A Distracted Mind is a Weak Mind

Six of the most powerful words I’ve ever read came from the brilliant mind of James Allen in 1909. When truly understood and implemented, these words can be the basis of endless financial prosperity in the residential HVAC industry.

Dispersion is weakness; concentration is power.

Over the course of my speaking, writing and coaching career I am often asked how I went from twenty-five years of prison, poverty and desperation to a life of wealth and prosperity. While there are a number of factors responsible for my financial transformation, those six simple words played a significant role.

As we dissect Allen’s word, you will uncover the secret to success in the residential services industry and beyond.

Dispersion is Weakness

Have you ever spent your day running from one crisis to the next, yet at the end of the day you feel as though you never really worked on the issues most important to your financial success? If so, you are a victim of dispersion.

You see, dispersed thinking is scatter-brained thinking. It is thinking that is vague and unclear—it has no purpose. It is thinking that is at the mercy of people and things around it. It is the product of no plan and no focus. It is the epitome of weakness.

Dispersed thinking is the hallmark of the ne’er-do-well. Show me a person struggling with their business or sales results, and I’ll show you a person afflicted with dispersion.

The business and sales strategies of the dispersed thinker are easily influenced by the newest idea or the latest craze, because there is no focus or commitment to core business and sales strategies. In the absence of focus and commitment, the dispersed thinker jumps from one sales and business strategy to the next. Hoping upon hope that “this time” the new idea will work.

In my mind, at this very moment, I hold the names of five persons who have collectively earned over $400,000,000 in the residential HVAC industry in the past few years. I have worked closely with each of them. And while each of their personalities are very different, they all have one thing in common: to a man (and a woman) they never get distracted by the latest craze. They execute the core business and sales strategies that have worked for decades in our industry. They do this because they stay focused and committed to what works. They never suffer from dispersion. They never suffer from weakness.

Concentration is Power

In his brilliance, James Allen gave us the problem and the solution in one sentence. For as destructive and disempowering as dispersion is, concentration is equally powerful and potent as a wealth creator.

We have all seen the power of concentration. Think back to when you were a kid and you harnessed and focused the sun’s energy with a magnifying glass. Even as a child you were able to harness the sun’s dispersed rays and multiply their power through concentration.

In business and sales, we define concentration as focus. We define dispersion as distractions. And the key to financial prosperity in the residential HVAC business is staying focused on core strategies and resisting the temptation of unlimited distractions.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was once asked about the secret to success. His response was as succinct as it was powerful. Jobs attributed his success to “focus and simplicity.” Success leaves clues, and Jobs left this one in plain sight.

In business, focus is about setting a budget and relentlessly driving towards that goal without getting distracted by fads and trendy ideas. “Stick with your knitting” as they say.

We’re in the third year of my latest venture in the residential HVAC industry. Late last year I sent my management team down to spend a few days with the incomparable Gary Elekes as he conducted his annual budgeting class for EGIA Contractor University. I told them to come back with a specific revenue goal for 2022.

They came back with a number of $10,000,000. Ambitious for our third year to be sure, but I have always told them to “Dream Big.” We have all stayed obsessively focused and committed to that goal, and halfway through the year we are right on target.

Would we have been as successful with a vague and dispersed idea? In a word, NO.

Concentration and focus are equally as important as a service technician or comfort advisor. We all have personal issues in our lives that run the risk of distracting us when we should be focused on our homeowners’ problems and solutions. When our mind is distracted (dispersion) our homeowner can sense that our attention is elsewhere and that will show up as poor results every time.

As a result, I always encourage our team (and the teams I coach) to check their focus prior to knocking on that door. If there is a problem distracting them, visualize setting that problem down in their vehicle before they walk up to the front door. Commit to focusing exclusively on the homeowner and the opportunity before them and watch the magic happen. After all, that problem will be right there waiting for them when they get back in their vehicle AFTER the service or sales call.

In the residential services business, our success is the product of concentration and focus. Dispersion and distractions fuel ambiguity and weakness. Focus and concentration fuel prosperity and success.

After twenty years in this business as a contractor and a speaker and coach, I am grateful that I learned a long time ago that dispersion is weakness; concentration is power. It has made me wealthy and successful, and it will do the same for you. If you’re ready to take the next step and deep-dive into mindset training that can help you solve the dispersion problem and help you build the business you’ve always imagined, visit MyContractorUniversity.com/CBS and unlock a multitude of training resources absolutely free with a 30-day trial—including video courses, downloadable guides and templates, and much more.

Weldon Long is a successful entrepreneur, residential HVAC sales expert and author of the NY Times Bestseller, The Power of Consistency and Consistency Selling. Today, Weldon Long is one of the nation's most powerful speakers and a driven motivator who teaches the Sales and Prosperity Mindset philosophies that catapulted him from desperation and poverty to a life wealth and prosperity. For more information visit www.WeldonLong.com.