Hey integrators, what if I told you there is a question about your business that you have to ask yourself if you ever want to achieve your optimal level of success?

Then, what if I told you I would be willing to bet that you don’t ask yourself this question today?

Would you want to know what the question is?

Of course you do ... and I’m going to tell you right now.

The question you must ask is, “Would you buy you?”

Either from you the business owner, you the sales person, or whatever role you serve in your organization. And don’t for a minute try to pass off that you aren’t in sales. If your work in any way whatsoever is felt by the customer, then you are part of the total customer experience.

Nevertheless, when you are head down day in and day out, leading your business, it is easy to get caught up in your world and lose sight of your competition, your customers, and what a true great customer experience looks like.

In today’s marketplace, more geographically diverse than ever, full of customers more educated (on products) than ever before, it takes a business more than ever before to deliver a great customer experience.

But just because it isn’t easy to deliver, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to do it.

In fact, this heightened awareness that consumers have has led to less patience and greater expectations than ever before. This, of course, is because options are becoming more available.

And don’t even think for a moment that you have some corner on the market. Even if you do at this very minute, it is only a matter of time before someone sees that as an opportunity to come in and pounce.

So stop and ask yourself this question early and often. If you were a consumer out in the marketplace and you were searching for the product or service that your company offers today, would you buy it from you? Even if you could get it anywhere else?

I, of course, am not naive enough to believe you represent the wants and needs of every consumer out there. However, knowing the ins and outs of your business, you truly understand the capabilities and the experience your company can deliver. With that knowledge you should be able to look hard at your organization and determine whether or not you are as competitive as you should be. This does require a certain objectivity, but nothing a business leader can’t accomplish if they put their mind to it.

So, would you buy you?

When you are able to say “yes” with conviction and not because it is your business, then you are in a great position (for now). If you aren’t able to say “yes” with confidence, then you know what you need to work toward. Either way, it is the continued ability to answer this question with “yes” that will lead you to continually delivering great results.

About the author

Daniel L. Newman

Daniel L. Newman, currently serves as CEO of EOS, a company focused on offering cloud based management solutions for IT and A/V integrators. Newman has spent his entire career in various integration industry roles. Most recently, he was CEO of United Visual where he led all day to day operations for the 60-plus-year-old integrator. He's also a contributing writer for Huffington Post.

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