Make Good Happen.
Okay…I’ll admit it, the headline may be a little over exaggerated. But you’ve been there before, right? You’re sitting in your home, minding your own business, when someone knocks on your door to sell you some random product? Or better yet, how many of you have been called by an automated robot trying to sell you some life insurance program?
It’s frustrating, right?
Let’s face it, we don’t like people to sell us stuff; especially stuff that we can’t use.
A recent situation reminded me of the old saying “you get what you pay for“. You see, when it comes to large-scale irrigation projects our landscaping company typically works exclusively with Powers Irrigation & Landscapes. Even if this means we make less money on the project, we almost always bring them on to help because we know that they will always deliver on what they promise. However, due to incredibly busy schedules we were recently forced to hire a different contractor to help us out with an irrigation project. Needless to say, the much cheaper contractor didn’t provide nearly the level of skill as our normal go-to contractor. In fact, the contractor didn’t provide much skill at all, mostly because he didn’t even show up. And while we eventually solved this particular challenge and finished up on time, the situation in general reminded me of why it is so important to surround yourself with great people. In addition to the obvious reasons, here are a few more that top the list in my opinion.
Ah, yes… Don Corleone and his classy business swagger; making moves and pulling strings behind the scenes. If you’re like most people on the planet, you probably enjoy The Godfather trilogy. Let’s consider for a moment, what we can learn from the Don Corleone school of business.
Lesson #1 from Vito Corleone; make them an offer they can’t refuse. Of course, I don’t mean threatening people or doing violent things to their horses; I’m talking about “win-win” offers. When approaching someone with a business proposal, always put yourself in their shoes. What is it that they want? How can you propose this deal so you both are happy with the outcome?
Nobody in their right mind enjoys conflict. However, in business, every now and then there comes along a business bully; an individual who thinks they can just push everyone around until they get their way. While each situation is unique and should ultimately be approached individually, here are a few things to keep in the back of your mind when dealing with conflict:
Often times, when I find myself in a heated situation, I like to remind myself of the proverb “kind words turn away wrath, but hard words stir up anger”. Sure, it’s not the easiest thing to do in the moment, but often times it’s worth the effort. 9 times out of 10 the situation calms down if you can remain cool and collected. Regardless, never lose your cool.