The B.I.G. Blog

“Hey random Facebook friend I haven’t talked to since high school! How are things going with you? Anyway, I’m selling Mary Kay now and wanted to know if you would be interested. It would really help me a lot if you took a look and maybe bought something from my page here.” When someone tells entrepreneurs to “use their network” this is typically what we image with thinly veiled horror. The insincerity of it is most striking, and it shows through in the language these messages often employ. I hesitate to call it a sales message as the likelihood of it producing and sort of sale – except perhaps the recipient paying to be left alone – are close to nil.

Last week we started by mentioning all the metaphors business people use to describe their endeavors – wars, machines, forces, etc. One we did not mention was a roller coaster, and for obvious reasons. While this is sometimes used, it is never in a positive or desirable context. Unfortunately, some businesses can accurately be described this way, especially among those providing professional services.

We are swimming in a sea of metaphors about business. Sometimes doing business is described as a war, where we invade our competitors markets and try to take their share. Companies go on the offensive or defensive. Warren Buffett seems to take this approach, and he is particularly fond of describing a business’ competitive advantage as a moat, something that holds the besieging army out and prevents them from stealing the treasure in the castle.