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When building a business, it is simple to get lost in a complex web of options and strategies. This can quickly lead to confusion and a lack of focus, which might prevent the entrepreneur from achieving their goals. If you retain it easy and straightforward, you will likely find that it improves transparency among your team and customers.
When my dad and his brother began our family services company in 1983, they were guided by a easy idea: do the right thing and do good work. This phrase laid the foundations for the company and quickly became one of its major assumptions. When my brother and I took over the company, we realized how powerful this concept was.
When you do things the right way and do it well, it becomes a sustainable, repeatable business model. On the other hand, the more advanced you turn out to be with complex marketing strategies and lead generation tools, the easier it is to lose focus on what’s really essential. For us, meaning integrity, quality, providing exceptional customer support, and practicing kindness – plenty of kindness.
If you are scratching your head trying to work out the best ways to do the right thing when growing your enterprise, here’s some practical advice.
Start with authenticity
I learned early on that the best way to show who we are as a company is to use an authentic voice. For example, when we were developing a recent ad campaign for Marshall, I wanted to tell a easy, honest story. I asked my dad to talk about our approach to home remodeling, as he did with one of our clients in their homes. My dad was exceptional at winning people over because he knew how to stay true to himself and make people understand all the things. When my dad shared his perspective, he said, “Many contractors say they are honest, but we really are.” Not only did my dad truly consider in this, but it became the basis of our promoting campaign and made us well-known among our customers.
If you are struggling to find your authentic voice, keep in mind that it starts with clear, honest communication, not platitudes and convoluted explanations. In today’s landscape, authenticity is now not optional; customers won’t settle for anything less. In fact, 88% of consumers say authenticity is essential when deciding which brands to support. As customers turn out to be smarter, they increasingly understand the difference between a real value proposition and a disingenuous one.
The same might be said about your team. Building a supportive workplace culture starts with practicing open and transparent communication and prioritizing kindness and empathy. Your employees need to trust that you just have their best interests at heart and that deep down you would like to do the right thing. When they understand that their needs are a priority, they are much more likely to focus their efforts and attention on helping your organization achieve its goals and priorities.
Set realistic expectations
Another integral a part of doing the right thing and doing good work has to do with the expectations you set for others, especially your clients. The saying about “under- and over-performing” is very true. In other words, every time possible, it is best to set realistic expectations and exceed them to build a relationship based on trust and loyalty. Again, use easy, easy-to-understand language that explains exactly what your customers can expect from working with you. Be open about potential challenges, be transparent about pricing, and proactively report any deviations from the norm.
As with many firms, we wish the top quality of our work to speak for itself. If you set expectations up front, your customers will have the opportunity to spend more time admiring the finished product and less time wondering what’s going to occur next.
Delight your customers
Doing good work also means surprising and delighting customers—again, authentically and meaningfully. When you’ll be able to show your customers that their needs and satisfaction are at the heart of all the things you do, you can assist turn them into brand advocates, which might be a powerful referral tool for recent customers. There’s a reason why Warren Buffet said, “I’ve never seen a company that delighted the customer that didn’t succeed.”
A “delighted” customer often feels more emotionally connected to your brand, which is a key factor in your continued business growth. One Gallup test found that customers who are emotionally connected to a brand have 23% greater share of wallet, profitability, revenue and relationship growth compared to those that are not. Remember that delighting a customer doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. My company sends each recent customer a box of chocolates with a “What to Expect” note to show them how much their company means to us. This is just one example of true simplicity in motion.
It’s amazing to think about how effectively “doing the right thing and doing a good job” can take your enterprise to the next level. By understanding that simplicity, authenticity and excellence are the foundation for lasting success, today’s entrepreneurs can build resilient firms that resonate strongly with each customers and employees. Remember that success depends not only on what you achieve, but also on the way you achieve it – through honesty, realism and the constant pursuit of excellence. In the easiest method possible.