The performance level of a business lives in the mind of the customer. Working to continuously improve on both strengths and weaknesses will result in better and better service. Also when customers see continuous improvements it affects their perception of the service provider in a positive way. Working to improve on areas of weakness will not only affect the ability to acquire new customers but will also have a positive impact on relationships with existing customers.
Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection we can catch excellence … Vince Lombardi
- Don’t Try to Please Everyone – In analyzing where you stand in relation to the competition you may find a number of areas where they’re strong and you’re weak. In addressing weaknesses there’s often a temptation to be all things to all people. Choosing this approach will not yield positive results. The best approach is to determine what will be required to overcome a given weakness and what the potential benefit will be. Choosing the one that will yield the best results for the least effort will bring positive results quicker.
- Excel Over the Competition – When determining how to overcome areas of weakness in order to be more competitive often we try to be as good as our competition. A better approach is to come up with a way to be better than the competition. Customers will recognize areas in which you excel.
- Promote Your Strengths – Every business has areas that they’re strong in. These are the areas that should be promoted with prospects and customers. Playing to your strengths will set the right expectations with customers and service delivery will confirm what has been communicated.
- Prioritize Promotional Investments – There are often many different alternatives when it comes to promotion. So when deciding how to allocate marketing resources it’s prudent to assess what venue will reach the desired target audience most effectively with the least investment.
