Can Black People Work Together .... Or Should We Go it Alone?

[Stan Blackman]

I am always intrigued with the vast potential Black people have in America. As a population, we are a significant factor in most things American and have a powerful influence that can shift the balance of power, between success and failure for many consumer goods, fashion trends, sports venues and music & movie hits, as well as affecting any national political elections. This potential can give us a significant advantage in whatever we do, if we ever decide to cash in on it.

But when it comes to us working together in business, it seems that there is never enough interest gathered to get a critical mass moving. It seems to me, that we are more interested in what others have to offer, than when something comparable or even better is offered by one of our own. It seems to me, that we will accept anything anyone else of any race has to say on a subject, but will indignitly question the motives and intentions of people of our own race.

This is true in social situations and seems to carry over into business. There are far fewer of us, here at Black Business Space, that are doing business with other Blacks than I would have expected. There are far fewer Warm Spirits, Dudley Products, and Iman Cosmetics, for example (there are others and feel free to list them), than representatives for everything else under the sun.

A person in the outer reaches of Europe or China, can put up a website with a catchy phrase and offer instant riches and we will jump on it like "forty going north". It amazes me and it angers me. How can we be so blind? Apathetic? Desperate? Or stupid?

Am I wrong? What is your observation and is there any solution that we can come up with or what can we do, if there really is a problem?

[Lawrence A. Robinson]

I know what you mean. I believe that part of the solution is better communications among us. I feel that communications is king. If we communicated with each other, we would start to trust each other. As a people, we feel that every other group is more knowledgeable, fairer, and trustworthy than we are. We will do business with any body else before we do business with our own brothers or sisters. I think that if we communicated more with each other, on more than just the superficial levels, then we will gain a higher trust in one another.
I have spoken on this topic and written articles pertaining to this on many occasions. If more of us would have this same conversation with more of our people, I believe sooner or later we will all act positively on this new belief.
Lawrence A. Robinson
www.CommunitySteeple.com

[Stan Blackman]

Lawrence, thanks for posting. We are having this conversation, here and now. People are reading it and hopefully more will reply. We can stick our proverbial "head in the sand" for so long and only so deep. The reality is, we have to confront certain issues. As the good Bishop D. Ashlock wrote to me recently, "nothing changes, until something changes".

[KemetQueen]

I agree with you. We don't trust each other in anything we do. We need to start trusting each other and helping one another in education,business, family values,relationships etc. When they separated us in slavery, that mentally has continued to live and keep us divided.We need to talk about what we can do start trusting one another. We have taken on the spirit and attitude of America. Where living for yourself and not being an example for others to follow has become the number one priority. So are you your brothers keeper and can you trust your brother to feel the same way? Or maybe I should say" Can I really trust my brother and sister? We can work together. We did it before in the past because we knew then that we needed each to survive. We are a powerful group of people and until we see we need each other we will not succeed as a race.
Kemet Queen

[Pastor Aminata]

I must say that the trust issue is a primary one and it runs deep into the African American psyche... many do not realize that the lack of trust in a Brother or Sistah stems from a concept of low self worth.. Which is why I believe that many brothers and sisters to this day firmly believe that 'white ice" is colder than "black ice" ... for "black" conjurers up everything that is negative to them.

[Kimberly V. Taylor]

Yes, you must have a common goal. I had a similiar situation. A young girl died during Labor Day weekend. She was killed in gun crossfire. A cartoon was displayed about her. It was very negative. A group of us in Cleveland were going to picket a major newspaper if an apology was not given. The editor apologized and placed the apology in the newspaper. This shows that a group with a common goal can make a difference. See my forum about the cartoon.

Kimberly Taylor
Young Men With A Purpose

[Stan Blackman]

Thank you Kimberly, working together for a common good we can accomplish anything. I am glad to hear that you and your group took action as opposed to sitting back waiting for "someone else" to do it. Its the same with the Jena Six issue. We all have got to do our share to put pressure where it needs to be put to make something positive happen. If we don't, our in-action reinforces to those in power that they can get over on us at any time they please.

When Black businesses start to get it in our collective heads that we are a force to be reconned with all kinds of doors will open to us. Right now, we are locked out because of our inability to organize.

NBBTA is a great starting point. We can build it and then grow from there. It makes no sense in my mind that as smart as we are, we can't see what time it is. I know I am older than most of you youngin here but it makes no sense to be so selfish. You can't make it by yourself. If you could you wouldn't be here you'd have made it already. Organization is what is missing in what you're doing. You're "active" yes. But you are not organized. You are a solo act with no backup. Come on my people now is the time for us to get it together.

Thanks again for posting, Kimberly. I got carried away but its all good.

[Wealth Coach William R. Patterson - BaronSeries.com]

Hi Stan,

This is an issue I will be tackling in my address at the Nationalist Black Leadership Council (NBLC) Convention in Kernersville, NC on October 12th.

The challenge is many people are trying to sell lower value products/services to the wrong customer segment without having first built up adequate trust and credibility.

As a small business owner you must first ask yourself, “Am I truly selling the right product/service, through the right medium, at the right time, to the right audience, at the right price, from a position of credibility?”

• Did you ask people what their needs were before you offered a solution?
• Did you ask whether or not they wanted your product before you started selling it?
• Did you ask how much they were willing to pay for your product or service before you established your price point?
• Did you ask what motivates your prospects to buy before you delivered your pitch or crafted your sales copy?
• Did you ask when your prospects were most likely to buy your product or service before you approached them to close the sale?
• Did you ask them what they were most likely to buy after they purchased your product or service in order to provide a higher-value integrated offering?

Determine If You Have the “Right” Audience

• Have you established a niche and obtained demographic information for that niche?
• Do you know the size of your market and how many companies/representatives you are competing against? What is your positioning relative to your competitors?
• Have you ascertained your prospects’ motivations, routine actions, and purchasing habits to know where and how to advertise to them?
• Do you they have a “real need” for your product and the disposable income to purchase it on an ongoing basis?
• Are you marketing to key influencers within your demographic that can bring in more customers?

Determine If You Have the “Right” Product

• If you assess your product’s price, convenience, accessibility, reliability, performance, quality, style, level of maintenance, and functionality as an integrated turn-key solution, are you offering the “highest value” in the marketplace?
• If so, have you devised a way to communicate the quantitative or measurable benefits and results of your product or service?
• Are you selling something truly unique or an undifferentiated commodity product/service?
• Is the product/service something that people would buy on their own if they walked into store or are you trying to invent a “want” or “need” with your prospects?
• Is the product/service a turn-key solution that quickly and with little effort solves a problem or offers your customer instant gratification?
• Is the product easy to understand or does it require heavy selling or explaining?

Determine If You Have Invested Enough Time in the Business Relationship Before Trying to Make the Sale

• Have you built trust and established credibility with your prospects?
• Have you established your brand and positioning?
• Have you clearly demonstrated the superior value of your product or service?

Most small business owners have never taken the time to address these questions and it ends up costing them thousands or even millions of dollars and many years of wasted time. In addition, they fail to seek the expert guidance of those who can help them reach their business and financial goals quickly...

[Wealth Coach William R. Patterson - BaronSeries.com]

...While it is clear that many misconceptions, issues, and inequities still exist in the marketplace, thorough planning, sound business processes, and skilled execution always translate into higher profits. However, trying to build a sustainable business by selling to the wrong demographic and offering unwanted or low value commodity products and expecting blind loyalty from customers based solely on "buying black" will lead to failure every time.

Ask people what they want first, and then deliver and you shall receive.

In all you do, continued success!

With every good wish,
William R. Patterson
Award-Winning Leturer
Bestselling Co-author of THE BARON SON
http://www.baronseries.com

* Top 10 Business Motivational Speaker Website - Ranking.com
* 2007 Best Lecture Speaker & Workshop Website - Black Web Awards

[Lee Green]

Stan, I feel you. You know I do. Its sad but a fact nevertheless, that only a few of us will ever do anything to effect positive change. You mentioned it earlier in a post I read, and its been on my mind all week. You mentioned the "80-20 Rule". As you may remember, I use to teach this in my workshops. The Rule basically says, that you will get 80% of your results from 20% of your people.

That means, for example, there are 1000 people here at Black Business Space and half of us, are at least willing to "think" about doing what is required to effect change.

As a result, there are only 500 people who are here who could do anything in the first place, and only 20% of us will actually take action. So that's only 100 people, who are registered on this site who will do anything to work toward a common goal of Black economic reciprocity.

The other 900 will continue as though nothing is wrong. Won't see the problem and think that we can't be talking about them. Afterall, they got it going on with their latest business opportunity. We're the ones who are missing out. Not them. They won't take the time to focus their collective strength on anything but what is most important to themselves. That's just the way it is.

We can keep crying foul, but that is the way it is. So for me, I only want to reach the 100. I only want to relate to the 100. I only want to do business with 20% of the people who will frequent this site now and in the future. I don't need them on my "friends" list or in my address book. I only want to interact with "twenty percenters". Doing otherwise for me, is counterproductive. I would be wasting 80% of my time, on people who don't have a clue and who don't care to care. They just want what they want, when they want what they want. Its not a "Black thing" its a "Me thing".

Now, the real question becomes, who are the 20 percenters? My momma used to say, "the proof is in the puddin". As others have said, "action speaks louder than words". I will find them by networking and relating to them. Learning through communication who is "real" and who is "memorex" (Most of you all are too young to remember that tv commercial).

Let the 80% keep deceiving themselves. Its their option. At any point in time, they can switch and become a 20 percenter. Most won't, and that is their "inalienable right" to remain ignorant. Stan, you and Lawrence and others are "old school". You and I have run million dollar companies. Most of the people who come here have not yet had the experience of making big money, nor have they had the experience of working long term with other Blacks.

We are unique, but not exclusive and although its frustrating, a change will come one way or another, because that's the only thing that is always certain ... "change".

Remain a do'er and not just a hearer. That is the commitment, the promise and with it the great reward. The same holds true in the Jena Six case. Change is happening as we speak.

[Stan Blackman]

Thank you all for taking a moment out of your day to reply to my questions. The points are well made and I receive them. It still is very frustrating even after all these years to see the mental condition of my people. I am saying mental, it may also be spiritual, but in either case its enough to cause me to reflect and ask these types of questions. Lee, you said, "change is happening" and I receive that and expect it to be so. Thank you so much.

[Pastor Aminata]

Lee I could not agree with you more when you said, "I only want to do business with the 20% of the people who will frequent this site now and in the future." As the CEO of Leadershipology, Inc.; I have trained over 100,000 people across the country in the past 19years. But it has only been a few who have used the knowledge and skills acquired to go on and do some awesome things in business, politics and in the church. Yet, I'm eternally optimistic, I do what I do because I believe in us.

To Stan and Lazone, I say there is hope for us as a people, but it's best to get an understanding as to "why" we behave the way we do. I suggest you read Dr. Joy Degruy Leary's book, "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome." I believe it will shed some light to the matter.

[Tony]

I have heard of this rule, I have seen it in action in my civic work.

for the 20 to 5% that will work, they need, a goal, a common goal, structure. do you agree?