I’m a Worrier and I don’t care much for Kool-Aid

I worry that as our businesses succeed and grow, we will begin drinking too much of our own Kool-Aid, forgetting what really matters.

Let’s get this out first “I’m a worrier.” I sometimes worry about how much I worry.

So when I say I worry about sales “going too good” or hear “we’ve had another record sales year” you know that is just me.

My worry is that when sales and business begins growing and it looks like there is no stopping, we might start drinking our own Kool-Aid so to speak and as we grow we forget to do the things we are doing or have done to be successful.

I’ve seen too many times, businesses and sales professionals that are successful begin to falter and slowly fade simply because they forget what made them successful.

Maybe it’s:

• The personal touch we give our customers as we begin our business that gets lost as we grow.
• We move to a larger location without taking into consideration the effect on our customers.
• We begin making inventory decisions based on inventory value and turns rather than our customer needs.

Or we begin telling ourselves:

• It’s the new processes we’ve put in place and computer programs we’ve purchased that is the reason for the success.
• Maybe we get so bold as to think it’s our Account Managers, Sales Managers, Branch Managers or the new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software we use that makes us so successful. (I could go on but won’t.)

Certainly many of the points mentioned above are needed as we grow our business and contribute to our success. I believe 100% that our people are one of our most valuable assets and growth is needed in any vibrant, successful and lasting organization. But we must make sure we grow without diluting or forgetting the main ingredient that gives us our success and ability to grow.

Did you notice the common ingredient in all but one of the reasons above is the Customer?

Much like “water” is the main ingredient in the Kool-Aid, it is the Customer that is the main ingredient in any business.

Without Water there is no Kool-Aid!

Without Customers there is no Business!

I worry that we might forget, it is our Customers that makes us successful. Without them nothing else really matters.

If, when making our decisions, planning our growth and patting ourselves on the back about how good we are, we forget to consider our Customers and their wants and needs, we will begin to falter and soon fade.

As I said, I’m a worrier and I worry if not careful we can become victims of our own success. Hence, drinking to much of our own Kool-Aid and I don’t care much for Kool-Aid.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!