Most companies don’t share bad news early (or at all) because they think it will soften the blow. Really, it just pisses people off. Your customers get blindsided. That’s why we share bad news IMMEDIATELY: because it makes people Grateful, not Mad.
If you have a negative experience with a company, you find them online to leave a negative review.
And maybe you should.
But how quick are you to contact companies when something goes RIGHT?
I give positive feedback as quickly as I’d give negative feedback.
Will you make the necessary sacrifices for success?
If society wants to shame your sacrifices for success, remember:
Whether you’re President of the United States, President of a business, or the lowest paid person in a company, there is no success without sacrifice.
You’re growing fast, and you can’t hire fast enough. But you also can’t find the right people. That’s painful.
But it’s not nearly as painful as hiring the wrong person because they were the best you could find at the time.
Are you hiring the Best or the Best Available?
Not everyone is going to like you. Most people don’t learn this lesson until they’re in high school, college, or God forbid your first career.
The sooner you accept that, the more successful you’ll be.
Are you willing to accept that not everyone likes you?
Many startups think because they use cool hiring management funnels and fancy personality tests that their hiring process is dialed in.
More likely, you’ve made it too complicated.
All the cool processes and funnels only serve you if you get the fundamentals right.
It’s challenging being surrounded by people who are smarter than you. That’s the goal.
If you want people to blindly sing your praises, that’s great. This isn’t for you.
But if you want to grow a company that’s bigger than you, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
ALWAYS negotiate over the phone, not email.
On a call, you can convey emotion.
Over email, you only have words on a screen—you rely on chance.
If your opponent expects a game of chance like Candy Land and you’re ready for chess, who wins?
Here’s how to play chess in negotiations:
“Are you sure?” and “Why?” are the two most underused questions in business.
Asking these questions forces people to confront their assumptions and explain their reasoning.
If you use them more often, you can prepare people to question their own thinking—including their uncertainties.
If you only sold products, it wouldn’t matter how good your relationships are.
All that would matter are the products you sell them.
But your client’s experience with you matters just as much as your products, and those positive experiences wouldn’t be possible without the relationships you build.