and problems. You could ask them directly, or listen and observe, or you can even roleplay. However, don’t rely entirely on what they have to say. Figure out what your special bit really is by watching how your customers interact with you. Maybe they are responding to some special insights that you have, or maybe some counselling skills, or maybe you are just highly relatable. All of these things suggest a slightly different focus to your business, and a different focus will help you to set yourself apart from the competition! So, with that in mind, what business are you really in? "That's what you should be spending your time on. Not trying to wring an extra half-percent of quality out of one or two photographs per shoot." This insight changed Haden’s approach to his business. He moved from being ‘the photographic expert’, to building rapport and relationships with his clients. More specifically, he focussed on making people feel especially beautiful and handsome on the most important day of their lives, and then capturing the images on film. The result was that his business boomed! Haden’s insight is the third reason why knowing which business you are actually in is so important. All too often, we design our solution to someone else’s problem, confident that we are the ‘expert’ or the ‘technician’. Our business may still prosper, and meet the demands of enough people to be profitable, but the real gains are to be made when we become meaningful to our customers. We become meaningful (and highly valued) when we solve our customers’ problems to their satisfaction (rather than to our own level of expertise). Think of a business which you feel particularly engaged with. You may feel that way because of a special relationship, extra care, or highly responsive service. That business has created new opportunities in its business model. Does your local mechanic stay open until you collect your car at 6:00pm, or collect and return your car to your home, or supply you with a courtesy car, or provide a complimentary clean of your vehicle without being asked to do so? The chances are that you initially went to that particular workshop looking for a solution to a mechanical problem, but you will return again and again because they have figured out that their real business is about keeping you mobile, or reducing customer stress, or maybe even keeping you happy with small but meaningfully pleasant surprises. So, make a deliberate decision to figure out what business you are actually in. You can start by asking questions about your customers, including their needs, wants, About the author Phil Sales is specialist business coach, interested in 'cool stuff' in the business development sector. For more about Phil, see https://iact15.wixsite. com/iactltd/who-we-are NZ's 5 STAR RATED PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUND SURFACING Manufactured exclusively by Reharvest Timber Products LTD 09 299 3999 | 0275 299 399 | info@reharvest.co.nz www.reharvest.co.nz EXTENSIVE RESEARCH: 2 years of product development before launch RIGOROUS TESTING: 3 years testing of Cushionfall by 3 councils in 5 playgrounds before council approval ONGOING QUALITY TESTING: More than 50 tests in the last 10 years alone! HIGHEST IMPACT TESTS: in Australasia achieved PREFERRED CHOICE: Councils, the Ministry of Education, Kindergarten Associations, Play Centre Associations and Preschool Centres March 2023 { 37 }
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