Business Karma
Posted by
Paul Alves on Wed, Feb 24, 2024 @ 03:55 PM
I just got back from a ski trip in the Birkshires with my wife and two boys. I love vacation time, absolutely love it. Some people use the fact that "they have not had a vacation in 3 years" as a badge of honor. While I respect and live by a strong work ethic as one of the keys to success philosophy, there is a point of diminishing return. You can always make more money, you can't make more time. Enjoy your time, it's going by faster than you might think.
Clearly few people would argue that taking time to "charge the batteries" is not important. But for me it is more about the healthy shift in mindset that occurs when you get out of the office. It allows you to think about your business and goals from a whole different perspective. With my mind uncluttered by the day to day execution of my business plan, I can think about the philosophy behind what I am trying to accomplish, and what that means to my customers and my company.
So, I used this vacation to think about my sales philosophy. Yes I still think a lot about work when I am "charging;" I love what I do, and it's not work when you love what you do.
I have long believed that providing the customer with value above and beyond their expectations through the sales process and beyond is the most important goal. What I thought about a lot this past week was not what, but how we deliver that value. I find both customers and prospects find it very refreshing when they feel they are working with a trusted advisor who has their best interest in mind. It is much easier to say than it is to do, but when you embrace this philosophy the people you interact with can feel the passion and sincerity and appreciate it. I find it's not that common.
More than once I have sent a potential customer away when I could have convinced them to buy. More times than not, maybe every time, they come back into the fold as a referral source or a client when the time is right. I'm a big believer in karma.
So, I guess my point is keep it simple and straightforward, do the right thing and good things will happen. Someone once said, "give the customer what they need and you will get what you want". Sums it up pretty well, don't you think?