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By Casey Grey
Blog |
How do you explain the unexplainable?
You don't (and I don't bother trying). You experience it. Crystal Bowl Meditations are one of those unexplainable things you need to experience. My appreciation for artists and their work is growing.
Imagine putting something out there in the world that is going to be loved by few, misinterpreted by others, critiqued by many and ignored by most. Come to think about it... Isn't that just life? What if you approached every conversation as if you were interviewing for a show?
How would your questions change? How would your focus change? How would your thinking change? Would you be more curious? Would you be more engaged? Would you become a better conversationalist? I've been with my wife for almost 15 years and interviewing her for The Conscious Builder Show was like learning for the first time. I had a frustrating conversation with my personal bank last night.
I had written a cheque to myself from my business (different bank) and deposited into my personal account through my phone last Friday. The same day I deposited the cheque, the money was removed from my business account. I figured, "Great! That hold that's showing on the personal side should be lifted quickly." I was wrong... By last night, the hold on the cheque was still showing so I called the bank. The first person I spoke with could not help me. The second person I spoke with said some very interesting comments. "Sorry sir. I can't do anything. The cheque will be held for up to 5 business days. It's company policy." I underlined the words in those sentences that stand out to me. First of all, he could do something but he was choosing not to. The money was already in the bank's possession as it was released from my business bank. When I dug into why he could not do this, I realized that he was really just protecting himself from potentially getting in trouble if the cheque were to bounce. He also said that "this policy is in place to protect you and the bank." How does this protect me? Did I mention the money already came out of my business account? Second. The cheque does not need to be held for 5 business days but the bank chooses to exercise this right whenever they want. Because... "This is company policy." That line got my blood boiling. When the individual I was speaking with said this, I cut him off (yes, I know it's rude) and replied with "Does your company policy mention anything about retaining customers of 29 years?" He did not have an answer. Probably because it's not in the policy... If you're going to implement a policy, understand the implications of this. Policies are great, until they're not. Policies force people to think a certain way. Policies kill creativity. Policies put everybody in the same box. In this case, policies lost a long standing customer. Perhaps we should look into guidelines or suggestions instead of policies. I had a wonderful meal and conversation the other night with two inspirational people.
We were treated to an amazing meal at Burrito Sensei but what was even better than the food (not to say the food was not phenomenal) was the conversation. We talked about business, life, parenting, relationships and everything in between. Why was the conversation so good? Because it reminded me of something very important. Life is about connection and experience. And often the experience will create a stronger connection. Here are 3 people at very different points in their lives with very different experiences coming together. On the outside we are all very different. On the inside, we are all the same. In a world where we are more connected than ever through technology, we are more disconnected than ever as humans. Just for a moment... Forget about text messaging. Forget about emails. Forget about Facebook Live or Instagram Stories or SnapChat. Forget about the news. Forget about your TV Show. There's a place for all that stuff but I'm realizing that it comes second. What if you brought people together in person? What if you created a space where people feel safe, supported and connected? What if you got all their senses involved? What if you treated them like humans? This may just be where the magic happens... I always find it interesting when people compare their businesses to other businesses.
They try to figure out what the other business is doing and then try to do it better. Or perhaps they start talking poorly of the other company. Or they blame the other company for hurting the industry that they're in. Whatever it is, I believe it's all a waste of time. Personally, I don't care what my "competitors" are doing. Sure I have an idea because people like to talk but I don't actively seek it. There is more than enough work for all of us. If you play my game, I will always win. I listened to a presentation yesterday from a company promoting some new technology they have been working on. It's a way to automatically balance the airflow of a forced air system in a home.
I believe they have a very promising technology. The group they were presenting to, however, was not easy on them, including myself. We were not rude in any way, we're just at the top of our fields in construction so we were asking challenging questions and giving valuable feedback. As an outsider looking in, I realized they were solving the wrong problem. They were presenting a homeowner problem to a room full of builders and renovators. If there's anybody who knows homeowner problems, it's builders and renovators. In business, the only way you'll get off the ground is if you know how to market and sell your product. Without sales, you have no business. The trick is knowing who to market to and how to market to them. In the presentation yesterday, they had a solution to a problem, balancing the airflow of a forced air system in a home. The thing is, that's not the real problem. That's one potential solution. The real problem for homeowners (and builders) is having rooms throughout the house that are different temperatures. Additionally, they also pitched it in a way that did not attract the big builders. To the presenters, a $2,000 increase in the cost of building a home was not a big deal. To a builder who builds dozens or hundreds of homes a year, that is a very big deal. Now it's time to do some work on my own business... Am I clear on the problem I'm solving? Am I clear on who my target audience is? Am I presenting it in a way that my target audience needs to see/hear it? We received the following email in The Conscious Builder general inbox yesterday:
Looked at your website. I think you are caring people trying to make a difference, so kudos to you. However, you push so many bad products and processes that the conscious part is a no sale for me. Right out of the gate you use the dictionary to define conscious (cool I like that) and then drop the ball on what honour means. This is before I have a chance to look at what you offer and I am feeling that this is just a conscious-less sales pitch. Drywall, OSB, MDF, tinted windows, solar PV...and I am sure the list of poisonous unsustainable death products goes on. You have a large learning curve ahead of you. The sustainability paradigm is not what you are in, that much is clear; but I think you might like to be. Reach out whenever you like. This is not the first time we have received emails like this nor will it be the last. It did get me thinking though. He uses words that shows that he cares but then follows it up with a shot to the gut. Obviously we have done a good job at getting his attention but he's definitely not the person we're here to serve. At any given time I believe that there's likely 10% of people who don't like what you're doing. Unfortunately this 10% of people who don't like your style are also the loudest people. This means that the larger your audience is, the more likely you'll get interesting people reaching out to share their thoughts. Why? It does not matter. What matters is that you focus on the people that count. The people you are really here to serve. The Conscious Builder is not for everybody nor does not have to be. If you try to please everybody, you'll please nobody. A question my son asked me yesterday after spending the afternoon with my dad and his dog, Toby.
Expensive is a matter of opinion. Dog owners rarely complain about their dog being expensive. Some of them even spend thousands of dollars on their dogs for surgeries, haircuts, toys, food and everything else they feel their dog needs. Why? It's because they love their dog. It's not about the money. It's the value this furry friend brings into their life. You can't put a price on that. Here's another example. $1,000 per night for a hotel may be expensive to me but pocket change to somebody else. The people who are willing to spend this see the value at hotels that charge this. It's cleaner, more prestigious, the service is better, the food is better, the bed is more comfortable, the bathroom is nicer and they feel good staying there. Are any of those things true? To them it is and that's all that matters. As a business selling a service or product, what value are you bringing to your customer and what is your customer willing to pay for it? The trick to getting the answer to this question is making sure you know who your customer is. The person who complains the loudest about you, your product or your service may not be the customer you want. The person who says "it's too expensive" is not your customer. If you have paying clients who love what you offer, talk to them. Get more of them. Deliver more value than anybody else and you'll succeed in business and in life. Have you ever delivered a punch line to a joke only to have to say, "that was the punch line"?
Is that a bad joke or a bad delivery? I'm not a comedian but I have a lot of respect for comedians. They put themselves on stage in front of people from all walks of life and are expected to make them laugh... No pressure. Last night I was at the Toronto Comedy All Stars in Ottawa and had some great laughs. I also felt a little embarrassed at some points. Some jokes were great, others were definitely a miss. One comedian in particular stood out. The person who stood out was the best story teller. Whether you are looking to get attention on your business, looking to connect with somebody or just just looking to make somebody laugh, everybody remembers a good story. I heard a quote recently, "The peak of attention is at the end of laughter." |
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