What Are You Paid For?

Every now and then we need to stop and think about why a customer buys from us. Is it our personality? Our sense of humor? Our ideas? Our attention to detail? Our product?

We all make assumptions as to why we're in business, but it's critical we know what really is special and what is not so special about our product, company, brand or people.

Typical assumptions are:
Our people
Our pricing
Our tradition/reputation
Our location (convenience)

Next time you talk to a prospect or a client, observe what excites them, what draws them near you. That very well may be what they really value from you. The rest of the stuff doesn't matter.

What do you have, or do, that your clients are happy to pay you for?

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

Small Ball

In baseball, there's a term called small ball. It means trying to score by doing the little things: getting walks, stealing base, bunting, etc. It means not waiting for the big hits, such as home runs.

Business today requires a small ball approach:

It's no longer about nailing the one big project or customer or account, it's about gathering up the little opportunities and doing a great job.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

More people quitting?

As the economy has leaked jobs, more people are quitting than are being laid-off or being fired.

According to this article, people are quitting because they have more confidence in the economy and aren't worried about finding a job. That may be true. But, I think it points to a different situation. Many employees today do not feel fortunate to have a job. If you don't feel lucky to work, why hold onto a job? There must be others around the corner, right?

I may sound judgmental in this post, because I am. I feel fortunate to have a job, to do things for clients, and to be able to make a difference in the workplace. That is my attitude and I also don't pretend to think it's the only way to go.

If indeed more workers continue to quit (rather than get laid-off or fired), I predict it will turn out a little different than many think. I believe that some will find jobs that are better and more fulfilling--kudos to them! I also strongly believe that far more of them will not find any work for a long time. Others will find another job that is clearly no better than the previous one; in fact, it will probably be a step backward. And I also believe many people will end up with several part-time jobs (that provide no benefits) in order to make the money they need to survive.

Quitting your job is smart if you have a better dream to go to. If you're merely leaving the workplace to see what's out there, good luck.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter