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Whether you are considering starting a business or redirecting an existing one, your business plan needs to be carefully thought out. Your road to success begins with the end in mind. So, from the start, your reason for being in business must be firmly embraced. This can be done by writing out your mission statement. Lest you go down the wrong path, I will share what I have learned about how business building has changed over time.
Building a successful business today is not at all about the money. Rather, it is about making an impact. Quality vs. quantity is important to today's booming business owners. By providing an excellent product experience for your end user and providing first-rate service, before, during and especially after the sale your business will grow and thrive; word will get around about you and your products and services, and others will begin to take notice.
So, rather than looking to historical business building practices, it is time to blaze a new path. Our ancestors' reasons for starting new businesses may have been geared more towards earning a livelihood. When America was first founded, citizens in each town had but one choice. With one bank, one general store, one beauty salon, one restaurant and one hotel, there was simply no competition.
This is no longer true. Today we have to focus more on making our businesses unique to the marketplace, because not only are there more than one of each business in our local area, but thanks to the Internet customers have the whole world at their fingertips. The simple truth is, since so many like businesses exist, if you don't offer a unique, quality experience to your customers, they can and will look elsewhere.
To grow your successful business, focus on providing a quality end result to your customers. When your aim is to create a happy customer, rather than merely making money, the product or services you offer should be of paramount importance to you.
To further prove how important it is to provide a positive customer experience let me share one customer comment I received. This should be your aim too.
The follow-up service is as good as it gets.
"I just published a book a couple of months ago, and it was my first experience at using an editor and publisher. My editor recommended DocUmeant Publishing & Designs, so I went with her recommendations. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results. The cover came out much better than I anticipated, and I get compliments on it from so many people. The layout was superb and all the different formats were taken care of in one source. The company's communication was excellent, and the pricing was very reasonable for the quality of service provided. It is a certainty that my next book very soon will be published by Ginger at DocUmeant Publishing & Designs.
In addition, you find out what kind of company and people you are dealing with by how they handle an issue after the sale. The follow-up service is as good as it gets. Thank you, Ginger, for all your help and expertise! It is truly a pleasure to work with you."
-Terry Minion, Author, Commercial Truck Success Upward Trend Management Services, LLC
When your customers feel this way about you, you can bet that they will tell others. However, if you offer the opposite end result, they will tell others that as well. So, strive to provide a positive customer experience if you want only good things to be said about you and your business.
Another word of advice is to listen to your customers when they tell you they are unhappy. Find out why they aren't pleased and attempt to address the cause of their dissatisfaction. I have even gone to the extent of giving a refund or offering a free service to satisfy a customer. The interesting thing is, when I do this, they end up ordering more services, and I end up making more from them and their referrals than I ever would have had I not done so.
Additionally, you have to believe in your product or service or you will have difficulty promoting it. I recall years ago as a budding entrepreneur, when I was an Avon representative, they had a comb that was shaped like an ice cream cone for little girls. I believed this would teach young girls to put ice cream in their hair, and therefore, I didn't have a good feeling about selling them. The result; I sold zero!
When you have confidence in your products and services, your customers will notice, and once your customers believe and trust you, they will begin telling others. Ultimately, referrals will begin flooding in and your business will flourish.
The takeaway is to focus on providing the best products and services you can provide; success will naturally follow your excellent reputation for providing an outstanding customer experience.
© Copyright 2014 Ginger Marks
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