Headlines around the world raise fear about the impact of the coronavirus. Cruise ships quarantined thousands on board, factories closed in China and millions of people are isolated in lockdown. We see emergency flights of returning American citizens arriving and immediately placed into quarantine.  Additionally, there is a major economic risk with the outbreak.

Scripture gives us a balance to consider. King Solomon wrote, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” (Proverbs 22:3, NIV) and he also wrote, “The sluggard says, ‘There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!’” (Proverbs 22:13, NIV) We need to keep an appropriate balance between acting with prudent actions or responding to fear.

When we try to make a sell, we can say more than necessary to move the customer toward saying yes and signing the order. However, every time we utter a phrase or a sentence to a prospect; we need to put ourselves in the customer’s position. The first thing our customer thinks should not be, “So what?” 

For example, I may say that my company has the best service; but if I haven’t said anything to prove this statement, the prospect may think, “So what?”  A furniture store salesperson may talk about how good the fabric on a chair is.  Again, the customer may think, “So what?” The salesperson’s job is to answer the “so what” question for every feature or benefit we point out to a customer. A customer may not care what type of fabric is on the chair, but probably cares a great deal that spills don’t become stains.

I know many people never read their employee handbook.  Instead they only dig into it if they’re unhappy about something and want to prove their point.

Any new employee, at any level in a corporation, should read and make sure they understand the employee handbook. Here are four reasons why this is important. 

1.      The handbook communicates the dress code and other behavioral standards.

At times I watch Shark Tank. I enjoy the interaction and business lessons we can learn from the program. One common mistake many entrepreneurs make when entering the Shark Tank is asking for a ridiculous valuation. I’ve seen several shows where the sharks were interested in the idea; but the valuation was so high compared to earnings, no one was willing to pull the trigger and make an offer.

As a consultant I have encountered many business owners who, at times, have an unrealistic valuation of their business. Here is an example.

Committees and local boards are always looking for new members who will go to their meetings and share the workload. Most of the time, I decline to join committees. However, I may offer to assist or cooperate with a committee in a specific way.  I just don’t have to go to endless meetings.
 
When someone does ask me to be on a committee, I ask several questions.  What do you want me to contribute to the group? How are the meetings conducted? Do you follow an agenda?  Is there a time budget for the meeting? Are there clear objectives for the gathering?