By: Jeff Alexander
For years I have been hearing the term “Value Added.” Consultants and authors tell us to do this to differentiate ourselves from the competition. They tell us that anytime our products become a commodity just add a little extra value, which really means just add another service. So as we’ve asked ourselves what extra services we could offer, our solutions are often services that our competition can easily offer as well. So what do we do?
I have finally determined that to truly differentiate ourselves, we must “Give Value First.” I know that given the competitive environment we live in and the current economic situation, this may seem like a strange concept but think of it this way. When we “Give Value First,” we are taking control of the situation, not reacting to it. Below are a couple of examples that I believe can be used to make a difference.
Dale Carnegie was a true master at ‘giving value first,’ and in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, he talked about many great ideas on this concept. One of them, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you,” isn’t used nearly enough. This is such a simple concept--get interested in others, and they will get interested in you.
All of us, at one time or another, have found ourselves trapped in conversation at an event with someone can’t stop talking about himself, thereby showing he doesn’t care at all about anyone else. This situation happens more often than it should. So, the next time it happens, use it as an opportunity to learn all about that person, and reverse your thinking. Get to know them. Listen intently to what they have to say. At the end of the conversation, because you gave them the opportunity to talk, they will think you are the most interesting person in the world.
The digital world we all live in today is destroying relationships, and human-to-human touch points are becoming obsolete. The result is that customer loyalty is nearly non-existent and any relationship that does exist can be eliminated by pushing the “Send” button. However, for us and other companies looking to succeed, the pendulum needs to swing the other way. With our lives moving so quickly, we need to be able to depend on certain people and relationships more today than ever before.
Tim Sanders wrote in his book, Love is the Killer App, “In the twenty-first century, our success will be based on the people we know. Everyone in our address book is a potential partner for every person we meet. Everyone can fit somewhere in our ever-expanding business universe.”
So, once we know a lot about someone, how do we really get to know them? Networking helps because we get to know a lot of people, but we don’t get to know them very well. Once we know someone, it takes a lot of time and effort to really develop the relationship; however, a strong relationship is worth more than any amount of money. And helping others connect and build new relationships equally as valuable.
I’ve got a few friends that are masters at developing and maintaining relationships. They spend a tremendous amount of time staying in touch with me and others. Their relationships flourish into true friendships, and I feel like they are some of my best friends. Because they have developed these solid relationships, I also trust them. If I need help, they will help me and connect me with the solution I’m looking for. As a result, if those friends ever need my help, I will do almost anything to not let them down.
Sharing knowledge is another way to give value. Through education and experience, we have all spent our careers developing knowledge. Each one of us is unique and has something to offer that nobody else has. This creates a problem. Most people in the world believe their knowledge is so important everybody else should pay for it. Not anymore. We need to realize that sharing our expertise, without expecting compensation in return, will earn others’ trust so much faster. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of web sites offering us information for no charge. Are we not more important than a web site?
One of our sales representatives has become a master at sharing his knowledge. He has spent hours training himself on various aspects of our business. As he meets with prospects, before they know it he has become their consultant. He knows so much and is so willing to share his knowledge, free of charge, that his customers even call him for advice on work that we can’t even print! They just want to know that they are making the right decision, and many of them won’t start a project without first seeking his input. Do you see how important this is? He has become the trusted professional. His customers won’t do anything without him, and he is very successful.
Once we care and learn about others and develop strong, lasting relationships, we will be able to help our friends with their needs. A natural byproduct of that is that our friends will also want to help us. The problem is that most of us are very independent people, and we have trouble asking for or receiving help in return. We have been taught that if we want to be successful and move ahead we can’t depend on anybody but ourselves. But if we have truly given value first, we need to be willing to accept help. It may not even be the help we think you need at the time, but we help others feel good by accepting their offering. They feel valued and loved.
The book, The Go-Giver, talks about the concept of being able to receive. “Is it better to give than to receive? Trying not to receive is not only foolish, it’s arrogant. When someone gives you a gift, what gives you the right to refuse it – to deny their right to give? The secret to getting is giving. And the secret to giving is making yourself open to receiving.”
Leave yourself open to let others help. You don’t always have to be the champion.
The idea of “Giving Value First” is very intriguing. Most people are so concerned with getting ahead and beating the competition they even won’t give this a second thought. Especially in today’s economy, we can’t afford to be defensive and obsessed with what others might be doing. We need to be concerned more for others than about others. We need to share our knowledge, share ourselves. We need to truly “Give Value First.”