Before someone even asks “how’s biz,” you’ve already made up your mind about the answer. And somewhere in that answer is your worst location.
Or is it your dark horse?
The phrase came from horse racing. It’s a horse nobody could rate, because nobody had the information. The betting public couldn’t handicap it. It wasn’t slow. It was unknown. Dark, as in you can’t see it well enough to judge it.
The interesting thing is, so often the biggest critics are the ones who handicapped it — with a legacy of bad choices and bad information.
The same person sitting in judgment of the result is very often the author of the conditions. The higher you sit, the harder that is to see. From the top, a struggle always looks like a verdict on the people below — not the decision above.
The reason the bottom store is worth your full attention is math. Your top locations are near their ceiling — squeezing another point out of them is expensive and slow.
Your bottom performer is nothing but upside. The same fix returns more. And when you finally crack it — you’ve written the playbook for all of them.
That’s why I like the Bible story about the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that is lost.
Because being right doesn’t win. Being seen wins. Invisible loses to visible every time.
The dark horse wins because someone believed in it when no one else did.
Cheer,
Jerry
P.S. Every brand has a dark horse in it somewhere. Trakwell helps you spot yours and make it a winner.
Have a look: trakwell.ai
