Excel at the Basics

When it comes to setting business expectations on what customers need or want is overcomplicated when what is really needed is to excel at the basics of business. In an attempt to offer the fanciest product or latest technology – essentially aiming to be everything to everybody – business owners forget that what customers really want is to just receive consistent and honest service.

Think about some of today’s best companies: Zappos.com, Amazon.com, In-N-Out Burger, and Apple. Sure, they have some amazing products and a great experience. But, what they do that is even better is they focus on keeping it basic when it comes to their core business and what they are good at.

Simple is the New Black

You don’t have to be big box brands to practice and succeed at their keep it simple formula. What tends to happen no matter what size of business you run is that it becomes easier to over think what customers want. Instead, focus on those things that many businesses don’t often even think about:

• It’s Simple to Smile: Customers are often taken aback when a business owner or their staff stop and genuinely smile back warmly when you interact with them. How many times have you gone to a store and not even had the person behind the register look at you let alone make eye contact and smile back. In the virtual world, it may be hard to send a smile through an online transaction but you can consider calling your customers. After all, it is possible to hear a smile on the phone.
• It’s Simple to Say Thank You: Thank you along with other polite mannerisms seem old-fashioned and rarely used. That’s why when a customer hears a thank you or gets a thank you email or note, it can make a real difference. It means that you are letting the customer know you took extra effort to show your appreciation. Just recently, a golf course sent an email thank you within 24 hours of my visit to their course. I had enjoyed the experience with my colleagues, but I had already moved on to my next work day. However, when I opened my email, there was a short and personal note from the golf course, thanking me by my first name and time of visit and offering their gratitude for my patronage. It brought them to mind again and made a mental note for me to stop by soon to play that course over any other one in my local area.
• It’s Simple to Listen: In our fast-paced world, listening is another action that doesn’t keep up but should do. When customers see a business is clearly not listening, they feel unimportant and unnecessary to that business, so they keep searching for a similar business until they hit upon one that takes the time to stop and listen…maybe even ask questions of their customers. Listening can involve verbal action or it can be asking for their opinion on a social media site.
• It’s Simple to be Honest: The lack of integrity and ethics in today’s business world is shocking and very discouraging. However, as corporate social responsibility gains traction, it is becoming “fashionable” again to be honest and trustworthy in all your dealings. It not only presents a way to leverage a brand built on good practices, but it is also simply the right thing to do.

Make that with an Extra Helping of Consistency

Beyond sticking to these seemingly simple, but truly effective, strategies as a core philosophy for your business, the true work involved is the effort it takes to remain consistent. It can be difficult to remain consistent when market cycles change for the worst or competitive pressures tend to create panic. This is when companies let go of the simple things and assume they have to “up their game” and do something more complex. In actual fact, what they need to do is stick to the basics – the principles – of good business and customers will be happy, be engaged, and be loyal.

When challenges arise and you may feel like veering toward a new game plan that is much more complex, stop and consider the help of a business coach who can help you stay on the right course and help you practice – and excel at – the basics. What is your experience? Tell us what you have found good or challenging about excelling at the basics.