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It’s Only Common Sense: What Are You Afraid Of?

I admit that sometimes, when working with companies, I get frustrated by their fear of, well, everything. FDR once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and that statement is as true today as it was 90 years ago.

Over the years, I have compiled a list of things companies are “scared” of. In my opinion, most of them don’t make sense, and, in all cases, those fears have hurt the companies. It’s true; a lack of courage hurts those afraid to take risks and move forward. They seem terrified to be different.

These companies would rather play it safe, to stand still like that proverbial frog in boiling water. What is it? Fear of the unknown? Of being different? A fear of failure? I think the fear of failure is the worst reason of all. What are you thinking when you are so paralyzed with a fear of failure that you actually guarantee failure by inactivity?

I adhere to another adage: If you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough. If you are so scared to fail that you do nothing, your nightmare will come true. You will fail because in business, if you are not growing you are dying. There is no other way. Not moving means failure.

Here are some real-life examples:

1. You don’t want to highlight your key people on your website or others forms of advertising because you are afraid that another company will steal them. But, if you have a well-run company and you treat your people right, there is little chance that your people will be stolen. If you have created a great company culture where people can learn and grow to their own personal fulfillment, you have nothing to worry about.

2. You are terrified to share the names of companies you are working with because your competitors will steal them. Really? All your competitors need to know is the name of a company, and their work is done. Why don’t you ask your own salespeople about this? A name is a name. Knowing the name of a company is only the first tiny step in winning an order from that company. Putting the name of your customers on your website (if it's okay with them) is a great way to let people know the kind of company you keep and a true indicator of the caliber of your work. That reward is far greater than the risk of letting your competitor know who you work with.

If you’re a mil-aero company, we know you are working with Raytheon, BAE, and Lockheed. So what? How does that get them one step closer to stealing them from you? Don’t you think that Raytheon, BAE, or Lockheed have something to say about that? You have to earn your way onto these companies’ AVL. It’s not easy, and it’s not something you can do overnight. This applies to all your customers, not just the large and famous ones.

3. You send your newsletter out to 10,000 and three unsubscribe, so you stop sending out that newsletter. That makes no sense whatsoever. A few people who don’t want your newsletter is not a big deal. There are always going to be those who don’t like your newsletter. Who cares? It’s not enough reason to stop sending it out. Did everyone like Mr. Whipple, or all those Ford 150 commercials? No, but those ads helped those companies sell like crazy. So, have the courage to keep sending out your newsletters. In fact, make them even more controversial than they are now. You want people to know who you are. You want to be noticed, and you want to be found. That is the role of marketing, and newsletters are a part of that.

4. Your team has come up with a new way of producing PCBs. I remember when the first companies started nesting boards (more than one part number on a panel). Most of the rest of the industry screamed “foul.” The kindest of them said that this was unfair, while others said it was impossible, and yet even more laughed out of the sides of their mouths about what idiots their innovators were. They said it would never work. Guess what? Those who took the risk made it happen. Now, double-sided panels are worth $1,000 or more. Here’s an idea: Put five-part numbers on a panel and charge tooling for each of those part numbers. That panel gets expensive very quickly. Heck, you can even offer free tooling on a couple of those part numbers, and you end up with a very expensive panel.

There are just four examples of where fear struck out, and there are many, many more. It took courage for those companies to take those steps, but paid off in the end.

So, what are you afraid of? What is keeping you from having the courage to try something new? Always remember that a coward dies a thousand deaths. Stand up and be counted. Give it a try. Try something new and, frankly, not that dangerous. I guarantee it will make you a better company in the end. Keep up your quota of “mistakes” as well. The more things you try, the more mistakes you’ll make, and the more you will learn and grow.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.