Do you have consistency in your life? In other words, do you have steadfast adherence to exercising or cooking, or to the way you approach your sales pipeline? More important, why should you care about having uniformity in these areas?

In a recent article, author and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur Eric V. Holtzclaw, states that consistency can mean the difference between failure and success.

This week, Promotional Consultant Today talks about consistency and its role in sales, branding and other areas of your business. In today's issue, we share Hotlzclaw's view on consistency in business.

1. Consistency allows for measurement. Until you have tried something new for a period of time and in a consistent manner, you can't decide if it works or not. Consider giving new initiatives, processes and organizational structures at least six months before judging them a success or failure. It's often minor tweaking instead of major overhauls that make the difference.

2. Consistency creates accountability. Do you hold others accountable for their deliverables and goals? They should expect the same in return from you as a leader. Put a priority on making time for and being available to the team. Work to establish consistent and recurring meetings when a project or aspect of the business requires attention. These consistent measures how to drive measurability.

3. Consistency establishes your reputation. Business growth requires a track record of success. You can't establish a track record if you are constantly shifting gears or trying new tactics. Many efforts fail before they get to the finish line, but not because the tactic was flawed or goals weren't clear but because the team simply didn't stay the course long enough to achieve the objective.

4. Consistency makes you relevant. Your employees and your customers need a predictable flow of information from you. All too often businesses will adopt a campaign or initiative only to end it before it gains traction.

5. Consistency maintains your message. Your team pays as much or more attention to what you do as to what you say. Consistency in your leadership serves as a model for how they will behave. If you treat a meeting as unimportant, don't be surprised if you find out that employees are doing the same when working with fellow teammates or even customers.

Source: Eric V. Holtzclaw is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, grown, and sold multiple companies, including one of the first profitable Internet enterprises. He is the author of Laddering and his weekday radio show, The Eric Holtzclaw Show, provides tips, tools, and expert advice on how entrepreneurs can build their best businesses.