What does it take to get the market\u2019s attention and grow your business? In an age where advertisements are everywhere and free content abounds, is \u00a0there a secret ingredient for standing out from the crowd? The leaders of a few Fortune 500 companies have shared the secrets to their businesses\u2019 growth.<\/p>\n
1. Be good to your people.<\/strong> Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz offers this observation:\u201cNow that Starbucks has gotten this big in terms of the scale \u2014 18,000 stores in 62 countries \u2014 the question is, \u2018How do you get big and stay small?\u2019 And the answer is, by really focusing on our customers, one cup of coffee at a time, doing everything we can as a company to exceed the expectations of our customers. But in order to do that, we have to exceed the expectations first of our people.\u201d2<\/sup><\/p>\n Starbucks is known for treating its workers well, in the form of competitive benefits and stock options. \u201cMy aim was to give our employees a vested interest in the company,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that, I think, has made all the difference.\u201d3<\/sup> Many companies believe there is a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n 2. Work on what really matters.<\/strong> It makes sense. Some businesses seem to want to \u201cdo it all\u201d: give their clients infinite products and services, tack on a thousand extra features, establish a presence on every social network and marketing channel\u2026 and the list goes on. But sometimes, it\u2019s good to say no. Because when you say no to less important projects, it frees up enough time for you to dig deeper into the handful of things your customer really <\/em>wants from you. And if you can perfect those, you\u2019ll outshine your competitors naturally.<\/p>\n The principle is simple: Focus your energy first on what\u2019s most important. \u201cQuality is more important than quantity, and in the end, it\u2019s a better financial decision anyway,\u201d said Jobs. \u201cOne home run is much better than two doubles.\u201d4<\/sup><\/p>\n 3. Sell a purpose, not a product.<\/strong> \u201cYou\u2019re going to have hard times growing your business, and if you\u2019re passionate about it, that\u2019s what\u2019s going to get you through those hard times.\u201d5<\/sup> Your passion for your business can often translate to customers as a passion for them and their reason for coming to you to buy something. They experience your passion through depth of knowledge about the product or service you provide and a commitment service that they can count on if they have problems.<\/p>\n References .Retrieved from http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/videos\/money\/business\/2013\/04\/24\/2111205\/ What does it take to get the market\u2019s attention and grow your business? In an age where advertisements are everywhere …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[610],"tags":[11,13,31,78,166,187],"class_list":["post-25","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing-growth","tag-apple","tag-benefits","tag-competitors","tag-grow-your-business","tag-starbucks","tag-zappos"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThat goes for customers as well as staff. Treat clients like a mere bottom line, and they\u2019ll be happy to take their business elsewhere. Treat them well, and they\u2019ll enjoy their time with you \u2014 and be likely to come back.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m as proud of what we don\u2019t do as I am of what we do,\u201d said Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYour number-one goal really shouldn\u2019t be money,\u201d said Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh. \u201cIt should be something you are passionate about, something that has meaning. Then the money will follow. I like to say, \u2018Chase the vision, not the money.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\n1<\/sup> The U.S. Small Business Administration. (2010). The Small Business Economy: A report to the president<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.sba.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/sb_econ2010.pdf.
\n2<\/sup> USA Today. (2013, April 24). Icons: Starbucks\u2019 Howard Schultz reveals his daily coffee routine<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\n3<\/sup> Entrepreneur.com. (2008, October 9). Howard Schultz: Starbucks’ first mate.<\/em>Retrieved from http:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/197692
\n4<\/sup>Burrows, P., Grover, R., & Green H. (2006, February 5). Steve Jobs’ Magic Kingdom<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.businessweek.com\/stories\/2006-02-05\/steve-jobs-magic-kingdom
\n5<\/sup>Reiss, R. (2010, July 1).
\nTony Hsieh on his secrets of success<\/em>
\nRetrieved from http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/2010\/07\/01\/tony-hsieh-zappos-leadership-managing-interview.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"