Leadership, Sales & Retail
“Start with why” is a philosophy widely popular in business today. There’s no doubt that knowing your “why” is an excellent motivational tool.
- The problem is…customers don’t buy our “why.”
- Customers buy our how.
Think about a recent purchase — anything from an extensive B2B investment to something as varied in B2C as fast food or a laptop. If the product or service failed to perform as promised, did you give the company or its representative a pass because they possess a compelling “why”?
Would any customer ever say, “Gosh, this hamburger tastes terrible! But I can’t wait to go back and buy another one because their ‘why’ is so fantastic!” Of course not! Their “why” will never overcome their inability to distinctively deliver what we have purchased.
- Customers will never be interested in discovering our why until they are thrilled with our how!
It seems to me that reviewing an organizational or professional “why” is something akin to the cliché that “hindsight is 20/20.”
Isn’t it intriguing that we talk about the wildly successful companies and point out their “why,” yet frequently ignore the “why” of those who failed to achieve distinction? (Or authors “cherry pick” companies and retrofit a “why” statement to create an example that will fit their purposes…)
I’ll promise there are some companies – and individuals – who have failed, despite having a sincere and compelling “why.”
- There is a fundamental reason this is the case – the “why” is not why they buy.
Telling customers the reasons why you should be their preferred option is a necessary part of any successful marketing strategy, but it’s just one piece in the puzzle. The real challenge lies in helping them understand how you deliver a solution to their situation in a manner that is so remarkable that they choose you instead of the alternatives in the marketplace.
Please don’t misunderstand — if your “why” motivates you to dig deeper in delivering for customers, it’s a critical tool to help you succeed. A why can be a great motivator, but it’s just that — motivation to commit to delivering for your customers.
However, if you’re the type who contemplates their “why” and merely leaves it on paper or prints it on motivational posters – or believes your “why” will attract and retain customers – without delivering a strong how, then your business is in trouble.
- The how is what customers want and need from you.
If you aren’t illuminating for your prospects the unique reasons they should acquire your product or service – and if you aren’t developing repeat and referral business from the customers you already have — then there must be something missing with how you’re delivering.
Focus on improving your “how” — how you deliver, how you serve, how you enhance their experiences. Break it down and improve your delivery at every step along the way.
We discuss this phenomenon in detail – and provide specific strategies for you to enhance your ability to obtain and retain customers – in our Iconic Inner Circle. I’d love for you to check it out – your first month is FREE! Simply go to: https://IconicInnerCircle.com
Business Distinction, Daily Distinction, Leadership, Sales & Retail
In today’s world, it isn’t enough to simply be different. If you’re not innovative in a manner that has importance for your customers, you won’t stand out from the crowd.
Innovative strategies will help you gain advantages over your competition by leveraging uniqueness and creativity.
The first step is to identify your goals and objectives. It’s important that you know what you want to achieve, as innovation will amplify those results.
The second action is identifying opportunities for differentiation from competitors. In today’s market, where everyone has their own take on how to deliver for customers, developing an approach that is unique from your competition provides you with an advantage in the marketplace.
Once you’ve identified your goals and the opportunities for differentiation, it’s time to develop your plan.
One way is to tap into creative approaches from other industries. As yourself, “Why and how do they do it that way?” There are examples from all around the world – easily discovered with some basic research on the Internet — that share a common interest in being a distinctive force in the marketplace. By tapping into these different perspectives, leaders can broaden their thinking about how they can provide solutions, while also leveraging diverse viewpoints. This means more creativity and innovation on how best to serve customers — without compromising what you already stand for in your industry.
Lastly, once you’ve created something distinctive that makes sense for your company and meets your objectives, make sure everyone knows about it!
Creative marketing strategies will help build awareness, as well as raise credibility among this increasingly discerning customer base. Tell customers and prospects a story about why they should choose you over the myriad of alternatives available in today’s marketplace.
(And don’t forget – every employee needs to know the story as well!)
Remember:
- To create distinction, use innovative strategies for a competitive edge.
- Leaders need to broaden their thinking about how they can provide solutions, while also leveraging diverse viewpoints to be distinctive and creative.
- Distinctive marketing strategies through stories help build awareness as well as raise credibility among this increasingly discerning customer base.
You must enhance your perspective to distinguish yourself from others who think similarly. Break away from conventional wisdom — it isn’t enough to merely be “different” in today’s world.
It’s not enough to be great at what you do — virtuosos are plentiful in every field. It takes something beyond that. What’s critical for your success is creating distinction. If these insights resonated with you, please share it on your social media! And learn more about our Iconic Inner Circle membership program. (https://IconicInnerCircle.com) We’re ready to help you create a plan for success that will help drive you to meet your goals and create a competitive edge for you and your business!
Customer Experience, Sales & Retail
The level of customer service — not to mention the even higher standard of the customer experience — is genuinely, consistently pretty awful.
Especially during these challenging times, managers believe they can save X% by cutting back staff and reducing service. Guess what happens? Customers go someplace else…
But, here’s the rub: the organization’s leaders then blame the decline in sales on the pandemic economy or the competition. They never say, “We screwed up. We should have been investing in serving you more — instead of cutting overhead and caring less about your repeat business.”
Another element in the level of customer service provided is caused by lazy employees who don’t care. One of the ways that Steve Jobs kept the best employees at Apple is that he wouldn’t tolerate those who weren’t “all in.” If you don’t terminate those who aren’t committed, you will eventually lose those who are.
Sure, I realize you must compensate and treat them right. But your best employees are tired of carrying the load for the slackers. Sooner or later, this discontent will either show up in their performance… or their absence.
Business Distinction, Customer Experience, Sales & Retail
The entertainment industry spends more time studying human emotion than it does the most advanced visual effects or new camera angles.
Why?
Because an emotional connection is the most potent and influential connection possible.
To make 1997’s Titanic, it cost a staggering $200 million. (In 1997 dollars!) However, not very many people stepped out of the theatre marveling over the fact that a special Russian submarine was used or every detail on the ship matched the original Titanic down to the doorknob. The audience walked out in a trance, swooning over Jack and Rose’s romance, saddened by the massive loss of life — or enraged that Jack’s death could have been prevented had Rose just shared the door she was floating on!
The fact is people rarely remember the details.
But they will remember how something made them feel.
We have created a culture of customers who demand compelling experiences whenever they do business. Regardless of your industry, what your product or service is, you’re selling an experience.
The more powerful the connection, the greater the success.
Business Distinction, ICONIC, Sales & Retail
We all have customers or prospects who are willing to assume the worst about our intentions. In this time of social media and instant opinions, their criticisms can race around the newsfeeds of our marketplace in dramatic fashion.
Take for example a viral video from 2017 showing a significant amount of food being disposed of at a local Wal-mart store. The video was of an angry man outraged because he felt the food being thrown away could be of good use if it were donated to charitable causes instead.
The problem not mentioned was that a tornado had ripped through the local area days before causing a power outage throughout the community. The food was spoiled and unfit for consumption.
By the time Wal-mart posted the “other side of the story” and their logical and legally mandatory reason for doing what they did, millions had already decided that Wal-mart was not interested in serving the needy in their communities.
- What if Wal-mart would’ve front-loaded this by Tweeting about the food and their commitment to customer safety and health as they were putting the spoiled food in dumpsters behind the store?
- What if they would have contacted local media to talk about what they were doing — and encouraged local citizens to check their own respective freezers and refrigerators to ensure they didn’t eat spoiled food?
In other words, what if they would not have waited to tell their story?
Two important questions you should be considering this week:
- How have you prepared in your business for those customers who assume the worst about you and use the enormous platform of social media to spread their misinformation/disinformation?
- How have you prepared to be proactive in telling your stories about the positive steps that your business is taking?
Business Distinction, Leadership, Sales & Retail
I was in the audience when it happened.
It was 1978… Kansas City, Missouri’s Municipal Auditorium… the National FFA Convention… and, the speaker was Paul Harvey. The presentation title was, “So God Made a Farmer.”
Audio from this speech was used for the powerful Super Bowl spot for Dodge’s RAM trucks and an estimated 108 million viewers listened to Harvey talk about hard-working American farmers across the generations.
In today’s world of unbelievably efficient agriculture, not all of us are called to life on the farm. However, we can bring to our organizations that spirit and attitude of which Paul Harvey spoke.
When you look for someone to add to your team, do you seek mere skills? Would you be better off to find someone with the spirit of a farmer?
When you look for someone to create distinction and grow your business, do you look into the mirror… and do you see someone with the dedication and commitment of a farmer?
It’s for the farmers in all of us.
