“If I saw a competitor drowning, I’d shove a hose down his throat.” Ray Kroc, McDonald’s founder
An MSP member shared that he had been promoting a cyber security seminar and already had 31 people registered (good!), but 4 of 31 were employees of a competitor. He asked me, “Any advice or concerns on that?” He said others told him to kick ’em out, which is the correct answer, but one MSP owner chimed in that he would welcome them because he wants his “competitors to be better.” Screw that.
I DO realize that it’s “gratitude” month with Thanksgiving looming in the US and Canadians just wrapping up their own version of Turkey Day. I also realize everyone’s REALLY sensitive these days about being “inclusive” and being “nice,” but seriously, folks, we’re not in kindergarten anymore and we AREN’T required to share the blocks. Play professional and fair? Absolutely. Cuddle your competitors? I’m going with Ray’s sentiment on that idea.
I’m very clear on how to deal with people who stand between me and something I want. ZERO tolerance. They’re part of the pavement. That’s not to say you should do anything illegal, unprofessional, immoral or outright crass, but you certainly don’t have to be welcoming or accommodating to people who wake up every day thinking about how they can take your clients or otherwise screw up your productivity.
This is NOT barbaric, limited, antiprogressive thinking. This is common–sense clarity about your competition, and thinking otherwise stems purely from one of the most crippling emotions human beings share: a fear of criticism and a need for approval.
A LOT of business owners say they don’t like my campaigns because they are “too aggressive” or “too negative.” Some don’t want to be that “boastful” in their marketing (which kinda defeats the purpose). Truth is, their reluctance isn’t based in any of those things. ALL of this is based on a need to avoid standing out or being disapproved of, gossiped about or criticized. The fear of being disliked cripples them. It imposes limits and eats at one’s confidence, causing timidity, uncertainty, doubt, angst and guilt. NOT a productive state of mind to operate from, particularly if you’re leading a company and/or attempting to accomplish something of significance. It causes you to tolerate a whole bunch of people you ought not be tolerating. For example…
A member was complaining to me about a technician on his staff: He allowed this employee extra time off with pay to deal with some family issues that arose, overlooked multiple mistakes and dropped balls, and gifted him additional pay when he desperately needed cash. Did he get thanks? Loyalty? Gratitude? Nope. He was told by his other employees that this guy was complaining bitterly to them about how he “only” received a cake on his birthday. After the employee was fired, the member received notice that he filed a discrimination lawsuit and was going to attempt to sue him for wrongful termination. While this member is certain he’ll win, given there was no discrimination and a LONG list of reasons for firing the employee, he still has to spend time and money defending himself, which will be a HUGE drain on his productivity. I told this guy to stop complaining – HE KNEW this guy was a loser, but instead of firing him earlier, he kept trying to be the “nice guy.” Again, he didn’t want to be “too harsh” and thought if he showed kindness and compassion, he’d get that in return. Not so much. Cancer is not cured by talking nice to it or thinking happy thoughts.
When I first started my business, I got a LOT of criticism – and I do mean a LOT – for what I was doing, how I was selling it (meaning I was too aggressive) and the “crassness” and unprofessionalism of my methods. I frequently received scathing reviews on blogs and hateful e-mails from people who said I was a blemish on this industry…a scam artist…a fraud. On several occasions, I was denied access to MSP industry events as a paying attendee because they didn’t like my “kind” there. I had a handful of people purposefully attempt to sabotage events I was holding by drawing people out of the room by any means they could think of, stealing boxes of materials “by accident,” taking down promotional signs, hosting other events in the room next to mine at the hotel or sending long complaint e-mails to the hosts of events who were having me, telling them why they shouldn’t have me present. The list is long.
Bottom line: If I wanted to be liked more than I wanted to be rich, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY. If you want to succeed at anything, you will have to build up a strong immunity to criticism and learn to have confidence in yourself, even when you are uncertain. ALL decisions have two sides, both positive and negative. You won’t always be right, but who is? You also can NEVER appease everyone. But you’re far better served to move with confidence and correct the occasional mistake than play small and do nothing for fear of people not liking you.
Read Mother Teresa’s poem “Do It Anyway.” It’s a message about standing against the haters, the critics and the naysayers. If you feel squeamish about something you know you must do, but fear what others will think of you, I say to you, do it anyway.
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