Small Business Strategies – By Becky McCray

 Small Business Strategies

Recently I stumbled across a really smart lady, I’d like to introduce you to. Becky McCray writes a blog, Small Business Survival, for rural and small town business owners. Growing up in a small town of 4,000 myself, I’m partial to our small town business owner followers. They have to do so many things right that big city business owners can skate by without.

I asked Becky to contribute a guest blog post for us and she created a gem of a little tip here to help you remember why you’re in business.

BM: It’s the most basic of business basics. Love your customers.

You’re heard it a million times, and if you’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to forget. When you are working, in the flow, making progress, and a customer calls or walks in and interrupts, it’s hard to remember.

But… how do you work on that?

Jon Swanson gave me the best answer I’ve heard.

“You need to know what your purpose is. The point of a business is making a difference in the lives of people, and the most important group of  people is…customers.”

The lesson: take time to be clear about your purpose.

That means time away from the business to think about, and be clear about your purpose.

In the moment, the way to apply this is to pause. Pause and remember your purpose. If you’re interrupted by the phone, put your hand on the phone, but don’t answer it yet. Take a moment. Picture a client with good news. Imagine all the wonderful possibilities. Smile, then answer.

For customers coming in the door, take a deep breath, and remind yourself of your average sale. Mentally say, “Thanks for the $50!” Smile and go give some great customer service.