Do you know the business you are really in?
The obvious answer is, yes, of course: I sell cakes, or agricultural machinery, or legal services.
But what is it they’re really buying from you?
The boss of Revlon once stated that “in the factories we make lipstick and in the shops, we sell hope”
If you sell cakes, are you selling 10 for £1, using flour bought in bulk from the local cash and carry? Or are you offering people the opportunity to treat themselves or others?
Does your legal practice offer highly qualified people who are experts in their field? Or do you offer solutions to peoples painful problems?
To be run a successful business and to keep your customers coming back, you have to sell much more than your product or service: you have to sell them the end result they need.
When your customers come to you, they have a vision in mind: the perfect teatime treat, relief from the emotional pain or a great harvest.
It is important that you align yourself to your customer’s vision and this has to come across in every contact they have with you. Everything from your newspaper advertisements to your signage, your staff and, most of all, YOU.
Because if you’re not 100% sure what business you are really in, then it is unlikely that your customers will know either. Ask your customers what they think, listen to the answers and act on them – it will pay big dividends!