A Carpenter Should Have A Hammer, Right?

You hire a carpenter to come to your house to build something (I don’t know what he’s going to build, you hired him. What do you need? Bookcases? Let’s say bookcases…) He shows up wearing a t-shirt that says “Bob’s Carpentry” on it and he hands you a business card that has his title listed as “Carpenter”, but otherwise he’s empty-handed.

• No hammer.
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• No nails.
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• No saw.
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• No wood.

Nothing.

Too many people who consider themselves professionals in just about any industry show up in the same manner. They have the uniform, they have the title on their business cards, but they don’t possess the tools required to get the job done.

What’s in your toolbox?

• Do you subscribe (and read!) industry publications searching for new information you can bring to the table in service of your customers?
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• Do you have an ongoing self-education strategy to continuously improve on your skills?
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• Do you pre-research (pre-search!) your prospects and clients via Google, LinkedIn, and their own website as well as their industry publications?
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• Do you have everything with you (on your laptop/tablet/etc.) that you need in order to do business with a client?

It’s not enough to just know how to construct a bookcase, you need to be prepared (with the tools and materials required) to actually get to work and build one.