At any moment in time you’re either playing offense or defense in your practice. You’re either pursuing the goal – marketing to grow your business, forging new relationships, adding a new service or product – or you’re protecting what you have by watching your costs, retaining clients and running a tight ship.

Doing one of these things exceptionally well will get you by. You can pay little attention to the cost of running your practice, for example, but attract crazy numbers of clients and still survive. You can do very little marketing and grow slowly, but still get by if you’re really careful with your costs and retention.

The problem is that getting by is draining, both physically and emotionally.

Unlike good practices, great practices are doing both very well. They’re looking outside and inside. Running a tight ship, but always looking to the horizon, too. Better yet, they’re doing things that are offense and defense at the same time –  things that attract and retain, like providing exceptional service, or finding a way to offer something different from other practitioners.

Defense protects where you are. Offense takes you somewhere new. Which do you need the most right now?