Business Success – Kill the Status Quo and Reinvent Your Company

For Business Success Avoid the Kiss of Death.

If you want to achieve business success, what would be the kiss of death? Whenever I deliver a presentation on leadership or business success, I pose this question to my audiences. Typical responses are… “Not taking action.” Or, “Poor customer service.” All of these are good answers, but not the one I want to hear.

Here’s the answer I’m looking for: “Doing things the same way you’ve always done them…maintaining the status quo.”  I have yet to have an audience member provide that answer, yet most business leaders know it’s true.

Walgreens is Geared Up for Business Success

It’s time to reinvent, re-energize, and refocus your business so that it is new, different, and more customer focused. Take Walgreens for example. A few years ago, their executive team chose a bold, patient-centric, outcomes-focused strategy and reinvented their business by dramatically improving what they do best – their delivery of health care.

In the past, their stores were split between retail and pharmacy/health care products and services. In their new business model, the company devoted more store space to health care. An all-new health and wellness wing was introduced. It included a remodeled pharmacy, a clinic where customers can walk in and receive professional health care, and a room where patients can receive health screenings and immunizations in a private area.

They now have a private brand of staples products called “Nice!”  They also improved their customer service. I haven’t been in every store, but there are several in Chicago I’ve been to, and I’ve seen that Walgreens’ employees are definitely more helpful and friendly.  I’ve noticed this improvement myself. I’ve also noticed that many retail drugstores copied them. Why? Because it worked!

What about your company? You may not be a giant retail chain, but can still reinvent your business. Where should you start?

(1)  Start with your leadership team. Look at your offerings. Can you expand? How about your capabilities? Where can you improve?  Operations – how can you streamline your processes? Now, marketing and advertising – Create eye-catching ads and marketing campaigns that will amaze customers. How about creating a character like the Aflac duck. No one ever heard of Aflac before that duck. Of course, this depends on the nature of your business, but it sure works for Flynn’s Tire and Automotive and see their “Flynnie.”  How about your tag line or slogan?

(2) Work with your leadership team to create a smart competitive strategy that is fresh and new and includes the customer experience.Notice, I didn’t say customer service. Forrester Research Vice President and Research Director Harley Manning defines the customer experience as “how customers perceive their interactions with a company along each step of a customer journey, from discovery, to purchase and use, to getting service.”

3) Involve your employees.You can avoid the kiss of death and kill the status quo by directing your managers and employees to go through every touch point of the customer experience and come up with breakthrough ideas that can enhance the customer experience. Then, take action!  implement the best. Don’t be afraid to be different, and don’t be afraid to fail.

Avoiding the kiss of death and killing the status quo involves a great deal more. For now, ask yourself this question – What will happen if your competitors kill their status quo before you do? If you want to achieve business success and avoid the kiss of death reinvent the way you do business. Kill the status quo.