Does Your Key Fit?

There are many “keys to success.” Peruse any business writing or words of wisdom from any business expert or consultant and you will most likely stumble across their respective versions of “keys to success.” You don’t have to look far and wide. They are out there.

Yes, Virginia. There are many. Some are easily connected with their proponents. Some claim many authors. Some are just kinda there. Some of the more well known or quoted ones are: “Surround yourself with good people.” Not bad advice. How about those directed at customers: the customer is always right; stay close to your customers; listen to your customers; your best ideas come from your customers; identify your customers’ pain; etc. And, just as important, stay close to your competition. And, the list goes on.

Baseball icon Bill Veeck looked at the bigger picture. “You have to remember that when you draw a million people to the ballpark, it’s not a million different people. Anyone can get them to come once. The trick is to get them to come back.” Here the keys are straight forward. It’s more expensive to land a new customer than to satisfy (and sell to) an existing one. It’s a variation of the old 80-20 rule.

Contrarians that we tend to be, we’ll take a slightly different view. Your success is determined as much by the people who you DON’T work for, as it is by the people who you DO work for. Some customers or clients can drain your resources and your patience. Sometimes you have to simply cut the chord and move on.

“What you leave out is as important as what you leave in.” - QI