The problem with vested interest

If a person who provides financial advice for a living is telling you it would be a good idea for you to meet with them to discuss your financial situation, should you meet with them?

What about a Real Estate agent mentioning that now is a good time to be looking at selling your home?

Or how about the stock broker who is happy to inform us the market has bottomed out and there are great bargains to be had?

The issue of vested interest always puzzles me. The question is, are you really interested in me and my needs or are you more interested in what you have to sell me?

At NRG Solutions we sell Corporate Training Solutions to our clients. I could tell everyone now is the best time to be investing in their staff because:

1. To have the edge on your competitors it’s critical to develop and motivate your people in a slowing economy.
2. Morale may be low and the best way to get people focused is to show them they matter by investing in them.
3. There are great opportunities in this market to win new business as so many companies look to trim costs. Your people need to capitalise on these opportunities and need the skills and the hunger to go out and be effective.

You probably wouldn’t believe me because I have a vested interest in the outcome.

So what, I hear you say and how do I get around this?

Get people who don’t have a vested interest to make the recommendations and watch what happens to your business.

How do you get that to happen? Try hard work, great results and a focus on fulfilling other people’s needs.

Posted in Leadership; Tagged Leadership; Posted 25 February 2009 by Steve Herzberg