If It Doesn't Make Sense, Don't Do It

The picture above is a great depiction of a gullible person. What you see is a businessman who has just sold a refrigerator and freezer to an Eskimo. Of course, an Eskimo wouldn't need either one. Somehow though, he was convinced to buy something that he didn't even need.

The moral of the story: If it doesn't make sense, don't do it.

For some strange reason, it is very common for people to make business decisions (or life decisions) that even they agree don't make sense. In many cases, the reason why was: intimidation, pressure, being thoughtloss, and/or just being gullible.

I think people also resort to doing things that don't make sense, when they feel they have no other options. Well, you do have an option: the option to not do it.

Here are some tips to avoid making unwise business decisions:

1) Don't fall for the sales pitch. Don't allow sales people to pressure you into buying something your company doesn't even need. Be abrupt, and hurt their feelings if you have to!

2) Don't be gullible. Stop believing everything people tell you. Question everything - especially business advice. So what if he's a lawyer or an MBA or a Ph.D? Lawyers, doctors and other reputable people give bad advice every single day. Double-check what people are telling you.

3) Be realistic. Does it sound realistic that you can get two million email address for only 100 bucks? Any far-fetched claims like this are likely to be untrue.

4) Stay focused. Don't take your eye off the bottom line. If you're getting ready to make a business decision that is not going to help your bottom line, then it's probably not a good decision.