Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, January/February 2014 | Page 37

Emerson famously wrote, “If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.” True enough, but since he hadn’t tried it himself, Emerson did not realize who those pathbeaters were. Maybe a few want to buy your mousetraps, but many more want to sell you something they claim you need, or instruct you on moral and legal obligations you may or may not have as a business owner. Or they just want to tell you a story that means more to them than to you. They know someone who tried what you’re doing and succeeded . . . or failed, or got indicted, or developed a drinking problem. Again, you’ll have to say “no” a lot. Sometimes you’ll need to say it immediately after the other person’s “hello.” Or, in some extreme cases, even earlier. So … 5. Sometimes a little arrogance is a good thing. If other people could do what you do as well as you can, they’d be doing it, wouldn’t they? But openly displaying arrogance turns people off. What you want is quiet confidence: I’ve done things like this before; I can do this, too. I know you want what I can give you. This attitude is the sure cure for writer’s block and speaker’s terror, too. Speak quietly and modestly, but walk with assurance. But also remember: 4. Take all the good advice you can get, but remember that no one knows your business better than you do. A baseball player knows he’s in a slump when cab drivers who couldn’t make their high school team are giving him hitting tips. He knows he’s in a bad slump when he starts listening to those tips. The most useful information comes from people who have done something very similar to what you’re trying to do. Remember: 7. You still need to depend on other people. You’re free, free, free, but all those things you are responsible for and don’t want to do have to be delegated to other people. You’re not going to be good at everything, nor are you going to have the time and energy to do all the things you’re good at. And you’ll still need people to critique your drafts, help you debug computer code, fill in gaps in your expertise, introduce you to new clients and prospects – and so on and so on. A NA L Y T I C S 6. You still need to please other people. You can usually disengage from a client with less difficulty and cost than you’d incur in leaving an employer, and you get more of a choice of teammates, but you still have to do things you don’t like in order to keep clients and colleagues happy. And … J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 014 | 37