The old can always be new
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 12:00PM 
images by Robert Weingarten
About a year ago I wrote a post entitled just because it's old doesn't mean it's irrelevant. The premise was that even if something happened in 1795, if looked at from the right perspective, could be incredibly relevant and valuable - right here, right now.
In writing this, what factored into my ideas was my own work in an old world environment. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia, about a decade ago, I'd regularly come across donkey carts, homestead huts and the himba, making me wonder if I was in the 20th century. The juxtaposition of the current year, and seeing what I was seeing, would sometimes be a head trip.
Being in that environment for 2 1/2 years, I definitely learned that just because some things are old (and even ancient), definitely doesn't mean they're irrelevant.
The idea of old being valuable resurfaced again a few days ago when I came across an article by Ivana Taylor. She was discussing a book she was reviewing entitled “Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive,” written by a colleague of hers, Eric Wesner.
After reading about one hundred pages (her curiosity piqued), she sent an email to Eric asking why he wrote the book. Here's what he said:
“I was really impressed by the caliber of Amish companies. All the informal indicators were there; these small shops were very busy, they were getting a lot of outside attention, and even in plain Amish society you could see indicators of financial success among the business people.
I ran my own business in Amish communities. After selling in non-Amish communities, you see certain cultural contrasts. And that is what intrigued me. This includes everything from an appreciation for books, to an inherent anti-waste mentality, to an emphasis on relationships."
As you read through the article you get the sense that Ivana was really getting alot out of the book. She goes on to mention a couple of principles that Wesner discusses, which I found to be pretty powerful:
- The two “F-words” Amish businesses deal with: Fear and Faith. They don’t pretend to know everything. In fact, they acknowledge that fear of the unknown is real. But then they lean on their faith to get through it.
- Relationships are everything. It starts with their relationship with God, then with their family, their community and their customers. Each one is a natural and authentic part of their daily lives. In a conversation with Jonas, Werner learns that “If you’re a servant-leader, that means other people are going to come first. People have to be very important to you…you’re not in it for the dollar anymore, you’re in it to help people. And the profits? They come.”
As Ivana begins wrapping up her article, she hits on a number of very salient business points that Wesner mentions. Some very valuable ideas she shares with respect to his ideas on sales and marketing:
- Marketing won’t solve the fundamental problem of a sub par product.
- A business' unique story can form the basis of its marketing approach.
- Marketing is relationship building. Those who follow-up with a personalized response get noticed.
In today's hyper-digital world, where (in some circles) the shelf life for things is as long as it takes for one tweet to get replaced by the next, some old school perspectives on how to build a business, may be something that you'll want to pay a little bit more attention to.
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