Just Say No

Four days. Normally, that length of time is a mere blip on the radar of our busy lives, but when your spouse is out of town, the whole time-space continuum thing seems to change a bit, and the days get substantially longer. Last week, my wife dared leave our six children and me alone to fend for ourselves while she attended a conference in Orlando. While I should probably point out that “fend for ourselves” included having a detailed list of activities, prepared food and schedules to follow – not to mention a couple meals from my mother who lives a mile away – it was still a significant change in our daily routines. The stuff she is responsible for is hard, and I had plenty of my own stuff to do, too.

In fact, in the days just before she left, I did the unthinkable – I turned down two assignments from important clients who needed some writing done on very short notice. Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to accommodate their requests, but this time I knew in order to do so I would have to neglect my family responsibilities. In reality, I should always take on just what I can fit into a regular workweek, but that is difficult when you are piecing together your payroll every month.

But there is more to it than that. I hate saying no. I hate letting clients down. Even if they don’t see it that way, that is how it makes me feel. In addition to not making the money, saying no presents the danger of the client finding someone else to meet their need. What if the new person does a great job? What if the client likes them better? What if I am no longer considered the “go-to” guy?

All that went through my head just before I more thoughtfully considered what really mattered. Yes, my clients needed help, but one of the reasons I wanted to work for myself in the first place was so I could do it on my terms. I knew there would be rare times when I would have to choose family over work. And this was one of those times.

While my children could have survived a couple more hours without me, I didn’t want them to. And although I could have used the extra money, I will be OK without it (I think). I realize that I am not breaking new ground with the “priorities” discussion, but sometimes it takes a real-life, real-time decision to put it to the test.

My wife came home (always a good sign) and things are back to normal. I just want to make sure that from now on, “normal” means I am home when I need to be -- even if that means giving up a job here and there.

Car Buying Part II

Last week, I shared that I was looking for a car for my 17-year-old daughter. And although we were scared off the bargain lots by a discontented former customer, our search remained on track. In fact, last Friday we found a great car through the Democrat (yes, the old-fashioned way) and bought it on Saturday.

The car is an older Honda Accord with a significant number of miles on it – but the seller was the original owner, she took great care of it, and it runs like a champ. Truthfully, I am a little jealous, because while my wife and family have a pretty sweet ride, I am stuck making the two-mile trek to work each day in the ’97 minivan. I guess it says something good that my daughter has a cooler car than me – at least that is what I keep telling myself.

What made the process particularly stressful for me is that I know very little about cars, and I would never buy a used car north of 100,000 miles without someone telling me it was OK. I needed someone with experience and knowledge to check it out, look for things I don’t know exist and give me a fair and truthful assessment of the situation.

I was willing to pay for such advice, and I did. It was worth every penny. I got a glowing report and bought the car with a confidence that I would not have had on my own.

What do we do to give our customers that same sense of confidence in what we offer? Do we consistently provide wise counsel? Do we go beyond even what they are asking to help ensure their success? Do we know their situation well enough to anticipate questions and be ready with good answers?

Building trust to the point that our customers don’t want to make a move without checking with us first is a beautiful thing. That kind of relationship builds loyalty that creates an excitement that is hard to contain.

Want to get your customers talking about you? Make yourself invaluable to them. Do the little things to remind them that making a decision on their own is just not worth the risk.

The Value of Reputation

Last week, I took my 17-year-old daughter shopping for a car. And because the life of a writer/e-mail newsletter creator/blogger is reasonably modest (at least all the ones I know), we were forced to bypass the dealerships with the lighted signs and fancy showrooms and head for the trailer offices, dirt lots and windshields with phrases scrawled on them like "Low Mileage" and "AC Works" in yellow wax.

I was led to one particular lot on West Tennessee Street through an Internet search and quickly found myself inside a car that was not at all what the 18 online photos had led me to believe it was. After a disturbing test drive, we returned the car and began to look around for a hidden gem amongst the clunkers. As we were searching, out of nowhere we hear someone yell to us from a car whizzing by. It was a middle-aged woman yelling something like, "Don't buy a car from there." I looked at my daughter and father-in-law (who was in town visiting) and asked, "What did she just say?"

Within seconds, the passionate consumer advocate had done a U-turn and came back around for a more personal interaction. She proceeded to share her unfortunate experience with this dealer and warned us not to trust anything we were being told. Although I was sure we were not going to find the right car there before she dropped by, she motivated me to get to my car just a little more quickly.

Reputation is an important thing, and it certainly doesn't take much to ruin it. We can do everything right for a really long time and then make one mistake that deals a significant blow to our public perception. The kind of error that hurts is not the honest mistake but rather the intentionally poor or neglectful treatment of a customer. I am going to assume that none of us would knowingly lie to a client, but allowing something bad to happen to someone who has entrusted us is a tough situation to explain away.

Again, I doubt it would ever be intentional, but being lazy or inattentive for even a short amount of time can result in damage to that business relationship and cause your reputation to take a hit.

As my good friend Jay Colle likes to say, Tallahassee is the world's biggest high school, because someone you know will know someone who knows you. Your reputation is especially important here, so protect it with everything you’ve got.

By the way, we are still looking for a car.

Revealing Circumstances

Someone told me many years ago that the best way to determine a person’s character is not to watch how they act, but rather how they react. How do they respond when things don’t go their way, when they are jolted by the unforeseen or are simply treated poorly by someone else?

How many times has someone surprised you with a snippy comment that seemed out of line? How many times have you surprised yourself?

What does this have to do with business? Everything. Because our character as a business owner or manager is the single-most important factor in the long-term success of our company (in addition to details such as having a viable product, a receptive market, and a solid business plan). Who we are sets the tone for everything that happens under our watch – whether we acknowledge it or not.

Even if we say all the right things and outwardly do all the right things most of the time, how we react in a time of crisis or when a client is unfair or a vendor lets us down will ultimately reveal itself for all to see. And it is not about losing your temper, it is about responding in a way that is consistent with how you conduct yourself no matter the circumstances.

So what’s the best insurance against a public character meltdown? While I certainly have had my share of regrettable reactions, I find that doing my best to make the same decisions whether anyone is watching or not certainly helps. If I work to consistently make ethical, stand-up decisions that steer clear of gray areas and long explanations, then I am less likely to be caught off guard. It is like the familiar sports mantra that you only play as well as you practice. It applies to business as well.

Speaking of sports and character, I really want to encourage you to watch the following clip from ESPN. It tells the moving story of two college softball players who demonstrated exceptional character in coming to the aid of an opposing player – just because it was the right thing to do.

It makes me hope that I would have done the same.

Check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo&feature=related