The Advice They Never Give You in Business (But they should.)

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Was explaining to someone just starting out in business about business travel, and it occurred to me – I was giving a piece of random advice NO ONE ever gives out – Tons of people give you “Traditional” business advice, but never the stuff that really helps you when you’re in the thick of it and need all the help you can get. So please, help me contribute to this in the comments. There should be a definitive list, and I’m going to make it.

Remember – Add your advice for business newbies in the comments!

  • A well-palmed $20 can get you and the client you’re trying to land out of 80% of the “Waiting for a table” you’re forced to do, and one well-palmed $50 can usually handle the other 20% Keep both NEW bills neatly folded in your wallet or purse at all times.
  • It’s never too early to join a frequent flier program, and it’s never too early to pick an airline to which to stay loyal.
  • People worth paying special attention to in your first job include your boss’s secretary, the person who books corporate travel, and the tech support guy. By “Special attention,” I mean remembering their birthdays, knowing their kids’ names, and genuinely taking an interest in their lives.

Caveat: The people above will totally see through you if you’re not genuine, and you’ll be even more screwed than if they never knew you.

  • Stay humble. Stay humble. Stay humble.
     
  • If you have the option of “going out with the sales guys for just one drink” the night before your first day at your first trade show, or going up to your room and going to sleep early, go up to your room early. In fact, this usually applies to almost every trade show you attend, not just your first. If you must go out and rage, save it for the last night, drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink, and have an escape plan, like a red-eye flight at 10:30pm you simply can’t miss.
  • Always be willing to listen to anyone who wishes to offer you advice. But be choosy as to whose advice you implement. Not everyone looks out for your best interest in the office, or in life.
  • For the first few years of your career, if you have a choice of making your boss or yourself look good in front of the top boss, go with your boss. If your boss is a decent person, he’ll remember that and count on you as an ally, and as he grows, so will you. If he’s a douche, you’ll learn, and not make that mistake again.

Got one I missed? Post it below.

Join the discussion 55 Comments

  • The next time you’re tempted to yell at a Customer Service rep, take a deep breath, force yourself to smile, and rehearse this script: “Hi there (first name,) I’m (first name.) I’m pretty upset about a problem but I know it wasn’t your fault… In fact, I’m hoping you can be my personal superhero and fix this for me.”

  • And my favourite piece of advice for would-be entrepreneurs? Income is irrelevant. it’s all about cash flow. You can’t pay your mortgage or a grocery bill with Account Receivables.

  • Jaimie Field says:

    an oldie but a goodie: When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always pick kind. — Dr. Wayne Dyer

  • Jaimie Field says:

    an oldie but a goodie: When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always pick kind. — Dr. Wayne Dyer

  • Jaimie Field says:

    an oldie but a goodie: When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always pick kind. — Dr. Wayne Dyer

  • Jaimie Field says:

    an oldie but a goodie: When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always pick kind. — Dr. Wayne Dyer

  • Jaimie Field says:

    an oldie but a goodie: When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always pick kind. — Dr. Wayne Dyer

  • Pat says:

    Learn to control your own technology for your website (hopefully it’s a Self-Hosted WordPress site) vs putting it in someone elses hands. The more you know what options are available the better you can scale and grow your business. The learning curve may be frustrating, but I promise it will be well worth it!

    • Kim says:

      Or… learn how to use Visual Studio so you aren’t trapped by a CMS.

    • melissaward says:

      There is something to be said for delegating though. Yes, know what’s entailed, but you don’t need to be an expert in everything to run a business. I hate book keeping, mangled it for years – finally got smart and got an expert on my team.

  • Pat says:

    Learn to control your own technology for your website (hopefully it’s a Self-Hosted WordPress site) vs putting it in someone elses hands. The more you know what options are available the better you can scale and grow your business. The learning curve may be frustrating, but I promise it will be well worth it!

    • Kim says:

      Or… learn how to use Visual Studio so you aren’t trapped by a CMS.

    • melissaward says:

      There is something to be said for delegating though. Yes, know what’s entailed, but you don’t need to be an expert in everything to run a business. I hate book keeping, mangled it for years – finally got smart and got an expert on my team.

  • Pat says:

    Learn to control your own technology for your website (hopefully it’s a Self-Hosted WordPress site) vs putting it in someone elses hands. The more you know what options are available the better you can scale and grow your business. The learning curve may be frustrating, but I promise it will be well worth it!

    • Kim says:

      Or… learn how to use Visual Studio so you aren’t trapped by a CMS.

    • Kim says:

      Or… learn how to use Visual Studio so you aren’t trapped by a CMS.

    • Kim says:

      Or… learn how to use Visual Studio so you aren’t trapped by a CMS.

    • melissaward says:

      There is something to be said for delegating though. Yes, know what’s entailed, but you don’t need to be an expert in everything to run a business. I hate book keeping, mangled it for years – finally got smart and got an expert on my team.

  • Susan F Heywood says:

    Drama is optional.

  • Susan F Heywood says:

    Drama is optional.

  • Susan F Heywood says:

    Drama is optional.

  • Susan F Heywood says:

    Drama is optional.

  • Susan F Heywood says:

    Drama is optional.

  • Suz says:

    Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated and don’t expect someone else to do a job you are not prepared to do yourself. Respect, respect, respect!

  • Sandra Poirier Smith says:

    Never make your boss (or client) wait for you on conference calls or in person meetings. Be first on the call or to the meeting location–and come prepared! When bringing up a problem, also come with potential solutions. A positive, can do, “I’ll research it,” showing a “want to learn more” disposition goes far, as does double checking email typos, email address (no auto fill mistakes to the wrong recipient), completing tasks on (or before) deadlines, and admitting mistakes honestly, without drama and with a suggested plan to correct. Great advice, Peter!

    • Beth says:

      Admitting and taking personal responsibility for mistakes is such an important part of the business world! Great thought, Sandra.

    • flycat says:

      Also, always show up with 1 extra copy of the handout to a meeting. It reduces the likelihood of having to make an additional extra copy.

  • Sandra Poirier Smith says:

    Never make your boss (or client) wait for you on conference calls or in person meetings. Be first on the call or to the meeting location–and come prepared! When bringing up a problem, also come with potential solutions. A positive, can do, “I’ll research it,” showing a “want to learn more” disposition goes far, as does double checking email typos, email address (no auto fill mistakes to the wrong recipient), completing tasks on (or before) deadlines, and admitting mistakes honestly, without drama and with a suggested plan to correct. Great advice, Peter!

    • flycat says:

      Also, always show up with 1 extra copy of the handout to a meeting. It reduces the likelihood of having to make an additional extra copy.

  • Sandra Poirier Smith says:

    Never make your boss (or client) wait for you on conference calls or in person meetings. Be first on the call or to the meeting location–and come prepared! When bringing up a problem, also come with potential solutions. A positive, can do, “I’ll research it,” showing a “want to learn more” disposition goes far, as does double checking email typos, email address (no auto fill mistakes to the wrong recipient), completing tasks on (or before) deadlines, and admitting mistakes honestly, without drama and with a suggested plan to correct. Great advice, Peter!

    • flycat says:

      Also, always show up with 1 extra copy of the handout to a meeting. It reduces the likelihood of having to make an additional extra copy.

    • flycat says:

      Also, always show up with 1 extra copy of the handout to a meeting. It reduces the likelihood of having to make an additional extra copy.

  • Among the people to pay special attention to, I’d add the person who approves your expense reports (and distributes payment)!

  • Among the people to pay special attention to, I’d add the person who approves your expense reports (and distributes payment)!

  • Kristy Bell says:

    Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. You’re the expert (presumably) in your offering, but maybe not the finer points of back office operations. Take QuickBooks, for example. It may look easy, but unless you’re a bookkeeper our accountant, there’s a good chance you’re doing it wrong. (Trust me). [No fault of QuickBooks – great software.]

  • Kristy Bell says:

    Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. You’re the expert (presumably) in your offering, but maybe not the finer points of back office operations. Take QuickBooks, for example. It may look easy, but unless you’re a bookkeeper our accountant, there’s a good chance you’re doing it wrong. (Trust me). [No fault of QuickBooks – great software.]

  • Be free with sharing information with others. It establishes you as an expert and makes colleagues aware that you are approachable and helpful.

  • Be free with sharing information with others. It establishes you as an expert and makes colleagues aware that you are approachable and helpful.

  • Be free with sharing information with others. It establishes you as an expert and makes colleagues aware that you are approachable and helpful.

  • melissaward says:

    When traveling overseas, have a $100 USD bill hidden, but available for “in case of’s” it can get you out of most jams quickly.

  • melissaward says:

    When traveling overseas, have a $100 USD bill hidden, but available for “in case of’s” it can get you out of most jams quickly.

  • melissaward says:

    When traveling overseas, have a $100 USD bill hidden, but available for “in case of’s” it can get you out of most jams quickly.

  • melissaward says:

    When traveling overseas, have a $100 USD bill hidden, but available for “in case of’s” it can get you out of most jams quickly.

  • melissaward says:

    When traveling overseas, have a $100 USD bill hidden, but available for “in case of’s” it can get you out of most jams quickly.

  • Mike Cassidy says:

    There are more people good a planning than there are in execution. Master execution, it’s where the real work happens.

  • Mike Cassidy says:

    There are more people good a planning than there are in execution. Master execution, it’s where the real work happens.

  • Mike Cassidy says:

    There are more people good a planning than there are in execution. Master execution, it’s where the real work happens.

  • Mike Cassidy says:

    There are more people good a planning than there are in execution. Master execution, it’s where the real work happens.

  • flycat says:

    Show up in a crisis. The person that you helped will remember that you showed up to help them when others bailed on them.

  • flycat says:

    Show up in a crisis. The person that you helped will remember that you showed up to help them when others bailed on them.

  • flycat says:

    Show up in a crisis. The person that you helped will remember that you showed up to help them when others bailed on them.

  • Danielle Stull says:

    Follow up with emails or phone calls within in 24 hours even if you don’t have all the answers. Keeping your audience/customer up to speed with the realistic status of a project, report, piece of information they are waiting on is key. I Can’t stress enough the importance of a realistic timeline. You never want to be caught over promising and under delivering. If you say your going to do something do it and make sure expectations are clear on both ends and always aim to exceed expectations.

  • Danielle Stull says:

    Follow up with emails or phone calls within in 24 hours even if you don’t have all the answers. Keeping your audience/customer up to speed with the realistic status of a project, report, piece of information they are waiting on is key. I Can’t stress enough the importance of a realistic timeline. You never want to be caught over promising and under delivering. If you say your going to do something do it and make sure expectations are clear on both ends and always aim to exceed expectations.

  • Danielle Stull says:

    Follow up with emails or phone calls within in 24 hours even if you don’t have all the answers. Keeping your audience/customer up to speed with the realistic status of a project, report, piece of information they are waiting on is key. I Can’t stress enough the importance of a realistic timeline. You never want to be caught over promising and under delivering. If you say your going to do something do it and make sure expectations are clear on both ends and always aim to exceed expectations.

  • Danielle Stull says:

    Follow up with emails or phone calls within in 24 hours even if you don’t have all the answers. Keeping your audience/customer up to speed with the realistic status of a project, report, piece of information they are waiting on is key. I Can’t stress enough the importance of a realistic timeline. You never want to be caught over promising and under delivering. If you say your going to do something do it and make sure expectations are clear on both ends and always aim to exceed expectations.

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