The other day I was speaking with Bill, a private investigator who lives in my town. He’s like the Magnum P.I. of Maine, only he drives a bright teal blue Camaro not a red Ferrari. He told me a fascinating story about when he got started in the business.
A client hired him to tail an employee who was out on disability and was believed to be committing insurance fraud.
Basically, follow the guy around on his day to day activities and take photographs of him doing things he was allegedly medically incapable of doing.
Bill used his very loud (not just in color but also the engine) Camaro to tail the suspect around town that day.
He came back to the client’s office at day’s end with photos, and a list of everything the guy did that he shouldn’t have been capable of doing. (Lifting heavy bags of mulch at the garden center, carrying 2 by 4’s at Home Depot and even working out at a gym.)
When he reported back to the client, his client admonished him about using such a conspicuous looking car to tail the guy with, saying “You got lucky, do it again tomorrow.”
The next day he came back with more photos and another whole list of pretty strenuous activities the dude was engaging in.
The client said “You got lucky, do it again tomorrow.”
So Bill did it again, five different days in that same bright blue noisy Camaro just to prove a point to his client.
The point he was proving bears repeating and holds a HUGE lesson for everyone in business.
It’s all about tactics not optics.
In Bill’s case, it’s not about the vehicle it’s about the investigator.
As you’ve heard me say often when it comes to my hobby of archery “It’s not the arrow it’s the archer.”
The lesson: It’s about using the right tactics way more than optics.
Results don’t hinge on what your tools look like nearly as much as they hinge on how YOU use those tools.
For a private investigator, using sound surveillance techniques matter way more than the appearance of your vehicle.
For business leaders, the same holds true. Your approach and tactics matter way more than what your tools look like.
- With the right copy, ugly websites can make a lot of sales.
- Handwritten notes, can make more of an impact that a fancy mass text message campaign.
- Sitting down face to face with an employee beats Skype.
- An in person meeting can bear more fruit than the best webinar.
Disclaimer: As long as you have the RIGHT approach to each of the above.
The right approach to growing your business on solid ground is precisely what I address in the August issue of my Yesterday’s Underdog newsletter. It’s filled with evergreen strategies. In other words, an approach that works for you week after week… month after month… year after year… virtually UNCHANGED.
You’ve only got 72 hrs to get access to the gold contained in this issue before I turn off the shopping cart and you miss it for good.
Join us here to sharpen your approach: http://www.yesterdaysunderdog.com
P.S. After Bill and I were done chatting he was meeting a prospective client at the coffee shop. I’ll tell you what I learned observing the first 7 seconds of that conversation tomorrow…