As business owners and as humans, we tend to become entitled to the status quo; What we’ve earned today we should be able to keep tomorrow, right?
When it comes to the popularity of your business, I’m afraid I have bad news. Interest always has an expiration date. And no matter what business you are in, you are probably riding a wave at this very moment.
Even the biggest of waves come crashing down:
When’s the last time you rented a movie from Blockbuster? Heck, when’s the last time you rented a movie from Redbox?
Sears, Blackberry, Yahoo, and Kodak have had similar fates.
What’s sad is that none of these companies knew what was happening to them until it was too late. Their work became about better number outcomes, not about a better world for their customer. To the companies that ran them over in the marketplace, it was like taking candy from a baby.
I challenge you today to ask yourself what is keeping your business going.
Is it a wave? Or is it the undying desire to improve the lives of your customers?
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra push from a wave. But if you don’t make your focus about 100/100 devotion to your customer, someone else is going to come and romance them away.
If you’re a retailer, focus on inspiring your customers with your product instead of just selling it to them.
If you’re a service business, ask yourself every day how to make your work more accessible, convenient, fair and delightful for your customers.
If you’re a restaurant, focus on every customer having a Disney World-like experience (hint, this means SO MUCH MORE than good food and timely service).
In all, If you make your work about your customer’s hopes, dreams, wishes, and victories, you will consistently deliver an experience that can’t be taken away from you.
And THAT is momentum that will far outride any wave.
Cheers,
BW
