In college, I played volleyball. My weeks consisted of so many lifting sessions, early practices, and timed sprints (can't say I miss those one bit...) that I could barely keep track. And despite the fact that I was part of a hardworking team, I had a difficult coach whose actions--mouthing off at refs, making us run during timeouts, throwing things around on the bench--made him a hot topic of conversation within our conference. It was no surprise that this severely affected our reputation. The more people talked, the more we felt like we had something to prove (and we did). Our captains switched things up the very next season: we ran suicides until our legs turned to jello, we added ten pounds to our weights, we had frequent team meetings, and we upped our intensity (now there's a sports term if I've ever heard one). A team that usually placed at the very bottom of the conference became the regular season champs that year; one that everyone would spend their off-seasons preparing for.
It's no different in the business world. Domino's Pizza, for example, has battled quality perceptions over the years. The taste, price, ingredients, you name it, were dissatisfying. Point blank: you knew when you ordered that you were sacrificing quality for a lower price than Papa John's or Pizza Hut. In a smart business move, however, they listened, they interpreted, and they responded. They upgraded their ingredients and improved the taste, announcing their "new pizza" in a major TV campaign. They didn't just stop there: they encouraged their customers to "become the photographers" and send in photos of their pizzas. By listening to the public, they turned what was a negative situation into a positive one. Kudos, Dominos.
The next time you find yourself the target of gossip, consider your options. Listen. Interpret. Strategize. Your customers are what drive your business; show them that you care.
No comments:
Post a Comment