Category: Entrepreneurship

If the NFL were more like other industries

Posted on by Brian Lee

The NFL is really an oddity in a business sense. The primary example of this is that it’s exempt from antitrust laws, otherwise it couldn’t control the amateur draft, salary cap, free agency restrictions and TV rights the way it currently does (by colluding).

After the Green Bay Packers signed QB Scott Tolzien, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers–the Packers’ first opponent of the season–it got me thinking: what if the NFL were more like other industries?

The Packers signed Tolzien for one reason: to pick his brain about the 49ers’ offense (and defense, to some extent). In the real (business) world, the 49ers would have made Tolzien sign a non-compete and non-disclosure document.

If you think about that, having non-competes in the NFL, or any other sport, would be really weird. There wouldn’t be any more trades, and free agents would be on the market for minimum one year as they wait for their non-competes to expire.

And regarding the non-disclosure, Tolzien is in a tough spot. If he rats out his old team, he extends his career by at least another week (he’s currently still on the practice squad). If he doesn’t talk about the 49ers, he’s out of a job.

That’s why the NFL is an oddity in business.

A customer’s first impression

Posted on by Brian Lee

I shopped at the Home Depot on Sunday. As I grab my cart, the greeter told me that I could use a cart that she had already pulled out. From my vantage point, I could only see one cart, and a couple ahead of me was taking it. I responded to the greeter that that cart was already being taken.

She in turn said that there was another cart up ahead. I said, “Oh I didn’t see it” and walk toward it, and as I did, she exclaimed, “Oh. My. God!”  in a way that meant, “How could you not see the other cart?!”

I was annoyed, but I took the high road and walked away. In any type of business, customer service is paramount, perhaps more so than your marketing and PR efforts. This was the first person from Home Depot that customers encounter, and she was quite rude. This anecdote is not meant to pick on Home Depot; rather, it’s to remind businesses to always make your customers feel welcomed, not stupid.

The importance of networking offline

Posted on by Brian Lee

I network a lot. I’ve even given three presentations on how to network. I always recommend that meeting people in-person will bring you more success than meeting online. Of course, I supplement my networking through social media tools like LinkedIn and Twitter, but nothing beats face-to-face interaction.

That’s because it’s easier to develop the rapport or relationship you need to do business with someone, provide a referral or offer job leads. I can’t imagine doing any of these things without having met someone, just like you wouldn’t marry someone without first going on some live dates.

Put another way, every consultant or business offers essentially the same level of service (don’t kid yourself). When you’re at a networking event, you’re not selling your services; you’re selling “you.” That’s how people decide on which accountant, lawyer, financial planner and yes, PR consultant, to hire.