Victim or Opportunist? Surviving the Winds of Change

Susan Clements

Executive Director, E-Myth Benchmark

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”

 – W. Edwards Denning

With little exception most of us prefer change to come from us as opposed to at us. Lately, however, much of the change we encounter is, in fact, coming at us. The unrelenting, often blistering winds of change continue to batter businesses throughout the globe. Within every industry the gusts are blowing with varying degrees of severity, and all businesses are experiencing a change in their environments.

When it comes to change, there is a distinct difference between business professionals that simply survive and those that not only survive, but also thrive. That difference is in their point of view. One point of view is that of victim, while the other is opportunist. Which one are you?

In the financial services industry, victims of change are easy to spot. They’re the ones gripping tightly onto what they know––white-knuckled from holding fiercely onto what has worked for them in the past, digging their heels into familiar ground, and refusing to see the opportunity riding the winds of change. The opportunist is a very different animal and reminds me of my favorite pet––a yellow Labrador Retriever, definitely one of the more positive breeds of animal on the face of the earth. The opportunist holds his head high, nose into the wind and eyes squinting, while gleefully sniffing for change as he peers around to see what the wind is bringing his way. 

While the victim is busy bemoaning the decline in business, the number of clients he is losing, the way the industry is changing, and how he should have been protected, the opportunist is discovering things about his clients he never knew.  He uses that information as a way to connect clients to their dreams and works with them to create new strategies for their financial future. If the opportunists really have their noses to the wind they are also picking up the clients walking out the back door of the victims. Which one would you rather be?

During times of change it is important to know what to keep and what to let go of. Certain business practices, styles of communications, and marketing tools that may have worked for you in the past need to be abandoned in order to move forward and take advantage of opportunities that occur as the result of change. It may be wise to loosen your grip on business strategies that you are familiar with and embrace new strategies and actions that will enable you to find opportunity amidst change. Stop reminiscing about the “good old days” and move forward.

This is the time to get out of the office and hit the street to see what your clients and competition are thinking about, and reacting to. It’s the perfect time to invest in yourself through additional training, reading, or relationships that expand your knowledge and awareness of doing business. If you have not embraced technology and social networking, now is the perfect time to get started. Focus on leveraging your way to new client relationships through volunteering to speak to local community groups or providing expertise to local news stations, radio stations, and newspapers. Don’t forget to use your product wholesalers as a source for newsworthy information or presentations that provide valuable information.  

Be sure the winds of change don’t severely damage your business by using tools that foster client relationships, connecting your clients more closely to their personal goals, and enabling your clients to experience the value of having a clear financial strategy. It is during these times that clients rely on trusted advisor relationships to explore the best possible strategies to meet their personal goals. Clients want advisors who are opportunists, not victims.

Now or never is the time to let go of what is comfortable, raise your sail, and ride those winds of change into opportunity!

Note:This is the fifth in an occasional series of articles about change. Susan’s earlier articles in the series can be viewed at:

Stop Blaming - Start Changing

Leveraging Change

Building Trust in the Winds of Change

Is Change Your Game?

Susan Clements is Executive Director and co-owner of E-Myth Benchmark, a business coaching company serving businesses in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and the UK.  As a business coach Susan has steered client businesses through growth initiatives, sales and marketing strategies, management restructuring, personnel issues, customer service challenges, and action plans for growth and change. Leveraging a personal and professional experience platform of business ownership and management of businesses in both the private and public sector, Susan has designed a revolutionary coach training and delivery system that tools E-Myth Benchmark coaches to actively engage in results based coaching with business owners, leaders and managers leading to greater freedom and flexibility.  E-Myth Benchmark provides E-Myth Mastery Impact™ business coaching, business management and leadership workshops, trainings and seminars.  Contact Susan at www.e-mythcoaching.com or sclements@e-mythcoaching.com.