For years now we have been told that the age of the buyer is approaching, when the reality is that it has been here for a while. It started in 1993 when the Internet became available for commercial traffic. It has taken us this long to start catching up.

Unless you have been in the North Pole for the past 20 or so years, you know that the Internet has changed every aspect of how we live. From how we work, meet our mates, and grow our businesses.   It's no longer buyer beware, it's seller beware. Transparency is not an option anymore. Everything is seen and heard. And so how we handle our mistakes is more important than ever.

Last week my associates and I announced a formal collaboration  with the aim of helping business grow with a holistic and integrated approach. We realized that it's not about inbound or outbound. We thought- it's allbound! 

Then I had a conversation with a startup software company's CEO who had trademarked the Allbound word for his technology. Even though we don't do the same thing, he didn't want us to use the name because it was his.  

And it made me realize- all this talk about being buyer focused, and we had made the same mistake! Inbound, outbound, allbound are all our phrases that we use to describe our process- not the buyer's. They are the ones in control, they are not "bound" to any process or methodology. They are unbound. We should be too.

And it wasn't just the Allbound that was the problem- associates is all about us too! Unlimited growth is what our buyers want. 

When we understood that it wasn't about us, or our process, we knew we had to change the name. Buyers make their own rules, they don't stay within the lines we draw in our sales and marketing processes. And so allbound became unbound. The mission hasn't changed, but our mindset has. We still work with people who want to be unbound by the limits of their own personal performance. 

How do you handle your mistakes? Do you own it? Accept it as a lesson, fix it and move on? Could you be so transparent and still show your face?

Or do you try to spin it into something it's not? Place blame on other people, circumstances, or technology?

What mistake have you learned from recently, and how did it change your perspective? Share your story in the comments.

Are you ready to start taking responsibility for your outcomes? Are you fed up enough to do whatever it takes to change your circumstance? Is good enough not enough, do you need to be the best? Contact us and start the conversation.