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Selling Done Right
What profession is best suited for a liar?
How do you know when a salesperson is lying?
It’s unfortunate that salespeople have become the butt of so many jokes. In the past I’ve written about pests, peddlers and Demand Creators, and shared the advantages to being a Demand Creator.
As the world continues to move forward from the deep recession, there are still not enough companies that are building the organizational capability necessary to consistently grow profits. Selling, on the whole, is not creating the value necessary to support higher margins and faster profit growth for small and mid-market companies.
Ineffective sales efforts are actually contributing to:
- Greater commoditization
- Lengthening sales cycles
- Greater price pressure
As I’ll be sharing next week in our free webinar on The 7 Steps to Shortening The Sales Cycle, businesses need to create a new path and implement new approaches to sales. Now, more than ever, it takes an organization to sell effectively, not just a salesperson.
Done right, your sales effort is the most powerful, leverageable resource to accelerate revenue and profit growth, and to increase the value of your business. Building the capability enhances your brand, allows you to bypass competition and serves as a virtually insurmountable competitive advantage.
Selling properly requires that you stop focusing on making a sale. Instead, you need to focus on being relevant, helping your customers achieve their objectives and teaching your prospects how to improve their worlds.
It means slowing things down a bit, (really) putting customer’s interests first and understanding that sales, profits and business value are the result of a proper focus, and cannot be the focus.
When you realize that the job of sales is to help, and you build the system to make that happen, suddenly the sales process becomes easy.
Defining a Remarkable Customer Experience
The post below originally appeared as two different posts in 2005. Yesterday I was having a conversation with a client and friend. She was asking me my thoughts on different experiences that high end companies provided and what she could learn from them. I pointed her to these posts. After re-reading them I realized how “on point” they still are, and I thought it would be worth sharing again. I’ve combined the two posts into one. Apologies for the length – but I think you’ll like it.
Be a ‘Purple Cow.’ Pursue the ‘Wow’. Make it ‘priceless.’
The buzzwords (and the book sales) are many. Putting them to work is more difficult. I do not have any problem with the ideas offered by Seth Godin, Tom Peters or the many authors that are writing about delivering a remarkable customer experience. As a matter of fact, their writings have given me tremendous insights that I use everyday.
The problem with most efforts to provide amazing experiences is that businesses often forget that it is the customer, not the business, decides what is remarkable and what isn’t. You have to remember, too, that what is remarkable for one company, may not be remarkable for you.
The purpose of creating a remarkable experience is to make absolutely certain no one can find a substitute for what your company offers. When there is no substitute for what you offer, you cannot be commoditized. When you cannot be commoditized, then growth, loyal customers and profits are yours for the taking.
Want a definition of a remarkable experience? How about, Reading my mind?
Really, that’s all your prospects, customers and clients want. They want what they want, the way they want it (preferably, without having to ask for it) – no more, no less.
Now let me give you an example of what is not remarkable.
Recently, a meeting at Starbucks with a client of mine ran long. We decided to get lunch; and, so as not to break our chain of thought, we went to the restaurant next to Starbucks – Fuddruckers. Mind you, we did not go to Fuddruckers for a ‘fabulous dining experience.’ We went to get a burger and a table so we could continue our conversation.
Clearly, this Fuddruckers has undertaken and effectively implemented customer service training. When I placed my order for a hamburger, I communicated that I wanted: cheese, ketchup, lettuce, onions and tomatoes (the way I always get my burgers) and that I did not want fries (my nutritionist would be proud). The order taker then communicated every other option I could have, most of which I did not understand. Placing an order for a hamburger had never been so difficult.
Then we went to the table, where a very kind employee introduced himself to us, told us his name and said that if there was anything else we needed, at all, we should speak to him. He asked if that was alright with us, we responded yes, and he closed by asking us if this was a “good deal.” Okay, I thought, a little over the top; but, hey its Fuddruckers, you’ve got appreciate someone who shows that type of energy in their job. Over the course of our lunch he interrupted us six times asking if we needed anything. Unfortunately, what we needed was to be left alone.
I’m sure that he was doing what he was taught to do. Be of service. Show energy. Smile. Have fun. He did all of these things. What he didn’t do was give me what I wanted.
The Four Seasons, on the other hand, always seems to know what I want before I do. If I want assistance there is someone there ready to give it. If I want to do it myself, they leave me alone. They read my mind, and as a result I pay significantly more for a room than I pay elsewhere. Why? Because the staff there has been trained to respect their customers and treat them as they themselves would expect to be treated under the circumstances. They pay close attention to what their customers are doing at any particular moment and “read” their level of need. That’s how they always seem to be reading my mind. It’s a level of attention for which there is no substitute. I simply can’t find that feeling having someone read my mind anywhere else at any price.
Then there’s Fuddruckers. Will I ever eat there again? Sure, as long as it’s the most convenient alternative and the prices stay low.
When I wrote that post I got lost of comments that caused me some concern. Because I used The Four Seasons as the example, people began to use words like upscale and luxurious as being synonymous with remarkable. As a result I wrote this:
A number of the responses I’ve received made me think the people who wrote feel their companies have always tried to provide a “Four Seasons” type experience. Judging from the tone of their responses, what they meant was that they work to provide a ‘fine, upscale, luxurious’ experience. The point I wanted to make was that one does not need to be ‘upscale’ to be remarkable.
Wal-Mart provides a remarkable experience. Wal-Mart gives its customers exactly what they want and what they expect – no more, no less. (Though as Wal-Mart now talks about moving up-market to compete with Target, I wonder if they will be able to read their new customers’ minds or continue to be in tune with their current ones Editors note: Wow, I was right. Wal-Marts strategy to take on Target was a complete failure. Since then they’ve been trying to recover from that mistake and I am no longer convinced that Wal-Mart still provides a remarkable experience. The point still stands – they DID provide one.)
Southwest has always provided a remarkable experience, and no one would confuse Southwest with The Four Seasons.
So remember, a ‘fine, upscale, luxurious’ experience is only remarkable if that is actually what your customers want.
There’s a questionnaire I use with my clients to help them understand and appraise their customer/client experince and I’d be happy to share it with you if you like.
Thank You, Apple
I admit it – I bought the iPhone early. I paid $599 for the 8GB model. Yesterday, as I’m sure many of you are aware, Apple announced they were cutting the price by $200. At first I was upset, but I got over it quickly. I bought the phone so that I would have it when everyone else didn’t. To me, that story was worth the $200.
There had been rumors for some time about Apple introducing a new model for the holiday season. I heard all about them from my ‘friends’ who thought I was crazy to have bought the phone. I replied, “It will be interesting to see how they handle that, if it’s true. A company like Apple,” I said, “has to honor its early adopters.”
Check out this open letter from Steve Jobs. He demonstrates respect to his loyal customers – and gives us a $100 credit. How about that, I paid more than I had to and I like Apple even more. Treat your loyal customers with respect and we’ll take care of you.
I’m sure this move ‘costs’ them a lot of money. A company with a more short sighted view of the world wouldn’t do it. I’m also sure that it will be worth every penny. This is a lesson we can all learn from.
Missed Opportunities – Again
As readers of this blog know, I recently went on vacation in St. John in the US Virgin Islands. I had a great time, and caught up on my relaxation. My vacation, however, is not the purpose of this blog.
You may recall, that while booking my trip I wrote about the missed opportunities on the part of my travel agent. Unfortunately, my travel agent didn’t appear to learn anything from that experience. Though I really enjoyed the conversation I had with him, and (at the time) thought that he was doing an excellent job looking out for my interests, from the moment I agreed to book the trip, it felt as though I might as well have booked it using an impersonal, online option. Actually, that’s not true – online options are actually more proactive.
In the weeks and days leading up to the trip, there was no contact whatsoever from my agent. No e-mail saying, “have a great time, call us if you have any questions.” No phone calls to make sure we had everything under control. Nothing. While we were there, we got an automated fax from the vacation package company we actually booked the stay with, using the travel agents name and that was it. Upon my return – you guessed it – nothing. No how was your stay? What could we do better? Nothing.
This is not a rant about my travel agent – it’s a rant about service-based businesses in general. When you are promising value-added and personalized service, make sure you do things that reinforce that proposition. Look, I spent a lot of money on my vacation and didn’t haggle with my agent in the process. As a matter of fact, every time my agent suggested something that cost more money, I said yes. Maybe I’m a sucker, but the reason I spent the money I did was:
a) I didn’t want to deal with any hassles, and
b) I was buying the experience of being important. I wanted to be (and wanted my family to be) pampered. My wife and I work very hard and I wanted an experience that made us feel important – and I was willing to pay for it.
Here’s the thing: nothing I wanted would have had to cost any money. Sure I would have loved a bottle of champagne when I arrived at my destination (and, yes, I know that lots of travel agents would have done this – that’s not my point), but all I needed was some recognition. A personalized e-mail and call before we left reminding me of the travel documents I did or did not need. That would have been nice. A phone call when I returned so I could have shared some of my satisfactions and dissatisfactions. Additionally, on that call, the agent could have easily begun talking about my next vacation – and who knows, maybe I would have put down another deposit.
Instead, I was left feeling as though I was on my own. It made me question the effort my agent actually put into my interests before booking. Maybe they paid as little attention to me before my purchase as they did afterward. Has my agent lost my business for good? No, they can recover from this. But, I’ll never trust them the way I did before. On my next trip, I’ll do more of my own research; I’ll check prices and options.
Remember, the sale is not over when the client says ‘yes’, actually, it’s only just begun. Also, remember that your job is to read your clients mind – for it’s your clients who decide whether it’s a good experience or not – and the word of mouth follows.
Another Lie
I’ve written a number of times about creating a great client experience and the need to respect your customers (for a sample click here, here, here, here or here). Seth Godin has a post well worth reading about a recent visit he made to Home Depot.
Missed Opportunities
I just finished booking our family vacation. We’ll be spending a week at a fabulous resort on the beautiful island of St. John in the Virgin Islands. We’re all looking forward to it.
I bring this up now because I just got the receipt for my final payment – and that’s all I got. What a missed opportunity for my travel agency! There are few industries under more intense fire from commoditization as the leisure travel agency industry – and all my agency sent me was a receipt. There was not even a note! I felt I had just bought something significant (I certainly paid a significant amount for it) and I had nothing to show for it. I wanted to tell my friends about this ‘new thing’ I just bought, but I had nothing to show them.
What could my travel agency have done? I don’t know precisely (it’s their job to figure out what their client experience objectives should be) but here are some ideas:
- A pre-trip photo album of things to see and do on St. John,
- A nicely printed list of scenic attractions and events so my family and I could start discussing what we want to do, or not do (and also talk to our friends further spreading the word about the destination and our travel agent),
- Some beach items for the kids
Don’t get me wrong. My travel agency is very good and they were terrific when it came to helping us decide where to go. The problem is that my ‘buying experience’ ended the moment I gave them my credit card number. I feel like I’m missing something.
Travel agents (and virtually every other service business) face the challenge of selling intangibles – like service, selection and expertise. The best thing someone can do when selling intangibles is to create deliverable that make the intangibles more tangible (this is why Disney World sells Mouse Ears).
I don’t mean to pick on travel agencies. Businesses of all types regularly miss critical opportunities to enhance the client experience. Too often companies try to come up with something big to prove how much they care about their customers when a small touches like these can make the difference between a good experience and a great one.
A great time for a company to remind customers of all the wonderful things they’ve done for them and how much they appreciate their business is at the critical touch point of sending them the invoice. Had my travel agency done this, my focus would have been on the number of things I was looking forward to on my vacation instead of the numbers preceding the comma on the final bill.
A Perfect Example of Gratuitous ‘Service’
I’ve been traveling quite a bit recently and have been lucky enough to upgrade to first class on my last couple of excursions. As a first-class passenger, I was treated to what, I guess, is the airlines latest attempt to provide a “VIP” feel.
I got to enter the jetway by walking over a red carpet.
Unless you are an elite member of the airline’s frequent flier program or flying first class, this is a luxury you do not get to experience. Unfortunately, the boarding process got slightly complicated today. It seems the gate agent was having a difficult time making those who were flying coach understand that they could not cross the red carpet. She told them they needed to enter next to the red carpet and this caused some confusion.
Let’s do a quick reality check here.
Note to airlines: Here’s what I want when I fly (and my quick research supports that I am not the only one).
- Board the plan as easily and effortlessly as possible.
- The plane leaves on time.
- The flight is uneventful and not memorable.
- The plan lands on time.
- Exit the plan as easily and effortlessly as possible.
I don’t care what color the carpet is that I cross over. And I object to the fact that airlines (at least United and Northwest) have added to their costs to provide such a gratuitous ‘perk.’ I also object to them making the boarding process more complex. It just shows beyond a doubt that the airlines simply do not understand what their customers want.
It’s not surprising that airlines have no clue what their customers want. And they aren’t the only ones. I see this disconnect in businesses of all kinds all of the time. The focus becomes ‘service’ for the sake of service, instead of actually using service to enhance the customer experience.
If a service improvement does not create value, then you should think twice (or more) before implementing it. I define creating value as doing something someone would be willing to pay more for. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to charge more for it, but that you could if you wanted to.
Here’s an example of how you could test a proposed service improvement: Lets say you’re an airline executive and you’re considering creating a special “VIP” lane on the jetway for your top passengers. The only difference between the VIP lane and the other lane is that the top passengers get to walk over a red carpet. Now you need to figure out whether or not you should implement the idea. Simply ask, “Would our customers be willing to pay more to cross over a red carpet?” If the answer is no, then the decision is simple — don’t do it.
Now ask yourself this question about anything else you consider your company’s ‘service difference.’
Hertz – Not Exactly
I was recently on a business trip to Chicago to make a presentation. I am a member of Hertz’s #1 Club Gold program (a great creation). My flight got in a little late, but I was confident that my time would be made up with a seamless car rental experience.
I briefly stopped at the Hertz desk in the airport to confirm that I should proceed directly to the bus and to confirm where the bus stopped. The Hertz agent casually nodded, and I proceeded to the bus. Getting on the bus was a non-event and the driver announced that we would be shortly arriving at the rental area and that they first stop will be for #1 Club Gold.
The bus pulled over and the driver announced that if our name were not up on the board that we should stay on the bus and go the check-in center. Needless to say, my name was not on the board. Disappointed and a little frustrated, I asked the driver what the problem was. His response was, “Oh, nothing. It just means they haven’t printed your agreement yet.” Hungry and looking forward to getting on the road to my hotel, I entered the Hertz rental check-in center.
I thought I’d entered a Hertz commercial in the example of what Hertz isn’t. There were about 30 people in a line that didn’t appear to be moving. I went to the sign for #1 Club and was told to stand in the line. Apparently Hertz’s computers were down and they were unable to process rentals automatically. Every rental agreement had to be written from scratch using their old paper systems. More than an hour later, I was on the road.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that everything doesn’t work all of the time. I am not upset at Hertz because their computers went down, nor am I upset at them because it took me more than an hour to do what should have taken less than five minutes. I’m upset because of how they handled the entire process. Remember, this is a company whose promise is ‘Exactly.’
Here’s how they could have improved the experience:
- The counter agent in the terminal could have explained that there was a computer outage and that the rental may take longer than normal. In the absence of that, she could have gone to the check-in center to add another hand.
- The bus driver could have alerted us to a problem and explained that what was about to happen was unusual.
- Had the counter agent or the bus driver alerted us to the problem, we could have chosen whether we wanted to make alternate arrangements.
- Upon arrival to the check-in center, Hertz could have had non-rental agent personnel keeping clients up-to-date with what was happening and how long the wait was going to be.
- They could have handed out #’s so that we wouldn’t have to wait arbitrarily in a line. They could have gone out and gotten coffee, provided snacks, ordered pizza – done anything to demonstrate that they knew this was a meaningful inconvenience and communicated that “we’re all in this together.”
- Most importantly, Hertz’s rental agents could have been less dismissive and far more empathetic to those (including, but not limited to, me) who asked what was going on. Hertz makes a promise, we assume they will keep it and when they don’t, we have a right to a reasonable and kindly explanation. While I understand how swamped these rental agents were, a smile goes a long way.
Hertz makes a compelling promise, and typically they keep it. However, I am a firm believer that you learn the truth about a company when something goes wrong. Hertz has failed to provide something to ensure that its employees live their promise, whether it’s adequate training, a supportive atmosphere, effective managers, I don’t know.
Take this opportunity to survey your business – how do you handle things when they go wrong. Does it demonstrate your commitment to your promise? Create a fire drill (simulate a problem) – see how your people respond. I know I will.
Don’t Interrupt – It’s Not Polite
I am a raving fan of a coaching company that I have been a client of for more than eight years. I’ve referred a significant amount of business to them; and I’ve been a reference for many more.
Over the past year, this company has undergone some strategic planning that has focused on increasing their complementary offerings. I know this, not because I am the consultant, but because the frequency with which I’ve been ‘marketed at’ has increased significantly. Phone calls, e-mails, direct mail, even faxes. All offering more stuff for me to buy; or to refer to others.
Today, I got a phone call and an e-mail ‘letting me know’ about some of their upcoming programs. I hate to say this, but it felt a bit like the ‘courtesy calls’ I get from my credit card company.
I’m all for this company increasing its business. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can – BUT DON’T INTERRUPT ME! It’s gotten out of hand, and frankly it is making me less of a fan.
This is a company that I engage with several times a year. There are plenty of opportunities to make me aware of their offerings, ask me for my help, and for referrals. This company has no need to resort to such traditional interruption-oriented methods.
This approach requires more nuance than the traditional approach does. It’s not as easy to track as a campaign that focuses on the number of calls, or e-mails, sent on a particular offering. These traditional approaches rely on myths.
This company is not alone. I’ve noticed an increase in the interruption marketing techniques from organizations that I buy from. It’s a dangerous strategy for a company. Why? The danger is that if you implement interruption marketing tactics to a happy client base, you’ll see immediate results. You’ll think it’s working. However, that success will be at the expense of the ‘trust-equity’ that you have built. Not a worthy trade.
What should you do? The same thing you should do with prospects – always make sure your marketing communication creates value. This does not mean that you should not market to you existing client base – you should. They are your best market. You should just do it with respect.
Is Disney Resting On Its ‘Magic’?
You may have noticed fewer blog postings from me of late. This has been for a couple of reasons. Imagine has gone through some exponential growth and required more attention than normal, and I’ve spent some extra time with the family on vacation. I’m back, the kids are back in school, and the Fast Growth Blog is back on track.
On vacation, we made the family pilgrimage to Disney World. While there, I did my best not to think about work. However, everything about my experience there kept reminding me of concepts I’ve blogged about. I realized that Disney is the epitome of the ‘experience economy.’ I mean that in both the positive and the negative. Disney should be a case study for every business looking to excel in the Widsom Age. With Disney, you get what to do and what not to do, all for one price.
Disney does a great job of creating a compelling experience for an extraordinarily wide group of people. No one is better at making standing in line seem and feel like it’s part of the ride. They make kids comfortable, and they remind adults that we’re still kids.
They tell stories better than anyone.
For those that have not seen the fireworks/light show at Epcot Center, you don’t know what you’re missing. At the end of a hot, hot day; with the kids exhausted; the entire family was swept away with a story told by fire and lights. Watching, I forgot I was tired and was transported to another world. This, I realized, is what keeps people coming back. Clearly, Disney does a lot right.
However, much of my Disney experience this time was perplexing at best, and, too often, disappointing. We spent our first day in the original Disney World – The Magic Kingdom. My kids were excited about all of the Disney characters they would see. After arriving in the park and spotting a few of the characters who had just finished the welcome show, we didn’t see another character. My kids left upset.
We stayed at the Yacht & Beach Club to give the kid’s the full Disney experience. While the accommodations were fine, and the maid service were entertaining , very few of the people in the hotel were ever ‘present.’ I got the distinct feeling that most of the people didn’t particularly enjoy being there, and as a result, a significant amount of the magic was lost.
The Yacht & Beach is famous for its pool. There’s a great water slide, sand to simulate a beach, and a host of other cool features. Our last day, we had to leave for the airport at 1:30pm, so we decided to spend the morning at the pool. We found out that morning that the pool didn’t open until 10am. I, and many others, was quite surprised by this – and the only reason I can figure for opening at 10 instead of 9 is to save money.
Money is probably the most controversial component with Disney. My issue was that I felt totally nickeled and dimed. For example, I was charged $9.95 per day for Internet access. In 2006, Internet access at hotels that charge the nightly rate that I paid, should be free.
The biggest issue, however, is that the experience lacked humanity. As I went through the week, I was constantly reminded of the Four Seasons philosophy – systematize the predictable, so you can humanize the unpredictable. At Disney, everything was manufactured. For things like rides and fireworks (by design, a manufactured process), it works fine; for everything else – it was lacking. Disney’s approach to providing an experience is Industrial Age-based. It relies on control, repetition and pure consistency. It worked for many years. I’m not convinced it works today, and I’m certain that it will not work in the future.
Disney works too hard to control the experience; and as a result, they work hard to control their people. That’s for a consistent experience, but it fails to deliver what Disney used to be best known for – and what any business today needs to succeed in the experience economy – imagination.
Is XM Radio Selling Out?
I have been a fan of XM Radio for several years. I have to admit that, originally, when I heard about satellite radio I thought, “who in the world would pay for radio?” Then I bought a new Acura TL that came with a free 90-day subscription to XM. I fell in love with it right away. It joined the ranks of my cell phone, fax machine and TiVO – technology that I immediately could not live without.
Until today. Driving with my family I heard a commercial on what was supposed to be a commercial-free channel. Whoa, what’s going on? I thought. XM is cheating on me. Literally, that’s what I felt – that XM had lied to me. It promised me commercial-free music and selection. It was a compelling promise. I now have two cars with XM and I was getting ready to buy a portable XM player because I couldn’t stand the thought of being in a rental car this week without it.
I realize that XM needs to make money. I also realize that it was only one commercial – about 15 seconds. It doesn’t matter. XM made me a promise. I trusted them. I told my friends about them. I stood up for them. Now I feel let down.
Here’s the thing: I would have been willing to pay more if XM had kept its promise. Needless to say, I’m no longer going to be buying the portable player. I have not canceled my subscription – but I’m certainly looking at my options.
For those readers that have had the guts to make a compelling promise, don’t make this mistake. Stick to your promise. “Promises made, promises kept” is a recipe for success in the wisdom age.
A Four Seasons Experience Isn’t Always About A Four Seasons Experience
No post I’ve written has elicited feedback equal to what I received from Why People Don’t Pay Attention to the Price of a Room at the Four Seasons. While the response has been universally positive, I am concerned that there may be some misunderstanding about what I mean by a remarkable client experience.
For those that don’t want to go back to the previous post, I defined a remarkable experience as:
Reading my mind. Really, that’s all your prospects, customers and clients want. They want what they want, the way they want it (preferably, without having to ask for it) – no more, no less.
A number of the responses I’ve received made me think the people who wrote feel their companies have always tried to provide a “Four Seasons” type experience. Judging from the tone of their responses, what they meant was that they work to provide a ‘fine, upscale, luxurious’ experience. The point I wanted to make was that one does not need to be ‘upscale’ to be remarkable.
Wal-Mart provides a remarkable experience. Wal-Mart gives its customers exactly what they want and what they expect – no more, no less. (Though as Wal-Mart now talks about moving up-market to compete with Target, I wonder if they will be able to read their new customers’ minds or continue to be in tune with their current ones.)
Southwest has always provided a remarkable experience, and no one would confuse Southwest with The Four Seasons.
So remember, a ‘fine, upscale, luxurious’ experience is only remarkable if that is actually what your customers want.
Keep the comments coming.
The Opposite of a Remarkable Experience
Seth Godin got’s a great example of how the little things kill a client experience – the opposite of a Four Seasons experience from a Four Season’s competitor. It’s two posts so click here and here.
Never Forget The Core Reason Why People Buy From You
I love coffee shops. For some reason ,my neighborhood is a magnet for gourmet coffee establishments. There are seven within a three-mile area (and I live in the suburbs).
One small shop has been my absolute favorite since I moved here years ago. It’s a fun place to hang out. They do all of the little things right. The barista’s have personalities, they’re fun, and they’ve make me feel welcome.
The problem is that over the last month, more times than not, when I arrive there, eager to be re-caffeinated by my friendly baristas, they have been out of coffee.
Call me rigid and dogmatic, but I believe for some reason that one thing a coffee shop should not do is run out of coffee. Every morning that I have to stand there and watch my coffee brewing gets me more steamed than the milk in a latte. The barista who seemed so charming feel much less charming.
My little coffee spot is under new ownership. One of my favorite barista’s decided to buy the place. She is passionate about the place. She’s installed new floors, added to the food menu and added a greater selection of coffee. Her excitement and effort have increased business noticeably. She must remember, however, that people go to coffee shops for coffee.
This is a lesson for every business to keep top-of-mind. If you do everything great, but you don’t have the coffee, you have failed. If you spend so much time “adding value” but you lose sight of the reason why you exist, you won’t sustain growth.
This morning I arrived for my 7am cup. I saw several cars in front of the shop and bet myself that the place would be out of coffee. Sad to say, I was right again. I feel terrible about it, but my loyalty to the place has been replaced by irritation and distrust. A cup of coffee can be a very personal thing. They’ve let me down, and I take it personally.
Where will I go for my coffee tomorrow morning? I don’t know.
Until next time, Doug
Don’t Be Tempted To Trade Customer Satisfaction
I just got back from a business trip in Toronto. Monday night I had the privilege of meeting with a terrific restaurateur named Tony who really understands what growth and being remarkable is all about.
Tony’s restaurant is an upper mid-scale Italian restaurant – but it’s more than that. It’s a ‘place.’ It’s a place where families go to celebrate. It’s a place where couples go to talk about important decisions. But most of all, it’s a place that just makes you feel at home When I asked Tony how he characterizes his restaurant, he said he calls it a “neighborhood restaurant.”
Tony knows who his customers are. Tony knows why he is successful. Two weeks ago a food critic from one of Toronto’s major newspapers was eating at Tony’s with his family. Tony knew who he was, and Tony knew that he wasn’t from the neighborhood. He asked if he was there for business or pleasure. The writer admitted he was there for business and was going to write an article about the place. Tony asked the writer not to. When the writer asked why, here is the answer he got:
If you write an article about my place, at best it will interest people from outside the neighborhood to come in. They’ll come, but they won’t stay because they are not from the neighborhood. The problem is they’ll take the seats that my regular customers use, and my customers won’t be able to come in and eat when they want to.
When I heard the story, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Wow.’ Most people would kill to get the coverage Tony was about to get, but Tony knew the success would be fleeting and his restaurant would no longer be remarkable – it wouldn’t be the neighborhood’s place.
One more thing, Tony’s restaurant was packed on Monday night – a night when many restaurants don’t even open because so few people go. Wow.
Until next time, Doug
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Resources
Doug's Washington Business Journal Columns- Intelligent Growth Articles
Third Wave Selling Blog
Products to Grow
