Jim Woods is a writer and coach who’s passionate about helping you live a better story. He’s got a new ebook called Hit The Mark! all about improving focus, boosting energy and making the most of your time.
A couple weeks ago I resigned from my day job and began self-employment. Since then, I could easily put in every ounce of energy I have toward my business, but it is important to want to work smarter, not harder.
You can approach life or business as a mouse on a wheel, or as a marathon runner, where you sprint at certain points and conserve energy whenever
possible.
A product or project can take five minutes, five days, or five years to create, but in the end, customers don’t care. The overall experience and quality of the work is what matter the most.
Steve Jobs buried these concepts deep into the DNA of Apple Computer. The user experience is why so many people fall in love with Apple. When you buy a product from them, it is an experience. Even the box is a piece of art. If you visit one of the stores in a mall, they are always packed. The customers love the products so much they become the company’s best salesmen.
Every opportunity to interact with a customer is the chance for you to make them say “wow.” Make something that shows you care and want to help. Customers are not a sea of faceless people—they are mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers. Make their lives easier, take care of them and suddenly your sales force will grow exponentially.
Remember this next time you are neck deep in a big project or before you interact with someone. Ask yourself, “does this improve the customer experience?” to prevent perfectionism and also to keep yourself on track.
Focus on the customer and find out what their needs are. This is a simple way to improve the quality of your work and save yourself hours of time and energy.
What kind of customer experience are you creating?
