No Matter What They Tell You, This Is Your Job

Do you truly know what your job is? I mean, the real essence of your work-being. It is simply and profoundly this:

Ensure your customers are happily involved in enjoying the benefits of your products and services…

When I was a sales trainee this view of my job made a huge difference in my productivity. My sales took off! I was no longer just imposing on prospects for a sale; I was putting them on the path to happily enjoying valuable benefits.

I know how corny that sounds but it helped me win the biggest battle in the field of sales—overcoming my own reluctance to be that guy, the one my self-image said is overly pushy and not a reflection of the real me. But now, how could I hesitate, seeing myself as being truly helpful? I couldn’t.

And aside from getting over my reluctance to initiate a sales discussion, this new perspective showed my customers and prospects that I cared about them. My empathy for them was obvious. That, my friend, made my customers true promoters.

You can use this same idea to make any job more meaningful, more focused and more valuable to the team’s mission. It will infect the whole team.

It will show up as the Operations manager seeing that all policy documents are accurate and timely, the Customer Service Rep handling all inquiries courteously and professionally, the accounting clerk applying every payment promptly and properly, the office manager giving compassionate consideration to every request for exceptional handling.

In short, it is you and each of your colleagues doing everything you can to delight your customers, making sure they are happy they chose to do business with you.

Those customers will return, again and again; they will tell all their friends about you. And you? You get the immense satisfaction of a long-lasting job well done.

Dave Lacefield shares lessons learned in 40+ years working in the business world. His struggles and successes as a stockbroker, insurance agent, actuary, president of a Texas MGA, and CEO of a publicly-traded insurance company have informed him on a wide range of issues and circumstances confronting business leaders, and leaders-to-be. Dave’s views are his own and do not represent the positions of his employer or any affiliated entities.