The Gilman Company Blog

What you have

Can you create an epic Academy Award winner with a point-and-shoot camera. Probably not, but if you're talented, patient and determined, you can probably create video that is compelling or at least interesting and you may be able to monetize it. If all you have is a point-and-shoot camera, you're first order shouldn't be to film an Academy Award winner.

Some of the most interesting stories I've heard about knowing what you have are the ones where someone starts trading something small and ends up with something big. Using Craigslist, a guy trades a paper clip for a ball point pen, trades the pen for an old baseball, the baseball for chair, etc. He trades, each time increasing the value of the trade and eventually, after hundreds of trades, he has something valuable enough to trade for a house. If this same guy goes down a residential street, finds a for sale sign and asks the owner if they would like to trade the house for a paperclip, he's not going to have any luck, but instead he thinks about how to leverage the paperclip first.

In business and life in general, it's important to understand what you can reasonably do with the resources you have. Talent, finance, geography, time...these are all considerations.

The idea of knowing what you have and proceeding accordingly isn't a dream killer. Instead, it's a practical dream activator.The fact that you only have a point-and-shoot camera doesn't mean you shouldn't focus on winning an Academy Award. That fact just tells you where to start and where not to start.

Ask a question.

What's your favorite movie anyway?

We all recognize the importance of building relationships in business. Ask anyone if a relationships are important in business and you'll get the same answer.

Four fun, real-life, business relationship scenarios:

1. Relationship
I'm in a small shoe store with my better half. A chain store. We were at the same store a month before. The salesmen asks her if she has worn those _____ (enter detailed description of the single pair of shoes she bought a month ago). This sales person sold another pair of shoes.

2. No relationship
I'm talking with a vendor who I have talked and exchanged emails with several times. He's telling me how great his software is, why it's better and why it's going to be more productive. The extent of his connection with me outside of this sales pitch is him calling me "Buddy." I told him I would call him back if we were interested.

3. Relationship
I'm talking with a marketing consultant about cause marketing. Very interesting stuff. He asks me what my favorite movie is.

4. No relationship
I receive form emails from a woman who wants me to attend her business networking mixer. I don't know her, I don't know anyone on her list. Sounds like a perfect event. She sends a desperate final email asking what she has to do to get people to RSVP for her mixer. I reply to her with the only four points that anyone with a list and an event needs to know to get people enrolled. She types back, "Thanks," and proceeds to send more email reminders. Not only was there no relationship created, but a networking opportunity was missed while attempting to put on a networking event. Heh.

Building a relationship with someone in business is easy. Just be the person who you are after work for a few minutes during work and you're good to go.

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What other problems do your customers have?

Isn't it frustrating? You product or service is great. It's going to solve a lot of problems, move your potential clients forward, make them more happy, improve their lives, save them tons of money, and no one can be more convincing or charming than you, but....

At least address the issues that are surrounding the problem that you're trying to solve for your clients, for your buyers.

How most offers work:

1. Here's the stuff
2. Here's why it's better than the stuff other people are selling and why you need it
3. Here's how much
4. Wanna buy?

Talk to your clients or customers about what they need, the unique problems they have and sort those issues out. Anyway, you're an expert in your industry, right?

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Can nice people really make it in business?

I've heard it more than once with small business owners. Can nice people really make it in business?

Just answering this question, I think, gives it more legitimacy than it deserves. Of course "nice people" can make it in business.

The real issue in this question is not whether nice people can make it. The real issue is that some business people have this feeling that being nice is some type of liability, that wanting to put other people first, to help other people as much as they can is something that business can't reward. Wrong.

First, it's important as a business person to accept and come to terms with the inherent qualities you have. Otherwise, you'll be frustrated all the time and that's no way to live.

You can apply certain relational strategies, but only within the scope of the fundamental qualities that are unique to you. In fact, you just might find that, as a business owner, your fundamental traits as an individual will be an important factor of your business model and that finding a positive connection there could mean the difference between business success and failure.

Be nice!

When managers run companies

If you've ever been caught scratching your head, wondering why your company is stuck, why it won't grow, why it can't take that next big step, it might be because you have a "manager" running your company.

Managers, generally, are masters of operations. They are critical to the success of any company. They do a great job of making sure the boat stays above water, that the doors get opened and closed every day and they're great at putting out small fires.

On the other hand, when a manager runs a company, you can't expect "officer" level benefits. Officers play a different role. CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, etc. These folks are not managers and they solve a different category of problems in a company.

In small companies, the challenge is often to wear both hats. Companies that make it to the heights of success have had at least one individual, at one time, that could wear both hats perfectly, who have perfected both rolls, a person who understands corporate structure, integrated business models, cohesive branding, etc., while they also understand day-to-day operations, are passionate about products, love to tinker, can manage people, lead small groups and put out small fires.

A company that is run by a manager will only get so far before it gets stuck. A company that is run by an officer type, without a manager or managers will get no where, because that company is not on the ground. If the objective of a company is to be as successful as it can be, regardless of what the titles might be, every successful company needs someone to fill each of these roles.

Ask a question or get a FREE Gilman consultation.

The First Time is the Hardest

 Some business firsts of notoriety.

1. You've decided to leverage social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or Squidoo to expand your online presence.

2. You're developing or expanding to a new product category for your business.

3. You're knocking on the door of an all-new associate or business partner.

5. You're going to establish a corporate blog.

6. Your going to make the leap to a start-up.

7. Or, God forbid, you're finally getting a website.

Whatever first it is, it goes without saying, that the first time is the hardest. You can expect whatever your doing for the first time in business to take more resources, things like your time, money and your resolve, just to name a few. What you don't want to think is something like this: "If this is what having a website is like, it's not worth the trouble." Or, "expanding my sporting goods line to include clothing is a bear of a project." Getting started is the hardest part.

Bonus tip: Plan your "first" strategically based on market conditions and your company's position. Also, understand that normal operations of your "first" will be much easier than getting it started was.

Get a Gilman consultation.

Stephen King, Sending Email and Heavenly Bliss

Stephen King has written that he believes Hell is repetition. Any guy that has the wherewithal and talent to sell a bazillion books has to be onto something, right?  What does that have to do with your business and sending email, you ask? It has to do with you becoming more productive, efficient and avoiding repetition Hell.

Repetition Hell
You type out several virtually identical emails a day or every week that are virtually identical in content. Essentially, you're responding in the same way to inquiries or you're reaching out with the same type of message/information.

Purgatory (You're Almost There)
Who doesn't deplore needless typing. It's a waste of your time, your life and your abilities to be exceptionally efficient and productive. So, you type a message template once, copy and paste when necessary and throw in an occasional and personalized nice-ity. Better than repetition Hell, but aren't you really wanting Heavenly Bliss?

Heavenly Bliss
Create a unique page on your website with an easy alias URL related to the type of information you're getting out. Now, your three or four paragraphs turns into a line or two of personalized greatness and a short and easy URL.

Get a Gilman consultation.

You are Not Your Customer

If you want to enhance the experience that your customers have when they do business with you, remember that "you" are not "they". What may appear to be the best solution to you may not be the best solution for your customer.

For example, if you like pastels and your in the business of selling sporting goods, the packaging for your boxing gloves product probably shouldn't be designed based on a pastel color scheme. You should be looking for a bold and strong color scheme.

If you like to get creative but your customers are very no nonsense, you should market to and communicate with them with that in mind.

Bonus tip: know your customers.

Get a Gilman consultation.

Take One For The Team: Premium Parking and Other Perks

As adjustments and cuts take place, perhaps even layoffs, it's important that executives and other leaders communicate to employees that they too are team players, that executives are just as vested in dealing with the downturn as the rank and file. Even a token sacrifice like premium parking, first class air or another seemingly extravagant perk, one that employees will recognize, will go a long way with morale. The goal should be to do what you can to avoid or mitigate negative chatter about perks.

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Delegate What You Hate

Your not good at it anyway and that's probably why you hate it. You'll save money, get it done right and save a few gray hairs on your head. Doing things that you don't like to do or that your not good at will affect your productivity and efficiency. A great leader will recognize who does what best and delegate accordingly.

A few things that people hate to do that they should delegate:

Write/edit

Calculate

Speak

Navigate

Sell

Deal with technology

Hire/direct people

Administrate

...

Get a Gilman consultation.