Let the Big Dog Bark

I was at the beach this weekend, enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.  My husband had taken the two dogs for a walk along the shoreline and I was totally relaxed…until I heard loud deep-throated barking.  I opened my eyes and looked to my right where this very nice girl, quiet group of people who had a mid-size dog were all staring horrified at this huge German shepherd straining at his leash while the teenage girl from the group next to me tried to walk their well-mannered dog over to the water’s edge.  Instead of continuing her walk with the dog toward the water, instead she turned back to her group, cowed by the barking dog and the rude owner, who just continued walking as if he owned the beach.

I was so irritated.  I wanted to tell that girl: “Don’t let them push you around like that!” But, of course it was none of my business.  I just kept thinking about it though.  It really annoyed me.  Then I realized why.  It was a microcosm of what goes on in the business world every day.  An opportunity arises and a few different sized companies go after it and then the big dog comes in barking at everybody.  They can do it better than everybody else because they are bigger, because they have more people, because they have more offices, because they’ve done it before, because, because, because!  And one by one the smaller guys drop out either on their own or by the client’s hand.  It’s all just too much already.

I say let the big dog bark, and then bark right back.  Your size makes you more adaptable and agile, you haven’t done it before; so you bring a fresh perspective, you don’t need offices all over the place, you just need a plane ticket, the people you do have, have proven time and again to surpass expectations, if more are needed, they will be hired.  Use your size to your best advantage whether you are manufacturing car parts, a catering company, a real estate firm or a marketing company.

Learn how to bark your best bark.