One of the simplest business lessons I’ve learned running CUENTO Marketing happens when my…

One of the simplest business lessons I’ve learned running CUENTO Marketing (opens the CUENTO site in a new tab) happens when my phone rings.

I look at the name on the screen. If my natural reaction is that I don’t want to answer, I pay attention to that.

We’ve walked away from clients who were paying us real money. Good companies. Good people.

But the relationship wasn’t working.

Maybe the workflows created constant inefficiency. Maybe they burned through the resources allocated to them. Maybe the strategy changed so often we were doing the same work two, three or four times.

And sometimes, we just didn’t enjoy working together.

Revenue can make you rationalize a lot. You absorb the extra work and tolerate relationships that suck energy out of your organization.

But there’s a cost to that revenue.

It costs your team time and attention. It takes resources away from better opportunities.

I use the same test with clients, employees, partners and anyone I’m choosing to spend a meaningful amount of time with.

When their name shows up on your phone, pay attention to your first reaction.

Sometimes it tells you something the P&L doesn’t.