Uncomfortable Questions Written by Alvah Parker
How do you answer those questions that well meaning people ask you that really make you uncomfortable? You know kind of questions I mean? Recent graduates get asked, “Do you have a job yet?” Someone who has been down sized might hear, “How is your job search going?” People in new professional service businesses get, “How many clients do you have?” and new business owners are asked, “Are you making any money doing that?”Answering these questions can be challenging. Recently I talked to a prospective client who was asked how his job search was going. He told me he felt as though he wasn’t even doing a job search yet. He just needed time to think about what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to share his uncertainty with questioner who was a family member but he also did not want to be rude. How do you answer these and other potentially embarrassing questions without compromising your integrity? One thing that always amuses me is way politicians answer a question that isn’t to their liking. They just answer a question they wanted you to ask that may be half related to question that was asked. If answer is long winded enough maybe questioner forgets what he/she has asked originally. That works for some politicians but wouldn’t work for me. So what do you do to answer a question that you really do not want to answer? I think you need to be truthful in a kind way. If you know that at some later time you may really want to talk to this person about subject then say just that. “This isn’t a particularly good time to talk about that but as soon as I can I’ll give you an update. I really value your opinion.” Some questions you know you never want to answer. Unless you have a public company numbers associated with your business are private and do not have to be shared with anyone except your accountant or tax professional (in US). If someone asks you a question of that sort they have crossed a boundary and you will want to let them know it without sounding angry. Statements such as “I focus on my bottom line not on numbers of clients.” or “I am in business to make money.” give a partial answer to their questions on numbers of clients and making money. If that does not satisfy them then a full answer would be “The only people I talk about my businesses finances with are my accountant and bookkeeper.”
| | 5 Things You Must Do To Fail in BusinessWritten by George Meszaros
There are more books about succeeding in business then curse words on MTV. It is not easy to define what makes a business succeed, but it is easy to describe what makes a business fail. If you are starting your business or currently being miserably unsuccessful, you might want to read on. No doubt that most entrepreneurs want to succeed in business and I wont argue that failing is on top of do list for anyone. Here are five things you must do to fail in business. 1 You must want to become an overnight success. Isn’t it great to hear about some new product becoming an instant hit? Realistically, most overnight success stories take a lot more than one night of work. Think of any popular brand and think how long it took to create it. Even though things can happen quickly online, it takes a lot of testing and trying of what works for your business. 2 You must do it all alone. It takes a team effort to make any business successful. Even if you are only member of your business, be ready to listen to what others have to say, and keep an open mind.
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