Glitter, goals and getting ahead in business
Here’s some advice for entrepreneurs that you probably won’t read in the Harvard Business Review. You have to know when to hit yourself on the head with a rolled-up newspaper.
More of that later. But first, here’s what people said when I asked them for their best business tips.
Have a big hairy goal and beware of glitter
“Futerra, the sustainability communications company, advocate having a Big Hairy Audacious Goal goal’ in their Santa Sustainability Report,” says Jenny Searle of Jenny Searle Associates. “I love this idea, and their Rules of the Game are well worth a read too.”
Jenny also mentions the perils of being distracted by shiny things. “When I was at college Graham Clarke, the etcher and engraver, told me to ‘reject 90% of what comes your way in life’. In today’s multi-information world this sounds a bit unfeasible, but I think he was right. It’s easy to lap up too much and drown with a gurgle as your hand reaches up trying to click on another link….or even back in the 80s to be influenced by too many glittery things at the expense of the one pure goal.”
Know when to go… and stop
“Generally, I’d say ‘You reap what you sow’ and ‘If at first you don’t succeed…’”, says Fred Rutter of Spring Communications. “But on indecisive afternoons, I follow Mark McCormack’s advice – ‘If in doubt, delay!’”
A positive attitude draws in new business
“With 25 years of working for clients in the management education and consultancy sector, I’ve read more business advice than any entrepreneur has the right to receive,” says Victoria Jebens of Jebens Design.
The two best bits of advice she’s received are:
- Don’t fret about starting a new business in a recession – it’s often a great time to start.
- Don’t be afraid to expand. For a micro business, taking on those first one or two extra team members seems like a huge step, but you won’t regret it.
And the advice she’d give is:
- Success breeds success – it’s remarkable how much new business a positive attitude brings in.
- Always give your clients solutions not problems. Don’t explain to a client why something won’t work – give them something that will.
Be useful and know your value
The first, succinct piece of advice from Andrew Waller of Remit Consulting is: “Be useful.”
His second piece of advice could be summarised as ‘Know the value of your experience’.
Andrew tells the story: “A man retires from a factory where for many years he has looked after the big machine that runs the production line. After a few months the machine stops working and, having exhausted all other avenues, his old boss rings him to ask if he would care to do some consultancy to fix it. He looks at the machine for 10 minutes, scratches his head, walks around again and then carefully places a cross on the machine with a marker pen. ‘Look there – that’ll be the problem.’ Sure enough, they find the problem in that precise spot and fix it; and the factory returns to making money again. Then his bill arrives and his old boss rings him up in a lather. ‘What’s this bill for £10,000? All you did was walk around and mark a cross on the machine – the least you can do is give us a breakdown of the costs.’ The man obliges with a revised invoice – ‘For marking the machine with a cross: £10. For knowing where to put it: £9,990.’”
Read the ‘E-Myth’ book
For Madelyn Postman of Grain Creative, the best business tip she’s ever received was to read ‘The E-Myth Revisited – Why most small businesses don’t work and what to do about it’ by Michael E Gerber. “This led to me signing up for a year of coaching from them – a real game-changer,” says Madelyn.
Buy time in presentations
Mark Johnson, the manwith3heads, shares this advice about presentations.“The ideal is to get beyond any sense of acting and performing. Just be yourself. My aim is to try to talk to people as if it were a relaxed conversation rather than a presentation.”
But what if you get that heart-stopping moment when your mouth dries up and you completely forget the subject or why you’re even there?
“If you’re in doubt – as in, it’s not going well in your head – read the slide out slowly,” says Mark. “Then ask: ‘Has anyone got any questions or comments?’ It will calm you down and buy you some time.”
Don’t wait for opportunity to knock
Helen Fisher of Fisher Consulting advises: “You don’t get new work by staying in the office. Get out and about.”
Slam a newspaper on a table
And finally, the newspaper tactic. This comes from Choiyen Leung, who draws on many years’ experience of working in London design firms. “My tip comes from someone I used to work with – Simon Carter. Immediately before making a difficult business call, he recommended getting a rolled up newspaper, slamming it on the table three times in quick succession, then doing the same to your head even harder. Then call your client. I don’t know if it worked, but I liked doing it!”
Watch your eyes
The last word comes from Simon Carter of One Three Four Ltd. “When you’re slapping a newspaper against your head, mind you don’t poke yourself in the eye. It’s hard to concentrate on a client phone call through a veil of tears.”
Fiona Thompson, Wordspring
www.wordspring.co.uk