Sarah Palin's 3 Business Rules Of Thumb
Whether you agree with Sarah Palin or not, she has 3 things to teach us about proper business management.
#1 DON'T criticize your competitors . . . and then get caught doing the same thing.
Sarah Palin has been a vociferous critic of President Obama for his use of a teleprompter. OK, so that's her opinion. BUT WAIT . . . . . . During a recent Tea Party speech when when she mocked Obama for teleprompters AGAIN, closer inspection of a photos and video footage of that speech reveal that Sarah had her crib notes written on the palm of her hand.
Good little business boys and girls know that when you point one finger at someone else, you've got 3 more fingers pointing right back at you. Always monitor what you perceive to be your competitors weaknesses, but do not openly make statements about those things. Competitor observations are best kept locked in those secretive strategy meetings.
#2 . . . be careful who your friends are!
Didn't your mother tell you that? Your personal and business reputations are tied directly to those whom you hold close around you.
Well, Rush Limbaugh shook up the system with his crude and unnecessary "retard comments" - first of all using that derogatory word in the first place, and secondly calling loudly for a "Retard Summit at the White House." Sarah Palin - I'd consider her in the business of running for office again - could have made one of two choices. She could have said or done nothing at all as there was no particular reason for her to comment on Limbaugh's Wednesday show. Or Sarah Palin could have gone out of her way, into a conversation that didn't particularly concern her, and embrace those comments with open arms.
Palin chose option #2. She said, in reference to the current party in the White House, "They are kooks, so I agree with Rush Limbaugh." While that may indeed be her opinion, saying that OUT LOUD puts her directly into the firing range that Limbaugh created for himself. Why do that?
Good little business boys and girls tend to their knitting. They mind their manners and watch, VERY CAREFULLY, what they say and who they associate with.
#3 Solve problems quickly, even if it is just a PR problem
How long should it take for Sarah Palin to sign books for 300 families who had waited for her for over 7 hours outside in the frigid winter weather?
Here's a better question: how long does it take for the 200 cameras in the crowd to record videos like this and post "their perception" of that situation all over the Internet?
Good little business boys and girls make every reasonable effort to resolve poor customer experiences QUICKLY. With websites like Yelp and many others, consumers are more apt to want their voices heard.
What perception of YOUR brand do you want your customers to broadcast? Refusing to solve problems quickly can lead to direct, but cleverly veiled mockery.
I hope you don't want to be the next cover of Vogue . . . . .
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