Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Charlie Crouse, President of TBA & Oil Warehouse Inc. We hope you enjoy Charlie's wisdom and perspective.
Ahhhhhh, remember the first time you held hands with your girlfriend or boyfriend? Well this short blog is not about that…but it is about making the effort to show your team how to value your small business partners by sometimes “holding their hand.”
Let’s face it, this is the Midwest and most of us are not quick to make decisions when it comes to our businesses. In our nonchalant ways, we like our service providers, suppliers, and business partners to walk us through the proverbial process so we can make a comfortable decision. Remember, most of your customers feel the same exact way as you!
As business leaders we have to often remind our respective teams, and ourselves, that this is just the method here. A method that when done correctly can actually create more long term value through loyalty, trust, and ultimately, more stable profits for you!
How can we better educate our teams on what most small businesses appreciate? Here are several items to consider:
- Find out what’s important to your customer. Many on the supplier side of the fence simply do not know this. Sometimes it’s as simple as a one-on-one lunch once a month!
- Discuss what keeps your customer “up at night.” I bet it has to do with their customers, employees and business practices (just like you face).
- Communicate and quantify why and what you’re doing very well for them because most of the competition does not do this well enough.
- Ask what is causing pain and what you could be doing better, more of, or even stop doing?
- Learn how they make money and what you could do to help their profitability.
- It’s the most important thing you can do.
Everybody has a different personality. There is no cookbook when dealing with a contact at a small business, so not all of your employees or internal relationship processes are going to “click” with your partners. Choose how to adjust accordingly.
All in all, you may find out how you can better service your existing customer, improve your own procedures, and be the best partner to your small business customers…thus growing your business!
What’s The Risk?
If you want to do a standard job, then you’re probably no better than most of the competition already out there. You may be able to keep going on doing what you’re doing forever, but there is the risk of non-differentiation. With all the technological advancement allowing for the sale of about anything - Amazon, Costco, Google, the list goes on - it’s hard to tell what the future of any business model may hold.
Whether this is something you already do or could do better, you may need to have some sort of personal “white glove” service to retain and grow your share of the small business market in the future. Go ahead and hold the hand of your current and future business partners. It’s the alternative way to differentiate and ensure the future success of your company.
This content was written and shared by guest blogger Charlie Crouse.
Charlie Crouse is the President of TBA & Oil Warehouse Inc, an automotive parts distributor located in central Indiana. He has worked with TBA all but one year since 1997, and is co-owners with his cousin Ryan Wrege.
He is extremely active in his industry by on serving Federated’s Co-Man Warehouse council, ACDelco’s Marketing & E-Business sub-committees, and holding 3 board positions within the automotive industry. Additionally, Charlie serves on the board of 3 non-automotive businesses and is involved in Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and Indy Referral Source (IRS).
Charlie is passionate about supporting Riley Hospital for Children through Indiana University Dance Marathon and other student run organizations with a cause.
