This past week seems to have been a turnabout week for some people. There are many companies that we have always tried to do business with over the years. But for some reason or not, we have never been able to do so. Some reasons why could be that executives always think they know best, want to give business to their cousin who just started his own business. The best one I have heard in the last year was our company was not owned by a women, was not minority owned and was not owned by a veteran.
So they would not do any business with us but would do business with a major telco carrier and a very large catalog company. On Sunday I received an email out of the blue from this executive at this company, asking if we could have coffee on Monday. I thought he finally came around and wanted to work with us. But I got to the meeting and then found out he was fired along with his staff. He wanted to reach out to me for my connections to help him find another job.
Coffee lasted around 4 minutes until I said “I tried for three years to get one meeting with your company and you turned your nose up at me every time. Now you want my help, well one thing you need to remember. I never forget” Then I got up and walked out.
After the meeting I got wind that he applied for position at a local company of which the CIO was a good friend of mine. He wanted me to put in a good word for him.
This should serve a good message to executives; you should always return calls and emails. Take time to meet with people and hear what they have to say. That time will come and you will never know when you might need someone’s help with a new job or even a project.
This morning the new CXX of this company called me in for a meeting and lunch. He said the staff was fired because of who they did business with, over priced and needless outsourcing. They spent was too much money and had no ROI on anything they purchased. The new CXX wants to save money, reduce cost and wants my help.
Everything comes full circle.
Has your business come across businesses like this? How did you overcome this problem? Do you think this is just a Fortune 500 problem or does it reach down to the SMB market?
Have you had many people call you looking for help or a job? Where these people the same ones who would not talk to you?
