Food from mouth to thought

It has been around a decade since I started my own business and in that time, it has managed to support me and my family through some pretty hard times. A little over three years ago though, I took on a second full-time job as a risk mitigation plan, as after so many years of difficult times and a lot of stress, a little "security" felt in order. It was a good move all up, as while I am working a lot more than before, I like the job, my colleagues and the money is pretty decent too. - I even get bonuses now.

What this has meant is that if anything happens on either side of the job front, I am going to be okay, at least in the short-term, as there will still be some incoming money. But of course, the insulation isn't infallible and under some conditions, there are "failures" - for example my largest customer and a very large company, hasn't paid me for about five months, and it is starting to mount up. The thing is, that while I am able to cover my life, businesses come with expenses too and these are starting to mount up also, especially in the tax department.

Well... I'll send another reminder.

But, this is the thing with security, it is never truly secure and that is why the "mitigation" is just that, a way to lessen the chances or reduce the damage done. Nothing is foolproof and I am a fool. However, at least with a little foresight, the situation isn't dire, because if this had been pre-second-job, I would have been well and truly up the creek. Right now, I can wear it with a grimace and cover it with other funds. Though I found out today that my well-earned bonus from my job might be delayed, as there are some internal process issues that need to be sorted out.

None of this is end of the world stuff, but I just don't like having so much debt obligation hanging over my head and bills trickling into the "late" category. I have lived far too much of my life like this and I notice the familiar dread creeping up my spine, even though I also know that this is a temporary situation.

Muscle memory is hard to shake - emotional pain more so.

Speaking of emotional pain, I have been taking part in a short sales course as part of my onboarding into the new role and it has been quite interesting, even though I am hopefully never going to be a salesperson again. The interesting thing is that while for me it seems pretty logical, a lot of the sales people who are taking part seem surprised, as if they have never considered the mindset of the customer before, let alone catered for their emotional pains.

Essentially how I see it is, just about everything is codifiable and once the code is cracked, applying a process that targets the weaknesses is relatively simple to develop. However, while this sounds manipulative (and it can be), it is actually what we do daily, it is just that most of us haven't built our ruleset well, nor are we systematic or consistent in our application of it. While never having to sell my services as it is sold via word of mouth and network, it doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention to people's decision-making processes and at the core, all are emotional, no matter how rational a person believes themselves to be.

In fact, I think the people who think themselves to be rational decision makers, think so at the emotional level, where they are emotionally attached to their view of themselves as rational. I think this is where the "rational actor" working in their own best interest falls down in the way many apply it, as they think that acting rationally means making the best decision. What it actually means is that we all make the best decision on the information we get, but this information includes how we feel about something, which means that while we are acting rationally in the moment from our subjective experience, we aren't acting rationally if observed objectively.

This is something to consider when we feel that what we have chosen to do "makes sense" because it could be an indicator to double check, just to make sure we aren't emotionally omitting pertinent information. For example, I see a lot of sales process (and many interpersonal interactions) like romantic relationships. When people are desperate or filled with desire, they are going to make different decisions than when they are not. For instance, when a guy is talking to a pretty girl he is interested in, he is more likely to overlook many of the flaws and warning bells that might say, this person isn't suited for you.

It is no wonder that so many people get into bad relationships in my opinion and while they blame the other person later when it all goes wrong, this isn't necessarily the case. If they had been paying attention, they would have recognized earlier some of the signs that there was incompatibility and moved on, no harm no foul.

It is the same in business and the challenge for people who sell well might be, whether they believe in what they are actually selling. One of the things I liked to hear in a sales meeting today talking about Q1 results and the goals for the rest of the year was, regardless of the numbers, integrity and excellence have to be the foundations of the process. And this is what any good process should include, as while the "sell" might get you what you want in the short term, it might not be the result you want in the long.

When it comes to relationships it might get a one night stand, but it doesn't mean it will be a lasting marriage. This is the same in SaaS business too, as getting the customer is one thing, but the vast majority of value a customer generates is made in the years after that sale and if there wasn't integrity at the start, a customer is very likely to opt-out early, maybe not even covering the cost of acquisition.

We all have to eat - but I believe how we get our food matters.

Taraz [ Gen1: Hive ]