I was asked a very irritating question recently. As some of you may know, the core business of Motivational Maps Ltd is licensing our product, Motivational Maps, to management consultants and business coaches, so that they can have a competitive edge in their respective markets. Clearly, like everybody else, we have a product, we sell it – and as a result of selling it, we meet objections to the sale.
Some objections are insightful, well founded, and useful – especially when they get us to review our ‘product’ and its position and thereby improve either or both. Some objections are frivolous, pointless or more often simply evasive: a way of saying, ‘I don’t want to buy – or I can’t afford – but I want to make it look as if the fault lies in you and your product offering’. All of this is surely par for the course.
A recent editorial in Money Week (a superb magazine, incidentally) – see http://info.moneyweek.com/?bbcam=adwds&bbkid=money+week%23&x=&jtid=4855055&UID=JF+-+Google – by Merryn Somerset Webb told a wonderful story. She tells how in going to buy a new car costing some £13K she gets worried about the possibility that between paying in full for the car and its delivery on the forecourt some days later, the firm could go bust, and they’d lose all that money. So, to prevent that, she offers to pay for the car on collection with a banker’s draft. But wait for it – the dealership refused to accept that as a form of payment for fear the bank goes bust!!! Business – don’t you just love it!!!
Of course, management consultants and business coaches know all about business – which is why they do what they do, don’t they?
So, what is the irritating question I received from someone considering taking out a license with Motivational Maps? Precisely this, “But what happens if Motivational Maps goes bankrupt?” Excuse me? What happens if Motivational Maps goes bust? Hmm, that’s a tough one.
I was discussing this difficult question with my friend and colleague, Mark Turner, of Motivational Maps Education Ltd, (see http://www.motivationalmapseducation.com) and he had a great solution.
“James, you’ll need to get a job in a super market”.
“Stacking shelves?”
“No,” he said. “Mopping floors.”
“Mopping floors?” I said, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, Motivational Mops Ltd.”
That’s it!!
Eureka.
What happens when Motivational Maps goes bust is: we have Motivational Mops – now as Gandalf may have said to Frodo, “There’s an encouraging thought.”
James Sale
The Mapping Motivation Series 