Your problems should connect with your passion and purpose. This combination will lead to endless possibilities for opportunity and growth. You can and will be unstoppable if you simply help as many people as possible each and every day.
You are no stranger to hard work or commitment if you have been blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit. Though necessary, a great idea and a strong worth ethic are not enough to grow your business. In this age, consumers have unlimited options that are only a click away, so competing on price alone is no longer sufficient enough to fuel growth. The historical four P’s of marketing (Product, Price, Place & Promotion) have a new competing winning formula: add value first.
What is your contribution to the world? Take a moment to think about the one thing your company is willing to give away that provides both value to your customers and demonstrates your company’s culture?
If your company is Google, that would include everything from YouTube to Android (its mobile phone operating system) to Gmail. Google currently has a market cap of almost $400 billion dollars, and most of its consumers have never paid Google a dime. The same goes for Facebook. Companies like Google and Facebook figured out how to give value to its consumers in exchange for data.
However, where does that leave the advertising and data business? What if you sell physical goods? The answer is found within MyCaseBuilder.com, a five-time Inc 5000 honoree, who determined that giving away its award winning custom foam software could provide customers the perfect fit for anything they want to protect inside of their case.
And if you happen to be a restaurant? Many restaurants give away a free drink or appetizer, but they soon realize that this becomes almost “expected” and does not necessarily facilitate growth.
Some family-owned restaurants have begun to randomly give out entire meals for free with simply a note of appreciation for their customer’s support. This kind of surprise-and-delight method is a sure-fire way to generate buzz and is ultimately better than any traditional (re: “interrupt and talk at you”) advertising.
Deepak Chopra stated in his bestselling book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “How can I help?” and this seems to be the only question that truly matters. Each and every one of us has a unique talent that separates us from the rest and a special way of expressing that talent. This is Spiritual Law #7–The Law of Dharma.
Start by asking yourself “How can I help?” when thinking about how best to accelerate the growth of your company. Don’t think small. Focus on what you were born to do; work like hell to remove any and all roadblocks in front of you; live your purpose and allow your reason-for-being to fuel your growth–both professionally and personally.
As a digital marketing agency, we are continuously asking our clients “How can I help?” Their answer is not always what you’d expect. Most companies have not spent adequate time developing and optimizing the effectiveness of their website, social and mobile marketing efforts. But if you decide to start a conversation with “Your website sucks,” you have missed an opportunity to participate in active listening.
Never assume anything. Even if you know what your customer’s problem is, there is no harm in asking them to define their challenges so that you have a clear picture of what their needs are. Following up with the simple question “How can I help?” will immediately help you understand why your customer is engaging with you, what their expectations are and how you may be of service.
Throughout my experience in the past 20 years of meeting with a diverse set of clients with every possible marketing need you could imagine, it has become crystal clear to me that it’s all about asking the right questions. Doing so is a much more effective strategy than trying to validate why you’re the right person with whom to do business.
Once your client has shown a clear problem where you, your company or your product can be of service, the next most important step is finding a way to add value first. You will never lack possibilities for opportunity and growth if you connect the identified problem with your passion and purpose. Help as many people as you are capable of doing every day and you will be unstoppable.
And please don’t forget to do this for the people sitting right next to you. In the majority of most companies, your team is the real engine behind your growth and ultimate success. If there’s any chance for you to exponentially grow your business, you will first need to align your purpose and passion with your team. Empowering your own team and culture is your first priority before you can ever make a real impact with your customers, your industry and the world.
So, stop reading this article, turn to your coworker and pose the question, “How can I help you?” Once they recover from their initial shock of being asked (and size you up to see if you’re actually serious), you will be astounded at what you learn.
In short: listen thoroughly, ask great questions (which show that you are listening), soul search for all the ways you can give value first–and then do it. Your genuine actions will spur all kinds of new and interesting growth opportunities.