Everything I know about scaling a business I learnt from Santa.
I really enjoy extracting business lessons from weird places and it all started years ago when a colleague mentioned the book “Everything I know about business, I learned in kindergarten”.
Set yourself up for an incredible New Year with these 12 lessons every business leader could learn from the big fat man in red…
1. DELIVER ON TIME – Would we still believe in Santa if he missed a year, or came late?
2. BUILD YOUR DATABASE – Santa makes a list and checks it twice. Most businesses don’t even have a list
3. EVERYONE LOVES A GIVER – Don’t be a taker. Move the free line, and win your prospects over with your generosity.
4. HIRE A TEAM OF HARDWORKING PEOPLE TO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD – Santa gets all the glory, but the elves work hard to make it all look easy. Maybe you need to hire some hard working, talented elves next year (think local, outsourced or offshore)
5. QUALIFY HARD – Do you grade your prospects and clients? Santa even grades KIDS either naughty or nice! Which of your clients has been nice? Which ones have been naughty? You know what to do…
6. TEACH YOUR CLIENTS HOW TO TREAT YOU – Every kid knows to leave out Milk & Cookies for Santa, and leave carrots for the reindeer. Do your clients know how to help you?
7. LIMIT ACCESS – Santa’s got things set up, so you can’t get him on the mobile, or just see him whenever you want. Toy have to send your request to an obscure PO Box in the North Pole. Are you too easy to get?
8. LEVERAGE – Santa has a team of body doubles who have been working the crowds at every shopping centre on the planet for the last 4 weeks. (While the real Santa sips margaritas by the pool at his condo)
9. SELF-PROMOTION & COSTUME – If he just wore regular clothes, he’d be no big deal. Do you have a uniform that makes your brand standout?
10. RUN SPECIAL EVENTS – He’s the original Product Launch Formula guy. He builds massive anticipation and even gets your kids counting down the sleep until the big day.
11. GET OTHERS TO TALK YOU UP – His PR elves get everyone talking about Santa, so he never has to talk himself up.
12. BUILD A BUSINESS THAT GIVES YOU FREE TIME – With all his body doubles and the team of elves, Santa really only works a couple of days a year.
Which of Santa’s business lessons will you focus on next year to help scale your business?
Sean Martyn