His Point of View

Below are a few lessons I have learned during my journey through life to date… I just thought I’d take a moment to share.

1. Figure out what works, improve on it… Repeat

2. Figure out what doesn’t work and decide to stop doing those things or decide to fix the problem(s)… Repeat.

3. Learn from the mistakes of others…Don’t believe anyone who says that you can’t learn from someone who has never “done it” or has never “been there”.  The smartest people avoid pitfalls by observing others, the not so smart people want to learn everything from personal experience.

4.  Help everybody you can…especially if you don’t see how you will benefit from your work.

5. Trust (within reason) and respect everyone until they give you a reason not to… Trust & respect should  not to be earned, after all who are you again???  When doing business (and in personal relationships) with new partners you are both bringing something to the table and you must trust & respect each other mutually, neither person is in a position to grant any more respect or trust than the other.  It is your duty to research your partners in advance such that you weed out unsavory characters.

6. Respect other people’s time… If you are late you are sending the signal that your time is more important than theirs.  Don’t be late.

7. Be a mentor… someone you help will undoubtedly help others your actions will not be forgotten.

8. Gain an understanding of points of disagreement from the view of the other party.  You don’t have to agree with them to see it from their point of view.

9. Admit when you are wrong.

10. Talk to everyone… Treat everyone as if they are your next big business contact, because one day you will be correct.I learned this lesson the easy way, one of my biggest retail sales was made to a gentleman dressed in dirty, torn clothes who other sales people ignored.  Also I can’t stress how important connections made while traveling can be.  I have made many excellent contacts in airports and on airplanes.  People in airports have money and resources available to them, or else they would be on the bus.  Pay attention to what people are reading… spark a discussion and see where it takes you.

11. Nobody wants your business card unless they ask for it… Your goal during conversation should be to make the other person realize that they need to connect with you.  If you are not asked for a card, ask for theirs, or get their contact info… but don’t offer your card unless they ask.

12.  Always have business cards, even if you are unemployed have some professional cards pressed.  Always have business cards on your person.

13.  Whatever your industry, attend a convention… There is a reason that every industry has at least one convention per year… go… be active … network …eventually, become a presenter.

14. Never negotiate if you are not willing to walk away from the deal.  A person who “has to have it” is more likely to make a less than stellar deal, because of their desperation.

15.  Unless you are doing research or an interview avoid asking questions for which you don’t know the answer.  In most situations questions are a tool to find out how much others know, and who’s side they are on.

16. Never lose your cool.  Never show anger, and avoid showing fear as much as possible when doing business.  The cool head will prevail most of the time.  Anger causes poor decisions, and showing fear will cause you to be taken advantage of more easily.  It’s only business, no matter what happens there is always another path to success.

17.  Remember names… do whatever it takes to remember names, repeat it silently, write it down, type it in your phone… do whatever you need to do to remember names.

18. Make yourself critical to the success of others… “Have you ever had people fighting over you?… It sure feels good” – one of my favorite lines from Driving Ms. Daisy… and its true.  If you don’t have people begging you to stay or asking you to return, then you need to increase your level of service. Get this balance right and you can name your price.  Don’t try to win business by having the lowest price, instead have the best quality.  If you have the best quality people will pay a premium for your service or goods.  I have never done anything at the lowest price, but I have never had a problem getting business… Too many people refuse to believe this works, and they shoot themselves in the foot by low balling.  They are hurting themselves and others in their profession by giving customers the perception that a quality service/product can be had at bottom basement prices.

19. Keep fresh (live or cut) flowers in your place of business, especially if you host customers or business associates in your workplace.  Beautiful things put people in a good mood.   Orchids make good live flowers as they bloom for an extended period.

20. Forward this to everyone you think can benefit from it… Re-Tweet it, Post it on FaceBook, vote for it on Reddit,  and follow me on twitter @hispointofview