TO MAKE 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 how our conversation went. I pointed out
that the market place never lies. We may not like the
message it sends us, but our 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, both personal 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 make more money, you've got to 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 make more money, find a way to provide more and better
service.