Likeable Business

Who's ready for a book report! Thank you to Monica who suggested I post this report. Likeable Business was a good book, and while you'll most benefit from reading the book, maybe this report hits the high points. 

Likeable Business by Dave Kerpen is a valuable book that reviews why today’s consumers demand more and how business leaders can cater to these increasing demands. With eleven chapters on eleven principles of likeable business, the book is well organized and the stories made it easy to read. I enjoyed learning more about principles of Likeable business.  The growth of The Hotze Health & Wellness Center, Physician’s Preference, and Hotze Pharmacy rest upon the foundation of extraordinary hospitality and guest service. Our guests’ expectations are rising, and the higher our expectations are for the operations of our business and delivery of excellent service, the faster we will grow. What great timing to read this book.  

11 Principles of Likeable Business:

·         Listen- We must use our ears more than our mouths. Listen to shareholders, investors, and competitors. Listening is an important foundation of any good business. If we don’t listen to our guests they will go to another doctor or vitamin store. If we don’t listen to our staff they may not care as much about the success of the company, and then it’s all downhill from there. We listen because we do care, and that’s why our staff and guests care about the company.

·         Story Telling- We must be excellent story tellers. Our brand has a story, and we must all be able to tell it in a compelling way. Stories is what captivates people and causes them to take action. Leaders must be good at telling stories in order to sell ideas. Stories create an emotional response and bond us together. Stories are memorable. 

·         Authenticity- Great leaders are who they say they are and have integrity beyond compare. Be human. Be real. Our businesses must be real as well. We aren’t perfect, and when we mess up as an individual or as a business we must be honest about what happened, apologize, and make it right.

·         Transparency- Honesty is the best policy. It’s Biblical, it’s what your parents taught you, and in today’s business world news spreads like wildfire, so there is nowhere to hide. Tell the truth and tell it quickly. 

·         Team Playing- We must take care of our peeps and cultivate a teamwork oriented environment. Let others shine. Encourage great ideas. Encourage out of the box thinking. Through the Driving Excellence program our teams have adopted scorecards, and the results are amazing. We did wonderfully well in 2012, and our teams learned how to work together, communicate better, and stay focused. What I love the most is that we’ve had a lot of fun doing it!!

·         Responsiveness- We live in a fast paced world, and the business world and service industry goes even faster. I remember when an internet order took 3 weeks to be delivered. Now we can have it in 2 days. Social media has created a new standard for timely and fabulous responses to inquiries about our brands or products. The first response wins.

·         Adaptability- As technology trends accelerate and customer preferences are ever changing, the most adaptable business wins. Blockbuster didn’t adapt.

·         Passion- Not just for what we do, but for the success of our customers. We have a passion for the wellness revolution because of what it will do for the lives of those who decide they want to get their lives back. Passion infuses every statement we say, every morning huddle, every book selection, guest greeting, and phone call. When we lack passion we fall short of the expectations our guests have for us.

·         Surprise and Delight- Who doesn’t like a surprise? This is the way we anticipate and EXCEED our guests expectations. Surprise and delight can be small, or big. For Physician’s Preference it might be a phone call just to check on how the guest is feeling, or to say Happy Birthday. Sometimes it may be a special, exclusive sale, or a small free item with purchase.

·         Simplicity- Just like Dan Sullivan of 10X and Steve Riddell have been teaching us, we have to SIMPLIFY the solutions and processes we expect our guest to buy. Our brains do not like to work hard in unfamiliar territory. The more simply and clearly we can present our solutions to our guests, the more the chances improve that they will trust us and give a try. Simplicity also increases retention and guest success on their program.

·         Gratefulness- We must be thankful for our guests and customers, and grateful for their business. We must tell them and show it to them through how we do business. Gratitude is the healthiest of emotions, and probably the most  important emotion in business.

I hope these principles are good reminders for you. Leave a comment with your thoughts!

In Him, 

Tink