TO EARN MORE, SERVE MORE

Recently, I talked with an entrepreneur whose sales, production and profits have all been flat or falling in the past 18 months, and he’s feeling desperate. He feels the pressure of "having" to make more money! He told me he’s tried giving his staff more training. He’s tried giving more incentives (bonuses) and he’s fired some of his poor performers. Now he’s talking about "having" to raise prices because he just "can't live on what we're making." You can imagine our conversation. I pointed out that the market place never lies. We may not like the message it sends us, but customers never lie to us. If sales are flat, it's because our customers no longer feel we are giving them the bargain they want. He may also need to let more of the right people know that he and his services are available. (Reaching too few or the wrong people is always a problem.) But for the most part, the real problem is that his potential customers no longer see him as a resource. Our customers want stuff. They want more and better service. They want to enrich their lives. They want to achieve their goals, personally and in business. People will always buy goods and services if they believe the purchase will serve them, at a price they are willing to pay. To earn more money, do a better job of serving people. When your customers understand you are eager to help them get what they want, and will do it at a price they are willing to pay, your success is assured. To earn more money, find a way to provide more and better service. Quotes of the Week "Vision isn't enough unless combined with venture. It's not enough to stare up the steps unless we also step up the stairs." -- Vance Havner "It is never too late to be what we might have been." -- George Eliot "Two little words that can make the difference: START NOW." -- Mary C. Crowley "No mistake or failure is as bad as to stop and not try again." -- John Wanamaker