Are You Running a Communist Business? Part 1

I have just finished reading a post from Perry Marshall titled “Epiphany in Communist China.” He made a few very interesting comparisons, which I wanted to share with you, adding my two “sense” of course.

First of all, he likens Chinese propaganda (“In the newspapers, the only thing you can be sure it true is the date”) to business press releases. Secondly, he draws attention to interesting parallels between communist government policies and business policies.

Which encourages me to pose a question for all the movers and shakers in business out there: are you running a communist business?

While Marshall only mentions press releases, propaganda can be found in advertisements, websites, articles and many other sources. Are you telling the truth when you talk about your products and service?

When we are dealing with other business people, it is not uncommon to wonder if we are “being had.” Our first instinct is to never trust a salesman, because you just know they are trying to pull something over on you. If this is your first impression of the people who you deal with, it begs to question how other feel when they are dealing with you as a business leader.

I work for a company called Flexible Solutions that manufactures a liquid solar pool cover. We often come across customers who are worried that we are offering a ’snake oil’. Honestly, if you can’t see it, smell it, taste it or feel it, who’s to say that there really is a liquid pool cover protecting a pool from heat loss and wasted energy? Trust me, I am not a stranger to skepticism. And I know I am not the only one out there.

We have based our company image as the Liquid Pool Cover Experts who actually provide proof. We offer test results, testimonials, safety data and 15 years of accumulated experience. Still, people are not always sold. Why? Because there are others out there making claims that they cannot support.

Are you having this problem? When you offer premium support, service and products, do your customers waver because they have had less than satisfactory experiences in the past? How do you combat a reputation that is not yours? How do you present an image of truth, trust and reliability? How do you prove that you are not just spouting propaganda?

I’d love your feedback and stories, so please leave comments and / or send me a message.

In Part 2 I will talk about the parallels between Communist government policies and some business policies.

If you’d like to read the original article, you can find it here: http://bit.ly/18rssE