Simple, But Powerful
I will share a tip with you that can make all the difference in your business. I am sure that you have heard this tip before. I am sure that you will think this tip is so obvious that you might even tune out and discard the learning as a ‘dah’. Quite simply this is the most frequently overlooked concept in business today. Would you like to guess? It can be described as a fundamental principle that applies to every business, it doesn’t matter the size, the industry, the location or how long you have been in business. This principle should be a non-negotiable that every business owner has imprinted on the culture of their organization.
Well, here it is: Do What You Say You Will Do!
So why does such a simple concept cause most businesses to fall short more times than they over-deliver? As simple as it may be, it would seem that if someone is willing to make a commitment to do something, at the time the commitment is made, they truly intend to fulfill that commitment – although it doesn’t make sense, often times, that is far from the truth.
A few examples that you might be able to relate to: “I’ll send you that information when I get back to the office.” But instead you get back to the office, other things consume your day, the day ends and the information was never sent. Why? Perhaps you were using the line casually and didn’t consider other priorities that would take precedence. “I’ll followup with you on that.” But days, even weeks go by and no call or email. Why? Perhaps you were using the line to end a conversation and had no real intention of taking action. “We’ll get it done right away.” But instead you continue to stay focused on other activities and don’t start work on the new project for several days. Why? Perhaps you have a commitment to another customer that is coming due and do not intend to disappoint them at the expense of this customer. “I’ll order that tonight so we will have it first thing in the morning.” But you know the supplier has already gone for the day, yet you want to leave the impression that the customer standing in front of you is important. I’ll bet you can think of an example that happened to you recently as a customer – or perhaps even one that you are guilty of!
YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: Pay close attention to the commitments you make and be sure that you are prepared to Do What You Say You Will Do. Even consider doing MORE than what you say you will do and delight your customers.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:
