Sep 30, 2009
Saying no gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities.
Think about that. Everyone is asking for one thing or another. They ask nicely. Sometimes they ask over and over. Well y’all, sometimes you have to say no so you have time to say yes to the important things that come around. Think of how many things have come and gone simply because you couldn’t say NO to something you really didn’t want to do.
Sometimes you even say yes to things that would otherwise be ok, but the timing sucks out loud. Take this for example… I simply couldn’t say no to these eyes — could you?
(The signs of autumn are here. A little chill is accompanying the evening air in the burg — 52 degrees right now. Summer is fading. Blah.)
Sep 29, 2009
I’ve been talking about the big project — totally redoing my Grandmother’s house in the burg. I finally have a sneak peek right here! Are you ready?
Yes, a sink will go in the top of the counter — but that’s not done yet. And yes again, the cabinets will have hardware — that’s not done yet either. Still… it’s a pretty amazing transformation already, don’t you think?
Sep 28, 2009
I always dread for Monday to roll around, but sometimes I even dread good things. You probably do too…
Our office is very fortunate to be working with The Vandiver Group, a strategic communications company. Our good friend, Jason Jones, of Thomas Nelson (publishing company for Scott’s books), set-up the connection. How cool is it that we have this opportunity to learn more about social media/marketing/networking? Pretty darned awesome!
Tomorrow we have a conference call with all those involved to discuss the Vandiver Group’s recommendations — those things that we can implement to improve what we already have out there. That’s an extraordinarily good thing! I dread it. It means more work for me — I guarantee it. There’s simply no more room on Shelley’s plate for work, and Perry isn’t likely to have more free time than I do. Guess we’ll prioritize and do the best we can.
Do you ever find that you too dread good things?
Sep 27, 2009
Gracie is not on EST. Her DST (doggie sleep time) tells her that 8:00 AM is when you get up. No matter if you were up at 4:00 AM playing stooopid Farkle, she wants you up at 8:00 AM. Yes, even on Sunday. Heavy panting in my face is her alarm clock — I can’t stand to breathe used dog air. Of course I get up after trying 100 times to move her.
Libby could care less about time. She would stay in bed until afternoon if I did the same. She gets so excited when I ask her if “she’s ready for bed”, and doesn’t move until I do. She’s my buddy.
Sep 26, 2009
UPDATE:
So the following post is moot — guess the dude I fired wasn’t even a customer (or even a prospective one) in the first place. Check it out on Scott’s McKain Viewpoint — he posted on this same event. Looks like I let the dude walk on me for nothing.
My parents owned a hometown grocery store in the burg as I was growing up, so my brother and I were raised on the philosophy that “the customer is always right”. So that you understand, that’s really translated into “you need to permit the customer to believe he’s right”. It ain’t easy to make a living in a small town when your only business is that from repeat customers and word of mouth, so I became the master of ‘sucking it up’ at an early age at McKain’s Market. I smiled when I wanted to say, “you are an idiot”, and gave back change for a $20 to complaining customers when they only gave me $10. I made my Dad proud because that’s what he taught us to do.
So everyone loved my Dad it seems. But, they also took advantage of him over the years. Seriously, I still have the huge box of ‘I-OWE-YOUs’ that many of our good customers never seemed to deem important enough to pay. And as I’m growing older, I’ve noticed that my ‘suck up’ talent just isn’t what it used to be. While I agree with the basic concept I learned at such an early age, (Does it really matter if you’re right?), I’ve figured out it simply doesn’t apply every single time for every single transaction.
On Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM, a gentleman left a voice message on my corporate line. I stop taking calls at 5:00 PM. Hey, I need a life too, right? So the dude leaves a voice message asking for a favor from my boss (who happens to be my brother, Scott), and a return call — from me or him. My Thursday was scheduled full — yes, planned weeks in advance. So on Friday, the gentleman calls back at 8:30 AM, and since I start answering calls at 9:00 AM, his call again went to voice mail. So at 9:30 AM, I call him back, and attempt to help. He begins our conversation by telling me that because I didn’t get in touch with him quickly enough, it caused him to be “massively embarrassed”, because he couldn’t provide the favor he was asking for to his client. (Lesson #1 — don’t promise your clients anything where you must depend on the favor of another to deliver.)
I don’t know what Dallas McKain would’ve done if he were the one holding the phone at that time. I can tell you what I did… I sucked it up. I apologized. I attempted to offer a solution to no avail. I listened to the vile tone and accusations in reference to what he felt was an inadequate response time. Upon telling me he no longer needed the favor or a call-back, I could tell he thought that would wound me — like I would be devastated that he no longer needed our free help. I will admit my tone graduated from apologetic to defensive, but I did not stoop to being rude.
Once the conversation ended, I was done. Done as in — this dude is FIRED as a customer. He burnt a bridge that this firefighter couldn’t put out. (Don’t we all spend far too much time putting out fires that keep us from working on our business instead of just in it?) There comes a point that you have to give yourself permission to have a life, stop fighting all the fires that are started by others, and instead try starting a few of your own — like reigniting the passion for the things you love to do best.
