Beware the slippery slope

Your competitor has talent on his roster. Talent, which you think would look good on your side. So, you decide to make a pitch. You invite the coveted “talent” for coffee and suggest that the grass is greener.

Surprise, the “talent” says he is very satisfied with his current position and that he has no intention of leaving.

Now what?

Guaranteed that the “talent “ is going to report the recruitment and any proprietary information that you divulged back to his Boss. By attempting to lure the “talent” you are suggesting to the market that you current roster needs improvements (not good for staff morale) Moreover, the door is now wide open for the competitor to come after your staff.

Whoops, you’ve just clamored up a very slippery slope!

If you are thinking about stealing “talent” you had better be sure your target is unhappy with his current lot. Underestimating your competitors corporate culture and staff loyalty, can lead to trouble.

If “talent” approaches you by all means recruit and improve your team. Attracting talent is paramount for any entrepreneurs’ success. But don’t get obsessed with the players on the other team. In the end you are probably best served to support and nurture you own talent and avoid the slippery slope.

Err on the side of Fun

My business partner likes to say “Err on the side of fun”. Kevin likes to have a good time. In both business and personal, it’s good advice. Looking to feel more connected to your family, goof around in the basement, play Wii together or go jump around in the local swimming pool. Want to feel more connected to your clients, take them out for some fun.

Last weekend the Wolfgang Team and one hundred and fifty clients went out for some fun. We hosted a private screening of the new DreamWorks movie Megamind. We picked up the tab for movie and the treats. It was a great family event. Parents and kids loved the movie and had fun.

The Megamind event was our way of saying thank you to our valued clients. The event was very casual; no hard sell, just a great time. For me, the best part was having a laugh with our guests as they entered the theatre. It was great to touch base outside of work and meet the families.

Will the event generate some immediate business? Probably not, our business is seasonal not much painting goes on in the winter. Generating business was not the point, saying thank you was. But, I believe that people want to do business with good people. So, come spring, when our clients look to tender their paint jobs, they will probably remember that they had some fun with the Wolfgang.