The Lunar New Year is upon us and it’s the Year of the Fire Monkey. So, what do monkeys have to do with best practices for business? Well, you’re probably familiar with the visual proverb of the three wise monkeys – “see no evil” covering his eyes, “hear no evil” covering his ears and “speak no evil” covering his mouth. These three monkeys can teach us something about business, when we look at them in a creative way.
The Monkey Method: Breaking Down Best Practices for Business
1. Observe the Obvious and Offbeat
First, the monkey covering his eyes reminds us to pay attention to the needs of clients and potential clients.
- Don’t be blind to their wants and needs. Take a good look at what they are presenting and how it’s being presented. These details will help you as you help them.
- Look at what others are offering and find a way to make your offerings unique. This is your value proposition. Look outside your traditional area of expertise to find ways others are winning, and translate it for your business.
- Be aware of the power of visual branding. Make your mark memorable.
2. Listen to Your Audience
Next, the monkey covering his ears reminds us to listen carefully to what clients and potential clients want and need. Adding this to your best practices for business can lead you to new ideas.
- What are your clients and potential clients talking about? Presenting a solution for the issues mentioned sets you apart.
- What are their pain points? Let them know how your services make things better.
- Be prepared to just LISTEN. Sometimes you will offer solutions when it’s appropriate, but you also have to be willing to LISTEN.
3. Speak Clearly, Carefully and Cleverly
Lastly, the monkey covering his mouth reminds us to speak with integrity and to not speak just for the joy of hearing our own voice.
- Use your voice to ask important questions. Take a real interest in your clients.
- Practice articulating what you do and focus on the benefit your services can add to your clients and prospective clients.
- Be supportive of your clients and your fellow businesspeople. Be generous and genuine with compliments.
4. Become the Master of Monkeying Around
Here are some final best practices for business to consider and implement in this “monkey” year.
- Monkeys are curious. Put your curiosity to work for you and explore new ideas. Develop new products or find ways to offer new services. What did you hear when you were listening?
- Monkeys are smart. Learn new things this year. Help your clients learn new ways to present their products and services.
- Monkeys are mischievous. Rekindle your sense of fun and play. Yes, business is serious but you can find a balance between work and fun. It’ll help relieve stress and make you more enjoyable to work with.
Of course, all of these are important in business EVERY year, but it’s nice to have something fun to focus on as we go about our daily business.
What are your favorite best practices for business? Let me know the creative ways you’ll incorporate the lessons of the three wise monkeys!
