Three Values for Success
How to put wisdom and kindness back into business.
by Dan Pritchett

We all know and probably agree with the principles of free enterprise. You work hard to sell a great product or service. Hopefully you charge the customer a bit more than it cost you to produce it. That's profit.

In this age when competition is tougher and tougher, squeezing out a profit can be difficult. We often make ends meet by cutting back, working faster, sometimes not putting as much into our product as we used to.

This may be fine for short-term profits, but it can kill a business in the long run. You can also wind up working hard on a business that you don't feel good about in your heart of hearts.

Give yourself a boost by using these three values in your business:

1. Give back more than you take.
That seems to go against the idea of making a profit, but there are many ways you can add extra value into your relationship with customers and your community. Look for ways you can provide a better value, even if it is for no other reason than it gives your customers and neighbors a better shot at success.

2. Say "thank you."
It's one of the oldest, yet underused, words in our language. Tell customers thanks for calling, thanks for asking, thanks for buying, and thanks for taking time do drop by and see our sale. Thank customers for their complaints. Smile at an irate customer and say, "Sincerely, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Thank you."

3. Occasionally give something away to a person you know truly needs it.
All of us meet customers from time to time that we know really need what we sell but can't afford it. Give them a good discount or show them how to get the job done cheaper or for free by doing it a different way. They may never know that you don't do this with all your customers, but you will know you made a difference in the life of someone who really needed you.

Dan Pritchett is Director of Marketing at Logos Research Systems, Inc. and can be reached at: 715 SE Fidalgo Avenue, Oak Harbor, WA 98277-4049. See his line of inspirational software at http://www.logosbiblesoftware.com; Phone:360-240-2335; Fax: 360-675-8169.

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