Since 50% of businesses fail in the first two years and 80% within five years, it is good practice to ask why. It's not 'what' but 'how' I do it that matters.
Excellence in execution is about driving change. How you do what you do and how you consistently improve must be front of mind for you and your managers.
Besides defining how specifically the change will be accomplished we must create a methodology to measure the progress. What we don't measure will disappear.
Link the team, the strategy, and the tasks or actions, and then maintain the gains via:
• Measuring the results
• Accountability
• Instilling a culture of CANI: Constant And Never-ending Improvement
Let's get practical
An essential tool for growing business towards excellence is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
It is the excellent execution of your USP that will:
• Determine your price
• Define the difference in the value you provide
• Establish customer expectations. Imagine going into a McDonald's expecting to eat gourmet cuisine served on fine china with white table cloths and an extensive wine list!
Relationships, not transactions
Every time a customer buys from your business, you have the opportunity to turn that transaction into a relationship through the consistent deployment of CNEs (Critical Non Essentials).
Think about relationships rather than transactions. The only way to turn a customer into a Raving Fan is to focus on relationships. It's the best and least expensive marketing money can buy!
Stay in dating mode
That goes for a marriage - and your business.
Why do so many of those dating CNEs fall by the wayside? Because we start to take one another for granted... Do you ever find your team taking customers for granted?
Systemise your CNEs
• Make a list of ways to deepen relationships with your customers. Don't just care about them; show them you care!
• Systemise those ways by writing into your operations manual everything that must be done for each of those CNEs, frequency or timing for each, and how to track compliance with the system. Without tracking compliance, your CNEs cease
• Define your USP and create execution, pricing, and marketing strategies around it
• Develop a list of CNEs that magnify your USP in the eyes of your customers, and make them feel successful when they buy from you
• Systemize and monitor your CNEs
Supplied by Patrick Greenaway of ActionCOACH Business Coaching.