Quick notes to help you grow your business in less time with less effort. . . starting next week.
In this issue:
- Thoughts on Reading
- Being Human
- Random Stuff
Thoughts on Reading
- If you're reading a book that isn't resonating with you, put it away. There are so many new books published each year. There are dozens that will keep your attention. I give you permission to find one that works for you.
- Not sure which books will hold your attention? Ask friends. (and if your friends don't read books, ask who the biggest reader they know is and get a recommendation there.) And don't get hung up on genre. Try it out.
- Is your company broken? Are you broken? I'm guessing not. Don't assume the company or person you're dealing with is broken. Find out.
- Alternately, don't make the assumption that the company or person you're dealing has got their stuff together. We all have good days and bad days.
Being Human – Rainmaking
“Growth, in some curious way, I suspect, depends on being always in motion just a little bit, one way or another.” —Norman Mailer
People who can find business are more valuable than people who can deliver it. This must be true because there are fewer people wanting to be rainmakers than there are people who want to deliver the work.
Here's what to look for in rainmakers.
- They can build trust and aren't afraid to ask tough questions.
- The are intellectually curious and are conversant in "lots of stuff."
- They don't take rejection personally. Their ego is in check.
- They have the ability to frame issues fast.
Here's another thought on rainmaking: Anyone can do it. As a matter of fact, everyone on your team should do it to some degree.
Rainmaking is treated like a skill set possessed by very few. But, take a closer look at the short list above. Every one of those skills I think you should look for exist in everyone on your team to some degree or another. And we can get better at all of them.
For instance, trust ranges from "totally untrustworthy" on one side to "builds instant trust" on the other. Being intellectually curious ranges from "zero interest in new ideas" to "legendary polymath." etc. Have your people self-assess where they are in each area and put a plan in place for improvement.
Everybody can be a rainmaker. Make it easy for everyone on your team to find places to add value to your prospects.
Random Stuff
“The value is always in the eye of the beholder. What is worthless to one person may be very important to someone else.” – Peter Ackroyd
Last week one of our neighbors had a rocking horse on their front lawn with a sign on it saying, "free." It was one of those plastic horses held to the frame with springs. I had one like it, my kids had one like it, and I have no memory of getting rid of it. As far as I know, we may have given it to the neighbors.
There was something kind of sad about it. These neighbors are long retired, their kids are grown, and their grandkids are entering high school. The horse looked old, but well cared for. It survived years if not decades in a basement, or in storage, but on that day a decision was made. "You don't have to go to the dump, but you can't stay here."
My garage is filled with things like this. I say "like this," but the rocking horse had fun as its purpose. Mine are more like, someday I'll going to get to this, but not today. Another neighbor, on a different day, brought in a dumpster and filled it with what looked like the same kind of stuff. That course of action would be easier than what I have planned. I am planning to write up little stories about each object and putting it up for sale on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Like the Significant Objects project. They bought cheap objects, wrote stories about them, and sold them. The stories added value and they made thousands of dollars on items that cost about a dollar apiece.
I did it once with some old bicycle parts and ended up making more from the parts than my bike was worth. That led to a pen-pal relationship with one of the buyers who kept me up to date with the status of my item for years. The other time I did it, I ended up selling the item for more than it was selling on Amazon for. For weeks I lived in fear of that person coming back and demanding a refund.
You know, the more I think about it, a dumpster sounds nice.
