June 2009 :: Pool Man Jumped The Shark, So I Fired Him

Not unlike many Southern Californians, there is water in my backyard. In this case, it is an in ground spa.

It’s small enough to care for myself yet large enough that I don’t want to.

Enter: Terry the pool man.

After moving in to this house I took the bait on a flyer left at my door for his pool services.

During his pitch he outlined all of the services he would perform on each visit. He prided himself on his ability to do the job more knowledgeably, consistently, and reliably than his competition.

For the first year, his service was quite good.

And then things changed.

Pool Man was hired to come weekly.

He started to skip weeks — and charge me for them.

Pool Man was hired to check chemicals, empty filter baskets, sweep, and vacuum.

Over time, one or more of these items was not performed with each visit as promised.

As Pool Man’s reliability decreased, his excuses increased…

Truck problems, the flu, and exhaustion (yes, true) were all presented as reasons
for not coming.

After three weeks of no show, no email, no call, no nothing, Pool Man came by this
past Saturday, and before he could get his big toe in the water, I fired him.

The problem I had with Pool Man, aside from the leaves and algae in my spa, was
his lack of execution on his promised outcomes.

He started taking my business and loyalty for granted.

A promise of consistency translated over time into haphazardness.

A promise of reliability deteriorated into unpredictability.

And though his original promise of superior knowledge may well have been true, it
was not enough to overcome the other shortcomings.

Just like Fonzie from Happy Days, Pool Man had jumped the shark .
He was now in decline.

What about your business?

As you take a step back and critically evaluate yourself, your region, your division,
and/or your team, are you living up to the original commitments made to prospects,
now clients?

One of the biggest dangers in business, especially sales, is complacency – taking
the client for granted.

Try this exercise: refer to the brochure, Power Point deck or other upfront sales literature you use to prospect for new clients. Look at the commitments and promises you make.

Now look at your list of key accounts and evaluate your performance against those same promises.

If they are aligned, congratulations!

If they have become out of whack, like Pool Man’s, you’re in danger of jumping the shark.