Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Yes, You Can Be a Hero in Your Business
I've been on this hero kick lately, so I might as well give it one more post.

I've compared facing up to your obstacles to the heroic actions of characters in your favorite movies, novels, or TV shows.

But maybe you're not convinced the analogy fits well with starting a business. How can you be a hero by being a businessperson?

The only reason we might think that, though, is because it is so easy to completely mess up the whole idea of what a business does.

Often, we think of business in terms of us. Providing money for ME. Giving freedom from the workaday grind for ME.

Doing that, though, is completely backward. Your business is not a one-way street with all the traffic going straight to you. A good business is totally two-way. It's an exchange of value between you and your customers.

You provide them with something they need and want. They reimburse you for your time and effort. The ONLY reason they're willing to pay you is because you are saving them the trouble of searching for something that you have laid out in front of them.

You are providing them something they need, something they now don't have to do for themselves. You are providing them that releases them from searching for a solution to a need they have. You are being a hero to them.

That's the core of what makes a good business--releasing your potential customers from some problem. It's not enough to offer something just because you want to sell it. You need to find something that they really want and need. You want to offer something that makes you a hero to them.

Oh, maybe they don't think of you as a hero like they'd think of Superman. They don't look up at you with adoration and say, "Oh, my hero! You have SAVED me!" But they walk away after a purchase satisfied. You've made their life better in some small way.

That's the best way to approach your business. Find out what will make you that kind of hero to them. It's the surest way to ensure that they reward you with what you were after.

Now go meet somebody's need.
Jeff


P.S. For some reason, writing this post brings to mind one of my favorite newsletters, Clayton Makepeace's The Total Package newsletter. Clayton is a top copywriter who approaches business, copywriting, and life from some very unique perspectives.

If you haven't already found him, check Clayton's free daily newsletter out.

Labels: mindset, start business