Inconvenient dialogues

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Reading Time: 1 minute 24 seconds

An appointment is an arrangement to meet at a specific time and place.

Now, to my way of thinking, that involves two or more people agreeing to a date, a time and a rendezvous. However, certain parts of our wonderful NHS continue to send out letters claiming that an appointment has been made without first talking with the person involved.

They then post large and irritating notices in their clinics and waiting rooms that announce how many appointments patients have failed to keep in the last month, or the last year.

There is no breakdown detailing how many such broken “appointments” were unilaterally decreed by the NHS.

If I was running a restaurant and sent you an “appointment” for coffee and croissants at 8.30 a.m. on the 25th without your agreement I could hardly blame you if you decided not to come.

Why does the NHS think it is so different?

Perhaps the NHS believes our health would naturally be our primary concern. Indeed, in a recent poll it was placed first, ahead of wealth and happiness. However, on a day-to-day basis it often ranks lower than that.

If someone close to us is unwell we may postpone seeking treatment for a minor ailment of our own. Some people put off seeing the doctor, fearing the possible diagnosis. Others struggle into work despite being ill. So, clearly, health does not rank No.1 in all circumstances.

Those “broken” appointments may have been sent to someone who is out of the country, unable to read, otherwise incapacitated, or dead. How would the NHS know without trying to speak with the person in order to agree – rather than decree – an appointment?

Having a dialogue before setting a date and time would probably cost less in time and money than the all the subsequent rescheduling and the unused resources resulting from non-attendance.

Of course, the NHS is not alone in taking a cavalier and high-handed attitude. Too often businesses blame unreasonable and uncooperative prospects and clients instead of looking for the root cause of discrimination and displeasure. Too often the approach is ‘don’t bother me with the facts, I prefer my prejudices.’

Everybody loses, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Business suggestions
1) Talk to your prospects and your clients;
2) Don’t blame the customer when things go wrong;
3) Uncover the facts instead of making assumptions;
4) Seek feedback from those who are not your customers as well as folks who are;
5) Ask ‘how do I?’ rather than ‘why?’ – it’s forward looking and much more productive.

The value of a free gift

Words: 295
Reading Time: 0 minute 59 seconds

To be of value a free gift need not cost you very much, or anything at all, but it must have some value to the recipient. If it does not have this quality then it will be seen as worthless – or worse – whatever it may have cost you.

A very knight of this soft and sea-girt isle is seeking to develop some land close to where I live. As part of the “planning gain” he is obliged to offer he proposes donating land to the local primary school. However, the amount of extra land the school gets will still leave it below the minimum area deemed necessary for a school of that size.

From the school’s viewpoint the offer is seen as minimalist and mean-spirited. Moreover, it undermines their case with the local education authority for greater facilities, because their shortfall would be marginally less. If they accepted the gift they would actually be worse off.

This is clearly a case where the giver of the gift has completely failed to see it from the other side of the table. The gift is a poisoned chalice. It neither recognizes, nor solves the school’s problem.

And the giver has also damaged his own image instead of enhancing it. Rather than painting a picture of someone generous, open-handed and willing to contribute to village life, he comes across as a typical Scrooge; self-interested and miserly.

It’s marketing myopia all over again.

Business suggestions, for him as well as others:
1) Find out what the recipients value, do not just assume;
2) Connect the dots by showing how it feeds their dreams;
3) Make it freely available; do not impose pre-conditions;
4) The gift will change the relationship, make sure it’s to your benefit;
5) Go the extra mile; it’s not that far.

Sitting Pretty

Additional long-term capital would be welcome. It would surely act as a ready buffer against future shocks and yet more trying times.

But some clients are beginning to feel left out of the party as the rate of economic growth slows. As the total of taxpayers’ money being gifted to banks and financial institutions grows day by day they are tempted to cast an envious eye in that direction.

While I can appreciate the sentiment I regard the prospect as a siren song leading to potential tragedy.

Once such a comfortable cushion is in place it is all too easy to regard that as the solution: nothing more need be done. The company can now sit safely on the, albeit diminishing, cushion and watch as events pass by.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Either the cushion will continue to diminish until it disappears completely, leaving the company worse off than before.

Or the crisis will end and your competitors will be stronger and better prepared than you, having benefited from the hard lessons imbibed while weathering the storm.

Liners may carry lifeboats, but your chances are improved by learning to swim.

Depending on the benevolence of others for your own survival is never a good idea. Those that ride to the rescue today will, unlike the good Samaritan, impose their own conditions tomorrow – as the bankers will shortly learn.

Any coaching I give is directed towards each client learning the rules of the changing markets conditions, as they apply to him or her, and then working out his or her own solution, whatever that may be.

That may not sound easy, but this is not economic Armageddon, despite what the newshounds will tell you.

There is still plenty of business out there – at least as much as there was 2-3 years ago.

If you were in business then, you were probably doing nicely.

You still can be.

Once upon a time a wise King, concerned about the unrest and discontent among his people, invited them all to bring their burdens to him. He promised to listen and to help, if he could.

They came from near and far, each carrying his own burden, which they laid at the feet of the King. Then one after the other, each rose and told his story.

When the tales of woe were finished, the King spoke: “You have heard your neighbour’s story. If anyone wishes he may now exchange his burden for another’s.”

Silently his subjects looked around, then silently picked up his own particular burden and quietly walked away.