6 Business Lessons Climbing Everest

I was fortunate enough to trek to Everest Base Camp, 5600 meters above sea level or 5.6km directly above you right now. what does this have to do with business and sales?

But what does this have to do with business and sales?

Imagine conducting business in a saturated market with many sellers and one product. That is Mount Everest, one product with many tour operators trying to grow a business with a niche set of customers.

My journey to Everest Base Camp commences in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal a thriving city famous for its temples but also busy trying to cash in on the ever growing mountaineering industry. 

The streets are littered with stores selling hiking equipment, hotel guest houses and tour operators.

Kathmandu is an impoverished city by comparison to many cities around the world including Melbourne Australia where I live. 

Despite its obvious infrastructure and social welfare challenges, the need to grow a business and make money to survive is pressing and urgent. 

The entrepreneurial spirit in these types of cities is alive and thriving. 

People are finding and adopting new ways to make money every day, like carrying my bags from the airport terminal to the car for a fee, shining shoes from dusty roads, taking a photo, being a guide, these people always impress me with their work ethic.

1. Customer Experience

In business we measure our success on the customer experience or NPS score. 

Placing the customer at the center of everything you do, making them feel important but also giving them assurance that as their partner you have everything under control is important to the relationship. 

We make our way to Kathmandu airport for the flight of your life to one of the most dangerous airports in the world, Tenzing Hillary Airport, Lukla.  

The runway sits at 9,400 feet on top of a 2,000 foot cliff and ends where the high mountain wall begins. Since the year 2000 there has been 7 crashes killing over 50 people.  

The flight between Kathmandu and Lukla must be timed with weather and wind and more often than not flights are grounded, sometimes for an entire day. Usually if you make it past flight check-in, you find yourself waiting on a bus on the flight tarmac for a window for takeoff. 

The tour operators and airlines provide a sense of assurance that all is under control. 

They constantly communicate and provide updates and reassurance as to what is happening at every moment. 

Despite the inherent concerns in the back of one’s mind, this is quickly dispelled as professional operators seek to alleviate any concern that might create a negative customer experience. 

Remember, the way they show up everyday is recorded only to be replayed at a later date on TripAdvisor, so every moment to delight the customer in vital.

The flight in a Russian twin engine plane is enjoyable, the rush of knowing that you are on your way to climb the tallest mountain in the world is adrenalin, once in a life time event. 

The thoughts of the flight and safety are quickly removed as you soak up the panoramic vista of the Himalayas. 

The approach to Lukla airport is a sharp 30 degree descent, remembering that the runway is only around 1729ft (526m) long and is actually sloping uphill at a gradient of 12 degrees. 

Effectively you are landing a plane up hill with a short runway with no where to go due to mountains flanking the aircraft on both sides.

We arrived at our destination, 8 days in front of us to reach Everest Base Camp. 

But how did we get here? 

What was the plan?

As an inexperienced mountaineer, this was really my first mountaineering adventure. 

In Australia I had spent little time hiking mountains and had decided to take on this adventure to follow in my father’s footsteps who had completed the same adventure in 1969.

My trip to Everest was during winter December/January, which attracts daytime temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius and night time of -17 degrees Celsius. 

It is generally blue skies throughout the day, however there is the risk of sudden snow storms and ice making trails slippery and dangerous. 

In addition to these risks are the potential threat of altitude sickness which will see people rescued via helicopter to Kathmandu. 

Altitude sickness or variations of it are common. In my 13 days I witnessed at least 2-3 helicopters a day rescuing mountaineers who succumbed to extreme migraines, fever or severe coughing. 

The trail is also very rocky and steep, so ascending and descending will place a lot of strain on muscles, joints, especially knees.

Naturally as I entered the unknown, my first instinct was to over plan.  

I researched every possible scenario, every piece of equipment, looked at every review, ranking of every product, price, quality and more before deciding on the purchase of my equipment list. 

Essentially I built an equipment list that ensured I would not freeze during the day or at night, boots and poles that would prevent slipping/twisting, first aid kit, safety equipment in the event of an accident, insurance for helicopter airlifts.

What I discovered when I arrived was varying degrees of planning, some on the fly, some detailed like myself.

Those that planned, survived and made it up and back in one piece, however those that didn’t paid the ultimate price of a helicopter ride out of the Khumbu Himalayan region to Kathmandu.

In business planning is important but often neglected, rushed or half baked. 

Without a plan, a map or guide on how to achieve your goals, you are like a mountaineer without a compass, constantly searching for North whilst travelling in circles.

I have always found that the more I planned in business, the more research conducted, the more time asking questions, speaking to customers, vendors, suppliers and partners and gathering information allowed me to achieve the sometimes and often impossible task of target achievement. 

Starting the year at zero with a new target, is like looking up at Mt Everest and thinking how is this possible.

Many will wing it, unplanned they will make there way up, seemingly progressing well without an issue until suddenly through lack of planning and preparations with the right tools and training, become unhitched and miss their number.

2. Partnership

As my guide and I departed the aircraft at Lukla airport, we were greeted by a group of Sherpas. 

We quickly met with the Sherpa who would form part of our team for the next 13 days.

The structure of our partnership was no different to how we structure our partnerships with customers in business. 

Two very different industries, technology and tourism, but ultimately operating the same.

I have always found in business as a sales leader, that my role was like a mountain guide, setting a course for my team to follow, guide customers and team along a path to the destination, removing any obstacles, mitigating risk, and delivering a positive experience and outcome at the summit.

You cannot operate alone and always need your team of specialists, operational and support members to assist with the areas where their strengths are unique and of greatest value to the journey.

This is where the Sherpa was vital in the mountaineering process. Not only are they experts in climbing mountains with heavy bags and little equipment, they are fully acclimatized to the mountain altitudes, know the path intimately and its dangers but also are specialists in mountaineering. 

How do you think Sir Edmund Hillary made it to the summit of Mount Everest, with his Sherpa and guide, Tenzing Norgay.

Then there is the customer an important part of the partnership process. 

Without the customer, you have no business. 

I think COVID 19 pandemic certainly demonstrated that without the customer, businesses cannot operate. 

The Nepalese people have felt the affects of the pandemic on trade as has the world. The year I made my journey to Everest, 2015, only 9 months earlier there was a massive earthquake in Nepal felt throughout the mountains and causing 18 deaths at Everest. See footage here at TIME. 

The obvious impact of these events on tourism and people's livelihoods is obvious and evident. 

The Nepalese certainly go above and beyond for their customers, ensuring not only their return but their recommendation in the hope to attract more tourism to their country.

In my experience a successful and rewarding relationship with a customer is built on partnership. 

Essentially operating as a team in pursuit of common goals and having some fun along the way is ultimately the formula to success.

Our partnership, customer/supplier on the mountain was strengthened everyday through communication. 

We would spend time talking along the trail, breaking bread morning, lunch and dinner and gradually developing a comfortable relationship that would see us laughing and having fun, all whilst still respecting the customer supplier relationship. 

3. Listen

How many times have you been accused of not listening?

We all know the that in business listening is in many ways more important than speaking. 

It is through listening that we learn from the experts, from our customers and people in general.

The trek to Everest is largely achieved through listening. 

There are many tips and advice provided by the guide and team that if listened to and followed will result in a successful trek. Below are some important lessons:

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is a common ailment that will see many mountaineers return by helicopter. 

Altitude sickness does not discriminate on your age or fitness levels which is why following the advice from the team is important. 

You will learn to rest at each altitude acclimatization stop, to rest and give your body time to adjust to the reduced oxygen levels. 

Surprisingly drinking 5 liters of water a day prevents dehydration and the onset of altitude sickness when taking Diamox. 

Ascending/Descending

The trail to Everest is very rocky in parts, heavy on the knees and ankles ascending and descending. 

The onset of muscle fatigue and soreness is a regular daily occurrence, however it is important to reduce the risk of injury otherwise it is a Donkey or Helicopter ride out of the region. 

I learnt actual techniques for climbing and coming down steep rocky paths without impacting my body. 

Amazing techniques that I teach people today back home that make such a difference.

The Amazing Race

Many people new to the Himalayas are eager to trek to the top as a fast as possible, like an episode of The Amazing Race.

Some want to prove their fitness by running up, others are not happy with waiting for slow hikers in the group, so choose to try and trek ahead at a fast pace. 

As you ascend, you lose oxygen at these altitudes which again leads to altitude sickness. 

The most important lesson I learnt ascending is that it IS NOT a race and to hike slowly as if you are strolling through a park on a spring day admiring the scenery. 

This need to prove to oneself that they are somehow strong and physically super fit only results in that helicopter ride I continually refer to back to Kathmandu.

?Didn't Listen

Well of course there are those that choose as always NOT to listen. 

Along the trek you would meet other hikers from other groups and hear about their lessons.

I met this one man from Western Australia who decided he didn’t need hiking poles but soon realized after falling or trying to climb some seriously steep passes that they were a necessity. 

He was of course young and thought he was strong and fit and was trying to prove something by not using poles.

He also decided to drink two cans of beer at 4000 meters for New Years Eve. 

He was warned of the dangers of alcohol, but of course didn’t listen and woke that night in -20 degrees Celsius, naked and sweating, over heating with a massive headache and fever. 

He was an hour from being sent home in a helicopter for risk of further issues.

I met a group of 4 men from Western Australia, on a fundraiser, all young, fit, footballer types, ready to conquer the world. 

At 4400 meters in a place called Dingboche, one of them was air lifted by helicopter with an eye infection, all from not listening, not wearing the appropriate safety equipment, arriving unprepared.

There were many other examples on this trek of intelligent and experienced people simply not listening, doing it their way, satisfying their ego resulting in sickness and ultimately evacuation.

Everyday there would be at least 4 helicopters, my guide telling me they were people being rescued. 

That is 40 people in 10 days who did not listen, plan or follow the instructions. People who spent months planning, training, investing in equipment only to never make it.

In business that is why it is important to always listen to people who are experienced and know what they are teaching.

I know we like to think we have the answers, or we don’t like to listen because we think we know better, but in reality listening is what gets us moving forward and achieving results, not the opposite.

How many times in business have you seen a plan fail? People spending time planning, training, investing only to execute without listening to the staff, the customers, partners, industry experts.  

4. Resiliency

Have you ever felt like quitting when the going gets tough?

Of course you have and we all do throughout life. 

When our jobs, our companies become all too challenging, we look for change, greener grass.

Being resilient in business is a quality every business is seeking in its team members. 

How many times during an interview have you been asked to discuss a time that was difficult and how you overcame the adversity.

Companies want to hire resilient people because they know business is not easy, there will be times when it is difficult and if all their staff suddenly pack up and leave, well they will certainly be out of business.

Adversity can even affect us daily as we try to close a deal with a customer. 

You may find the relationship with your customer particularly challenging, a deal that is seemingly taking forever to close brings about feeling of quitting, giving up.

The trek to Everest was challenging and there were many times where I questioned why I was there.

The excitement of arriving at Everest, closing that big deal was sometimes overshadowed by the freezing temperatures at night, the muscle soreness and fatigue, the affect of reduced oxygen.

But everyday, I focused my sights on the goal, no matter the obstacle I was determined to conquer them and reach the summit. 

It is this resiliency that you build within your mindset that delivers results. 

The same obstacles and challenges were still present everyday, but it was my mindset, how I decided to show up everyday and having goals, that resulted in achievement.

Certainly there have been many times where I have wanted to leave a company because of their issues, their management team, but I have remained resilient and focused and developed goals that have helped change my mindset. 

The problems and challenges still exist, but it is my mindset and how I choose to show up everyday that makes the difference for me, my team and my customers.

5. Small Steps

There are many important life lessons about taking small steps to achieve results or goals. 

The Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

There is definitely a lesson in business that small planned steps lead to great outcomes and rewards. 

By rushing, you may achieve but never to the level of a planned approach. 

A planned approach will often lead to additional business and opportunity sometimes missed through fast paced transactions.

The journey to Everest is about taking in the views, enjoying the scenery all of which could be missed if constantly rushing to get to the next stop. 

More importantly the need for small steps is actually the success formula of making it to the top without health complications.

We had made it to the final stop, a small village named Gorakshep, where we would set a course for Everest Base Camp and also summit a small peak, Kala Patthar. 

Both are around 5,600 meters, meaning that the oxygen levels are half that of sea level or where you are likely now, reading this article. 

This makes the journey incredibly difficult as your body attempts to walk with half the oxygen it is used to.

The feeling is total exhaustion.

In fact my trek to summit Kala Patthar was one of the most challenging fitness experiences of my life, equivalent to the last kilometer of my first marathon. 

Climbing that last 50 meters of Kala Patthar was extremely difficult, all I wanted to do was stop, but no matter the challenge, I was determined to make it in time for the sunrise over Mount Everest, an epic view of the Khumbu ice fall against the mountain range.

The sense of achievement arriving at both destinations was amazing, exhilarating and met with panoramic views, wonder and mystique and unity as the team celebrated the achievement. 

A year of planning, preparation, execution finally adorned in achievement.

6. Reflection

I have found in business that the biggest deals ever achieved with customers were accomplished through a long campaign of small steps. 

Assembling a team of skilled and motivated professionals, working with the customer on a journey to a destination was key. 

The small steps have always helped to learn and understand the customer’s business more intimately, to take in the scenery along the way and not miss important messages, information or insights that could help later. 

Sometimes if we rush a sale or business deal because we just want to get to the top, make our target, receive our bonus, you could simply lose the deal.

You could run out of oxygen, fall to altitude sickness and be swept away in a helicopter wondering where you went wrong, why the smaller competitor or other company won the deal, when you were certain you had it. 

Having clear goals and setting an intention everyday, choosing a mindset and adopting it each day builds resiliency during hard times. 

Being an experienced business person because of time spent in business or the companies you have worked for does not mean that being over zealous in pursuit of excellence will actually achieve results. 

The mountain demonstrated that the strongest do not always survive, that being over confident without a plan leads to failure in many cases. 

Taking time to listen, think, reflect and exercising a humble mind will lead to greater success as you take in new information and insights that will help you along the path.