Business Success Must-Haves: A 25 Year Perspective
There’s a lot out there about how business has changed over the last decade, let alone 25 years. During the course of our journey leading to this point, suffice to say, 3H Communications has not only seen many changes… it has embraced them. My earlier blog written last week speaks to those business changes. Here, I would like to talk about the ‘business staples’ that have provided us with the ability to meet the challenges of change head on, maintaining our credibility and growing the business.
1) There is no “business as usual”
Each brand, business and company is unusual… and each comes with its own personality, culture, character, challenges… Just like a person! This is a thinking perspective that 3H Communications has always implemented. Perhaps this perspective is a result of 3H’s strong marketing focus and the fact that we had never set out to be an industry specific agency. Specializing in marketing creative, we work in all industries, all media, and all channels. That has enabled us with lateral and forward thinking assisting us in identifying business patterns.
2) Passion is essential
No matter how many changes there are in business and how often business changes, the necessity of maintaining passion for the industry, for the people, for the product and for the business is essential. Just like business is unusual, a business led without passion, is led without drive. Drive is the force that allows us to focus, to work towards success… to deliver results.
3) Relationships are the cornerstone
With all the change in technology and how individuals and business communicate today, it’s easy to say that one on one relationship are no longer valid. I would beg to differ. We send out e-zine, e-newsletters; we comment on LinkedIn and set up lead generation tools on web sites; we offer e-books and feature case studies, all online, all though technology… all with the aim to establishing relationships… so we can call, meet and develop the relationship. The tools that we used in the way relationships are established, formed and even fostered may have changed…but the essence of cultivating relationships is still monumental.
4) The client is always first
No matter what else change… clients or customers are still first and servicing them in the way they need and want to be serviced still stands. Understanding the old adage, if you don’t take care of your client, someone else will has never been more relevant. With technology breaking down geographical borders, competition has never been fiercer…so servicing clients is the point of differentiation.
5) Business nimbleness
We hear it every day…The one thing about business that is constant, is change. So the one thing that businesses need to be is flexible. To adapt, to maneuver, to navigate. Being nimble and less cumbersome. That doesn’t mean to blindly follow all changes and trends. The need to assess and to research is still very essential…but decisions should be streamlined so that change is allowed to take place.
6) Business stance
The best offense is a great defense may be true in sports, but in business a defensive strategy is a losing one. Just look around at the businesses that are no longer. Business must always have a progressive strategy…because only then will it defend the market space it now enjoys, grow and prosper!
