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Differentiation Through Service

It's not about you....

Your customers don't care about you... they care about what you have to offer them.  What they really care about is the total experience that you provide.  It's how they feel after their interaction with you.  If it's great, they'll tell 2 people.  If it's horrible, they'll tell 10.

Service has become a huge differentiator in winning companies. In a world where so much is commoditized, the entire experience is what's valued. When you can make a mid-range coffee for about 18 cents, yet Starbucks can sell it for $4.50, you are clearly buying the entire experience. This includes the service, the association with the name, the convenience of not having to make your own coffee, etc.

If you're in a commodity business (or any business, for that matter), and want to differentiate yourself, ask yourself the following questions:

• How do my current and potential customer perceive the total experience they have with me?

• Do my current customers refer me to others? If so, why? If not, why not?

• What can I do different, to separate my product/service & experience from the competition?

• What can I do to create an exceptional experience, from start to purchase, to follow up?

• Do I pay attention to detail?

• Do I empower the entire company to resolve issues & delight the customer?

• Does my customer know that I value their opinion? Do I listen to them? Do I act on valuable feedback?

By answering these questions, completely & honestly (partly through a customer survey, if possible), and putting action in place to improve what needs improvement, you can create added value, an exceptional experience, and customers for life,.

Okay, maybe it is about you.... you win by focusing on the other guy... and maybe they do care about you, because you cared first.

Personal Branding: Creating the Brand Called YOU

A Personal Brand is the perception & emotion that others have that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you. The value in creating your Personal Brand is that it can be taken with you, wherever you go, and it lets people know what you stand for. It allows an individual to differentiate themselves by consistently communicating their unique value proposition. Guy Kawasaki stated "Brands are built on what people are saying about you, not what you are saying about yourself." Not only does a personal brand help you, it helps employers create visibility, publicity, credibility, and expands the influence of the company. 

A personal brand is created by taking a personal inventory of your goals, values, passions, and what makes you unique. Then, you create an identity, based on the characteristics distilled from the personal inventory. From there, you develop a brand plan, and identify the tools & channels to be utilized to communicate your Personal Brand. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) are great avenues for communicating your Personal Brand. You build credibility and identity as you contribute and help others with your areas of expertise & thought leadership.

As you develop your Personal Brand, ask yourself "What is it that I love to do?" "What is my Unique Value Proposition?". "What can I be considered the founder of?" "What is my area of expertise?" If you can position yourself as a thought leader, or expert, it will significantly enhance your Personal Brand. Most importantly, your Personal Brand must be authentic and magnetic. 

If you're interested in learning more about Personal Branding, we'd be glad to lend a hand.

The Real Killer App

I recently finished the book "Love is the Killer App" by Tim Sanders, the Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo!. It was loaned to me by Clay Blackham, here at Snapp Conner (thanks Clay!). It's a great, quick read, which brings the human element back into business. It contains practical application on being lovable, smart, giving and showing compassion, without expectation, by being a "lovecat", in three main areas, namely:

- Knowledge: Tim recommends that you increase your self-worth by reading lots of leading-edge books in your areas of expertise, marking them up, internalizing the content, distilling the 'big thoughts, and then sharing them with as many people as possible.  

- Network: This is our network of friends, associates, business contacts, etc.  We should always search for opportunities to connect people where there may be a benefit for them, not for us.  We should do this without expectation of reward.  Once the connection is made, we should remove ourselves from the equation

- Compassion: Tim defines love as "the selfless promotion of the growth of others".  This is just being genuine and showing love towards others by being interested in them as human beings.  This includes the aspects of genuine handshakes, hugs, and being interested in how the other person is really doing.  

The value of what we know and who we know increases substantially when we choose to share these gifts, with love, with as many people as we can.  By applying these principles, we not only help others to become better people, feel loved & accepted, and create opportunities for them, we also improve our net worth as personal contributors within our organizations, and as individuals.  This becomes huge as we discuss Personal Branding, our next topic.....

To Be or Not to Be...Me

Often, we try and pretend to be someone we are not or told someone to be, that we are not. As a child did you ever pretend you were someone else? I vividly remember playing made up basketball and football games in my driveway. Growing up, I was a 49ers fan and loved their star receiver in the 80’s Dwight Clark. During these “games” I was Dwight Clark on many occasions and caught 100-yard game-winners on several occasions. Much to my disappoint I did not grow to 6’5” and possess great speed and hands to become Dwight. I had to understand that I was just me rather than Dwight.

We all bring certain tricks to our trade. No two people do the same job the same way. What works for one person might not work for the guy sitting in the cubicle next to him. It seems that too often managers try and treat everyone the exact same, regardless of personality or skills. I think it’s the best managers that personalize what they do and how they treat people.

Now back to my riveting Dwight Clark analogy—Because I thought I could be Dwight Clark, I was often upset or discouraged because I was not tall or could not jump very high, or whatever. Instead, I should have embraced what I did well—I had speed (we’re talking wheels people!) and I had good instincts. I am not Dwight Clark; I am me, and what I bring to the table works. It’s a matter of accepting who you are and embracing the skills that work for you.