Business Lessons

Title: Price of the Tools

In 1978, a saleslady named Laurie Roberts tried to sell me the 1st screen word processor to have been installed in any law office in San Antonio.

This price of this non programmable machine was $18,900 and I had negotiated the price down to $15,600 but just could not “get up to the lick log” on what I believed to be an exceptionally high price in those days.

In frustration, I called my Dad to seek counsel on what to do. He asked me what I could do with the machine and I replied that it would allow me to give the fastest service in the production of legal documents in San Antonio, permit me to rely upon the machine to create “practically perfect” documents and do so at what was considered to be “blinding speed” compared to others in my kind of practice.

My Dad said “Just buy it!”

“But,” I replied, ” … it’s so very expensive … it’s $15,600 and that’s a hell of a lot of money for a guy just starting his law practice … and I really don’t have the money and it’s going to be a real strain on me to buy it at a time when I just don’t need anymore strain.

I feel like I ought to buy something cheaper … or not buy anything at all, right now … at least until I can earn some money and have a little more breathing room.”

Dad replied ” Son, you just don’t understand at all …

it’s NOT the PRICE of the Tool that counts …

it’s ‘What it will EARN for you’ that counts …

if the machine will make your work better and faster and please more clients and make you less dependent on your support people and earn you more money …

the price of the tool simply doesn’t matter.”

I followed his advice, … and he was Right.