Would You Buy Your Own Product or Service?
Welcome to the Why to Wow newsletter which is all about inspiring the hearts and minds of people worldwide with the Power of Differentiation. In the Why to Wow newsletter, I share my experiences over the last 40+ years helping leaders differentiate their brands and products. I hope it will inspire you to discover and share your own brand’s uniqueness with the world.
I begin my book, The Power of Differentiation, with the chapter title above. I ask this question because many leaders and their teams do not talk about their brand as if they would proudly purchase it. Think of the hundreds of internal conversations with your team during a week. What percentage of them would be considered a raging endorsement of your company’s offerings? I’d guess less than 50 percent, probably far lower.
Many of my clients, who are leaders with great integrity, will tell me:
“Our quality is below the industry average.”
“Our engineering department cuts corners.”
“I’m disappointed in our latest product launch.”
Yet, in most cases, their companies are successful, established, and ethical.
Difference-maker #1: Realize that while your brand is not perfect and has its pitfalls, it has value and is something to be proud of.
The Negativity Trap
This is not a rah-rah to make executives feel good. It is a wake-up call because if leaders consistently (even if they view it as humbly) denigrate their brand, the most important people, their employees, will take their cue and follow them down that depressing path. They, too, will be embarrassed and sheepish about their offerings.
And if your employees no longer have confidence that they represent a favorable product, tell me why they would care to do a good job.
If it is a manufactured product, why take the extra steps to produce the highest quality?
If it’s a service, why ensure the customer is treated with respect?
Why attend to the little details when it doesn’t really matter?
A Century of Failure?
I met with an executive team led by a leader I’ve known for decades, a great man. He asked me to conduct a phone discussion with his executives. The head of sales spoke up and shared that their customers only focused on two things: price and delivery. He said their company fell short on both. The manufacturing leader added that the company produced nothing unique. Next, the engineering VP described their product as merely typical. After half an hour of this less-than-inspiring discussion, I concluded, “Hearing all of this, I guess that not one of you buy your own product.” There was silence. The leader spoke up and calmly said, “Now, that’s an intriguing observation.”
This century-old company had a history of success, yet the leaders sounded beaten down and defeated. Each of them was an outstanding person, yet they clearly conveyed that this brand was subpar, dead on arrival. Their management teams felt the same way and looked for reasons to fail until they began to realize that despite their shortcomings, they were a formidable company, had great people, a century of proven success, and were worthy of success.
That company, one of my favorite all-time clients, went on to succeed, break sales records, and thrive. No, they were not perfect, the cheapest, or the best in every category. They re-discovered their strengths and value, rallying the most important people in the world—their employees. Their entire enterprise now felt a sense of significance and pride.
Difference-maker #2: Become sensitized to the way your team talks about what you represent and the value of what you provide your customers.
Improve everywhere you can. Understand there must be some powerful reasons why your company has succeeded.
Be a leader your team can take pride in, knowing you believe in something more than making a buck. Give your people the gift of significance; let them know you believe today.
I was excited to chat with Matt Labov on the Difference Talks podcast. Matt is a Hollywood publicist and marketing strategist and has represented A-list celebrities, including Steve Carell, Jack Black, and Jonah Hill. During the episode, Matt shares his insights on adapting and succeeding in the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment industry. You can listen to the episode now!