F… The Big Fish!
Let’s go fishing so I can tell you a story.
I was chatting with someone I mentor today who I’ve noticed is making slow progress in his business goals. I know this kid pretty good, and after a long conversation he said something that made me want to dropkick him down my phone.
Im not going to talk fishing, im going to talk business; so lets go fishing…
“Chasing Small Fish seems like a waste of time. Isn’t it better to go and chase The Big Fish?” My metaphorical fishing line almost snapped. Almost.
Now, I’ve been in business a long time and I’ve had all kinds of fishing trips. So, instead of allowing my line to get tangled: I took a slow breath, and took this man to (bait) school.
I’ve loved fishing my whole life. It went from recreation, to hobby, to competition, and to obsession. I rarely fish these days, but I still live alongside its principals in other areas of my life. Especially business. And even more than in business: teaching and mentoring about business. Which is why today’s phone call got me all tangled up.
But today im not going to talk fishing, im going to talk business; so lets go fishing…
I ask you a simple question; what attracts The Big Fish?
There are many answers, but for me, as with everything, it always comes down to foundations. To catch a big fish, I first needed to learn to catch a small fish. And before catching a small fish, I needed to learn to catch bait.
What attracts bait? Burley. The chopped-up, simple, inexpensive, uncomplicated- but essential and often under-rated- starter to the whole process.
It’s as simple as a piece of bread!
Not enough business owners are ‘burley-ing up the water’. They’re not concentrating the water with a medium that increases their chance of success.
I know that by ‘burley-ing up the water’, many fish will come. Some will stop by and fill their bellies, getting their feed knowing they have no intention of touching my hook. That’s OK. These fish now know where I am, and will likely bring other fish with them next time. I know that I cannot expect all fish to take my hook. Nor would I trap them there and force them to. And if I’m being honest: I don’t even want all of the fish to take my hook.
Businesses need to stop thinking of ways to ‘hook’ and charge people for every single service and minute of their time: people don’t like it, it pisses them off! It definitely pisses me off.
All of a sudden your burley tastes bad, your bait stinks, and the other fish will find out.
Just like the fish must learn about their environment, so must we in business. There is a lot to learn, and a lot that can go wrong if the environment is not respected.
While I am patiently catching my bait, I’m carefully learning all there is to know about my environment. I’m learning about the currents, how the wind impacts my position, what size hook works best for my target species and even how far down my hook needs to go to target the particular bait fish that I need: to eventually catch The Big Fish. Knowing about the environment arms me with knowledge, and knowledge is power.
You may have started to realise that these processes require time, patience, respect, and practice. Fuck me do they require practice. They also require you to acknowledge that you are only but one part of the big picture, and that you do indeed depend on The Small Fish, the bait, and the burley. There can be no fishing without it. Every time I go out fishing I think like a bait fish, and my bait-tank always ends up full.
Now, when I pull up my anchor to head to a new ‘fishing ground’, there’s a kick in my step and a sense of confidence. I understand the lay of the land, and I approach it with respect.
However, this doesn’t mean I will come home with dinner.
I may get my line snagged on the rocks and target the wrong entry point to the company. I may use the wrong knots on my line and break my rod. I may catch a Puffer Fish instead of a glorious Snapper: realising I have used the wrong marketing campaign. I may sit in my boat all day long: sunburned and thirsty with a gut full of gas and with no business uptake or conversions after multiple meetings. Realising at the end of the day that I have studied the wrong environment, listened to the wrong market, and have had my ass handed to me.
But none of this will be time wasted.
I will take a step back and re-look at my new environment. I will refocus my awareness about the new species, in all of the minute details. What is the influence of the tide? The cycle of the moon? Even the water temperature being off a degree or two has a massive influence. Should I have worn a tie to the meeting, or no suit at all? Should we have had our meeting in a boardroom, or over lunch? Should I dress with more colour, or more neutral? Did I use the right bait for the right fish?
So, with lots of practice, reflection, and respect for the process, you may find yourself hooking The Big Fish. Hell, you may find your freezer starts to be full of Big Fish, and you get a reputation for your fishing. People now approach you for your services. In other words, The Big Fish are now coming to you!
Now here is where it gets interesting. My mentee was simply content with chasing The Big Fish. Not me. I wanted to take his mind on an even bigger adventure. A bigger prize.
I wanted to take him game fishing…
Game fishing is a whole other sport. We’re talking tuna, marlin and sailfish. This is the top end of town. And it’s also where the business owner can forget where it all begins: and end up being the bait themselves! Because this is also where the sharks like to play.
Many people can manage to hook The Big Fish only to realise that their gear falls apart and unravels right before their eyes. Other times I’ve seen a Big Fish swim right up to the bait, swim beside the boat for a while, and then go on its way without taking a sample. This does not mean they are not interested; it just means that they’re not interested in that very moment. It may also mean they will swim away and tell the other fish about it, and they may take a bite tomorrow. Don’t forget that: The Big Fish also talk to The Little Fish, and the message can spread fast.
I played in the shark pond for many years when I knew no better.
What is important is that: when an opportunity arises and The Big Fish does decide to take your bait, you are more than ready. You have invested your time, your money, and your emotions, and you have travelled a long way: often alone, and in an exposed boat. When The Big Fish does come along, you want to be ready and able to catch it: hook, line, and sinker.
So before you get into that boat, you need to ask yourself: are your systems up to scratch? Is your team prepared to step up? Can you deliver on your promises? What follow-up processes do you have in place?
And take it from me and my past mistakes: do you know how to catch the fish and not kill it? Do you know how to tag and release The Big Fish, knowing it will swim away and be there for another time that you choose (and maybe even tell his colleagues about how well you treated him)?
Too often, people only see the prize, and relish the instant gratification. They forget how to care for the fish. They don’t treat it ethically, and cannot deliver on the values they promised and end up killing the fish, ‘just for fun’. They take the money and run, and do not fulfil their obligations to the client.
Do not be mistaken: The Other Fish will find out, and soon you will only be dealing with The Sharks. Opportunities will dry-up, and your environment will become polluted.
How do I know? Because I played in the shark pond for many years when I knew no better.
So there you see that business, actually life in general, is very much like fishing. The analogy is often used, but not followed in practice.
It’s the reason why my line got so tangled today, as I listened to the man I mentor. He had started to sound like a Shark. He had forgotten where it all starts, and about what feeds The Big Fish.
He had forgotten to respect the process, and I could see his fishing rod starting to bend at a dangerous angle: getting ready to snap. Just like I was getting ready to snap.
I also knew that he does not yet have the tools to fix a broken rod.
But he will. Soon. Right after we go fishing for some more bait. Learn some more about the tides, the moons, and get back to rowing the boat with oars: blisters-and-all.
He needs to remember that it’s working with the small ‘Mum-and-Dad’ businesses that teach you how to catch that lifetime mega-client. And once you learn how to catch big fish… well you know how it works.
It’s OK to get swept away by the seduction of The Shark every now and then: but only for a lesson and for a redirection. Look at The Shark too long and you’ll end up overboard.
So how do you catch The Big Fish?
Simple, with a slice of bread.
