My wife and I bought a home earlier this year – a tremendous blessing! Things have gone mostly well but we discovered our master bathtub, an alcove Jacuzzi-style, leaks from a few of the jets – so I reached out to local plumbers for a repair estimate.

I quickly learned that most plumbers refuse to work with jet tubs. I reached out to three companies – the first two balked as soon as I said the word “jets” and flat-out told me to call someone else. The third company made no such protest – they just sent someone over for an estimate.

The guy came by and ended up saying the same thing – “We don’t work on jets, sorry.” But he then proceeded to discuss alternatives with me – should we get a new tub? If so, what kind? What are the options? What would that mean for flooring, tile, etc? We ended with an estimate of what it may cost to replace the tub. I thanked him for his time and will be discussing options with my wife.

It struck me as we walked out – I was almost literally trying to put money in the hands of the first two plumbing companies. I was bringing them work, and they turned me away with zero further discussion. The third company ultimately felt the same way about the jets but unlike the first two plumbers they sent someone out anyway to actually try developing some business. They will probably have succeeded – if we move forward on replacing the tub, I am highly likely to call that company back.

One of my favorite business phrases is this: “What’s the first thing you do when someone puts money in your hand?… Close your hand.” Don’t be like the first two companies in this scenario – if an opportunity comes your way and isn’t quite a good fit on it’s face, try to develop it into a rational alternative. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions: “We can’t do that, but would you be interested in this?” The worst they can do is say “no” and it costs you nothing apart from a little time, while the payoff if “yes” could be enormous.

Categories: The IT Philosopher