It’s a 2-Way Street – RANT

1. If you know somebody who has a tackle business do you kind of EXPECT them to give you free baits from time to time?
2. If a “buddy” knows how to do something and he helps you out, do you kind of expect it?
3. Do you expect people to trade with you because you are a local business?
4. Do you want people to donate to your club or organization?
5. Do you have little patience with people who waste your time?
6. Do you expect people to be straight up with you when you are straight up with them?

Here is the thing.  It’s a 2-way street.  I see expectations all the time, but not reciprocity.  Over the years I’ve seen raffles of donated items to raise money by many organizations.  Often, we didn’t know who donated many of those items.  Sure, if it was huge and the announcer personally liked them, they got mentioned, but over the years I saw hundreds if not thousands of prizes given away, and nobody there waiting expectantly knew who donated the next prize.  It was free to you or your organization, so you don’t value you it, but the person or business who donated it had to earn the money to buy it and or the materials and do the work.  They paid for it so you could make a couple dollars giving it away.  The lowest possible obligation you have is to say their name.

I recall once I gave away a couple of the molds I sell for a fund raiser.  I packaged them up nicely and put my logo on the packaging.  I figured I’d try to be my own solution.  The person running the raffle tore my packaging off, “so people could see the items,” which were bolted closed and they couldn’t see anything.

Does your friend run a tackle business on the side?  Does he sometimes give you free baits?  Do you have his business decals on his truck and boat?  If you like his baits, do you come around with your hand out, or do you ask him to sell you a batch?  Or is it that he is your friend, but you aren’t his friend?

When your friend fixes your trailer, works on your boat, and helps you with your truck, do you reciprocate by helping him shoot some video to promote his business or do you just expect him to take you fishing and act surprised or offended if he asks for some help in return?

Do you rant the mantra of “buy local” and have an out of town/state alarm company’s sticker on your store?

Do you rant the mantra of “buy local” and then price gouge everybody who comes in the door?

Do you place your unwanted advertising on your customer’s products and then refuse to promote their companies in return and act offended if they even ask?

When people spend their own money to donate things your club needs do you go out on a public platform the same day and make an announcement that people should just give cash?

Do you accept donations and then just leave them or throw them away and not even tell them, KNOWING that the person who donated them spent time and money on it?

If somebody tries to help you with a promotional opportunity WHEN YOU ASKED do you agree to the opportunity, and then try to leverage them and make them look bad by not following through?

I try to do the things I say.  Last year I had a slow year, not because I didn’t have the opportunities, but because my dad passed away and I spent a lot more time than I had supporting my mom, getting her to doctor’s appointments, managing the estate, disposing of stuff, cleaning up, and managing their affairs for which I earned nothing.  I tried not to promise or offer much last year or this year, but I did offer to donate some company swag to a local club.  I was slow to follow through and I was very busy, but eventually I made the time and donated a box of stuff.  A couple weeks later I stopped by where I had left it for them, and I was told they didn’t want it, and in fact they didn’t give away much of the stuff I donated the year before either.

A few years ago, I donated some rods and reels to a local club.  They had mentioned they needed some other stuff, so I bought it and tried to get it to them.  They kept saying they would come get it and then not come.  Several times I waited around in the shop when I had other things I could be doing and they didn’t show up.  When they finally did pick it up they acted like it was a huge imposition, and the same day went on social media and said, people can donate stuff if they really want to, but they should just give cash.  It might not have been aimed at me, but it was the same day and the same person.  It sure seemed like it.

I had a tackle maker ask me about ideas and ways to grow his business.  I spent a fair amount of time doing just that at no benefit to myself.  When a chance came to donate some product for good exposure with a youth organization, I asked him if he would do it.  He agreed and then tried to use that opportunity to leverage me into giving him molds so he could do it faster.   He basically wouldn’t do what he said he would do until I gave him something out of my pocket.  I got nothing out of it.  I was just trying to help him promote and grow his business like he asked.

One day a fellow was standing there watching me fix his boat trailer, and said, “I don’t want you to think I only come around when I need something.”  It occurred to me generally he did only come around when he needed something.  He might have been better off to keep his mouth shut.  He might have gotten one or two more free repairs out of me before I started being busy whenever he called.  If he didn’t want me to think it maybe he shouldn’t have pointed it out.

When the kids come around door to door selling discount coupon books to support their cheer, football, or other team if I have some cash in my pocket I buy it.  It’s for a good cause, and it supports the community indirectly.  You should look to see if the community supports their business.  If it doesn’t you are going to find eventually only the old pensioner down the street on a fixed income will support your community and your clubs and they can only afford so many coupon books they can’t use anyway before they have to switch over to living on dog food.

It’s a 2-way street.  Did you do ANYTHING to support their business?  If not, why should they continue to support your club/organizations/team/business?  HOW will they be able to continue to support your club/organizations/team/business?