Here we're mainly talking about attitude towards customers but, of course, almost everyone is a customer. I always think about my relationship with customers as a balance of benefits. The relationship works when we both benefit in equal measure. However, I'm the one who's selling something so, if the relationship is going to deviate from being equal, I want it to deviate to the customer's benefit, but not too much. In trying to navigate along the line of equality of benefits, I like to be just slightly on the customer's side. In the long run, this attitude pays off tremendously as the customer always thinks he's getting a little bit extra and never feels that he is being taken advantage of.
2. Discipline
This means being able to complete work when you have to but also to stop working when you don't. It means deciding on solutions and then sticking with them to make them work. It means using everything you've got to its full potential. I'm not as successful as I could be because, although I often know what to do, I still don't do it. That's a lack of discipline; good discipline is recognizing this and doing better the next time without becoming obsessive.
3. Professionalism
Professionalism is easy when things are going well but many people lose their professionalism when things don't work out. That's the easiest way to lose customers. A long-standing customer recently asked for my help in transferring his business from my company to a competitor for reasons unknown to me. I did my best to make the transition as smooth and easy as possible. The following month this customer gave me two referrals which resulted in new business. I guess he appreciated my professionalism.
4. Integrity
Integrity in a small business means asking a fair price for good quality, honouring your warranties and paying for value received. My business is mainly referrals and it operates on integrity, both mine and my customers. Someone I've never heard of will call me, tell me one of my customers referred them to me and order a computer system for the price I quote. I'll ask for a small deposit and they'll give me their credit card number. I'll deliver the system and they'll give me a cheque - which is always good. I never give discounts - how can I when I gave them my best price to start with. I'm lucky in that my customers, as referrals, are pre-selected to start with - in retail where anyone can come into the store, it's much more difficult to be sure of a customer. But if you hold up your side of the equation without any lapses, you'll attract customers with the same level of integrity and the others will go elsewhere where they and their suppliers can try to outwit each other.
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