3 Extraordinary Ways To Grow Your Biz

Seems simple, right? Amongst the myriad articles and lists I read on how to grow your business, I rarely see anything that gets back to the core of being a human being first. More and more I run into people that simply forget 3 of the most important things in growing a business: courtesy, courtesy and courtesy. They’re “too busy” or “too something” to treat one another with respect. If you follow these simple steps, you’ll be amazed at how productivity increases, and gosh darnit, people might just like you.

1. PLEASE: I’m always aghast when people bark orders without a “please”. There’s nothing wrong with barking. Sometimes you need to bark. Just don’t forget to say “please.” It’s not hard and you’ll notice that people are more willing to do the deed.

2. THANK YOU: See #1, but add a “thank you.” You’ll be shocked how much the combination of these two simple words makes people faster and smarter.

3. RETURNING EMAILS, TWEETS, CALL, ETC: This one is often the downfall of many a company. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve emailed a file, an estimate or made a phone call only to be received with the sound of crickets or a dull thud. Acknowledging that you’ve received something with a “thanks, got it” goes a looong way. Even if you’re busy, which we all are, all that needs to be said is “thanks, I’m slammed, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can” or “thanks, I’ll take a look and get back to you as soon as I can”, “Thanks, looks great, I’ll call you later.”  That took me about 3-seconds to write and I can guarantee the appreciation that it buys is priceless. For the more advanced, try adding a “please” and “thank you” to your return correspondence and prepare for blast off!

IRONY: Interestingly, as I was writing this, I got an email from Barack Obama (yeah, we’re tight like that). The email is asking me to simply call my representative to say “thank you for fighting for reform.” And you know what, I’m going to. Sometimes we all need to be reminded. It just goes to show that “Thank you” can even affect public policy.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Really appreciate it. (see, that wasn’t so hard.)