As far as buzzwords go, connection sounds like it should be right up there with corporate synergy and outside the box thinking. (Inc.com has an amusing list if you want a primer.) Nevertheless, making connections is vital to the survival of your business, so—cliché sounding or not—this is a subject to take seriously. To that end, ReadyConvenience.com has an article titled “Competitive Advantage through Connection”, which broadly touches on this subject. You’ll read about the importance of connecting with customers, vendors, competitors, and employees. But we believe that the last item is perhaps the most critical, as we have long advocated for staff development and a great work environment. Let’s dive into that for a moment:
Last year, we published our own article on the subject titled “Make Your Staff the Difference”, wherein we emphasized how an excellent staff is a competitive advantage your business has over big-box or online retailers, which are more likely to turn-and-burn their staff. We also discussed how massive companies would probably be able to beat you on price due to their large-scale purchasing power, so there’s no sense chasing them down the rabbit hole of who can afford the thinnest margins. Instead, make the experience of working with your business the highest quality you can, which starts with your employees, and you might be surprised at how many people are willing to pay a small premium for what you offer.
As the ReadyConvenience.com article explains, you should try to create “a ‘connection culture’,” which begins with making sure “employees are engaged”, and that they buy into your “vision and mission” and “your company goals”. In order to accomplish this, we suggest you check out our articles, “Trust as an Effective Management Tool” and “Kindness in Leadership”. In short, you need to earn the loyalty of your employees, and they, in turn, will help you win the loyalty of your customers by providing a level of service your competitors cannot provide.
Remember that The Brandt Group specializes in staff development. We offer training courses, and we also help you monitor your initiatives through mystery shopping (both in-person and over-the-phone). Get your business on the path of forging strong connections with your employees and customers all by reaching out to us today.
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