If you’re like most other business owners I know, you’re always considering what will make you (more) successful. Really, it’s quite simple: people and products/services. It’s really no secret that these two things will make or break you. Without people you can’t sell your product or service, and without a product or service people won’t give you money. The secret seems to come in with the details surrounding those two requirements. Richard Branson said:
“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”
This quote gets into some of the secrets that help us understand some of the details when it comes to people and products. First, that involving people in your business and mission and vision will get them to buy into what you’re doing, second that people love to have fun and third that people are creative. Let’s take a brief look at a few possibilities.
Get people involved: a super easy way to do this is through social media. After all, it’s social media, right?! It’s a great opportunity to connect with your customers in a personal way, yet one that is removed enough for them to still feel comfortable while they’re getting to know you.
Get creative: think of some boring jobs: accountants, funeral homes and building inspectors for example. On the surface none of these businesses would win awards for most interesting jobs. But in reality the people who do these jobs are all about the story of the people they work with. There’s always a story to be told, a story that makes it possible to turn even the most boring job into something interesting. It is only as boring as you chose to let it be.
Have fun: no one likes a grouch and no one intentionally chooses to buy from those who are nasty, in fact they usually avoid them at all costs. From contests, special offers and prizes to sharing the stories of your employees and customers and making their story part of your business you can turn what once was boring into something that looks (and is) a lot like fun.
Take a look at your business today: are you just trying to make the sale today, or are you considering the potential of tomorrow? If you’re not thinking of tomorrow but only today, I’d love to help you be more successful today and tomorrow.