Stop for a minute and think about a hamburger, made just the way you like it. Maybe it’s covered in mayo and ketchup; maybe it’s got no sauces but a bunch of tomatoes. Maybe it’s a veggie burger, or maybe you don’t like burgers at all and you just order macaroni and cheese. But at the end of the ordering process, you’re happiest if you get exactly what you want, the way you want it – whereas if you order something you could reasonably expect the shop to have and it’s not on the menu, you may be frustrated and you might even leave entirely without making a purchase.
It’s not just a matter of frustration, of course. When people get what they want, the way they want it, there is an element of control to the feelings that result, and the desire for control over our lives is fundamental to humanity. Even if it’s something as simple as a burger, the loss of that feeling can leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth, subconsciously or not. There are three critical pieces to helping you deliver that feeling of control:
1) Know your clientele and what they may want from you. And if you aren’t sure, ask! People are happy to offer their opinion in most cases. If you’re set on building a burger shop, you may be disappointed to find that your local client base only wants hot dogs, but you’ll be glad to find that out before you build the shop.
2) Maintain quality. If you’re building a business, you had better be sure that that business delivers value to prospective clients. And this is true from top to bottom – a great burger recipe still won’t turn out that great if you’re using sub-par ingredients.
3) Ensure you have the resources to deliver what you promise. It doesn’t do you much good to offer the most delicious burger in the world if you only have enough supplies to make one or two of them. It’s here that internet-based products and services offer a great deal of stress-relief; no overhead or supply management to worry about. Similarly, you need to ensure that whatever you may be doing and offering is affordable – to you, and to potential clients or business partners.
Ok, so maybe you don’t want to sell burgers. You can see how these principles easily apply to businesses in every sector. Ensure that the opportunities that you pursue offer value to your target market, provide services or products in which they are actually interested, and are affordable to all involved. That will leave you feeling in control, too.
