Strengths Reside in the Details
"What is your company's strength?"
When asked this,
"We can handle any customer request."
"We are flexible."
"We provide attentive service."
These are some of the answers that come back.
Of course, these can be strengths.
However, that alone does not mean you have successfully articulated your strengths.
This is because,it is not clear what value you are providing to the customer through those actions.
Knowing your company's strengths and what customer problems you are solving with them forms the foundation not only for business strategy but also for human resource development and organizational structure.
However, in many small and medium-sized enterprises, this is not clearly defined.
In such cases, I recommendexamining your touchpoints with customers in detail.From the moment they become aware of you, to inquiries, negotiations, orders, service delivery, and after-sales follow-up.
"What exactly are we doing at each of those moments?"
Look at each one individually.
When you do this, you may find that what was "obvious" to the president and employees is actually of great value to the customer.
I once helped a transport company in Saitama Prefecture organize their strengths.
When I asked the president about their strengths,
"We can handle anything."
was the answer.
At first glance, it sounds like a strength, but it is quite abstract.
So, I asked about their specific responses to major clients.
It turned out that the company did more than just "transport cargo."
When delivering products from the shipper to their end customers, they were extremely meticulous.
They didn't just do what the shipper requested; they anticipated the needs of the end customer and responded accordingly.
"A transport company goes that far?"
They were doing things that would make you think that.
In other words, the company wasn't just "handling anything," but
they were enhancing the service value of the shipper.The shipper's customers would think,"I'm glad I relied on this company."
As a result, they were even increasing the customer satisfaction of the shippers themselves.
Once you see this far,
"We handle anything"
is replaced by
"We enhance the service value of our shippers,"
revealing your true strength.If you dig deeper,"Why are the employees able to do that much?"
"Why has that become the norm?"
From these questions, you can see the president's values, the corporate culture, employee behavior, and the know-how cultivated over many years.
The strengths of small and medium-sized enterprises are not necessarily special.
Rather, they are often hidden in
what you do as a matter of course in your daily work.
You have customers who have been with you for a long time.Referrals are being generated.You have experience of sales growth.There is always value that the customer feels there.
Therefore, if you want to find your strengths,
don't just ask, "What are we good at?"
but look at
"What exactly are we doing at our customer touchpoints?"
A company's strength is not something special located somewhere far away.It is in the "details" of your daily work that the strength to build future strategies resides.
【Breaking Through the Plateau Diagnosis】
"Lately, sales have somehow hit a plateau..." "I'm busy every day, and I don't have the time or energy to invest in new challenges." "I know there's a problem, but I'm not sure where or how to improve it."
For business owners who want to break through the status quo but are struggling with their next move, we have prepared the "Breaking Through the Plateau Diagnosis."
By simply answering 35 simple questions from 5 perspectives, the bottleneck in your company will be highlighted at a glance with a "radar chart."
Please use this as an opportunity to objectively re-examine your company and grasp hints for the next stage of growth.
▼ [Free] Click here for the "Breaking Through the Plateau Diagnosis" to see your company's issues in just a few minutes
https://forms.gle/W4SEibzKE8fn7mwM7
(If you are on a smartphone, you can start immediately by scanning the QR code below.)
