Ever get that sinking feeling? That pit-of-the-belly sensation when you realize something’s gone wrong. Business proprietors know what I’m speaking about. We get it while that client calls to bitch approximately an activity. Or whilst a provider’s key shipment would not arrive on time.
You’re a business owner. You recognize this sense. When is it absolutely the worst? When it is a technology assist trouble. You come to paintings, and your pc screen isn’t always the way you left it the night before. When you arrive at your office this morning, you are no longer greeted by the typical computing device. Instead, the display is frozen at “Windows is setting out.” A replacement that robotically downloaded final night screwed something up. Your screen is black. And now so is your temper.
You watch the display screen for a few minutes, anticipating something to manifest, but you realize not anything will. Finally, you restart the laptop. Twice. The same result. Now you have got that sinking feeling. You see your morning slipping away: This computer is not going to start. And nor is your day. Until you get a little help, you will have to name technical aid. But halt your hyperventilation-there is no want to fear in any respect. As a fellow enterprise proprietor, I’m going to help you because I’ve learned how to deal with technical assistance with a few regulations for people like us.
Rule One: Don’t Get Angry
You can get angry if you stay in a metropolis in which it snows half the yr, and your team begins the season 0-4. You can get irritated each time you pay attention that Jennifer Lopez is paid $12 million to choose American Idol. But this time, getting irritated may not help each person. And it may not assist you in getting your issue resolved any quicker. If you are jogging your personal, commercial enterprise, the ultimate thing you want is for your personnel to see you storming around your workplace, wildly swinging a golf club over your head like a tomahawk while you kick over your chair and time and again yell, “Why, why, why!” It’s sufficient that your circle of relatives visible this conduct. You have to supply personnel the effect that the whole thing is in control. That YOU are on top of things. You are a businessman. You are Don Draper. So do what he could do at 8 a.M.-have a bourbon and smoke. Microsoft (MSFT) Windows never rattled Don Draper, right? So be calm.
Rule Two: Be Nice to the Technician
Of route, it’s disturbing that you need to wait on the preserve. And all of us understand how hectic it may be when you have to punch your “customer ID,” ZIP code, mom’s maiden call, favorite holiday spot, and social safety variety into the automatic machine 3 times, only to be asked for that equal facts once more the minute a live character comes on the smartphone. It’s no longer his fault. The technician is simply doing his activity. He’s going to be nice. It would be best if you were great, too. You’re a commercial enterprise proprietor. How could you want it if some consumer was a jerk to one of all your personnel? You’re not going to get on his desirable aspect by using being a jerk to him. At best, you will earn the right to be put on preserve 5 more instances than important or be forced to take a seat and wait in silence for many greater minutes, thinking what he is without a doubt doing as he’s clicking away on his keyboard.
Rule Three: Be Patient
You realize from going for walks your own commercial enterprise that the solutions can’t be introduced right away from time to time. Don’t you want your customers to be a little more affected person once they name with a problem? Of route you do. So take a deep breath. Don’t fear those long silences on the road when you suppose you’ve got been disconnected. He’s there. He’s, in all likelihood, just mulling things over. Or speak about the issue together with his colleagues. Whatever. Be patient. Answer the questions. Take this time to arrange your agenda. This problem will, in the long run, get resolved. It’s going to take a bit of time, and it really is all. Don’t even don’t forget grabbing the golfing membership again and knocking that photograph of your spouse and youngsters at Disney (DIS) off your desk.
Rule Four: Cede Control
As a business owner, you’re probably a manipulate freak. Like me, you hate other humans doing things you don’t apprehend. That’s why you don’t work for all people anymore. But to get your hassle fixed, you will need to relinquish that control… At the least for a couple of minutes. When the technician asks to take over your machine to do his troubleshooting remotely, just allow him. Don’t worry approximately security. Try now not to think about anything malicious he will be doing. Please don’t be anxious that he is going to search the websites you recently visited. Remember, he doesn’t care about all that. He has others in your situation he needs to help, too. Let him take over your computer and run all the complicated scripts and programs that handiest the technical assist men recognize how to run. Could you not ask what he is doing? In truth, don’t even watch what he is doing. Look over some office work as an alternative. Try to look busy. Walk across the workplace as in case you’ve lost your mind, conjuring up a few tremendous plans to take your business to new heights. The tech guy will soon end.
Rule 5: The Most Important Rule… Delegate
Haven’t you learned whatever over the last two decades jogging your own commercial enterprise? You’re the boss. So act like one! You recognize that you will find best screw matters up by way of now by using doing the carrier yourself so that you have a person else do it. You understand by now that you’ll lose that client if you call him and scream about his overdue invoice, so you have someone else do it. And you ought to understand by way of now that you’ll never be the technical wizard that you once concept you could be while you acquire your first Windows 3.1 pc-so that you want to delegate this, too. The minute you spot something is wrong, have every other man in your office or your tech man cope with the trouble. And instead, pick out up the cell phone and call a customer. Check on an order. Walk around the warehouse—order lunch for the body of workers. Just do something else extra useful. And extra appropriate for the proprietor of an organization.
See? It becomes only a simple repair. Your computer is up and jogging. Life can return to normal-just in time for lunch.
