Search Marketing

With Whom Do You Want to Work?

I’ve been working tirelessly the last few weeks to really get my business off the ground. Days are spent networking and evenings/weekends are spent delivering on the commitments I’ve made. It’s not going perfect, but it’s progressing. In this economy, I’m okay with that.

Sales coaching has helped quite a bit – helping me to better understand what my clients’ needs are, set expectations with them, and close quickly so things don’t drag out or slow me down. I’m moving quick, kickin’ butt and taking names. No one has helped motivate me more than my friends, though!

Today we had a huge win. A couple of businesses that I’ve been working with closely assisted in closing a promising opportunity with a ton of potential. A large company I’ve been working with for quite a while signed a small contract to test our prowess and see what we can do for them. I’m forever thankful.

My friends cheered when they heard the news! It’s my closest friends who have been encouraging me this far, motivating me, supporting me, providing leads, and being there when I needed help. They’ve not asked for a cut and don’t expect a dime. They know that the second I have enough business to go around, we’ll be working together.

BossTweedTheBrains.jpgOthers took a different approach. The most disconcerting was a company who I care deeply about pulling me aside and questioning why I didn’t get their product into the sale. I was shocked at first, now I’m downright pissed. I’ve spent the last decade in Indianapolis making these businesses successful, helping them at no cost when they asked, and promoting them at every opportunity.

I didn’t promote them because I thought it was going to make me some money. I did it because I loved watching companies succeed, more people getting employed, and watching the region grow. They were my friends, and I like my friends to succeed.

With whom do you want to work? Do you want to surround yourself with people who are busy keeping score, worrying about what you owe them, or what you are going to get them? Or do you want to work with people who know that the better each of us succeeds, the better we’ll all be in the long run?

The truth is that I’m going to have a difficult time promoting that company the next time the right opportunity comes up. I now understand that they see me only as a tool to ‘get theirs’. That’s disappointing but I’m okay with it… I have plenty of other friends who cheered for me today.

I’ll make sure I take care of my friends first. Those people are who I want to work with.

Douglas Karr

Douglas Karr is CMO of OpenINSIGHTS and the founder of the Martech Zone. Douglas has helped dozens of successful MarTech startups, has assisted in the due diligence of over $5 bil in Martech acquisitions and investments, and continues to assist companies in implementing and automating their sales and marketing strategies. Douglas is an internationally recognized digital transformation and MarTech expert and speaker. Douglas is also a published author of a Dummie's guide and a business leadership book.

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