Take 2 minutes to listen to one of our favorite authors, Jim Collins, explain what he means by “Good is the Enemy of Great” (audio link below). I think we just lost half our readers! They’re too busy to continue… Then take 2 minutes to read this post. I think a few more people just lost interest! For those of you left, let’s move forward… Ask yourself the question, “am I so good, I’ll never be great?”. Is your organization good but not really great? What can 2 minutes really do to change this? Here are a few examples… We’ve shown in a past blog that spending no more than 1 minute on the phone can make you great instead of good. Spending 2 extra minutes with your customer can grow your relationship. Taking 2 extra minutes to ask for a referral at the proper time in the proper way can create advocacy. Taking 2 minutes to send a thank you note. Taking 2 minutes to send an email to touch base. This list could go on. The thing is, if you’re already good you’re obviously doing many good things but by taking just 2 minutes longer to go the extra step you can be great. Do this exercise for just one week… anytime you are about to take on another task or contact and deal with a customer, take 2 minutes to come up with just one thing you can improve on to make that contact or experience with the customer truly great instead of just good. Look at everything you do or everything your organization does and make just one improvement. Then do the same exercise again the next week. Try repeating this for just 1 month and there is no way you won’t move closer to being great.
Still saying, “I don’t have time” or “I’m already too busy”? Honestly, I’m shocked you’ve read this far! The reality is… if you take 2 minutes in these different areas in order to greatly improve on what you’re already doing, you’ll literally save a thousand minutes looking for your next great customer. Reason? Many of the problems and issues that good employees deal with are eliminated by being great and the relationships and advocates you’ve put that 2 minutes into will reward you with referrals and word of mouth marketing.
In the past six months we’ve come across hundreds of employees who have not received one single direct referral from a customer. We’ve come across many more that have just received 1 referral from a customer and for some reason that customer hasn’t referred to that employee again. Why has this happened? Because of good service. It’s time to take just 2 minutes more and go for being great.
Jim Collins on “Good is the Enemy of Great”
