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Dear <<First Name>>,
When Grant was newly born, I tried to get an appointment at our local pediatrician. I was told that I had to attend a mandatory "parent on-boarding" which would be a quick 30-minute visit that would include a tour of the facilities, a review of the practice's approach and principles, and a meet and greet with one of the pediatricians. The on-boarding was really well executed and they also ended up putting my information into their CRM along with insurance and payment info so that when our family came back, we wouldn't need to fill out anything further. I love that they did a nice job of setting expectations and also providing a measure of convenience so that subsequent visits would be set up for success.
One thing that my partners and I have been talking about quite a bit at Barrel is how we can improve our client on-boarding process. We're working on designing a "client orientation" that will hopefully streamline the way we set expectations and share things such as our processes and tools.
It's been really interesting to note the on-boarding processes of other businesses, whether it's after you sign up for something (e.g. wine club, business software, etc.) or it's staged as a "tour" before you make up your mind (e.g. daycare, gym membership, etc.). The early stages of a relationship with a customer can be fraught with anxiety and second-guessing on the customer's end, so a robust, warm, and very competent on-boarding experience can go a long way in establishing trust.
Consumed
A Beginner's Guide to Negotiating (2Bobs Podcast)
In this conversation between David C. Baker and Blair Enns, the topic is on negotiating with clients and 10 lessons to keep in mind. The bits about procurement were interesting as we've been starting to land clients that require interaction with procurement departments. The lesson that most resonated with me is to "avoid over-investing in the sale" as that erodes your ability to bargain. This is a great reminder especially as winning, while alluring, is hardly the end-all-be-all. What's most important is to win on terms that allow for a profitable and productive engagement.
Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu (sci-fi novel)
This earlier novel by the author of my favorite sci-fi The Three-Body Problem is an entertaining read that hints at some of the themes that Liu goes on to explore in his later trilogy. A natural phenomenon called ball lightning kills the parents of a young boy in front of his eyes, setting him on a lifelong journey to learn about this mysterious force while crossing paths with a woman obsessed with turning ball lightning into a military weapon.
Where Big Leaps Happen by Morgan Housel (blog post)
Really loved this short post on how the right mix of things can lead to huge advances and great results. Housel starts off talking about how the mix of copper and tin led to bronze, which ushered in a new era for humans and goes on to talk about other mixes that have been amazing like intelligence + communication and ambition + someone to keep you in check.
Created
Operating Rules Vol. 1
I wrote down some rules that have been helpful in guiding my actions and decision-making. It's not exhaustive–there are a bunch of rules that I'm still testing, tried on and discarded, or saved for later–but these 8 have been useful for me. If you have your own operating rules to share, please do hit me up!
Cheers,
Peter
P.S. You can check out my list of books read right here. My hope is to get a good mix of challenging reads with some that are entertaining, inspiring, and instructive.
If you like what you've read, please share with your friends. They can sign up for the list here. Also, I always welcome recommendations of any kind–books, podcasts, movies, etc.
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