When we are selling our product or service, what many of us aim to do is to persuade our customer or client of the value of our offering. That way we get a proper reward, and of course we have to live up to our promises in delivering the quality to fulfill our customers’ expectations. I work hard to maintain the quality of the service I provide and to ensure that my clients have peace of mind, because as someone effectively offering business support services in tax compliance and other areas, peace of mind is what I am selling. My clients are then able to concentrate on their core businesses whilst knowing that most of the red tape compliance is being taken care of.
This is all well and good, but sometimes in business we are guilty of not seeing the value of the products and services for which we ourselves are customers. I see people including some of my own clients finding value in one service but penny-pinching over another. We may think that we know what we are doing, but I have resolved to find help in marketing through my websites in the New Year. I am a specialist in one area and pretty nifty in at least one other but I have to admit that I do not know all the tricks of internet marketing whereas someone else will. For that reason, this very blog may look a little different in a month or so, though I will still be writing it of course.
It is no good being a cheapskate as a purchaser of goods or services. Generally, a better product or service makes life easier all round, so do not skimp on buying in website design or bookkeeping or whatever it is you need. Check the track record of anyone you engage, look at their work or get a decent reliable reference for any contractor whose services you buy in. Quality will cost money but should deliver greater value and help you make a lot more money. Unfortunately it really is true that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. What you don’t get is satisfaction in delivery and you may be no better off and end up having to spend a lot more to have things put right.
© Jon Stow 2009
