val·ue –noun
relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education. – From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/value
Value is a big thing to me and it probably is to you as well. Value has absolutely nothing to do with price regardless of what some sales people try to force feed you. Low or High Price does not have anything to do with real value. Although value is generated by the quality of the product, and most high quality products have a high price tag. Most of the value in a product comes from the service you receive along with your purchase. The people behind the product or service is how value is generated or not. The best product in the world has absolutely no value if the company’s service is horrible or non existent.
No value, No Success
If you want to be successful you need to be providing value to the people around you first and without expectation. Whether they are friends, family, co workers, business contacts, potential customers or existing customers, are you providing value to them? Get out a piece of paper and write down ten things you are doing to provide value on a consistent basis (at least once a week, hopefully more) to those around you. Can’t come up with ten? Sorry buddy your not providing enough value and you may lose your customers to your competition.
Now on that same piece of paper draw two columns. On the left side write down your customers wants. For example if your customer is a spouse write down things like love, loyalty, security, help with responsibilities, free time, understanding. If your customer is a business contact or entity write down things like, more customers, more sales, more profit, greater productivity, better image, no hassles. You get the idea.
Now in the right column next to each line item write down as many ways you can fulfill that want. Now do them as many times and as often as you can with out expectation and watch your success grow by leaps and bounds. you will be amazed at how quickly you can become successful once your start focusing on providing value first without expectation.
To Your Success
Blaine Rumsey
I love it!
Thank You
This is similar to the pros/cons columns used to make decisions – with a twist. I like that this gives a person the opportunity to really view & define actions – in a healthy relationship, you could even have the “customer” review the list of wants to verify that you are correctly seeing their point of view. I like the examples that were given – some times we forget that our spouse and/or children, friends, family can be “customers” as well.
@Jenifer C. – Great point Customer feedback is paramount. I fully believe that if everyone would view their personal lives as a business, and the people they interact with as customers, people would be more successful. Here is a couple of quick additional opinions of mine about business and life.
Any relationship whether business or personal is a 2 way street.
Communication is key.
Life doesn’t suck, it is truthful, and sometimes whether we like it or not the truth hurts!
It does not matter what your circumstances are you always have a choice! You just have to be ready to accept the outcome of the choice you made whether good or bad.