Do you deliver what matters?
Being intentional and building a culture, it's ever more important to be FOR something. For your team, your community, and your customer
For the listeners:
For you readers:
Say what you’ll do, do what you say. One of the oldest equations in quality systems and management. When you are talking about the marketing department there is one more variable in the equation. Ask the customer what they received. And then compare it to what you think you delivered.
Surprise!
We wrote last week about taking problems off a customers desk in order to get in the door. But why did the door open in the first place?
What do you sell?
Whether you sell car parts or Internet security, you sell the same things. Some may call it happiness, others might call it security, but you don’t sell products and services - your goal is to meet and exceed customers expectations.
If it is a cup of coffee or a tank of gas, your customer chose your company to have an experience with. Why should they return? Will they refer you?
Being intentional
From the signs in the windows, to the paint on the walls, everything invokes a feeling to your customers. Is it consistent with your vision? From the packaging you ship your product in to the instruction manual, does it convey the same message?
I think of Apple as a great example of being intentional. Their marketing message for decades has been that their products are user friendly. Even their instruction manuals have been eliminated. You open the box, plug it in, and you just experience it. There isn’t a 14-page installation or assembly process that is written in 4-point font in English, Spanish, and French. Who knows, it may actually take longer than setting up a competitor’s product, but the Apple experience is frictionless. It is truly user-friendly. I’ll never know if a Surface Pro is easier to use than an iPad, my expectations are exceeded with each Apple product I buy.
Hey, we just sell T-Shirts
You think your product is too simple to be intentional? What about the brand Life Is Good: Their vision statement: To spread the power of optimism.
The Life is Good brand is about more than spreading optimism — although, with uplifting T-shirt slogans like "Seas The Day" and "Forecast: Mostly Sunny," it's hard not to crack a smile.
There are tons of T-shirt companies in the world, but Life is Good's mission sets itself apart with a mission statement that goes beyond fun clothing: to spread the power of optimism. We know what they are for, and who doesn’t want to be an optimist?
What are you for?
At one of our education events, we recently replayed a keynote from Jeff Henderson, former Marketing Exec from Chick-fil-A. His quote says it best;
“"What do you want to be known for? If you don't know, your customers don't either.”.
When you know what you are for, then repeat it over and over. Leaders are repeaters (another quote from Jeff). It needs to be repeated everywhere so that not only do you believe it, your team believes it, and your customers expect it. That’s why they opened the door in the first place. That’s why they will tell friends to open the door. They will carry your vision farther than any facebook ad ever will.
Build your company on what you are for
All of this is another word for culture. Peter Drucker, the quality and management guru, famously said ‘culture eats strategy for lunch’. It’s not that strategy is unimportant, the organization success revolves around its culture. The culture sets the expectations. Your customers expectations are either higher or lower - the gap is in the execution.
When you look at every step of your organization’s process, does it convey what you are for? If you think it does, do not stop there. Ask! Ask everyone. Your team, your operations, your customers. Say what you’ll do .. and see if others can say it back to you. If it doesn’t match you have a gap to fill.
Examples of Vision Statements
CVS: “We will help people live longer, healthier, happier lives.”
They took a bold step a few year ago, and removed tobacco sales - costing their topline over $2 Billion (20% of their revenue). That is doing what you say!
Disney: “To make people happy.”
The “happiest place on Earth” … from entertainment to sports, movies, fun, family, etc … They focus everything on making people happy!
UPS: “The enablers of global e-commerce.”
Without logistics, we can’t have global e-commerce. Everyone trusts and expects UPS to ‘deliver’ on this promise. They enable your ability to sell your product to anyone, anywhere.
This is more than a marketing slogan. It is the root of it all. The shorter the better. Write it out so the customer can feel it. People have the same 8 needs and wants; they want to be - happy, healthy, prosperous, and secure. They want meaningful relationships with family and friends. They want peace of mind and hope for the future! What does your service provide? What need can your product meet?
Here is a list of 101 vision statements, and it’s broken down by industry. Find a match, or kick off some ideas … remember the 8 human needs from above. Regardless of what you are selling, there is a human making that decision. Make it about them.
If you are having trouble defining what you are for, connect with us at Kole Performance Group - We are are working hard today, FOR your better tomorrow!
If you think we at Kole Performance Group are doing what we say … we ask that you please share this post with someone that you feel could be helped!