When you hear of a business that has an incredible success story, it is common to assume that they must have a better mousetrap. They must have come up with some amazing new product or service. Yes, that is true in some cases. But there is another method to become wildly successful that is often overlooked, and it can be summarized in one word.
Excellence!
We are surrounded by an ocean of mediocrity. Very few businesses (and the people that you deal with) consistently do a good job at anything. They don’t return phone calls, emails or text messages in a timely fashion or at all. They don’t meet deadlines. They don’t ship on time. Product quality is inconsistent. They don’t follow up with prospects after the initial contact. They don’t listen.
The list of mediocre actions goes on and on.
In general, people are overwhelmed by all the technology at our fingertips and different communication options. It has resulted in people generally doing a poor job of communicating across the board. Plus the allure of using technology has a high percentage of companies using computer systems to answer phones, and it is a nightmare to get to a live person.
But the good news is that you don’t have to create some amazing new product or system to do very well. You simply have to rise above the mediocrity around you to excel.
If you will dedicate yourself to excellence in everything you do, you will be amazed at the level of success you can achieve. When I say excellence, that means operating at a level that will be so good that your clients quickly recognize that you are different.
Specifically, that means return ALL phone calls within the same day, but better yet within an hour. Do what you say you will do 100% of the time. Return all emails right away. Meet EVERY deadline no matter how insignificant. Smile when you answer the phone and make sure every person in your organization does the same thing. Call someone instead of emailing or texting. Give people unsolicited gifts. Send handwritten thank-you notes. Make absolutely sure that your product or service quality is top-notch. Enjoy your life and job and make it show to everyone who meets you.
Rise above the mediocrity with excellence and watch your success grow.