The Competitive Advantage

June 11, 2019

All Clients Are Important, But Large Clients Matter More.

We like to think that all clients are important… and they are. Our goal is to do good work for all clients and deliver a high level of service to each of them… and we strive for that every day.

But the fact is… your large clients are more important than your small clients!

May 22, 2019

What YOU think doesn’t really matter…

… it only matters what your clients & prospects think.

I recently stumbled across an online article from the Harvard Business Review, and though it’s several years old, its message is as true today as it ever was… maybe more so:

“Most companies are the centers of their own universes. It’s a natural enough impression; after all, the products and services they offer are on their minds 24/7. The trap is in those companies deluding themselves into thinking that they are as important to their customers as they are to themselves. This is almost never the case. This delusion interferes with understanding customers and their needs, and frequently leads companies to talk to customers in ways that seem foreign or confusing.”

The author sure hit the nail on the head with that one… that myopic perspective – that so many business leaders have – has been the cause of more business failures than virtually any other issue.

May 5, 2019

As a Small Business Owner, Your Clients are Buying YOU!

Like me, many of you are small business owners… proud of what you’ve built and of what you’re doing. But the fact is, regardless of how slick your technology, how well constructed your processes or how professional your [small] team… your clients are buying YOU! They know the risks of doing business with a small firm (remember “No one ever got fired for hiring IBM!”?)… but they’re willing to take a chance. Why? Because of you.

April 9, 2019

Want to Shut the Door on Your Competitors? Solve a Problem!

Taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you is a proven path to success. But if you really want to succeed – and shut the door in the face of your competition – then solve a problem before they do.

And here’s what got me thinking about this…

November 13, 2018

Ignore the title on your business card… you’re in sales!

What is selling? Simply defined, selling is the process of influencing a buying decision. That’s it.

And guess what? Your sales people aren’t the only ones who do that. Everyone at your firm has the opportunity and responsibility to do that – particularly in regards to ensuring repeat clients.

September 11, 2018

Does Your Logo Really Make a Difference?

I was on an elevator this morning when the stranger who got on with me looked over and said, “Nice shirt!” I was wearing one of my polo shirts from The Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA. This happens to me all the time when I’m wearing one of these shirts. The logo is such a recognizable image – even without the word ‘Masters’ written across it (see image) – that people seem compelled to comment on it.

What is it that makes this logo so well-known? While we can’t replicate the world-wide TV audience and golf superstars associated with the event, there still are several lessons – as business owners and marketers – that we can take from this:

March 6, 2018

Customer Service Excellence: A Real-World Lesson

I had a memorable customer service experience last week… from a company I didn’t think was capable of it.

Our firm’s email is based on the Gmail platform. On Friday, I received my monthly email invoice from Google and noticed what I thought was a discrepancy. So, I decided to send an email to Google Support to see if they could provide an answer.

I sent an email using their support system and within a couple of minutes, received the robo-response, “This is an automated email from Google Cloud Support. Case #15164139 has been created or updated.” Kinda what I thought would happen… maybe I’ll hear back from the goliath in 3 or 4 days.

And here’s where the story gets interesting. Scratch that… here’s where the story gets remarkable!

October 17, 2017

Better, Faster, Cheaper? Which do your clients really want?

“Which do you prefer – better, faster or cheaper?” I’m sure if you asked your clients directly which they would choose, their immediate response would, of course, be “All three!”

But if they had to pick one, which one do you think it would be?  It’s a topic I discuss frequently with firms across the MR industry.