Put People First in Business

Businesses are made of people. People do not do business with an organisation, they do not buy from a brand. They do business with other people. Now are you reading anything you don't know? No. Nothing. Not a zilch. Of course you do business with people and any good manual will tell you this.

But you will be amazed at how many people out there don't realise this. They think about internal processes, they think about marketing strategies, they think about company policy and how smelly that person next to them is. What they don't think about is the raison d'etre of their being, their sustenance without which they would wither away. That is the people they serve.

Whether it be in the private or business sector, organisations would not and often end up not existing if they do not meet their needs of the individuals that they serve.

It is to this aim, this one and single aim, that all work should be done. This does not mean provide work unsuited to your talents or abilities. This does not mean service work that is below you target clientèle.

This does mean remember who puts the food on the table...and that wide-screen television on your lounge wall....and that Jaguar out in the drive way....A smart person like your self gets the point.

Everything should be centred around their needs. Processes should be streamlined to give the least hassle to your customers, staff should be singing off the same hymn sheet, and products should be placed on the market on value, not price (the only exception to this is if the value you bring to your client and price are one and the same).

To often a company or organisation could be providing a much needed service or product, and the only thing stemming the tide of happy customers is poor customer service and general lack of etiquette.

How would you treat your friend? Would you not want to tell them about this fantastic product that meets their needs? You wouldn't be rude, abrasive, aggressive or just down right rugby scum pushy. Politeness, an at-ease attitude, coupled with confidence in your range of products, are the winning solution.

But what about repeat sales? A second category of company falls at this hurdle. This is the company that has its products tip-toe, it's customer service friendlier and more accommodating than Wooster ever had in Jeeves, and yet its after care is as rude a bear wrestlers arm pits.

Are you getting the product to the customer on time? Is there a lot of form filling and bureaucracy taking place? How do you handle problems; timely and without hesitation or slowly with lots of grumbling taking place?

Thirdly what thought is given to the customer once they have become a fully fledged member of the I-BOUGHT-FROM-YOU club? Do they get a get a club tie? Companies pass the first two hurdles, but drop at the third. After sales service and communication is integral to maximising the trust gained in your company by the customer, and also by keeping them up to date with what you are doing, what new products or services you have and how you could meet some new needs of theirs.

The question is, do you dump em and leave em, or, like a proper Romeo, do you keep them sweet even after the initial romance had died off? Repeat sales are integral to almost every business. Someone who buys only once is an indication of something having gone terribly wrong. Be nice. Don't ignore them after the one night stand. Send them a letter, even if you know the occasion was a casual one.

And remember, business is based on people. Play to that, and everything else will follow.