Extraordinary Business

Recently I was reviewing a Businessweek article by Jack and Suzy Welch that was titled "Trim the Fat, Not the Service." The title alone brings up a good point. If you make your customers suffer through the tough times with you, they won't be there when those times are over... and you might not either.

The moment the word recession is tossed around, many companies begin preparing for the worst. They do everything to maximize their cash and eliminate services. Unfortunately the customers take the hit in many cases. The focus is on cutting costs instead of gaining market share. So, ironically, when you have your best chance to gain new customers from your competitors, you fail to take advantage of it because you are in your basement riding out the storm.

What if your business was prepared for this. What if instead of cutting costs, you had already managed your business to work efficiently while still exceeding your customer's expectations. What if all the people in your organization understood your strategy and were passionately living it each day. What would that look like? How would it change your business when you are growing while everybody else is cutting back?

Right now you are at the crossroads. Either baton down the hatches or take market share from your competitor. If you can't afford to grow your business, how much can you afford to lose?

Labels: Business Coaching, Coaching, Economy, Leadership, marketing, Planning, Strategy, Vision