly, but one also has to understand that making one’s business choice is pretty much the same as standing before an intersection on the road. Turning left or right doesn’t only mean that one leads to one’s destination and the other is not, but it also means that after one went the wrong way the only way to get to the desired destination is by turning back! Wondering around will only delay success.
Obviously the shortest journey is by making all the right decisions, however, we know from experience, at least us who have managed to get lost at least once in our lives, that the likelihood of making a series of choices in such a way gets slimmer with the distance we travel. I’m sure that it also seems evident that the more one hesitates making these choices on the way, the more likely one is going to get lost once again, stretching the time of the journey towards the infinite. On the other hand making choices creatively and promptly will shorten the journey despite having a similar chance of losing one’s way.
In the title I have dedicated this post to eCommerce but I believe that it has a place in any business. Many leaders of great companies don’t spend enough time with research, they do not try to gain better understanding of the choices they are facing or rely on people with dangerously little knowledge, whom cannot comprehend the true potential or implications of the path they recommend. Many of these companies and/or individuals are like a lost missile, chasing after the target all over the sky until their fuel is exhausted and begin to fall into the ground.
I am not saying that Managers, MDs and CEOs can never make mistakes or listen to people that they shouldn’t have.
What I’m saying is:
- learn to read the signs
- listen to people you trust and if you DO trust them then trust their judgment too - if you can’t trust them, dismiss them and find others more trustworthy
- when your gut tells you to move forward, MOVE! do not make half decisions or trials, they only take time, resources and money
- the real trial and the judge of your decision is life – if you CAN get your customers’ opinions do that because it is the only thing that matters
- work with what you have and make the most of it before looking for a new solution - unless it is time for the new one in terms of finance and potential gain
- if you recognised your mistake, try not to make it again and eliminate the cause quickly
This is not remotely the end of the list but it is a start. Do not forget that we can think and able to foresee the consequences of our decisions if we make an effort. Try harder and life will be better!
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