Do your clients rave your the best?
The rat race – most of us are a part of it. People are constantly striving for the new ‘edge’ in business – that certain something that will make them stand out a little bit more than their competitor. Many small businesses put so much money into marketing in hopes of obtaining their next big sale, and then end up really upset when their efforts fall short. But is it all worth it? Are we getting any wiser, or making our jobs any easier?
Let’s face it: business is competitive – but the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t have to be exhausting. There are two big factors that I feel make or break a business; “raving fan service” and being the best.
A common thread that most people can attest to is that we all lead crazy, busy lives. People are constantly on the go. There is your work life, personal time, spiritual time, family life, and socializing. It can be overwhelming to fit it all in! But here is the trend that most companies fail to realize – people want to be taken care of. Everything nowadays has a very “retro” feel to it. Cars, clothing and even appliances are looking very similar to what they used to. Even television shows we all watched are becoming blockbuster films. Why? Because it reminds people of a time when they used to be taken care of – a time of “Sunday night” dinners with the family, where you have roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and warm pie for dessert. A time, where things seemed more relaxed and the “ol’ fashion values” seemed to be more prevalent. So let me ask you, does your business create that pampered feeling for your customer? What do you do that is above and beyond people’s expectations? Services you offer aren’t enough – your customers expect that – it’s what they pay you for. Your clientele needs to rave about what you do! I highly recommend the book, “Raving Fan Service” by Ken Blanchard. It’s an easy read on how to have your clients rave about what you do. This is so important because it will generate referrals for you and have people in your town talking about – you! This will assist your community in viewing you as the best – which brings me to my next point.
Let’s play out a scenario for just a moment: Who is the most important person in your life right now? Imagine that this person had a serious disease (heaven forbid!) and there were only two doctors in the world that knew what to do with it. The first, in Switzerland costs over one hundred thousand dollars for the operation – and has a flawless track record. The other, nearby to you is much cheaper but…the track record isn’t the best; this doctor has lost a few people. Now let me ask you this; how fast would you be on that plane to Switzerland? Read more
Conflict: are You on or Off the Court?
Gossip in the office or business deals; most people have had experience with it but rarely know how to look at things logically without adding fuel to the fire and becoming emotionally involved. An office or partnership can become divided from people taking sides and listening through the grape vine about the events leading up to the mess. I’ve seen friendships fall apart, business deals break, and integrity lost; all over a simple game of “telephone” we used to play back in our elementary school days.
So how do you keep the peace and avoid these “playground games”? The key is to ask, “Am I on or off the court?”
Imagine a tennis court. You have two players on the court in the middle of a match (players A & B); each of them hitting the ball back and forth. Then you have the stands from which the crowd is cheering; whether it be good or bad. Suppose, one of the players (A) missed the ball during the match causing him to lose the game; various things from the stands could be heard as a result such as:
“Player A is terrible!”
“Great hit, nicely done player B!”
“What a waste of a game this was.”