The Great (fill in the blank) will.......

[Bob Carter]

The Great Businessperson, Retailer, Framer, Entrepreneur (whatever) will....

Carry and sell as wide a line as needed to satsify his customer's needs

Be open as many hours as needed to satisfy his customer's needs

Offer as many services as needed to satisfy his customer's needs

Accept as many methods of payment as necessary to satisfy his customer's needs

Embrace as much technology as needed to make sure he can identify his customer's needs

Avail himself of all education with an open mind to ensure he can satisfy his customer's needs

Will leave his preferences on the shelf about what he thinks his customer needs

 

[Dermot]

The CEO of the fastest growing airline in the world Ryanair would tell you to stuff it, their attitude is you are flying on our airline and if you don’t like the terms take another airline, they run their business as a business and will not pander to silly ideas that some potential customers might have, they provide a limited and focused service, Ryanair have just posted a significant growth in profits on this time last year, have just ordered 100 new airlines from Boeing and have an option 50 more, they have never pandered to their customers, they provide a professional service to their customers, running around jumping through hoops for customers is for mugs, if Ryanair are not considered a success in these current times I don’t know what could be considered success, I would also concur with the feelings and vision of Michael O’Leary CEO of Ryanair.

 

[B. Newman]

Nnnnahhhh, Dermot, I gotta disagree with ya on this one. My customers are guests in my shop, and will always be treated as such. I have a quote in my office, "Marketing is anything done to sell a product or service and maintain relationships with the people who make the business possible." And those people are my customers.

By the way, yesterday was "inservice day" in our school system. The teachers had to do some "outside training" in their respective fields. I had 2 business teachers (one teaching marketing) from the local high school ask if they could come and interview me(!) They said they wanted to talk to someone from "the real world". I was really humbled that they wanted to come here, especially since I am (only) a high school graduate.

They said that definition of marketing is in their textbooks, except it stops at "..to sell a product or service." Nothing about maintaining those relationships. Hmmmm, can anybody say K-mart???

Betty

 

[JRB]

Pleasing absolutly every person who comes through your door is a laudable goal. I don't think it realistic to think you can do it 100%.

I also think you have to run your business so that it pleases YOU, so whatever that entails, you should go for it.

I wonder how many picture framers wish to be rememberd as " A Great Busenessperson ".

Our voyage through life is a very short one, the things we do should make us feel good about ourselves. I like to look forward to going to work. I also like looking forward to going to my home. I do the things that make me happy. I do not need a Fletcher 6100 or a Hoffman joiner. I do not need Mission oak furniture or a 65" home theater. I don't need to spend as much as I do rescuing animals. Those things seem to please me, so I set those goals for myself & I usually achieve them.

I think that actually is the lesson here, setting goals and trying to achieve them. If you want the worlds greatest business, then that's the one you should go after, if you want lots of time off, you should work for the government

John

 

[ArtLady]

Find out as much as they can about what they are selling.

Listens, Listens and Listens some more.

Determines who their target market is and spends advertising resources in those areas.

 

[Jillcpf]

Perhaps the answer is both.
We must to a certain degree pander to our clients. However, by the same token we can not always give into the lowest element that believes we should give them something for nothing just because they want it. That is how parents end up with spoilt brats, and good people end up without stores.

If you start giving money back or freebies just to make people happy, that have no real comlaint, you soon find everyone that comes to your shop will find the same problems and be expecting the same discounts and freebies. At this point,going into work will lose all of its appeal.

 

[Dermot]

K-Mart
Marks and Spencer
British Airways
Airlingus
SAS
Booths the Chemists
Gateway Computers
Ashwood and Thompson’s Framing Supplies (Dublin branch closed the nicest supplier, they could not get the numbers to work)

The above (the list could go on and on) are just a few business that offered every hoop for their customers to jump through, some are in terminal decline others have just had a very rude wake up call.

Customers come to me because I provide a professional service I expect them to respect my profession and to act accordantly.

 

[John Gornall]

Bob,

Interesting definition of a great business person - but I must be reading different books. How about return on investment, net profit, share value, dividends or personal financial rewards. Or how about creating a monopoly - Mr Gates is considered by many to be a great business person.

Your definition is what I would want in a great manager while I tried to become a great business person.

But I'm no longer trying to be a great business person - just a great "Grandad". (not a "Great Grandad")