Entrepreneurial Lessons from unlikely sources

It is often said that as Start-ups or new businesses, we should seek out mentors that have walked our paths and learn from their journey, and I am a huge proponent of that, but where else can we find lessons or inspiration. They are all around us. Here are a few examples of the most unlikely places you can find entrepreneurial lessons, Doctors, Hairdressers, Car Guards.

Doctor

I recently visited my Doctor and as I walked in, he said, “I haven’t seen you in a while, I think it’s been 6 years”. He inquired about my wife, and our kids, and even knew their names and what age they might be now. 

I don’t for a second imagine that I am so important to him that he remembered that by himself, he obviously has a folder with all my medical history and then also has some personal information. He has taken a few seconds before I came in to familiarize himself with my details, but it does make a difference. It is nice to sit across from someone who even on the surface, knows me. 

This can be used in client service and business development. Knowing your client and being interested in them can set them at ease and can open them up to the possibility of doing further business with you. 

People buy people. As good as your product or service is, decisions are still made by humans who often must choose between more than one supplier. All things being equal, they will choose the person they connect with better.

Practical tip: Have a database of client details and add small details after every meeting. If in the initial banter they talk of their hunting trip they just had, or the stress they are feeling with their kid in Matric, then note that. Bring it up subtly in your next encounter.

Hairdresser

Successful hairdressers are good at small talk, making you feel better than when you walked in, some even suggest new hairstyles that they believe would work for you, but the really good ones also up-sell very well.

You walk in thinking that you are there for a short period to get your usual “reset” back to factory settings. Sometimes it feels like that, you feel brand new when you walk out, and then it is all downhill from there because you can never make it look as good, until you visit again.

But the really good hairdresser up-sells all the time. Adding highlight, tints, shampoos, gels. Before you know it, you are leaving there having spent twice as much as you had budgeted for.

Practical tip: You should always be aware of what else you may be able to offer your customer. In a B2B situation, spend 30% of your meeting time selling your company or the product you were asked to pitch on, and then listen. Ask good questions and see where else you can offer value. They have already shown their trust in you, you may as well offer them more. 

Car Guard

In South Africa we have a particular occupation that is fairly unique. We have people who stand around in car parks at shopping centres or on the streets, and who effectively offer the service of looking after your car, in exchange for a tip. It is taking begging and adding a little bit of value-add to the offering.

So what can a car guard teach us about business. Here is what I think they do very well.

As you get out of your car after parking, the car guard will greet you in order for you to acknowledge and recognize that they were there when you parked. On your return, they once again greet you as you approach your car. They try and navigate your exit, and then they position themselves to accept the tip. They hardly ever stand on the wrong side of the car, and they make sure that they are in your eye line and accessible to pay. 

Practical tip: Ensure you are in your client’s eye line. We often imagine that our clients know about us, we spoke to them a few months ago, they will contact us if they need us, but they are busy with a lot of other stuff. Drop them the occasional mail or phone call to remind them that you are around. I’ve often picked up a brief after a routine courtesy touch-point.

Make sure that you are easy to pay. It sounds simple, but some start-ups don’t make that process smooth and easy. By the time the client is ready to pay, don’t have them ask for banking details, invoices, statements. Send them the details so that you take away every excuse for not paying. 

There would be many other examples of lessons from unlikely sources. Let me know what you’ve learnt from non-traditional sources. Either direct message me or leave a comment.