CHAPTER 47: THE SEVEN DISCIPLINES 2022
Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Law, Quality Control, Knowledge, and Direction. Once positive cash flow is in place, it only lasts that way temporarily. There is an ebb and flow, whether you like it or not. Like the tides, sales reflect a give and take, come and go, good and bad. At times it’s a manic graph, with massive highs, devastating lows. There are seven corporate disciplines that can smooth out the highs and the lows. Although unavoidable financial lows can be managed as long as you’re doing everything correctly. Pay attention.
(Isaiah 30:21. NIV).
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’.”
Discipline #1: SALES
Cold calling and following up with existing customers. Asking for new plans, staying current with customers in your market place, whether you’re working with them or not. Pick up the phone and stay in touch. Make sure your website is up to date and that Google knows who you are. When people search you, they find YOU. And they want to work with YOU. Existing customers peruse your website and are happy to find you in good order, they may even show you off to others. If you want consistent sales, do it yourself, one call at a time, so it IS you, not somebody’s idea of you, but it is actually YOU. You’ll find that when you do these things, you feel better. Send notices that you are “standing by for good service”, nothing crazy, just super creative.
- Inexpensive
- Amusing
- Everybody wants to keep it, they can’t throw it away…
Coffee coupons, roasted coffee bags for the office, crazy cards, a bag of tootsie pops, believe me, it goes a long way without any great expense. People love being surprised, fun and appreciated by a solid business contact. However done incorrectly, not so good and really dumb. That’s why I say, let me help you, don’t try this at home. Each item is chosen especially for the green light person, generally the CEO or his next in charge. Extreme personal thought is essential for a wonderfully jolly pitch that will yield a smile and phone call to you. After a couple times, you’ll get the idea, and be able to roll with it.
Matthew 6:33 ESV
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Discipline #2: Marketing
Over the last few years, Google has become the premier yellow pages of the planet. Google does require an extensive knowledge of the search engine. Attention to it weekly is a must. If you’re not going to do that, forget it, don’t use it, you’re wasting money. Web-site design and programming must be cutting edge and updated regularly to invite and entice the Google search engine itself. Again, few will do the work and even fewer will pay for the cost of doing it correctly. For those who engage, the yield is strong. For those who pay others to do it for them, it has proven for me, to be a complete waste. It seems that the best person for the job of google ad words is the owner or a very trusted associate. SEO is something all of us best understand and use wisely otherwise it is a complete waste of money. Be involved in the process, let God lead your good heart.
Luke 21:15 ESV / 14 helpful votes
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
Discipline #3: Accounting
Accounting is the backbone of the organization. Not many believe such a thing. It’s like the cave in the back of the office. I’m telling you that it should never be like that in your life. All of us should have regular meetings, weekly, sometimes daily discussing accurate cash flow in and out. Taxation, debt, credit cards, payroll and insurance should be on the mind of the owner at all times. This is where the helm is held steady and the ship safe. Without severe clarity in this area, chaos will overtake a corporation and all families on board. Pick your book keeper/CPA wisely. Be sure they are the real deal. Don’t play the low bidder game with financials, and pick the cheapest guy. Bad idea. What does the bible say about accounting?
1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV / 14
Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
Discipline #4: Law
Law is a huge undertaking. Generally we all deal with the law in a simple capacity. DMV, Construction Permits, IRS payments and disagreements, parking and traffic citations, we see violations and arrests on television and for the most part that’s it. There’s a whole lot more to it. Bankruptcy, re-organization, taxes, employment, workers comp, slip and fall, personal liability and guarantees, charge cards, line of credits, all these things are a part of law that is not a common knowledge base. It seems that only a Tsunami of problems gets our attention on these matters. Follow your cash flow, involved yourself in challenges, learn your position legally with every opportunity that presents itself.
1 Peter 2:13-17 New International Version (NIV)
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
What’s that mean? You are not above the law, nor is ignorant an excuse. Honor the powers in charge, and the rules required to live in the state. Do this so that foolish people don’t have a reason to trip you up, and always, always use your authority wisely, not a “cover up for shenanigans.”
Discipline #5: Quality Control
We’ve discussed in previous chapters “micro-management.” It’s a controversial term and generally is not a popular school of thought, but you can be sure, it’s definitely the right thing to be doing in your life. Micro-managing every department of your organization doesn’t mean doing the job yourself, it means checking and re-checking each area of your company’s process. Questions and clarity come from conversation. You certainly can’t do that if you’re doing everything by email and text. Talk to people, actually see what they are doing, engage with your employees and customers. Quit needing a vacation, watch the ship, stay at the helm. Discussions at all levels of production can be epic in a relationship with employees, customers and you, commit yourself to a daily overall understanding of your company on that day.
Stay away from the expensive statement, “I hire people to do that for me.” Those eight words could ruin your life, catastrophically. What does the bible say about quality control.
Acts 20:28 English Standard Version (ESV)
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God,[a] which he obtained with his own blood.[b]
Discipline #6: Knowledge
For me, knowledge comes from three places; reading, discussions and experience. All very important. You’ve heard the saying, “you can’t lead if you don’t read.” I’d say there is a lot of truth to that. Discussions regarding pertinent issues should always be with people who have solved whatever issues are on the table, individuals who have experienced the problems. Theories and generalities have no place in a corporate environment. Although creative thinking is an asset, you can be sure when it comes to issues of organization the majority of the challenges have tried and true solutions, so use them. Gathering information from professionals, your own study, others with appropriate experience will yield a plan. Knowledge is power, as it is said. Moving forward without it, is foolish and can be expensive. Creativity comes from a base of knowledge, wisdom comes from the experience of doing, failing and trying again. In His Holy Grace you can move much faster, so ask Him, all the time.
Psalm 119:66 New International Version (NIV)
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
Discipline #7: Direction
One must be humble enough to learn. Without the capacity to know good direction, I’ll find my self in trouble. Discernment in the people around me, knowing the qualifications, strength, weaknesses. Knowing when the information has been gathered and it is time for a decision. Never making a move in anger or emotion, rather clear competent thinking and study. Sure, some things require a quick decision, but more often that is an exception. I always say, there is absolutely nothing that can’t be decided tomorrow after a good nights rest.
Psalm 32:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Law, Quality Control, Knowledge and Direction. These are my top 7 corporate disciplines. Without command of every single one you are not as strong and worse you are susceptible to fear and the fool hearty ideas of anybody that walks through your door.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”.
Keep these chapters close to you. I’ve set these rules for myself and many others. It is a daily regimen of information, knowledge and protocol. It takes a healthy amount of dedication and self-control to study and embrace scripture as it pertains to your life experience. Making Money with God, Consistency is the key.
James 4:17 ESV
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 “For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”
To be quite frank, if you’re not busy with the work that needs to be done, you’ll be busy doing things that don’t need to be done, as a matter of fact, things that perhaps should never be done. Wasting time, money and your life. Pay attention to what He has given you. And remember more is not better, better is better. Like I always say, “you don’t know how much time you have left on this Earth, what are you going to do with the seconds you have left?”
Colossians 3:23 New International Version (NIV)
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.
Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Law, Quality Control, Knowledge and Direction. Chapter 47, The Seven Disciplines. Stay sharp kids, don’t give way to slop. Amen.
