Payback time; customers pay your bills #1 What if YOU don’t listen
You’re out of business, no job, loss of investments.
This article is inspired by the article of Andy Molinsky and Michael Zakkour: When best practice dont travel. Click here
After presenting you the four articles on “what has loyalty to do with international business” I hope you realise; A shareholder can’t work without management, management can’t work without employees and no-one can work without customers. Customers will not come without being heard and understood by the employee, manager or shareholder. Your company.
If the two way “giving the right value” street is broken somewhere, lack of trust will slow done the whole chance of making profit. Being successful with your business will not happen, instead you will be eaten by your competition.
The question is how do you respond to the customers demand, their needs and expectations?
Doing business is all about people and delivering the right service. Therefore you need to build trust to create loyalty.
The big question is; Who is informing you when you do succeed in delivering up to their needs and expectations? Who is judging you if you do deliver the right service?
What do you think is the answer?
Customers are most important or better said international relations who do business with us are most important to you but also to us. We call them business guests and we have the mission to exceed their expectations and needs while doing business with you.
Why you can’t do that by yourself? International business guests have a different way of seeing the world, a different way of communicating and a different cultural background which influences your business while they experiencing the Netherlands.
Do you and your suppliers know all the cultural aspects of every country you do business with?
We can help: One thing we do have in common across the world is being a social human being and having the same fundamental needs.
If this is a fact, what would you choose to focus on, your similarities with your business guests or the huge differences?
Coming to the Netherlands and doing business is very stressful. Being in another environment makes it even harder to do business. Why? Your business guests are out of their safety zone, new environment, new ways of doing things and besides, he needs to represent his company, colleagues and himself as powerful and successful. It’s the famous mask I have been writing earlier in a blog. No fear, no insecurities because that shows weakness. Although he/ she does worry, is stressed and has a goal to succeed in a short timeframe. Flying in – making the deal – Flying out.
But man, do you know what can go wrong in this little timeframe?
If you do not exceed their needs and expectations. What happens with your business guests if the taxidriver is not doing a good job, or the hotel doesn’t deliver on their level of service.
What happens when you do not deliver on your promises?
Customer journey mapping can help you to see the journey your customer experiences while he visits the Netherlands. It helps you to realise the business guests’ perception, contact and which emotions can be influenced.
Emotions are 50% of the dealmaker or your deal breaker as we mentioned in the beginning of the article:
Respond to the customers demand, their needs and expectations
Doing business is all about people and delivering the right service
Loyalty and trust drive international businesss guests.
Emotions that let you fail your business deal.
Stress, neglection, unsatisfaction, frustration, disappointment, unhappiness, hurriedness, irritation. These emotions need to be avoided at all times.
Emotions that drives loyalty and to succeed in business
Safety, being cared for, trust, focus, value, happiness and pleasure.
Maslow told us already years ago, this is what matters to every person on the planet. With the right service and a well-planned, thoughtful experience you can exceed all needs and expectations to a level of WOW, fond memories and long lasting, fruitful relationships.
International business and the Netherlands – positioning in Europe.
Still some people will think, what a load of bull ….,
That is the moment you make a mistake. This is your perspective: thinking you are doing this already or exceeding, Why? what for? if he/she want something special they need to arrange that themselves.
Do you really think that?
#1: Mistake is thinking your best practices would translate across cultures, which is not true given different socio-business culture, historical framework, and language.
#2: Do not assume that simply “making the business case” is the way to go
#3: No one will listen to your business case unless it comes from a trusted, credible source, which is typically cultivated over a long period of time.
#4 The basics or being average – and easy to get, cheapens your brand and undermines effectiveness.
#5: To interest people, especially the ‘nouveau riche’ you need exclusivity.
#6: You need to give them the sense that they have been singled out for a special opportunity that signifies status for them.
You need to take the time to invest in relationships. Trusted personal connections can then ultimately help endorse and legitimize you, your business, and their experience in The Netherlands.
You are the host for this business guest – he/ she is the one who pays your bills. You are in service of your business relation and if you do not deliver, if you do not let him feel welcome, if you let him feel that you only think “what’s in it for me”. A good price, nice features, a little entertainment and a great presentation does not do the job these days.
Then your competition will do what you leave out.
Your competition in your industry
Your competition in Europe
Delivering services in a proactive way, to another person to exceed their expectations and needs.
The next article: How to turn business relations into loyal ambassadors
Other articles written by Guestmanship click here
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At Guestmanship, We help companies in the Netherlands when they host business partners from emerging markets to create the business experience necessary to turn each transaction into a deal. .
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