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    • Tue Feb 10, 2009

    This Is How We Do It Here

    The seven words contained in the title of this post may very well save your life. Well, perhaps not, it just may feel like it.

    Those words, uttered in many a selling situation, can keep you from promising something you can’t deliver, cutting your prices on demand, or bending and twisting your ability to deliver results to the point where folks in your organization no longer recognize the engagement you committed to.

    To be fair, it’s not just the words, it’s actually having processes you follow so you can deliver the best possible results. Every small business is constrained by its ability to deliver the goods with limited resources. The absolute best way to do that is to get very good at a set of proven processes and then stick to them as though your life depended upon it. This goes for your selling process, contracting process, engagement process, manufacturing process, delivery process, service process and billing process.

    In fact, the first place you might start uttering TIHWDIH is in the lead conversion process. When the prospect starts the sales call off with a round of pointed questions and pronouncements of just what it is they need, stop them and suggest that you have a process for helping them uncover the true cost of not addressing this stated challenge head on and that you would like to engage them in that process. (That’s code for TIHWDIH)

    I’m not saying that there is never a time to bend and flex as new opportunities arise, I’m simply saying that without your own stated processes of excellence you will get pushed and shoved more then bended and flexed.

    Your willingness to stick with your proven delivery mechanisms will help you avoid taking business that you know you shouldn’t take. Your processes are the filter for identifying ideal customers. (If a prospect won’t sit still for your needs analysis, that might be a red flag.) Your processes will ensure that everyone in the organization is delivering the same message, experience and brand. Remember this, a seemingly great opportunity that pushes you outside of your proven processes often costs far more to deliver and may even cause you to take you eye off of serving your core ideal customer.

    Lastly, I’ve found that demonstrating you actually have proven processes can be very alluring to prospects. Too many small businesses pitching their wares these days are making promises right and left, but falling down when it actually comes to delivering on those promises. Your “10-step needs discovery process” will automatically set you apart from the pack and likely lead to the ability to raise your prices.

    Hang a banner with TIHWDIH emblazoned for all to see and then repeat this mantra at every turn.

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    Posted by: John Jantsch on Feb 10, 09 | 6:06 am
    Category: Marketing Strategy | Tags: , ,

    Comments
    « Upping the Price of Free | Home | Twestivals Raising Money and Awareness »
    • Process. Great word, and something I think helps scalability and growth. If it's all in other people's heads then we struggle to be effective.
    • grahamjones
      Absolutely right, John. I get the impression that many businesses owners - particularly owner-managed ones - try to be too flexible which means they run hither and thither attempting to help. The result is lack of focus and doing business they shouldn't. Frequently, businesses that succeed are the ones that reject some potential work because it doesn't fit into the way they do things. Even so, fear of lack of cash can be a powerful motivator in an economic downturn, so I think your warning to stick to the TIHWDIH mantra is timely.
    • Bullseye John.
    • John, though I think this is a strong minded approach to doing things, I think the message can also get lost a bit. I have had managers and higher level employees who use the "This is how we do it here" mentality to the detriment of the organization. In sales processes or services issues I think flexibility to deal with people and situations on an individual basis is very important, and can go a long way toward helping the reputation of a company.
    • Excellent post John. It is so important that business outlines processes and systems. It keeps you focused and limits the distractions to your business. Excellent job with a post to remind us.

      Jeremy
      http://www.refocusingtechnology.com
    • Not sure what I did wrong on my last reply.

      Just wanted to say great post John. It is so important to have procedures and systems in place to keep yourself focused. Great reminder.
    • John Jantsch
      @Zach - sure I can see how someone could abuse this thinking - the implication is/should have been This is how we do it here because we've learned we can get you great results or determined we can't get you great results based on our past experience.

      So, in that vein, ability of a manager to flexibly give a customer a $100 refund on the spot with sincere apologies for the fact that we screwed up can be TIHWDIH
    • John - Excellent post. On the subject of multi-letter acronyms I would lke to throw one of my own into the middle: TWIABD - The Way It's Always Been Done.

      I am a business process consultant and in my experience if there is one thing that causes a large majority of stress to a process it is the practice of blindly doing things the same way because "that's how they've always been done". This is how in-grained bad habits can occur and how huge inefficiencies build up.

      What we end up with is a tension between TIHWDIH and TWIABD where following a well defined and efficient process (TIHWDIH) must take precedence over dogmatic adherance to a given procedure (TWIABD), but at regular intervals I think there is a great business case for saying "Let's look at how things get done around here and make sure we are doing this the best way not just the same way"

      I wrote an article on this last year to explain the consequences of TWIABD : http://tinyurl.com/dhej2j

      Thanks.. Gary
    • John Jantsch
      @Gary - I agree - that tension is where innovation resides!
    • As you know, a PROCESS is near and dear to my heart. How do you know if anything is wrong unless you use one to begin with? Great starting point, yours will certainly provide a great starting point.
    • I would have disagreed with this post five years ago. But after floundering for the first couple of years of my company I brought on a partner who embodied this philosophy. After many heated discussions with him I am now a convert. Every company needs to have efficient processes that customers can fit into. If you try and mold yourself to each customer it is a recipe for disaster.

      If you stick with This is How We Do It Here, you will get very good at doing it this way, and this can become a real competitive advantage.
    • John Jantsch
      @Peter - thanks for that - "If you stick with This is How We Do It Here, you will get very good at doing it this way, and this can become a real competitive advantage."

      I didn't even mention the idea of actually getting better at something by sticking with it -
    • Having an ironclad set of standards for the most important fundamentals of your business is a great way to foster team connection and set group goals and stay on the same page.

      But a balance between structure and flexibility is absolutely key for growth.

      We like to rethink our "this is how we do it" standards every so often to make sure that they're still serving us -- and our customers -- well.
    • Great reminder that we don't need or WANT every single customer or prospect. Sometimes there is real business that you just don't want. You learn that from experience and we all know how you get experience. But like you said, if that customer won't sit still long enough...might be telling you something. Some business just isn't worth it.
    • That is very sound advice indeed! I've got many memories of trying to please customers, and them really taking "we'll try our best, but we can't promise" as a confirmed "done"....period.
    • Great post - this is why businesses need to have systems in place. If you bend too much you will find yourself broke.
    • John,

      You hit the nail on the head with this post. A good process is inextricably tied to a good product/service. Adhering to a consistent process will lead to consistent results for you and your partners & clients.
    • Danny
      It's a fact that a small business is limited by an ability to provide goods and services with constrained resources. The best way to achieve success with a small business is to become adept at an array of tried and true processes and adhere to the processes with a dogged determination. You can find out more info at: www.24conference.com
    • Unfortunately I agree with some of the comments about how TIHWDIH can become not only an identifier of structure or process but also can become a reason for inflexibility ('these are the company's rules or policies'). The goal of course is to balance both structure and flexibility.
    • Great thoughts John
      Always timely for me to hear the word FOCUS delievered in all sets of ways. As a business owner its easy to chase all the wrong customers with propositions that are nearky what they want.!
    • John, I think having proven systems, processes and procedures in place which includes the concept of continual improvement is the best approach for delivering on your promises. Those ideas are fundamental to customer satisfaction and growth. (But, I feel a need to say: It "ain't" easy.)Anyway, the work can be fun, and it's well worthwhile.
    • Yes of course the ability of business shows by the delivery of the products within its limited resources. Here mine concepts also collides with you at this pool that the expansion of business always depends upon the organization. There is no variations and fluctuations in the economy as increment in opportunities of pricing that effects the whole circumstances of the business. It is only the excellence of the management and organization that directly deal with the policies for improvement in onward direction for that business irrespective boom or rehabilitation in the economy.
    • Yup.. very right,Only with your own stated processes of excellence you can maximum results for bending and flexing. The Estimation ans complete planning is very necessary for the success.
    • Very right...I think this the first and foremost rule for establishing a successfull business that they must promises for the delivery of products according to their limited resources.
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