The Only Business Model that Works

In an age when customers are increasingly confronted with poor service, shoddy products, and bad attitudes, you have a golden opportunity to stand in bold contrast as the provider who represents everything they are looking for. And having been treated so poorly yourself on so many occasions, you know exactly what NOT to do!

If you want customers to Return again and again, and Recommend you and your products to others, you must treat them like Royalty. Crowning your customers rather than crowning yourself not only builds customer loyalty, but can build lasting relationships, as well.

Win-Win Works Well

To do well in business, the model that works best is Win-Win. If your customer doesn’t win, they won’t return. If you don’t win, you won’t remain in business. Pretty simple, isn’t it? Personally, I prefer to lean toward the customer in one more important way: I want my customers to feel as though they got the better end of the deal. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. It’s really a matter of perception. As long as both parties get what they went in for—or more—then everyone leaves happy.

And in leaving happy, they leave the door wide open for their friends to walk through.

Those Winning, Winning Ways

• Do the Math. In order to give more than your competitors, you must be able to afford to do so. If you are unable to make  enough profit, you won’t stay in business. Many companies accomplish this by cutting Cost, because Cost is one of the most important areas of your business you must control. The problem many businesses have is they end up harming Quality as a result. If you can figure a way to keep Cost at a reasonable level without your product or service losing Quality, you will go a long way toward a satisfied customer.

• Stay Focused. You can’t please everyone, and if you try you will end up pleasing no one. The more you focus on your core business, the better you will be able to care for your customers. Never allow yourself to be pulled away into “busy work” at the expense of the important things that must be done immediately.

• Fix Problems Early. If something goes wrong, and sooner or later it will, do your best to fix it. Drop everything else. Small, manageable problems can escalate into big unyielding problems if left to fester unattended. If at all possible, remedy every situation early. Never allow misunderstandings to remain misunderstood. The customer is always right. It doesn’t matter if you are right or wrong, you must be the bigger person and take the blame, accept the fault. But after doing all you can,  you may be forced to accept that some problems cannot be fixed and some customers refuse to be pacified. As long as you do your best, the rest will simply have to be what it is. Take the loss, get over it, and move on. More often though, your extraordinary efforts will amaze your customer, and they will know they can count on you in the future.

• Pride of Ownership. Your customer doesn’t simply want to Buy, they want to Own. Owning implies they are happy about their purchase. Ownership is an emotional quality. Ownership entices people to want to show and tell with their friends. If your product does more, lasts longer, looks better, etc, your customer can be proud to display it to those in their circle of influence they wish to impress.

• Emotional Bonding. When a customer walks away with your product, be sure to add something extra they didn’t expect. It may a simple little add-on that to the product, or another product altogether that compliments the one they just bought. Or maybe you give them something totally unrelated, but is just for fun in some way. This will help give them a warm and fuzzy feeling about you, personally, because you were thoughtful enough to do something extra for them.

• Follow-Up. After the sale, always check back with the customer and ask if there is anything more you can do for them. This is not about what else you can sell them, but about Customer Care. The goal here is ensure they are happy with your product. If they are having any problems at all, you want to know about it right away. The last thing you want is for a problem or misunderstanding about your product to fester in your customer’s mind until they become angry. By checking in early, your customer knows you stand by your product, and will take care of any problems they may encounter in the future. This builds an element of Trust that you cannot afford to be left unattended.

• Follow-Up your Follow-Up. Be sure to send some type of Thank You. This comes after the Problem Check you did earlier. The Thank You has nothing attached to it. It’s just a simple Thank You for their business. Don’t ask for another sale. Don’t ask for Referrals. Don’t talk about problems.

• Ask for Referrals. After a little time, but not too much time, has passed, recontact your customer for another Problem Check, another Thank You, and then ask for Referrals. This only works if they are happy with their purchase, and happy about the way you have handled their business every step of the way thus far. Happy customers are happy to refer you, as long as they are absolutely convinced your product is good for their friends or family.

The opportunities for excellence are wide open for those willing to rise above the herd and pursue them. The public has so much negative experience with predatory marketers, you would be a breath of much appreciated fresh air.

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