Steve has a custom mailing and design business that serves high-end financial service companies. His clients were frequently demanding and critical. They irritated him to no end. So, Steve adopted a new approach: he stayed away from the office each day until he could feel love for all his clients. Some days, he arrived well after noon.
His attitude soon began to shift to one of love and service and, within three weeks, his customers became more and more approving of the work. They brought him new business, and asked how they could help him grow.
For three years, his profits doubled each year and held until the 2008 market crashed. Best of all, his customers returned in force and for more than five years his profits have been close to pre-2008 levels.
More importantly, Steve let go of micromanaging, switched to managing with trust and love. He told his staff that he respected their judgment so to come only with their best solutions because they had the answers. Within a couple of weeks, his employees made decisions without asking for his help with everyday problems. The operation runs more smoothly, and Steve says he only works about 4 hours a week.
Love and acceptance now forms the basis of everything Steve does and he has begun sharing his philosophy with an MBA class: “When you are making sales calls, do you revert to your mother’s voice of fear or do you send unconditional love and acceptance? Unconditional love and acceptance provide outside the box solutions.” said Steve.
