The era of mean business is over.
Internet killed the hardball-playing jerk.
It no longer pays to drive a hard bargain.
Why do I say so? Two reasons:
- The abundance of information thanks to the internet
- and the abundance of choice in products and business partners
No More Secrets…
The internet and the flood of information that came with it has been a game-changer for the American business model. Today’s business world is too full of information and opinions for anything to stay a secret for long.
This abundance of information has negative consequences for mean people. Anyone who acts the jerk in business (or life in general) nowadays will have to face the music on facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. Mean people just can’t keep their meanness a secret for long.
Eeny, Meeny Miny, Mo
In this new, flat world, your pal in India (or Bangladesh, or Canada) can supply your business with whatever it needs. There is just too much choice in business to be a jerk! We have no need to put up with bad products or business partners.
My generation, Gen-Y, is especially aware of the abundance of choice and information. As my friend Brant Choate explains, if you are mean, boring, or incompetent, we’ll drop you in a heartbeat.
It Pays to Be Nice
How can you make sure you aren’t the jerk? How can you keep your customers (and colleagues) from trashing your name on the internet? I have just two bits of advice:
- Be Sincere: Fakeness has a certain odor to it that is instantly detectable and repugnant. If you are insincere, people will pick up on it and withhold information, business, and even friendship from you.
- Bring Something to the Table: No one likes a person who takes and never gives. If all you do is take, pretty soon the well will dry up and you will constantly be on the hunt for new “marks”: new people to use. Give abundantly and it has a way of coming back to you.
Bottom line: in today’s business world, mean people lose.
Tags: business strategy, Influence, information age
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I'm Damien Olenslager. I recently graduated debt-free from college and now work in the tax industry.
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