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Learn from the REAL Experts ”just ignore the man behind the curtain…”
In your quest for knowledge there are two contradictory principles – both of which are important to recognize and follow:
First. There are many people who tout themselves as experts– in every industry – who really don't know all that much about the day to day intricacies of running your type of business. They've either never really been there on the firing line – doing the job on a daily basis they way that you are – or, at one time they ran a very mediocre business. Possibly after having never had much success themselves they decide to teach others how to be a huge success.
Second. In most sports it is rare for a good player to make a good coach – and vise versa. Business and teaching consulting follows some similar trends. In other words - some of the guys who are really good at what they do daily – may not have the ability to explain their success in any sort of effective way. Additionally, they may not have the ability to coach you on to success. And, remember if they are really making a huge income running their business it may not be worth their time to try to teach you how to do the same thing. Certainly not without lots of leverage ie. Through a book or video as opposed to one on one.
Now as I've said – these really are contradictory principles. However in your quest for knowledge I think it is very important to at least understand who and what you are dealing with – and, evaluate all information received from that context.
If you are dealing with someone who's only skill is to market their services to others like you – do they really know how to help you achieve more. If you are dealing with someone who is creative – coming up with new ideas in a vacuum and never applying them in the real world do you really want to invest a lot of effort and time in their untested idea – first?
If you are dealing with someone who looks to be a good coach – how many champions have they produced. If the answer is lots – then look, listen, and learn. If the answer is none – look somewhere else. You may be working with someone ready to bloom – but why waste your time and effort on an unproven quantity?
If you are dealing with someone who's claim to fame is their huge success in running their own operation – try to “look behind the curtain” to see if their success was real or illusory. Did they have the type of operation that you want to imitate – or was their operation more for show than for substance?
What's the best approach?
- Find people who are running a really good operation and MODEL their successes. Keep in mind that just because someone is good at marketing doesn't mean they are good at teaching, retention, or service. Model small segments of successful operations – make sure you don't model the things that they are screwing up.
Keep in mind – modeling is looking, watching, measuring what REALLY gets done – not what the owner tells you he or she is doing. Then benchmarking that behavior and copying it as closely as possible. It is possible that they really don't know what they are doing successfully – maybe you can help them understand it better with your study. I've worked with some very excellent schools – where I ultimately had to explain to them what it was they were doing to get the results that they were getting.
- Find coaches with a proven track record. Listen to their advise. Be diligent in your application.
- Be a student – have lots of sources of information – and apply what seems to work for you. In the martial arts industry there are LOTS of sources of information. Everyone distributes some great stuff – and, everyone distributes some watered down – mediocre ideas. Always work to have access to as many sources of information as possible. Keep what works for you and discard everything else.
- Always get REAL numbers. Use them to evaluate the efficacy of any idea or concept.
A couple of things to watch out for:
• When a coach tries to explain what someone else is doing successfully – it is always better to go to the source and figure out reality. Often the advise or description that you get is filtered and inaccurate. That inaccuracy has several sources.
• Every human summarizes, filters, and redefines communications based upon their own perspective and prejudices. What they heard may not really be what's happening. Or, by the time they communicate the idea to you it may have permutated beyond recognition.
• Everyone has their own agenda. Their objective in communicating with you may have more to do with selling you on whatever their current agenda is than in relaying to you accurate information.
• Watch for “fluff” and “hype” often reality is not nearly so glorious as it would seem. There are often additional factors that are not readily apparent – or quickly communicated.
• Avoid untested ideas. Ideas are easy. Any of us can have hundred's of
seemingly brilliant ideas weekly.
Over the year's I've thrown lot's of money and tons of hours implementing my ideas – of course, I was convinced that each one was brilliant. Ultimately it's your market and your customers who will tell you if your idea is a hit or a blooper. Test everything. If it works keep doing it – and then tell lots of people. If it falls on it's face – have a nice quick failure – a wonderful learning opportunity. Then bury it deep. Learn and move on.
If someone else is sharing or selling you on their brilliant idea always ask the question:
Has this been implemented successfully?
If so by whom?
Then, call the reference and find out what really happened. If things pan out
then by all means implement – aggressively. But make sure you don't
implement half, three quarters, or even ninety percent of an idea. Get all of it. Do it A-Z.
I've seen lots of ads and other ideas touted as “tested” - always ask: by whom? What happened? Let me see the numbers.
Example: Your billing or consulting company sends you their latest “tested” ad. You ask them how it worked and they say ------------- used this ad and got 20 calls last week! Nice information – but you are still rather clueless aren't you? Well did they spend $10,000 running the ad in every major venue and it pulled at $500 per call. Or did they spend $500 in the penny saver and ended up at $25 per call. That extra bit of information makes a difference doesn't it. Also, did they get 20 calls and 15 enrollments or did they get 20 calls and no enrollments. How qualified were these prospects? And need I mention – is the number really 20 or is that exaggerated by a factor of 2, 5, or 10?
• Keep the political context in mind. Always evaluate any idea or communication based upon who's trying to look good and what's in it for them.
• Take PUBLIC statements with a grain of salt. I've had the misfortune to
stand in a seminar – as a key speaker. “Behind the Curtain” talking with other speakers about what the really do and don't do in their operation on a daily basis. Then to listen to them – on the podium contradict themselves aggressively. Or, in my world view – lie to the audience about what is making them successful to avoid rocking the boat or contradicting a prevailing political agenda.
In almost any seminar, convention, or other presentation there is an underlying political agenda going on. In 99.999% of the cases the underlying bias is never explicitly outlined for the attendees.
Ask yourself who is promoting this convention or seminar. What are their best interests? If the seminar is promoted by a billing company – their objective will be for as close to 100% of your revenue as possible to flow through their company. They may have little incentive for your net to be strong – but huge incentive for your gross to continue to grow through any means possible. If the seminar is promoted by an equipment supplier – they will likely have lots of incentive for you to focus on retail, pro-shops, and training aids. If the seminar is promoted by a “consulting group” they are highly motivated to prove how smart they are – to present lots of new (and often untested ideas) and to continue to resell you on the value of their advise and support.
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