Are
we talking about sales, marketing, facilities, or consumer sentiment? Well no, we are
talking about our market friends.
Trader
friends could be one of the single most important ingredients in our market
- a great source of knowledge, a
sounding board for ideas, a mood switcher, a distraction from worrying events,
an opportunity to give (and take) and a source of warmth and comfort.
Personal
engagement is seen everywhere in our market and financial profit comes from the
way we deal with customers while emotional support comes from the traders around
us. And when you think about it, the reverse can also apply. The emotional
satisfaction from a “good” sale can be fantastic and the gems of wisdom from
traders can be very influential in how we direct our business.
Our
associations are sometimes organised - that morning coffee with fellow traders
to discuss latest world issues (OK, often soccer or football scores) or perhaps
a simple greeting and handshake before getting down to work. Talking with
someone who has “been there, done that” can be very reassuring. And that
doesn’t mean that you have to agree. Discussions that challenge us, and force
us to see other points of view can be very important in reaching meaningful
conclusions. You can discuss things with a market friend that you may not even
discuss with family members.
Distracting
conversations are one of my favourite types. When you are deep into serious
business considerations, not sure which way to turn, and worried about
financial issues, finding out that your
neighbours pet dog went missing for two days, or that their new 75” TV is absolutely
fantastic can be just the thought breaker you need.
Yes,
friendships and personal engagement are very important to market life and just
another reason why it is great to work at QVM. My Bank Manager on the other hand
keeps on insisting there needs to be more.
By Greg Smith