Unless The Only Option Closes, Other Options Won't Open Up

I am looking for ways to increase my sales, but I am not finding many ways. How many time it has happened that though we are looking for something, we are not able to find many solutions and it is often the only one or two options that we can come up with. Our mind is clouded by the different obstacles and we are not able to find the opportunities. Unless the clouds are cleared, we won't be able to find the opportunities. You might have read my earlier blog on perspective. How one salesman does not see any business for shoes in the village where no one wears shoes and how the other salesman sees 100 % opportunity for business as no one has shoes. The thing is the same, only the other salesman has cleared his clouds to see the opportunity. 

I want to share one experience of mine. Often my hair raise when I share this experience as this was one valuable lesson we learnt in our earlier stage of business. When we started our business, we were new and we did not have much exposure. The project was conceptualized when economy was great and when the project realized, everything had turned upside down. The American banks were in the dumps and the economy was shaken. No banks were willing to fund new projects and they were guarded against giving loans. Ultimately a stage came when we are short of funds and there were sure death signs for a business. Unless there are funds for raw material, you cannot make products & sale and ultimately your business will close. We had only one hope. We went to our biggest investor and narrated them how there was business but no money. Once / twice they did help out, but next time when we went, we were very clearly told by our investor / mentor. He was a successful business man and it was not that he could not help us. But he told us clearly that if I help you, you won't find another way. I won't help you and I am sure you will find your way to steer clear of the difficulties. 

And truly after that moment, we did not go to him. And we are still up and running nicely. IT is from experience that I learnt that unless the only option closes (because till that time we think that it is the only option), the other options won't open up.