It really never occurred to me how important it is to be referable. Yes, I always wanted to do the best I possibly could but I didn’t make the connection to being referable. Think about it. As business people we need referrals far more than we realize. To find work, to find customers, to find employees and to find financing – all of it might incorporate some aspect of needing a referral.
My thought process on this topic started several months ago. A successful businesswoman, who is a dear friend of mine, was telling me about her struggles with a service provider. The service provider does an excellent job – if she could only show up and actually stay as planned. She may be five minutes late, she may be an hour late. Usually there is a call explaining the latest crisis or forgotten appointment. Sometimes during the middle of working for her clients, she’ll have to leave for one issue or anothe. Though her work is fantastic, she is completely unreliable. It becomes a huge disruption for my friend’s own work. Not surprising, the service provider has problems with her income.
As we were discussing the service provider’s situation, we talked about her inability to manage her own business. It goes beyond her timeliness issue. There have been issues in the rates she charges and her communications with her customers. All around, she is a disaster. Now, my friend tells me, the service provider is thinking about giving up her business and working for someone else. Based on this woman’s past performance, how could my friend ever refer her for a job?
Simple, she can’t without jeopardizing her own reputation. The service provider didn’t make herself referable. How can you expect to be successful in the future if you didn’t make the most of your past opportunities?
As serendipity would have it, my husband asked what my next blog topic would be. I told him it was about being referable. He immediately knew exactly what I was talking about because the topic turns out to be a core principle of a very powerful leadership program, Strategic Coach. The program has four habits that revolve around referability: 1. Show up on time, 2. Do what you say, 3. Finish what you start, 4. Say please and thank you.
Wow, sounds simple, almost kindergarten. Yet Strategic Coach is designed for business owners and senior executives. The program’s own success can be attributed, in part, to referrals. If my friend’s service provider just followed those simple principles, she would have a very successful, referable business. Instead, she just has a mess.
The topic of this blog is more than words – it really needs to be a call of action. For all of us, I recommended that we look at a sample of our customers and see if these four principles have been applied consistently. If you work for a company and don’t have customer interaction apply these principles to your internal customers. Really try to look at the customer’s perspective – dare I say it – even ask them for feedback! Use this as an opportunity to ensure you are referable. It may hurt your pride to hear the truth but it can only serve to bring you more success.
For more information about Strategic Coach and the Referability Habits please visit: http://www.strategiccoach.com/info_request/webinar/?stage=4&cmpid=NurtureWebinar&sc_v1=infusionsoft
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Don't stop learning
Even though the graduation season is winding down, I really want to address the concept of life-long learning. I know it is one of those topics that make people groan. Yes, we are all busy. Yes, it is uncomfortable to admit that we don’t know everything. Yes, it is really important to continue to learn so we can achieve better business acumen.
When we first enter the workforce, there is freshness to our approach. There are challenges to be conquered and skills to be used! Years of school are behind us and now it’s time for action. Then we get settled into our careers. Various aspects of being in a business culture starts to wear down that freshness. Changes that we propose are met with “We have always done it this way” or “Why should we change what works.” Soon, we might even find ourselves saying those same horrible phrases to the next generation of professionals. The apathy sets in and the last thing we want to do is learn when in fact, it is exactly what we should be doing.
There is something to the adage “If you can’t beat them, join them.” New methodology or technology propels us forward as long as we are willing to make the effort to learn. Yet, so very often we don’t make that effort. Is it our pride that gets in our way? Or is it just that we are so busy we feel burdened by the effort. Whatever the case may be, the rationalization sets in.
It is really easy to rationalize why continual learning is unnecessary. Does this sound familiar? “I don’t need an MBA – I have years of business experience!” Except, there is so much outside of our little worlds that we can’t even imagine. In the MBA program that I was in, we studied organizational behavior topics, global issues and ethical case studies. I might have experienced these issues in my professional career, but I certainly didn’t understand them. The irony is that I would have been better prepared to handle some of those situations if I just had more information.
Finally, not all learning has to come from a degree. Pick up a book. Attend a seminar. Find a mentor. For that matter, become a mentor because learning goes both ways! Take the Dr. Oz approach and pass on what you learn to at least one person. It really is a key aspect of being a better businessperson.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
When we first enter the workforce, there is freshness to our approach. There are challenges to be conquered and skills to be used! Years of school are behind us and now it’s time for action. Then we get settled into our careers. Various aspects of being in a business culture starts to wear down that freshness. Changes that we propose are met with “We have always done it this way” or “Why should we change what works.” Soon, we might even find ourselves saying those same horrible phrases to the next generation of professionals. The apathy sets in and the last thing we want to do is learn when in fact, it is exactly what we should be doing.
There is something to the adage “If you can’t beat them, join them.” New methodology or technology propels us forward as long as we are willing to make the effort to learn. Yet, so very often we don’t make that effort. Is it our pride that gets in our way? Or is it just that we are so busy we feel burdened by the effort. Whatever the case may be, the rationalization sets in.
It is really easy to rationalize why continual learning is unnecessary. Does this sound familiar? “I don’t need an MBA – I have years of business experience!” Except, there is so much outside of our little worlds that we can’t even imagine. In the MBA program that I was in, we studied organizational behavior topics, global issues and ethical case studies. I might have experienced these issues in my professional career, but I certainly didn’t understand them. The irony is that I would have been better prepared to handle some of those situations if I just had more information.
Finally, not all learning has to come from a degree. Pick up a book. Attend a seminar. Find a mentor. For that matter, become a mentor because learning goes both ways! Take the Dr. Oz approach and pass on what you learn to at least one person. It really is a key aspect of being a better businessperson.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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