I remember watching The Flintstones when I was a kid. This particular episode involved a birthday party for Fred and Wilma's baby girl, Pebbles. Fred arranged the catering for his daughter's party at the same time he was arranging the entertainment for a get-together for his buddies at The Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes. Fred did his best to make sure everything went off without a hitch, but unfortunately, there was someone on the other end of the equation who dropped the ball: the caterer.
Fred trusted the caterer to get everything done, because after all, "the caterer knows what he's doing," he thought. Rocko the Clown was supposed to entertain the kids at Pebbles' birthday party; a Dixieland band, adult card games and dancing girls (the Boulderettes) were arranged for the Water Buffalo Lodge. Long story short, the caterer got the addresses mixed up and sent the wrong parties to the wrong parties if you know what I mean. You can probably guess how awkward things got because of his little mistake. Chaos ensued, and when things finally got straightened out, the caterer took a nonchalant position in the matter, even though he was at fault for screwing things up. He shrugged his shoulders and said,
"SO WHAT...?? I'm the only caterer in town..."
I couldn't help being irritated when I heard that remark. Even as a child I was turned off by his arrogance. I didn't know what it was called back then, but I knew I didn't like his attitude. His comment was repeated as a running joke several times during that episode, and it may have been good for a few laughs here and there, but in real life, there's nothing funny about it. Such indifference turns people off. Nobody should be taken lightly, for any reason. Everybody is important enough to treat like a first-class individual. This attitude of being the "only caterer in town" is as wrong as it is counterproductive. It comes from people who believe they "do you a favor" by letting you do business with them, that you should be glad they bothered to give you the time of day. If you own a business and carry this chip on your shoulder, you need a reality check. Keep it up and before long the people you look down your nose at will be the same ones who watch you close your doors for the last time. They won't tolerate your foolishness, nor should they have to.
Understand this: doing business is like entering a relationship: it's not a right or an entitlement, it's a privilege denied to many and granted to few. You, the service provider, want to be one of the lucky few. As such, you should be happy that someone agreed to trust you with their business, and you should conduct yourself accordingly. An attitude of gratitude helps. When I bought my first car years ago I encountered a salesman trying his best to get me to sign on the dotted line with all deliberate speed. It was apparent to me that in his mind he was the only one who could get me a great deal on a car, that he was doing me a favor by allowing me to speak with him about buying one of his cars, and that I couldn't trust anyone else but him. He wasn't as interested in meeting my need for a car as he was afraid of losing a sale, and also his commission. I let him know in no uncertain terms that as far as I was concerned the buying process was about me, not him, and that if I didn't like what he had to offer I could easily find what I was looking for somewhere else. (He got the message and changed his tune) A pastor I know in Charlotte, NC said it best:
"There are a lot of churches in this city where you could have chosen to worship, so we're glad you decided to spend your Sunday morning with us."
To me, that's the right attitude. In fact, it's the ONLY attitude one should have when you realize that the people you are doing business with decided to place their trust in you. Maybe you represent the greatest company on the planet, with the greatest product since sliced bread, the greatest business opportunity, or the greatest compensation plan in whatever industry you chose to get involved with. But that doesn't mean a hill of beans to your customer, your prospect, your potential partner. From their perspective (the only one that matters, by the way) you are just another in a long line of people seeking their time, attention, money, or any combination of the above. Get real. You may be right about your company, and you may be right that there's no company on the planet just like yours, because it's unique. But also realize that while your company may be one of a kind, and while it may be a good idea for your prospect to get on board with your company, that doesn't mean they have to sign on the dotted line with you. A good fit with the company is one thing, a good fit with the representative is another matter entirely. The right company with the wrong representative is still a wrong fit.
Having said all this, I advise you to serve the people in your life with humility and gratitude, that's the best way to go. Respect and honor them, and they'll respect and honor you in return. Let them know how much you appreciate them, show gratitude for the fact that they trust you with their business needs more than anyone else. If you do that, maybe, just maybe, when they meet someone in the future who has a need similar to the one you helped them meet in the past, yours will be the first name that comes to mind. And who knows? To them, you just might become the only show in town.
That's all for now, gotta run. Until we meet again, remember:
Keep it simple.... See ya!
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