After being on the road for a few weeks my car was starting to look like something out of the Beverly Hillbillies so I decided I had better run it through the car wash. As I waited patiently in line the Manager of the business came over to say hello. He is a very positive bloke and I always like his energy and enthusiasm.
Today he was carrying a squirt bottle with some special cleaning liquid in it that was designed to make my wheels look like brand new. He walked around the car, squirted it on each wheel, gave me a big smile, two thumbs up and then headed to the car behind me. He didn’t try to sell me anything, there was no ulterior motive, he was simply being a passionate professional.
Now when he got to the car behind me he pulled out a tin of spray and started to attack some stubborn stains on the bonnet as the people in the car waited for their turn in the wash. Once again, he did this for no reason other than because he is a motivated and professional business owner who was clearly proud of his business.
This man could easily of just sat in his office, reading the paper and emptying the coin machines a few times throughout the day. Instead he was all over the car wash, helping people, chatting, laughing and most importantly making sure his customers were leaving happy and contented.
To me this is the sign of a man who is not only smart, but also very proud of his business, and boy does it show. Remember he doesn’t own the business, he is just getting paid to manage it. I happen to know that since he has taken it over, revenue has increased by 70%. Interesting what happens when you add some passion and energy to a business.
How often do you go into a business and feel all of the energy being drained out of your body? It looks run down, the staff are tired, lack luster and bored, the business owners don’t care and it shows and the whole experience leaves you feeling less than satisfied. When I see a business like this I know it is only a matter of time until it shuts its doors.
Sure we all get a bit run down at times in our business. And yes, when the economy is floundering it can be really hard to stay positive and energetic about your business, but the problem is that if you don’t, what you are most worried about becomes a reality.
Time and time again I have seen the incredible difference a proud and energetic business owner or manager can make to a business. Friends of mine recently purchased a juice business – since taking it over, they have done little apart from injecting their own energy and in a few short months revenue is up by 40%, which has taken it from a marginal business to a successful business.
We need to be proud of our businesses because that’s what makes us go the extra mile. It’s how we keep striving to do what we do better. We are passionate about customer service and we will do what ever we can to exceed our customers expectations. And when times are tough, it’s even more important that we do all of this. It isn’t up to someone else to fire us up, we have to self-manage.
The moral of this article is that pride encourages energy, energy encourages customers and customers encourage profit. Behind every successful business is someone who is really proud of what they do, no matter how tough times may be.
Love this article Andrew! It’s so true that little bit extra attention to detail and enthusiasm makes all the difference for a customer, and in turn the business as a whole.
I loved this line: “Pride encourages energy, energy encourages customers and customers encourage profit. Behind every successful business is someone who is really proud of what they do, no matter how tough times may be.”
Thanks Peace – I love a proud business owner. It seems like most business owners spend too much time beating themselves up.
Cheers,
Andrew