We Love Doing Business With These Guys!

Having lunch with a friend today, I asked him how he differentiates himself in a very crowded service business. He gave me a grin and shared this…

“Most of our competitors are completely transactional. They try to fake caring about the relationship, but they don’t. All I need to do to win in a space like this is create moments where they say, “We love doing business with these guys!” If I do that, I separate myself, and clients keep coming back.”

Could it really be that simple? And, if it is, how do we create those “we love doing business with you” moments? It seemed like an appropriate thing to write about on Valentine’s Day afternoon. Here are a few thoughts, with one caveat…

That caveat is this. As you’re reading this, know that we (OrangeBall) are a work in progress in all of these areas. Growing businesses experience growing pains, and we’re no exception. Writing this is as much a reminder for the author and our team as it is for anyone else, so please don’t read this and think we’re saying one thing and doing another. Just like many of you, we’re trying to live these things out as best we can, and sometimes, we fall short.

That said, here are three ways to create “we love you” moments in your business.

1. Keep your promises. Say what you’ll do, and do what you say. As one mentor shared with me years ago, under-promise and over-deliver. As a self-aware people-pleaser, this one continues to trip me up personally. Again, I’m a work in progress, and this point is something I am trying to focus on daily.

2. Communicate well. Another area that is a work in progress is communication. We’re all stretched more and more, and communication can suffer. That said, when we communicate well, people notice and love it.

3. Build a community. Businesses are built on relationships, not transactions. Make strong connections a priority, and be there for one another even when it doesn’t impact your bottom line.

Call-to-Action
Ask yourself today, “How are we creating moments where clients and customers love us?” Identify those areas and double down on them. If you’re lacking in a few spots, do the work to fill those gaps.