It is time to revisit and activate your business value proposition. You've spent the time thinking about - and asking others – why they do business with you. Their answers are the clues to the emotions your customers experience when they do business with you. This is the essence of your value proposition. Now, it is time to bring that new understanding to life in your business.
I want you to ask yourself: "What do I need to do every day in my business to make sure I deliver my value proposition to my customers?" If you are in the business of building high self esteem, then how are you going to do that? What are the activities that will achieve exactly that? It may be using your customer's name when you greet them, and using uplifting words with your customers, and making your customers feel important. Get specific. What will you do to deliver on the 'feeling' you want your customers to have when they do business with you.
Make a list of these critical behaviours. My bet is that you will need to change your behaviour and the behaviour of many of your team members in order to deliver your true value proposition. This will be difficult. You will certainly stumble from time to time. But, if you truly work at it, I can guarantee that you and your business will be set apart from your competition – and your customers will reward you for your efforts!
Make the commitment that you will do the following:
1. Translate your value proposition (the 'feelings') into a list of activities that you will do everyday when you are face to face with your customers or prospects.
2. Communicate your list of activities to your team and hold them accountable to behave differently from this week forward.
3. Recognise yourself and your team members when they perform the daily activities that you have listed. They won't be prefect at first, but rather than be critical, find the successes and reward them...
It's that simple – three action items for you at this stage. Set aside the time to get it done. This is truly where the "rubber meets the road". Anyone can come up with a clever value proposition statement. Very few will do the work necessary to bring it to life. Will you be one of them?
From the desk of Patrick Greenaway, ActionCOACH KZN, your local business coach.