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It’s Only Common Sense: 20 Lessons in 20 Years—A Career in Common Sense

It’s been 20 years and 1,000 columns since I published my first monthly edition called “It’s Only Common Sense” on Sept. 5, 2005. I had only written 10 columns when I realized I couldn’t be confined to once a month. I simply had too much to say. So, on July 31, 2006, I started writing once a week, and let me tell you, that’s a lot of Mondays spent thinking, listening, watching, and writing about this wild, brutal, and beautiful industry we call the printed circuit board business.

When I started this column 20 years ago, I made a promise that there would be no fluff or spin; just real talk for real people trying to sell, lead, and survive in this business. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of walking through hundreds of shops, listening to thousands of stories, and seeing what works and what doesn’t. So, in honor of the 1,000th column, here are 20 rapid-fire lessons—one for each year earned in the trenches. No theory. Just common sense.

Lessons 1–5: The Customer Rules the World

1. They don’t have to buy from you: You earn it every time, with every quote, call, and board. Entitlement is the first sign you’re about to lose them.
2. Trust builds slowly and vanishes quickly: One missed delivery can kill five years of goodwill. One hidden defect can end a relationship forever.
3. Be easy to work with: People don’t leave good suppliers; they leave headaches. Your job is to make their jobs easier. Every time.
4. Return calls promptly: I’ve seen companies win major contracts simply because they responded within 10 minutes while the competitor took two days.
5. Never badmouth the competition: It makes you sound small. Sell yourself on strengths, not by tearing others down.

Lessons 6–10: Sales Is the Lifeline

6. Sales fixes everything: You can’t cut your way to growth. Sales is the engine, and you had better be running full throttle.
7. Your best salesperson is probably the one answering the phone: Train everyone to sell, because your receptionist might be a customer’s only human contact.
8. The phone still works: Emails are easy to ignore. A phone call, especially an honest, helpful one, still moves the needle.
9. Show up in person: I’ve seen million-dollar accounts saved by a surprise factory visit. Presence matters more than PowerPoints.
10. Know your product cold: You can’t sell what you don’t understand. Technical confidence closes deals. Ignorance kills them.

Lessons 11–15: Culture, Leadership, and the People Factor

11. The shop floor knows the truth: If you want to know how your company is doing, ask those running the presses, not the people running the spreadsheets.
12. Excellent leaders listen more than they talk: The best owners spend their time asking questions, not giving speeches.
13. You build culture in the breakroom: If your team dreads coming in on Monday morning, no amount of strategy will save you.
14. Hire character. Train skill: Every disaster I’ve seen started with someone who had the right resume but the wrong attitude.
15. Praise in public. Correct in private: This one simple rule builds loyalty faster than any bonus plan.

Lessons 16–20: What Matters Most Now

16. Adapt or die: Technology changes and markets shift. What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow. Stay curious, scrappy, and keep evolving.
17. Integrity is your final competitive advantage: In a world of shortcuts, fakes, and excuses, doing what you say you will do every time is your rarest and most valuable asset.
18. This business will humble you: I’ve seen empires collapse and tiny shops survive, brilliant ideas fail, and simple strategies win. There’s no formula, just grit, care, and consistency.
19. Writing this column taught me more than any MBA: To write truth, you must seek it, ask better questions, pay closer attention, and get over yourself and listen.
20. I’m not done yet: This may be my 1,000th column, but I still believe the best one is the next one. As long as boards are being built and people are trying to build them better, there’s something worth writing about.

Thank You and Keep the Flame Alive

I don’t take a single reader for granted. Whether you’ve been with me since column #1 (titled “Stop Analyzing and Start Selling”) or have just found your way here, thank you. For caring about this industry. For showing up every day. For trying and trying again when it doesn’t work the first time.

To my colleagues, friends, clients, editors, and fellow road warriors: You’ve made this journey unforgettable. You’ve shared your shops, your scars, your wisdom. You’ve let me tell your stories, and I’ve tried to do them justice.

To the next generation: It’s your turn now. Keep the flame alive. Say what’s true. Do what’s right. And if you ever doubt yourself, just remember it’s only common sense.

Here's to the next thousand.

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