You Need to Use These Nine Business-Building Hacks Today

Location, location, location. Is that all you need for a successful business? I doubt it.

You need to use these 9 business-building hacks today. After all, maybe there’s more to it than just location…

1. Understand Who Is the Most Important

The needs of the customer must always come before your own. They are the foundation of your business, any business. Forget the customer at your peril.

2. Hire for Personality First, Teach the Skills Second

In today’s “customer experience” world, you must have employees with an abundance of soft skills. You can always train for “hard skills”; specific knowledge of a software program, mechanical prowess or understanding of the law and corporate policy.

But team building, empathy, self motivation, time management, communication skills and plain old common sense must be inherent in those you hire.

3. Don’t Put Short-Term Profits Ahead of a Long-Term Goal

Building a solid foundation for long-term success is easier said than done, but what other choice do you have? You didn’t start your business only to have it end in failure 3 years later and buried in a mountain of debt.

Did you write a business plan, incorporate or form a LLC, hire slow but fire quickly and reinvest profits as much as possible? If not, what are you waiting for?

4. Understand That a Customer Who Walks Into Your Place of Business Wants to Give You Their Money – Help Them in Their Task

Indifferent sales staff, more focused on their own needs, will never make the sale or bring in the revenue they should. Every telephone call is money; every person walking through your door is money and holds the potential to be a long-term customer.

Warmly greet them, qualify them (identify what they need and for what reason), engage with and direct them towards the product or service that is best for them – remember, the customer comes first!

5. Use the Best Products at All Times, Period!

Second-rate products = second-rate customers and revenue. Simple, right?

6. Get It Right the First Time – Every Time

Is your motto, “well, if it doesn’t work this time we’ll get it right the next time”? But will there be a next time? Are you willing to take that chance?

7. Stop Being “Good Enough”

Strive for being the best in every aspect of your customer interaction.

Do you read reviews or customer comment cards? What can you learn from these? How often do you “touch tables” (a restaurant term for speaking directly with each table/customer to see how happy they are and if the dining experience is what they expected)? What can you learn from this? Do you pretend to be your own customer by calling your business or making a purchase online? What can you learn from this?

Maybe you’re not as good as you thought!

8. Keep Your Ego in Your Pocket

Your customer’s ego, and needs, comes first. The business is not about you.

Take those photos off the wall with you posing with celebrities. Add photos of you shaking hands with your best customers, all with big smiles. That’s more impressive to the next customer.