When I'm out and about I try to make notes of what other businesses are doing in order to help my own business.
Sometimes I see things that I want to emulate, and other times I learn what I don't want my business to become.
What I've found in looking at these observations is that many of the areas of improvement fall under four general headings, and either the businesses feel their customers aren't noticing them, or they’re just too lazy to fix them. So what are they?
Four Lazy Business Mistakes
1. Unorganized
People want to do business with a well oiled machine. It builds trust and loyalty when you see a business operating efficiently and effectively.
However many business are just plain unorganized. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can be unorganized in the back office and not have it effect the front office. Your customers know when your business is in disarray, and they consciously or subconsciously discount your services as such.
2. Going Cheap
If you cut corners to save a couple bucks – your customers see this and automatically think you provide a cheap product or service. I’m not saying you need to pave the showroom floor in gold, but keep in mind what image you want you customer to come away with when they do business with you. More often than not you want to provide quality at a value, not be thought of as cheap. There is always a cheaper, lazier way to do something, but is that the image you want to leave your customers with?
3. Faking It
Your customers see right through you. You can’t for a second fake anything that has to do with your business without it negatively affecting your customers base. You can’t fake enthusiasm, knowledge, or promises, yet many businesses try and once again fool themselves into thinking they are fooling their customers.
When you’re faking it the impression is you just want to turn a buck. You become a snake oil salesman who can’t be trusted. And that’s the lazy, non sustainable way to do business. If you don’t know it, feel it, or can guarantee it your better off admitting it.
4. Means to an End Mentality
How many businesses do you encounter that treat you like just another sale – just a means to their ends? And how many of those businesses to you go back to time and again.
Treating your customers like a revenue stream is the lazy way to approach service. Give them value, give them great service, and care about them. Once you treat them like meat, it’s very hard to work backwards and show you care.
Don't Be a Lazy Bones
Like I said before these are the main areas I see businesses getting it wrong. They think the customer won’t notice and thus don’t do anything to correct it. To me it’s just lazy, and a lazy business doesn’t get my business more than once.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Top marks for this.
Four items right on the money. Each of them contributing to the chaos and general clutter that prevents business owners from getting on top of their business and being as profitable as possible.
@Lindy
It really is remedial stuff, but I see it over and over again. The worst part of it is that the “lazy business” thinks that we (the consumer) won’t notice. Consumers take note of everything!
Thanks for coming by and for your nice comments!
Matt
Number one is a hard one! The busier you get, the harder it is to stay organized. It’s definitely a chore. Add to that living on an Amish farm without electricity–or a decent office–and it’s called creative chaos! LOL
Great post!
*smiles*
Michele
Matt,
These are 4 pillars of business virtue. Having the mindset that these “mistakes” are ok will surely kill a business. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday.
Good stuff, retweeted and stumbled, Mr. Matt.
George
This might be controversial, but I’m not crying about some of the “mom and pop” business in my area going out of business. Why? Because I get better service in an organized, efficient environment at a good price at a lot of the chains or bigger operations. I’ll always go with the little guy, even at a slightly higher price if they can offer good (not kiss butt, but courteous and prompt) service.
I loved this post. Get it done right, or don’t do it at all. I tell my clients that all of the time.
I especially like the point made in #4. Great write up.
I think means to end mentality is the most important. Form relationships with customers. Don’t think about the end result and focus on helping. The end result you want will come.
I agree with Michelle. I was ultra organized in my first couple of years in business and I’m finding it hard to keep up with the things I used to do on a daily basis now that my business has quadrupled. Still managing, but it won’t be long before I’ll have to hire someone to do the organizing for me.
I consider my job to be making my clients look good and making their lives easier. I always ask myself, “How can I serve?” It’s the small gestures that have taken me the farthest netting a nice roster of long-term clients.
@Michele
You’re right that as you grow it becomes more difficult, but it becomes all the more important too. A little unorganized when you are a small biz can be worked through, a little unorganized as a large biz can end up being catastrophic.
Matt
@Tumblemoose
They really are killers, and they compound over time. Little mistakes today become huge mistakes a year from now.
Matt
@Tracy
Yep, there is no excuse for poor service. And what I see with a lot of “mom and pops” is that they are unorganized, which leads to poor service, which makes me turn to larger better run organizations.
Matt
@Terra
Thanks Terra, glad you liked the post. That really is the bottom liine – do it right or don’t do it.
Thanks for coming by,
Matt
@Jared
I’ve always said treat people right, do the right things, and the money will follow. Too many businesses get that wrong, they want your money first then try to treat you right…doesn’t work that way.
Matt
@Whitespark
Hire it out if you have too. It’s worth the added expense to keep your biz organized and ultimately on the right track.
Matt
@Louise
Sounds like you have the right mindset. It really is the little stuff that matters. Everything counts in the eye of the consumer, don’t overlook the little stuff when serving them.
Matt
All good points. It should be remembered though that people aren’t necessarily sloppy in these areas by preference. Many are under unnecessary stress because of these four conditions.
Fixing some of these areas can be simple – if you know how. But there is often a mindset to deal with first. These owners sometimes a) don’t know a better way is possible b) are overwhelmed and that’s a poor state to be in to make good choices and c) don’t know how to make the changes even if they are willing.
My preference with clients would be to work with them on the issues that arise AFTER these factors are set up. That rarely happens though and these four points are often exactly where they are at when they call me.
It is a disturbing thing, knowing so many business owners are suffering in this manner. Most often, needlessly. They don’t always understand that there is help. Unfortunately the right kind is not always easy to find.
Very helpful to me right now as we get H2H off the ground. Thank you for this.