Main Idea
How often have you gone into a supposedly nice restaurant that has paper placemats? Or have you gone into a home improvement store that does not have some basic things like normal light bulbs? Or you call a company that allegedly has great customer service and you have to wait 15 minutes on hold?
Expansion of Idea
All of us have seen instances where there is a huge disconnect between the business’ stated policies or marketing brand and the reality of the business. You have probably gone into businesses that have a formal mission statement on the wall in the entrance area. It says that the purpose is to serve the customer and then you have to wait 25 minutes for your appointment. (At least you have plenty of time to read the mission statement.)
I recently decided to clean up my own firm by eliminating audit services. This was a remnant of being a compliance-oriented CPA firm. The core of my business is to help clients with financial statements, tax returns, and information systems for decision making. The audits were inconsistent with providing the consulting and advisory services that compose the majority of my business. It sent the wrong messages to my team and to my customers. I want my team to focus on helping small business clients.
Only when we truly specialize can we really serve our clients. The problem is that we tend to hold onto the past. This prevents us from embracing the future. Spend some time looking for inconsistencies in your business. Decide what you can change and then do it.
Action Items
Ask your spouse. You will get an honest answer.
Ask your team.
Ask your customers.
Observe how you do business.