The skills for creating a great product can transfer to HR initiatives
By Tom Murry
Jim Rohn, the author of TwelvePillars, brilliantly wrote, “Success is neither magical or mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.” Whether one is in the fashion, publishing, automobiles, hotels, restaurants or technology industries – the four same basic principles of execution apply. They are the same everywhere.
Why does anyone want to repeatedly buy a product or service? Well, because they can trust it and count on it. A business owner’s job is to make sure that every customer always has a great experience when purchasing their products, so much so that they will want to do so again and again. This is what creates loyalty to the brand. It is what makes it recognizable immediately.
Every product or service that has risen to the top – in any business, any industry – has followed these four rigorous steps in the execution process:
1. The design has to be extraordinary
Every aspect of a product’s or service’s design must be impeccable. No detail is too small or overlooked. No matter what the product or service, it is created with an end-user or consumer in mind. From start to finish, it’s created for the desired effect – whether it’s the perfect fit, beauty, speed, accuracy or precision – the design fulfills the buyer’s wishes. How something looks and feels is a result of design.
Great design can make us want to buy a car, a house, a pillow, a suit, a phone. It can also turn customers off immediately.
Overlooking the design of anything – no product or service is too small – can be a devastating mistake. Take time to assess choices. Pay attention to the details and know who the end-user or buyer is before beginning.
There is an old saying in business: “It doesn’t matter if you like it. It only matters if the customer does.” Get to know customers intimately. Understand what they want, how they want it and what works for them; and then design accordingly.
2. The quality must be the best
In order to create a thriving and successful business, focus on quality before quantity. Make sure everything is up to exact standards. Don’t settle for anything less.
No one forgets a bad order or bad quality. No one. In order to have a consistent, reputable business brand, the quality of a product or service has to be impeccable.
3. The delivery must be on time
Delivery dates are not optional. Deadlines are not negotiable. Excuses are useless. To be successful in business, deliver exactly what was said was going to be delivered, on the dates and manner promised.
If, for some reason, the delivery will be late, don’t offer excuses; instead, offer only an apology and assurance that it will never happen again. Shifting blame – on someone in the organization, especially – makes the entire company look bad. Be willing to accept responsibility.
Here’s the thing: when delivering the goods consistently and on time, the same expectation of others will be held as well. The more one holds tight to boundaries and deadlines, the more likely everyone inside and outside (vendors, etc.) the organization will too.
4. And the fit must be great
A product has to fit the market. Every product and service should fill a need that the customers have. Make sure the product or service is where it belongs, where it will get noticed and where customers can find it.
So many businesses make the mistake of thinking that “everyone” will want their services or products. They don’t do market research or get to know their customer base. With the variety of platforms that are now available to advertise and market products and services, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Look at what successful competitors are doing. What are they doing well? What are they doing differently? Having a strategy in place to get your goods and services to the right customers is key. This requires a bit of inquiry and research. In the rush to get goods and services to market, it’s best to make sure the market is there in the first place.
Tom Murry is the retired CEO of Calvin Klein and author of A Great Fit, to be published in 2019.