If you can’t beat them, compliment them

If you can”t beat them, compliment them!!!

As a Business Coach, I am often asked what is the best way to run a business? The only honest answer I can find is…. There isn”t a “best” way.

You see, my simple definition of a business is:

A business is a set of steps, procedures and operations that enable a person to ply his trade, sell his wares or create his dream.

Nothing in the definition actually talks about you as a person, yet it is you and every person that interacts with you and the people that work in your business, that are the ones that ultimately determine whether the business is successful or not.

Take this website (CastleCops … now defunct but the idea is still the same … Bill) for example. The website itself is just a bunch of code that makes a series of pages. If you type in the domain name you come to the homepage. On the homepage is a series of articles and notices. Down one side there is a menu that enables you to visit various parts of the site.

What makes this website stand out from the crowd? Huh? Take your time, it’s an interesting observation to make. You see every website out there in the ether is fits the definition above to a greater or lesser degree.

What makes this website successful is the ability of the owners, administrators, members to relate to each other and the general public that will visit or hear about it.

So there’s the trick…. How on earth do you do that? For the most part it’s simple…

1/ Create or base the website on an interesting subject

This is self explanatory; my one suggestion is that you base it on something that you are aware of. Just because it sound interesting doesn’t mean that you can pull it off. Make sure you know about the subject.

2/ Invite people that you know are interested in the subject to become members or pay a visit. Once you have won over one person, they will tell others if you have taken care of this next point…

3/ Make sure your content is continually updated and news worthy. The content must reflect the needs and desires of the people that visit. They visit because it is interesting, they come back because there is more interesting stuff happening.

Now here’s the piece de resistance;

Make sure there are people there, make it alive and be friendly. People loved to be liked, they like to be acknowledged, they love being recognised. They also want to feel safe…. Safe to make mistakes, safe to ask questions that may sound dumb (of course, you and I know that there aren’t any dumb questions…. Well maybe one… the one that wasn’t asked) so make sure that the people that come feel welcome!!!!

There are two questions anyone should ask themselves who want to have a website and especially a interactive website

1/ What do I want my audience to do as a result of being here?

(e.g. I want them to buy, sell, promote, support….)

2/ How do I want them to feel at the end of this experience so they will do what I want them to?

If you can affect them emotionally, make them feel empowered, then you will be successful… in business, as a webmaster, as a matter of fact, as anyone you damn-well please!!!

Now what about the rest of us that aren’t in business, don’t want to run a website or don’t feel they fit the above?… well there’s help for us as well. You see all this applies in our everyday life.

Don’t believe me? Well ask yourself this….

How do I feel when someone praises what I have done?

How do I feel when someone mentions that I did something special?

You see, that feeling, that good vibe that happens inside, that thought that makes you smile is the very same action that we can create in others, by asking the two questions…

1/ What do I want my audience to do as a result of being here?

2/ How do I want them to feel at the end of this experience so they will do what I want them to?

…and applying these to what ever situation you have happening, will determine your success. Every one of us can empower people; every one of us can affect others in a positive way by complimenting, acknowledging or recognising them. Try it and open up a new world where people will do the same to you… just because you are you!!!!

Now business deals with the steps, procedures and operations that enable a person to ply his trade, sell his wares or create his dream. The dream actually starts to become reality when you, as a person, take action. That is the best way to run a business.

There isn’t any defined successful way because business doesn’t account for the most important aspect and that is that people run businesses every day and people are unpredictable, they don’t do the things they feel they should so, they change things that didn’t need changing, they take sickies. You see each of us is an individual and that makes us unique. That makes us special and it gives us skills that only we have. So your way of doing something may work for you but it fails miserably when I do it… because I don’t have your skill set. Business tries to compensate for that by setting out the steps to follow.

Just a thought

Coca cola has all these different flavors now… vanilla, lime, cherry …

How is it that the real thing needs improving? In 1938 it was the best friend thirst ever had, In 1957 it was a sign of good taste, In 1982 ”Coke” is it, In 1992 Cant beat the real thing, but here we have it being added to… if you cant beat it, then maybe you have to add to it…. Hmmm just a thought!!!

Cheers…. Bill

Bill is a Business Coach. Working with Individuals, Businesses and Organisations to create better environments and to develop and enhance business ”potential”, into successful business practices.

Sydney, Australia

Ph +61 413 949 521