Does it grow despite its poor service? Watch out! because it may be on the brink of the abyss
If you are one of those who think that by the fact of growing your business in terms of profitability everything is already done, Be careful! It may be that you are entering a tunnel that has no exit or worse, you may be on the verge from the abyss.
Customer's time has come, align your organization before anyone else or you will be in trouble.
There are companies that experienced good financial results in the previous year, however they have lost position in the market share. It's not all about numbers when it comes to business!
In the business world, the fundamental indicator for many is what the financial statement shows in the end. A good marginal contribution is expected, cost indicators in acceptable terms and a net profit that allows you to reinvest in some aspects of your business and give you the possibility of having a better future.
Many other companies have positioned their brand so well that they have even become generic with consumers (Bimbo, Colgate, Cotex, to name a few), which also guarantees them to maintain an interesting status in the sales that are generated, although they do not ensures success at the end of the day.
Many of the things that business leaders have to think about are related to this because, as I have stated, not everything is numbers when it comes to doing business! Although most companies are guided by them through their information systems, the content of which is nothing other than performance indicators of each area in terms of productivity and cost, the reality is that you should not limit yourself to just seeing what happens to your organization through detailed reports.
I am a faithful believer that most companies have a lot of data related to their internal performance, but very few related to customer satisfaction, and those that do, really take very little to the discussion table each week in the sounded executive boards. The reason? There is no true vocation for service. Although this hurts! And the vocation of service does not come from nothing, it comes from the leaders who manage the organization.
It is a Culture that permeates depending on the degree of congruence that is held by leaders in relation to the mission, vision, high priority strategies and in itself, with the organizational values. However, at present, the Customer's voice is beginning to be heard, and I have seen and verified that even having a high degree of brand positioning (Top Of Mind), strong sales volume and even very good profitability, companies lose market share. This is how you let yourself be heard!
Today you should be interested in your Customer's decision-making and not just focus on filling their orders. The Client is in charge! "We were asked for a quote three days ago and the Customer has not yet received an answer": Phew! Examples like these come and go every day in organizations. Who in your company is capable of putting one here if they are not empowered to do so? "The true Culture of Service does not start on the line, it is done there if it is well grounded throughout the organization."
In fact, it begins with a strong commitment from Senior Management to SERVE its Collaborators.
You cannot expect much from them in these terms if they are not served at the highest level, if they are not prepared to do it, if their work is not recognized and even more, if there is not an excessive obsession to provide excellence to our Customers. Do you want to produce Excellence in your Clients? Make it sooner with your employees.
There is no other way! The Administration for Terror, leaves endless losses in all processes. It is easy to blame people for their mistakes in the operation and for their lack of commitment, but in reality it is you with your low level of Leadership that is causing this to happen.
This type of Administration only makes your collaborators dependent, makes them timid and irresponsible, limits them to think and only gives you that privilege, and this is where the problems come to light. You stand before them as the only thinker and capable of solving any problem of the Company and from there the faces of the company are two. You think you are a semi-God and they do not think they are worthy to turn to see. How pathetic!
In this organizational governance scheme, say goodbye to innovation, say goodbye to the commitment of your people to the vision, say goodbye to the orientation to SERVE the Client as no one can be able to SERVE YOU.
People will be oriented to please you, not the Client. This is where many companies today have a bottleneck, since the existing energies are channeled into ensuring that you do not get upset, not in obtaining the highest value perceived by your Clients according to the service you provide them. Here I want to leave some leadership tips so that you can flex your processes and unleash the skills and abilities of your people.
- Believe in them: If you do not see a 10 in each of your collaborators, do not have them at your side, You need a Committed Team of Champions to achieve your goals. Give them a chance: If you think they are 10, give them the opportunity to prove it. Lead them correctly, Train them better, Support them, Motivate them and recognize their achievements and Empower them to make decisions. Stop thinking for them: Your job is to get them to think and generate innovation. They have the capabilities to make excellence happen on the line and understand that not everything is to their liking, but to customer satisfaction. Invest in them: There is no better weight invested in a company than that which is invested in people. The more prepared your army is, the better chance you have of winning how many battles you face during the exercise.Promote a culture of learning: Learn from mistakes, don't reprimand just because. Remember that we are the product of our failures and it is these that give us the opportunity to grow. Excellence in a Schubert sonata came after thousands of repetitions when rehearsing it, neither before nor after.
"If you do not see a 10 in each of your collaborators, why do you have them in your team? Help them get there. That is their job! "If you are not obsessed with customer service, you will not encourage an individual commitment to make it a reality."
Remember your collaborators are the mirror of the level of Leadership that you exercise.
STOP KICKING YOUR PEOPLE Of course I am talking about giving those around you a chance to do their jobs and not hinder them. You are there so that they do not lose the correct focus and vision of your business. He is there to dedicate the time that is necessary to bring the people around him to reach a score of 10.
It is there to do "Big Business", starting from recognizing the greatness of its people and putting it into practice, clearly aligned, with its purpose as an organization but also to satisfy the needs of its Clients. When it comes to directing, teach them the way of the wise, when it comes to training, make sure they are thoroughly tested and rehearsed as many times as necessary until the sonata is played masterfully.
Recognize them all the way to perfection, highlight successes, and stop looking exclusively at stumbling blocks so you can have a chance to reprimand them or show your courage in the face of inappropriate work. While I am not asking you to accept the mistake, try as much as possible to get a lesson out of it.
And when they have learned, when they are in the position to make decisions (at your level, of course), let them do it. Allow them to take ownership of their projects and to secure their goals depending on their personal qualities, abilities and skills. They also need to discover their greatness to dare to take stronger steps into the future and with a high commitment to their company.
Not all are numbers. Well, where would be the commitment and passion to serve others. The numbers are just a consequence of the actions that people are taking and these are as big or as small as their leadership cap. That's where your impact as a leader really is! I have seen so many executives justify their excuses with solid arguments that I have lost credibility in their judgment and in their capacity for integrity. They have believed their own lies, they are now, then, on the brink of the precipice and even so they are more than stubborn in defending their ideas.
You may cheat Clients on more than one occasion, but in the end everything will come to light and they will withdraw from you, with the consequent loss of business for your organization. Learn the lesson and change course right now. Profits are not made in spite of clients, but being with them all the time.
Again at your command. Final reflection "You will be able to deceive your Clients on more than one occasion, but in the end your service will be the one to show it, so invest in your people so that they can give the Client what he needs before he abandons you".
