This post was originally published on LinkedIn on July 31, 2017. This version has been updated.
What common five-word phrase do many small businesses use to their own detriment?
Think about it while you picture this…
You’ve gone out for a nice evening together at a favorite restaurant. The host has seated you, handed you menus, and tells you your server will be with you soon.
Things are fine. So far everything has gone as expected with your evening out.
You wait a little while, then your server greets you and goes through the usual routine. He seems a little rushed, but you think nothing of it.
Then he disappears… for a long time. He took your drink orders… twenty minutes ago.
Still no drinks.
He finally shows up and apologizes for taking so long. Fair enough, it’s the weekend, you’re not too concerned. No harm in a little extra time.
When he comes back for the third time, he blurts out –
I’m sorry but I’m new… I haven’t done this much.”
He hasn’t really messed-up… he’s just a little rattled and his waning confidence is beginning to show.
But still, no big deal…
The thing is, those words, “I’m new” are his way of saying, “Cut me some slack here because I’m not confident in what I’m doing, and you’re probably not going to get the service you should.”
As a result, you begin to think the rest of this dining experience may not be so fine.
What’s the small business equivalent to the new waiter’s plea?
“We’re just a small business.”
When you say those words, you may as well say any of the following because it’s the message you’ll be sending…
- We’re not a real business yet
- Don’t expect us to perform as well as others
- You can’t expect excellence from us
- Don’t expect us to deliver on time
- Do you expect us to get everything right?
- We really don’t know what we’re doing
- You’ll just have to cut us some slack
- We’re rookies and you’re going to get rookie performance
You would not believe how many times people utter those words, “We’re just a small business.”
I’ve heard them time and time again.
Few words in business dissolve credibility faster.
But it doesn’t stop there!
Then come the qualifiers…
“We’re just a small business. So…”
- We need special payment terms
- We’ll need more time
- We can’t do that, so you’ll have to do it for us
- We don’t have the resources
- Do you really need all that?
Think about it…
Five seemingly innocent words can kill every ounce of credibility you may have earned.
Just don’t say them… Ever. Remove them from your vocabulary. Better yet, extract them entirely from your mindset.
Why? Because you are not, “Just a small business.”
You’re a small business who’s going to nail it for you customers.
Tired of all the do-overs? Would you like some help clearing the hurdles of working with bigger clients and customers?
Let’s start a conversation! Click here.
photo by Henrique Félix on stocksnap.io
Copyright © 2019 Jeff Meister
