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Are you seeing SHINEY PENNIES for your clients that don’t exist??
November is the time for dampness, rain, and SLUGS!
Our back garden is littered with the pesky things, and they come out at night hunting for food…
It never ceases to amaze me how high they climb during the night, in our case to the roof and unfortunately lower down… into our kitchen!
We have had one in the kitchen three nights running and frankly, Anny is not happy about it.
Apparently, they like coming through the airbricks (according to Google) and I have some new covers on the way from Amazon for my latest household chore. Whilst inspecting the airbrick next to the kitchen wall I inspected the nearby drain. Looking at our drain I expected to see a critter of some sort and sure enough down inside the drain I could clearly see a baby frog!
Now we like frogs, so I spent the next few minutes fixing up a net to help it jump into and thus not fall into the bottom of the drain. Equipped with what I needed I peered into the drains and guess what – it was a frog-shaped leaf!
I saw what I wanted to see a frog, not a leaf...
Many years ago, as a regional manager for a major corporation, I was with Godfrey, my then Vice President, and frankly, I was on a role. The business was flooding in, I was doing well, and I had become very good at spotting opportunities.
My mind was set on a particular type of opportunity as we met a potential new client. I led the conversation to my thoughts and quickly established the possible need for SHINY PENNIES!
BOOM what a star I was!
Yet two things happened. Firstly, Godfrey said (with a very experienced eye) that I was seeing what I wanted and not what the client actually needed, and secondly, he proved to be correct. It was a salutatory lesson I learned the hard way.
What’s the point, Peter?
Right now, all our family businesses are under extreme pressure, from cost increases, and staff shortages, to supply issues, etc and most of us are looking for new business opportunities.
Perhaps in our minds, we are clear about what WE want to sell to prospects and clients as they are our SHINY PENNIES and when we talk to them that’s what’s in our mind.
Frankly, it is irrelevant.
We need to be searching for what clients want to BUY to satisfy THEIR needs and then if we can, fulfill their needs or at least find a friend that can do it for them.
Stop looking for SHINEY PENNIES and spend more time looking to help people, it's simply good business sense…
… and remember that luckily, we have lots of friends in the Family Business Practice that can help if you can’t so do keep them in mind!
And perhaps me too?
Just sayin’…
Until the next time.
By the way:
I have introduced a simple tip of the week by request and this quarter it is on the most important of matters in business – TRUST.
Take note below and do look out for our new initiatives – you won’t be disappointed!
The Family Business Practice is a vibrant learning and development community full of great people and businesses who in many cases give their time and expertise to help others, PLUS do business together where appropriate!
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Go on you know you want to!
Until the next time…
Peter
Peter Roper The Family Business Man
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