Deep down in all of us is a quiet voice, a voice that questions what we do, how we act and what we portray to others. This voice often battles with our desired perceptions – what we think other people see in us.
Philosophers, theologians, poets and psychologists have all named and categorized these thoughts but this article is about business – your business! So pull up a couch and let’s take a look to see if you are relevant.
The first step is to ask yourself a couple of very simple questions:
What impression did my last interaction leave? When most of us think about how our business is perceived we quickly recall the “hero moments”. The time we solved the customers issue and they were so grateful that they sent us a thank you card, or we remember the big sale or account we closed. Those memories form our overall perception and many times are far from reality. We quickly forget or dismiss the time we forgot to follow up on a question, or the consumer complaint we received. That is not “really” who we are, that was just an isolated incident … right? Ask yourself about the last client interaction you just had. How would that person describe you if they were asked? Would they remember your name?
What makes me unique and therefore relevant? Whatever you sell, service or offer what makes you or your product any different for what your client can find anywhere else. Would you buy it? Why? This forms a very important perspective in business. I like to call it your Unique Selling Proposition. Whatever it is should be expressed and heard by every client you come into contact with and it must be expressed with conviction and backed by consistency.
It is in fact in this simple formula that will provide you with the answer you are looking for…Are you relevant?
