The answer to most of your business’ problems is simply this: Be helpful.

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The answer to most of your business’ problems is simply this: Be helpful.

May 26, 2009 by Olivier Blanchard

I was digging through the vault yesterday, when I stumbled upon this fantastic post from Chris Brogan I had bookmarked almost a year ago:

I believe we’re going to shift back to thinking customer service and community management are the core and not the fringe. I believe we’re going to move our communications practices back in-house for lots of what is currently pushed out to agencies and organizations. I believe that integrity, reputation, skills, and personality are going to trump some of our previous measures of professional ability. I believe the web and our devices will continue to move into tighter friendships, and that we will continue to train our devices to interpret more of the world around us on our behalf.

Read the rest here.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. In his post, Chris also talks about bringing value-add and core competencies together – which is a drum I have been beating for years.

This is by far the best piece of advice I’ve heard this decade, also from Chris:

Here’s a quick way to really turn around your clients: be helpful.

I know what you’re thinking: “Duh!” Right? But when was the last time you actually said those two words outloud during a strategy meeting or quarterly business review? When was the last time someone actually suggested this as a course of action? As a core competency? As a business objective? As a mantra?

So simple that we might have all forgotten to focus on this daily?

😉

10 Responses

on May 26, 2009 at 09:44 | Reply Patrick

I can’t stop thinking about this little Chinese restaurant just up the road from my office. The place is small, no frills and the menu is pretty much the same as any other basic restaurant of their type. HOWEVER, their customer service almost brings me to tears in a very good way every time I visit.

I’m treated like a king every time I go there. I believe it’s a family run business and what appears to be the grandpa sits up front all the time at a table near the door. The man doesn’t rest and is the most attentive waiter I have ever seen.

Here is the info about the place if you or any readers want to go.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=chinese+restaurant+e.+north+street+greenville,sc&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=8772704856541283003&dtab=2&ei=bPEbStD0OpDItge_24zoDA&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=result&resnum=3

They deserve good business and I hope their helpfulness is always rewarded. I am humbled every time I go in a good way.

I could pontificate about the subject but I think an example is worth mentioning.
on May 26, 2009 at 12:26 | Reply Sonny Gill

Better yet, when was the last time we said, “wow, they’re freaking awesome and helpful!” to a company or person? It’s unfortunate to think that it doesn’t happen often but when it does (Patrick’s example above), it’s serendipity. It makes you feel great, you’re amazed, and makes you want to talk about that company to every single one of your friends.

Wonder if businesses realize the benefit in that 😉
on May 26, 2009 at 14:17 | Reply Eric Swain

Great reminder, Olivier! We can be as positive and interactive and participatory as anything in our social media driven customer conversations and community building but destroy all those efforts with lousy customer service.

Great customer service should be a cornerstone of any company’s marketing and, therefore, business.
on May 26, 2009 at 15:59 | Reply BillyG

Interesting, and I just grabbed Chris’ feed an hour ago – and yours just now…
on May 27, 2009 at 18:09 | Reply Jason Baer

Bingo. It does seem obvious, but you’re 100% correct in that it’s never actually acted upon in the boardroom.

I see strategic plans. Tactical plans. Operational plans. Marketing plans. Succession plans. Disaster recovery plans. Crisis management plans. But I’ve NEVER seen a Helpful Plan.

Thank you for writing this and showing that it’s not obvious if there’s no follow through, and for demonstrating that Chris was prescient (as always).
- on May 27, 2009 at 21:35 | Reply Olivier Blanchard
  
  Well yeah. Chris can be pretty smart when he puts his mind to it. 😉
on May 28, 2009 at 18:00 | Reply Philip Hastings

This sounds very much like relationship marketing. Which always seemed to make a comeback when the economy tanked.

Did we just give it a different name?
- on May 28, 2009 at 19:31 | Reply Olivier Blanchard
  
  LMAO! 😀
  
  Yes, Philip. The digital tools and the way we communicate have evolved, but that is exactly what it is: Relationship marketing. (Or as I like to call it, “real” marketing.) 😉
on May 28, 2009 at 19:01 | Reply Jim @smashadv

Heresy. The most efficient means to achieving wealth (and let’s face it, wealth = success) is to hold a foot on the throat of the customer so that there’s no speculation as to who is really in control here. Once control is achieved, we’re free to engage in deceptive business practices that are created in the best interest of certain members of the board of directors.

Sincerely, Andrew Fastow
- on May 28, 2009 at 19:28 | Reply Olivier Blanchard
  
  Hot damn! All these years, I really had it all wrong. Changing my tune starting tomorrow. It’s IS about boots on throats after all. 😀