Sep
Supporting Talent
There was a very personable fellow who had a thriving new business. He had that asset of being instantly likeable. That is a huge bonus for a businessman who deals directly with customers.
Unfortunately, this friendly fellow had some bad habits. On a handful of occasions, he invited female customers into the back room and then got a bit frisky. His advances were not subtle. That cost him several customers. The friendly little man also had a penchant for getting into disagreements with people, once he knew them for a while. These disputes were trite, but they cost him customers and goodwill. People would forgive him because they liked him, and every time he made them regret it.
The man could make friends and get customers, but he could not keep them. The time came when he had more ex-customers than he had customers. The man also had a rather unpleasant reputation. His sold his business and moved away.
A talent is a wonderful thing. It cannot live alone, Talent must be backed with other assets. Had our former friend backed his talent with respect, a more cordial relationship with friends and an eye toward keeping customers, he might be doing well today. His example shows that a valuable asset might not survive disgusting attitudes.
If you have some wonderful talent, ability or trait, make sure you support it with good attitudes and good assets. By backing your finest asset with your best, you assure continued success.
