Look outside in

If you want your business to grow, you have to take a step back and see yourself as others see you ...

As usual I awoke to Radio 4's 'Today' programme. Now, if there is one radio programme designed to increase my blood pressure this is it.

The spark this morning was an interview with the Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) that has re-named itself 'Dignity in Dying'. Nothing significant in that perhaps. After all, many who support euthanasia are frustrated by their lack of choice, and the sense of indignity that results.

But this name change has understandably irritated others involved in the care of the dying. Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK try to give dignity to the terminally ill.

If you've ever known anyone who is dying, it's not difficult to make a list for yourself: relatives, friends, hospital staff, clergy, the hospice movement… You may have counted yourself in that list too.

The VES may find they've scored themselves a huge own goal with this proposed name change. Attempting to 'own' a concept like 'dignity' that is open to such broad interpretation, may not win them many friends. It may simply reinforce their own sense of being on the margins; of being right because everyone else isn't.

Irritating those who could be their allies may not progress their aims very far. Huge publicity may be gained, but at what cost of progress? I don't know what I think of euthanasia, but I am now less likely to want to listen to the VES's position on the subject.

‘What's he going on about?'

Now if you've got this far, you may be wondering what the devil this has got to do with installers in the security industry.

True, hospices need security systems. Our local hospice recently lost all its desktop computers one evening. Being open and accessible is a principle of the hospice movement, but it does make you vulnerable.

But that's not the reason for talking about the VES. To my way of looking at things, their name change is a classic example of how not to market your business or organisation.

'Dignity in Dying' is a great name for those already committed to the organisation, particularly to those who work in it. Not mentioning the heavily loaded term 'euthanasia' may be a smart thing to do. But if the new name fails to communicate something positive to those beyond the office walls, then it surely will prove to have been an unwise move. Insulting others - and some people do feel insulted by this new name - is rarely a great way to communicate. I don't know but the name 'Dignity in Dying' sounds like it might have been generated internally, perhaps through a brainstorming session of staff or even through a competition.

It doesn't sound like it came from outside through research or a focus group of the un-decided ... and this is where this whole subject links to installer marketing in the security industry.

Step into their shoes

Listen to the little customer gripes ... perhaps your engineers swear too much or your vans are dirty

A common theme in these articles over the next few months will be the importance of viewing your business from others' perspective.

It's not always easy, but it is essential to step into the shoes of your customers, competitors, industry influencers, analysts, even journalists. Not just from time to time either. We all need to try to adopt a mindset that enables us to always to see things from the other person's point of view.

This is the first and most important principle of marketing. In fact if you only ever implement one marketing recommendation from these pages, make sure it is this one. Your business will benefit!

Few reading Security Installer have the time, inclination or funds to engage market researchers to regularly test the temperature for their business ideas ... So how do you adopt this mindset at nil cost?

The first and most important step is to recognise that there is a value in listening to your customers. This involves a degree of humility - which doesn't always come naturally to the self-made entrepreneur and even less naturally to the large and successful regional or national player.

Yet listening to your customers will tell you more about your staff and your business than any other single activity.

Forget questionnaires, surveys and the like. Just engage your customers regularly in conversation. Pay attention to what they say and develop the confidence and candidness to ask them about what they're not saying. Customers are incredibly loyal and will need encouragement to really say what they think.

Huge problem areas are unlikely to be revealed. But the little moans that people harbour are important to resolve. Perhaps your vans need washing more often or a customer is particularly sensitive to swearing. Perhaps your customer wishes you left the site just that little bit tidier. Hardly earth shattering complaints are they? But invaluable marketing plus points can be earned by solving them.

Secondly, understand the business of your customers. I know there are still tons of people out there who simply want to install a security system, showing little interest in its optimum design and use. But to show such short sightedness and install what you know to be a mediocre solution at a good margin is a betrayal of your business as well as your chosen profession.

Unless you understand the business of your customers you will never successfully sell to someone else in their industry except by chance.

Mind your own business

These two simple steps will take you a long way to understanding your own business. Only then can you begin to consider how to market your business for greater success.

Next time I'll start to explore some of the key marketing disciplines you can use. I promise not a word of theory, just simple advice that you can implement cost effectively. In the meantime, if you have any comments or suggestions for this column, do get in touch.