DOTC: Barter Again!

Some time ago, I recommended that you consider using barter in your business.

I have several friends in small business doing this a lot, for both business and personal services and products.  In fact, I do this myself (for bookkeeping services, as I would rather chew on aluminum foil than do my books, thank you).

As you probably know, the big boys do this too.

Take Chrysler.

Recently, Chrysler was able to barter for a spokesman for their new Dodge Durango SUV.  And they got a big one:  Will Ferrell, in character as Ron Burgundy, for his upcoming movie, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues".  Here's one of my favorites:

Chrysler gets a free (and memorable) pitchman for their ads, and Paramount Pictures gets free promotion for their movie release.  Win-win for all concerned.

Learn more about this here:

http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/10/will_ferrell_dodge_ads_anchorman_ron_burgundy.html

You stay classy, San Diego.

The Fear of Hope

Since 1991, I've been a huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.

If you follow the National Football League, then you know that the Chiefs have been pretty bad for quite some time now.  In fact, they lost 14 out of 16 games last year.

Even in good years, the Chiefs are somewhat of a joke, having failed to get past the first round of the playoffs since 1993 (that means we are 0-6 in the playoffs in twenty years).

Oh yes, I'm bringing it, buckaroo.

This year (as of this writing), the Chiefs are undefeated in five games. In fact, it's an unprecedented turnaround and Sundays are definitely more fun when your team is winning!

I expect, however, that my team will collapse back into mediocrity yet again, or, horrors, they will make the playoffs and get beat in the first game again. As usual.

History would suggest I would be wise to expect the worst - after all, in twenty-two years, that's what I've ultimately gotten, right?  Disappointment after disappointment.

Well, the thing is - this is a different team, a different year, and the circumstances are different.  Logically, it would be silly for me to think that the prior two decades has anything to do with this year's team.

But I just can't totally give in to the hope JUST yet. Because of the history, because of the pain of hopes getting dashed again.

Are you running your business this way?

Are you letting history override your good judgement and optimism for the future?  Things constantly change and are always in flux, so history, while an indicator, is not always the best way to guide your business.  Just because something worked (or failed) in the past, isn't always a fair indicator of how it might do in the future.

Sometimes you don't have the right people or plan in place to make a great idea work.

If you've had a lot of struggles in your business and have experienced a lot of failure, you might be tempted to just give it up as a lost cause.  I certainly have, as a Chiefs fan.  I remember how horrible it was last year, how embarrassing, and I felt like giving up my beloved team and latching on to another team that might have a modicum of hope of success.

Here's the thing - if  I'd quit my fandom last year, after the worst year in franchise history, I wouldn't be witnessing the greatest comeback in NFL history this year.  The experience I've had, as a fan this year, is unprecedented and joyful.  If I'd quit, I'd have missed this amazing experience.

What will you miss out on, if you allow the past to force you to quit?

Leads to Nowhere

I'm a pretty active networker.

I try very hard to practice the principle of taking care of people I network with (assuming they will take care of me).  Part of that is that I try very hard to find good leads for the people I network with.

Note:  GOOD leads.

Sometimes that means that there is a person I network with that hasn't gotten a lead from me yet.  It's not that I'm not trying, I just haven't found a "hot" lead I think is worth his or her time.

Take my friend Eric Spawn.  Eric owns The Spawn Group, which does home remodeling and roofing.  I've known Eric for about a year and a half, and I like him a lot.

In the time I've known him, I've given Eric one lead.

One.

That lead didn't even lead to a job.  But I recommended Eric to someone I care a lot about, and I recommend him to you, too.  Remember, I take recommendations very seriously.

I am constantly looking for ways to get Eric a referral.  But I won't give him "leads" that aren't going to help him.  I like and respect him too much to waste his time.  I want to be sure that Eric has a good chance to turn a lead into business.

I'm pretty sure there's a good lead in here somewhere.

Sometimes, especially if you are in a leads referral group and are trying to "lock in" membership that requires leads to become a member, you grasp at straws, trying to think of ANY name to provide as a lead.

While usually this is well intentioned, what happens is that the person given the lead tries to develop it, and it turns out, the referral isn't really ready or willing to engage in business.  So it's basically a dead end.

So before you provide a lead, consider whether there is a reasonable chance that it will develop, or is it just a shot in the dark guess that it might work out.  If the latter - hold off, investigate it a little more yourself, and if you have a good feeling that it will turn into business, facilitate the introduction yourself.

Your referral partners will appreciate it - and do the same for you.

What do you think?  I'd love to hear from you!

Do You Even Rec, Bro?

Recently, a couple of very nice people sent me a mass message on LinkedIn asking me to provide a professional rating on some site they want to use.   It's basically for a site hosting an 'online business card' with ratings and such.

I'm not going to do that.

Of the two, one is a person I have some direct interaction with (i.e., I see them a couple of times a month or so at small business functions), and the other, not so much.

I have never done business with either of these people, and I don't know either well on a personal level.

No.  No I will not.

So to recommend or rate them (positively or negatively) would be disingenuous.

Or to put it more bluntly - it'd be a lie.

You see, when you recommend somebody, you are putting your own reputation on the line.

This is the same basic reason why, in leads referral groups, it can take some time to start seeing leads come your way (qualified leads, anyway). When a group member recommends you to a friend or customer, your performance reflects upon them, too.

And before you do that, you have to make sure that the person you're recommending is up to snuff and worthy of risking your own reputation.

This also applies to recommendations on web sites or in social media (especially LinkedIn).  I won't recommend anybody I don't know well, or I haven't worked with directly.

I want my recommendation to mean something.

So, do you even rec, bro?  If so - make sure it counts.