Barry Bonds the American Baseball Player has just broken the record for Most Home Runs scored during a player’s career.
The undercurrent surrounding this news is that he is a cheater for using steroids. Some have suggested putting an asterisk by his name due to the fact the previous record holder, Hank Aaron never used strength enhancing drugs. I have no opinion either way but there is a lesson here for you the business owner and entrepreneur. If you achieve something, you will be talked about.
Mostly in a negative way.
Mr. Bonds has been the target of a litany of abuse, criticism and shaming. Former teammates, the media, and just about every other embittered soul have been given a platform to slam him from without recourse. Even as he was one homer away from breaking the record, the announcer was quoting a former teammate, saying, “It was not easy being on the same team with him. He is not a good teammate.”
More than ever these kinds of comments are being leveled against folks who stand out from the norm.
I’m not endorsing or condemning his actions. I am asking you to consider the mental toughness that must go along with reaching your goals.
What kind of thinking must accompany a 20 plus year career of outstanding achievement?
You and I cannot be in the locker room to see and hear all the rumblings, but we can stand outside and draw conclusions.
Have you ever been the new guy on a job where you were given a task and since you were full of zest and wanted to please, you went after it with all your effort? What happened? In my experience there is always one or a group of someone’s who say, “Hey! You need to pace yourself. You’re making the rest of us look bad.”
Instantly, you’re faced with a choice. Fit in or do what you were paid to do. Social pressure can be formidable. No one wants to feel the disapproval of the community. To be ostracized by your work-mates.
Yet this fundamental choice is bigger than a little scorn. Its not just whom do I please, management or employees. The real question is will you be true to yourself?
So how does Mr. Bonds deal with this? You can bet he knew from the beginning that he would not be liked by all.
Fortunately, he has a large support group behind the scenes. His father was a former player and Willie Mays, another outstanding player is his Godfather.
How does one tune out all the noise that builds as a natural consequence of all this jealousy?
Every successful person has a friend or mentor behind the scenes they talk to on a regular basis.
Some folks have more than one someone. They have many. It doesn’t have to be someone in the same business, just a person who has the view from above and is willing to give an outlook adjustment.
The player who says Mr. Bonds is not a good teammate either doesn’t understand this or flat doesn’t care.
Is it even possible to fit in and make outstanding achievements?
Some would argue that he owes his team for they surely helped him reach his goal.
There is truth in that, but weren’t they doing what they were paid to do? How many secretly loathed him for stealing the limelight and taking the focus off them?
Now, I know that you are not the guy on the job who tells the newbie to pace himself.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been tempted to stand on a soap box and “fix” these ne’er do wells who would hold you down. Don’t they see its all about how they think?
Forget it. Its hard enough to control your own thinking, much less change the mind of another.
Best as always to take the pragmatic approach.
The most effective tenet of any addiction program is the request for serenity. The strength to face the things one cannot change and the wisdom to change that which can be altered.
Facing what is means you have an understanding of the criticisms that will come. You will want to fight it, to explain yourself, to justify your decision.
I suggest an alternative.
Reaffirm your love to those who are with you and view the criticisms as a marker, a sign on the road toward your goal.
Dan Kennedy calls it the Positive Power of Negative Preparation.
“If I reach out for this goal what will that feel like to those around me? Will they be supportive? What could be the repercussions on the relationship I have with my friends or family?”
“When I am criticized how will I react? How will that feel?”
You can be sure that Mr. Bonds ignores most of what goes on around him. He has to. One of the eye exercises he does is to hold a card six inches in front of him and switch his focus from the card to a far off point. This serves to increase the speed of his focusing mechanism. It also is metaphor for his mental acuity.
As he focused on his far off goal he would set smaller goals as stair steps to the big one. This is the same method you can use to gain mastery in dent repair and business.
Look down the road and set your big goal. Now break it down into smaller goals. Ignore the noise when you can and watch for the signs of progress, even the ones that are a little painful.
Stay plugged into positive folks and study every successful person and business you can.
How to win against a large competitor
In some markets, Dent Wizard has come in like a Lion and become a formidable competitor in wholesale markets.
So the question, “How do I compete?” and “How do I protect my accounts from them?”
This is the same question many Mom and Pop retailers have faced in towns where Wal Mart has opened stores. The news of course focuses on the unfair competition and the giant coming in like a bully to crush the little guy.
All this serves to perpetuate the myth that no one can compete with them. Same with Dent Wizard.
Tom Nations was the subcontractor liaison for Dent Wizard’s hail division until his untimely death this year. At a recent meeting he told the story of the first time they set up at the Mobile Tech Expo in Florida. They were looking to recruit techs for the hail division. He was there by himself and in a short time he was surrounded by fifty mobile dent guys, all of them wanting blood.
Instead of joining the angry mob, why not step back and consider why DW has gained a foot hold in some wholesale markets. What do they offer?
For one, a complaint department.
Put yourself in the used car manager’s shoes. When he deals with the individual vendor he is subject to the whims of the individual. With a big company, he can pick up the phone and make a complaint. The big company does not want to lose his business and will make sure someone takes care of their dents, whatever it takes.
Second, Dent Wizard gets what every vendor wishes they had. They get the dealer to sign a written agreement. Really, this agreement has no teeth from a legal standpoint but it is a form of commitment and it works quite well. The used car manager doesn’t really want to say no to the individual guy, he may know him and like him. But when the decision comes down from above, his hands are tied. At least now he’s not the bad guy. “Sorry, the company has a written agreement with Dent Wizard.”
Third, there is usually an agreement in place to fix all the cars for a set price. Sometimes even a provision for future hail work.
These three things all serve one purpose. To remove the heartburn of the manager and the dealer. Everything is done for them. They don’t have to look at a list of cars and say yea or nay.
They don’t have to worry about a dent guy showing up.
For you as small business owner you want to think like David vs. Goliath. Where are they vulnerable and how can I use my smallness to advantage?
Just like a small store against Wal Mart you will do what Dent Wizard is either unable or unwilling to do.
Play to your strengths. Since you are one (or a few) person(s) then be personable. Make sure that you give personalized service to that dealer. One way is to come on a certain day each week and be regular. I know DW already does this. So you go a step further.
“Mr. Dealer, as you know I’m here every week on Wednesday. But on Friday if you need a car done in a pinch, I’m your man.”
If its a new account I would call every Friday for a month or so in the morning. You’ll likely get their voice mail if they are at the auction. Even better.
“Hey, ______ I’m just calling to wish you a happy (Sale, Friday, Banner Sales Day) today. No need to call me back. Just call me if you get a hot one that will go out for the weekend and I’ll take care of you.”
Take a personal interest in helping them sell units. Ask, “What can I do to help?” Likely the answer is nothing, but it can go a long way toward letting them know you’re on their side. And you are. The more they sell, the more they buy and in turn the more you get to fix.
If you get a good sized account by all means take care of it. The mistake I made was to treat all customers the same. The guy spending a thousand a year with me got the same level of service the dealer spending 30 times that much. Don’t take them for granted.
Show your gratitude with a catered lunch every once in a while. Bring them muffins. If you play golf, invite the manager on your dime.
When you’re trying to get new business and they have a vendor already, ask “What do you like about the service they provide?”
I once got the answer, “He takes me to play golf at the Country Club.”
Next month: Take advantage of a big market Dent Wizard has no interest in.
Till next time,
Tim