Hot Dogs Are Bad For Business, Redux
I published this story years ago. I thought it was worth dusting off and offering this timeless story again. There is, without a doubt, more negativity and uncertainty in our world today than ever before. With an unpredictable economy and turbulent change around every corner, it is imperative that we keep our sense of balance and control everything that we can have control over, primarily attitude.
I write a lot about the danger of listening to and believing in the “what if” mindset. If you find yourself thinking, “What if this happens, or that happens? “Think about it. What if it happens?” Your options, when it comes to mindset, are limited to two. You can be a survivor and just get by, or you can charge forward with a mentality of possibilities. And so, I wanted to re-offer this very appropriate story for our times.
Once upon a time, years ago, I found this story stuck to a client’s wall. There’s never been an author associated with it that I can see—just a photocopied sheet of paper taped to a wall. As I read it again, I realized that it is a modern-day fable that tells a story that is played out every day. Just read it and take notice. How strong is your passion for what you’re doing? How easy might it be for something or someone to sway your confidence? I call this parable,
HOT DOGS ARE BAD FOR BUSINESS
“A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing, so he had no television radio
He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers or online news
But he sold good hot dogs.
He put up a sign on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried: “Buy a hot dog, Mister.”
And people bought.
He increased his hot dog and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He got his son home from college to help him grow his business.
But then something happened…
His son said, “Father, haven’t you been watching the news?
If money stays “tight,” we are bound to have bad business.
There may be significant depression coming on.
You had better prepare for poor hot dog sales.
The father thought, “Well, my son has gone to college.
He watches all the cable news channels, reads all the online news and business reports, and listens to all the economic podcasts, so he ought to know.
So, the father cut down on his hot dog and bun orders.
Took down his advertising signs.
And no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.
“You’re right, son,” the father said to the boy.
“We are certainly headed for a depression.”
The moral of this story is simply that you can’t routinely listen to all the yammering about how bad things are. Face it. Good times are not news. Bad times are. And if it’s not bad, the negativity mongers will manufacture bad news.
Just don’t listen to it. Set your vision and goals, and do not allow anyone to detour your hopes and dreams. You will find that while all your competitors have gone into wait-and-see mode, you’ll be stealing all their business from them and thriving.
So, go out and have a hot dog. It’s on me.