A while back, my daughter took me horse riding. It was a wonderful and memorable day, and we’ll certainly do it again soon.
When we mounted, the leader of the ride told me that when we got to a certain field and we were cantering or galloping, my horse would start to veer to the right as he always did, and she showed me how to get him back on track with the rest of the riders.
Sure enough, as soon as we started galloping out of a canter, he started veering right and pulling away from the other horses. I simply followed instructions and soon had him back with the rest of the horses.
When I rode in Rhodesia, I used to ride a horse that always had to be second or have a horse in front of him in order to feel secure, however when we headed back home to the stables, he would move to the front and gallop like a crazy thing.
As the Arabian proverb goes, “The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.”
How to Predict the Future of Your Associates
People are also predictable. If you battle to get a $200 check out of someone, don’t labor under the illusion that they will ever pay you JV commissions. When people reveal who they really are, believe what you see.
- You get to know people when they’re under pressure and on the line.
- Don’t believe their excuses.
You can predict the future by their past choices.
- Watch their choices in small situations to understand what they will do when it comes to real money and important events.
Watch for small clues, take care of the small details, and you can prevent larger problems. Benjamin Franklin wrote:
“For want of a Nail the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse the Rider was lost; being overtaken and slain by the Enemy, all for want of Care about a Horse-shoe Nail.”
Check Out the Spouse Too
When I was selling businesses, I would insist that the spouse was present at the interview. Usually, It was the man buying the business, and I would ask the wife about his habits, while he was present. I would ask her:
- if he had trouble getting out of bed in the morning
- if he did things he promised to do
- if he shaved on his days off
If she revealed that he was a lazy type, unreliable, or lacking in self discipline, I wouldn’t sell him the business.
Behavioral Patterns
Look for behavioral patterns, and do small Joint Ventures with people before going big, so that you can see who you’re really dealing with. Test in a small way before rolling out in a big way.
We often have people trying to JV with us who tell us, “As soon as I get time, I will join DollarMakers”, or “I am considering joining” – how pathetic is that? It takes five minutes to join. That is a sure sign of a liar.
Strong relationship are built on trust, and it takes time to build trust and respect. W.C. Fields said:
“Horse sense is the thing that a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”
Earmark of Success
Successful sports people are usually successful in business, because they are disciplined, reliable, and understand that it takes time to succeed. Farmers also tend to be successful, for the same reasons, they don’t expect to sow on Monday and reap on Tuesday.
Past choices are usually a good indicator of future behavior, as with horses. The difference is that horses are honest and uncomplicated, but eventually people will reveal who they really are. R.B. Cunninghame Graham, in his letter to Theodore Roosevelt in 1917, wrote:
“God forbid that I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses.”
Would that people were as honest as horses.
