start me up!

Podcast #2 -- "Meet the New Boss"

[The second podcast is easier than the first. I don't care about sounding like Rice Krispies any more. LOL]

I'm Dr. Ron Graham, and this is start me up! volume 1, number 2.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

You don't have to look very far to find some guy who will tell you he became an entrepreneur so he could "be his own boss." And yeah, women do it too. Nobody's immune!

I'm here to tell you that the idea of the self-managed entrepreneur is, in most cases, a MYTH. It's a dream. It's a snare and an illusion. There's no such animal.

So if you're not your own boss, who IS the boss? Your customers, that's who. They are the ones who will have you working 50 or 60 or 70 hours a week to get your business off the ground. So you need to understand them a little bit. This podcast is your primer.

Here are the major characteristics of your customers:

• They usually don't know what they want.
• They usually DO know what they DON'T want.
• They will know what they want when they SEE it.
• They will probably need you to show it to them.

You should be able to guess at this point that there are all sorts of corollaries to this description of your customers. We'll get to a few of those. But for now, if you are starting a business, I want you to really think through what the customers – who have become your bosses – are asking of you. For some entrepreneurs, it's gonna be patience, and lots of it. For some, a fair bit of enthusiasm for what they're doing. For some, detailed memory of what's in the catalog. Your mileage is likely to vary, but you'll probably need some combination of all those.

You must not think that you'll get away from customer contact because you have a business to run. Not even if it's a home-based business, and all your sales are over the Internet. Big deal. Maybe your contact with them will be via phone or e-mail. Then you need some slightly different skills, but for the most part it's the same thing. Most of your customers will need to be educated, and you are the user interface for your company.

Keep in mind that, even after you fulfill your duty to the customers, they could still choose someone else. If that irritates you, try to remember that superior customer service – if you offer it – will win customers from your competitors as well. Try to remember to cackle with glee whenever you remind yourself of this.

What are the rewards of customer service? That's hard to quantify. Unless your service is downright viral – fanatical – over the top – you might not see new customers come to you in droves from recommendations. What I can tell you is that if a satisfied customer won't talk you up, that customer will sure as heck talk you down – and to every friend who will listen – if left unsatisfied. That's why we have this rule of thumb: there are no unhappy customers. Just happy customers, and someone else's.

Like to read more? I recommend the blog entitled Church of the Customer, featuring Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba. My own e-book, Rhetoric for Engineers, features a section on customer service as well. Contact me for a free copy!

For this podcast, I was once again my own producer – I may not be the best producer but I don't go too long! The music is "I’ll Be Your Accident," from Look What We Did, by the New Romantics. I use this space to promote young artists as well. Let me know if you'd like to know more about the New Romantics, or if you have a fledgling band that needs an exposure.

This has been start me up! volume 1, number 2, and I'm Dr. Ron Graham – I've been your host. If you'd like to contact me, the e-mail address is rongraham01 AT gmail DOT com. I'll spotlight you or your start-up if you'd like. Just ask me how. Until next time, keep moving forward!

Labels: education, young entrepreneurs

posted by Ron @ 10:54 PM