Sometimes You Can Judge a Book By Its Cover

Have you ever heard phrases like, “the cobbler’s children had no shoes,” or “the mechanic’s car doesn’t run?” These are old sayings that refer to the notion that the last thing a person wants to do when they get home is exactly what they do when they’re at work.

In the business world, however, this simply can’t be the case if you are hiring a vendor or employee. Would you really want to hire a marketing firm, for example, that doesn’t engage in social media or web marketing themselves?  Would you hire an HR firm that has extremely high turnover rates or pending law suits from employees? Chances are high that you would say “no” to both of these questions.

As you look to hire a company to accomplish various tasks for your business, don’t feel bad about judging the book by its cover. When you speak to a representative from that company, do you establish an immediate rapport with them? When you look at the company’s website, does it appear that they are proficient in the services that they provide?

Here are some tips that will help you to “judge a book by its cover” when you choose companies and service providers to hire:

Do a quick Google search. Find all the information that you can about the company through a simple Google search. Specifically look for any complaints that may exist, both resolved and unresolved. Find the name of the owner as well, and research his or her background.

Check with the company’s local Better Business Bureau. See if the BBB has any information about the company’s history.

Investigate client testimonials. If the company has any testimonials listed on its website, try calling the people listed in the testimonials to learn more about their experience with the company.

Look for job postings by that company. This should give you an idea of the turnover rate in the company. A high turnover rate could indicate that people are not satisfied in working with the company.

Take a look at the blog and website. See how up to date the company’s blog is, as well as posted articles and web content. You want to see a company that takes the initiative to keep its own site updated regularly.

You deserve to work with the best companies and vendors available, so it’s important that you do your due diligence and research companies before you choose to use their services. Consider these tips, and remember: sometimes, it’s ok to judge a book by its cover!

Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer | Viral Solutions LLC

Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.