Put Yourself In Their Shoes. (The Key To Standing Out In Business):

I could have opened an app on my phone, clicked 3 buttons, and had my new running shoes on the way in 4 minutes flat (or at least, faster than the time it would take me to actually run a mile in them!).

It would have been easy.

I said No to the app, though. 

I said yes to driving across town, on a busy work day, in the rain, so I could pick up the shoes myself. 

Why? (hint: it's not because I'm a control freak, or as I like to say, a “control enthusiast”). 

Here's why:

The folks at my local shop know my name. More importantly, they know my feet. (Seriously: my feet have their own file! They know every weird quirk of my big, tall-girl, frequent-hiker feet). 

As they helped me prep my boots for a backpacking trip to Idaho last summer, they asked me to come back to tell them how the trip went, and how my precious feet fared. This year I'll be reporting back on a trekking trip to Wales (I'm expecting rain. Lot's of rain--and walking in mud). 

If they don't have the kind of shoe or insole I need, they tell me where else I can buy it. 

They all love working there. When I was at the shop ordering the aforementioned shoes, a guy wearing a shirt with the shop-logo had already gone back and pulled a bunch of shoes for me before mentioning that he didn't actually work there anymore, but just happened to be at the shop getting his own shoes, and wanted to help out his former coworkers while they were busy (!).

This is what marketing master Jay Abraham refers to as the Strategy of Preeminence. It's an approach to business that involves seeing yourself as a Trusted Advisor, refusing to treat a client (or yourself) as a commodity, and truly prioritizing the highest good of your client. 

It involves trusting that the money will follow. (And it will. Valuing your clients doesn't mean you have to undercharge). 

Abraham points out: "Most people fall in love with their product or their company instead of falling in love with their client."

Think about how you deliver your services. Take a moment to step into the shoes (see what I did there?) of your client. Preeminence isn't just a philosophy, it's a practical approach to… everything.

Are there any special touches you can add to help your clients feel understood, valued, and cared for? Can you sprinkle these extras throughout your marketing, your forms and contracts, your processes, etc. with clients? 

What are some small ways you can go above and beyond, and do it sincerely? (People sense your energy when you're just throwing tactics at them).

What are some steps you can eliminate or simplify to improve your clients' experience? (ex. I once sat on my therapy-office couch to tie my shoes, and realized that the view from the client's seat involved seeing too many distracting knick-knacks on the bookshelf. It was simple to eliminate the clutter).

And of course, it wouldn't be congruent if I didn't ask you directly: How can I better help you with your business?

Comment below and let me know if there are any particular topics, questions, etc. that I can address for you here. (Now the shoe's on the other foot!)