Business Is Great!

What kind of relationship do you have with your customers?

This is one of those stories that seems to have a way of painting the big picture of the critical need for having the right attitude. When I read this I immediately thought of some very successful business owners I know and respect. It also reminded me that having an attitude for giving in your business will inevitably build trust, and trust brings like, and like leads to being known, more importantly this story shows the wisdom that it takes to help customers past the point of purchase, and having a true knack for connecting to others in an authentic way.

A landscape gardener ran a business that had been in the family for two or three generations. The staff was always happy, and customers loved to visit the store, or to have the staff work on their gardens or make deliveries - anything from bedding plants to ride-on mowers.

For as long as anyone could remember, the current owner and previous generations of owners were extremely positive and happy people.

Most folks assumed it was because they ran a successful business.

In fact it was the other way around...

A tradition in the business was that the owner always wore a big lapel badge, saying Business Is Great!

The business was indeed generally great, although it went through tough times like any other. What never changed however was the owner's attitude, and the badge saying Business Is Great!

Everyone who saw the badge for the first time invariably asked, "What's so great about business?" Sometimes people would also comment that their own business was miserable, or even that they personally were miserable or stressed.

The Business Is Great! badge always tended to start a conversation, which typically involved the owner talking about lots of positive aspects of business and work, for example:

the pleasure of meeting and talking with different people every day
the reward that comes from helping staff take on new challenges and experiences
the fun and laughter in a relaxed and healthy work environment
the fascination in the work itself, and in the other people's work and businesses
the great feeling when you finish a job and do it to the best of your capabilities
the new things you learn every day - even without looking to do so
and the thought that everyone in business is blessed - because there are many millions of people who would swap their own situation to have the same opportunities of doing a productive meaningful job, in a civilized well-fed country, where we have no real worries.
So the list went on and no matter how miserable a person was, they'd usually end up feeling a lot happier after just a couple of minutes listening to all this infectious enthusiasm and positivity.

It is impossible to quantify or measure attitude like this, but to one extent or another it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy. I imagine that if asked about the badge in a quiet moment, the business owner would whisper

"The badge came first. The great business followed."

If you were to implement this into your business how would this look for you? Is it as simple as throwing a badge on your lapel? In many of the top sales books we are told over and over about how our attitude is critical to the success of our business. This makes total sense but it can be a difficult task to carry out day in and day out, especially when things feel overwhelming and you can’t seem to come up for air. Implementing such a simple little idea like the small business owner in this story, worked on autopilot, long after the badge was worn the first time.

Think about how much trust was involved for a total stranger to open and share in this way. The badge pulled them in; the attitude is what caused the customers to trust them. They were able to help their customers past a purchase, it showed them right up front the small business owner was sincere and really cared about helping others in a multitude of ways despite whether or not business was great.

The mentors in my life are all world class experts at the human connection. They work hard, just as I’m sure the business owners did in the story, however their ultimate goal and underlining theme is honest, sincere and self-less. That’s why they are so very successful at what they do. Finding the attitude that makes your business shine, radiate happiness and stand-out among your competition as a solopreneur is the basis for success.

What tools are in your tool-box for accomplishing this?

Having an attitude of giving instead of receiving seems counter-intuitive to running a business to make a living or supplement your income; however for all it’s worth the best business models will have this as one of their core values. Look around the internet today, we are living in such a great age to be in business as an entrepreneur. There are literally millions of free offers for products, services, media, software, books, programs, apps, These businesses get the notion; you have to give instead of receive. So what has come first in your business, the “badge” or the business?

I hope that this in some way helpful to you and your business. If you need help with those tasks that are so very important but take up too much of your let’s talk about how we can turn things around for you. You can always find me on Twitter @MsHoverfly or email me at Michelle@Mshovefly.com