Tackling the Trash – getting rid of things that clutter up life and slow you down

Tackling the trash is the kind of chore you don’t enjoy, but the consequence of not doing it is hard to forget!  If you have a business, whether online or off, the time is going to come when you have to deal with the trash.   

In business, trash can be defined as anything that appears on or near or attached to your premises and/or business that is not valuable for the company purpose, which boils down to its ability to earn income.

In the physical world, this is the day to day garbage and dirt that is created by customers, employees, yourself, and unfortunately, criminals, such as vandals, thieves, etc.  If you forget about tackling the trash, it will just keep building up.

In order to keep your business appearing attractive to the public, your potential customers, you need to keep it clean and tidy, even if that means cleaning up after someone or some party that throws dirt at it (vandals) or breaks in,damaging your premises (thieves).

It’s not your fault that the trash is there, but you still have to tackle the job of cleaning it up.

Sometimes, the trash is in the form of verbiage slung at your business by a disgruntled customer, jealous competition, or a malicious hater who maybe thinks all businesses are the work of the devil or something.  What do you do then?

It’s a little easier in the physical world.   You can respond politely and graciously to a letter to the editor, extending a hand to the writer, you can talk pleasantly on the phone or in person with a disgruntled customer, or you can ignore the hater (or call the police, if that person is the vandal!!)

Tackling the trash can be a bit more of a challenge in the online world.

The first thing that you should do is tackle your real world work space!  If it’s filled with trash, your online business is going to suffer.  Clean it up!

Next, don’t spend all day going through your inbox.  You have to tackle the trash, just like a football or rugby player tackles the quarterback!   He doesn’t sidle up, circle around, think about it, then final go in for the tackle.  By that time, the ball is in the end zone!  No!  He hits and hits decisively!

Do the same thing with your inbox, or it will kill you.  The trash will pile up like… well… you know what horses do…  Go through it quickly and decisively, before opening anything, and dump everything you don’t need to look at.  I have a “to read” file for things that I may be interested in, but they don’t matter to my business.  It’s fine to put some things in there, as long as they are put there quickly,  and aren’t opened during business hours.

Tackling the trash – malicious haters…

One kind of trash you are still probably going to have to tackle in the online world is the disgruntled customer, jealous competition, or malicious haters.  These people have a much wider platform to vent on, and can really clutter up your brain in a massive way if you let them.

Don’t let this kind of trash pile up.  Deal with disgruntled customers first and fast.  They need to be made into happy customers if that is possible.  If it isn’t, just dump that trash.  Yes, they can still give you bad publicity, but unless you have a better idea, just dump the trash.  You have other customers who are good customers, that you want to keep as good customers.

Haters are sometimes the worst kind of trash in the online world, because they’re like cockroaches;  you take them out, and the next day, there they are again.  Your best course of action is to take your virtual broom and sweep them right out of your thoughts.   Remember that, unlike in the physical world, everything you say online becomes part of cyberspace, and if you get angry, there are potentially millions of witnesses, not just the customers in your shop.  Remember, it’s not a matter of you being right or wrong;  it’s a matter of perception.  Just sweep it out and forget about it.

If you have a business online or off, tackling the trash is definitely something you’re going to have to do.  Don’t put it off;  your business is much more attractive without it!  Just tackle that trash;  then get on with your business!

How do you tackle the trash on your own site? Let us know in the comments and remember to leave your link!