Make That First, Small Incremental Change – Today
Yesterday, I talked about incremental degradation how you can wreck your business by gradually decreasing the quality of what you do (to save money and make more short-term profits). And I speculated that you can improve your business by making small, incremental improvements.
Today, I want you to think about one small but significant way you can improve the quality of your product or service. It shouldnt cost much. (It might not cost anything.) And it doesnt have to be obvious to your customers/clients. But it has to be an improvement that you believe in.
Start by imagining your business sometime in the future. Five to seven years from now. Maybe longer. Imagine it not as it is today but as something much bigger and more successful . . . and as having a reputation for providing the best product/service in your industry.
Just think about that for a while. Try to enjoy it.
Next, figure out one thing you can do to make that happen. Something that can be accomplished in a relatively short time weeks or months, depending on the nature of your business. (Hint: Use our customer-service principle of treating each customer as if he were your only one. If you had only one customer and you depended on him for all your income, what would you do for him that you are not doing now?)
Two or three things may come to mind. Then ask yourself, Which one of these things can I implement immediately? Start working on it today. Make a phone call. Write a memo. NOW.