Tuesday 20 March 2007

Lesson # 4: It’s not personal; it’s business, what a lie that is!


Have you ever been turned down for a job? Had your proposal rejected?
Have you ever talked to a member of the opposite sex and attempted to get a phone number or a date only to be told to get lost, or worse?
Have you spent time calling a company to tell them about a fault in service, like your cable system being down, only to find that the person you are talking to has no brain or is being deliberately obstructive?
In life we are often presented with conflict and it can come from everyday situations.
In business we get the same thing on a more consistent basis. Salespeople get rejection. Part of selling is handling and dealing with rejection. In business we get rejection as well as acceptance.
“Life is a hard surface” Aristotle Onassis.
Sometimes a colleague that has worked for you for a long while, one that you see as being content and happy with his position, decides to leave. They move on.
Sometimes a company that you have presented a proposal to decides to ‘go with someone else’ through no fault of yours. They just make bad decisions.
Sometimes people do not do what you tell them to, they don’t take your advice. They go their own way, at cost.
It’s nothing personal…it’s just business, ok?

Lesson #4: It’s not personal; it’s business, what a lie that is!
It’s PERSONAL. Take it personally.
If someone doesn’t listen to you or ignores you; take it personally.
If someone decides to go with someone else instead of your product or service; take it personally.
If someone disrespects you in a meeting or some other consultation; take it personally.
The thing is - I read Mario Puzo's book ‘The Godfather’ once every couple of months and watch the movies more than that. I know that the phrase ‘It’s not personal; it’s business’ is always taken taken out of context.

This is what Michael Corleone actually said in the book:
"Tom, don't let anybody kid you. It's all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of shit every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it's personal as hell. You know where I learned that from? The Don. My old man. The Godfather. If a bolt of lightning hit a friend of his the old man would take it personal. He took my going into the Marines personal. That's what makes him great. The Great Don. He takes everything personal. Like God. He knows every feather that falls from the tail of a sparrow or however the hell it goes. Right? And you know something? Accidents don't happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult. So I came late, OK, but I'm coming all the way. Damn right, I take that broken jaw personal; damn right, I take Sollozzo trying to kill my father personal."

Business IS personal. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. And if someone lies to you; take it personally.

Coming next, Lesson # 5: Revenge is a dish best eaten cold.

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