Happy New Year!

Gail and I have just gone through the most disjointed Christmas of our 39-year marriage. We have just moved from Huntsville, AL, where we had lived for 28 years, to Asheville, NC, where we know nobody. It has been chaotic. Funny, but what we miss most—after the many good friends we left in Huntsville—are the suppliers who provided us with goods and services. I have always been a salesman, so have tended to think that the seller benefits most from a transaction. I was wrong. The purchaser benefits most. We miss Terry, who sold us several computers and serviced every one of them exceptionally well. Now we have computer problems and no Terry to call. We have no doctors, no dentists, no church, and no “favorite†grocery store. (We do have a veterinarian. Gail saw to that first thing.) We have no plumber, no handyman, and no drug store. (We do have an electrician. I lucked onto him and he has already been a big help.) We have no insurance agency. Those jokes about the insurance man aren’t so funny when you need one and don’t know, as they movie put it, “who ya gonna call.†There’s a lesson in here for all suppliers of goods and services. No matter what you’re trying to sell at the moment, chances are the transaction is more important to the buyer than to you. I well remember the first airplane I sold retail. The buyer was Riley Brothers’ Poultry. I was excited about that sale. It was important to me. I needed the commission. Funny, we spent that commission almost immediately. They kept that airplane for something like 12 years. To whom was that transaction more important? Me, or the buyer? (By the way, one of the Riley brothers is the current governor of Alabama.) A truly great value is provided by the seller/supplier that delivers reliable, ethical, consistent service. Gail and I are quickly realizing that we can find all the suppliers we need. What we don’t know is how to find suppliers with all of the qualities we desire. So take pride in what you do and Happy New Year to you and yours!