Leave a Few of Your Enemies Alive
Tell the world what happens when they mess with you
I’m a little late to the game, but I just started watching “1923.”
It’s the prequel to “Yellowstone,” and the sequel to “1893.”
Han Solo, I mean, Harrison Ford, plays Jacob Dutton, the patriarch of the family, and despite being just two shows into it, he’s good and the series is good…but I ain’t Siskel or Ebert…but I am old for referencing Siskel and Ebert, but I digress.
Anyway, a couple of lines struck a chord with me as I was watching this yesterday.
I won’t spoil the entire episode, but Harrison Ford’s character said this:
"I figure a few of them will make it. I hope a few do.
"Your enemies have got to be so terrified that their fear is greater than their greed. I gave those men a chance because I wanted them to tell the world what happens when they cross me."
Now, as you might imagine, some did live, but since I paused the show to send this to you, I don’t know what happens, so I can’t spoil things even if I wanted to…but I don’t.
So, I’ll leave you with a few thoughts…
This concept is not new and applies to business and to war.
2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu told us this in “The Art of War”:
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
— Chapter 7
“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.”
— Chapter 1
“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
— Chapter 3
If you can terrify your enemies into submission before they act—by reputation alone—you win without getting tied up with an extended conflict.
“Kill one, frighten ten thousand.”
— Not a direct Sun Tzu quote, but a common Chinese military proverb inspired by his line of thinking.
This is practically a one-liner version of Ford’s quote.
Make an example out of someone publicly and decisively, and you don’t have to keep fighting.
“Ahhh…Wes, what does this have to do with sales and marketing?”
Everything.
Like it or not:
Business is war
Sales is war
Marketing is war
Life is war
Your competition is trying to steal your clients and put you out of business.
Google and Facebook are trying to steal more of your money to barely keep you in business.
Your prospects are trying to steal more of your money and leave you just enough to service them, but not drive a nice car.
Mary in HR is gunning for you since you got your “excessive” client dinner expense approved against her recommendation.
Your peers are gunning for you since you won the sales award last year, and now they’re under quota since the territory realignment.
Hertz doesn’t want to honor your corporate rate.
Delta wants all of your money for checked bags.
Marriott wants all of your money for that tiny bottle of booze, oh, and the “resort fee,” that you don’t use.
The mayor wants more sales taxes for crappier roads.
The governor wants more income taxes for crappier highways.
The president wants more laws for more power.
Life—and sales—is One. Big. Friggin’. Battle.
You can say that’s bad news, but that’s like saying it’s bad news that water is wet and the sun can give you skin cancer.
It’s not bad news. It’s not good news. It’s just a fact.
Now that you know it, you can do something about it and play the game on your home field, fight the fight on your terms, and win…or complain and take the crumbs the mayor or governor or president wants to give you…if they think about you at all.
I’m not going down without a fight.
I hope you’ll join me.
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.