You Do What?

You all know that I am a BIG fan of business reality shows like The Profit, and Restaurant Impossible. I watch Bar Rescue and my newest obsession is Kitchen Nightmares. I watch them because these wonderful experts come in to help small business owners with their problems and growth issues. Now I understand, this is television, but I see in real life a lot of the things that happen on these shows. Most often its the ego of the owners getting in the way of their own potential and possibilities. The one I watched last night (Kitchen Nightmares) was one of the worst I'd ever seen. The owner was absolutely adamant that her restaurant and the food she served were the BEST in the world, yet she couldn't figure out why no one was coming in to eat.

Chef Ramsey, her staff and even her mother kept telling her that she was in denial; and when Ramsey found a dead rat inside the restaurant's front door, she accused him of planting it there for tv reviews. It was only after he completed his makeover, got the staff working through plans and systems and the restaurant filled over and over with happy customers did she finally come to realize that what she was doing was actually hurting her business -- not helping.

Have you ever heard of secret shoppers? Its a great way to find out how your business is doing from the customer standpoint. If you have a store front, or a place where people can walk in, have a friend or someone that the staff doesn't know, come in and see how they are treated, and how good the business is being run. If you are a service organization, have someone call and see how you are treated on the phone? Does the phone just ring and ring, or does someone pick up on the 2nd (or so) ring? How is the phone answered? I'll tell you a secret (try it if you don't believe me). People can tell when you're smiling when you answer the phone. It comes through in your voice.

Ask whoever answers what the business does and see how they answer. Ask your contacts on Facebook and LinkedIn, Twitter or any of the other social media, what their understanding of your business is. Is it aligned with what your mission is? If not, you've got a problem. 

There are many business owners who believe they sell such and such a value to their customers, yet the customers (potential and regular) have an entirely different understanding. Do you know what makes you special and unique? What is the value that you provide your clients? Who is your ideal client? If you are not crystal clear on the answers to these questions you need to take some time and put in the effort to figure it out. 

Obviously the lady at the restaurant in last night's Kitchen Nightmares had no clue what she was offering her customers. She had one understanding, they had a different one. And it wasn't until she figured out that what she was offering was NOT what they were looking for that her business took off. Now, she's a restaurant success. And when you figure it out, you can be too.