The Secret Business Killer�By David Saint-Onge�

This article is a re-printed from the�March 2010� edition, as approved by the�

UP Business Today�

You ever taken time to seriously reflect on�how much your life has changed over the past�25 years? You no doubt remember the shuf-�fling Chicago Bears, led by quarterback Jim�McMahon, as they used William ‘the Refrig-�erator’ Perry to slam their way to a Super�Bowl victory. Or maybe the debut of the film�‘Pee Wee’s Big Adventure’ directed by some�unknown kid named Tim Burton. Or perhaps�you thought that gal with the new music al-�bum titled ‘Like a Virgin’ was just another�flash in the pan.�

A lot has happened in 25 years, least of which�is the evolution of technology. Remember the�old days of photocopying a section of a report,�taping it to a clean sheet of paper, then mark-�ing it up with a red pen and handing it to the�resident word-processing gal for typing? We�never knew we were the forefathers of one of�the most famous and remedial technology�tasks of the 21st century, as we now take for�granted the over-simplified double-click of�the mouse called, ‘cutting and pasting’. Good�times….good times!�

Certainly technology has made our lives won-�derfully easy. Back in 1985 we would never�have imagined the advent of a free worldwide�mail delivery system which we now know as�the world-wide web. Nor could we have�imagined we could talk to anyone, anytime,�from a handheld device the size of a salt-�shaker. And to sit on a park bench with the�option of listening to any one of 5,000 songs�we loaded onto a device called an iPod only�10 minutes earlier was laughable.�

Inasmuch as technology has made literally�every part of our lives and in many ways our�businesses easier, technology can be mi-�saimed and detrimental.�

Back in 1989, United Airlines introduced a�television commercial (http://�www.airodyssey.net/tvc/tvc-united.html) that�

presented the woes of technology. Now re-�member, back then technology was not what�it is today. In 1985 telephones and faxes were�the cutting technological trends of the day.�

The commercial opens with dozens of sales-�people sitting in a conference room as Ben,�the boss, strolls into the room. As a simple�hush comes over the room, Ben says to his�staff, “I got a phone call this morning from�one of our oldest customers. He fired us.�After 20 years he fired us. He said he didn’t�know us anymore. I think I know why. We�used to do business with a handshake, face-to-�face. Now it’s a phone call; and a fax. We’ll�get back to you later, maybe with another fax.�Well folks, some things have to change.�That’s why we’re going to set out for a little�face-to-face chat with every customer we�have.” One of the young staffers looks at Ben�as says, “But Ben, that’s over 200 cities”. Ben�replies “I don’t care”, as he starts passing out�airline tickets.�

This commercial struck a chord with me 21�years ago. So much so that when I contem-�plated my offering for this month’s edition of�the U.P. Business Today and its focus on�technology, I remembered this commercial�and the message it presented. To this day I�believe this message resonates loud and clear�to those businesses who have achieved suc-�cess. People do business with people they�trust. Personal service means a lot more than�lip service.�

There is no doubt technological advances�have made business far more mobile, flexible�and presentable than ever in our history.�From database management to email flash and�

website pizzazz, technology, when used cor-�rectly, can be the necessary infrastructure�most businesses need to compete in today’s�worldwide marketplace. But when used in-�correctly, it is expensive and blind, giving�business owners a false sense of security.�Misused technology is the silent business kill-�er.�

Business success comes as a result of know-�ing your customers and appreciating their�needs. When you take the time to reflect on�what your customers really want, and you�maintain a company that can meet those ever-�changing demands, success is yours. Small�startup businesses are quick to learn this rec-�ipe for success, because if they don’t they die.�For businesses who survive the early startup�days, the long-term key to their continued�survival is keeping this recipe close at hand�and never forgetting the live or die lesson it�taught us back when we first opened the doors.�

As you sit contemplating what ails your com-�pany in today’s economy, don’t forget the�simple ingredients that helped you reach prof-�itability: focused effort, personal service and�attention to detail. Yes, technology is king,�but use it wisely and with purpose.�

As the United Airlines commercial concludes,�Ben was asked by one of his young salesmen,�‘Ben, where are you going?’ to which Ben�replies, ‘to go see that friend who fired us this�morning’.�

By-line: David Saint-Onge is President and�Principal Strategist for Black Ink Assets�(www.blackinkassets.com), a business con-�sulting company that enhances organizational�performance, guides business growth, helps�businesses understand productive sustainabil-�ity, and serves business owners with effective�business exit strategy planning and imple-�mentation�.�

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