Be Different or Just Be the Same

. . . or you can be an “also.”

Over the years, people asked, “What made you or your business different?”

When someone asks that kind of question, they are eager to learn. They have an open mind. At least, that’s been my experience. Such a question like that tells me that they are now ready to learn.

There has been a lot written on the subject of “Managing Expectations.” Experience has taught me:

“You must set your business or relationships apart from others.”

Consider this: You walk into a Doctor’s office and sign in. Is there a chance to manage expectations on the part of the front office staff? Yes, there is. What if you signed in and someone turned the sign-in sheet around and said, “Welcome, Mr. Rawson. I see you have a 12:20 pm appointment with your Doctor today. Dr. Hudson wants you to know; that he’s running approximately 20 minutes late. He has a full schedule of appointments today. He said,

“He’s working hard to make up some time. But, he doesn’t want to sacrifice his ability to provide his patients with the best care he can give. So, he asks for your understanding. Thank you.”

What happened? Excellent public relations. Great marketing. Expectations managed at the source. While the assistant is taking you to the examination room, he also says, “Welcome. Let’s get some information so that the Doctor can help you.” They weigh you, take your vitals and compare notes on your prescriptions.

When the Doctor arrives in the room, she welcomes the patient and then says, “How can I be helpful?” There have now been three separate patient encounters. Each has represented the Doctor and staff as helpful.

A client of mine refused to pay his receptionist more than $2.50 over the prevailing minimum wage. His theory was that the person only had a high school education and was there to check in patients . . . only.

He failed to see that the receptionist, for good or bad, was the face, voice, and attitude of his practice. We had before completed a study to determine the value of new patients. The amount was staggering. We said to the Doctor if one new patient elects not to use you. If she felt abandoned in the lobby, how would that impact your practice? In this case, the Doctor was seeing one to two new patients every other day or so. On average, three to four per week. The lost revenue from one patient was significant—especially when compared to what the receptionist earned every month.

The Doctor finally agreed and on our recommendation. He used us to hire an older and more experienced person as the receptionist. Her charisma and charm made patients willing to wait. Some waited one or two hours past their appointment time. I was actually in the lobby on a day when a new patient stood up and said, “I’m tired of waiting for this %$mm Doctor. The receptionist was entirely at ease. She said, “Mr. ______, you’re a new patient; you don’t yet understand the quality of care that the Doctor provides.

She delivered the message with poise and style. Please sit down and be patient. Thank you. Other patients in the lobby had smiles on their faces. They knew . . .

There are very few issues that come up in business that don’t have communication as its root cause or solution. We all want to know . . . It’s having our expectations managed that empowers both the speaker and the listener.

A few rules to separate us from the pack

• Manage expectations
• Use every opportunity to promote yourself by managing expectations
• Capitalize on the fact that “others” don’t manage expectations
• Listen more, speak less
• Be consistent in what you do.
• Be congruent in all that you do.
• Be “helpful” and reap the benefits of your actions
• Be sincere because you are committed to the principles of being helpful

“How Can I Be Helpful?”

Don’t fall into the me-too trap.

Have you said, “Oh, that’s the same as . . . “ Don’t be an also, be a recognizably unique. . . something.

Why do you or your business do what you do in the way you do it? Is it because everyone else does, you don’t know any different, you don’t know any better? Or is it because you didn’t think it was necessary? How about now?

The J.C. Penny story

One of the many J. C. Penny biographers retold the story of J.C. Penny’s decision to expand by opening a second store. His goal: Find a manager for the store who would uphold the principles and values that Mr. Penny held as inviolate. His customers trusted him.

After a lengthy selection process, Mr. Penny narrowed it down to two candidates. Then, Mr. Penny’s wife suggested sharing a meal with anyone he intended to place in a Senior Management position. He agreed.

The first meal with the first candidate went very well. Mr. Penny liked what he saw and especially his discussion on principles and values. It was the second and last interview that concerned Mr. Penny.

The candidate and Mr. Penny sat down and ordered their meal. They were in the middle of what Mr. Penny thought was a good discussion when the meal arrived. Then, each of them began preparing their food to their liking.

Immediately, the candidate picked up the salt and pepper shaker and began to add both to the food on his plate. Mr. Penny watched the process. When he had finished, he began to eat. Mr. Penny asked why he put salt and pepper on his meal before he’d taken one bite. He replied, “I’ve found that the small changes made to the food by adding salt and pepper make it more to my liking.”

Mr. Penny pushed back from the table. The candidate said, “Is something wrong?” “Yes, there is. You’ve added something to your food before you knew its taste. This means you change things because you want to, not because they need to change.

I’ve worked very hard to get our systems and processes in place. I’ll not have someone begin changing them before they understand the circumstances that may require change.”

Call to Action

Where do you stand? Would change make you or your business better?