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Business Rule #7:
Keep Your Opinions to Yourself
October 21, 2004
(PAGE 2 of 2)
People like the obnoxious twerp at the career day and Stacy just don’t get it. You must impress and inspire to be a leader. You cannot thrive in business if you’re whining and carrying on like you are five years old. Stacy, here are some tips for working in business for you and that loudmouth at career day today, as well as anyone else who cares to listen. These tips will help you impress people and thereby do something that even you would agree is worthwhile: make money.
1. Be on time. Punctuality is essential to good business relationships. You should never tolerate late arrivals and missed deadlines from yourself or anyone else.
2. Do your homework. I wrote about this one in one of my earlier memos. Wasting other people’s time due to poor planning and thoughtlessness is sure to leave a bad impression.
3. Develop mental dossiers. Do it for each and every person with whom you do business. Before meeting people for the first time, do some research on them. I’m mostly flattered when a prospective employee can tell me what my first projects were or talk about a deal in which I was involved.
4. Be honest. Most people can smell a lie and will appreciate honesty, even if it’s not what they want to hear.
5. LET OTHER PEOPLE TALK! (Stacy, listen up.) Business conversations should be two-sided with actual give and take.
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Some people may think I’m well past the stage where I have to impress anyone, but they’re wrong. I have to impress investors and bankers all the time. What about residential buyers and other business people with whom I deal? Every facet of my company—or should I say, companies—bear my name. People understand that I’m the one with whom they’re doing business when their proposal comes through the door. As it happens, they are usually impressed with me and will give our company a shot before anyone else. I’ve created such an aura for myself and my organization that the way I carry myself, my manner of speech and dress, must be maintained at all times.
You’ll never learn anything as an aspiring entrepreneur if you don’t listen. Don’t be so ready to offer an opinion on everything! You never know when you’re in a room with someone that can really help you out. If that blowhard at career day had kept his opinions to himself and had just listened and been honest, I almost certainly would have said, “I know a great banker who can help you with that problem. Oh, no! He just had to voice his opinion and broadcast it to everyone in the room. He just had to be heard. I’m going to be crass in what I say next, so please forgive me. Opinions are like a****, everyone has one.
Well, enough here… a great episode of The Apprentice has aired and that witch Stacy is now off yammering somewhere to children in the woods.
Stay safe and stay tuned for a big announcement that I will make in this very column real soon! You’ll love it. It’s going to be huge!
LaVelle Ward
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You cannot thrive in business if you’re whining and carrying on like you are five years old.
