The Importance of Your Relationship Factor
February 20th, 2020 // 11:07 am @ Scott Manning
Last week, we celebrated Valentine’s Day and talked about the bigger focus on the concept of Relationships.
Since you are here reading this, I know that we share in common the theme that ‘relationships’ are the foundation and core of all business, not just all of life.
When you think about it, your customers, patients, and clients – at least believe – they can get whatever you do and provide from others. What they can’t get is the same relationship.
This is why the greatest power of differentiation is not in the product or service being different but instead more about the WAY in which you do what you do – the culture, the philosophy, the approach you take to relationship with your customers, patients, and clients.
Now, relationships don’t have to be the actual meeting in person. For most reading this, of course for my Doctors, relationship often is that. Still, as I always point out, the Doctor is with the patient the least amount of time when it comes to actually talking and building of relationship. They might be with them more when they are doing procedures but not when they are just ‘getting to know each other.’
In fact, the more a Doctor does that the less they can do only what the doctor can do and therefore their time leverage actually comes as a direct result of the relationship leverage that their team gives them.
You have probably never looked at your business and assessed the Relationship Factor that goes into your ability to leverage.
I could give you so many examples of our very best Doctors and how they leverage their authority, positioning, education, and time through the relationship factor of their team members.
Most practices do not deliberately use Relationship as a way of differentiating themselves and instead get caught up in the bells and whistles of what they do “on” the patient instead of what they do “with” the patient.
Think about these businesses and how their customers feel about them…
Southwest
American Express
Starbucks
Disney
Tesla
Harley Davidson
Think about these people and how their fans feel about them…
Oprah
President Trump
President Obama
Dr. Phil (or other talk show hosts)
Whether it is a business or an individual, it is the “connection” to and the “relationship” with what they stand for, what they represent, and how they make you feel including their reliability and the pride you might feel by doing business with and belonging to a place.
You might be surprised how much a genuine liking of someone can make a person ignore many other factors they may prefer otherwise, funny you don’t hear the opposite very often, now do you.
I could pick any part of this and turn it into an entire workshop and teaching session, maybe I will do just that. What should it be called?
Building Your Business Through Relationship.
Or…
Leverage Through Relationship.
My question to you today is: how do you view your relationship with your customer and what are you doing proactively to create it, nurture it, and to use it to create leverage for yourself in your business and to differentiate yourself from other options the customer might otherwise have or consider?
And then of course: how can you do it better?
Let’s really take time to define your approach to Relationship in your Business and let’s have a deliberate strategy that isn’t just accidental but intentional.
This is a big topic worth more than just the Month of Love to discuss. I’ll have more to say next week. For now, let’s take this ‘loving your customers’ thing to a new level to ensure you’ve got a strong foundation to stand on with your customers and their decisions, rather than just some convenience or affordable factors that could easily be commoditized.
I always say, let’s use what you’ve got, and the thing you’ve got that no one else does is – You – and the relationship only you and your team can have with your customers.
That goes far beyond what you might usually think of as “relationship.”
To be continued…
Category : Blog
