Win-Win: Is It Do-able?
My incredibly eloquent friend Fontaine asked…
[Tell me] where the line is between the business person’s needs and the customer’s. It seems that there needs to be a balance between the two. I, as the business person cannot meet your needs if I’m not, simultaneously, trying to meet my own. Where does win-win and synchronicity fit in?
I have my own explanation for this, but, it probably sounds much better in my head than how I am about to explain it right now, so, try and stick with me, okay?
You can easily get the “win-win” by falling head-over-heels for your customers. Once you get a hang of this, the rest will come naturally. You’ve probably heard this advice before, right? Let me show you how to *use* this information.
Most people fall in love with their products, and get all sob-hick, heart broken when their products make them little or no money. Even if it sells like bottled water in a desert for a little while, what will happen when newer, hotter, must-have products are introduced to the market and yours become, “oh, SO, 2 weeks ago!”?
Put your customers’ needs ahead of your own and make it a point to understand the results they’re looking for. Don’t just sell for the sake of making a sale - make an effort to understand exactly what they want to accomplish, and direct them to the most *appropriate* solution… even if it means making a smaller one-time profit.
You will build trust with your customers and learn to appreciate them. You’ll be surprised just how much more *you* appreciate yourself too, when you see how you and your business contribute to other people’s lives.
Your customers will love and remember you for it, and recommend you to their friends. If they had to choose between you and your competitor, who do you think they’ll come back to? No competition!
You give your customers what *THEY* want, and they’ll keep coming back to you and make *YOU* more money (and you want that, don’t you?).
WIN-WIN : )
2 comments:
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Wow, my name in red!
Now if I could just find a way to entice an e-mail out of you!
How ya been, girlfriend? Haven’t heard from you since I e-mailed you my condolences on the loss of your grandad. Guess that must have hit you hard since you were unusually quiet for awhile. That’s to be expected. We tend to shut down when we lose people we love. No matter how much we might want it to stop–at least for awhile–life has this natty habit of just marching on along, no matter what. Eventually, we start marching along with it. Glad to see you’ve rejoined the parade!
Good news. I got a job! Just finished my 2nd week and am happy as a clam. Comes, I believe, from a “good fit.” IOW, what you want to do is what your “client” wants you to be doing. That, ultimately, is the answer to the question I posed. It’s not about one-sidedness, it’s about mutuality. Not all relationships are or should be. There are plenty of folks to satisfy other folks on this old planet. In working to ensure a good fit, one doesn’t end up trying to cram the proverbial round peg into the square hole. Often, when we get hungry, we try to do it, anyway. It never works because even if you can initially shove the peg partway down the hole, since it’s the wrong shape, it won’t go down smoothly or completely in the long haul.
Since we’re given ourselves as a starting point, think we first have to figure out what we can best do for others–find our voice, our talents, our passion, our means of expressing who we really are. Some are lucky enough to know it from the git-go, others of us fall into it, serendipitously, and still others have to search deeply. But I think it’s there for all of us.
Next, we have to figure out where the people are who can benefit from what we have to offer and let them know we’re ready, willing, and able to help them.
Picking up where you left off, if a customer’s needs aren’t ones you can realistically provide, a good businessperson will, I believe, do their best to refer them to the right-shaped hole. (You know what I mean!) It not only leaves a positive impression on others which can help w/ the whole viral marketing deal, but it’s a much more pleasant way to live life, IMHO.
Got more nice things to tell you, but you’ve got to write to hear ‘em! (How’s that for a tease?
Hi Fontaine,
“if a customer’s needs aren’t ones you can realistically provide, a good businessperson will, I believe, do their best to refer them to the right-shaped hole. (You know what I mean!) It not only leaves a positive impression on others which can help w/ the whole viral marketing deal, but it’s a much more pleasant way to live life, IMHO.”
You’re absolutely right, and I agree with you 100%.
Getting back into “routine” has been much harder than I ever expected… some days, I feel I’m ready to move on… and some, I just want to be left alone.
I’m happy to hear from you again, and congratulations with your new job!! Expect an e-mail from me soon, okay?
~ Carmen