Pull out your phone and send yourself a text message with the answer to this question: What makes your clients drive past your competition to do business with you?
This question rules out convenience and also the standard “Our Service” answer that I get from business people who look like they’ve never considered the question before.
Ask your newest employee that question. Score their answer compared to yours out of 10 (1 doesn’t match at all, and 10 is word for word.) – the higher the score, the better you’ve communicated.
Keep finding people to ask until you score 30 points. The more people you need to ask, the better you’ll find out what perception people have of your business, and the more communication you need to catch up on.
Consider asking your highest grossing business client, your most frequent customer and your accountant.
The quickest growing businesses can nail this quiz with less than 5 people. Word of mouth spreads based on perception. If what person A says matches person B’s first experience of your business, you’ve gained a new customer.
How many people did it take for you to hit your 30 points?