RELEASING SEPTEMBER 2012

For some time, Greg Smith has been telling "The Sombrero Story," when he speaks about business decisions. In The Dance of the Sombreros: The Choices We Make in Business, he expands the story into a book-length parable about Homer, who has just "invested" in a truckload of sombreros, and tries to figure out what to do next. The Dance of the Sombreros (Black Lake Press) will be perfect for anyone who has been overwhelmed by all the decisions that business owners are faced with, whether they run a major corporation or sell hats out of the back of a truck. The book will be available by Labor Day 2012, and Greg will be doing a speaking tour based on the book in the Fall.

From the Introduction:

Do not be like the guy who stops me on the street and says, “Hey, I’ve got a truckload of sombreros in a parking lot around the corner.”

“Sombreros?” I ask.

“Yeah, man, sombreros. Over a thousand of them. A whole truckload.”

“You mean the big Mexican hats? With the pointy top and the wide brim?”

“You got it. Nice ones, too. With the zig-zaggy shiny piping and the little dingly-dangly balls hanging from the brim.” He points down the block. “Just right around the corner. Let’s go.”

I am very confused. “Why?”

“So you can buy some, of course.” He looks at me like I’m slow-witted. Maybe I am, because I’m still not getting it.

“No, why do you have a truckload of sombreros with little dangly balls?”

“Oh,” he shrugs, as if the answer were obvious. “I was down in Tijuana, and a guy was selling the whole lot, including the truck. It seemed like a good idea.”

I stare at him, hoping for a better explanation, but apparently none is forthcoming. “So, you want me to buy a sombrero?”

“Well, actually I was hoping you’d buy a couple hundred, at least.”

I stare some more, hoping that this will make sense at some point, and wondering if that would be worth waiting for.

“Come on man. You’ve got to help me out. I’ve got a real problem.”

“What sort of problem?” What am I missing?

He looks at me like I’m stupid. “My problem is that I bought a truckload of a thousand sombreros with dangly balls and I need some cash.”

“Ah, now I get it,” I say as I step around him and continue down the street, “but that is your problem, not mine.”

If you start a business, sell something that solves your customer’s problem. He will never buy to solve your yours.