This economy has been tough but it also has woken up the hunger inside many companies. It was tough when every company was making a lot of money spitting out okay products and doing a decent job motivating their dealers to sell those products. Factories were popping up everywhere, millionaires were being created by the hour, more was better.
What I love now is that so many of those companies are back to their roots and focusing on great products and making money on purpose, not accidentally. Those companies are so exciting now, they're fun to be with and they are more functional than ever before.
That revolution has affected the largest and the smallest of companies to the point the arrogant, stodgy, fearful, and/or complacent company is now the odd one out. They stand out, they don't motivate and they look tired and old.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Battle of Perspective
If we don't sell more units, we'll shut down
If we don't keep this employee, they'll leave and we'll be hurt
If we don't land this account, it's over
These terms are completely unacceptable
My tests are in and they say my blood pressure and cholesterol are way too high
Most of the time we're caught up in our lives and everything feels like it's the end of the world. A lost project or cholesterol over 250, all seem to point to imminent doom.
That's why bad customers, employees, bosses, drug companies and other entities in our lives trump up those scary scenarios. We feed on them and we feel we need to do something right now. We're living in desperation making desperate decisions.
We need to fight the urge to knee-jerk. I remember over a decade ago, a large client of ours was threatening to go elsewhere and I felt like I was letting everyone down if it happened. A lot of pressure. After weeks of anxiety, I was at my home changing after work and it occurred to me that somehow we survived before we had that client and we would somehow survive after them. A wave of reassurance washed over me and I was able to see things clearly.
We saved the client for a little while, but eventually did lose them as they constantly tried to dumb down and cheapen the project to the point that it was no longer the exciting, dynamic relationship it had been. We moved on to better things and today most of our employees don't even know we worked with that company.
If everything seems like the end of the world, how will we know when we are really facing the end of the world?
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
If we don't keep this employee, they'll leave and we'll be hurt
If we don't land this account, it's over
These terms are completely unacceptable
My tests are in and they say my blood pressure and cholesterol are way too high
Most of the time we're caught up in our lives and everything feels like it's the end of the world. A lost project or cholesterol over 250, all seem to point to imminent doom.
That's why bad customers, employees, bosses, drug companies and other entities in our lives trump up those scary scenarios. We feed on them and we feel we need to do something right now. We're living in desperation making desperate decisions.
We need to fight the urge to knee-jerk. I remember over a decade ago, a large client of ours was threatening to go elsewhere and I felt like I was letting everyone down if it happened. A lot of pressure. After weeks of anxiety, I was at my home changing after work and it occurred to me that somehow we survived before we had that client and we would somehow survive after them. A wave of reassurance washed over me and I was able to see things clearly.
We saved the client for a little while, but eventually did lose them as they constantly tried to dumb down and cheapen the project to the point that it was no longer the exciting, dynamic relationship it had been. We moved on to better things and today most of our employees don't even know we worked with that company.
If everything seems like the end of the world, how will we know when we are really facing the end of the world?
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Costco Pizza
My buddy Dan is a luxury kind of guy. He has spent years in the luxury business. When I first met him he had a $3,000 suit on and it looked right.
Imagine my surprise when he offered to meet for dinner and said he'd bring the food--a Costco pizza. I thought he was joking. He was serious. "It's fantastic, you gotta try it."
He showed up with it and it was great. If Costco can offer up a pizza that tastes great, then what does that tell the pizza shops in that city? What does it tell any of us who have businesses?
If I'm a pizza shop (or any business), I better find a way to differentiate myself or I'll be bringing home Costco pizza to my family every night.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & beyond
www.labov.com
Imagine my surprise when he offered to meet for dinner and said he'd bring the food--a Costco pizza. I thought he was joking. He was serious. "It's fantastic, you gotta try it."
He showed up with it and it was great. If Costco can offer up a pizza that tastes great, then what does that tell the pizza shops in that city? What does it tell any of us who have businesses?
The bar keeps being raised. Real good is normal. Great can be found in many places. Extraordinary is still rare.
If I'm a pizza shop (or any business), I better find a way to differentiate myself or I'll be bringing home Costco pizza to my family every night.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & beyond
www.labov.com
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