The Disney Co. re-releases a 50-year-old animated film, and it makes millions. Apple creates a cell phone, and the world holds its breath. Toyota makes a hybrid car when gas prices are high and the Prius becomes a legend.
PERFORMANCE VS. MARKETING
If you only have $10,000 to improve your business, should you pour it into a marketing initiative or a performance initiative? I vote for improving performance every time. The long-term payback can be extraordinary. Just like in any business, the quality you provide to customers in septic service or commercial pumping is the value they receive from your service.
Quality refers to number of mistakes per million parts in a manufacturing process. It also refers to the refreshing taste of a dessert at a frozen custard stand and the speed with which a pizza is delivered and the friendliness of a hostess at a local restaurant. Just as it is in these businesses, your marketing theme will soon be ridiculed if the actual performance doesn’t live up to the promises made.
Here’s a phrase-association game. What do you think of when you read the following: An amazingly well designed, user-friendly computer … Entertainment for all members of the family … A cup of coffee so delicious it feels like a reward …
Apple, Disney, and Starbucks first created incredible quality, and then they became known for that quality. Notice: high quality first, great brand second. The brand attracts and keeps lots and lots of great customers, but you can’t successfully advertise what doesn’t exist.
The same method for enhancing quality can be used no matter what business you are in. Here are four steps to creating breakthrough quality:
Define the performance business you are in.
The quality of Disney/Pixar Animation Studio is wrapped up in visually and emotionally appealing films. When Pixar’s standard of quality became dramatically greater than that of Disney’s animated films, Disney bought them out and put them in charge.
What performance are customers looking for from you? Do your customers desire you to deliver faster (FedEx), break down less often (Toyota), or make the purchasing process easier (amazon.com)? Focus on the performance you are expected to deliver for the services you offer and business growth will come your way.
Identify your current standard.
So how are you really performing in the areas that customers expect you to perform in? Ask your customers a simple question: “In terms of our performance for you, what are we doing really well, what are we average or below average at compared to the competition, and how could we perform better for you?” If you ask 15 customers, you will start to get an idea about the quality of your performance. Then check out your competition. Study the performance they are delivering. Look at it from the customer’s point of view. What is the competition doing better than you right now?
Focus on only two points.
As you work to enhance quality, focus on only two points: the quality of the service of the best company you know about in the liquid waste industry and a level of service just a bit better than what you provide. What makes the best service provider you know so good? That is the only point that matters to customers. They want to be with the best of the best.
Keeping those high standards in mind, focus your efforts on getting to the point just ahead of where you are right now. Each day move forward one step in terms of providing greater quality. And keep moving until you reach the spot just ahead of the top performer in the industry.
Loop back with customers.
Customers have an interesting way of keeping companies grounded in reality. Just in case you thought about coasting on past performances, remember that customers don’t care about past performance. Continue to talk to customers about how you can provide better service and keep their business.
BUILDING REPUTATION
Every time you increase your relevant business performance to customers, it’s like putting money in the bank. Customers become more loyal, they tell other people about the quality you offer, and they keep coming back for years and years. Quality is the real secret formula for long-term success.
