How Much Can You Do for Customers?

Last week I tried an experiment on myself. For two days, I ask myself, “is this the best thing I can do for a customer.”  I asked this question of every working task I took up.

Before I get into the details, let me explain why I did this.

As a participant in a two-day conference for our clients, I was asked to write down one problem or challenge for which I’d like insights.  Then I needed to acknowledge everyone who helped me.  

My challenge was “How can I make sure that everything I’m doing is for the customers?”  Derek Sivers inspired this question with this quote:

Never forget that absolutely everything you do is for your customers. Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what’s best for your customers.

Sivers, Derek (2011-06-29). Anything You Want (p. 15). The Domino Project. Kindle Edition. 

Get it here: Anything You Want

 

I’ll tell you now that this challenge wasn’t easy, but it was liberating.  Liberating because it freed me from the trying to figure out why I was doing a given activity.  Here’s what I mean.

Before I checked my email, I asked, “Is this the best thing I can be doing for customers right now?”

Before I ordered a Gin & Tonic, I asked, “Is this the best think I can be doing for customers right now?”

In conversations with clients, I asked, “Is this the best thing I can be doing for my customers right now?”

If the answer was “yes,” I’d continue. If it was “no,” I’d stop.  That simple. 

In the process, I made three new friends among a group of clients.  Not just contacts. Not someone who might someday be useful to me.  In fact, I didn’t even think of that.  The only demand I placed on them was that they help me do best by them.  

That worked so well, I’m going to try it for a full week beginning Monday.  I’ll report back throughout the week and let you know how it’s going. If successful, I’ll share some of my tools and techniques.  Right now, I will share how I plan to measure success:  If just one customer comments that I seem more focused on them, I succeeded.