Serendipity in business

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Leanne Hoagland-Smith. | Provided photo~Sun-Times Media

This past business week was filled with serendipity. Several entirely different experiences happened that when united brought unexpected value and clarity. Let me please explain.

First I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Muhney, the inventor of ACT customer relationship management system (CRM) and now the CEO of VIPorbit. His new company has created what is truly Mobile Relationship Management system. During our extended conversation, he educated me as to what the word orbit means – sphere of influence.

Now for many, myself included, when hearing the word orbit, they may think of an elliptical path of some object hurling through space. Yet as that object passes other objects it has influence over those objects much like the moon to our planet earth.

Then I saw an article from my daily inbound news feed about “Content Curator.” Since I now have the habit of researching the origins of words for greater personal clarity, I discovered the curator is someone who cares. Curator is from the word curate meaning care or cure of souls.

In a LinkedIn group that was discussing what makes a good CEO, I was privately emailed by one member who said the following:

“The answers in the group I found rather standard as if reading from a textbook on ‘how to become a CEO’ and most lacked soul. I do not know if this makes sense to you.”

For me this made perfect sense, but for the majority of those who provided the esoteric knowledge this person shared, I am not sure if they would understand his insightful observation.

Finally when having lunch, I began reading a Kindle book off my iPhone entitled “Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life” by Richard W. Paul and Linda Elder. One statement in the second chapter stopped me cold.

“Critical thinking is not a social value in any society.”

As I thought about the essence of four events, influence, caring, cure the soul and critical thinking, I was reminded of the discussion in a roundtable on marketing and selling. One of the panelists, Dan Waldschmidt of DanWaldschmidt.com, said “We do not have a sales problem, we have a caring problem.”

People in business are busy attempting to increase sales and make a profit. Yet, in these efforts, sometimes possibly they have lost their ability to influence, to care, to cure the souls of others and to utilize their critical thinking skills.

If we accept these three buying premises,

• People buy from people they know and trust

• People buy first on emotion; justified by logic

• People buy on value unique to them

Then going after each sale without understanding how to influence; how to care; how to cure the souls of others and how to critically think, might be part of the reason for the continuation of uncertainty within the business environment.

Now some may think these remarks are too kinesthetic, too “touchy feely.” Yet those who know me, realize I am quite knowledge and not emotionally driven. I am always looking to find the real problem behind business challenges and not the symptoms that others miss identify as the culprit.

What would happen if we looked at the issue of increase sales with these four filters?

Influence Filter

• Where is my influence?

• What is my influence?

• Who do I influence?

• How do I influence?

• Why do I influence?

Caring Filter

• Where do I care?

• What do I care?

• Who do I care

• How do I care?

• Why do I care?

Soul Filter

• Where is my soul?

• What is my soul?

• Who sees my soul?

• How do touch the souls of others?

• Why do I care or want to influence the souls of others?

Critical Thinking Filter

• Where do I need to critically think?

• What type of critical thinker am I?

• Who can support me through a critical thinking process?

• How do I critically think?

• Why should I critically think?

Possibly for some in business these filters may have little to no impact. Yet if believe people buy from people, then possibly we may need to shift our focus, to think differently if the goals to increase sales, improve profitability and to build long term customer loyalty are to be achieved. Maybe all of what happens to us is truly not as serendipitous as it first appears.

P.S. Shout Out: 73rd St. Prime (formerly Kelsey’s in Schererville) and Parea in Valparaiso. Both have succulent entries and comfortable ambience.