My Family Grew This Weekend… Did Yours?
Our daughter, Jessica, said yes. Well, actually, it was the first time she said yes, because it was the first time that Bobby asked her to marry him. He is a ‘keeper,’ and we are all happy for them. He proposed to her wearing a Mets cap. I liked him from the minute we met him; I wonder, what took so long?
How about you? Did you wait too long to hire the best candidate to come into your shop?
The greatest asset any company has is its people. Doesn’t matter if you are a computer company, General Motors, or a glass company; it is people that drive the engine. You know it when you meet someone and say to yourself, “That guy would be a great addition to my company.” Don’t try to convince yourself that another person will come along. Don’t say that you don’t need him just now. A great employee will pay you back many times over. Hire that great person, and if necessary, let one of your weaker folks go.
A great employee is someone you can build around, just like a key player on a ball team. You want to start another crew, or a second shift, or start doing shower doors; don’t hesitate when the opportunity knocks. This person may not know the glass business, but you can see that customer service is top in his mind. Or that he is a great carpenter with magic hands and is willing to learn our industry. Do it, hire him.
A wonderful sales person calls on you, and she knows her product line and follows up on every request that you have. You say to yourself that she would be great working for you—then hire her. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know that she is interested in moving to your city, or that she is unhappy at her current job because of this or that.
The wonderful person doesn’t have to be a mechanic. He can be a sales person, or an office manager who will make comfort out of chaos, or a future partner to you, allowing you to plan your long-term future.
You are at a Home Depot buying some supplies, and you overhear a customer getting good advice on a project. Give the salesperson your card and ask him to come visit you. He may be a part-timer, just out of the army and looking for a full-time job. You are shopping your insurance to a couple of different brokers and one of the sales people really impresses you. This could be the person to call on insurance companies for you. Ask. You only need one or maybe two people per year to join your glass shop to develop into a first-class organization!
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by starting a conversation. Forget that your payroll will probably go up; this is the type of investment that you need. And don’t wait.