Think Like A Customer – Act Like A Business Owner

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While I hate to have to say this out loud, Customer Service seems to be a dying art. With the continued advances in technology and automation, it seems many businesses and industries are attempting to “make things easier” by automating as much as possible. But who is it really easier for? More often than not, it’s easier for the business, but not the customer (and don’t get me started on “convenience fees”…I did all of the work 😝). 

This trend is all the more reason Customer Service should be your primary focus for the coming year. There’s no easier way to elevate your brand and stand out from your competition than to deliver exceptional customer service. And for many of us, isn’t that what we set out to do in the first place?

The trouble, however, often lies with implementation. And the hard truth that we’re usually thinking like a busy business owner and not thinking like a customer. Once we are able to shift our focus, the next question that comes up is How? How do I set up my business so it’s customer focused, but still keep control of the internal processes so it’s manageable for my team?

The short answer – Implement A Singular Operating System.

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve most likely seen “The Customer Circle”, some of you may have seen the detailed version, a few of you may have heard me talk about it in Denver, and now I’m excited to share the launch of my On-Demand course where I’ll take you through it all in full detail.

As busy business owners, we’re all guilty of spending too much time IN our businesses and not enough time ON our businesses. My goal is creating and launching The Full Circle Customer course is to help you carve out 1 hour a week to work ON your business, teach you how to build out systems for consistency and success (you’ll be able to download my notes, tools, and templates as well) and turn the 8-10 hours you spend working through the course into 10x that in time back once you’ve implemented the processes into your business.

If you’d like a preview of what’s included Click here to learn more.

Over Plan, Then Go With The Flow

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I’m writing this post from the balcony of a condo in Siesta Key, Florida, where I”m on vacation to start off the New Year. Sorry, not sorry… I really needed a break…. and if you can’t remember the last time you took a real vacation, when you finish reading this, open your calendar and block out some time in the 1st quarter for your own break.

Now, back to the point of my post… yesterday, we decided to “island hop” and drove up to Anna Maria Island for the day. Naturally, being the organized person that I am, I had a plan in place before we pulled out of the parking lot. 😂 Which brings me to my travel motto, and the title of this post… Over plan, then go with the flow.

We’ve been traveling pretty regularly since my daughter was a baby, and while I used to have entire trips planned  out from touch down to take off, the summer she turned three is when I learned to let go of my agenda and just enjoy the ride instead. But, because I can’t help myself, I still have a list of “possibilities” ready for each new destination. And once we arrive and settle in, we decide each day what we feel like doing and then take it from there. The list has definitely come in handy in making sure we don’t miss any “must do’s” when in a place we may not be back to again (like Greece and the Door to Nowhere).

So for our trip to Anna Maria, I packed everything we could possibly need for the day, looked into what was happening on the island (we actually shifted the trip by a day because of my research and were able to stroll through the open air marketplace by the beach – see, it does pay to plan ahead), and checked out local restaurants for lunch. And we had a lovely day on a different beach, did a little shopping, and ate a delicious meal before heading back to Siesta Key.

So what does this have to do with your business? Much like taking a vacation to a new destination, every new year in business brings with it a plethora of unknowns. If you take my vacation motto, however, and apply it to your business, you’ll be prepared for just about anything that comes your way. So here it is again…

Over plan, then go with the flow.

And here’s what it might “look like” in real life:

  • Create a yearly plan, budget, and revenue goals
  • Break the plan down by quarter to stay focused on 90 days at a time (click here for a free template to help you get started)
  • Create a monthly to do list for execution across all areas of the business (there are 6)
  • Start thinking about the “what if’s” (both good and bad) before they happen – back up plans never hurt
  • Operate daily as if everything will go according to plan, BUT be prepared to shift and “go with the flow” if necessary.

Having a plan is a must, but holding on too tight can lead to failure instead of success. As the year unfolds, stay the course, but be willing to adjust as needed as the road ahead continues to unfold. And be sure to take a break every once in a while for some much needed time off and a chance to reset and come back fresh.