Maintaining Authenticity When Networking With Other Businesses

I was recently asked "When business owners are promoting other businesses as part of networking, how can you keep authenticity?  Doesn't it come down to "I promote your business so you promote mine."?

In many respects, business owners promoting each other has a "quid pro quo" feel to it.  It's easy to fall into that trap.

Here's the issue: who benefits from this type of relationship?  The customer or the business owner?

That test for whom we recommend should be similar values, not mutual back-scratching.  The point of promoting another business to our customers is that the recommended service will produce excellent results and save our customer from searching high-and-low for that service on their own.  Our customers will trust our recommendation ... because they trust us.  Because we are good, they expect that those we promote will also be good -- similar to us in effort and results.

What happens if those we recommend fail to achieve the customer's goal or satisfy them?  It will bounce back on us.  It will change how they think about our business.  It may even cost us future business.

As business owners, we should think of mutual promotion more as a mirror: a reflection on us, a reflection of us. It is not enough to be mutual back-scratchers.  Make sure that those you recommend are similar to you in values, business philosophy, effort, delivery and value.  That is how customers will see it.

My Favorite Customer Service Story

Back in the day, I was a computer programming consultant at a large steel mill in Baltimore.  Many of the steel workers did not like nor trust us tie-wearing, college educated types and, in my role, I worked closely with many of them.  

One in particular continually expressed his distain for us "computer-types."  Need-less-to-say, not many of us enjoyed working on a project with him.

One such project fell to me and, after installing the software fix, I discovered that I had made a coding mistake that immediately affected all of data output of that program.  I was able to quickly change the code to process correctly and then went into the database and replaced the data output with the correct totals -- all likely completely invisible to the user.  He wouldn't have to know that I made a mistake and I wouldn't have to deal with the user's anger ... and cursing. "What they don't know won't hurt them (or me)."

While lots of folks hold to that quote, there's a lot to be said for being honest and transparent, especially in business practice and customer service.  I decided to suck it up and let him know what had happened and that it had been fixed with no impact.

I took a big breath and dialed his number, telling him that the fix had been installed and a discovered error corrected.  I was greeted with silence ... and expected the worse.

"Let me tell you, Steve.  You are the first computer-type that I've dealt with in all my years who has ever admitted a mistake.  Thank you for finding it and correcting it, and letting me know about it."

Whew!!

Several weeks later, I needed to go out into the mill to meet with another user on a different issue.  He spotted me as soon as I entered the area.  Even though our conversation had gone better than imagined, actually facing him put me on edge.

He walked up, put his arm around my shoulder, walked a couple of feet to a couple of other workers standing nearby and said, "Guys, this is Steve -- that computer guy I was telling you about.  If you ever have a problem or question, this is the guy to go to.  You know it will be done right."

Being honest with customers, especially when the news isn't great, is the best policy.  That's common sense, but often hard to practice.

When you're facing a similar crossroad, consider taking the road less traveled.

How To Keep 'Em Coming Back

I was recently asked for some advise on how to keep customers coming back over and over again.

There are a variety of approaches to consider : 

• Offer a service/product that no one else provides in your area.  If not possible, the offer a better service/product than your competition.

• Render a better service at lower cost than your competition (low cost does not have to mean lower quality or service!!).

• Provide more than your competition offers.

• Deliver better customer service than your competition.

• When (not "if")  a mistake/error is made, own it and fix it quickly (you can often win an even more loyal client if you make it right the second time because so few do that well).

Each makes a lot of sense; don't they?  Common sense.

It's how to put these into practice that will provide lots of content for upcoming posts

But these are a good place to start -- and taking that first step will make all the difference.