I’m Here To Kick Your Butt

I had someone contact me recently who wanted some help.  He wanted to figure out how get get from where his company was at to "the next level, dollar-wise."

"Okay.  I need to know what your current dollar volume is by year and by month, your current marketing and sales goals, and where you want your sales to be on a yearly level."

"That information is proprietary.  I don't know if I can give that to you."

I get it.  We've been conditioned that money is what we're all after, but to talk about it is a dirty thing, like sex or food.  Or maybe. . .

"You don't know, do you?  I mean, what your company's income is.  So you don't know where you want it to be.  You just know you want it higher."

"I'm sure I've got the figures some where.  How 'bout I call you back when I find them?"  You don't have to guess – he hasn't called me back.

If someone called you and asked for directions, what would you want to know?  First question – where are you now?  Second question – where do you want to go?

But what if they answered something like this: "I might be east of you, or maybe south, and I want to go to a big city that has a certain opera company, but I won't tell you the name of the city or the opera company.  What roads do I take to get there?  And how long will it take me?"

It's impossible to answer a request like that.  And I get them fairly often.  It's as if these people think I have a magic wand, and I just don't want to use it for them.

Unlike other companies, Agile' isn't looking to take on just anyone who walks in the door.  I love money, really I do.  I think it's very useful, and I have bills that need to be paid like most other folks.  But you can't expect to change without. . . well, changing.  And our request that prospective clients do some digging into their own business is just the tiniest of tests.  Some people fail right there.

And if we do agree to do business with you?  I'm not your prom date.  I'm not here to hold your hand and make you feel special.  I'm more of a drill sergeant.  To move from where you are now, you need to grow and change.  I'm here to kick your butt.  I'm here to help you move and adapt, to teach you the tough lessons you need to know to survive in the cold, cruel world of business.  People come to us because they want to thrive, not survive.  And if they can't be bothered to look around and figure out where they are, and where they want to go, then a good butt kicking isn't going to help.