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December 4, 2007
Homecoming Pain, Business Lesson
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: E-mail Newsletter
This originally appeared in our e-mail newsletter. If you're not getting it, you can sign up today.
It was a cold Ohio night in the early 1990s. I was a nervous high school junior on my way to a romantic dinner and then on to my first homecoming with the girl of my dreams, Saunnie Kenny.
It was the first time I'd been out with Saunnie (pronounced Saw-nee). She was the new girl in school, she had long soft brown hair, a glowing complexion and haunting blue eyes. And I couldn't believe she said ‘yes' to be my date. The night was going to be amazing! I had a well-tailored suit, a beautiful date, and was going to a candle lit, white linen tablecloth dinner at the fanciest restaurant I could find--which was about 40 minutes away from where I lived. (That's right, I grew up in the sticks!)
My mind was racing with anticipation. In my mind I could see the date as clear as day. It was perfect--we were going to have the most romantic, fun-filled homecoming any two high school juniors ever had.
We were about 20 to 30 minutes into the drive when the freeway before me did what it wasn't supposed to--at least in what I could remember from my dad's directions--it split in three directions. "Oh no! Which way do I go!?" I said to myself.
Having no clue which way was the right way, I did what any red blooded American male would do--I picked a direction and hoped I was right. I think the conversation kept going wonderfully, although admittedly it became very one sided as my date's words became the "wa-wa-wa" of Charlie Brown's teacher. I kept hoping, kept praying--"Please God, let this be the right way."
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a sign that sank my stomach and dashed my hopes of homecoming bliss--'Welcome to Pennsylvania.' "Pennsylvania?!" I wasn't just lost--I was in the wrong state! Needless to say, though she handled my blunder graciously, we never made it to a second date.
It's funny and sad how often the same thing happens to great small businesses and caring nonprofits. In your mind before you the opportunities seem endless. People have said yes to what you're selling and you know a million reasons why what you do is valuable. But somewhere on the way to your "successful and memorable evening," you didn't slow down to really plan things out.
The mistake that landed me in Pennsylvania was nothing more than a minor detail--I forgot to write down the directions my dad gave me. Stop for a second and ask yourself: do you know how to get there? When the road splits in three ways, do you know which way to go? Do you know what to say in order to grow the relationship you have with your customers? Have you thought it through? Are you even headed for the right destination? Do your employees and coworkers understand what that means for them day to day?
If you don't allow yourself the time to make meaningful decisions about how your business communicates and grows, you could get caught up in all that you "could be" and end up taking your customer to the wrong state.
Need directions? We can help with that.
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