To succeed in the game of business, you need to be more than be good at what you do. You need to do more than innovate. Beyond sustaining a company, you need to over-deliver value. Often, new entrepreneurs get so caught up in “survival mode,” they forget to distinguish themselves from the competition. They’re so focused on making sales, generating cash and making payroll that they fail to focus on adding value to clients, vendors, employees, referrals, and members of the community.
The most established and successful entrepreneurs know the importance of over-delivering value to everyone they come into contact with. They exceed people’s expectations, going above and beyond to help others and make their lives better because their paths crossed yours. If you want your company to succeed, over-delivering value is critical to retaining loyal employees, to building an incredible network, to getting referrals, and to growing your business.
When you over-deliver value, you are giving your company a distinct competitive advantage. Here is one of three ways to make your company memorable (more to come in future posts):
1. Give with no strings attached.
Success comes to those who provide an abundance of value with no strings attached. As you serve customers, employees and vendors, over-deliver and help them with no expectations of getting anything in return. Some may question your intentions at first, but when they realize that you’re just trying to help, you’ll gain their loyalty and trust.
The goal is to be compassionate, resourceful and genuine in your efforts. Be consistent and don’t let others down. We’ve found that when small business owners continuously over-deliver value, they create an atmosphere of abundance in their business relationships. A mutually-beneficial relationship based on confidence leads to growth and business success.
2. Earn people’s respect.
When businesses take the time to over-deliver value, they earn the respect of employees, customers and community leaders. They also strengthen B2B relationships. Remember, you’re always being watched and your good deeds do not go unnoticed. Actions speak louder than words and news spreads like wildfire. Surely, your business benefits most when good reviews are spread by word of mouth. When you plant tiny seeds, you never know which ones will grow, but when you add value to others, your seeds of worth will never be forgotten by the many recipients and you’ll earn their respect.