When I was a little boy, my parents used to love to entertain. My mother was an extraordinary cook and dinner at their house was an event. The food was as beautiful to look at as it was tasty! Whenever they had a party planned, I was as excited as they were about the arrival of the guests. When I knew we were getting near the appointed hour, I would sit in front of the window and wait for the guests to arrive. When that wasn't enough, I would literally climb the hill to the top of the driveway and wait for them there. Forty years later, I'm still the same. I've inherited the love of cooking for friends and family from my mother, and I'm still as excited to have people over as the kid at the top of the driveway.

 

When you invite special guests to your home for an event, do you really want anyone else to get the door?

 

Yet, in small businesses all over the world, the client's first contact with the business is frequently through the person who has the least invested in the business itself. As great as a receptionist or front office person is, they'll never feel the burden of representing the company in that first encounter with a client the way an owner will. 

A small business must be structured so that the most passionate, enthusiastic and caring individual is the one who makes the initial contact with the prospective clients. It's simply a question of priorities.

E-mail: andymiami@gmail.com