Many people mistake entrepreneurs for risk-takers. And while they may take more risk than others, the successful ones tend to be excellent risk managers.
Here’s a quote by Jason Fried at 37 Signals back in 2003.
We’re not designers, or programmers, or information architects, or copywriters, or customer experience consultants, or whatever else people want to call themselves these days… Bottom line: We’re risk managers. Designers who sell “design,” programmers who sell “code,” information architects who sell “diagrams” are selling the wrong thing. The thing to sell is reduced risk for the client. That’s what people want.
Yes, people want growth in their business. If you’re in marketing, that’s what they will ask you for, too.
But more often than you might realize, people are hiring you to de-risk their situation. After all, fear of loss is a more powerful motivator than the desire for gain.
This year’s panemic has only amplified this fact, and it isn’t over yet.
So, whether you’re in marketing or any other field, the message you put out to your prospects might be as much about helping them not fail as it is to help them grow.
Because for entrepreneurs, growing and de-risking are two sides of the same coin.