You are unlikely to achieve maximum success on your own. You need people to like you and want to see you do well. When others like you, they can buy into your goal, and you get everyone pulling on the oars at the same time, the same way. Your results will be catapulted to success, because you will use the leverage of others. When others are bought into your goal, and like you, you can delegate to them, which allows you to work on other initiatives or new ideas. The ability to work on initiatives concurrently allows you to do so much more. My friends used to say that I threw 100 ideas at the wall, and only a few stuck, but they were humdingers. Having others helping you will free your mind to be more creative and teach you to be more collaborative.
But it’s not just about the leverage of people working for you; you need others to like you. If your banker really likes you, he’s more likely to loan your money. It’s almost a certainty that you won’t have enough of your own money to reach your goals; you need leverage. You need your attorney to like you so that he takes your call and does documents for you on a Saturday for a Monday last-second deadline.
The list goes on and on. You need a reputation for being fair, generous, transparent and honest, while being direct. People appreciate directness with some diplomacy. My old employees at the company I sold have told me many times they wish I was back there, because they always knew where they stood with me, versus the public company where they don’t feel as valued or as well informed. I always chuckle and remind them that they’ve forgotten how many times I changed commission plans or made new work rules they didn’t like.
And one other thing, you will struggle to reach financial success unless you stop being cheap. You should be a bootstrapping entrepreneur and be prudent with your money. But no one likes someone who is cheap. We’ve all got one of those friends who tries to get the last nickel out of every deal. Make sure that you always buy the Girl Scout cookies from the mom who works for you or make a donation to the kid’s softball team.
And I have a Ron’s rule 101 for those who believe I owe them money. If they say I owe them money, (perhaps I disagree because they didn’t do a job as agreed or they are just trying to rip me off by manipulating a misunderstanding), so long as it’s not a large sum (say, less than $10,000), I will pay. My rule is I would rather pay you what you say I owe you, and always be able to say you cheated me, than to ever have you be able to say I cheated you. If it is a dispute over a significant sum, we may to meet at the courthouse to resolve it. Most disputes, however, are about small amounts of money. I also am quick to point out, as I pay, that we will no longer be doing business, but I have paid you everything you said I owed.
Little things can haunt you, so take care of people, and they will be on your team forever.
Remember only you can make business great!
Ron Sturgeon, Mr. Mission Possible, has been a successful business owner for more than 35 years. As a small business consultant, he can deliver wisdom and advice gleaned from an enviable business career that started when he opened a VW repair business as a homeless 17-year-old and culminated in the sale of several businesses he built to Fortune 500 companies.
Ron has helped bankers, lawyers, insurance agents, restaurant owners, and body shop owners, as well as countless salvage yard owners to become more successful business people. He is an expert in helping small business owners set the right business strategies, implement pay-for- performance, and find new customers on the web.
As a consultant, Ron shares his expertise in strategic planning, capitalization, compensation, growing market share, and more in his signature plainspoken style, providing field-proven, and high-profit best practices well ahead of the business news curve. Ron is the author of nine books, including How to Salvage More Millions from Your Small Business.
To inquire about consulting or keynote speaking, contact Ron at 817-834-3625, ext. 232, rons@MrMissionPossible.com, 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117.