Less seems to be the focus. Less profit. Less customers. Less enthusiasm. Less money to spend on reversing the “less” trend.
Ok – so be it. On paper, maybe there’s less.
So are you getting MORE out of what’s at your disposal?
Your employees, more than ever, need to be on their best customer service toes. Above and beyond. Create more experiences for your customer to remember positively (and, ideally, tell their friends about).
Your products or services have to meet the changing needs of your customers. Different hours? New products? Expanded services? What problem can you solve for them?
Your customer relationships should keep you from guessing about what they need. (Shots in the dark waste precious resources.) Shore up those connections. Engage them and discover new ways to keep them coming back. Well-executed social media efforts can provide inexpensive ties to customers – both new and undiscovered.
Belt-tightening can tighten your focus, providing opportunities to learn and adjust. The more you do this – the less you’ll focus on “less”.
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March 18, 2010 at 11:47 am |
I have always believed that doing a few things with excellence rather than many with mediocrity yields a better result. In this modern age of fighting for competition, it is important to keep the few things that you do well simple and excellent. I agree wholeheartedly with the mantra that “less is more”. Such media and internet icons like Google operate off of that principle, and we should all take notice of their success. Customers want to be dealt with on a straight-forward basis, and not be treated like there is some mysterious “Oz” pulling the strings behind the scenes. First impressions are lasting impressions. To impress a customer today, you must be punctual, well-informed, honest, and, above all else, chivalrous. Those few things can turn into a customer base that beats out all the others with more ‘stuff’ than you.
Great thoughts!