“Now That You’ve Listened . . .”
Now that we’re at the end of this book, I have a confession to make.
When we were trying to decide on a title, first we did all the usual research and legwork to try to identify a phrase that captured several important things.
Second, we wanted to have a title that sounded like me. I think we got that covered!
But a third component was something I feel strongly about. And that, for better or worse, is frustration.
I cannot tell you how frustrating it is for me to try to share all that I’ve learned with entrepreneurs and others who are looking to take their businesses to the next level—to try to share what I can with them, only to have them refuse in one way or another to take my advice to heart.
That’s frustrating as hell to me. I didn’t make the Forbes list because my name is Rockefeller. I am self-made and started out just like you. And, like the title of this book says, it makes me want to scream, “Shut up and listen!”
That’s not vanity. That’s not being self-indulgent. My ideas and strategies have worked for me and can work for you.
I’ve shared successful ideas and strategies that I’ve experienced in over thirty-five years in business. My job with this book is to help you grow your business and spare you from making costly mistakes.
And avoiding costly mistakes can boil down to remembering what my friends refer to as “Tilmanisms”—phrases and ideas that I say over and over:
“You might think you know what you’re doing, but I’m going to show you what you don’t know.”
“Be plappy.”
“Build a few hours or days into your schedule for the what-ifs. If I tell somebody I’m going to deliver something on this day, I’m damn well going to deliver it. I’m going to make that customer feel special.”
“Why is it so easy to say no when you can say yes?”
“There are no spare customers.”
“The biggest issue that small businesses face involves working capital, because they have to pay for everything up front.”
“When things are bad, eat the weak and grow your business.”
“Never put your lifestyle ahead of the growth of your business.”
“Know your numbers. Numbers don’t lie.”
“I can look at a business and its numbers and within a few minutes know if that business has the stuff to become really successful. It’s what I’m good at, and I know this.”
“Never become partners with someone who has the same skill set as you.”
“You’re trying to run a marathon, and you haven’t even shown me you can crawl.”
“No matter the circumstances, be the bull.”
“Consultants can consult you straight out of business.”
“Don’t show a head in the bed if it’s not there.”
“People who ask questions are often the smartest in the room because they have the humility to ask about what they don’t know.”
“Don’t ever think that your position is too high to teach others. Because I still teach every single day. And, just as important, I learn as much as I teach others.”
“By anticipating change, you don’t just change with the times—you change the times themselves.”
“One of the things about being a good leader is hiring people who are stronger than you, and if you hire people who are stronger than you, they’ll never take your job. They’ll help you keep your job.”
“You’re not out of business until you don’t have the last dollar to go out and buy product to make, until somebody comes and padlocks your door, or you can’t make payroll.”
And, of course, “Shut up and listen!”
Now that you’ve reached the end of all my preaching, it’s obvious that you also saw the value of shutting up and listening—a maxim we can all stand to use in both our businesses and our lives in general.
So, since you did shut up and listen, I now can shut up too.
And say thank you for letting me share what I know will be of value to you and your business—today, tomorrow, and in the years ahead.