Like so many of us, I have been blessed to be surrounded by wise and patient mentors. These folks had faith in me long before I had earned it. And some of my best (and earliest) business lessons came from my parents. They were my OG mentors! So, while there were many more, here are 5 business lessons I learned from my parents.
5 Business Lessons I Learned From My Parents
Lift The Heavy Stuff First
This simple lesson came from my Dad when I was young. I was probably 8 or 9 years old and my parents decided it was time to re-arrange the furniture. My dad asked me to help him and I was excited. I was young and felt like it was my chance to prove what “a big boy” I was. My dad went straight to the big couch in the room. He said “Always lift the heavy stuff first. After that, everything else will seem lighter.” This is great advice for moving furniture. And it turns out it is true in almost every area of our lives!
Control Your Responses
There are so many things that come at us on a daily basis…and much of it is out of our control. We just can’t control everything that happens to us or around us. We can, however, control how we respond to it. And in that space between the action and the reaction lies our power. The people I find to be most successful (and most thoughtful) seem to be the ones who can control their emotions and gain power over the space between the action and their own reaction.
What Do You Win By Winning?
When I was a very young salesperson I had a client that made a mistake on their own order. It was their fault. And I did not want to be responsible or take the blame for their mistake. But my mom pointed out that, while the mistake was their fault, I needed to maintain the relationship…and that was more important than being right. So I need to ask myself “What do I win by winning this argument?” Most of the time, the answer is “a broken relationship.”
When In Doubt, See the People
Yes…technology is great. We have the ability to reach out to clients via text, email, Snapchat, messenger, etc. There are so many ways to connect with customers and prospects. And yet, most of us feel less connected to each other. An old adage that I find to not only still be true, but more true, is we need to get in front of people. That is how real relationships are formed. Most communication is non-verbal. Now I will say that zoom (and those other video platforms) are great. They bridge some of that gap. But I find that the best meetings I have are still in person. When in doubt, see the people.
Be The Bright Spot
And when you are out and about working to “see the people,” make sure you bring some joy with you. Most of what we see in the world today is negative. Studies will tell you that 89% of what we see is a negative message. And with this year being an election year, I think that is probably low. So if you want to stand out in this crowded space, be the bright spot in people’s day. Push out positivity and joy. Make people smile. Give kindness. It’s free. This is a simple piece of advice that I find I am never upset that I follow.
So there you have it! Those are 5 Business Lessons I learned from my parents. I hope they provided you with some value as well. As always, we want to provide you with value. So if you want to create marketing campaigns (and appreciation gifts) that hit the TARGET, check out our TARGET marketing playbook here.
