“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing.” -Zig Ziglar
We can’t take credit for that growth, by the way. This company grew without much marketing at all. Its leadership engaged us a couple of years ago because they realized that the larger the enterprise became, achieving such an impressive growth rate would only be tougher and tougher, even if they were determined to keep their customers’ best interests at heart. They knew they needed to look into marketing and consultative selling in a more formal, aggressive way.
But what a foundation for success they had built. For years the leadership tried always to do the right thing for customers with the expectation, but not the guarantee, that the communities they served would be more competitive in their industry, would grow, and in the long run increase business volume with our client. And that’s exactly what happened.
Just recently our client’s primary, much larger competitor turned down an attractive opportunity to buy the latest technology and drive medication waste even lower for its customers. The competitor’s reasoning was straightforward: “We’ll sell fewer pills.” This company is publicly held with stockholders and other stakeholders. Is it wrong for the executives to pursue the most immediate avenue of return, even if it doesn’t benefit its customers?
“Right is right, even if everyone is against it. Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”
-William Penn
In general, we believe that delivering greater value to customers, even if it results in lower, short-term sales, is the right strategy for the long term. This strategy tends to disrupt a market and creates competitive advantage. Customer trust grows, volume increases, and market leadership in product innovation and pricing more than holds competition at bay.
Are we right? Let us know what you think. And let us know, too, how you think about “doing the right thing.”
Philip S. Krone is the founder and president of Productive Strategies, Inc., a 17-year-old Northfield, Illinios-based management and marketing consulting firm. Productive Strategies provides clients with particular expertise in sales process development, lead generation and appointment setting, marketing and marketi
ng
communications. Phil can be reached at (847) 446-0008 ext. 1 or [email protected].
