Not long ago, I was working with a sign company whose tag-line was “We Make It Easy.” This phrase was included on all of their promotional materials, and I first noticed it in the upper left-hand corner of their business card.
Since I was dealing with the top dog in the company, I decided to ask him if his employees actually did make doing business easy. I was a caught by surprise when the president answered, “Not really.”
As a result of this brief conversation, a peculiar thing happened; the president removed the slogan from his company’s business cards. Incredible!
The truth is that most companies don’t make doing business easy-some actually make doing business difficult. A few (not naming names but online travel agencies and airlines) manage to make doing business downright frustrating.
These companies are getting by without having to earn their stripes, or should I say their customer base. No matter how you look at it is a losing strategy. If they continue this foolishness, they are going to join the ranks of the thousands of ex-business executives who are still trying to figure out what went wrong!
In my mind, there is very little that supersedes the requirement of making life easy for customers. Of course, having a quality product is a good idea. Offering service at a competitive price also makes sense. Business hours…return policies…attractive stores…polite and knowledgeable staff–these considerations will usually result in profitable operations. If you can manage to tie the entire package together, you have something of which you can be proud. When push comes to shove, with all things being equal, “EASY” is the winning ticket … the first place strategy … the road to the finals.
Let’s break it down:
E- is for enthusiasm. Get enthusiastic about finding and keeping customers. They are the lifeblood of your business and if you don’t make life easy for them, you will have no reason for showing up for work–with or without enthusiasm.
A- is for appreciation. Show your appreciation to your customers by making it easy to do business with you. Show up for work with the goal of making the life of a customer a “cake-walk” a “chip-shot,” a “walk-in-the-park”. Show up having decided to do business with yourself.
S- is for simple. Nothing should be difficult or complicated when doing business with you. All the bugs and kinks should be worked out behind the scenes. Once a customer appears on the scene, it is SHOWTIME.
Y- is for “yes.” The answer to almost every client question should be “yes.” This response may involve a little more work and perhaps an additional cost to your client, but the correct answer is usually “yes.”
Life has become a daily hassle in too many instances. Become the exception! More likely than not, this will involve training and employee reinforcement. And, more likely than not, this will involve a degree of emotional intelligence from all of your employees when clients show their unattractive side. But it is worth the investment.
Make doing business with your organization easy. People have far too many options when it comes to spending their money. Don’t give them a reason to explore them!
Mike Marchev has “been around the bases” more than a few times, and enjoys sharing his street-smart lessons with who ever will pause long enough to listen.
If you are interested in receiving his FREE 7-Lesson On-Line Marketing Course, go to www.marchev.net and sign in at the box. It is as easy as saying Bada Bing, Bada Boom. DO IT! Now! www.marchev.net
