This is the only time I’ll post a picture of a man getting shot in the chest on this website. Here’s the context…
September 13, 1923. Washington, D.C. “W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corp. of New York let a man fire a .38 caliber revolver straight at his chest. When the bullet hit, Murphy never batted an eye. Inventors of the bulletproof vest, which weighs about 11 pounds, have put the item on the market for the protection of police and other officers in emergency cases. The bullet which was fired into the vest Wednesday was presented to him as a souvenir.” (Source: Shorpy)
Are you willing to actually use what you’re selling? Are you willing to stake your life and reputation on its quality? If not, think twice about what you’re doing.
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Wow! This is one of those cases where a picture is worth a thousand words. I agree that you should be willing to stand behind your product 100% otherwise it’s not worth producing. Nothing says that better than this picture. Bravo!
You really have to believe on your product to do that. It’s like the example from one of my professors at the university
You must aim for 100% quality – would you consider flying an airline who states that 95% of their flight land safely.
Josh,
You defiantly nailed the point. That should be the concept behind every service provider. If you are not willing to use your own product, who else does?
BTW, I like your posts and I am reading your recommended books as I am one of MBA dropouts. I establish a side business and using it to practice the concepts. I am doing well so far despite the economy.
John,
Custom IT Solutions,llc
Well you certainly made your point, as did the bullet. In the service business we always teach “would you send your least qualified person into your mothers home?”
If not why are you sending them into your customers home.
Josh,
Once again, you ask a magnificent question and point to a powerful answer. The photo demonstrates standing behind your product in a way that nothing else can. The smile on the face of the entrepreneur that comes from the confidence in his product, is an amazing demonstration.
Shallie Bey
Smarter Small Business Blog
If you don’t believe, understand the benefits and how the are linked to the features of the product you are selling, most likely you will not come across in a credible way.
I recently left a casual job because they did not walk their talk, and ultimately did not believe in their product, so I did not want to talk to customers about spending $2500 or more to purchase it.
As a tutor:mentor I must believe in my product, because my product is me
and how I interpret information and then communicate that understanding to others.
Another great example of this is the SawStop:
http://www.sawstop.com/
Though the demo video on the website uses a hot dog to illustrate its effectiveness, I’ve been at a demo where the inventor (who was running the demo) slid his hand right into the saw blade to prove that it worked. I’ve always used that example as a model of the commitment to give my products – amazing!
Confidence in his product?
I’m amazed at his confidence in the accuracy of the shooter and revolver.
Even at that range they are notoriously inaccurate.
@Samuii: Quality requirements vary by product. 100% may be an ideal, but the practical implementation really does vary by the risk to life and limb of the user. A bad plane kills a lot of people. A bad hot dog probably only kills one. A bad napkin is unlikely yo kill anything but a shirt
Here in Africa-Uganda,I have seen much of this scenario were people dont use what they sell/market.Again Josh Wins…Thanks for the insight Josh.
“Training the Next Generation of Self-Made Entrepreneurs and Business Owners”.
This is a new development Josh! I noticed it today. Some corner of my brain became uncomfortable because I am a salaried professional and continue to be so in future. I believe that learning needs and application opportunities for working professionals are a little different to that of business owners. I really wish that you make deliberate efforts to address the former audience as well.
Great marching forward! My best to you!
- Shantanuu Madhusudan Deshmukh
The picture is gospel,and one we should apply in every service delivery business,especially in the developing world.I am a Nigerian.Thanks
As a software engineer, I would call it “Eat your own dogfood”. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_one%27s_own_dog_food
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