Loading The inside of your business is who you truly are, why you are so special, and what you do that brings value to the market place. If you have a great product or service or system that truly is awesome that is all fine and good. But the IMPORTANT thing is how people PERCEIVE it. It doesn’t matter how good it is, if people think it is bad, or junk, or just like everything else. This is the outside perception.
I know of a printing company that has outstanding prices, great turn around time, and is absolutely positively a no-brainer to work with. They, however, don’t make that clear by articulating that so that I’d be a fool to choose someone else. Their “inside truth” is outstanding. But I can’t tell that from their marketing information. I just happened to stumble around until I found them. If they would bridge the gap and truly be able to articulate WHY they are so much better they would instantly increase their business.
Examining the inside truth of your business may require close examination by yourself and those close to you. It will mean being completely honest with yourself about areas that your business may be coming up short.
Examining the outside perception of your business can be just as painful. No one wants to hear that your prospects think you do a lousy job and have a cheap product. But the fact is, if people think it you need to know it so that you can combat it. (This is the premise behind reputation control programs now being offered on the internet.)
I see business owners all the time not bridging this gap…which leads me to a different point.
Here it is: If you do not have a good inside truth you MUST INNOVATE until you do. Just being an average, or normal stock broker, financial planner or insurance agent isn’t good enough to get outstanding results.
What do you do to get better? What do you do to go above and beyond the call of duty? When you do hear of a negative outside perception, what do you do to remedy it?
The answers to these questions are what truly separate the average, just- getting-by businesses from the top of the line, successful businesses. Where will you end up?
